Chapter 24: This Is Awkward as Hell!

Chapter 24: How Awkward!

Qingfeng Teahouse.

Outside, the sound of firecrackers had been ringing for a long time. Inside, the teahouse was packed with people, buzzing with noise. Lu Feng decided to head upstairs to his office. Yang Ming, Da Fei, and the others followed, as did Chen Bo.

To the eyes of the onlookers, this scene signaled something significant: this Boss Chen and Brother Ming had truly joined forces. Back in Youcheng, the people from Xianlin Town usually spoke with a certain arrogance because they were doing well for themselves—especially that big boss, He Jin. In Youcheng, heavyweights like Brother Ming and Boss Chen couldn't even compete with him. But now, it seemed this Young Master Feng was up to the task.

Once inside the office, Da Fei reported, "Young Master Feng, now that we've opened, the brothers have all shown their support. Most of them bought tea and left it here at the teahouse."

"Good," Lu Feng nodded.

The price of the tea didn't matter; what mattered was the implicit promise that they would return to brew tea and bring others along. The teahouse had become their regular hangout, solidifying its status among their circle.

Chen Bo then asked, "Young Master Feng, you mentioned that a shipment is coming in a few days. How much exactly?"

Yang Ming and the others turned their eyes to Lu Feng, their faces full of anticipation. They knew exactly what Chen Bo was referring to.

"I don't know the specifics yet. Just wait for news," Lu Feng replied. How could he know the exact amount? He still had to wait for Lin Jiao and Xu Bin to find a golden storefront.

Just as they were talking, Lu Feng received a WeChat message from Yang Qingxue. Upon reading it, his expression soured.

"Xiao Feng, what’s wrong?" Yang Ming noticed and asked with concern.

Lu Feng didn't hide it. He sighed, "It’s about Qingxue. Her best friend has been trying to set her up with her boyfriend’s brother, and it was even instigated by Qingxue’s mother. They’re at the cafe in the plaza for a blind date right now."

Yang Ming patted Lu Feng on the shoulder. "Qingxue told you, didn't she? That means she only has eyes for you. Besides, it’s normal for a mother not to want her daughter to suffer. But now, things are different for you, aren't they?"

"True," Lu Feng nodded. He certainly had more confidence now.

Da Fei chimed in, "Young Master Feng, if your girlfriend’s friend is being this pushy, I’m afraid that guy has designs on your girl. He’s probably been bribing that friend with favors—at the very least, he’s been treating her to meals constantly."

Lu Feng nodded. He wasn't a fool. When a man likes a woman, the easiest way to get to her is to have a mutual acquaintance arrange an introduction. Offering gifts or treating the intermediary to meals was standard practice. After all, a fair maiden is hard to woo, and if a man doesn't know how to play the game, he deserves to be single. Still, the thought of someone targeting his girlfriend was infuriating.

Seeing Lu Feng’s displeasure, Yang Ming whispered something to Da Fei. Da Fei nodded and immediately left the office. Just as Lu Feng was feeling confused, Yang Ming urged him, "What are you waiting for? Qingxue is calling for help, aren't you going?"

"Oh!" Lu Feng realized and got up to leave. Qingxue must be in an incredibly awkward situation right now.

***

Yang Ming greeted A-Lin, A-Pao, and the others, then followed Lu Feng out with a smile.

The Fengxiang Cafe was very famous in Zhongmin Plaza. Business was booming, and it was a popular spot for couples to date and friends to gather. Yang Qingxue was indeed feeling extremely awkward. She had absolutely no interest in Chen Yong, and more importantly, she already had a boyfriend. Yet, Chen Yong was pursuing her aggressively.

"Chen Yong, what are you waiting for? Why don't you order something for Qingxue?" Lin Jiajia said after sitting down with Yang Qingxue, not missing a chance to assist. She was very satisfied with her boyfriend's brother—he owned a house outright, drove a BMW, and earned 20,000 to 30,000 yuan a month, which was top-tier in a county like Youcheng. Many people worked ten-hour shifts in factories just to earn a few thousand, like that Lu Feng. She couldn't understand how he’d managed to trick her best friend.

Chen Yong caught the hint and spoke enthusiastically to Yang Qingxue, "Qingxue, Jiajia told me you like the honey pudding, so I ordered one for you."

He had high standards for a girlfriend: she had to be beautiful, kind-hearted, and obedient. Yang Qingxue fit his criteria perfectly. That was why he’d begged his friend to have his girlfriend set up the introduction. With Lin Jiajia’s help, he was confident his pursuit would be smooth sailing. He knew she had a boyfriend, but upon learning the guy was just a factory worker, he didn't care at all. It was an easy wall to tear down.

Lin Jiajia’s boyfriend, Chi Cheng, added, "Qingxue, look how thoughtful Chen Yong is? Jiajia only mentioned it once, and he remembered." He smiled, thinking of the 100,000 yuan investment Chen Yong had promised him for a project if he helped land Yang Qingxue.

Just then, Chi Cheng noticed a very attractive girl walking toward their table. She headed straight for him. She was beautiful, well-dressed, and frankly, better-looking than his girlfriend, Lin Jiajia. Before he could process it, the girl, Xiao Yao, grabbed the lemonade from the table and splashed it right in his face.

Chi Cheng was stunned, his eyes stinging so badly from the lemon juice that he couldn't open them. Lin Jiajia stood up, furious. "What are you doing splashing my boyfriend?"

"Your boyfriend?" Xiao Yao put on an indignant act. "He told me he didn't have a girlfriend!"

Lin Jiajia was dumbfounded. Any woman in this situation would be. Xiao Yao didn't wait; she turned and quickly walked out of the cafe, giving Chi Cheng no chance to explain and Lin Jiajia no chance to investigate.

"..." Chi Cheng was completely bewildered. As soon as his eyes cleared, he went to protest, but the girl had already vanished.

*What the hell...*

The cafe patrons were all watching, whispering loudly:
"Another case of two-timing. This guy got caught!"
"Definitely. That girl was clearly prettier; he was probably chasing her while hiding his girlfriend. Men are trash."
"Exactly, and he lied to her saying he was single. If he’d succeeded, the girlfriend would be history!"

Lin Jiajia’s face turned deathly pale. Losing her composure, she snapped at Chi Cheng, "Chi Cheng, you jerk!"

"Jiajia, it’s not like that! I don't even know her!" Chi Cheng panicked. This sudden turn of events had turned his world upside down.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Lin Jiajia yelled, ignoring his excuses and storming out of the cafe. Chi Cheng scrambled to follow her, desperate to explain.

Lu Feng had just entered the cafe and watched the two run out one after another, bewildered. He recognized Lin Jiajia immediately.

Yang Qingxue had been planning to seize the chance to leave with her friend, but when she saw Lu Feng, her face lit up. She hurried over, took his arm, and sat back down across from Chen Yong. "Chen Yong, this is my boyfriend, Lu Feng."

"..." Chen Yong felt as if he had swallowed a fly. Who wouldn't feel awkward when the girl they were pursuing sits down with her boyfriend right in front of them? But he had his own confidence. He decided to shift the awkwardness onto Lu Feng. "So, you're Qingxue's boyfriend. Where do you work?" He knew the guy worked at a steel factory and intended to use his own success to belittle him.

But just as he spoke, he was stunned to see a group of burly men covered in tattoos enter the cafe and surround their table. Why were they all staring at him? He felt a chill run down his spine. Had he offended someone recently? What was going on? Then, looking at Lu Feng’s mocking smile, he realized.

Chen Yong felt utterly humiliated. Realizing he had severely misjudged his rival, he scrambled to his feet, grabbed his phone, and fled.

"What a coward," Da Fei couldn't help but scoff. The stunt with Xiao Yao had been his idea. If the girlfriend’s friend liked setting people up, he would set her up too. No woman could stay calm in a situation like that.

Yang Ming sat down across from Lu Feng and Yang Qingxue. "Qingxue, what do you want to eat? My treat."

"Cousin!" Yang Qingxue recognized him immediately.

"Let’s go, back to brew some tea!" Da Fei signaled the others. As they left the cafe, his phone rang—it was his childhood friend, Huang Yuan. It was thanks to Huang Yuan that the attendees of the industrial and commercial department symposium had come to buy tea at the shop.

"Huang Yuan, what’s up?"

Huang Yuan said urgently, "The help I gave you seems to have caught the attention of the higher-ups. A deputy county magistrate just came to ask about it."

Da Fei’s brow furrowed. "Why would someone like that care about such a small matter? Is there a problem?"

"I'm not sure. I'm just giving you a heads-up. Stick to the story that it was a sponsorship," Huang Yuan said before hanging up and heading toward the leadership offices. He didn't understand why a deputy magistrate would care about such a trifle. Was he bored?

Huang Yuan entered the office and saw his superior pouring tea for the deputy magistrate. On the tea table sat a tin of Qingfeng tea.