C19 A Terrible Day

"No way!" Faang Ming chuckled as he scratched his head.

"Then why the rush to send me off? Is it because of last time? Don't be so petty!" Zhang Ruoyu complained with a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Of course not! How could you think that?" Faang Ming hastily replied, though internally he felt utterly at a loss with the situation.

"To prove it, you should treat me to a drink. That shouldn't be a problem, right?" Zhang Ruoyu teased with a playful smile.

"Sure!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Faang Ming regretted it, wishing he could smack himself. How could he get mixed up with a detective at a time like this? But the words were already out there.

Seeing Faang Ming's dumbstruck face, Zhang Ruoyu playfully pouted, "What, you don't want to?"

"How... How could that be!" Faang Ming managed to say, steeling himself as he once again entered "Gold Seals."

The waiter, who had been roughed up by Zhang Yijie the day before, hurried over to Faang Ming with a respectful greeting, "Mr. Faang, welcome! What can I get for you today?"

Faang Ming turned to Zhang Ruoyu and asked, "Miss Zhang, what would you like to drink?"

"Hmm! Anything's fine, really. After all, you're the host!" Zhang Ruoyu responded nonchalantly.

"Then... Then..." Faang Ming was at a loss, having no idea what to order since it was his first time here and he was unfamiliar with the menu.

"Mr. Faang, might I suggest our house special red wine? It's excellent," the man offered, noticing Faang Ming's indecision.

"Alright! Let's go with that!" Faang Ming, unsure of what else to do, quickly agreed and gave the waiter an approving nod, as if to say, 'Well done, I'm impressed!'

The man, basking in Faang Ming's approving look, felt elated. To be associated with Jie from the Black Dragon Gang meant his status was no small matter. Perhaps this could even lead to a future opportunity, so he promptly invited, "This way, please."

At his words, Zhang Ruoyu's face took on a slightly unnatural hue, inwardly laughing and cursing, 'What's he thinking, drinking red wine with a girl?'

Lost in thought, Zhang Ruoyu followed Faang Ming into the VIP lounge of "Gold Seals."

"Just a moment, I'll be right back," the waitress said before quickly exiting.

"Do you frequent this place? That waitress seemed quite courteous to you," Zhang Ruoyu inquired with curiosity.

"How could I? I couldn't afford to be a regular at a place like this," Faang Ming quickly denied.

"So, what brings you to Arrowguard?" Zhang Ruoyu asked offhandedly.

"Oh! I grow roses, remember? I came to Arrowguard specifically to check out any new varieties," Faang Ming explained.

"And you left Ning'er behind? Such a beauty at home, and you're at ease?" Zhang Ruoyu said with a sly grin.

Before Faang Ming could respond, the waiter returned, carrying a bottle of red wine and two stemmed glasses.

"Here's your red wine," he said, placing it on the table.

As the waiter left, he tried to flatter Faang Ming by saying, "Mr. Faang, this must be your girlfriend, right? She's absolutely stunning. You two are a match made in heaven."

At these words, Zhang Ruoyu's face flushed crimson, but too embarrassed to correct him, she simply bowed her head to hide her discomfort.

Faang Ming was so frustrated with the blabbering waiter that he wanted to punch him out. Noticing Zhang Ruoyu's discomfort, he quickly interjected, "Alright! You go back to your duties. I'll call you if I need anything."

The waiter nodded and retreated, puzzling over their odd reactions and muttering to himself, "Did I say something wrong again? No way!"

Once the waiter was gone, Zhang Ruoyu's face gradually regained its composure.

Seizing the moment, Faang Ming reassured her, "The waiter is clueless. Don't take his words to heart."

While talking, he nonchalantly poured the opened red wine for Zhang Ruoyu and then topped off his own glass. Perhaps feeling overwhelmed by the day's surprises, Faang Ming took a hearty swig.

Zhang Ruoyu, catching sight of the wine label, gasped, "This wine costs over 8,000 yuan, and you're telling me you don't frequent this place?"

"Pfft!"

Choking on her words, Faang Ming sprayed out the wine he had just sipped.

"Over 8,000 yuan?" he exclaimed, eyes bulging.

"What's wrong with you? Didn't you know?" Zhang Ruoyu complained, looking down at her wine-soaked clothes.

"I... I knew! I just choked, that's all. Sorry!" Faang Ming stammered out an apology.

"You knew, yet you still made such a scene. My clothes are ruined; how am I supposed to go out now?" Zhang Ruoyu scolded, shooting him a glare.

Only then did Faang Ming notice the extent of the spill on Zhang Ruoyu's clothes, and to his amusement, the wine had perfectly targeted her chest.

Caught in the moment, Faang Ming was transfixed by the enticing 'view'.

Zhang Ruoyu, realizing he was silent, looked up to catch him ogling and instinctively shielded her chest, snapping, "Don't look!"

Startled by her shout, Faang Ming quickly turned his head away, his face flushing with embarrassment.

"Why don't you go up to my room and sort yourself out? You can't walk around the streets like this," Faang Ming suggested, his back still to her.

"It looks like I have no choice! What else can I do?"

"Ugh, what a day!"

With a sigh, Faang Ming hurried Zhang Ruoyu into his room.

She beelined for the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Don't you dare peek!" her voice echoed from inside.

Faang Ming had no such intentions; he just wished for Zhang Ruoyu to hurry up and leave. He flopped onto the bed and lay there, waiting in silence.

Before long, the sound of running water hinted that she might be taking another shower. Glancing at the clock, Faang Ming noted it was past five—Zhang Yijie would be arriving in just over an hour.

Restless and resigned, he switched on the TV, hoping Zhang Ruoyu would be quick.

When Faang Ming checked the time again, it was past six. Zhang Ruoyu emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Ah! What's this?" Faang Ming blurted out, taken aback by her appearance.

"I've already washed the clothes; they should be ready in another hour," said Zhang Ruoyu.

"An hour?" Faang Ming exclaimed, feeling a sense of impending doom.

"Do you think I enjoy this? Every time I'm involved with you, it's never good news!" Zhang Ruoyu retorted, clearly irritated.

"What am I going to do? Zhang Yijie will be here soon. If he finds her here, what will he think?" Faang Ming was so preoccupied with the dilemma that he barely registered Zhang Ruoyu's words.

"Hello! Are you even listening to me?" Zhang Ruoyu snapped, noticing Faang Ming's distraction.

"Yes, yes, I am!" Faang Ming quickly assured her, snapping back to attention.

Suddenly, Zhang Ruoyu asked, "What exactly is your relationship with the Black Dragon Gang?"

Overwhelmed by the question, Faang Ming blurted out, "For heaven's sake! I have no connection to the Black Dragon Gang. How many times do I have to say it before you believe me?"

"That's impossible! Based on what I know, you're definitely aware of the identities of those you've sent to the police," Zhang Ruoyu persisted with her theory.

"Fine! Since you're so eager to know, I'll tell you," Faang Ming said, adopting a grave tone.

Zhang Ruoyu's curiosity was piqued, and she listened intently, eager to uncover the truth about Faang Ming's identity.

Faang Ming decided to come clean to Zhang Ruoyu because he was tired of being suspected of having ties to the Black Dragon Gang. He hoped that by telling her the truth, he could put an end to her secret investigations. After all, no one likes the feeling of being constantly watched.

Faang Ming explained that Lee Dafeng had harbored ill intentions towards Chu Ning'er and that after teaching him a lesson, it had sparked the Black Dragon Gang's vendetta. He also mentioned his martial arts training from a young age, which made him more than capable of handling the gang members.

After hearing Faang Ming's explanation, Zhang Ruoyu carefully considered it and concluded that everything made sense and there was nothing to doubt.

"So, are you satisfied now, Detective Zhang?" Faang Ming asked with a hint of annoyance.

"I see! No wonder Ning'er kept quiet. She must have been worried about putting you in a bad light," Zhang Ruoyu said, finally understanding.

Relieved that Zhang Ruoyu believed him, Faang Ming sighed deeply and then remarked, "You're a beautiful girl; why choose to be a detective?"

"That's none of your concern!" Zhang Ruoyu replied, her face flushing slightly.

Faang Ming was struck by how much Zhang Ruoyu's bashful expression resembled Ning'er's, and he found himself momentarily lost in thought.

"Hey! Stop staring," Zhang Ruoyu chided, adjusting the towel around her.

Faang Ming could only offer an awkward chuckle in response.

"I'll have to remind Ning'er to keep an eye on you," Zhang Ruoyu teased with a playful smile.

At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted them. Faang Ming quickly signaled Zhang Ruoyu to be silent, then leaned in and whispered, "It might be a friend of mine. Don't say a word."

Zhang Ruoyu, who had never been this close to a man, inhaled Faang Ming's distinctly masculine scent and nodded almost reflexively.