Gorgeous Female Tenants

Chapter 334 Let You Let Go

Seeing the two food blogger girls off at the door, Xu Xiangbei smiled and said, "I hope you’ll visit again. Next time, we’ll introduce a new menu for you ladies to try."

The bloggers, treated warmly, were delighted and their smiles bloomed like flowers. "Thank you, President Xu. We will recommend your Emperor’s Pavilion on our blog so more people know about you."

"What a good idea you have. Good things should be shared by more people. Even good wine now fears deep alleys."

Suddenly, Xu Xiangbei felt a tinge of caution rising inside him, sensing a sharp gaze peering from behind him. But when he turned around, the gaze vanished.

The bloggers were about to hail a cab when one of them exclaimed, "My wallet is missing; I clearly had it in my bag. Oh no, my bag is torn."

The side of her handbag had a cut, neat and small, hardly visible unless the bag was stretched open—clearly made by a blade.

Her companion expressed sympathy, "Your bag was obviously slashed; your wallet was stolen."

Concerned, Xu Xiangbei asked, "What was in your wallet? Was there a big loss?"

"There wasn’t much in it. I always keep my phone in hand. The wallet had a bank card, two or three hundred yuan, and an ID card. The money wasn’t much, but it was my favorite wallet, a gift from my boyfriend. It had a pink heart on it. How annoying, who would be so despicable."

"Shall we call the police?"

"Forget it, there’s no use in calling the police. Let’s just consider it lost."

The bloggers left frustrated, though they didn’t say the wallet was lost while dining, leaving Xu Xiangbei feeling uneasy.

There were many guests today, from affection-laden couples to happy families of three, and groups of friends noisy with a gathering. Xu Xiangbei’s gaze quickly swept over everyone.

A thin old man caught Xu Xiangbei’s attention. He sat alone, expressionless, eating noodles at a table right beside where the bloggers had been sitting.

The old man had a head full of white hair and a face weathered with wrinkles, his eyes cloudy and dim, body hunched, seemingly no different from an ordinary elder. Yet, the way he held his chopsticks drew Xu Xiangbei’s attention.

Dirt was left under the old man’s fingernails, and the wrinkles on his hands resembled the rings of an old tree. But his fingers were slender, especially the middle and index fingers.

Xu Xiangbei smiled and approached, "How do you find the taste of the noodles, sir?"

The old man seemed a bit hard of hearing and ignored him, continuing to eat without looking up.

Seeing the man unresponsive, Xu Xiangbei plopped down across from him and took a pack of Chinese cigarettes from his pocket, handing one over.

The old man hesitated, then instinctively reached for the cigarette, his fingers showing visible traces of yellow tobacco stains.

Lifting his cloudy eyes to glance at Xu Xiangbei, the old man took out a lighter from his pocket and lit the cigarette. "Young man, is there something you need?"

Xu Xiangbei smiled, "Nothing in particular. I’m just tired of standing and looking for a place to sit."

The old man glanced around at several empty tables nearby, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing across his face. "Young man, there are so many empty seats, yet you sit here across from me. Do you like watching people eat?"

Xu Xiangbei put on a wicked grin, "I do. The way you eat reminds me of my grandfather."

The old man sneered contemptuously, "I don’t have a grandson like you. Watch if you want."

A hint of anxiety flashed in the old man’s eyes, and he clearly sped up his meal, shoving beef and seafood balls from the noodles into his mouth.

Blowing a smoke ring, Xu Xiangbei pointed to the yellowed, tattered bag on the chair next to the old man with a cheeky grin, "Old man, a girl’s wallet was just stolen. You better watch your bag."

A wisp of contempt flickered across the old man’s face, then quickly disappeared, his expression soon returning to its usual rigidity. "Thank you for the concern, but of course I will watch my own possessions. If I don’t and someone steals it, then I deserve it."

Seemingly agreeing with the old man’s words, Xu Xiangbei nodded in concurrence, "You have a point, but losing things does hurt a bit."

The old man’s cloudy eyes suddenly cleared, like a flash of lightning in a dark night, cutting to the heart. "It’s best to mind your own business, young man. Each person should sweep the snow off their own doorstep, not concern themselves with the frost on others’ roofs."

Xu Xiangbei maintained that hateful wicked grin, his action swift as lightning, reaching for the old man’s tattered bag: "Some things, I must meddle in. Sir, why not let me help keep your bag safe?"

By the time the old man reacted, Xu Xiangbei had already touched the tattered bag, feeling several block-like objects inside—much like wallets.

Xu Xiangbei was quick, but the old man was faster. As soon as Xu Xiangbei seized the bag, the old man’s bony fingers had already clamped onto his hand.

Though the fingers appeared frail, seemingly aged, the hand’s grip was strong. Xu Xiangbei felt a great force causing his fingers to numb.

The old man’s eyes carried a malicious glint, his hands quick as fleeing rabbits, still as iron bones. Whoever he grabbed, no one could escape. He remained expressionless, "I don’t need anyone else to keep my belongings. You better let go..."

The words "let go" carried weight, demanding Xu Xiangbei to release, layered with nuance.

Xu Xiangbei smiled outwardly, though secretly astonished. The old man was no ordinary person; no common man possessed such strength or speed.

Despite being held by the old man, Xu Xiangbei did not release the tattered bag, secretly channeling his inner strength. Gently twisting and turning his wrist, using the Chaos Fist’s Xuan Character Formula from the Ancient Sutra, his hand seemed oiled, shaking off the old man’s seemingly steel-like fingers, reclaiming the bag into his grasp.

Seeing Xu Xiangbei escape his control, a complex expression flitted across the old man’s eyes—suspicion, amazement, anger. He shouted loudly, "You dare!"

Seeing the old man enraged, Xu Xiangbei grinned cheekily, "I just wanted to help you keep it. If you don’t want that, I’ll just return it."

However, Xu Xiangbei didn’t honestly return the bag. Instead, he lifted the edge of the bag, tossing it upside down toward the old man. Everything inside spilled out, dropping to the floor.

Xu Xiangbei feigned an embarrassed look, "Oh dear, sorry, it all spilled out."

On the surface, he appeared remorseful, but his eyes were fixed intensely on the ground.

Several colored wallets spilled out from the tattered bag. One wallet bore a pink heart, with two names written inside—it was precisely the wallet that the foodie girl had lost.

Seeing his belongings fall to the ground, knowing he was exposed and could no longer hide, the old man’s face immediately changed, losing his previous composed demeanor.

A glint of cold flashed between his fingers, like a bolt of lightning cutting through the night, slicing toward Xu Xiangbei’s shoulder.