Chapter Thirty-One: I Have Decided This Matter for You

Lu Lu was startled and, acting on instinct, kicked toward the man’s groin.

But the man, anticipating her move, caught her ankle in advance. He gave it a gentle squeeze and said, “I know all too well what tricks you women like to use. Not bad.”

Lu Lu’s face went pale. Though she was cheerful by nature, when confronted with a situation like this, she was truly terrified.

The man tightened his grip on her ankle, and Lu Lu felt herself being pulled uncontrollably toward him.

“No!” Lu Lu’s heart raced with panic.

Just then, a strong hand grabbed her arm.

Lu Lu turned to see that it was Lin Yi. Relief washed over her, and she even had the urge to throw herself into his arms and break down in tears.

“Hey, kid, what are you doing? I’m flirting with my girlfriend here—why are you interfering?” The man glared at Lin Yi, eyes full of menace.

“Oh?” Lin Yi glanced at Lu Lu.

“N-no, Lin Yi, he’s lying,” Lu Lu blurted out. She was searching for a wealthy husband, not someone as sleazy as this man.

The man’s expression shifted—he hadn’t expected the two to know each other.

He had been watching for a while, convinced the woman had come with only a friend, and had decided to take advantage when the two women separated.

But upon seeing Lin Yi’s thin and unremarkable appearance, the man quickly sneered, “Get lost, punk. If you don’t, I’ll break both your legs.”

Lin Yi said nothing. His right foot lashed out, striking the man’s knee.

With a dull thud, the man’s body collapsed uncontrollably to the floor, the agony in his knee twisting his features.

Lu Lu seized the chance to hide behind Lin Yi.

“Ugh, kid, you’ll regret this!” The man tried to threaten him.

Without a word, Lin Yi kicked him again, this time in the chest. The man was sent flying and, after landing, glared unwillingly at Lin Yi before passing out.

Lin Yi had already held back; otherwise, that kick would have done more than break a few bones—it could have taken his life.

“Lin Yi, is he dead?” Lu Lu asked.

“No, just a few broken bones. He’ll need a few months to recover,” Lin Yi replied calmly.

“Serves him right.”

Lu Lu shot the man a fierce glare.

Then she turned to Lin Yi, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Lin Yi, thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing.” Lin Yi smiled gently.

“By the way, Lin Yi, what’s your relationship with that mixed-race beauty?” Lu Lu probed.

Cai Qing, feeling embarrassed on her friend’s behalf, decided to help out.

“We’re friends,” Lin Yi said.

“Just friends? I mean, you’re not a couple?” Lu Lu asked, batting her eyes.

“Of course not. Don’t get the wrong idea.” Lin Yi chuckled and shook his head.

Lu Lu’s heart fluttered with delight. “I’ll go get changed. You saved Cai Qing first, and now you’ve saved me—tonight, dinner’s on me.”

She could hardly wait to share the news with Cai Qing.

“Alright,” Lin Yi replied.

Leaving the pool, Lu Lu spotted Angel’s Maserati and exclaimed enviously, “Wow, Angel, is this the newest Quattroporte?”

Angel nodded. “Yes.”

“That must have cost over a million, right?” Lu Lu’s eyes sparkled.

“About one and a half million,” Angel answered casually.

“My goodness.” Lu Lu’s mouth hung open. Even if she saved every penny for ten years, she still couldn’t afford a car like that.

Cai Qing was equally astonished, glancing back and forth between Lin Yi and Angel. She wasn’t stupid—she could tell Angel’s attitude toward Lin Yi was more than just respectful.

But Lin Yi used to be nothing more than a waiter. If she hadn’t recommended him for a teaching job, he’d probably still be looking for work.

“Could Lin Yi have another identity?” Cai Qing wondered.

“Alright, everyone, get in. Since you’re all friends of Mr. Lin, I’ll take you to a nice place,” Angel said.

“No way, I said I’d treat everyone. Angel, I can’t let you spend the money,” Lu Lu protested.

Angel glanced at Lin Yi.

“Let her have her way,” Lin Yi said with a soft laugh.

They all piled into the car. Lin Yi took the passenger seat, while Lu Lu, Cai Qing, and Doudou sat in the back.

“So soft,” Lu Lu murmured, looking around like a country bumpkin on her first visit to the city.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Cai Qing whispered, tugging at Lu Lu’s sleeve, mortified by the attention.

Lu Lu grinned sheepishly and sat down.

“By the way, Angel, what’s this nice place you mentioned?” Lu Lu asked curiously.

“A Michelin three-star restaurant,” Angel replied.

“Angel, you really are loaded,” Lu Lu said excitedly.

Angel just smiled. “Me? I’m not that rich.” The truly wealthy one was sitting right next to her.

Soon, the Maserati pulled up outside a seafood buffet.

Compared to the Michelin restaurant Angel had mentioned, the place Lu Lu had in mind was nothing to brag about.

But since she’d already invited everyone, there was no turning back. She gave an awkward laugh. “Well, let’s eat here first.”

With that, she hurried inside.

Angel leaned over and said quietly, “Mr. Lin, I’ve heard that the oysters here are huge.”

Lin Yi smiled—it was the first time he’d seen Angel act so playful.

The buffet was pleasant enough. Doudou had a sweet tooth and piled the table high with little cakes, leaving the staff staring in disbelief.

“Lin Yi, thank you for saving me. If you were just a bit richer and a bit more handsome, I’d chase after you myself,” Lu Lu joked, holding a glass of juice.

Lin Doudou’s gaze turned wary. She didn’t know exactly how much Lin Yi had in his private accounts, but it was definitely a lot.

Angel smiled elegantly, thinking to herself, “Girl, you’d better keep such thoughts to yourself.”

“Sorry to disappoint you; I’m not quite up to your standards,” Lin Yi replied, his eyes clear.

At that moment, Lu Lu’s phone rang.

She glanced at the screen and her expression changed. “Excuse me, I need to take this call.”

She hurried off to answer.

When she returned, she looked preoccupied.

“What’s wrong?” Cai Qing noticed immediately and asked with concern.

“It’s nothing,” Lu Lu replied, gulping down her juice.

She coughed, having drunk too quickly, and Cai Qing patted her back. “What’s really the matter?”

After a moment, Lu Lu turned to Lin Yi. “Lin Yi, could I talk to you for a moment?”

Lin Yi nodded. Lu Lu was a friend—if she was in trouble, he would do what he could to help.

They found a quiet corner. Tears welled in Lu Lu’s eyes. “Lin Yi, my parents took all the money I’d saved through hard work and gave it to my brother to buy a house. Now they want me to marry the village chief’s idiot son, just to get more bride price. But I’m a person, not their tool.”

Lu Lu felt wronged. Her parents had always treated her as an afterthought, giving everything good to her brother.

At seven, she’d already learned to do chores, while her brother still had never lifted a finger.

She’d paid her own school fees through part-time jobs and collecting recyclables.

Even so, her parents only saw her as a burden, always asking her for money, calling her unfilial if she refused, accusing her of resenting the family.

After years of hard work, she’d finally saved some money, hoping that if she couldn’t marry a rich husband, she could at least start her own business.

Now, everything had turned to dust.

Lin Yi gently wiped her tears. “Let me handle this for you.”

“No, it’s fine. I just needed to vent.” Lu Lu flushed. She didn’t even know why she’d thought of Lin Yi first. Maybe it was because, earlier in the changing room, his not-so-broad back had made her feel safe.

Lin Yi could see that Lu Lu was a filial girl, but sometimes, there were limits to filial piety.

“If you keep enduring, things will only get worse,” Lin Yi said.

“But they’re my parents,” Lu Lu hesitated.

“I told you, I’ll take care of this for you. No one can force you to do something you don’t want to do.”

Lin Yi looked straight at her, his dark eyes carrying an undeniable authority.

“I—I understand,” Lu Lu murmured, her heart pounding.