Chapter 1119: Wise

Wang Yan strolled over and asked, "What's wrong? And this is..."

"Brother Yan..."

"Hello there, brother." Without waiting for He Minhong to say anything more, Qi Mu interrupted her and looked at Wang Yan with a smile, "I'm Qi Mu, an old friend of Zhu Zhe's. I got to know little He through Zhu Zhe. Since you know little He and are walking this way, I assume everyone is a neighbor, so you must know Zhu Zhe as well."

Wang Yan smiled and nodded, looking at He Minhong, who had taken small steps to hide behind him. "What's the situation?"

He Minhong looked up, just about to speak, when she heard Qi Mu say, "It's like this, brother. Last time I dropped Zhu Zhe off, I ran into Xiao He, but we didn't get a chance to exchange contact info. I happened to be in the area for business today and ran into her again, so I wanted to add her on WeChat. We can stay in touch and look out for each other in the future."

"Isn't that how friends are made? Besides, we're all from out of town; it's not easy being away from home. Having more friends means more options. We can chat or sit down for a drink sometimes to keep each other company and be less lonely, don't you think? Xiao He might have some misunderstanding about me, but we've only met once. I consider myself a decent person, so I really don't know why."

Wang Yan continued to smile and nod. He looked at He Minhong, who was staring with wide eyes, lips trembling, not knowing what to say, and asked, "You don't want to add him?"

He Minhong was shocked—shocked by how Qi Mu was downplaying the situation. He had clearly been blocking her from leaving just a moment ago, but his words didn't reflect that at all; he made it sound like he was truly a good person.

With her mind cleared, she regained her ability to discern. No matter how slow or overwhelmed she was, she could react and sense that something was wrong. Besides, she had the previous warnings from Zhu Zhe and Yu Chuhui, which had already been verified.

Deep down, she had already cursed Qi Mu to high heaven, but in the end, not a single word came out. Facing Wang Yan's question, she nodded, let out an "mm," and took another step back.

Qi Mu, however, grew angry. He pointed a finger at He Minhong and frowned, saying, "Xiao He, I haven't offended you, have I? Why are you..."

Wang Yan patted his arm with a chuckle. "Don't be so impatient. If she doesn't want to, she doesn't want to. Why force it?"

Qi Mu was genuinely angry, an inexplicable anger born from an inexplicable situation. It was just baffling; in the past, while he wouldn't say he was successful in everything, he had never failed to even add someone on WeChat. He wasn't ugly, his job was decent, his income was good, and the social savvy he'd honed through years of struggle meant he shouldn't be disliked the moment he met someone. Adding a WeChat was a very normal thing.

Because of this, he didn't understand why the seemingly dim-witted He Minhong would reject him, which made him impatient, and impatience brought anger.

On top of that, He Minhong hiding behind this man as if she'd seen a ghost, and the man's chuckling demeanor as he protected her, made him feel very unhappy, annoyed, and uncomfortable.

Waving away Wang Yan's hand, Qi Mu furrowed his brows and pointed at He Minhong, who was glaring at him with wide eyes. "I just don't understand. I haven't offended her, have I? Why is she so..."

Wang Yan continued to pat his arm. "Look at you, getting impatient again. If she doesn't add you, she doesn't. You can't force people to add you, can you? We aren't banknotes; we can't make everyone like us the moment they see us. You have to allow others to dislike you, right?"

Once these words were out, Qi Mu became even angrier. He used more force than before to brush Wang Yan's hand away.

With an unpleasant expression, he said, "What's it to you? Why are you playing the good guy here?"

Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh...

This Qi Mu was an interesting character. When he didn't know Ye Zhenzhen's family was wealthy, he chased after her frantically. When he didn't know Lucy practiced mixed martial arts, he wanted to take off his coat and spar with her. And during the New Year, he even blocked the door of 2202 to threaten Zhu Zhe while there were few people around.

But once he knew Ye Zhenzhen's family was wealthy, he became extremely polite. Once he knew Lucy practiced martial arts, he decided that a gentleman shouldn't fight with a woman. Once he knew Zhu Zhe had no backing, he dared to continue causing trouble, threatening her over the phone and complaining about her at the hotel through his work connections.

Furthermore, there was his attitude toward He Minhong. Before he had her under his thumb, he was the world's best man; he even avoided her parents, and when he couldn't avoid them, he spoke politely. Once he had her under his thumb, he was a different person—his temper flared, and he was no longer polite to her parents. He had the whole family of three under his control.

A textbook case of bullying the weak and fearing the strong...

However, there's nothing wrong with that. Knowing you can't afford to offend someone and can't beat them, yet still looking for trouble—that's not a wise move. It's just that PUA-ing He Minhong and tormenting her family is what's not right.

Wang Yan also knew that game. He was a professional at brainwashing—a master-level psychologist, sociologist, and behaviorist... he could brainwash and hypnotize with the best of them. He could charm fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law, keep multiple women in harmony, and manipulate thugs into risking their lives on the streets. But he truly didn't engage in the kind of despicable acts Qi Mu did...

Qi Mu sized up Wang Yan. He was in casual wear, no brand visible, just decent and fitting. He wasn't short, but in loose clothes, he didn't look particularly strong. He carried a camera—Qi Mu didn't know much about that—and wore a watch that Qi Mu couldn't identify from a few quick glances.

He assumed Wang Yan was just an average person, a photography enthusiast. A carefree local with a bit of pocket money. But he didn't think Wang Yan was anything special, because if he were truly powerful, there would be no reason for him to live here at Joyous Song.

The housing prices at Ode to Joy aren't low, but it's not exactly a high-end residential complex either. This can be seen from the fact that people like Dai Wei and Li Qihang can walk straight up to the front door without any trouble.

So seeing Wang Yan shake his head with a laugh made him very unhappy, and he felt he could express and vent that unhappiness.

He stared fiercely at Wang Yan, raised his voice, and gritted his teeth. "Am I wrong? Does it have anything to do with you? Why are you being such a busybody?"

Watching Qi Mu, who seemed to be losing his mind, He Minhong, who had been puffing her cheeks and glaring, silently took two steps back. She took out her phone from her pocket, unlocked it, opened the camera, and started recording—a smooth, practiced set of movements...

Qi Mu pointed at He Minhong again, his earlier elegance completely gone. "What are you filming? What's there to film?"

Wang Yan pressed his arm down and laughed. "You have such a temper. We were talking perfectly fine, and you just got impatient. What, do you want to spar?"

"Let's spar then! You think I'm afraid of you?" Qi Mu pushed Wang Yan with both hands, and the latter stumbled back a step.

Because it was autumn, Qi Mu was wearing a coat. With a sense of ritual, he began to take it off. Then, bouncing on his feet in a boxing stance, he threw two punches into the air.

"Come on! Let's go!"

"If I really start, don't regret it."

"Damn, stop with the nonsense." Qi Mu's fists were itching. As he spoke, he lunged forward with a jab straight at Wang Yan's face.

Of course, the "jab" was what Qi Mu thought it was. In reality, it was just a loose, powerless little step. He didn't push off his heels; he just used his upper body twist to drive his shoulder. His fist wasn't tight, and the trajectory was floaty and uncontrolled. It was just a plain, ordinary punch.

Wang Yan didn't dodge or move. Just as Qi Mu's face twisted in anger, yet showed a hint of a smile at the thought of his punch landing, two sharp *slaps* were heard. Qi Mu stopped and clutched his face.

As he felt the burning sensation on his face and glared at Wang Yan, wanting to continue, Wang Yan delivered a kick to his chest, sending Qi Mu stumbling back until he fell to the ground, sliding a bit, and then lay there clutching his stomach and rolling around.

Two slaps and a kick—Wang Yan was fair and impartial, treating everyone who looked for a beating equally. Of course, Li Qixing was an exception; that was at a boxing gym, the place was right, the excuse was right, and Li Qixing still wouldn't submit, so ending up in the hospital for half a month was unavoidable. As for Dai Wei and this Qi Mu, it was quite fair.

Truth be told, this Qi Mu was undoubtedly disgusting, but Wang Yan had indeed given him a chance rather than beating him up immediately. If he had been polite enough, this wouldn't have happened today, but clearly, this guy had no manners and no martial virtue.

Although it was Wang Mou who first suggested sparring, intensifying the conflict, it was clear that even if he hadn't, Qi Mu was already itching for it...

Wang Yan looked at Qi Mu, who was curled up in pain, and asked with a smile, "Do you submit?"

Qi Mu winced in pain, but still refused to give in. "I'm calling the police! I'm going to sue you."

"There's surveillance here. You harassed a young girl, I stepped in to stop you, you attacked me, and I acted in self-defense. If we call the police, it might be considered mutual fighting. Either way, I definitely won't settle. We can both spend three or five days inside; it's no big deal. Don't misunderstand, I'm just reminding you. But honestly, you have no class. We were supposed to be fighting, and you can't even take it. Right, Xiao He?"

He Minhong nodded repeatedly. "Right, he's not even as tough as that Li Qixing."

She continued filming with her phone...

"I'm telling you, you're violating my privacy..." Qi Mu glared viciously at He Minhong.

"Look, your true colors are showing, aren't they? Anyway, I've said my piece. Call the police, sue me, do whatever you want. I live at Joyous Song. If you call the police, you'll find out who I am and what I do. Don't worry about not knowing who to sue. Don't hang around here next time, and don't bother Zhu Zhe again, or you'll suffer. That's all I have to say. You handle it yourself; I'll take whatever comes. Let's go, Xiao He."

"Ah? Oh..." He Minhong stopped recording and chased after Wang Yan's footsteps as they left.

Qi Mu, consumed by shame and anger, watched their retreating backs, listening to the faint words from He Minhong: "This Qi Mu really isn't as tough as Li Qixing," and "I've sent the video to the group chat so Zhenzhen and Sister Zhu can see Brother Yan's heroic posture as he returns to the scene," and other heart-piercing remarks.

Seeing that people around had already started filming, he endured the pain, silently picked up his coat, and left in desolation...

In 2203, except for Lucy, the other four women were all there.

"You really have a bit of a violent streak." Ye Zhenzhen had already watched it countless times, yet she still made this remark to Wang Yan.

"Strike when it's time to strike. Brother Yan, well done." Yu Chuhui was very supportive. She said, "Sister Zhu and I had already felt that this Qi Mu was wrong. I didn't expect him to be so devious, waiting specifically to devour this little white rabbit."

"Thank you, thank you Sister Zhu..." He Minhong sighed. "I was too embarrassed to reject Qi Mu when he spoke. Luckily, you and Sister Zhu warned me, and luckily Brother Yan happened to come back. Otherwise, I definitely would have added him on WeChat. Once added, I would have been too embarrassed to delete him, and if he sent messages, I would have been too embarrassed not to reply. Oh my..."

Ye Zhenzhen laughed. "That's just because you didn't know his true colors. Honghong, now that you know, if it happened again, would you reject him firmly?"

"I'm super cowardly. This Qi Mu seems to really have a violent streak. If Brother Yan hadn't been there, once he started scaring me, I would have lost my composure."

"Call for help, or add him first and delete him later—it's all the same. In broad daylight, in public, what could he possibly do? But it's good that you know you're cowardly; at least you have self-awareness. Like I told you, just overcome it slowly in the future. Of course, if someone has a knife or is going to beat you, then running away is definitely the priority. Mostly, you just need to use your brain, think about the environment, and keep your cool."

Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh.

Qi Mu's personality definitely carried some aggression; otherwise, he wouldn't have been constantly getting into physical altercations with women in the show. But this time was different; he was genuinely angered by He Minhong and Wang Yan.

He had a good plan and thought he had it in the bag—if he was lucky, he could trick her into marriage to take care of his mother; if he was average, he could have some fun; if he was unlucky, he wouldn't lose much. But he hadn't expected that from the start, He Minhong's rejection would be written all over her face. It was baffling. Then Wang Yan appeared, acting all high and mighty. With such unhappiness piled on top of unhappiness, it was only natural he'd be provoked.

At this moment, Zhu Zhe said with a smile from the side, "Actually, after Qi Mu was beaten today, he called me."

As soon as she said this, everyone's eyes turned to her.

Ye Zhenzhen asked suspiciously, "He didn't dare to threaten you again, did he?"

"How could he?"

Zhu Zhe shook her head, took a sip of the milk tea He Minhong had treated them to, and said, "He was just asking about Wang Yan's background to see if he was someone he could afford to offend. I told him the truth about Wang Yan's situation, and then he spoke to me very politely, thanking me and asking me to convey his apologies to Wang Yan and Honghong."

"He said this time was his fault, that he was a bit impulsive, and he hoped we would be magnanimous and let him off, not to hold it against him. He also promised that he would absolutely never appear in front of you and Honghong again."

At the end, she looked at Wang Yan.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile. "He has self-awareness."

"He knows how to bend and stretch," Yu Chuhui sighed.

Ye Zhenzhen chimed in, "Didn't *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* say it? Humble origins are not a disgrace; only those who can bend and stretch are true men. I actually think a little higher of him now."

Yu Chuhui held a different opinion. "In front of Boss Wang, he has to have the guts to stretch first."

"He's just bullying the weak and fearing the strong, thinking I'm easy to bully." He Minhong pouted.

Zhu Zhe pondered, "I think Qi Mu might really have some unspeakable secrets in Shenzhen. Otherwise, he couldn't have changed so much. I'll ask our mutual friends there later to see if they know anything."

Wang Yan fiddled with his phone and said, "No need. I've already checked. I've sent it to you; you can forward it to your group chat."

"No way, you found out in such a short time?" Ye Zhenzhen's eyes widened.

"I've absorbed enough experience, haven't I? Besides, this Qi Mu is easy to check; his social circle and history aren't complicated. Plus, I have a few friends over there, so it didn't take much effort." Wang Yan spread his hands, his face saying, "It's not like I wanted to."

"Brother Yan, this isn't good of you." He Minhong still voiced her disapproval.

"I know what you mean—violating privacy, ignoring the law, trampling on human rights, wealth inequality, bullying the weak, and so on, right? I don't like doing these things either. You see, I don't go around investigating people normally. When Dr. Ye's family investigated me, didn't I just stay quiet? This is the same as with Li Qixing and Dai Wei—it's just being prepared and acting in self-defense."

"Also, next time you condemn me, you'd better take your eyes off your phone. You're about to disappear into it; saying one thing and doing another isn't very good."

He Minhong stuck out her tongue. "I didn't want to look, but I couldn't help it. Everyone else was looking."

"Anyway, I'm the one who checked, so the guilt is all mine, right?" Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh. "I have my reasons. People are investigating me left and right, and there's no privacy on phones anyway, so checking a bit isn't a big deal. Everyone is just comforting and excusing themselves."

He Minhong felt embarrassed and focused on her phone, playing dead.

Yu Chuhui glanced at He Minhong and then said, "Sister Zhu, your feeling was really accurate. Look, he's already on his second marriage. His first marriage didn't work out, and his wife left with the child. His second wife was a fresh college graduate; they were good for a year, but she couldn't stand taking care of his mother, who had dementia, and wanted to run away too. But Qi Mu just wouldn't divorce her, forcing her into a corner until her whole family came to the company to make a scene..."

Ye Zhenzhen said, "It seems he was eyeing Honghong again."

Zhu Zhe sighed, "Honghong's family has two incomes, and she's their only daughter. If it really happened, Honghong would be the one taking care of his mother, and Honghong's parents would have to subsidize their family. Of course, Qi Mu doesn't know that yet, but if he really found out, I'm afraid that's how it would develop."

"That's how it is. I really became a little white rabbit..." He Minhong nodded solemnly, then changed the subject. "But he is quite filial. He earns a lot every month, and the bulk of it goes to his mother."

As soon as she finished, she felt the room go quiet and looked up to see everyone staring at her.

She said, "One thing is one thing. He definitely has bad intentions, but he is truly filial. I went to the hospital before and saw a family that left a deep impression on me..."

And so, everyone started discussing again—whether people are good or bad, whether a bad person's redeeming qualities can be a reason for forgiveness, extending to legal and moral principles, and finally chatting about recent work and life, just aimlessly talking until evening when they dispersed... ===== CHAPTER 1120 =====