Chapter 12: The Beggar

Although the woman’s face was somewhat unappealing, one could always turn off the lights, or cover her head, so as not to see it!

That snow-white, tender flesh—it must feel quite good to the touch! With meat delivered to one’s doorstep for free, how could there be any reason not to eat it?

One by one, they rubbed their palms and flexed their muscles, eager to give it a try.

The onlookers nearby only dared to whisper among themselves, nodding from time to time. Xiao Min knew that the weaknesses of human nature were the same in any era; no one would offend someone they dared not cross for the sake of something that brought them no benefit.

She immediately gave up hope, merely watching every move of the people before her with vigilance.

At worst, it would be a fight to the death.

Seeing the woman glaring at him fiercely, Lin Suli, who had never been so humiliated in public, found it hard to keep his composure.

"Teach this arrogant, ignorant brat a lesson for me!" he commanded the guards behind him, who were already raring to go.

These guards had long been prepared; some even felt that a certain part of them could no longer wait.

Some even gulped, their throats bobbing.

Several burly men stepped forward, intending to grab Xiao Min. Unexpectedly, whether out of impatience or because this young woman was more slippery than a loach, she dodged them several times, and they failed to lay a hand on her.

Xiao Min dodged a few more times, avoiding the group. She would have been fine on her own, but taking Yue Niang with her was proving difficult.

As countless thoughts flashed through her mind, Lin Suli walked up to Yue Niang and reached out to grab her.

Yue Niang’s entire attention was on Xiao Min. Seeing that Xiao Min was defenseless, her eyes were filled with deep worry, and she was completely unaware of the danger approaching her.

Just as the hearts of the onlookers were hanging in their throats, a loud "Slap!" echoed, leaving everyone stunned.

However, what left them even more bewildered was that the "slapping" sounds continued incessantly!

The scene before them was somewhat bizarre. Yue Niang, who had appeared harmless just moments ago, was now like a furious lioness. One hand tightly gripped Lin Suli, who had delivered himself to her, while the other hand, seemingly oblivious to pain, struck his face repeatedly.

"How dare you bully Min'er! How dare you bully Min'er! I'll beat you to death, I'll beat you to death!" she muttered fiercely.

A moment later, before the crowd could recover, Lin Suli was jolted awake by the burning pain on his face. "Rebellion! This is rebellion! How dare you strike this young master's face! You crazy woman, are you tired of living?"

Lin Suli cursed and swore, but he couldn't help it; his face was already bruised and swollen. Every curse tugged at his wounds, making him wince in pain. The vicious words he intended to say had to be swallowed back.

As the crowd grew larger, Lin Suli could not swallow this insult. He immediately wanted to strike back at Yue Niang, but his raised hand was suddenly gripped by a much stronger one.

"What are you—doing! Are you looking for death?" He shouted viciously, but when he looked at the man stopping him, his angry voice faltered.

The person holding his hand was none other than his own nephew!

Xiao Ruochen!

Although Xiao Ruochen usually kept to himself in the Prime Minister's residence, he was not a man to be underestimated.

Xiao Min looked at the cold, handsome man who had suddenly appeared. She did not relax in the slightest; after their brief encounter that day, she had already seen the most ruthless side of this person clearly.

At this moment, she did not harbor any hope that he would do anything for her.

"This... Chen'er, are you here at Ke Lai Xiang to drink, too?" Lin Suli’s small eyes darted around, and he signaled to his subordinates.

Then, with a face full of smiles, he looked at Xiao Ruochen. "Come, let's go in and have a few drinks together!" He subtly blocked Xiao Ruochen’s view and gestured toward the restaurant.

Xiao Min only cared about Yue Niang’s safety; she had long since lost any expectations for that damned handsome man.

Meanwhile, the crowd of onlookers grew larger!

Everyone was waiting to see a good show. Xiao Ruochen was the ideal man in the hearts of many women in the Ling Shui Kingdom; they knew he was a rare find in terms of appearance, background, and character.

They all wanted to see how he would handle this matter.

However, Xiao Ruochen did not grant Lin Suli’s wish. He pushed him aside and glanced at Xiao Min. When his gaze fell on Yue Niang, he paused noticeably.

For a moment, the noisy crowd became strangely quiet!

The smile on Lin Suli’s face faltered. After all, this guy was a generation younger than him, and yet he had been so humble only to receive this result?

"Ahem!" He coughed twice.

Xiao Ruochen withdrew his gaze and looked at the oblivious Lin Suli with a hint of pity, making the hair on the back of the man's neck stand up.

In the crowded street, a man with a cold expression took light steps and ran toward the Prime Minister's residence...

Seeing this, Xiao Min hurried toward Yue Niang and shielded her behind her back to prevent her from being harmed again.

Just then, a loud voice rang out through the silent crowd.

"Daughter! My dear daughter, you have made your father search so hard!" The voice was somewhat agitated, but even more so, it was filled with joy. The silent crowd grew even quieter as everyone looked toward the source of the sound. They saw a middle-aged man dressed like a beggar running toward them. The crowd parted along the way, fearing they might be tainted by filth.

Xiao Min didn't care about that; she grabbed Yue Niang, terrified that she might be snatched away again.

However, something she hadn't expected happened: the beggar ran straight toward her, unerringly. Xiao Min recognized him—this was the beggar she had met at the teahouse.

Could it be that he was holding a grudge because she hadn't given him alms? Was he trying to smear her reputation while there were so many people around?

"Yun'er, you have made your father search so hard!" He sounded tragic, but to Xiao Min, it looked completely fake.

Even Xiao Ruochen, standing to the side, furrowed his brows slightly!

Xiao Min curled her lip!

She ignored him, merely watching to see what this guy was up to.

The beggar looked full of grief. "My good Yun'er, you are living a good life now, but do you know how your mother and I have been living?" Although he spoke with great emotion, Xiao Min felt like vomiting blood.

This was the highest level of lying through one's teeth.

Regardless of whether the beggar was being emotional or weeping, Xiao Min met him with cold eyes.

When the beggar finally ran out of things to say, Xiao Min looked at him calmly, her face full of disdain. "Listen here, old man, even if you want to find a big tree to hang yourself from, you should at least find a bigger one, right? Look at me—I don't look like someone you can tie down, do I?" she retorted helplessly.