Chapter 131: Old Zhang
The hot pot restaurant was bustling, and the air was thick with the smell of blood from fresh meat being processed in the back kitchen. These things, combined with the fact that the Evil Spirit had concealed its aura to focus solely on Lao Zhang, were why Chen Dong hadn't noticed its presence right away.
Now that he was observing everyone in the restaurant, he saw that only Lao Zhang and Wang Mengyu were afflicted by the Evil Spirit. 'There must be a connection between them.'
Even the back kitchen was full of people. With so much going on, it wasn't a good time for Chen Dong to directly confront the Evil Spirit.
With a theory already forming in his mind, he stood up and returned to their private room.
When he sat down again, Wang Mengyu's expression was perfectly normal, showing no hint of anything unusual. It was as if that little footsie incident had never happened.
Most of the dishes had arrived, and the food that had been simmering in the pot was ready to eat. The two enjoying it the most were, without a doubt, Li Huiran and Li Wang.
Li Huiran was completely engrossed in the meal. Li Wang, on the other hand, was fanning her mouth, finding it spicy but delicious. The heat brought tears to her eyes, yet she couldn't stop herself from taking another bite.
Seeing how much she enjoyed it, Chen Dong didn't stop her and simply ate in silence. Suddenly, he frowned. Under the table, that foot was back.
Chen Dong's brow furrowed as he looked at Wang Mengyu. He could tell from her expression that it was mostly playful teasing, a harmless flirtation. He straightened his posture, centered himself, and jabbed a Silver Needle into the bottom of her foot.
Wang Mengyu yelped in pain instantly—"Aah~!"—but the sound was a little strange.
Li Huiran asked, "What's wrong?"
Wang Mengyu's face contorted, the corner of her mouth twitching. "My foot cramped up!" she said.
Li Wang said disapprovingly, "You stuck your leg out so far, it's no wonder it cramped!"
Hearing this, Wang Mengyu looked a little embarrassed. She lifted her foot and saw, to her surprise, a Silver Needle stuck in the sole. She pulled it out, then raised her head and shot Chen Dong a vicious glare.
Chen Dong remained perfectly composed, completely unfazed.
Just then, an assistant manager knocked and entered. "Boss," he said to Wang Mengyu, "Lao Zhang says his neck is bothering him. He'd like to take a half-day off to go home and rest."
Wang Mengyu stood up. "I'll go take a look," she said.
Li Huiran got up to join her. "I'll go too!" After all, she was one of the restaurant's owners—and the majority shareholder at that.
The assistant manager added, "He's in the employee lounge on the second floor right now."
Wang Mengyu nodded to show she understood and led the way out.
Chen Dong followed behind Li Huiran. Seeing that everyone else was going, Li Wang tagged along with Chen Dong.
The employee lounge on the second floor wasn't the cramped space one might expect. On the contrary, it was spacious and comfortable, with separate areas for men and women, sofas, a television, air conditioning, and more. It was clear from this that Li Huiran and Wang Mengyu's primary goal wasn't just to make a profit.
When they saw Lao Zhang lying on the sofa with his neck craned back, Li Wang instantly clung to Chen Dong's leg. "Daddy," she whispered, "that auntie is so scary!"
Li Huiran and Wang Mengyu, walking ahead, didn't hear her.
Chen Dong stroked Li Wang's head reassuringly. "It's okay. Daddy's here."
The Evil Spirit, which had been strangling Lao Zhang, instantly released him and lunged toward Wang Mengyu the moment it saw her.
Chen Dong let out a cold snort. The Evil Spirit immediately froze, then instinctively recoiled again and again.
To the Evil Spirit, Chen Dong's powerful aura was like the sun; getting too close would mean annihilation.
Wang Mengyu called out, "Lao Zhang, are you okay?"
Wang Mengyu's voice startled Lao Zhang awake. He twisted his neck, his face etched with pain. "Boss, my neck is killing me. I need to take two days off to get it looked at." He had originally only planned to take a half-day, but he realized rest wasn't helping.
Wang Mengyu nodded. "Okay, go ahead."
Li Huiran spoke up, "If you're short on money for the doctor, just let us know. Keep all your receipts from the visit, and I'll reimburse you for everything."
Lao Zhang's face lit up. "Thank you, Big Boss!"
With that, Li Huiran and Wang Mengyu turned to head downstairs. Unbeknownst to them, Lao Zhang's once-honest face flushed red behind them, his eyes filled with greedy lust as he stared fixedly at Wang Mengyu's rear.
The four of them returned to their private room downstairs and continued eating for a while.
After they had their fill, Li Huiran asked Chen Dong coolly, "Are you coming back with me?"
Chen Dong smiled. "I am, I am!"
"Then what are you waiting for?"
At her words, Chen Dong took Li Wang and headed out of the restaurant first, leaving Li Huiran and Wang Mengyu whispering to each other in the private room.
Wang Mengyu whispered, "This Fairy has already tested him for you. He's a pretty stand-up guy. Honestly, so what if he has a kid? You can just treat her as your own."
Li Huiran's eyes filled with suspicion. "How did you test him?"
Wang Mengyu leaned in and whispered into Li Huiran's ear. Li Huiran's face immediately turned crimson, and she shot Wang Mengyu a look. "You... What if he had actually taken the bait?"
Wang Mengyu giggled mischievously. "If he had taken the bait, that would've been interesting too. My bestie's man... just thinking about it is a thrill!"
"No way! Don't you dare! Don't even think about it!" Li Huiran said, suddenly hugging Wang Mengyu. "You are forbidden from testing him ever again. Don't even let it cross your mind!"
Wang Mengyu chuckled softly. "Ooh, looks like my girl has really fallen for him!"
Embarrassment washed over Li Huiran's face, and she started playfully poking at Wang Mengyu's soft sides. "Say it again! I dare you to say it again!"
Wang Mengyu burst out laughing and surrendered. "Alright, alright, I'll stop!"
The two said their goodbyes. Before long, the sky darkened and business in the restaurant died down. Wang Mengyu decided to head home, leaving the closing staff to lock up.
She walked to her private parking spot behind the restaurant. Just as she was about to unlock her Porsche, a figure crept up silently behind her. A hand clamped over her mouth, and the cold, gleaming blade of a cleaver was pressed against her neck.