Chapter 75: A Good Head on Your Shoulders

In the hotel room, Qiao Yu and three women lay together on the large bed, limbs intertwined—someone’s arm pressed beneath another, legs draped over bodies. What idiom best describes this scene? “A display of exquisite beauty,” yes, that’s the phrase! It was clear the three girls had a wild night—their clothes were carelessly strewn across the floor, and now they slept soundly. Even when sunlight filtered through a gap in the curtains and touched their faces, they only shifted positions and continued sleeping.

Yet, at this moment, someone suddenly opened her eyes.

Quan Yajing glanced at the two girls sleeping beside her, gently moved their hands and legs from her body, crept out of bed, found her clothes on the floor, and quietly slipped into the bathroom. After swiftly applying makeup and changing, she silently opened the door and crossed the hall to press the doorbell of the opposite room—Yang Meng’s room.

She rang for quite a while, but there was no response.

Quan Yajing frowned. Where could he be? Was he sleeping that deeply?

Just then, a hotel staff member passed by and curiously asked, “Miss, are you looking for someone in this room?”

Quan Yajing nodded, “Yes, where is he?”

The staff replied, “The guest in this room checked out early this morning. I was just about to come in and clean.”

Quan Yajing blinked, “He left so early? Doesn’t he need to sleep?”

The staff shrugged, noncommittal—this was something to ask Yang Meng, not her.

Quan Yajing, unwilling to give up, watched as the staff entered the room to clean, and only accepted that Yang Meng was truly gone after confirming he wasn’t inside.

Just as she was about to sneak back to her own room, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Ah!” Startled, Quan Yajing jumped and turned to see Qiao Yu grinning at her.

“Jingjing, what are you up to? Trying to get ahead of the competition?” Qiao Yu asked.

Quan Yajing was momentarily surprised, then replied, “Don’t you know the principle of striking first? You’re up early too, aren’t you?”

Qiao Yu retorted, “I’m just concerned about you, not chasing after some man. Unlike you, running around knocking on doors instead of sleeping! Besides, this isn’t something you’ll win just by being first. Never mind, you wouldn’t understand… But where did that guy go so early?”

They wondered where Yang Meng had gone, while at that very moment, Yang Meng stood outside the Focus Bar, utterly speechless.

He finally remembered what he’d forgotten: he’d left his motorcycle at the bar.

When Yang Meng arrived at the entrance of the Focus Bar, his motorcycle was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps Zhang Qiang had put it away for him.

He called Zhang Qiang, but his phone was off. Ah, karma—last night he’d turned his phone off to avoid Qiao Yu and the girls, and now, searching for Zhang Qiang, he encountered the same situation.

Who could he complain to about this?

With nowhere else to go, Yang Meng had no choice but to hail a taxi home.

Just as he reached the gate of the courtyard, he heard the roar of a motorcycle engine coming from inside.

“Hm?” Yang Meng frowned and pushed open the gate, only to find a young stranger sitting astride his Harley 833, revving the throttle.

Before Yang Meng could speak, the young man questioned him, “Who are you?”

“Who am I?” Yang Meng laughed in disbelief. “You’re riding my motorcycle in my home, and you’re asking who I am? Get off now! If you burn out the engine, you’re responsible!”

The young man was stunned, “This is your motorcycle?”

“Of course! Whose else would it be—yours? Get off!” Yang Meng promptly killed the engine. “I haven’t even ridden these bikes yet, and you’re breaking them in? Get down, get down! Who are you anyway?”

The young man, however, wasn’t intimidated. He looked Yang Meng up and down.

Yang Meng was annoyed, “Who are you? Get out! Do you believe I’ll call the police on you?”

Then the young man said something that nearly made Yang Meng’s hair stand on end: “Hmph, you and my mother together—I don’t approve!”

“What?” Yang Meng’s eyes widened. The young man looked about twenty. Me, together with your mother? If I met your mother, I’d call her aunt, wouldn’t I? You don’t approve of me and your mother being together? Yang Meng was tempted to curse.

The young man, seeing Yang Meng’s reaction, looked smug, “I know what you’re thinking. But nowadays, many young people have an Oedipus complex. My mother is a wonderful woman—I’m not surprised you’re interested in her, but let me tell you, you can dream all you want, you’ll never have a chance! Don’t think having money means she’ll be with you!”

Yang Meng was dumbfounded, “Buddy, are you out of your mind? Who are you? I was thinking of calling the police, now I’m considering calling an ambulance—did you escape from a mental hospital? Get out of my house, or I really will call the police!”

Seeing the young man refusing to leave, Yang Meng lost his patience. He grabbed the guy by the collar and waist, lifted him up, and prepared to carry him out.

“Let me go! Let go!” The young man struggled wildly, but to no avail.

Yang Meng dragged him out of the courtyard, about to throw him out, when Ma Fengying came back, laden with bags. Seeing the scene, she hurriedly asked, “Xiao Yang, what’s going on here?”

Yang Meng snorted, “Ma, you weren’t home, and a thief broke in.”

“A thief?” Ma Fengying was taken aback.

Yang Meng tossed the young man aside and pointed at him, “I just came home and found him revving my motorcycle, talking nonsense at me. Stay back—I’m calling the police to deal with him!”

Ma Fengying quickly waved her hands, “It’s a misunderstanding, Xiao Yang. This is my son, Lu Xin. He just arrived here last night. You didn’t come home last night, so you haven’t met him yet.”

“Ah?” Yang Meng looked at the young man lying on the ground. Now that Ma explained, he did bear a resemblance to her. “He’s your son?”

“Yes, yes. Lu Xin, this is Uncle Yang. Say hello to him,” Ma Fengying said, helping Lu Xin up.

“Uncle?” Lu Xin looked at Yang Meng—he couldn’t be more than a few years older. Calling him brother would be generous, now he was supposed to call him uncle?

Yang Meng puffed out his chest, “Oh, so you’re my nephew. It’s all a misunderstanding. Did I hurt you? Really, you should’ve said you were Ma’s son earlier—I wouldn’t have thrown you down.” He reached out to pat Lu Xin’s arm in a show of concern.

Lu Xin immediately shook off Yang Meng’s hand, “I don’t need your help! Stop pretending! Just because you have money? I’ll tell you right now, I’d rather die than let you and my mother be together!”

Ma Fengying was stunned, “Xin Xin, what are you saying?”

Lu Xin’s eyes widened, “I went to the store earlier, and I heard the neighbors talking. They said you moved here because of some old man chasing after younger women… their words were awful!”

Ma Fengying stood frozen, her voice trembling, “You… you believe that?”

Lu Xin squared his shoulders, “I know there’s no smoke without fire!”

Ma Fengying pointed at Lu Xin, shaking with anger, “Apologize to Uncle Yang right now! All the education you’ve had—was it wasted? How did your thinking become so filthy?”

Lu Xin clearly rejected Ma Fengying’s words, “Filthy? I’ve barely been here and already heard so many people talking…”

“Smack!” Ma Fengying slapped Lu Xin across the face.

“Mom, you hit me?” Lu Xin stared, holding his face, and pointed at Yang Meng, “You’ve never hit me before—now you hit me for him?”

Ma Fengying’s tears flowed, “Don’t call me mom! Leave! I have no son like you!” She turned and walked into the courtyard, leaving her bags on the ground.

Yang Meng lit a cigarette and took a drag, glancing at Lu Xin and shaking his head, “A brain really is a wonderful thing.” He picked up Ma Fengying’s groceries, “Oh? Ribs, chicken wings, pork knuckles… we shouldn’t let these go to waste.”

He carried the bags toward the courtyard.

Lu Xin grew anxious and grabbed Yang Meng, “Don’t go!”

Yang Meng turned and looked at him, “Nephew, all your education must have gone to the dogs! You believe strangers, but not your mother? Young people these days—they run away from home, and when someone feeds them, they think that person is better than their own mom. After all these years, Ma managed to raise a thankless child.”

“You have no right to talk about me!” Lu Xin was furious.

Yang Meng stubbed out his cigarette and said, “I’ve been renting with your mother for a long time—this is the most lavish meal I’ve seen her buy. I don’t know what you eat at school, but I can tell you what Ma eats: after the market uses a chainsaw to cut bones, there are scraps left over. She buys those, stir-fries them with soy sauce, and puts them in noodles to fill her stomach. How do you think your college tuition was paid? She scrimped and saved every dime! If you don’t repay her, fine, but to talk such nonsense and upset her? That slap was too light—if it were me, I’d cripple you and keep you at home to save the embarrassment!”

Lu Xin glared at Yang Meng, “Don’t stand there making snide remarks! I’ve heard all about you. You and my mother are unrelated—why would you open a barbecue shop and let her manage it? There’s no such thing as love without reason. And you say you have no designs on her?”

Yang Meng raised his hand, about to slap Lu Xin, but held back, “Kid, I don’t know what you’ve learned in college, but your heart is truly filthy. Listen up—never mind that there’s nothing between Ma and me, even if there were, it’s none of your business.”

Just then, Ma came out again, tossed a backpack onto the ground, and went back inside.

“Nephew, looks like she’s telling you to get out!”