TSWPF -Chapter 225 Bullying

The one who had been bumped, Li Qingling, hadn’t said a word yet, but the person who hit her spoke up first.

“Damn it! Can’t you watch where you’re going? You even dare to bump into me?”

A young man, probably seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a white robe and holding a fan, glared angrily.

When he finally got a good look at Li Qingling, his eyes lit up. He lifted her chin with his fan and said, “Tsk tsk, young lady, you bumped into me. How do you plan to make it up to me?”

Today, it seemed, luck had smiled on him—he had met a pretty young lady.

Li Qingling forcefully pushed away the fan that lifted her chin, frowning and staring coldly at the man. “It’s not your fault if your brain doesn’t work right, but scaring people when you go out—that’s your fault.” Seeing such a spoiled, reckless young master, she couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

Compared to him, her husband seemed even better—young, ambitious, and deeply responsible toward his family.

She was grateful her parents had acted quickly to help her find such a good husband. Otherwise, she would be left envying other women.

Just thinking about it made her extremely uncomfortable.

“Hmph… bold, aren’t you? I, Liu Zhishan, have never been scolded by a woman like this before.” The young man’s expression darkened. Squinting his eyes, he stared at Li Qingling. “You bumped into me and didn’t apologize properly. Today, you won’t be going anywhere.”

Hearing the name Liu Zhishan, Li Qingling reflexively looked up at him. Seeing a face slightly resembling Liu Zhimou, she began to suspect:

Could he be some relative of Liu Zhimou?

It can’t really be that coincidental…

Seeing Li Qingling remain silent, Liu Zhishan assumed she was scared. A hint of pride flickered in his heart—he knew she didn’t have the courage to defy him.

“Accompany your brother for a few drinks today, and I’ll let you go. How about it?”

His flippant tone made Li Qingling’s frown deepen, her voice even colder. “I didn’t expect someone with such a useless brain to be so good at twisting right and wrong.” She then glanced at Zeng Tietou. “Uncle Zeng, let’s go.”

Her time was valuable. There was no need to bother with such a scumbag.

Li Qingling took a couple of steps, only to be blocked by Liu Zhishan again. He glared at her with a dark expression. “Little brat, you refuse a toast but accept punishment? Offending a son of a general’s family and thinking you can just walk away—how naive.”

If he didn’t deal with her properly today, how would he save face?

If his friends found out, wouldn’t they laugh at him to death?

Just for the sake of his reputation, he couldn’t let her leave.

Li Qingling looked at Liu Zhishan expressionlessly, then turned to the innkeeper. “Innkeeper, are you just going to watch and do nothing?” She slightly curled her lips in a faint sneer. “They say the customer is god. From the waiters to handling this matter, your inn hasn’t lived up to that. Aren’t you afraid of ruining your reputation?”

Although she didn’t want to trouble the old man, when necessary, she would invoke his authority.

Next time she went out, she’d make sure it was an auspicious day.

No matter how good her mood was, encountering such annoying trouble could ruin it.

The innkeeper, having been singled out by Li Qingling, could no longer hide in the background. If he did, the inn’s reputation would be destroyed.

Smiling, he stepped forward and said to Li Qingling, “Young lady, just apologize to Master Liu. Once you apologize, Master Liu is magnanimous and won’t hold it against you.”

He couldn’t afford to offend Liu Zhishan, so he had to pressure Li Qingling.

Li Qingling looked at him and sneered coldly. “Seems the innkeeper’s judgment is poor too.” People who looked down on others really were everywhere. No wonder the waiters were like that. She shouldn’t have expected anything from him. “I didn’t want to make a fuss, but now I can’t help it.”

Her eyes shifted to Liu Zhishan. “You bumped into me because you weren’t watching where you were going, right, Master Liu? How come such a small matter isn’t worth admitting?”

Before Liu Zhishan could speak, one of his servants jumped forward. Hands on his waist, he pointed at Li Qingling. “How dare you speak to my young master like that? Who do you think my young master is?”

Dressed in such ragged clothes, she dared to talk back to his young master—she was asking for death. “Apologize immediately, or if anything happens, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He thought that if the young master liked her, she should be grateful, yet here she was, talking back.

If it weren’t for the master warning the young master not to forcibly take women, he would have acted long ago.

He thought life before was simpler—do whatever you wanted without restraint. Now, the master supervised tightly, and even the young master dared not act freely.

He figured it was the eldest young master who complained to the master. If not for him, how could the master have punished the young master?

“Even the emperor’s law applies equally to the common people. Even if your young master is a prince, he must face punishment if he commits a crime,” Li Qingling said, hands behind her back, looking dignified. “Could your young master really be above the emperor?”

If she didn’t teach them a lesson today, she wouldn’t be Li Qingling.

Did he really think the whole world would pamper him?

Hmph…

The servant paled at her words and stammered, “Don’t talk nonsense!” If these words reached the emperor, who knew what trouble it could cause? “Speaking to the emperor like this is disrespectful. You should be beaten with a board.”

Li Qingling raised her eyebrows, smiling wryly at him. How was she being disrespectful?

“You… you…”

“Shut up!” Liu Zhishan shouted. If he kept talking, it would only get worse. If any trouble arose, it would make it hard for him to go out in the future.

He glared at Li Qingling, thinking she would be easy to handle. But she turned out to be a hard nut. Seeing her upright and righteous demeanor, his interest was piqued.

A woman like this, once tamed, would be even more interesting.

Liu Zhishan looked at her as if she were prey, making Li Qingling even more disgusted. She lifted her chin and met his gaze coldly.

“People who rely on their parents to show off—I truly pity your parents. If you have the ability, rely on yourself instead of your family.”

Hearing this, Liu Zhishan scoffed lightly and smiled. “I was born lucky and will have a good fate. So what? Jealous?”

He relied on his family—so what? Others might want to rely on family, but can’t.

But thinking of his elder brother and what his mother had told him, he felt uncomfortable again.

He would study hard during the spring exams, proving wrong those who looked down on him.

He must find a way to surpass his elder brother and show that Liu Zhishan was not a coward.

Li Qingling snorted lightly. “Why be jealous of you? Jealousy for you is like being jealous of a beggar. At least he relies on his own effort to beg. In my eyes, you can’t even compare to a beggar.”

Her disdainful gaze, paired with her words, made Liu Zhishan’s face flush red. He raised his hand, intending to slap her.

Just as his hand came down, Zeng Tietou grabbed it. “What? So angry you’re ashamed? Can’t argue with my lady, so you want to hit her? Are you even a man?”

Today he was truly learning—never seen such shameless men in Niutou Village.

Unable to argue, they resort to hitting—truly a disgrace to their gender.

No matter what, he would protect his lady, not letting her get a single scratch.

“Oh? Zhishan, someone doubts you’re a man?” Just then, Liu Zhishan’s companions arrived. Hearing this, they laughed heartily. “What, have you taken a liking to another woman? That pretty one you kicked?”

“Do I need you to tell me if I’m a man?” Liu Zhishan glanced at his companion with a sinister look, then at Zeng Tietou. “Songzi, why are you still standing here? Get moving! Show some skill! Or do you want me to handle it personally?”

Daring to insult him—he couldn’t let it slide.

The servant called Songzi made two noises and rushed toward Zeng Tietou.

The innkeeper quickly stepped forward. If they fought here, how would he conduct business?

“Wait, wait, if you want to fight, take it outside. Don’t fight here, Master Liu. I still have business to do—please show some consideration!”

He really couldn’t deal with this properly. This young lady would have to fend for herself.

Who would have thought she’d offend the little tyrant Liu Zhishan?

Li Qingling looked at him and pressed her lips. She wouldn’t come to an inn like this a second time. Such service was disappointing.

“What? Innkeeper, are you afraid I can’t afford compensation, huh?”

Seeing Liu Zhishan’s displeased expression, the innkeeper hurriedly said, “No, no, Master Liu, please don’t misunderstand. I mean, the space here is small. I’m afraid you won’t be able to let loose and enjoy the fight.”

Offend anyone but this little tyrant, and the innkeeper might as well resign.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he knew if this went wrong, his position as innkeeper could be lost.

Liu Zhishan snorted coldly, glancing at Li Qingling. “What are you standing there for? Do you think me hesitating? If I didn’t care about causing a scene, I’d have already acted.”

Li Qingling opened her mouth to retort when a familiar voice sounded:

“Xiaoling?”