Ma Jialiang attempted to block Lin Fan and Wei Qingxue, but Lin Fan had already lost patience and simply picked up Ma Jialiang and threw him out. Ma Jialiang landed right on the big cake, plunging headfirst into it, extremely embarrassed.
The crowd around couldnāt help but burst into laughter at the scene.
Ma Jialiang got up and was suddenly grabbed by the collar by Lin Fan.
"The people who were at the gate of the community last time, you must have sent them, right? This time, consider it a payback. Since Qingxue doesnāt want the cake, you can enjoy it yourself."
Lin Fan chuckled and once again pushed Ma Jialiangās head into the cake.
By the time Ma Jialiang struggled to his feet and managed to wipe the cake off his eyes, Lin Fan and Wei Qingxue were already gone.
The crowd was still laughing at his expense, and Ma Jialiang was furious.
"Lin Fan, you just wait. I will never let you get away with this!" Ma Jialiang gritted his teeth, hating Lin Fan to the core.
What made him more frustrated was that Lin Fan, a mere courier, was so good at fighting. The people he called to teach Lin Fan a lesson last time ended up going back disgraced.
It seemed he would need to find an even more skilled expert to deal with Lin Fan.
The scene shifted to Lin Fan and Wei Qingxue leaving the restaurant.
Wei Qingxue apologized, "Lin Fan, Iām really sorry. I wanted to treat you to a meal, but who knew it would turn out like this."
Lin Fan smiled and said, "Itās fine. We can just find another place to eat."
Wei Qingxue said, "Yes, but the better restaurants all require reservations, and itās too late for that now."
Lin Fan said, "Itās just food. Anywhere is fine. Thereās no need to go to a high-end restaurant. They have so many rules, and theyāre not necessarily better. The food is expensive and not much. Iāll take you to a good place."
Lin Fan took Wei Qingxue to a street food stall, a place where Feng Ruolan had taken him before. The food was pretty good, and since it was nearby, Lin Fan decided to bring Wei Qingxue there.
Wei Qingxue, the Wei Familyās heiress, had always lived a life of luxury and had never eaten at such street stalls.
"Can the food here be any good?" Wei Qingxue asked curiously.
This kind of street stall was a far cry from upscale restaurants. Dining here had no such rules; you could wear whatever you liked. There were even men eating shirtless, and nobody minded. It was a place full of all kinds of people: students, workers, office workers... full of a lively atmosphere.
Lin Fan pulled her to sit down, saying, "Youāll know soon enough."
Lin Fan ordered simple stir-fried dishes.
Soon, the food arrived.
"Eat while itās hot," Lin Fan smiled and said.
Wei Qingxue picked up her chopsticks and took a slice of stir-fried meat.
Surprisingly... it tasted unexpectedly good!
"Mmm, not bad!" Wei Qingxue exclaimed in surprise.
Wei Qingxue was a bit aloof by nature and didnāt usually enjoy socializing. The places she frequented were always high-end. This was her first time eating at such a place, and she unexpectedly found it quite tasty.
Lin Fan found it amusing in his heart; indeed, these wealthy girls who grew up in luxury couldnāt resist the charm of street food. Feng Ruolan was like this, and so was Wei Qingxue.
Wei Qingxue ate two bowls of stir-fried noodles, fully satisfied.
"So, was I wrong?" Lin Fan smiled and asked.
Wei Qingxue blushed slightly, aware that her eating manner might not have been the most graceful.
"Yes, it was quite good. Lin Fan, have you lived around here before?" Wei Qingxue asked curiously.
This area appeared quite rundown, an old neighborhood much like an urban village, a place where the social underclass gathered.
When Wei Qingxue had been kicked out of the Wei family the other day, she stayed one night in a village apartment with Lin Fan and felt very uncomfortable.
At that time, she didnāt have feelings for Lin Fan. Now her feelings had changed, and the place seemed to have a bit of a warm familiarity because it was somewhere her beloved had once stayed.
Lin Fan replied, "Iāve never lived here. Someone else brought me to eat here once."
Wei Qingxue probably thought he meant a fellow courier or a friend of similar status. If she knew it was Yun Cityās wealthiest woman, Feng Ruolan, she would be astonished.
Wei Qingxue said, "Whatever the case, the food here is pretty good. Thank you, Lin Fan. This meal was really satisfying. If you have time in the future, you should bring me here again. Even if you donāt, Iāll come here by myself to eat."
Lin Fan said, "Sure. But itās best you donāt come alone."
Wei Qingxue asked curiously, "Why not?"
Lin Fan replied, "Because this area can be quite chaotic, and as a girl, you might not be able to protect yourself."
Wei Qingxue looked confused and said, "Iāve rarely... actually never eaten at places like this, but I always heard that people from the lower social classes are kind-hearted. Was that wrong?"
Lin Fan smiled and said, "Thatās indeed wrong. The idea that the lower classes are kind is just a generalization, giving those who are not familiar with it a stereotype. But in reality, harm within lower classes is quite common. For instance, many street thugs come from lower social backgrounds, and their victims are often the lower-class citizens themselves."
Speaking of street thugs, Wei Qingxue shuddered, remembering how she had almost been kidnapped by thugs that day.
Lin Fan was right to remind Wei Qingxue of the mixed crowds on the street. Itās not a good place. The last time Lin Fan and Feng Ruolan came here for a late-night snack, they encountered harassment.
The reason the lower classes remain the lower classes is due to their difficult living conditions. Otherwise, there wouldnāt be so many people fighting tooth and nail to break through the barriers to move up.
Living in a high-end neighborhood and living in an urban village are worlds apart. A high-end neighborhood with strict security naturally has a much lower incident rate than a chaotic urban village.
Thud!
While the two were talking, suddenly at the table next to them, someone slammed a beer bottle heavily.
It turned out there were several Blonde Hair guys sitting at that table, all shirtless, having a late-night snack. Just now, a waitress brought dishes to them, but one Blonde Hair, dissatisfied, smashed a bottle.
"What the hell is this? Donāt you want this job anymore? Why is this stir-fried snail cold?" Blonde Hair shouted, his face red from several bottles of beer, clearly using the alcohol to fuel his anger.
The waitress was frightened and quickly said, "I... Iām not sure either, sorry, I will go check."
Blonde Hair said, "Get your boss over here. Damn it, do you not see who we are? How dare you neglect us? Do you look down on Brother Jin Ya!"
The street food stall owner came over after hearing the commotion.
After understanding the situation, the owner quickly smiled apologetically, "Iām so sorry. I didnāt realize these were Brother San Jinyaās men. My eyes must have been blind. This girl is new and might have served the wrong dish. Iām really sorry. To calm you down, this meal is on me."
Blonde Hair said, "Though weāre from the streets, we donāt eat for free. Go make us another dish of snails, and weāll pay for it."
The owner was delighted, "Thank you, please wait, Iāll get it right away."
The owner was about to leave with the waitress.
"Wait!" Blonde Hair eyed the waitress with a wicked smile, "She shouldnāt leave. Come and sit down, and have a few drinks with us brothers."
What?
They actually wanted the waitress to drink with them?
Wei Qingxue frowned. Lin Fan was right; this place was indeed a mix of good and bad. She definitely wouldnāt dare to come here alone again.