Chapter 131: The Art of Provocation

Chapter 131: The Art of Provocation

As Ye Feng and Wang Meiling walked into the private dining room hand in hand, the room instantly erupted into a commotion. Throughout their three years in high school, Wang Meiling had been the undisputed campus belle, attracting thousands of admirers. Yet, not a single romantic rumor had ever surrounded her during that time. Upon entering university, everyone had anticipated the day she would finally bring home a boyfriend, but the past three years of class reunions had yielded nothing. None of them expected that for this modest gathering, Wang Meiling would actually show up accompanied by an extremely handsome man.

"Meiling! Do—do you still remember me?" Suddenly, a young woman rushed over, grabbing Wang Meiling's delicate hand and asking excitedly. Meiling recognized her instantly as her high school classmate, Liu Xue. "Hehe, how could I ever forget you? Oh, Xiaoxue, this is my boyfriend, Ye Feng. Ye Feng, this is Xiaoxue, a very dear friend of mine from high school!"

"Wow, Meiling, I never would've guessed! You're quite the superficial one, aren't you? Finding a boyfriend this drop-dead gorgeous!" Liu Xue said, casting a surprised glance at Ye Feng. On second thought, she figured Meiling and this handsome guy made a remarkably well-matched pair. Liu Xue extended her hand to shake Ye Feng's. "Handsome, nice to meet you. I'm Liu Xue. Hehe, you'd better take good care of our Meiling!"

With that, Liu Xue gave Ye Feng a playful wink. Taken aback, Ye Feng wondered what on earth was going on. "Haha, absolutely, that goes without saying. If I don't treat my darling well, who would I treat well?" Ye Feng said bluntly. *Damn it, the goal today is to broadcast one clear message to everyone: Meiling not only has a boyfriend, but the two of them are head over heels for each other.*

"Wow, I've got goosebumps all over! You two are giving everyone serious envy. Keep it up, handsome! Our Meiling is such a wonderful girl, and so many people have had their eyes on her," Liu Xue said, purposely gesturing toward Yue Feiya's direction.

"Definitely, you can count on it!" Ye Feng said with a slight smile. What a joke—if a man couldn't even protect his own woman, did he even deserve to be called a man? *Damn it, based on Liu Xue's nod, the guy she's pointing to must be Yue Feiya, the one who led everyone in just now.* Ye Feng chuckled inwardly. *And here I thought he was some formidable character; turns out it's just him.* He felt completely unfazed.

Hearing Ye Feng speak with such confidence—and sensing he wasn't just blowing hot air—Liu Xue began to harbor suspicions about his background. *No way, I'll definitely have to interrogate Meiling later about what kind of heavyweight this Ye Feng is. Not only did he hook Meiling, but he's also packing this much swagger.*

After exchanging the usual pleasantries with the rest of the classmates, Wang Meiling settled in as Yue Feiya began inviting everyone to sit down and chat. Yue Feiya had meticulously planned the seating arrangements. Expecting Meiling to arrive alone, he had originally set out only six chairs, leaving the one directly beside him empty so he could sit right next to her. Seeing her actually show up with Ye Feng, however, left him secretly distressed.

Before long, though, Yue Feiya devised a plan. He promptly instructed his little lackey, Lu Hong, to fetch another chair. He placed one on his left, while the original one remained on his right, seating himself right in the middle. This way, it would be impossible for Ye Feng and Wang Meiling to sit together. Pleased with his own cleverness, Yue Feiya smiled smugly.

Ye Feng caught onto this maneuver immediately. *Damn it, this Yue Feiya really is a piece of work. Pulling a stunt like this just to separate me and Meiling.* Wang Meiling also noticed the ploy; though displeasure flickered across her heart, it wasn't an appropriate moment to make a fuss.

Liu Xue naturally saw through it as well. As Meiling's close friend, she felt obliged to look out for her. Besides, Liu Xue had warmed up to Ye Feng; everything he said hit the right notes and made him quite likable. In particular, the masculine aura radiating from him convinced Liu Xue—who had seen all sorts of men—that he was no ordinary person.

Just as Wang Meiling was hesitating, Liu Xue stepped in with a smile. "Meiling, why don't you take my seat? Ye Feng can sit right there. You two lovebirds should have a proper chat!" She offered a knowing, suggestive smile that immediately painted a deep blush across Wang Meiling's cheeks.

Meiling understood Liu Xue's intention and shot her a grateful look. "Thank you, Xiaoxue!" She then pulled Ye Feng along to take the seats. Yue Feiya's face turned green with rage. *Damn it, all the painstaking planning I did has just been completely ruined!* Yet, with so many people watching, he couldn't afford to throw a tantrum.

Dishes and drinks were served, and Yue Feiya immediately began rallying everyone. Prompting the guests to fill their glasses, he raised his high in a toast: "Come on, let's have a drink to celebrate today's gathering! Although many classmates couldn't make it, as long as our princess Wang Meiling is here, that's all that matters. Cheers, everyone!"

"Hear, hear! Cheers!" The crowd raised their glasses in unison and downed the contents in one go. Yue Feiya then urged everyone to start eating, making the rounds to clink glasses with each person individually, promising a proper drinking session when they graduated.

Before long, Yue Feiya reached Wang Meiling's spot. Meiling was reluctant to drink with him; though a glass or two wouldn't hurt, she simply disliked his presence. Wearing a troubled expression, she demurred, "Yue Feiya, I—I really can't hold my liquor. Let's skip my glass."

"Haha, now how can we do that? You're the princess of the party today, how could we not toast you?" Yue Feiya chuckled inwardly, triumph flashing in his eyes. *Damn it, I'll trick you into drinking first, and later I'll get that punk Ye Feng plastered. By tonight, you'll be entirely mine. Even if you regret it later or complain to your grandfather, I won't care. Once the raw rice is cooked into dim sum, who's going to stop me?*

"I—" Wang Meiling struggled to find the words to refuse further. At that moment, Ye Feng chimed in from beside her, "Darling, since you can't handle your alcohol, let me take care of it. Brother Ya, just let me drink my darling's share. After all, we're a family, no need to draw lines between us, right?"

"I'm not sure that's appropriate, Brother Feng. This is a matter between me and Meiling. I'll toast you separately in a moment." Yue Feiya looked at Ye Feng with thinly veiled contempt. *Just because you've got a decent face doesn't mean I'm afraid of you, asshole. I'll drink you right under the table.* After all, before coming here, Yue Feiya had quietly taken a generous dose of anti-hangover medication, so he had zero fear of losing a drinking contest.

"Oh, come on, Brother Ya, that's no way to talk," Ye Feng said deliberately, deploying a bit of reverse psychology. "Meiling and I are family. Toasting her is the exact same as toasting me, right? Or are you worried you can't outdrink me?" Ye Feng smiled slyly to himself. *Damn it, if you want to play games with me, you're still way too green.*