Chapter 12 Scum

• “You—” Liang Zicheng’s face flushed angrily.
• Tang Yin laughed coldly. “Weren’t you hot sh*t when you kicked me out earlier? What’s up with you now?”
• Liang Zicheng’s chest heaved in anger and the heat of the day only compounded the sweat that nearly drenched him.
• “Do you think that you’re all that? Didn’t you just curry favor with some big shot because you picked up their wallet? Would this woman treat you so well otherwise? You really think that you’re some young master, huh? Why don’t you take a good look at yourself in the mirror?”
• Slightly taken aback by Liang Zicheng’s tirade, Tang Yin chuckled as he couldn’t be bothered to explain himself. “That’s right. Everything you said is correct!”
• Pei Ruo smiled beside him, but she too kept her peace.
• “Let’s go!” Tang Yin turned his attention from Liang Zicheng and turned to walk out the door.
• Just then, a BMW in the distance—as quick as lightning—roared to a stop in front of Tang Yin.
• Screech!
• The friction from the violent brake caused the car to drift sideways by half a meter before stopping.
• The door to the driver’s seat swung open and Zhang Qiang emerged from the car.
• “Huh! If it isn’t the high and mighty Tang Yin from yesterday night? What are you doing at the entrance to this small restaurant? Could it be that you’re penniless and starving again today? Is that why you’re here? To beg for some food?”
• Tang Yin watched Zhang Qiang’s ostentatious behavior and was annoyed more than ever.
• Ruan Qin got down from the other side of the car and glanced at Tang Yin with scorn in her eyes, but was stunned when she saw Pei Ruo standing next to him.
• “Well? Aren’t you going to greet a friend when you see him?” Zhang Qiang walked up to Tang Yin and snickered as his scrutinizing gaze roved on Tang Yin for a moment, but his gaze soon turned blank when he caught sight of Pei Ruo. “Wow! You’re really different now that you’ve picked up someone else’s wallet, huh? Even bringing such a pretty girl out? I don’t mean to criticize you, but you must be really poor if you’re bringing her to such a lousy place to eat! Did you run out of money again? Why don’t you kneel down and call me ‘big brother’, and I’ll give you a couple of hundred!”
• Tang Yin turned around then tilted his head to look at Zhang Qiang. “Call you ‘big brother’? You’re not worthy! As for why I brought her here, it’s because it pleases me and makes me happy, so why can’t I? Not every woman is so materialistic; she’s pretty happy even though I brought her to such a place!”
• “Exactly. I am very happy!” Pei Ruo stepped forward and slipped her arm into his in an affectionate manner and smiled joyfully. “As long as I’m with Tang Yin, it doesn’t matter where we are, because I’ll always be in paradise.”
• Zhang Qiang halted and something dark clouded his eyes for a moment while Ruan Qin threw a dirty look at Pei Ruo from beside him.
• “Do you hear that? Not everyone cares so much about money!” Tang Yin smiled joyously and threw a meaningful look at Ruan Qin before turning and walking away with Pei Ruo still on his arm.
• “Tang Yin, who is she?” Ruan Qin got in their way.
• Tang Yin arched an eyebrow. “Who is she? What does it have to do with you?”
• “Tang Yin, I suggest that you stop deceiving the people around you! I won’t hold you accountable for deceiving me, but you can’t treat everyone else like this! Don’t you know what kind of person you are? You have nothing, yet you’re still misleading others! What are you if not scum?” Ruan Qin coldly accused him.
• “And what does it matter to you if I’m scum?” Tang Yin frowned and looked at Ruan Qin in surprise.
• “What are you being so haughty about? All you did was pick up a wallet! Pretty lady, he’s just a loser with nothing. If you listen to me and break up with him right now, I’ll introduce you to a better guy who drives no less than BMW sport cars!” Zhang Qiang snickered by one side.
• Pei Ruo tilted her head to look at him before shaking her head and walking off.
• Beep beep…
• Pei Ruo clicked on her car keys and pulled open the door to her Lamborghini sports car, then turned her head to ask, “Are BMW sport cars that great?”
• Her entire audience was stunned, especially Zhang Qiang.
• The Lamborghini cost at least a few million, and was a far better car than his own, which cost less than even one million. Besides, anyone who could drive such a car probably came from a rich family and had considerable social status. But, why would a person like that be with Tang Yin?
• Tang Yin and Pei Ruo got in the car which roared to life when the latter hit the gas. With a screech of her tires as they turned on the spot, she accelerated and pulled up abruptly right before Zhang Qiang and Ruan Qin’s faces.
• Pei Ruo pulled down the window and smiled like a cat that got the cream at Ruan Qin. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve probably exchanged the best thing in the world for a stink bug. Yup, seems like it! Can’t really blame you though, since you’re as blind as a bat.”
• “Just who are you talking about?!” Ruan Qin stamped her feet and pointed at Pei Ruo in a temper.
• Pei Ruo shook her head with a smile, then turned to pull up the car window before shooting off into the distance like an arrow released from its quiver.
• “Argh! I’m so pissed!” Ruan Qin watched as Pei Ruo drove away and stomped on the curb.
• Zhang Qiang hastily cajoled her. “Don’t mind him. He only picked up a wallet, and he already thinks that he’s all that! The woman is definitely just there to swindle the wallet out of him, you’ll see sooner or later!”
• “Zhang Qiang, you’re finally here!” Liang Zicheng ran out of the restaurant and the resentment he harbored toward Tang Yin leaked out in his expression when he saw Zhang Qiang. “You have no idea how arrogant Tang Yin was, and how he and that woman were in cahoots!”
• “Who on earth is that woman?” Ruan Qin asked bitterly.
• “I have no idea, but I’m guessing that he returned someone’s wallet, and in return, the owner asked the woman to take the case for Tang Yin. How else could he have gotten acquainted with a woman like that?” Liang Zicheng extrapolated, then tugged at Lin Chuchu. “Who knows? Maybe he found the wallet in this restaurant and hid the truth from all of you!”
• “Exactly. Maybe it’s true that he only knows the woman because he picked up that wallet!” Zhang Qiang remarked testily.
• Lin Chuchu was stunned every now and then as she listened. She’d heard Liang Zicheng mention something about a wallet before this, but she hadn’t thought that Tang Yin had really picked up a wallet, and probably at her family’s restaurant at that.
• “Chuchu, guys like that are the worst and the most undependable! If you ask me, you were right to chase him away. He picked up the wallet in your family’s restaurant, yet he ran off and handed it back to its owner instead of handing it to you! What does he take you for?” Liang Zicheng instigated.
• Lin Chuchu’s expression kept shifting.
• “Chuchu?” Ruan Qin glanced at Lin Chuchu. Seeing that she looked unhappy, Ruan Qin went up to her and patted her on the shoulder. “I know Tang Yin only too well. He’s just a loser, so poor that he can’t even pay for his own meals! He would have starved to death if not for this small restaurant of your family’s. Think about it, had he given you the wallet, the chance to know that woman earlier would have been yours and most definitely not his.”
• Lin Chuchu raised her head to reveal a face as chilly as winter. Extremely disgruntled by the memory of how the woman had treated her and refused to help her family until she saw Tang Yin in person, she wondered if the woman would still have treated her the same way if Tang Yin had passed her the wallet that he’d picked up instead. If Tang Yin had passed her the wallet, why would she even have needed to call and beg him?
• “I get so cheesed off just by looking at his face!” Liang Zicheng spat.
• Zhang Qiang’s eyes darted around. “Since he picked up the wallet, we’ll bring the matter to the Academic Services Office and drop him in hot water as long as you follow my lead,” he sneered.