A few gluttonous, burly men were no match for Ye Ziyu when it came to fighting. She spun her stool around, facing the men behind her.
"Miss, if you find your seat uncomfortable, why don't you come over here?" a man said, patting the empty seat next to him.
His companions' eyes glinted with excitement as they lewdly assessed Ye Ziyu.
He had intended to wait until Ye Ziyu was in a difficult situation before intervening, but upon seeing their lewd behavior towards her, he walked over, displeased. He pulled away the chair the man had just patted and sat down.
"Who do you think you are!" the man roared.
Gu Xiuyu pointed to the seat he had just occupied. "I'm with her. Weren't you saying our seats were too small and inviting us over? Now that we're here, you regret it?"
"Exactly, are you playing with us?" Ye Chenhan walked over and sat in another empty chair.
This table of men only seemed formidable on the surface; they thought Ye Ziyu, being a woman, would be easy to bully. However, as soon as they saw Ye Chenhan and Gu Xiuyu, their imposing demeanor vanished.
The previous argument had also drawn the attention of others. Everyone put down their chopsticks, looking over with curiosity.
The waiter informed the owner, who personally came over with two small dishes to mediate.
"To our esteemed guests, I am the owner of this establishment." The proprietor placed the dishes on the respective tables. "I just heard from the staff that there was a dispute between the two tables due to the limited space. I sincerely apologize. The shop is a bit small, and the tables and chairs are placed rather close together. Please accept my apologies. To express our regret to our guests, these two dishes are our signature offerings. We hope you enjoy your meal and don't let a small matter spoil your mood."
The owner's handling of the situation was impeccable, and running a business was not easy. Ye Ziyu decided to be patient and refrain from further arguments with the other party.
"Thank you, owner. I apologize for the trouble."
"No trouble at all. Your enjoyment is all that matters."
Gu Xiuyu and Ye Chenhan returned to their dining table while Ye Ziyu was speaking with the owner.
Seeing that they weren't looking to cause trouble, and perceiving them as outsiders, the men immediately became arrogant.
Kicking a stool, the man slammed his hand on the table. "Owner, get your facts straight. They started the trouble. Why are you making it sound like it's our fault?"
The owner looked back at the man speaking, paused, and quickly bowed in apology. "Yes, it is all the shop's fault. We have caused you an unpleasant experience."
"You think a plate of small dishes can appease us? Do you think we're beggars?" The man picked up the dish and weighed it in his hand, some of it spilling onto the floor. "And them, outsiders bullying locals. Haven't they bothered to find out who I am!?" xxs
"Brother Huang, why would they know? If they knew your status, wouldn't they be terrified and beg for mercy?"
Following his words, another round of unpleasant laughter ensued.
Ye Ziyu clenched her fists. Her patience had its limits.
"I'll handle this," Gu Xiuyu whispered in her ear, then stood up and approached the man referred to as Brother Huang.
"Brother Huang?"
"You know me?"
Gu Xiuyu shook his head. "I was just wondering who came up with such a terrible name, 'Brother Huang'? It sounds like a boorish lout with no culture."
Humiliated, Brother Huang stood up in anger.
He hadn't seemed as imposing while seated, but upon standing, he was like a plummet, short and stout. Gu Xiuyu had to look down at him.
The man shoved Gu Xiuyu's shoulder. "You impudent brat, I think you don't want to see tomorrow's sun."
More than tomorrow's sun, Gu Xiuyu wanted to see tonight's moon and stars.
He grabbed the man's wrist and, with a composed expression, removed his hand from his shoulder.
"Ow~" Brother Huang couldn't help but cry out.
Gu Xiuyu twisted his hand behind his back, bent down, and glared at him. "I don't care where you're from, but you will apologize to her now!"