Chapter 190: Chapter 0190: Beaten to a Pulp_1
In a private dining room, Zhang Bin and Liu Ruomei were having a meal.
Zhang Bin had ordered mixed grill pasta and a glass of iced milk tea. He seldom ate Western food, so he also asked the waiter for a pair of chopsticks. Grabbing a pork chop, he chewed away with gusto, tossing the knife and fork to the side.
Liu Ruomei almost ran for the door. Where had she ever seen anyone eat Western food like this?
Now, she was one hundred percent certain that the young man named Chen Junheng in front of her had probably never eaten Western food before. In other words, he might have come from the countryside and had not seen much of the world.
Luckily, she saw a special quality about Zhang Bin—a kind of disdainful aura. It was only because of this that she forcefully suppressed the urge to flee.
She ordered a steak and a cup of coffee, cutting and eating gracefully with her knife and fork.
When they had almost finished eating, Liu Ruomei rushed to pay the bill. "Chen Junheng, let’s call it a day," she said. "We’ll be in touch."
Damn, so dismissive? If there really was a Hacker Rabbit King, he would be spitting blood with rage right now. Zhang Bin thought to himself. Aloud, he said earnestly, "When your sister first met Zhang Bin, he wore tattered clothes and rode a broken bicycle that clattered loudly. She must have had a terrible impression of him, but in the end, she still fell deeply in love with him."
Liu Ruomei was stunned. For one, how did this guy know so much about Zhang Bin? Second, she felt that what he said actually made sense; it truly does take time to understand a person. Perhaps this guy has some skills... but why should I bother trying to understand him?
"Even if we’re just ordinary friends, you can’t get rid of me with a single meal, can you? Come on, take a walk with me," Zhang Bin said, seizing the opportunity.
Liu Ruomei hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright."
She had now opened her seventh meridian and was a formidable Martial World master. Naturally, she wasn’t afraid of an ordinary person who hadn’t cultivated True Qi. She was convinced that Chen Junheng’s miraculous abilities were limited to computer technology and that he possessed no combat strength. Therefore, she felt no fear walking with a man she barely knew, even at night.
Soon, the two of them were walking side by side into a nearby park.
Liu Ruomei slowed her pace and said coolly, "Tell me about your hobbies. It’s your turn to talk and my turn to listen. I’m sure that with your computer skills, you already know plenty about me."
"Hobbies? Farming..." Zhang Bin started to say, then quickly clapped a hand over his mouth. He had let it slip.
"Farming?" Surprise flickered across Liu Ruomei’s face. "You don’t look like the farming type," she said doubtfully. "Why would that be your hobby?"
"Although I really like farming, I’ve never actually done it because I never had the chance," Zhang Bin said.
This man is completely unreliable, just spouting nonsense. Can he really be the Hacker Rabbit King? In that moment, Liu Ruomei truly began to doubt if the man before her was the world’s number one Hacker Rabbit King. Her disappointment deepened. Still, since they were already in the park, she decided to chat with him a bit longer. She asked coolly, "Besides farming, what other hobbies do you have?"
"I enjoy the four arts: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting," Zhang Bin said.
"Don’t tell me you just admire them but have never actually tried any?" Liu Ruomei asked teasingly.
"Pretty much, but I’m learning to paint. Give me a little more time, and I’ll be a master painter—the next Qi Baishi," Zhang Bin declared confidently.
"The next Qi Baishi?" Liu Ruomei nearly fainted. How unreliable could this young man be, boasting so brazenly! Did he have any idea what a phenomenal painter Qi Baishi was? An artist of that caliber might not appear again in a hundred years!
She had lost all her patience. "Chen Junheng, let’s stop here for today," she said, trying to be tactful. "I’m heading back."With that, she turned and walked away, her pace quick and urgent.
Zhang Bin did not give chase but said proudly, "Zhang Bin is no match for me."
That hit its mark. Liu Ruomei stopped in her tracks and spun around. "What?" she said angrily. "You’re saying Zhang Bin is no match for you? How are you better than him?"
"I’m better than Zhang Bin in many ways, but I don’t want to brag. I believe modesty and keeping one’s light under a bushel are virtues," Zhang Bin said.
"Then keep being modest and hiding your talents. Why boast that you’re better than my brother-in-law? I know I’m beautiful and that you’re smitten. You desperately want to win me over, but let me tell you, stop dreaming. To be frank, I have no interest in you whatsoever," Liu Ruomei said, not mincing her words.
"You..." Zhang Bin was utterly crushed. Only then did he truly realize how cold and stubborn this sister-in-law of his was. She was treating him, the world’s number one Hacker Rabbit King, like garbage, without a single care.
If he were anyone else, he would have turned and left, never pursuing this woman again. Unfortunately, he wasn’t just anyone; he was Zhang Bin, the brother-in-law Liu Ruomei was helplessly in love with. He had to save her. Thus, he had to suppress his frustration and say softly, "You’re right. I do like you, and I’m completely lost. That’s why I took such a huge risk to meet you. Please, just give me one chance. I really am the person you’ve been searching for, and my miraculous abilities are beyond anything you could imagine."
Is he lying to me, or does he really have miraculous abilities that he isn’t showing? Liu Ruomei began to ponder this carefully. She quickly reached a conclusion: it was far more likely he was lying. After all, when a man sees a beautiful woman, he struts like a peacock spreading its tail, showing off his best qualities. He might be a hacker, but he’s still a man; he can’t escape his own nature.
A mocking smile appeared on her face. "Fine, I’ll give you a chance. You said you enjoy music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, didn’t you? Then show me your skill at chess. Go play three games of Xiangqi with that old man at the park entrance. If you win, you can stay in Qingshan County tonight, and I’ll take tomorrow off to show you around. If you lose, then I’m afraid I can’t entertain you any longer. How about it?"
"Really?" A hopeful light gleamed in Zhang Bin’s eyes.
Naturally, he knew how to play Xiangqi. Back in Sanchahe Village, he was one of the top ten players. He couldn’t believe he wouldn’t be able to beat some doddering old man.
He had seen the old man with the chess setup just before they entered the park. The man looked unimpressive, with dull eyes and the frail appearance of someone on his last legs—hardly a master.
"Of course it’s true. I, Liu Ruomei, always keep my word," she said proudly.
"Let’s go, let’s go! I’ll show you my miraculous skill at Xiangqi!" Zhang Bin grew excited and took the lead, heading toward the park entrance.
He dared not hold Liu Ruomei’s hand now; that would make her fly into a rage.
If he were there as Zhang Bin, he wouldn’t hesitate at all. He could do more than just hold her hand; he could even wrap his arm around her waist, and she wouldn’t mind in the slightest.