By this time, Yu Chenghao was already standing before Ye Ling.
SWISH!
Yu Chenghao threw a punch straight at Ye Lingâs face. From the looks of it, he intended to disfigure him with that single blow!
Many in the crowd reflexively closed their eyes, and several girls couldnât help but scream.
Just how powerful was a full-force punch from a grown man?
If that fist landed, it would definitely break his nose. Heâd be disfigured for sure!
"Hmph!"
Ye Ling, however, just snorted. With a twist of his body, he dodged the punch, then followed up with a vicious roundhouse kick to his opponentâs waist.
BANG!
With a loud thud, Ye Lingâs kick sent Yu Chenghao sprawling, and he crashed heavily to the ground.
Over the years, Ye Ling had worked out daily. His physical condition was far superior to that of a punk like Yu Chenghao, who spent his days partying and chasing women.
It was a magnificent kick. To the many girls watching, it was so impressive their eyes practically filled with stars.
âNow *thatâs* a real man!â
âSending the guy harassing his girlfriend flying with a single, vicious kick!â
Many in the crowd mentally compared Ye Ling to the skinny, pretty boys onlineâthe kind who even wear makeup.
Needless to say, Ye Ling was incredibly handsome.
But more importantly, he acted like a man, with the kind of commanding presence a man should have. That alone was enough to blow all those other pretty boys out of the water!
"Iâm so in love! Does that guy have a TikTok? I need to follow him!" many of the girls exclaimed, their faces flushed with excitement.
"Me? A pretty boy?"
Ye Ling walked over to the fallen Yu Chenghao, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
The onlookers snapped back to reality, their faces twisting into ironic smirks.
Just a moment ago, Yu Chenghao had been calling Ye Ling a pretty boy...
And what happened?
In the blink of an eye, Ye Ling had knocked him to the ground with a single kick.
What a slap in the face.
Ye Ling walked over to Ning Ruoxi and said softly, "Alright, problem solved. Letâs go."
Ning Ruoxi was completely stunned.
She clearly hadnât expected Ye Ling to have this side to him. One moment she was worried he would get hurt, and the next, Yu Chenghao was on the floor.
"What are you spacing out for?"
Ye Ling chuckled and waved a hand in front of her face. "If we donât leave now, security will show up. Itâll be a hassle to leave then."
"Oh, right!"
Ning Ruoxi snapped out of it, suddenly realizing sheâd been staring at him. Flustered, she hurried to catch up.
But still... âYe Ling looked really, really handsome today!â
Ning Ruoxi secretly clenched her little fists. Her gaze swept over to Ye Lingâs profile before she quickly lowered her head again.
After the two had left, the security guards finally arrived. Seeing that the crowd had mostly dispersed, a chill ran down their spines.
The rules at Patek Square were notoriously strict, yet a vicious assault like this had just occurred... and most importantly, they had arrived too late.
This was a serious dereliction of duty.
If things went as expected, they would all be fired by the end of the night.
...
Meanwhile, Ye Ling had gotten into the car.
"So you really are a rich girl. A Porsche Cayenne... this must be worth around a million, right?" Ye Ling remarked with a sigh of admiration.
âBeing chauffeured by a beautiful woman in a luxury car... I guess this isnât a bad deal after all.â
"What are you talking about?"
Ning Ruoxi rolled her eyes.
After what had just happened, the two of them had grown closer without realizing it, so this kind of playful banter didnât feel inappropriate.
"Hey, you promised me a reward, remember?"
Ye Ling said with a playful smile, turning to look at Ning Ruoxi.
"A reward..."
A flicker of something passed through Ning Ruoxiâs beautiful eyes, and she avoided his gaze.
âIsnât this... a little too fast...â
âSheâd only known Ye Ling for two days!â
The carâs interior was already cramped. Now, parked in the silent underground garage, the space felt even smaller. She could hear every breath he took.
"How about... I treat you to dinner?"
Ning Ruoxi said, flustered.
"Dinner again...?"
Ye Ling said, sounding a little disappointed.
"I made a pretty big sacrifice today, you know. I almost got my face smashed in by that guy..."
Hearing this, Ning Ruoxi gently bit her red lip.
"Then... then close your eyes."
Ning Ruoxiâs face flushed crimson.
Seeing this, Ye Lingâs heart skipped a beat.
Ning Ruoxi was already a campus beauty, but now, with that shy, feigned reluctance... who could possibly resist?
Ye Ling instinctively did as she said and closed his eyes.
And the next moment.
He felt something sweet on his lips.
âBut... why is it a little hard?â
Ye Ling opened his eyes. He saw Ning Ruoxi sitting right where she was, looking at him with an amused expression.
"Chocolate?"
Ye Ling chewed the object that had been placed between his lips and felt a flash of annoyance.
âThis girl... she actually dared to prank me!â
"Hmph! Trying to take advantage of me on our first date? Dream on!"
Ning Ruoxi huffed.
Inwardly, however, she was far from calm.
Her heart was in turmoil.
The truth was, she had almost kissed him for real. Sheâd only chickened out at the last second and came up with this trick instead.
"So this is my reward?"
Ye Ling pouted.
But Ning Ruoxi just huffed coquettishly. "What? Not satisfied? Thatâs the first time Iâve ever fed anyone, you know!"
If anyone else had been there, they would have surely sensed something was off.
Why did Ning Ruoxiâs words carry such a coquettish, pouting tone?
Of course, Ye Ling didnât notice...
He was just a little disappointed.
"Alright, where do you live? Iâll drop you off."
"Tomson Riviera."
"Ye Ling, can you be serious!"
"I am being serious!"
...
Ye Ling led Ning Ruoxi to the residential complex and said with a helpless sigh, "See? I told you I really live at Tomson Riviera..."
Ning Ruoxi had absolutely refused to believe Ye Ling lived at Tomson Riviera and insisted he prove it by taking her there.
It was no wonder she was skeptical. After all, Ye Ling didnât look like a rich heir, and an apartment at Tomson Riviera costs two or three hundred million!
But Ye Ling really did live here. Not only that, he lived in an incredibly luxurious penthouse duplex!
"You..."
Ning Ruoxi blinked, staring at Ye Ling in utter disbelief.
âSo he wasnât lying!â
"Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."
Ye Ling chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
Ning Ruoxi was speechless. âYou live in a mansion like this and youâre telling me to be low-key? Low-key my ass!â
Although she came from a well-off family, that wealth belonged to her family, not her. She didnât actually have much money of her own. Her parents had always been strict, and she earned most of her spending money by working as an artist.
And this guy Ye Ling... he was living in a luxury home worth three or four hundred million!