Wang Ruobing had laid eyes on Ye Xinyi the moment he'd boarded the train. A love for beauty is inherent in every human heart, and from the very first second he'd seen that stunning young woman, he'd been seized by the urge to approach her and strike up a conversation. Yet just as he'd steeled himself to walk over and greet her, he'd watched her strike up a chat with a country bumpkin dressed in the most laughably frumpy, unfashionable garb—and what was worse, the two were talking with obvious ease and delight. His blood boiled with resentment, and when he'd heard Ye Xinyi mention she was a student at the University of Economics, he'd found his perfect excuse to interject.
"What were the two of you talking about just now?" No sooner had he sat down beside Fang Yu than Wang Ruobing seized his chance to speak to Ye Xinyi, asking eagerly.
"Hehe, I was just asking this… this Fang Yu what he's coming to City A for." Though her conversation with Fang Yu had been cut short, Ye Xinyi showed no flicker of irritation. She spoke with a warm smile, her gaze drifting to Fang Yu before settling on him once more.
"Judging by his clothes, this gentleman must be a migrant worker, am I right?" Wang Ruobing remarked in a cool, dismissive tone, his eyes darting pointedly over Fang Yu. When he saw the man's utterly unflappable expression, a sneering smirk tugged at his lips. He nudged Fang Yu with his elbow, and murmured with a mocking laugh, "As it happens, I have a relative who oversees construction sites in City A. If you're interested, I can put in a good word for you. I'm sure with my recommendation, you'll earn a hundred or two more each month than the average laborer." As he spoke, he glanced at Fang Yu with a look of unmistakeable smug superiority.
"Thank you, but I'm not interested." Fang Yu replied flatly, a cold sneer building in his chest. If this fool dared to keep up his insufferable chatter, he would have no one but himself to blame when Fang Yu hurled him straight off the train.
Fang Yu was a man who cherished peace and quiet, and this fly had been buzzing incessantly in his ear. Were it not for the beautiful woman watching them from across the table, he would have sent the fool flying with a single kick long ago.
"I'm telling you, you'll never get another chance like this. I'm only saying this out of the goodness of my heart. Otherwise, you'll end up stuck hauling bricks for a pittance for the rest of your days." Seeing Fang Yu's utter disregard for him, Wang Ruobing let out a cold sneer. Never in his life had he been treated with such dismissive contempt, and from a country bumpkin from some godforsaken backwater valley, no less.
"Say one more word, and see if I don't hurl you off this train." Fang Yu's patience had finally snapped. He cared nothing for the man's petty insults, but no one could stand the endless, grating buzz of a fly in their ear.
Sure enough, at Fang Yu's words, Wang Ruobing's face turned icy with rage. How dare a penniless country hick speak to him like this? The man had the gall of a mangy cur. Yet with the beautiful woman watching from the side, he could do nothing but swallow his fury. He let out a cold sneer, saying, "I'm trying to do you a kindness by finding you work, and this is how you repay me? You're nothing but the dog that bit Lü Dongbin—blind to a well-meaning heart."
"You're here to hit on her, aren't you? You thought you could prop up your own fragile ego by putting me down." Fang Yu rubbed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head as he stared at Wang Ruobing, whose face was growing more livid by the second. "Sadly for you, you've miscalculated."
Beside them, Ye Xinyi's mouth fell wide open, her entire body frozen in stunned disbelief. Her bright, luminous eyes widened, and she could not force a single word past her lips for what felt like an eternity.
She raked her eyes over Fang Yu once more, a flicker of confusion stirring in her chest. Save for his clothes, which made him look as though he'd come from the countryside, there was nothing of the simple country boy about him. His speech, his demeanor, his unshakable calm—he was more poised and sharp-witted than men who had spent decades navigating the cutthroat world of business.
A rush of admiration for Fang Yu welled up in Ye Xinyi's chest, though it was quickly tinged with worry. After all, judging by Wang Ruobing's fine clothes and bearing, he was clearly a man of some considerable standing.
"Hmph." With his most vulnerable spot laid bare, Wang Ruobing's face had turned a thunderous shade of red. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly, no retort at the ready. This bastard had humiliated him in front of the beautiful woman, and it was unforgivable. If he ever got the chance, he would most certainly settle the score.
He did not linger a moment longer. Spinning on his heel, Wang Ruobing snatched up his luggage in a flustered panic, already making for the train doors.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Fang Yu's mouth. The old man had been right, as he always was. When someone sets out to humiliate you, never waste your breath arguing with them like a fool. Indifference is the deadliest counterattack of all.