Chapter 979: Almost

“Forget it!” Tian Tian grabbed Zhang Sihé urgently: “No matter how he got in, it has nothing to do with us.”

This woman was smart enough to know that sneaking into this place wasn’t easy; since Zhou Anlei could enter and openly eat and drink there, he clearly had backing.

“Zhou Anlei and Zhou Andong’s families don’t get along—he couldn’t possibly be here with Zhou Andong.”

Zhang Sihé was deeply unwilling; in his mind, whether Zhou Andong and Zhou Anlei had reconciled or remained bitter enemies didn’t matter.

The fact that they were cousins couldn’t be denied; if Zhou Anlei were humiliated here today, it would be Zhou Andong’s face that lost honor.

Since childhood, this guy had loved competing with Zhou Andong, but he was always suppressed; as he grew older, his heart grew darker and darker.

Only after coming to Yangcheng and meeting Tian Tian, this wealthy girl, did he become a shoe factory manager through her—and finally regain his confidence.

Then came his triumphant return home, where he flaunted himself right in front of Zhou Andong.

But that show of arrogance lasted only a few days before Zhou Andong knocked him back to his true self.

Tian Tian was slightly annoyed with Zhang Sihé, but remembering that his parents had promised her Zhang Sihé would become a son-in-law to the Tian family, she swallowed her irritation.

“I said, this has nothing to do with us. If seeing him bothers you, complain to the security over there—they’ll handle it.”

Zhang Sihé’s eyes lit up: Right! All I need is for Zhou Anlei to be humiliated—why should I do it myself?

Thinking this, he hurried off and found a security guard.

Meanwhile, others whispered among themselves: Looks like Zhang Sihé has a grudge against Zhou Andong.

A group of people plotted silently, their eyes fixed on Zhang Sihé and the guard.

They saw the two speak; Zhang Sihé pointed at Zhou Anlei, and the guard nodded, walking over.

“Burp!”

Zhou Anlei let out a belch, picked up a nearby drink, and gulped it down completely.

“Sir, hello!”

These were all big shots—whether hotel management or city officials, they had repeatedly held meetings with security and staff.

Besides ensuring security, they must provide excellent service, making guests feel at home; any complaint, no matter who it involved, would be dealt with severely.

So even though the guard suspected Zhou Anlei was an imposter sneaking in to eat and drink for free, he remained extremely polite until facts were confirmed.

Zhou Anlei asked curiously: “What is it?”

The guard smiled: “Sir, are you here alone?”

Zhou Anlei froze, then puffed out his chest and tilted his head proudly: “I’m here with Zhou Andong—he’s my younger brother.”

“What’s going on?” Wu Hongkang and Zhang Shenghui walked over with their trays.

Zhou Anlei said: “He asked who I came with.”

Wu Hongkang smiled: “He’s Zhou Andong’s cousin—we came together.”

The guard saw the name tags on Wu Hongkang and Zhang Shenghui’s chests and silently exhaled.

He’d feared Zhou Anlei might truly be an intruder; if so, not only him but even his superiors would be reprimanded.

“Sorry to bother you, sir, enjoy your meal.” The guard turned and left.

Zhang Sihé, who had been watching closely, froze, his face dark as if dripping with water.

Tian Tian ignored him and shifted to other topics.

“Brother Zhang, I toast you!” A tall, thin young man in a suit raised his glass, drinking it down in one gulp.

This guy was Qian Bin; his family ran a leather business and had dealings with Tian Tian’s shoe factory.

Among this group, he was closest to Tian Tian and Zhang Sihé, with the best relationship.

Zhang Sihé knew now that humiliating Zhou Anlei was impossible.

But who exactly had brought him here? He still couldn’t believe Zhou Andong had brought Zhou Anlei to this place.

“Phew!”

Zhang Sihé exhaled a long, stifled breath, forced a faint smile, picked up a glass of red wine nearby, gestured slightly, and drank it down in one gulp.

“Oh? Isn’t this the Arrogance King?”

Zhou Anlei, full and satisfied, dared not disturb Zhou Andong, so he wandered aimlessly.

Unexpectedly, as he turned, he spotted Zhang Sihé.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

The wine Zhang Sihé had swallowed was only halfway down when the rest rushed into his windpipe, choking him; his breathing changed, as if paper had lodged in his throat, hissing loudly.

Then his breath grew shorter, his chest heaved more violently, he couldn’t catch air, his face turning blue-purple—this terrified everyone around him.

Tian Tian gripped his arm, rubbing his chest frantically; Qian Bin hurriedly pounded his back.

“Quick, quick, quick!” The girl in the dress turned pale: “Call an ambulance!”

At that moment, Zhang Sihé’s throat emitted a sharp, piercing whistle; then he drew in a long, deep breath, followed by a long, slow exhale.

After several repetitions, Zhang Sihé’s face slowly returned to normal.

Almost, this guy had choked to death. Almost, he’d made the news. Almost, he’d become famous like Zhou Andong.

The sight had stunned Zhou Anlei too—he’d been ready to run—but seeing Zhang Sihé recover, he calmed down, yet couldn’t resist opening his mouth again.

“Hey, Sihé, we’re from the same hometown, same village, grew up together—no need to get this excited seeing me.”

Zhang Sihé’s face, just regaining its color, turned blue-purple again—this time from rage.

“Zhou Anlei!”

Zhang Sihé’s voice was hoarse, barely audible; even if his throat recovered, he dared not shout in this setting.

“Who called me the Arrogance King?”

“Oh, don’t get mad,” Zhou Anlei waved his hand quickly: “I didn’t say that—it was Er Lu and Liu Gui and the others. They said you drove all this way home—why didn’t bandits chop you up and kidnap your wife to be their queen, so you wouldn’t keep showing off in the village and make everyone sick of you.”

Zhang Sihé’s face darkened further, fists clenched tightly, wanting to punch Zhou Anlei right in the face.

But he dared not—if he struck here, the consequences would be severe; his father-in-law’s business might collapse.

“Oh!” Zhou Anlei waved again: “Sihé, don’t take them seriously. They say that because they’re jealous—you got such a beautiful…”

Here Zhou Anlei paused, glancing at Tian Tian beside him: “...such a rich wife.”

With Zhou Andong backing him, this kid had fully let loose, viciously mocking Zhang Sihé—even dragging Tian Tian into it.

“Zhou—An—Lei!” Zhang Sihé’s teeth ground audibly: “Do you know where this is?”

Zhou Anlei stared blankly at Zhang Sihé, then said with pitying tone: “Sihé, you’re so young—did you get Alzheimer’s already? Don’t even know where you are?”