Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere was so tense it seemed to have frozen into solid ice. The waiter shielding Xu Xiaoyue was already drenched in sweat.  

“Tch, what the hell are you standing around for? If you know what’s good for you, scram the hell away.”  

Scarface urged impatiently again, his gaze fixed on Xu Xiaoyue’s strikingly beautiful face like a starving wolf. The lust in his eyes was like a flood on the verge of bursting, ready to spill over at any moment.  

Xu Xiaoyue clenched the hem of her clothes tightly. Just looking at the man’s disgusting face made her stomach churn violently.  

“Scarface, please don’t make this difficult for me. No matter what, this is still our restaurant’s turf. If things really get out of hand, no one’s going to come out looking good.”  

The waiter had hoped to make the man back off, but instead, Scarface’s eyes bulged with rage. He slammed the table and stood up, snarling, “What do you mean your turf? No one in this area dares talk to me like that!”  

“Today, I am taking this little girl with me.”  

As he spoke, he yanked a chair free and hurled it at the waiter, shoving him aside in an instant.  

With the waiter no longer blocking the way, Xu Xiaoyue could clearly smell the strong stench of alcohol on the man.  

“Sweetheart, be a good girl and have a drink with me. Do that, and I’ll let you go today.”  

Scarface’s drool was practically forming a river at the corner of his mouth as he spoke. He couldn’t wait any longer—he reached out to grab Xu Xiaoyue’s clothes.  

Xu Xiaoyue stumbled back. In a panic, she glanced around, then without hesitation, grabbed the teapot from the table and smashed it against the man’s head with all her strength.  

“Murder! Murder!”  

The onlookers gasped in shock at the sight of blood gushing from the man’s forehead.  

In an instant, chaos erupted. The scene was a mess of noise and panic.  

“You goddamn bitch, how dare you hit me!”  

The man’s voice was hoarse and filled with malice. His face turned beet red, like an overripe tomato. The hideous scar on his neck seemed to come alive, twisting violently with the spasms of his facial muscles.  

He clutched his head as sharp pain surged through him, his vision blurring with a hazy red tint.  

His vicious glare locked onto Xu Xiaoyue as if he wanted to tear her apart limb by limb.  

“Bitch, just wait and see how I deal with you today.” With that, Scarface advanced toward Xu Xiaoyue again, his eyes filled with a murderous determination.  

Xu Xiaoyue didn’t know where she found the strength, but she grabbed a handful of bowls and chopsticks from a nearby table and hurled them directly at the man’s face.  

Fortunately, at the critical moment, the restaurant manager arrived upon hearing the commotion.  

He took in the chaotic scene, his brows furrowing tightly like twisted rope.  

“What the hell is going on here? Everyone, stop right now!” The manager’s roar startled the remaining staff, who could no longer afford to stand by and watch. They rushed forward and pinned Scarface down firmly.  

“Damned restaurant, I’m calling the police! I’m reporting this to the station!” Scarface bellowed as he was pressed to the ground.  

A street thug like him had been in and out of jail multiple times. He knew exactly what situations worked in his favor.  

Besides, at worst, he’d just get a lecture at the station. But that damn woman? It wouldn’t be so easy for her.  

There was no way he was letting this go. If he ever got the chance, he’d make sure she paid with her life.  

Today, the police station was bustling inside and out, like a pot of boiling water.  

“Chief Li, there’s something you need to handle.” A young officer leaned in and whispered into the man’s ear, keeping his voice low.  

The man referred to as Chief Li frowned. Remembering that military personnel were present, he suppressed his irritation with effort.  

Yan Ye glanced up at the two of them, then set down the file in his hand and smiled. “Do you need me to step out?”  

“No, no! It’s just a case of provocation and physical altercation at the state-run restaurant that needs handling.”  

Chief Li wore an ingratiating smile before shooting a sharp glare at the young officer who had spoken to him.

The man grumbled inwardly: Usually, you don’t show this kind of awareness, but now you choose to whisper in front of Regiment Commander Yan? As if you’re afraid he won’t notice we’re hiding something from him. 

“Provocation and assault?”  

Yan Ye raised an eyebrow slightly. He couldn’t fathom what kind of fool would openly pick a fight in a restaurant.  

Seeing his curiosity, Chief Li quickly added, “It was a female comrade who injured a male comrade’s head—reportedly even drew blood.”  

“Honestly, these female comrades nowadays are getting out of hand.”  

Yan Ye’s interest was piqued. “Let’s take my car. I’d like to see how law enforcement usually handles these situations.”  

“Of course, of course!” Chief Li nodded eagerly, his head bobbing like a chicken pecking at rice.  

Meanwhile, even while pinned to the ground, the man continued to shout arrogantly, “I’ve got connections at the station. Just you wait!”  

The manager also recognized Scarface—he’d been causing trouble in the area for quite some time.  

In the past, he’d harassed other women too, but they’d usually just curse him before walking away. Who would’ve thought he’d run into a tough one today and end up battered and bleeding?  

Xu Xiaoyue stood to the side, her hands still trembling slightly. If she hadn’t reacted quickly, she might have been the one left disheveled.  

The military vehicle sped through the streets, arriving at the destination in just over ten minutes.  

Chief Li stepped out first and hurried to open the car door for the man. “Regiment Commander Yan, after you.”  

Though he was the station chief of this jurisdiction, in terms of rank, he wasn’t even worth a fart compared to the man before him.  

Besides, this time, the higher-ups had personally assigned Yan Ye—someone entirely out of his league.  

The man’s long legs stepped out of the car, and his gaze swept over the scene. “Let’s go.”  

Chief Li led the way inside. The moment they entered the restaurant, they could see a crowd gathered in a circle. Without hesitation, he barked,  

“What’s going on here? Who’s the one who did the hitting? Cuff them first.”  

Hearing the arrival of authority, Scarface, still pinned on the ground, immediately groaned dramatically, “Over here! It’s these people—and that damn bitch next to them! She smashed my head open!”  

Xu Xiaoyue clenched the hem of her clothes. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t scared—this was her first time resorting to violence.  

Timidly, she explained, “Officer, he tried to assault me first. I only acted in self-defense. They can all testify to that.”  

Chief Li waved his hand dismissively. “No excuse justifies violence. You beat this young man so badly!”  

“Take her to the station first. We’ll sort out the statements later.”  

As he spoke, the two officers beside him pulled out a pair of silver handcuffs and moved to lock them around Xu Xiaoyue’s slender wrists.  

Scarface finally got up from the ground, wiping the blood from his forehead with a smug grin. “I just cracked a couple of jokes, and this crazy bitch nearly killed me!”  

“Chief Li, you’ve got to stand up for me here.”  

Xu Xiaoyue froze, still processing what was happening, when the cold metal cuffs snapped around her delicate wrists.  

She looked at Chief Li, her face flushed with indignation. “He provoked me first! Why are you only cuffing me and not him?!”  

The man replied impatiently, “Comrade, who are you to lecture me on how to handle a case?”  

“If she doesn’t have the right, do I?” 

A deep, magnetic voice cut through the crowd. All eyes turned toward the source.  

Yan Ye stood with his hands in his pockets, his sharp gaze fixed on them.