Su Qinghe bit her lip hard, her small hands twisting together under the table.
Lin Wanwan’s vicious words pierced her ears like needles.
Trash… garbage…
Yes. She was trash. She had always been trash.
She wanted to refute Lin Wanwan, but everything Lin Wanwan said felt like the truth. She simply did not deserve Jiang Che.
She wanted to run, but her legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead. She could not move at all. All she could do was sit there like a useless person, her eyes red and helpless.
Having been suppressed and neglected by her family for years, she had long fallen into extreme inferiority.
But Jiang Che did not think that way.
Lin Wanwan and Zhang Yang’s smiles grew more and more arrogant. Just as Su Qinghe was about to be completely crushed by their mockery, a warm hand suddenly wrapped around her cold, trembling one.
She froze and lifted her tear-filled eyes. “Jiang… Che?”
With a sharp crack—
Jiang Che slammed his chopsticks down on the table. The force was so strong that the bowls and plates jumped.
The noisy restaurant instantly fell silent.
Several nearby tables turned to look.
Jiang Che slowly stood up. He was already tall, and at 1.85 meters, standing there, he was half a head taller than Zhang Yang, exuding overwhelming pressure.
Zhang Yang had to tilt his head up to look at him. The feeling of being overshadowed made him uncomfortable.
He was about to say something, but when he met Jiang Che’s cold, fierce gaze, the intimidation in that look made him swallow his words. He unconsciously stepped back.
Jiang Che did not bother wasting words on a coward like him. He shifted his gaze downward toward Lin Wanwan. “Lin Wanwan, did you brush your teeth this morning?”
She was stunned. “What?”
“If you didn’t, then stop spewing filth. You’re stinking up the place.”
He waved his hand in disgust, as if swatting away an annoying fly. “And who gave you the nerve to think I’m trying to win your sympathy?”
“Can you fix that ridiculous self-importance of yours? Do you really think every man in the world revolves around you?”
Lin Wanwan had never been treated like this by Jiang Che before. Her face turned green as she lost her composure. “You—”
“What about me?”
He did not give her a chance to continue. His gaze shifted coldly to Zhang Yang, filled with ridicule. “So this is your new boyfriend? Your taste really isn’t great. He looks like some cheap hair salon stylist. I have no idea what you see in him.”
Zhang Yang had been enjoying the show, but hearing himself insulted made him explode.
He was considered someone important around here. When had he ever been humiliated to his face like this?
“Damn it! Jiang Che, watch your mouth!”
Zhang Yang stepped forward and reached out to shove him. “Who do you think you are? Believe it or not, I can make sure you don’t walk out of here today.”
Faced with Zhang Yang lunging at him, Jiang Che did not even blink. He casually grabbed Zhang Yang’s wrist and applied slight pressure.
“Ah—!”
Zhang Yang screamed. He bent over in pain, and his wrist instantly went limp, hanging uselessly.
It was obvious his wrist had been crushed.
“With strength like that, you think you can play tough?”
Jiang Che flung his hand away like trash, wiped his own hand with a tissue, and sneered. “Save it.”
He returned to his seat beside Su Qinghe. Worried she might have been frightened, he gently patted her head. “Just eat. Don’t let these two flies ruin your appetite. I’ll handle them.”
Su Qinghe felt shy from the sudden head pat and nodded obediently, continuing to eat.
In truth, from the moment Jiang Che had held her hand, she had stopped being afraid.
Because she knew he would protect her. He had protected her even in front of his family, let alone in front of outsiders.
Lin Wanwan trembled with rage at the sight of their sweet interaction. She stared at Su Qinghe as if she wanted to burn holes through her.
Why? Why would Jiang Che fall out with her over a blind girl? Why would he humiliate her in public?
He was not supposed to do that. He was supposed to beg for her forgiveness, apologize, and buy her luxury goods to make her happy.
“Jiang Che! You’re turning against me for a blind girl?”
The more Lin Wanwan thought about it, the angrier she became. She completely abandoned her usual ladylike demeanor and shouted, “She’s just a beggar nobody wants! You treat trash like treasure. Are you insane?”
“Say one more word about her.”
Jiang Che lifted his head slowly, his eyes locking onto hers. The killing intent and pressure in his gaze made Lin Wanwan tremble and fall silent.
He rarely got angry. He was usually sunny and approachable, so she had forgotten that Jiang Che was human too, and he had a temper.
“In my eyes, she is ten thousand times more precious than someone like you, all flashy on the outside and rotten within.”
“No. You can’t even match her outer beauty. Su Qinghe surpasses you by ten thousand times in that too.”
“So tell me, what exactly are you worth? What gives you the right to compare yourself to her?”
Jiang Che was truly furious now. He no longer intended to spare them any dignity. He took out his phone and called the restaurant manager.
“Manager Xu? I’m in the main hall.”
“There are two flies buzzing beside me, ruining my appetite. Bring someone over and deal with it.”
Less than half a minute later, the manager rushed over with two security guards.
“Oh, Young Master Jiang! I’m so sorry!” The manager was sweating.
Even their boss treated Jiang Che with respect. If they offended him, the restaurant might as well close.
“Please escort these two out,” Jiang Che said, pointing at Lin Wanwan and Zhang Yang. “And don’t let me see them here again. They ruin my appetite.”
“Yes, yes, understood!” The manager immediately turned to them and gestured firmly. “Please leave. Don’t make this difficult.”
“You dare throw me out?” Zhang Yang clutched his wrist in disbelief. “Do you know who I am? My dad is—”
“Even if your dad were the King of Heaven, you’re still getting out today,” Jiang Che interrupted coldly.
The security guards were quick to judge the situation. Seeing their manager treating Jiang Che with utmost respect, they knew who held the power.
Without hesitation, they grabbed Zhang Yang and dragged him out.
Lin Wanwan panicked. She cared about her image. If she was thrown out publicly, how would she show her face in high society again?
She wanted to beg Jiang Che not to kick her out.
But then pride stopped her. She had always acted superior in front of him. To lower herself now and beg? She could not do it.
“Jiang Che! Just you wait! You’ll regret this!”
Lin Wanwan threw out a completely powerless threat and hurried out in her high heels, chasing after Zhang Yang in embarrassment.