"What are you doing?"
Yolanda Fang, who had been playfully teasing Lynn Chen, glanced sideways and saw someone pulling out the chair beside her. Instantly, her brows shot up in annoyance as she pressed her hand down firmly on the seat and looked at Hugh Hu, clearly displeased.
"No one's sitting here. I want this seat."
Hugh Hu narrowed his eyes and smiled, then gave the chair another hard pull. This time, he yanked it out completely and sat down right next to Yolanda Fang.
"Someone's already sitting here. There are plenty of empty seats over there—why do you have to sit here?" Yolanda shot Hugh an unfriendly look, her patience clearly running thin.
Lynn Chen, sitting nearby, kept her distance and looked coldly at Hugh Hu. "Sorry, we're not used to sitting with strangers. Please find another seat."
Compared to the two girls who came with Hugh Hu, Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen were a bit prettier, but they lacked the same presence and figure.
After all, those two women were clearly seasoned and worldly.
At that moment, the two women sat across from Hugh Hu, next to Neil Kong and Sharon Chen. Hearing what Yolanda and Lynn said, the taller girl—about 1.72 meters—couldn't help but tease, "Why call him a stranger? Whether it's in Jinnan or Seacrest, it's up to Hugh to decide if you're friends or not. Sitting next to Hugh is your good luck, so you’d better appreciate it, girls."
"From Jinnan to Seacrest, there are so many girls who wish they could get close to Hugh. Now that he’s sitting next to you, he’s giving you face. Don’t get too full of yourselves, or if you tick him off, you’ll regret it."
The other girl slowly poured a cup of tea, then smiled sweetly and handed it to the boy sitting with Hugh Hu. "Here you go, Zhengping—have some tea."
The tall boy next to her, about 1.8 meters, was named Guang Zhengping. He wasn’t as brash as Hugh Hu and seemed mild-mannered, but both girls knew Guang Zhengping was the truly dangerous one.
Hugh Hu was always running around causing trouble, and most of the time it was Guang Zhengping who cleaned up the mess. Despite his age, Guang Zhengping was extremely strong—and more importantly, his family, the Guangs, were actually an affiliated clan of the Southriver Sword Sect. The Southriver Sword Sect had dominated Jinnan for years, and even their affiliated families were incredibly powerful.
"Thanks." Guang Zhengping accepted the tea, then looked at Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen, smiling gently. "No need to be scared. Hugh’s actually a pretty decent guy."
"What does it matter to us what kind of person he is? This seat isn’t for him, and this meal isn’t meant for him either." Yolanda replied coldly, refusing to back down.
Hugh Hu’s expression didn’t change. He just watched Yolanda with interest. "Why wouldn’t I be here? Isn’t this meal Uncle Kong invited me to?"
"Yes, yes, I invited him! In Jinnan, people line up around the City God Temple just to treat Hugh to a meal. You two girls should really take the chance to chat with him—he’s seen way more of the world than you have." Neil Kong quickly chimed in.
Sharon Chen also nodded with a big smile. "Hugh really lives up to his name—he’s just a bit sharp sometimes. Maybe he doesn’t always think things through, but having him sit with you is your good luck."
Hearing Neil Kong and Sharon Chen praise Hugh Hu—and knowing his dad was a major—everyone at the table started to switch sides, trying to persuade Lynn Chen and Yolanda Fang to give in.
"Auntie Chen gets me. Next time, Auntie Chen and Uncle Kong, you should come to my place and drink and play chess with my dad. He’s always saying he hasn’t had a real opponent in ages." Hugh Hu grinned.
Hugh Hu’s words made Neil Kong and Sharon Chen secretly delighted.
Joy Zheng saw things getting tense and turned to Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen. "Why don’t you swap seats with me? Sit over here."
Joy didn’t want Yolanda and Lynn to get into trouble over seats. These people were clearly privileged brats used to getting their way, and if they really started something, it would be hard to handle.
"Hey, I never told them to move. Why should they switch seats? Did I do something unforgivable, or do you just not like me?" Hugh Hu glanced at Joy Zheng, then turned his rebellious gaze back to Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen.
Haizhou didn’t even have its own military district; it was all under Jinnan’s jurisdiction. That’s why Hugh Hu could act so recklessly here—unless he went way too far, nobody would bother to stop him.
"Brother Hugh is right. Yolanda Fang, Lynn Chen, just stay where you are and keep him company—have a drink, chat a bit. What’s the point of switching seats?" Ryan Chen said coldly, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
He’d just lost face in front of Yolanda and Lynn, but now, even if his family connections were useless, he could at least show off by clinging to Hugh Hu’s status.
Besides, if Hugh Hu got mad at Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen, and Evan Lin came back later, there might be a real showdown.
So what if Evan Lin had Old Man Su’s favor?
Even if you rise to the top overnight, it still takes time. Would Old Man Su really go up against the Hu family for some kid he’s only met a few times?
Ryan Chen didn’t believe it for a second.
"Mind your own business!" Yolanda Fang shouted at Ryan Chen, making his face freeze.
Lucy Lu frowned at Hugh Hu. "This meal isn’t paid for by Neil Kong or Sharon Chen. If they invited you, they can host you at another table."
"If you want to eat, then stay and eat. If you don’t, go find somewhere else."
Lucy’s patience was running out—she really couldn’t stand Hugh Hu.
Henry Zhang, who’d been standing nearby, saw things getting out of hand and quickly stepped forward.
No matter what, Lucy Lu, Joy Zheng, Yolanda Fang, and Lynn Chen were clearly with Evan Lin. At the White Dragon Mountain Resort, Henry Zhang had to stand with them.
"How about I set up a separate table for you folks?" Henry Zhang said, smiling.
But Hugh Hu’s face had already darkened. He grinned, lips curling as he gripped his tea bowl, then turned to Henry Zhang. "What did you say? Say it again—I didn’t catch that."