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Chapter 45: Swallowing Pride for a Brother

The two punks stared feverishly at Chu Zining’s lips.

The drug in this glass was different from the one they had sprinkled on the food earlier.

The first drug knocked people out cold, whereas this one caused hallucinations.

Its effect was so potent that even a single drop would leave the victim groggy and slow-witted, and in severe cases it could even destroy the mind.

The two punks had used this drug to take advantage of countless girls, and afterward those girls did not even know what had happened.

Their breathing quickened, for among all their victims none had been as pretty as the girl before them.

Heh, as long as she took one sip, they could easily lure this little beauty away!

Just as the rim of the glass was about to touch her lips, a fair, slender hand shot in.

“Well, well, you two have guts, trying to make my girl drink?” the newcomer chuckled and snatched the glass away.

“L-Lu Li?” Chu Zining froze, her head suddenly woozy as if she had been drinking. “What do you mean, ‘your girl’…?”

“His girl?” The tall, skinny punk also stiffened; wasn’t that other one his girlfriend just now? Did he have something going on with this chick too?

The punk’s partner hurriedly pocketed the fruit knife, for he had seen how fast Lu Li could move and knew a puny blade was useless.

Shao Linlin was stunned as well.

The moment Chu Zining appeared Linlin had called Lu Li over, but after one glance his eyes had never left the girl.

She had only felt a twinge of jealousy at first, figuring Lu Li and Chu Zining did not even know each other and would probably never meet again.

And yet…

Lu Li actually said the girl was his?

Could it be that this girl was really Lu Li’s girlfriend?

I’m doomed, she’s so gorgeous… how can I compete? Shao Linlin panicked.

Chu Zining, however, quickly figured it out: Oh, he is calling me his girl just to have an excuse to help me… yes, that must be it.

So in the end he still pitied me and stepped in… Chu Zining gazed at Lu Li with shining eyes, about to speak, when he chopped her lightly on the head.

“Ow!” Chu Zining clutched her head and looked at Lu Li pitifully.

Lu Li ruffled her hair irritably and scolded, “Can you drink anything a stranger hands you?”

Chu Zining lowered her head and dared not answer.

She felt wronged, for of course she knew she should not drink from strangers, but if she refused and the matter escalated, kind-hearted Lu Li would feel obliged to help her out of pity.

She did not want to owe Lu Li another favor.

Lu Li turned to the two punks, handed the glass back and said, “Brothers, my girl didn’t know better and caused you trouble. Come, I’ll drink a toast to you; give me this small courtesy and we’ll let it drop, all right?”

Damn it, if you’re toasting you should drink it yourself… what kind of toast is it if we have to drink?

The tall punk laughed dryly. “No worries, no worries. We’re all brothers here; it’s all a family misunderstanding. If we’d known the young lady was with you, bro, we’d never have pulled this stunt.”

The other punk chimed in, “Exactly, we’re all on the same side… just a misunderstanding!”

The thunderous slap Lu Li had delivered earlier still stung, so they no longer dared provoke him.

“Who the hell is on the same side as you?” Lu Li, gentle a moment ago, suddenly slammed the table so hard the dishes rattled, then snorted, “You messed with my girl… shouldn’t you apologize? Drink this and I’ll let it slide; refuse, and we’ll see if either of you can walk out of this place!”

“Miaow!” Little White on Lu Li’s shoulder puffed up, baring fangs and claws.

Lu Li instinctively sensed the drink had been tampered with; his casual test just now, when both men refused to drink, confirmed it.

“Uh…” The two punks exchanged glances, their faces ugly.

“Bro, in our line we always leave room to meet again,” the tall punk said through clenched teeth.

The other punk drew the knife once more.

Lu Li only sneered. “So you won’t drink? Linlin, call the police. Report an armed robbery foiled by a passer-by who subdued two scrawny crooks with a couple of thunderous slaps.”

“Uh, o-okay,” Shao Linlin obediently took out her phone.

“D-don’t, please…” The tall punk waved both hands, signaling his partner to sheath the knife, then took the glass back from Lu Li.

He was less afraid of being arrested than of the rumor that he had been subdued by a single thunderous slap; that would ruin his street cred.

Staring at the glass, he swallowed hard.

The partner breathed a sigh of relief; since he was not the one drinking, he would not lose face.

“Drink… what are you waiting for?” Lu Li gave a cold laugh.

“Go on, man, you can’t avoid getting wet if you walk by the river every day,” the partner whispered, leaning close. “Stuff like this happens… just swallow your pride for your brother.”

The tall punk looked at him. “You make sense.”

“Of course I… ” Before he could finish, the tall punk jammed the rim against his mouth and poured the liquor down his throat with a gulp.

“Cough, cough!” The partner hacked several times, staring at the tall punk in disbelief.

“Just think of it as taking one for your brother,” the tall punk said awkwardly.

“You… !”

Eyes bulging with rage, the partner bolted for the door, jabbing fingers down his throat to force himself to vomit.

“I… I’d better see to my brother.”

The tall punk forced a laugh at Lu Li and shuffled away; seeing Lu Li was not chasing him, he was about to sprint off when Lu Li shouted, “Hold it! You can’t leave.”

The tall punk’s heart skipped a beat; he turned back stiffly. “Come on, we drank it… what more do you want?”

“Did you pay the bill?” Lu Li asked.

The tall punk hurriedly pulled his last 400-plus yuan from his pocket, slapped it on the table, and fled.

“Thank you, thank you!” Auntie Zhao grasped Lu Li’s hand excitedly. “If not for you our little place would have been done for!”

She had wanted to mention that the two men had already paid, but it seemed pointless, so she kept quiet.

Lu Li merely nodded without speaking.

The auntie was timid, but she was no bad person.

“Tha… ” Chu Zining tried to thank him as well, but Lu Li shot her a glare.

“Your cooking’s awful… just wait till I have time to set you straight!” Lu Li messed up her hair and walked back to Shao Linlin.

Chu Zining watched Lu Li sit with Shao Linlin and bit her lip in grievance.

“Lu Li, is that girl your girlfriend? She’s so pretty.” Shao Linlin sneaked a glance at Chu Zining and asked tentatively.

“No.” Lu Li shook his head. “Just a classmate. Finished eating? Let’s go.”

“Oh, okay.” Shao Linlin called out happily, “Auntie Zhao, the bill please.”

“No need, no need. Thanks to your boyfriend’s help, how could I take your money?” Auntie Zhao said with a smile.

“That really isn’t appropriate.” Shao Linlin still insisted on paying.

Yes, if only to hear Auntie Zhao call him “your boyfriend.”

As the two of them were about to leave the restaurant, a masked man carrying a suitcase brushed past and entered.

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