Chapter 12: Meddling in Others’ Business

Chapter 12: Meddling in Others’ Business

Several men stood beside the two, and seeing the situation, they immediately surrounded her.

The woman, however, showed no fear. She took a slight step back, shrugged her shoulders to slide the guitar case off, and then held the guitar case in both hands.

She treated the guitar case like a large machete, swinging it desperately and wildly like a mad person.

For a moment, no one dared to get close.

This woman looked like she had gone mad, like weeds growing on a sheer cliff, swaying left and right in a strong wind.

There were still many people around; after all, everyone likes to watch a spectacle, but everyone was involuntarily stepping back.

Chen Feng watched all this from a distance, feeling inexplicably sad.

He wanted to do something, but his feet involuntarily turned to the side, yet he couldn’t bring himself to step forward.

Only after forcing everyone back did the woman finally stop, holding her guitar in both hands and looking at everyone present with eyes full of hatred and disgust.

Seeing she was no longer acting crazy, the young man who had been slapped earlier covered his face and slowly stepped forward. “Miss Zhong, it’s just a late-night snack. There’s no need to act like you’re fighting for your life, is there?”

Chen Feng finally saw the woman’s face clearly. It was Zhong Lei.

His mouth slowly dropped open.

Should he intervene or not? Could he handle it? Would it be worth it?

After the young man finished speaking, the other men quietly surrounded Zhong Lei from all sides.

Zhong Lei clenched her teeth and slowly said, “I told you I don’t know you. I have no interest in dealing with you either. Now move aside. I’m leaving.”

The young man shrugged. “I know you’re going to perform at the Fenghua next. It’s fine. I’ll call Fenghua’s owner. I’ll just tell him you can’t make it today due to a sudden matter. I’ll ask for leave on your behalf. Come on, give me some face? Look, I’m not even holding it against you for slapping me.”

Zhong Lei didn’t yield. “Get lost! What does your face have to do with me!”

Seeing she was stubborn and unwilling to listen, the young man gave a look to his accomplices, intending to use force.

Just then, loud noise came from the side.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, eye-opening. It’s 9012 already, and what, someone’s still learning from Gao Yanei, trying to snatch a woman off the street? How impressive! Got a bit of stinky money, drive a sports car, and think you can solve anything as big as poking a hole in the sky with money? Were you raised on a full Manchu-Han imperial feast?”

Chen Feng suddenly appeared from the side, holding a phone in one hand, the flash on, the camera pointed at everyone.

He was recording.

He had come over after all.

While recording, Chen Feng also shouted loudly, “Hey! Come and watch the show! Pretty girls, watch yourselves, and boyfriends with pretty girlfriends, watch your girls! See? How capable this rich second-generation is, trying to bundle your girl into a car right on the street, then planning to knock you out with money later. Scared?”

With Chen Feng’s active intervention and such loud shouting, this area was already busy with people coming and going. Soon, the onlookers who had previously kept their distance and stayed out of it began to gather around.

The group of young men were a bit taken aback.

In the past, they were used to being arrogant; no matter how they acted on the street, no one said anything.

Everyone knew that meddling in other people’s business in this world brings no good results.

Even if someone truly clueless tried to stand out and got beaten up by them, they could always settle it with money.

As rich people, they had a whole set of methods to deal with the poor.

But all their operations were supposed to be kept as hidden as possible. If a video was taken and posted online, it would become widely known. Although they could still manage it, it would be a troublesome hassle, big or small.

“Who are you? What nonsense are you talking about? Miss Zhong and I are friends. What’s wrong with us inviting a friend to eat? You should stop being a dog that catches mice—minding others’ business.”

After a brief thought, the young man who had been slapped earlier tried to excuse himself.

Chen Feng smiled and took another step forward. “Friends? If you’re friends, shouldn’t you be considerate of others?”

As he spoke, Chen Feng looked at Zhong Lei again, hinting with his eyes that she should come over.

Zhong Lei, holding her guitar, stood where she was, feeling somewhat awkward.

She instinctively didn’t want to get close to Chen Feng, as he was also quite an annoying person.

On top of that, her embarrassing situation today had been witnessed by Chen Feng, which made her feel even more humiliated.

If she ran over to stand by his side now, wouldn’t that mean she owed him a favor?

But in the end, Zhong Lei still seized the chance to run over to Chen Feng’s side.

When choosing between two evils, pick the lesser one.

The young man behind her shouted loudly, “Miss Zhong, you should think carefully. I know you want to be a star, to sing. You should understand your current situation, you know how hard it is to become famous these days. I said I can help you. It’s easy for me.”

“You can ask around about who Zhou A is. Plenty of people want to suck up to me. I’m giving you a chance; you should cherish it. If you leave today, you won’t need to come to the bars on Shaolin Road anymore.”

So this young man was called Zhou A.

Zhou A’s words were clear; he was threatening Zhong Lei.

Chen Feng vaguely remembered something: in another future timeline, Zhong Lei indeed had a very difficult life before becoming famous.

Only many years later, when she was famous worldwide, did the truth come out.

It was said that in her early years, she offended a powerful second-generation heir surnamed Zhou and was severely suppressed.

Chen Feng didn’t expect he had run into the scene and gotten involved.

He had a strange feeling, like an ordinary person accidentally stumbling into a major historical event.

But the final outcome showed that Zhong Lei ultimately didn’t yield, so even if he hadn’t stepped in, she probably would have been fine.

Chen Feng felt a bit awkward, thinking that fate is unpredictable.

Zhong Lei beside Chen Feng, however, shrugged upon hearing this, showing complete disregard for Zhou A’s threat. “Hah, whatever. Do what you want.”

If she were afraid of others’ threats, she wouldn’t be herself.

“Alright, you said it.”

Zhou A immediately took out his phone and called the major shareholder of the next nightclub she was supposed to go to, named Fengyue.

Zhong Lei no longer paid attention to Zhou A. Holding her guitar, she turned and walked away.

Chen Feng thought for a moment and followed from behind.

Within two minutes, Zhong Lei’s phone rang. She answered, said a couple of “mm-hmms,” hung up, and turned back to walk in the direction she came from.

She was going home.

Zhou A meant what he said. Probably from today on, Zhong Lei really wouldn’t be able to continue singing in the bars on Shaolin Road.

The two walked together toward the direction of Weston.

She didn’t initiate conversation, and Chen Feng had nothing to say to her either. So he deliberately lagged two steps behind, trailing her to avoid awkwardness.

Silence all the way.

Zhong Lei’s back, holding the guitar, looked somewhat desolate.

When they reached the apartment building, she finally spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito, “Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Another period of silence followed. The two entered the elevator, exited the elevator, and went inside.

Before going upstairs, Zhong Lei paused for a moment. “It’s just that I’ve dragged you into offending that Zhou guy. He’ll probably cause trouble for you later.”

Chen Feng waved his hand dismissively. “I already have nothing. How can he possibly cause trouble for me?”

“That’s true, I guess.”

Seeing him so carefree, Zhong Lei forced a smile. “You really have a good mindset.”

“What do you plan to do next? Keep singing?”

Chen Feng called out to Zhong Lei, who was about to go upstairs.

She shook her head, then nodded.

“I don’t know. I’ve rejected many people before, but none were as troublesome as Zhou A. I’m probably a bit tired of it too. Such days really have no meaning, and there’s no hope in sight.”

As she spoke, she looked at her guitar with reluctant eyes. “My family spent too much money to support my music studies. If it really comes to it, I’ll just leave Hanzhou.”

Her tone was desolate, carrying a sense of weariness.

Chen Feng really wanted to tell her, “Don’t give up. You’ll become someone on the level of Beethoven in the future.”

But he ultimately didn’t say it.

Maybe saying it would make it not come true.

“Mm, you have your own plans. Rest early.”

Zhong Lei lay in bed, propping up her pillow. Only then did her mind have a bit of free time to recall the earlier events.

When she calmed down, she began to feel a bit of lingering fear.

Zhong Lei knew that although her personality was strong, she was, after all, just a woman.

She had already slapped Zhou A. If Chen Feng hadn’t appeared holding his phone, making Zhou A and the others hesitate for fear of the consequences, she knew she likely wouldn’t have escaped.

Even if she wasn’t taken away, getting beaten up would have been hard to avoid.

For a wicked person like Zhou A, a principle like “don’t hit women” probably didn’t exist.