Chapter 38: Deception

“What are you so happy about?”

Wang Yan, dressed sharply and looking smug, suddenly appeared from nowhere.

He had also been invited to Xiao Yun’s birthday this time.

It could be said that the small circle from Qinshan Library was now fully gathered.

“Someone’s jealous.”

Qin Shiyu, a cute girl with dimples when she smiled, explained casually.

“Who’s jealous?”

Wang Yan looked around curiously, trying to guess who was jealous.

“Alright, stop joking around. You really took it seriously?”

Seeing Xiao Lei’s unhappy face, Zhou Ming quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

After that, everyone stopped talking about the topic.

After all, Xiao Lei’s status was different now, and they had to take care not to embarrass him.

Even Xiao Yun teased Zhou Ming about how his outfit didn’t match his personality, though as an older sister, she still felt sorry for her little brother.

“Isn’t it just so I don’t embarrass you? If it weren’t for all these people, I’d be fine wearing a tank top.”

That sentence immediately made everyone laugh.

They started chatting idly and soon melted into the cheerful atmosphere.

Not far away, a few well-dressed young elites were watching Zhou Ming’s group.

“So those are Xiao Yun’s friends?”

A young man with a deep, composed demeanor holding a glass of red wine glanced over and began chatting with his companions.

“Seems like they all met at the library. Those two guys — one’s an orphan, and the other’s family runs a small construction business in the outer city. I heard both recently became Beast Tamers.”

A young man with rimless glasses replied simply.

“Such good luck.”

Another young man, whose eyes gleamed sharply, spoke — though it was unclear whether he meant that Zhou Ming and Wang Yan were lucky to become Beast Tamers with ordinary talent, or lucky to have known Xiao Yun before the Xiao family’s rise.

“What, are you planning to cause them trouble? I think that good-looking guy seems quite close to Xiao Yun.”

The one holding the wine glass spoke with a smirk.

“Brother Zheng, don’t mess with me. You afraid I’ll get in the way of your chase for Xiao Yun?”

After saying that, he looked himself over and added,

“I really am better looking than you.”

“Hahaha.”

The group, all from the same social circle, burst into laughter.

As for the earlier talk about giving Zhou Ming trouble, none of them took it seriously.

They were indeed pursuing Xiao Yun for strategic reasons, but they weren’t foolish enough to use dirty tricks.

The reason was simple — they wanted to win Xiao Yun’s heart, then pull Xiao Lei onto their family’s side.

Picking trouble with Zhou Ming would only push Xiao Yun away.

Not only would it gain them nothing, it would create a grudge.

Now that the Xiao family had a Transcendent Master–rank Beast Tamer as their backing, none of them dared act rashly.

Everyone knew that a Transcendent Master–rank Beast Tamer had enough power to single-handedly attack a mid-sized base, or leave at will if they wished — they could even fly freely by relying solely on their own ability.

However, not everyone had that level of sense.

Some nouveau riche heirs and spoiled young masters from great families quietly noted Zhou Ming’s name — the one most closely connected to Xiao Yun.

But even they weren’t completely brainless.

In this kind of setting, they could only endure it for now — at least they wouldn’t make a scene in front of Xiao Yun.

When Xiao Yun’s parents approached Zhou Ming and his group, they gave a brief explanation before taking Xiao Yun away.

The banquet officially began.

Xiao Yun’s birthday celebration and Xiao Lei’s farewell banquet had merged into a social stage for the upper class.

Feeling out of place in this atmosphere, Zhou Ming found a chance to say goodbye to Xiao Yun near the end of the event.

Xiao Yun wasn’t upset about his leaving; instead, she felt apologetic that the banquet had turned out this way.

However, she also said that receiving Zhou Ming’s gift already made her very happy — she even raised her hand to show off the jade bracelet he had given her.

When Zhou Ming left, Wang Yan chose to stay behind.

After all, mingling with these people might help his father’s business in the future — being a familiar face always made dealings smoother.

Leaving the Tenghua Restaurant, Zhou Ming looked at the now-empty street and realized there were no taxis left.

Fortunately, he was still in the inner city, and walking home wouldn’t take too long.

The cool night breeze also helped clear his head.

The atmosphere of that banquet had made him feel completely uncomfortable — far too full of pretension and social games.

“Stop right there.”

As he entered a dimly lit street, a commanding voice suddenly came from behind him.

So they came after all.

He had just praised how well-educated the upper class was, and now they immediately slapped his words in the face.

Hearing the messy footsteps, Zhou Ming felt a headache coming on.

This kind of trouble wasn’t something he could easily erase.

He turned around and saw more than ten men who looked like thugs surrounding him, followed by a luxurious car pulling up.

The car door opened, and a young man with a cigarette dangling from his lips and arrogance on his face stepped out.

“Young Master Tong.”

A chorus of flattery greeted the newcomer.

“Mm.”

The man known as Young Master Tong responded briefly and walked up to Zhou Ming.

“So you’re Zhou Ming? Walking home, are you?”

He looked Zhou Ming up and down with a mocking expression.

“I am. And who are you supposed to be?”

Zhou Ming’s tone carried a hint of defiance, as if deliberately trying to provoke him.

“This is the son of Deputy Director Tong from the Security Bureau. Watch your mouth.”

One of his lackeys quickly reported Young Master Tong’s identity while throwing in a flattering remark.

“Since you know who I am, from now on, you’re not allowed to see Xiao Yun again. Otherwise, the sewer will be your final resting place.”

The spoiled young master stated his purpose directly.

When Zhou Ming heard that last line, a flicker of coldness flashed in his eyes.

“What, not convinced? Getting mugged at night is perfectly normal, you know.”

It seemed they hadn’t done much research on Zhou Ming before coming. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have used such a lame excuse — a “robbery” could only threaten ordinary people.

“Beep, beep, beep.”

“What are you doing?”

Seeing Zhou Ming pull out his phone and press a few buttons, the young master immediately shouted.

“Calling Xiao Yun — to tell her what kind of person you really are, so she stays far away from you.”

Zhou Ming continued pressing his phone calmly.

“Wait! You’re a man, aren’t you? You need a woman to help you?”

The sudden reaction clearly caught him off guard, and he quickly tried to stop Zhou Ming.

“Nonsense. She treats me like a brother, I treat her like a sister. Her little brother gets bullied — if I don’t call her, who else should I call?”

“You’re not a couple?”

“You’ve been used,” Zhou Ming replied vaguely.

“With your IQ, you’ve definitely been manipulated. No one else showed up — only you came. If that’s not being used, I’d be surprised.”

“Heh, there’s a saying that fits perfectly — friends are meant to be sold out.”

“Using you to test things out and remove a rival at the same time... the person who sent you really is clever.”

The more Zhou Ming spoke, the more sense he made — even complimenting the person behind the scheme.

But Young Master Tong’s expression grew darker by the second, realizing he might have just been used as someone’s pawn.

“Let’s go.”

He barked angrily.

Having suddenly thought of something, he decided to leave at once, not even bothering to salvage his image in front of Xiao Yun’s younger brother.

He turned and left with his men in tow.