Chapter 44: What a Beast

"I'll have the staff clear the venue right now. You guys go ahead, and we'll be right behind you."

"Done. Let's move."

As the five of them stepped downstairs, the driver arranged by Su Xiang was already waiting at the entrance, showing utmost respect to Qi Fei.

No sooner had the car set off than Bai Chunle couldn't help asking, "Fei'fei, did you and President Su meet at a banquet?"

Otherwise, given that Qi Fei was a celebrity, there wouldn't have been any other occasion for her to cross paths with Su Xiang.

Hearing Bai Chunle's words, the other three immediately turned their attention to Qi Fei, though Dong Xu felt that Bai Chunle's question was a bit too forward given how little they knew each other.

Apart from the afternoon's harrowing ordeal, the group had previously had zero connection with Qi Fei. Even though shared adversity had drawn them closer, they weren't that close yet.

Just as he was about to change the subject, he heard Qi Fei say, "No, we're online friends. We met playing video games."

Bai Chunle: "..."

Dong Xu: "..."

Du Hui: "..."

Ba Yong: "..."

This reason was utterly beyond everyone's expectations.

"Then... what about Yu Tao?"

Curiosity burned brightly among them.

"I ran into him getting beaten up by a mob, so I lent a hand."

Qi Fei said it so casually that even Bai Chunle knew the reality couldn't possibly be that simple, yet the answer still left everyone torn between laughter and tears.

"Someone actually dared to beat up a wealthy second-generation heir like Yu Tao?" Who had the nerve?

Yet, they gleaned a lot of information from Qi Fei's remark; anyone bold enough to gang up and beat him certainly wasn't ordinary—they had to be peers from the exact same privileged circle.

The appearance of the five instantly drew gasps of excitement from the store clerks.

Shortly after, the clerks served the drinks, beverages, and snacks they had prepared in advance, and then immediately formed a line to ask for autographs.

One of the girls made a bee-line straight for Qi Fei. She was a dedicated fan and had wanted one last time, only for everything to be derailed by unexpected events.

As soon as the two of them stepped inside, they noticed the entire first floor was completely deserted. It didn't take a genius to figure out where the staff had gone.

Su Xiang was genuinely pleased that Qi Fei had brought a group over. Although he had already paid hush money, he still worried about the incident leaking, especially since no formal non-disclosure agreement had been signed.

He had always known that some problems couldn't simply be solved with money.

Moreover, this matter wasn't as surface-level as it appeared. If someone with malicious intent chose to blow it out of proportion, the fallout wouldn't just impact this variety show—it could potentially shake the corporation's stock prices.

Maintaining good relations would eliminate countless unnecessary future troubles, a goal that simply throwing resources at the problem couldn't achieve.

Her experiences in the apocalypse, combined with her unique mind-reading ability, were what made Qi Fei so perceptive of human nature.

Qi Fei turned, leaning against the railing, and called down to the two men below, "Xiangxiang, are you treating us today?"

Su Xiang immediately answered with a generous smile, "I'm covering all expenses."

"Did you hear that, Boss Yu? Bring out the most expensive wine in your shop, and Xiang'xiang is footing the bill."

Hearing this, Yu Tao put on an expression of someone watching a good show. "If I really bring it out, this guy is going to bleed a fortune."

"Bring it, bring them all! We were scared out of our wits today, so you definitely have to bleed a little more to help us calm our nerves."

By bringing the incident out into the open herself, Qi Fei effectively stripped it of its lingering psychological sting.

Su Xiang wasn't a fool; he immediately grasped the deeper meaning behind Qi Fei's words.

"Qiqi, you're ruthless."

Still, he readily agreed, "Bring them."

"The boss is magnificent!"

With Qi Fei and Su Xiang playing off each other, the atmosphere instantly became lively.

Looking at the table full of unfamiliar red and white wines, Qi Fei chimed in, "Open them, open them all!"

At those words, Su Xiang clutched his chest in agony, while the expressions of the others began to twitch.

Su Xiang's agonizing look of financial pain left Qi Fei completely bewildered, prompting her to turn to Yu Tao and ask, "What's wrong? Are they very expensive?"

"This single table of wine could buy two apartments across the street."

Su Xiang: "..."

"Well, that doesn't sound too expensive. Open them up!"

By now, the others realized that Qi Fei genuinely had no idea what these wines were worth, let alone comprehended what Yu Tao meant by "two apartments across the river."

Listening to their inner thoughts, Qi Fei finally realized those apartments must cost a fortune, and she immediately tried to backpedal.

Since they were already brought out, Su Xiang waved over the clerks, "Do as Qiqi says. Open them."

The others hadn't expected Qi Fei to hold so much sway, able to make him splurge thousands with a single sentence.

After giving the order, Su Xiang hastily added a condition, "Remember to save whatever we don't finish for me."

Yu Tao shot Su Xiang a sidelong glance. "Look at how stingy you are."

"Pocket change like this is nothing to you."

"I had the hotel send over some pastries; they should be arriving soon," Yu Tao mentioned, remembering the delivery.

Hearing this, Qi Fei nodded repeatedly. "No wonder you have a girlfriend, Taozi. So thoughtful."

"Taozi, since when do you have a girlfriend? How come I didn't know?" Su Xiang looked at him in utter astonishment.

Even Yu Tao was somewhat taken aback.

"Qiqi... how did you know?" If his memory served him right, yesterday was the first time he had ever laid eyes on Qi Fei.

Qi Fei picked up the glass of red wine by her hand and answered with a question of her own, "Care to guess?"

The next second, the wine glass was snatched away from her lips by Su Xiang. "What is a kid doing drinking hard liquor? Xiao Zhou, bring Qiqi a glass of fruit wine."

"You won't even let me drink the wine I asked to open? Xiangxiang, aren't you going a bit overboard?"

"Who's a kid? Want to step outside and settle this?" Su Xiang completely ignored her protest.

A physical contest was out of the question; that was just asking for a beating.

[It's unsafe for women to drink outside, especially since Qi Fei is so drop-dead gorgeous and the rest of them are old slickers. You shouldn't gamble with human nature; if something actually went wrong, it would be a disaster.]

Qi Fei: "..."

Fine. In light of Su Xiang complimenting her beauty, she would let it slide.

She obediently accepted the glass of fruit wine handed to her.

Seeing Su Xiang act so overly cautious, Yu Tao put in a good word for Qi Fei: "You still doubt Qi Fei's combat skills? If she really runs into bad guys, it's hard to tell who's going to be crying."

Qi Fei nodded vigorously, though she didn't put down the glass of fruit wine; she never took anyone's kindness for granted.

"This guy's brain has a few loose screws, Qiqi."

Seeing Qi Fei glare at him, he quickly added, "The moment he falls in love, his IQ drops to negative numbers." If that didn't mean his brain was broken, what did?

"What if she gets drunk out there and falls head over heels for some scumbag at first sight? That would be catastrophic."

Qi Fei: "..."

Those words struck right at her sore spot. Could they please stop bringing that up? Besides, she wasn't the one who fell for a scumbag, okay?

"Guo..."

"I was wrong, Sister..." Su Xiang hurriedly shoved a fruit platter right in front of Qi Fei.

If Yu Tao ever found out his childhood nickname was Guo'guo, he would definitely become the laughingstock of the group for years.

Seeing Su Xiang fold so fast, everyone grew intensely curious about what Qi Fei was about to say.

"Go on, Qiqi, 'Guo' what? Don't worry, I've got your back."

Who doesn't love a juicy piece of gossip from the VIPs? They all stared intently at Qi Fei, waiting for the punchline.

"Don't do it, Qiqi."

"Sister, Big Sister, I was wrong."

"I'll take you out for delicious food tomorrow."

At the mention of food, the eager gleam in Qi Fei's eyes vanished instantly. At that moment, Su Xiang seemed to have unlocked all his hidden potential.

Qi Fei knew when to quit while she was ahead; overdoing the teasing would spoil the fun.

She proudly raised her chin. "It's a secret. Can't tell."

"Don't be like that, Qiqi. Good food, you say? Did you like yesterday's dishes? I'll treat you to the same tomorrow."

Yu Tao, are you trying to kill me?! Su Xiang quickly pivoted the conversation. "By the way, Qiqi, how on earth did you know this guy got a girlfriend?"

Qi Fei: "And she's just a 19-year-old girl."

"What a beast."