Chapter 34: Eating Hotpot Alone

This series of precise strikes, critical hits with every sentence poking right at the lungs, directly left the few people dumbfounded and their faces flushed red.

The CPUs of their barren brains ran at high speed but nearly burned out. They simply couldn't organize any effective counterattack, and could only stare blankly with their mouths open, looking exactly like a few fish thrown onto the shore.

Someone tried to forcibly save face, shouting while fierce in appearance but faint in heart, his voice even cracking a bit:

"How... how are you speaking? That's... that's too insulting!"

"How?"

Not only did Song Jiaru not retreat, she instead forced another step forward.

Her 172cm model height was taller than most Bashu men. At this moment, she condescendingly looked down at these few little hooligans who were a head shorter than her.

Her slender figure stood straight, her eyes revealing a ruthless determination of "if you're not convinced, let's practice."

"This is called insulting? I just made a brief, not-too-optimistic evaluation of your overall image based on objective facts. What, can't handle the truth?"

She paused, her gaze seemingly unintentionally sweeping over the lower halves of the other party's bodies. Her tone was as relaxed as if discussing what to eat for dinner,

"Want to get physical? Sure. It just so happens I haven't stretched my muscles and bones in a long time, and my hands are itching very much. But a friendly reminder, I've practiced women's self-defense, specializing in attacking the lower three routes."

"I guarantee that with one precise kick, I can make you profoundly understand what is meant by 'the sorrow of ball-ache.' How about it, want to personally experience it?"

These few young men were inherently typical bullies who picked on the weak and feared the strong. They usually only dared to be unbridled relying on their numbers and the fact that the other party was mostly alone and timid girls.

Now, seeing this girl instantly transform from a docile little white rabbit into a Sichuan-Chongqing T-Rex, not only crushing them in height, but with eyes as cold as looking at non-recyclable garbage, they instantly became cowardly by three parts in their hearts.

Looking around again, the scene was already surrounded by tourists watching the excitement, pointing and discussing spiritedly, and some people were even laughing out loud unceremoniously.

They felt even more ashamed with nowhere to hide, wishing they could dig a hole in the ground and crawl in on the spot.

The few people exchanged glances, their confidence having long leaked dry. Finally, they could only bluff and lay down a few harsh words:

"Consider yourself lucky!"

"Motherfucker, psycho! Unreasonable!"

"A good man doesn't fight with a woman! Let's go!"

"Such a fierce shrew will definitely not be able to get married in the future!"

Just as that last sour curse came out of his mouth, Song Jiaru immediately sneered:

"Then I won't trouble you gentlemen to worry about it. My future boyfriend must at least be a human, rather than creatures like you who don't even understand basic politeness. After all, there is a difference between humans and livestock."

These few people suddenly acted like wild dogs scalded by boiling water. Ashamed and crestfallen, they shoved each other, half-rolling and half-crawling as they squeezed through the crowd and fled in panic.

Their extremely wretched backs drew roars of laughter from the spectating crowd, and someone even shouted at their backs:

"Run faster! Don't delay the little girl from watching the pandas!"

The consciousness synchronization was deactivated, and control returned.

Song Jiaru felt her body sway slightly, regaining control of herself.

Her heart was still beating wildly, but the fear that almost drowned her before had been replaced by a massive amazement, unprecedented excitement, and a refreshing feeling of elation!

Not only did the surrounding crowd not disperse, several tourists actually gave her a thumbs up, with approving smiles on their faces, speaking up one after another:

"Little girl, well said! To deal with this kind of shameless harassment, you can't give them a good look! That scolding was too brilliant!"

"Venting anger! Even watching it made me feel refreshed! You should just retort back like this! Let them know how formidable you are!"

"Niuniu, look closely. If you encounter bad guys in the future, you have to learn from this older sister, being both brave and smart, using wisdom and momentum to protect yourself!"

A mother with a little girl even directly taught on the spot, using Song Jiaru as positive teaching material.

For the first time, Song Jiaru felt this sensation of being supported and praised by strangers! This drippingly joyful, refreshing feeling brought by relying on herself (although controlled by Big Brother) to "defeat" evil forces made her dizzy, yet extremely excited!

"Big Brother! Big Brother! You are too amazing! Too handsome!"

She was so excited her little face turned red, cheering and jumping for joy in her heart without any image,

"Did you see their expressions just now? Like they swallowed ten flies alive at the same time and choked! Hahaha! Scolding them was really satisfying! I... I seem to kind of like this feeling!"

Xu Yunzhou's voice, carrying obvious smiles, sounded in her mind:

"Just basic operations. Remember that feeling just now. From now on, if anyone dares to provoke you for no reason, find the pain point and retort back just like this! Words are your first line of defense, understand?"

"Mhm mhm! Understood!"

Song Jiaru nodded forcefully, feeling as if a strong light had been injected into a certain corner of her heart that had long been locked away by cowardice and fear.

For the first time, she felt that this external world, which once made her afraid and only want to flee, seemed... not that bad either. Even occasionally, it could have some unexpected... fun?

Xu Yunzhou trained Song Jiaru just like this, stretching her comfort zone open little by little.

At noon, he arranged a challenge for her that could be considered near the top of the "Loneliness Level Chart" in Chengzhou—eating hotpot alone.

"Big Brother, eating hotpot alone... it's so weird, it will attract a lot of gazes."

Standing at the door of that extraordinarily bustling hotpot restaurant, looking at the flocks of diners inside laughing and chatting cheerfully, Song Jiaru's footsteps were as heavy as lead.

That abrupt feeling of being a solitary figure made her uncomfortable all over.

"If it didn't attract gazes, I wouldn't let you come."

Xu Yunzhou's tone was flat without ripples,

"It is exactly under this kind of 'watchful eyes of the masses' that I want you to learn to calmly, even enjoyably, do your own thing, treating other people's gazes as air. Go in, order a nine-grid red pot, and eat it from beginning to end for me, not missing a single item to boil."

Everything Big Brother says is right!

Song Jiaru cheered herself up in her heart. Biting her lip, she braced herself and pushed open that heavy glass door.

"One person coming in—"

The waiter dragged out his tone and shouted. The loud voice caused several tables of guests nearby to subconsciously look up at this pretty girl coming alone.

She was led to a small table against the wall, and the waiter handed her a menu stained with oil.

Surrounded by the enthusiastic sounds of finger-guessing games, unrestrained laughter, the boiling and tumbling "blub blub" sounds of the nine-grid pot bases, and various spicy aromas mixed with the hubbub of voices.

She forced herself to calm down, ignored those gazes, focused on looking at the menu, and ordered using a voice as clear as possible.

A single person, in this hotpot restaurant that belonged to reunion and revelry, stubbornly and silently fought a whole pot of red oil for a full hour.

After paying the bill and walking out the door, breathing in the relatively fresh air again, she felt like she had just completed a one-person war.

A surge of unprecedented, almost tragic and heroic sense of achievement welled up in her heart.

"Big Brother! I was alone! And I finished the whole hotpot! I did it!!"

She cheered in her heart, like a little beast that had just independently completed a hunt, so excited she wished she could run three laps around the hotpot restaurant.

"Mhm, my Jiaru is the best,"

Xu Yunzhou's voice carried a trace of lazy teasing,

"Actually being able to eat hotpot alone, truly an amazing achievement."

Song Jiaru fell silent for a moment, keenly perceiving something wasn't right:

"Big Brother, you are mocking me, right!"

"Not bad,"

Xu Yunzhou chuckled lightly,

"It seems that while treating social anxiety, your IQ has also increased along with it, even able to hear the overtones."

"You!"

Song Jiaru stamped her foot in anger, but couldn't help laughing too.

"In the afternoon, I'll take you to an even more bustling place to broaden your horizons."

Xu Yunzhou changed the subject,

"Right, halfway through, remember to go to Decathlon."

"Decathlon? What for?"

Song Jiaru blinked, her face blank.

"Buy a pair of nunchucks, or a telescopic baton, see which one feels handier for you."

Xu Yunzhou's tone was as flat as if talking about buying a lollipop.

"Nunchucks?"

Song Jiaru's eyes widened roundly,

"W-why? I don't know how to play with them!"

"Be prepared for contingencies,"

Xu Yunzhou's voice carried a trace of mysterious confidence,

"Physical deterrence is sometimes more direct than words. Remember, your Big Brother here is a proper kung fu master. Teaching you a few self-defense moves is more than enough."

He wasn't entirely bragging.

In the System Mall, a [Beginner Kung Fu Master Experience Card] was indeed listed with a clear price tag.

Although one use would consume a thousand Mall Coins, so expensive it made one's flesh hurt, borrowing a weapon to deal with ten or eight adult men simultaneously shouldn't be a problem.

Although in a society ruled by law, especially in a large city with good public security like Chengzhou, the probability of encountering a situation requiring martial force to resolve was comparable to winning the lottery.

However, having Song Jiaru carry a somewhat "deterrent" tool on her could not only be used for self-defense at crucial moments, but more importantly, it could construct a solid psychological defense line of security for her.

After all, sometimes this thing called confidence doesn't just come from the heart, but also from that stick tucked in the waist that can smash walnuts.