Xiao Lengyue chuckled, "Let's go for steak. I know a place with excellent steak!"
Chu Lingtian nodded. All he wanted now was to finish this meal quickly and go back to accompany Liu Bingxue.
Liu Bingxue had messaged him earlier, though it was just a casual inquiry.
But Chu Lingtian knew she wanted to see him.
When they arrived at the steakhouse, Chu Lingtian and Xiao Lengyue found a seat.
"Don't let the fact that it's not a famous place fool you, the steak here is absolutely superb!" Xiao Lengyue said to herself.
Chu Lingtian's gaze, however, fell on the customers at the next table, his expression turning solemn.
At the adjacent table sat an elderly man, his back hunched and his hair snow-white. He was also missing an eye.
His hand tightly gripped his walking stick, the base of his thumb showing thick calluses.
"What is it?"
Xiao Lengyue glanced at the old man as well.
Chu Lingtian turned back, "Nothing, just looking around."
As he spoke, two burly men walked in through the door and headed straight for Chu Lingtian and Xiao Lengyue.
Xiao Lengyue's eyes immediately became wary as she looked at the two men.
This was her professional reflex.
"You are Chu Lingtian, aren't you!"
One of the thugs asked, looking at Chu Lingtian with a furious expression.
Before Chu Lingtian could reply, Xiao Lengyue spoke first.
"Who are you people? What do you want with him?"
The other thug grinned maliciously at Xiao Lengyue.
"Oh, look at you, such a pretty girl! But your eyesight seems to be failing you!"
He then turned to Chu Lingtian and said, "Who is it you want to find? You shouldn't be looking for a dead man. Why don't you come with us brothers later!"
"We guarantee you'll eat well and live lavishly, and you'll be a bride every night..."
Before he could finish, his face was met with a slap, sending him staggering back a couple of steps.
"Watch your mouth!"
Xiao Lengyue said coldly, "If you know what's good for you, get lost right now!"
She just wanted to have a quiet meal with Chu Lingtian, so she hadn't resorted to truly subduing them and taking them to the station.
"You damn bitch, you dare hit someone! Then you'll both be on your way out today!"
The two thugs, enraged, lunged at Chu Lingtian and Xiao Lengyue.
Chu Lingtian remained seated, his gaze scanning their surroundings vigilantly.
"If I don't show you a thing or two today, do you really think this young lady is afraid of you?"
Xiao Lengyue's expression turned cold. She clenched her fists and stepped forward, engaging the two thugs.
These two were trained fighters and their skills were decent.
Unfortunately, they had encountered an opponent like Xiao Lengyue, and their efforts were in vain.
Xiao Lengyue had practiced martial arts since childhood and had undergone special training at the police academy, making her more than a match for them.
However, after Xiao Lengyue had knocked them down, they refused to admit defeat and immediately rushed forward to fight desperately.
Xiao Lengyue hadn't expected them to be so tenacious, and for a moment, she found herself locked in a stalemate with them, unable to gain any advantage.
Just then, a few customers in the steakhouse couldn't bear to watch.
But they didn't intervene to help. Instead, they looked at Chu Lingtian with disdain, even beginning to verbally attack him.
"I say, as a grown man, have some shame! Letting a woman protect you, how shameless!"
"I've really never seen such a shameless man, you're an embarrassment to all men!"
"Who could agree more? Such a beautiful and gentle girl, how could she have fallen for him?"
"Trash, this guy is simply trash!"
...
The few people spoke very loudly, as if deliberately trying to make sure Chu Lingtian could hear them.
Chu Lingtian, however, seemed oblivious, remaining seated. He even poured himself a cup of tea and slowly sipped it.
Meanwhile, Xiao Lengyue was still entangled with the two thugs, and the fight had moved from inside the steakhouse to outside.
The two men fought with a reckless abandon that made Xiao Lengyue somewhat hesitant.
The purpose of police engagement with criminals was to subdue them, not to directly kill them.
She knew Chu Lingtian was skilled and had expected him to play the hero and come to her aid.
But after such a long time, there was no movement from him, indicating she couldn't count on him.
"As expected, a heartless man."
Xiao Lengyue was unaware of the situation inside the restaurant, where Chu Lingtian was now surrounded.
"Alright! You people babbling on like this, aren't you just trying to attract my attention so you can ambush me?"
Chu Lingtian looked at the chattering group, who were like sparrows, his expression calm.
"Is that so? You knew all along?"
"Then we won't hold back!"
The leader, a dark-faced man, said, "You've offended people you shouldn't have. Someone wants your..."
Chu Lingtian interrupted him, sneering, "Villains die because they talk too much, haven't you heard?"
As he finished speaking, the group rushed towards Chu Lingtian, their faces filled with murderous intent and their eyes gleaming with hostility.
Chu Lingtian remained seated, as if he hadn't seen them.
His gaze occasionally drifted to other places, as if the greatest danger lurked elsewhere.
In a flash, several men had surrounded Chu Lingtian.
Chu Lingtian remained motionless, like a stone Buddha.
Then, his fists moved, generating gusts of wind, each strike powerful and precise.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One punch per person, two punches for a pair, he sent them all flying.
The faces of the thugs changed drastically. They had severely underestimated Chu Lingtian's strength.
"With your shoddy skills, you call yourselves assassins?"
Chu Lingtian said with a laugh, "You're an embarrassment to assassins!"
Immediately after, Chu Lingtian's gaze fell upon the old man nearby, his eyes turning as cold as knives, a hint of killing intent emanating from them.
"He's more like it. He barely qualifies to be called an assassin!"
The white-haired old man slowly raised his head, looking at Chu Lingtian. A faint smile played on his lips.
"Did I reveal any flaws?" the old man asked with a smile.
Chu Lingtian calmly replied, "You revealed many flaws. For instance, you've been holding onto your walking stick the whole time. That must be your weapon!"
"And the calluses on the base of your thumb have also betrayed you!"
"Furthermore, you've been sitting next to us for so long without even glancing this way. That's a guilty conscience!"
Chu Lingtian paused, then smiled, "Do I need to continue?"
"Your only advantage over them is that you have more patience!"
The white-haired old man nodded slightly and chuckled, "Indeed, this is interesting. Since you already know my identity!"
"Do you have any last words? Speak quickly if you have any, otherwise, you won't have the chance!"
He seemed to be kindly reminding Chu Lingtian.
Suddenly, the old man's walking stick lunged forward, aimed at Chu Lingtian's chest.
A cold glint flashed, and in his hand, he held a long sword as bright as the moon.
...