Chapter 296 295: People's Hearts are Unfathomable

Guo Long got up to block Xue Xi, then turned her head and shot a fierce glare.

"Come on, Xue Xi, we're all friends. No need to stand on ceremony. It's just a meal; Brother Teng can afford it."

Xue Xi still tried to leave. "Please don't. I really don't think this is appropriate."

SLAM! The man named Sun Teng shot to his feet. "So my words mean nothing, huh? You just have to defy me?"

Xue Xi was so frightened her heart hammered in her chest. She had a gentle nature and was completely powerless against people like them.

"You've misunderstood, I was just…"

Mu Lin smiled faintly. "Brother Teng has spoken. Since we're eating here, let's just eat here. We even save a little money. Isn't that nice?"

Sun Teng looked Mu Lin up and down. "Brother, I like the way you talk! Let's get acquainted. What's your name?"

"Mu Lin," he replied.

Sun Teng chuckled. "Got it! My friend, you really know how to play the game. Are you Miss Xue's boyfriend?"

Mu Lin said, "To be honest, no. I just helped her out with something, and she insisted on treating me to a meal to thank me. A real pain, right?"

"I see," Sun Teng grinned, pleased. Mu Lin really got it; his words were perfectly smooth.

Guo Long snorted. 'He's chickened out,' she thought, her expression filling with contempt for Mu Lin.

Seeing Mu Lin say this, Tao Xinxin was furious but couldn't show it. All she could do was glare at him.

A moment later, she lowered her head helplessly, her gaze toward Xue Xi full of guilt.

Mu Lin made casual conversation, keeping the atmosphere at the table decent. He'd occasionally compliment Sun Teng on his generosity, which delighted the man.

Before long, the food arrived. Worried something bad would happen, Xue Xi had no appetite.

Sun Teng said, "Miss Xue, what are you drinking? Red wine or whiskey?"

Mu Lin raised a hand. "Xue Xi's a lightweight. It wouldn't be good if she made a scene here. Let's just skip it."

Xue Xi added, "I'm allergic, sorry!"

A warm feeling spread through her heart. 'He really is looking out for me.'

Sun Teng's expression soured. Mu Lin laughed, "Don't you worry, sir. I'll drink with you. I guarantee I'll keep you company until you've had your fill!"

Only then did Sun Teng's expression lighten a bit.

Guo Long got up to grab a drink from the counter. "Xue Xi," she said, "a soft drink should be fine, right?"

"That should be fine," Xue Xi replied.

As soon as Guo Long was out, Tao Xinxin suddenly said, "Xue Xi, I need to use the restroom. Let's go together, for old times' sake."

But just then, Guo Long returned. "I'll go too. It'll be a good chance for us old classmates to reminisce about the old days."

Tao Xinxin and Xue Xi both froze. They had no choice but to bite the bullet and go out with Guo Long.

Mu Lin glanced at the bottle of soda Guo Long had brought back, his expression still cheerful and unchanged.

They returned a few moments later.

The moment they were seated, Sun Teng called out enthusiastically, "Miss Xue, let's have a toast! You have your soft drink, I'll have liquor. I'm really letting you off easy here!"

Xue Xi pressed her lips together and picked up her glass.

Mu Lin reached out, stopping the hand that was raising the glass to her lips.

Sun Teng's eyes turned nasty. He stared at Mu Lin. "Brother Mu Lin, what's the meaning of this? Aren't you overstepping a bit? You won't even let her drink a soda?"

Mu Lin laughed. "It's nothing. I just think a drink this good should be enjoyed by Miss Guo, of course."

He then slowly placed the glass down in front of Guo Long.

"Miss Guo, please. You take the first sip. If you're fine with it, then I absolutely won't say another word."

The expressions on everyone's faces shifted. They could tell something was wrong. Mu Lin's actions clearly meant there was a problem.

Xue Xi understood at once. Something was definitely wrong, though she couldn't possibly know what it was.

Guo Long snapped, "What are you doing? Are you insane? I'm drinking whiskey. I got that soda specially for Xue Xi. Stop pushing it at me, will you?"

Mu Lin waved a hand, and a waiter came over. "Please bring another soft drink to our table, exactly the same as this one."

The waiter acknowledged the request and went to fulfill it.

Guo Long's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you implying there's something wrong with the drink I got for Xue Xi? Me, Xue Xi, and Xinxin were all classmates in high school. Would I ever harm them?"

"Of course you would," Mu Lin said. "What other explanation is there?"

At his words, Guo Long's face darkened. "Xue Xi, is this guy you brought with you for real? Is he just trying to make trouble with me on purpose?"

Sun Teng's face was thunderous. "What the hell are you playing at, kid? You're not going to give us any face at all, is that it?"

Mu Lin said slowly, "It's just a soft drink. Why so scared? If there's nothing wrong with it, the worst that can happen is you'll have to pee later. Right?"

Guo Long was about to argue further, but Mu Lin suddenly shot up. He was by her side in a flash, holding her down. With his other hand, he snatched the glass and forced it to her lips, pouring the contents into her mouth.

"You—! GACK! GACK!" Guo Long frantically grabbed a chopstick and jammed it down her throat, trying to make herself vomit the drink.

Sun Teng couldn't stay seated. He grabbed a beer bottle, smashed it against the leg of the table, and pointed the jagged end at Mu Lin. "You dare start something at my dinner party? You got a death wish? Get him! If we don't cripple him, I'll never be able to show my face again!"

The two men sitting with him charged at Mu Lin.

Without a second thought, Mu Lin flipped the entire table.

He then grabbed two chopsticks and thrust them straight at the men.

All three men stiffened as the chopsticks hit them, then fell to the ground like planks of wood.

In the end, Guo Long failed to vomit up the drink. A silver needle was embedded between her eyebrows, preventing her from feeling any nausea no matter how hard she tried to gag herself.

She stared at the wreckage all around her, then sank into a deep sleep.

Xue Xi's face was pale. "That drink… I can't believe Guo Long would actually try to harm me!"

Mu Lin said, "It wasn't anything that terrible. It would have just made you pass out, nothing fatal. But, what might have happened *after* you passed out… that's something we can't know."

'So that was their plan…' A wave of fear washed over Xue Xi, and large beads of cold sweat trickled down her face.

Xue Xi said, "It's a good thing you were here. Otherwise, I might not have escaped their clutches."

Mu Lin didn't act modest; he simply accepted her thanks.

"You knew all along there was something wrong with them?" Xue Xi exclaimed.

"Miss Tao is your good friend, isn't she? Her reaction was so strange, it was impossible not to notice. I felt something was fishy from the start. Of course, the final confirmation came when that bottle of soda was put on the table. It had clearly been tampered with. I could tell at a glance."

Xue Xi's eyes went wide. She looked it over several times but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

The waiter returned with a bottle of soda, only to find the private room in complete disarray.

Seeing the waiter, Mu Lin said, "Don't worry. I'll compensate you for all the damaged furniture. Just tally up the costs."

"Yes, sir!"

Tao Xinxin was still frozen in her seat, her mouth agape, unable to process what had just happened.

Xue Xi turned to Tao Xinxin.

"Xinxin, tell me what happened to you. How could you not tell me? Don't you see me as a sister?"

Tao Xinxin's eyes reddened. "I finished my studies abroad and decided to come back home to start my career."

"I ran into Guo Long at the airport. I was so happy to see her, and she acted happy too. Looking back now, she's just rotten to the core."

"She invited me out to eat, and partway through the meal, I just passed out. When I woke up, I found myself tied up by that man, Sun Teng."

Xue Xi's blood ran cold. "They can do that? Why didn't you run away?"

Tao Xinxin said, "They have my parents. Sun Teng is using them to blackmail me. I have to do what they say."

"I was so afraid you'd suffer the same fate, that's why I was trying so desperately to warn you."

Xue Xi was so angry she could barely breathe. She asked nervously, "How could Guo Long be so evil? Did they… violate you?"

"This evil? This is nothing!" Tao Xinxin said furiously. "They didn't dare touch me, but one of them mentioned to their higher-ups that they were going to give me to some big shot to be his mistress…"

Xue Xi was dumbfounded. "They can just do that?"

Tao Xinxin said with a look of despair, "Of course. I'm furious, but with my family in their hands, what choice do I have…?"

Tao Xinxin turned her head toward Mu Lin, studying him with intense curiosity.

'This Mu Lin is really something else,' she thought. 'Just a moment ago, I almost wrote him off as a useless coward.'