Chapter 25: A Narrow Encounter with an Old Foe

Ruan Mianmian had just received a large sum of money and left Gathering Pavilion in a state of excitement and joy.

Call her inexperienced if you will, but it was the first time in her life she’d possessed so much cash. There was an expensive Hermès bag at home, but a luxury item was just an object—if the money wasn’t in her hands, it was as good as nothing.

She hadn’t expected that before she’d gone far, she’d run into a woman exiting another shop in a narrow side alley.

The woman saw her too, blocked her way, and sneered. “I didn’t expect we’d meet again so soon. Fate sure loves bringing enemies together, doesn’t it!”

She had been wondering how to find this woman who’d crossed her—never imagining they’d meet so quickly.

Ruan Mianmian glanced at the woman and, of course, recognized her immediately.

But now the woman had a tall, burly man in black at her side—clearly a bodyguard. Ruan Mianmian didn’t dare to curse her out.

Truly, a narrow road for rivals!

Forcing a smile, Ruan Mianmian said, “Miss, you must have mistaken me for someone else. Do we know each other?”

“Oh? It’s only been a week and you’re pretending not to know me? You were quite something at the phone store last week, weren’t you?”

“That… never happened. You must be mistaken.”

Indeed, this was the Chanel-clad woman who last week had tried to snatch the phone Ruan Mianmian had her eyes on at the store.

Today, she was still dressed head to toe in Chanel, but with a bodyguard in tow. Ruan Mianmian dared not provoke her.

With her arms crossed, the woman shot Ruan Mianmian a sidelong glance. “Isn’t it a bit late to pretend you don’t know me now?”

Feigning ignorance, Ruan Mianmian replied, “I truly don’t know you. I don’t even know your name.”

This was exactly why retorting to others often got you into trouble.

But what could she do? Was it wrong to try to survive?

It wasn’t as if she started arguments with just anyone.

If this woman hadn’t been in the wrong first, would she have confronted her?

Arrogant because of the bodyguard by her side, the woman declared, “Pretending not to know me won’t help. Last week you embarrassed me at the phone store, and I didn’t even get the phone I wanted. I was in a bad mood for three whole days. I told you I’d make you pay, and today, no one’s here to save you!”

After her loss at the phone store, she hadn’t gone anywhere without her bodyguard.

Seeing the woman determined not to let her go, Ruan Mianmian decided to get straight to the point. “So what do you want? It was just a phone—no need to make a fuss.”

Triumphant, the woman said, “Kneel and apologize to me, slap yourself ten times, and pay me one hundred thousand as compensation for my distress. Then I’ll let it go.”

“Miss, everything I’m wearing isn’t even worth a thousand—where would I get a hundred thousand to pay you?”

“Oh? But last week you were so high and mighty, paying for that phone. I thought you were rich. But look at you now, dressed so shabbily. Fine, forget the compensation. Just kneel, apologize, and slap yourself ten times. Then we’re even.”

She looked at Ruan Mianmian as if at a pauper—simple white cotton T-shirt, denim overalls, plain sneakers, a backpack, and a baseball cap. Nothing branded, clearly all together not worth even a thousand.

Never mind. She’d back down a step and not demand money.

“And what if I refuse?” Ruan Mianmian pressed her lips together and quietly took a step back.

The Chanel woman laughed arrogantly, “Refuse? You don’t have the right to refuse!”

“What do you want? Planning to hit me?” Ruan Mianmian took another step back.

“Figured it out? Yes, I intend to hit you!”

With that, the woman stopped wasting words and ordered her bodyguard, “Slap her hard until she begs for mercy! I want to see if she can still talk big!”

If you dare to insult me, you’d best be ready to pay the price!

“Yes, Miss!” The bodyguard cracked his thick neck, his knuckles making a chilling sound as he closed in on Ruan Mianmian.

She quickly scanned the area—no one around to help. She spun around and ran.

But how could she outrun a tall, powerful bodyguard? She hadn’t made it two hundred meters before he grabbed her collar. “Let’s see where you think you’re going!”

She struggled. “What right do you have to grab me? Let me go! How can a big man bully a defenseless woman?”

As she yelled, her hand slipped into her backpack and pulled out a bottle of pepper spray.

The same pepper spray she’d used in a private room two days ago now came in handy again.

Without hesitation, she sprayed it directly at the bodyguard’s face.

He hadn’t expected this, and his eyes burned so badly he had to let her go.

Seizing the chance, Ruan Mianmian took off running.

The Chanel woman, teetering in her heels, chased after her. When she saw Ruan Mianmian escape, she angrily slapped her bodyguard. “Useless! You can’t even handle a woman. What good are you?”

He kept his head down, not daring to make a sound.

He’d been careless—who would have thought that delicate-looking girl would carry pepper spray?

The Chanel woman snorted coldly, then glared at the distant crowd, teeth clenched. “Find her for me! Next time, I’ll make sure to slap her myself!”

Rubbing his stinging eyes, the bodyguard muttered, “Yes, Miss.”

Ruan Mianmian, gasping for breath, ran to the main road, her heart pounding in her chest.

She clutched the now-empty bottle of pepper spray. Just then, a bus pulled up beside her. Without a second thought, she climbed aboard.

Finding a seat, she finally exhaled shakily, massaging her trembling legs, feeling as if she’d barely escaped with her life.

If she hadn’t reacted so quickly, she would have been thoroughly humiliated just now.

It had scared her half to death!

She rode the bus for three stops before getting off.

This wasn’t the way home; she checked her GPS, found the nearest subway station, and took the train back to her apartment.

By the time she arrived, night had fallen completely.

What an eventful day.

She’d earned a huge sum, yes, but she’d also come dangerously close to a beating.

To soothe her shocked nerves, she ordered herself an extravagant delivery meal.

She even splurged on crayfish and barbecue—treats she was usually far too frugal to order.

After all, she’d made a fortune today.

She wondered who that woman was, always with a bodyguard—her family must be well off.

It looked like she’d need to prepare more self-defense items—pepper spray, a dagger, and so on—just in case she ran into that woman again and her life was at stake.

...

Monday, the next day.

Ruan Mianmian arrived at work five minutes early, as usual.

Xu Weiwei was already there.

“Mianmian, do you think Li Xiaofei and Fang Yali will come in today? They were both taken to the police station last week,” Xu Weiwei asked.

“They’ll probably show up. For something like that, as long as you pay the fine, they let you out.”

“Don’t they get detained for five to fifteen days?”

“Bald Li went with them. He’ll do whatever it takes to get them out.”

The restaurant incident was definitely connected to Bald Li. He wouldn’t let those two stay locked up, or it would confirm what they’d done with those men in the private room.

As they spoke, Li Xiaofei and Fang Yali walked in one after the other.