Chapter 84: A Hero Saves the Damsel?

It was Xu Mo who stepped forward to uphold justice.

He hadn't gone far just now, merely wandered over to a distant window to gaze at the street below. Upon hearing Ning Yaxin’s voice, Xu Mo immediately returned.

“Young Master Xu,” Ning Yaxin said, moved as Xu Mo spoke up for her.

Zhang Zhishen, realizing his behavior had been excessive, quickly released Ning Yaxin. The next moment, she darted behind Xu Mo, silently rubbing her wrist, her brow deeply furrowed. Never in her life had Ning Yaxin suffered such humiliation in front of others. Until just now, her impression of Zhang Zhishen had been fairly good; now it plummeted to the lowest depths.

“Are you alright?” Xu Mo turned and asked softly.

Her wrist was already red, but Ning Yaxin shook her head and replied, “I'm fine.”

Now filled with regret, Zhang Zhishen hurried to apologize, “I'm sorry, Yaxin. I... I got too emotional just now and lost control. Did I hurt you? Are you alright?”

As he spoke, Zhang Zhishen moved towards her. Ning Yaxin, afraid to let him near, quickly stepped back, hiding herself entirely behind Xu Mo.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer!”

“I’m warning you—stay where you are!” Xu Mo immediately raised his hand, loudly ordering Zhang Zhishen to halt.

Qin Mutou, who stood by Xu Mo’s side, also stepped forward, ready to act if Zhang Zhishen dared advance another inch.

“Miss Ning, I’m so sorry, truly, I didn’t mean it. Please accept my apology!” Zhang Zhishen pleaded, his face filled with remorse.

Still hidden behind Xu Mo, Ning Yaxin whispered, “Young Master Xu, let’s just leave. I don’t want to see him right now.”

Xu Mo was having none of it and immediately raised his voice, “Why should we be the ones to leave? If anyone should go, it’s him!”

He turned to Zhang Zhishen and said loudly, “Young Master Zhang, Miss Ning is deeply upset and doesn’t want to see your face. If you have any sense of decency, you’d best disappear at once!”

“Who do you think you are? This is between me and Yaxin—who gave you the right to butt in?” Zhang Zhishen’s brows arched high, his gaze full of hostility.

From the moment Ning Yaxin hid behind Xu Mo, Zhang Zhishen’s dislike for him had flared. Now, with Xu Mo speaking to him so rudely, his anger only grew.

Xu Mo made a “halt” gesture, frowning. “Enough! Stop calling her Yaxin as if you’re so familiar. Does she even know you that well?” He turned his head and asked, “Isn’t that right, Miss Ning?”

With Xu Mo standing up for her, Ning Yaxin’s confidence soared. She nodded at once, “Young Master Zhang, please don’t address me like that. We’re merely business acquaintances.”

To emphasize the casual nature of their relationship, she deliberately included the words “business acquaintances.”

“Yaxin!”

Hearing this from her, Zhang Zhishen felt as if a knife had twisted in his heart.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Didn’t she just tell you not to call her that? Can’t you understand plain speech?” Xu Mo said impatiently.

Suddenly, Zhang Zhishen flew into a rage, glaring fiercely at Xu Mo. “Xu, don’t push your luck!”

The malice in Zhang Zhishen’s eyes was unmistakable, his earlier handsome composure utterly gone.

Xu Mo, seeing Zhang Zhishen still acting tough, became incensed. Rolling up his sleeves, he declared, “Oh, I have a temper, too! Say that again if you dare!”

Zhang Zhishen was a full head taller than Xu Mo, but Xu Mo showed not a hint of fear, ready for a fight.

“Young Master Xu, don’t be reckless. He... he’s practiced martial arts since childhood,” Ning Yaxin whispered, worried that Xu Mo would get hurt.

Jealousy burned in Zhang Zhishen’s eyes as he pointed at Xu Mo. “Yaxin, tell me the truth—are you refusing my proposal because of him?”

Ning Yaxin was completely caught off guard by his words and snapped, “Zhang Zhishen, what nonsense are you spouting?”

Xu Mo quickly interjected, “Miss Ning, don’t be angry. Don’t let him get to you—just pretend he’s talking rubbish!”

Zhang Zhishen shouted, “Xu, who are you calling rubbish?”

Xu Mo raised an eyebrow and glared right back, “You, who else?”

Just as the tension reached its peak, two of the Zhang family’s servants rushed over.

“Please, young master, calm yourself! Don’t be impulsive!” the older servant urged.

“Yes, young master, please be calm!” the other pleaded, positioning himself between Xu Mo and Zhang Zhishen, terrified the two would come to blows.

With the servants’ persistent persuasion, Zhang Zhishen finally agreed to leave for now. Before going, he bowed deeply to Ning Yaxin. “Yaxin, I was wrong today. I’ll come and apologize properly later.”

“Save it—just go already!” Xu Mo waved him off impatiently.

Ning Yaxin stayed silent, her head bowed, still hiding behind Xu Mo, not sparing Zhang Zhishen a single glance.

At last, dragged away by the two servants, Zhang Zhishen left, utterly dejected.

Only when he vanished at the stairwell did Ning Yaxin truly relax, pressing a hand to her chest and letting out a deep breath.

Seeing the crowd still gawking, Xu Mo quickly began ushering everyone away: “There’s nothing to see here, folks. Please, have some tea, let’s all just go back to our business...”

With a few words, the onlookers gradually dispersed, and the teahouse soon regained its usual tranquility.

Now that the crowd was gone, Ning Yaxin felt much more at ease.

“Young Master Xu, thank you so much for what you did. If you hadn’t been here, I wouldn’t have known what to do,” Ning Yaxin said, her gratitude sincere.

Xu Mo waved his hand dismissively, then led Ning Yaxin back to the table. Pouring her a fresh cup of tea, he said, “Here, Miss Ning, have some tea to steady your nerves.”

She nodded, picked up the cup, and sipped slowly.

Xu Mo then turned and called, “Mutou, keep watch by the stairwell. If that fellow dares show his face here again, I want you to kick him right back down!”

“Yes, sir!” Qin Mutou responded.

Ning Yaxin hurriedly interjected, “Brother Qin, don’t listen to your master. Just stop him from coming up—don’t actually use force.”

Qin Mutou looked to Xu Mo for instruction. Xu Mo nodded, signaling him to do as Ning Yaxin asked.

After Qin Mutou left, Xu Mo suddenly joked, “Miss Ning, would you say that just now I played the hero saving the damsel?”

“What... what did you say?” Ning Yaxin was stunned, her cheeks and neck flushing with warmth. She didn’t know why, but an unfamiliar feeling stirred in her heart.

Xu Mo waved off the moment with a laugh, then added, “Miss Ning, I’m glad you didn’t accept that Zhang guy’s proposal. I tell you, he may seem refined and gentlemanly on the surface, but deep down he’s a classic domestic abuser. Anyone who marries him—tsk, tsk—their days would be miserable!”

“Domestic abuser?” The term was new to Ning Yaxin, but she understood its meaning.

Xu Mo nodded, “Exactly. I can spot one a mile away.”

Curious, Ning Yaxin asked, “Young Master Xu, how can you be so sure?”

Xu Mo replied, “There are certain signs—paranoia, suspicion, which you saw just now when he suspected us of something; duplicity, rapid mood swings, a controlling nature, a tendency toward violence... Think back, didn’t he display all these traits?”

Ning Yaxin thought for a moment, then realized, “He really did, come to think of it...”

Xu Mo slapped his thigh, “Exactly! I knew it, that fellow’s a domestic abuser if ever I saw one!”

Just then, Ling’er came up from the stairs.

“Miss, when I returned just now, I saw Young Master Zhang. He didn’t look happy at all—he didn’t even respond when I greeted him,” Ling’er said, still unaware of what had happened.

Ning Yaxin merely glanced at Ling’er and said nothing.

Xu Mo grinned and explained, “Miss Ling’er, Young Master Zhang just suffered quite a loss here. Be glad he didn’t take it out on you—you can’t expect him to greet you right now.”

Ling’er looked completely bewildered, her face full of questions as she glanced back and forth between the two.