Chapter 14: Auntie Here Has Gotten Tough with Her Fists!

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She came to the dance?

Meng Cheng'an frowned as he looked toward Lu Feng on the stage.

Just then, someone behind him complained, “Why are you blocking the way?”

Meng Cheng'an turned around.

When the man saw who it was, his attitude grew even worse. “Oh, it’s you. What are you standing here for, blind as a bat? Go in if you’re going in, or get out of the way!”

As he spoke, he gave Meng Cheng'an a tug, squeezed past him, and took two large tangerines from the basket.

But the moment they reached his hands, Tian Xiang snatched them away.

“What do you think you’re doing? Stealing someone else’s things?”

Tian Xiang was seated not far from the side door.

She had heard the commotion, and when she turned to look, she saw the man with the label “Passerby A, Street Loafer” bullying Comrade Background Extra. She charged straight over.

Meng Cheng'an had given her the chance to get inside, so of course she had to stand up for him!

The man was instantly enraged when some young woman suddenly appeared to defend Meng Cheng'an. “And who are you?”

Tian Xiang pushed the brim of her hat aside, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty and an utterly overbearing expression.

“Well? Take a good look at your auntie here! Do you want to trade insults or throw punches?”

As she spoke, Tian Xiang began rolling up her sleeves.

So what if he was a street loafer? Back when she was in school, she had bullied plenty of unruly troublemakers who refused to behave.

After taking enough beatings from her, those people had even called her Big Sister.

When the man realized she was a stunning beauty, his furrowed brows immediately relaxed.

“Miss, are you from our Machinery Plant? Which workshop do you work in?”

How had he never noticed such a beautiful woman before?

She was even prettier than Zeng Qingwen from the broadcasting room!

Seeing the label on the street loafer’s head change into “ lovestruck fool” in the blink of an eye, Tian Xiang gave a disdainful snort.

“Could you have a little dignity? This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone’s character change so fast.”

Tian Xiang said, “Stop daydreaming. You and I are not the same kind of people.”

“How are we not the same kind of people? I’ll invite you to dance in a moment.”

As the street loafer spoke, he moved toward Tian Xiang. But just as he took a step, Meng Cheng'an grabbed him from behind.

The man lost his balance and had to brace himself against the table to keep from falling.

He glared at Meng Cheng'an, about to curse him out, when a basket of tangerines was shoved straight into his arms.

Meng Cheng'an said, “Arrange them on the tables.”

Then he took Tian Xiang outside.

The street loafer was utterly bewildered.

“What the hell? What is this guy playing at?”

He set down the basket and was about to chase after them when the old gatekeeper, who had appeared at some point, caught hold of him.

“Those two are courting. Why are you following them?”

“What did you say?”

Comrade Street Loafer looked as though he had been struck by lightning.

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The old gatekeeper said, “The pretty girl is from the Textile Mill. Secretary Meng invited her…”

Onstage, Lu Feng, having finished testing the sound system, came over as well.

He parted the crowd and glanced outside. He saw the tall figure about to leave, but someone came over and called, “Lu Feng, we’re about to begin.”

“Oh. All right…”

Outside the auditorium, on the small square:

Tian Xiang asked, “Why did you pull me out?”

The man had brought her outside without saying a word.

Was he afraid the street loafer would pester her?

She was not afraid of him!

Meng Cheng'an said, “Do you know what kind of person he is?”

“I…”

Wasn’t he just a street loafer?

“I don’t know.”

Meng Cheng'an said, “If you don’t know, why did you pick a fight with him?”

What?

Tian Xiang pointed at herself, then at him. “I was helping you!”

Meng Cheng'an let out a cold laugh. “Then do you know what kind of person I am?”

You’re a background extra. Though now you’re a passerby.

Oh, no. In the space of those few sentences, the label on his forehead had already changed to “Supporting Character 99+.”

Good heavens. She had just been saying how quickly the street loafer’s character had changed, but this man was hardly any better!

Tian Xiang blinked her large eyes. “Then what kind of person are you?”

Meng Cheng'an curved his lips faintly, a trace of mockery in his eyes. “Someone you would do best not to provoke.”

Someone she would do best not to provoke?

Tian Xiang lowered her voice. “Are you talking about your family background?”

The smile vanished from Meng Cheng'an’s face. His gaze grew somber.

“Yes.”

So that really was the issue!

He had done nothing wrong, yet because of the family he had been born into, people treated him as though he had committed some terrible crime.

There was really no need for that. A person could not choose their own origins.

Tian Xiang said, “It’s nothing. My reputation isn’t good either. You don’t know this, but people around here call me a shrew. In Three-Mile Alley, they said the same thing. When I was little, I caused so much trouble that everyone in the compound called me Little Crazy Woman. And lately, because of my blind dates, everyone’s been saying that I think too highly of myself and that I wouldn’t even consider the young men from Red Five Street.”

What Tian Xiang meant was that she would never look down on him because of his family background. She did not think he was any different from anyone else.

But the more she explained, the darker Meng Cheng'an’s expression became. He asked sternly, “Do you know what you’re saying?”

“I know! I’m just…”

“Enough!”

With a low roar, Meng Cheng'an turned and walked away.

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Huh?

What was wrong with him?

Tian Xiang was baffled. Why had he suddenly gotten angry?

Honestly.

Tian Xiang grew irritated as well and returned to the auditorium.

The opening remarks had already concluded. A band was performing onstage.

Lu Feng, the host, and Zeng Qingwen stood at the entrance to the backstage area watching. Though they were partners, they stood three paces apart, clearly angry with each other and unwilling to speak.

Tian Xiang found a seat in the corner and resumed cracking sunflower seeds.

There were only a few opening performances. After the band finished, someone performed a clapper-ballad piece, followed by a song. All of them were acts the employees had prepared on their own.

Once the three performances were over, the stage lights dimmed and ballroom music began to play.

Before long, the dance floor was filled with young men and women who had come to dance.

The young women around Tian Xiang were invited one after another.

A few young men cast glances in her direction as well.

Tian Xiang glared at them with one corner of her mouth twisted upward and the other eye narrowed.

She had come here today on a reconnaissance mission, not to dance.

Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on the corner of the stage. When she saw Lu Feng and Zeng Qingwen return backstage one after the other, she set down her sunflower seeds and followed them.

The auditorium had a very simple layout. Two dressing rooms stood behind the stage, separated by wooden partitions, with a passage between them.

There were no leaders present at the evening event; it had been organized entirely by the labor union.

By then, hardly anyone remained backstage. Only two maintenance workers were tidying things up, along with the hosts who had just come offstage.

Lu Feng would be dancing later, so there was no need for him to change his suit. He merely straightened his hair and went out.

He had originally intended to find Tian Xiang in front.

He had seen her earlier by the side entrance.

But when he thought of Zeng Qingwen being alone in the dressing room next door, he did not leave in a hurry. Instead, he waited for her in the corridor.

A short while later, Zeng Qingwen emerged in an orange, waist-cinching dress beneath a long brown coat.

She carried a leather handbag, and her permed hair had been let down. She looked as though she was getting ready to leave.

Lu Feng lowered his head and chuckled before asking, “Aren’t you going up front for a dance?”

Zeng Qingwen did not spare him so much as a glance. She walked straight past, radiating arrogance.

Lu Feng cursed under his breath, then grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.

Their bodies pressed together as they embraced and began kissing.

Not far away, Tian Xiang, hiding behind the door like a ghost, let out a quiet hiss.

Her fists had clenched tight…