While figuring out an excuse to leave them, her phone rang.
It was her younger brother calling, so she answered it in front of Tang Haichao.
"Xiangyang. What's up?"
To her surprise, it wasn't Xiangyang's voice on the other end.
"Xiangwan, right? Who are you to Xiangyang?"
"I'm his sister. Who are you? Why is his phone with you?"
"You'll find out why it's with me when you get here."
The man gave her an address.
"Hurry up. Your brother's caused trouble. If you don't come give me an explanation, don't blame me for being rude."
Xiangyang got into trouble outside?
Her expression changed, and Xiangwan stood up.
"I'm sorry, I have to go. There's something happening at home."
Tang Haichao, sitting opposite her, had heard her conversation clearly. He stood up as well.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Thanks for dinner, goodbye. Tangtang, I'm leaving now."
She grabbed her bag in a hurry and ran out.
Because she was running too fast, she almost bumped into someone else as she exited.
Tang Haichao frowned and glanced at his daughter.
"Have you eaten enough?"
"Yes, I'm full."
"Then take your medicine. Let's go see what's happening."
Following the address the man had given, Xiangwan quickly drove there.
It was a fitness club.
She couldn't figure out why Xiangyang would be here.
She rushed in and saw a group of tall, slender men standing in the billiards hall to the left of the lobby.
Judging by their appearance and attire, they were around Xiangyang's age.
Xiangwan understood.
Xiangyang had probably gotten into a conflict with someone while hanging out here.
"Sis."
Xiangyang, being held by someone in the crowd, spotted her.
Xiangwan walked over and saw that his face was bruised.
The boys beside him also had injuries to varying degrees.
"Well, well, I didn't expect your sister to be such a beauty. No wonder you're so cocky."
The leading young man appraised Xiangwan flirtatiously.
"I was the one who called you just now. Do you know what happened?"
Xiangwan ignored him and looked at Xiangyang.
"What happened?"
There was another person behind Xiangyang.
She hadn't seen him before, as he had been squatting on the ground.
At this moment, he stood up, holding his forehead. Blood was seeping through his fingers.
"What happened? You can tell from my appearance."
"Your brother is incredibly arrogant. He was fighting us over a ball and messed me up like this. Tell me, how are you going to resolve this?"
"My living depends on my face. I haven't even found a girlfriend yet. If I get a scar, I'm not done with him!"
Xiangwan glanced at him, then back at her brother.
"Is that what happened?"
Her brother had always been well-behaved, and he had rarely caused trouble.
Perhaps because he seldom made mistakes, he felt deeply ashamed about what he had done today.
He bit his cheek tightly, not daring to look at her.
The mistake had already been made; scolding him was meaningless.
Moreover, in front of everyone, Xiangwan didn't want to embarrass him.
"I'm not going to scold you. Just answer me truthfully, did you hit these people?"
"Even if you did, big sister won't blame you. It's normal to be overwhelmed when so many people are bullying one person. At worst, we'll pay. Don't be scared."
Hearing his sister say that, Xiangyang's eyes immediately turned red.
After mumbling with his lips several times, he nodded.
"I did."
Xiangwan looked at the leading young man.
"Have him take his hand away. Let me see how badly he's hurt."
"Judging by your tone, you seem quite wealthy. You're very supportive of your brother fighting. After the fight, you want to settle it with money. A rich kid?"
"It doesn't matter if I'm a rich kid or not. You asked me to come here to resolve this, and I'm here. What do you want now?"
The young man turned back and raised an eyebrow at the person he was speaking to.
He lowered his hand.
There was a cut on his forehead, about two to three centimeters long.
Xiangwan calculated in her mind.
A hospital visit for stitches, a tetanus shot, and all their various expenses – five thousand yuan should be more than enough.
"Here's five thousand. Let my brother come."
"Five thousand? He did this to my friend and all of us, and you want to settle it for five thousand?"
Xiangwan remained as calm as water.
"I'm talking about him alone. The rest of you combined, plus another five thousand, making it ten thousand in total. Is that acceptable?"
To get into a fight and have his sister pay out ten thousand yuan.
Xiangyang felt heartbroken.
"Why give him so much? I got hit too. Why aren't they paying me?"
Xiangwan quickly showed concern for her brother.
"Besides your face, are you injured anywhere else?"
Her brother bit his cheek and fell silent again.
Always losing his nerve at critical moments, Xiangwan felt like kicking him.
"I'm talking to you, are you mute?"
Her brother shivered his leg awkwardly.
"My leg is injured. They hit me with a pool cue, and I can't move it right now."
There was such a thing?
Xiangwan truly regretted saying she would pay ten thousand yuan just now!
Her brother's leg was so badly injured he couldn't move it, damn it!
"Get out of the way. Let me see."
She wanted to get to her brother.
Several young men blocked her path, shoulder to shoulder.
"We agreed on ten thousand yuan. Show us the money first."
"Let me see my brother's injury. As long as he's alright, money is not an issue."
"What could be wrong? He's not bleeding. Are you trying to renege on the deal? There are so many of us. Don't force us to fight you."
Xiangwan was already in a bad mood.
Now, hearing that her brother was seriously injured, and these people were so unreasonable.
She became furious.
She glared at them coldly.
"I'm telling you to get out of the way! All of you, get the hell out of the way!"
"Heh, the little lady has quite a temper. You're swearing at us? Interesting..."
The leading young man treated her like a little girl, teasing her.
Xiangwan's face turned cold, and she raised her hand, slapping him across the face.
"Didn't your mother pay for your education? Don't you have basic human decency? Who are you calling 'little lady'? Little lady, your sister!"
The young man clutched his face, looking incredulous and enraged.
"You dare slap my face? Damn it! In all my years, my parents have never hit my face, and you dare hit me?"
"Don't think that just because you're a woman I won't fight you!"
"Try moving. If I don't get someone to chop off your fingers tomorrow, I'll write the character 'Xiang' backwards!"
"Heh, trying to scare me? Are you in a gang? Or perhaps, relying on your looks, you found a rich man?"
"Chop off my fingers, fine. I hit you, so come tomorrow if you dare!"
After saying that, he grabbed Xiangwan's shoulder and was about to push her to the ground.
"Stop!"
At the critical moment, a manly voice cut through the air.
Everyone turned towards the voice and saw Tang Haichao storming in, holding a shiny baseball bat, his face filled with killing intent.
He seemed to be swept by the wind, reaching them in three quick steps.
Grabbing Xiangwan's clothes, he yanked her out of the way and then grabbed the young man by the neck.
"Who are you fighting? My boss is someone you can just touch? Don't you want to live? Huh?"
His strength was immense, and the young man's face turned red from being choked.
Confused and terrified, he looked at him.
"Who's your boss? Who are you calling your boss?"
"Who else could it be? Her!"
Tang Haichao gritted his teeth, looking as if he wanted to skin the young man alive.