Chapter Twenty-Eight: You Have No Shame

Bai Lan smiled sweetly and said, "Brother Lin Chen, don't worry, I'll be careful. You really are a good person."

After that, Lin Chen ordered some braised pork, and Bai Lan left. A few minutes later, she returned with the pork and rice, placing them on his table.

"Brother Lin Chen, I've already paid for your meal," Bai Lan said with a smile. "Consider this my treat. I didn't get to thank you properly the other day."

"Then thank you."

Lin Chen hesitated for a moment, but seeing her sweet, happy smile, he didn't refuse; the meal wasn't expensive anyway. Seeing that Lin Chen didn't stand on ceremony, Bai Lan beamed even more brightly. Just then, someone in the kitchen called for her to serve more dishes, and she hurried away.

Lin Chen began to eat. After a few bites, he picked up his phone and called Leng Hanyan. Her voice, sounding somewhat pleasantly surprised, came through the line.

"Lin Chen? What made you think of calling me? Do you miss me? If you do, you can just come to the hospital to see me."

"Uh... Dr. Leng, you're overthinking it. Could you give me your bank account number? I want to transfer 800,000 to you for the same medicinal herbs as before."

Leng Hanyan was startled. "How do you suddenly have 800,000? And weren't those tonics enough? It seems your... your body is truly... anyway, you must not overdo it. Everything requires moderation, or you'll harm your health."

Lin Chen was about to reply when he noticed a woman at a distant table slap the startled Bai Lan across the face. Bai Lan began to apologize profusely. Lin Chen’s expression turned icy.

"Alright, just text me your bank account number, and I'll send the money over shortly. I have something to take care of here, so I'll hang up now."

He ended the call and walked briskly toward Bai Lan. He pulled the red-eyed, hand-printed Bai Lan behind him and glared at the heavily made-up middle-aged woman. "What is going on? Why did you hit her?"

The woman felt a chill under Lin Chen’s cold gaze, but seeing the surrounding crowd watching, she sneered, "What, you little brat trying to play the hero? This useless girl can't even hold a plate properly—what kind of waitress is she? Now my clothes are ruined! Do you have any idea what brand this is? Chanel! A country bumpkin like you probably hasn't even heard of it. It cost me 50,000. Can you afford to pay for it?"

A fat, middle-aged man walked over. He addressed the woman politely, "Hello, I am the owner of this restaurant. Please, tell me what happened!" Then, he turned to Bai Lan, frowning and questioning, "What is this? Bai Lan, are you causing trouble for me again?"

Lin Chen was speechless. The man was clearly the owner, but he was questioning his own employee before even knowing the facts. Moreover, while others might not have noticed, Lin Chen clearly saw the owner wink at the woman while speaking, his tone prodding her to continue so he could follow up.

Ignoring the owner, Lin Chen slapped the middle-aged woman across the face. With a sharp *smack*, a handprint appeared on her cheek—far more severe than the one on Bai Lan’s face.

"Ah! You bastard, how dare you hit me?" The woman clutched her face in rage, screaming, "How dare you strike me? If you can't give me a reason, I’ll fight you to the death!"

Lin Chen said coldly, "That slap was on behalf of Bai Lan. If she truly ruined your clothes, we can pay for them. But if she didn't, you will apologize to her immediately."

"Ha? Apologize? Are you insane?" the woman shrieked.

Lin Chen looked at Bai Lan, who looked pitiful with her reddened eyes. "What really happened? Did you spill the food on her?"

Bai Lan shook her head, feeling wronged. "No. When I brought the food over and was about to set it down, she stood up on purpose and bumped into me, which is why her clothes got stained. I apologized immediately, but she wouldn't listen and just hit me. Brother Lin Chen, believe me, she bumped into me."

Before Lin Chen could speak, the fat owner shouted, "Bai Lan, do you think people are stupid? Why would she bump into you? Use your brain—you’re just trying to shirk responsibility!" He looked at Lin Chen with jealousy and spite. "Is this your boyfriend? His clothes look like cheap market goods; he’s clearly a pauper. What kind of future can you have with a guy like this? I suggest you reconsider what I told you yesterday. If you agree, I can help you pay that 50,000."

Bai Lan’s face flushed with anger. "Don't even think about it! I’d rather die than agree to that. I was already planning to resign after today."

The owner’s fat cheeks quivered as he sneered, "Fine. Then pay the 50,000 yourself. Can you afford it? Can your poor boyfriend afford it? He probably doesn't even make 50,000 in a year!"

Lin Chen asked Bai Lan, "What exactly did he want you to agree to?"

Bai Lan fumed, "He wants me to be his mistress! Shameless!"

The customers in the restaurant began to look at the fat owner with disdain. He looked old enough to be the girl’s father, yet he was trying to force a young girl into being his mistress.

The owner sneered, unfazed. "Say whatever you want. Since you won't agree, then pay up. Can you afford it? If not, hmph, neither of you is leaving this place!"

"What are you implying? Is this money for you or for this woman?" Lin Chen mocked. "Even if we pay, it should go to her, not you. Why are you more aggressive about it than she is? Don't tell me she was hired by you?"

The owner’s face shifted. "Stop spouting nonsense! Are you going to pay or not?" He signaled the woman with his eyes, and Lin Chen scoffed.

The woman caught the hint and chimed in, "That's right! If you can't pay, I'm calling the police. We'll see how you fare at the station!"

She then changed her tone, feigning a compassionate attitude toward Bai Lan. "Little girl, why be so stubborn? Boss Wang might be a bit older and married, but he's a successful man. Being with him would mean a good life. Look at this guy in front of you; he has no money and no status. What future is there in suffering with him? Love is unreliable. I suggest you think it over. If you choose Boss Wang, you won't regret it."

Bai Lan replied with a stubborn, angry expression, "You are shameless. I don't need to think about it. I wouldn't follow this man even if I died. In my eyes, Brother Lin Chen is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than this hypocrite."

Lin Chen chuckled. "Are you both so certain I'm too poor to come up with 50,000?"

The fat owner scoffed mockingly, "Even if you can scrape together 50,000, that’s probably your entire net worth. You're still a pauper! 50,000 is nothing. A woman following you will only suffer; she’s far better off with me."

Bai Lan wanted to defend Lin Chen, but she was so flushed with frustration that she couldn't speak—Lin Chen’s clothes truly didn't look like those of a wealthy man.

Lin Chen simply took out his phone and held it up. On the screen was the bank SMS notification from that morning, showing a balance deposit of 1,000,000.