An Zhiqian’s expression darkened. He frowned and said, "There must be some misunderstanding here. But regardless, it’s not right to just knock someone to the ground like this, is it?"

Su Qing sneered. "What? Are you saying, Young Master An, that I should have just stood here and taken a beating from your bodyguard? That would have been the ’appropriate’ thing to do, right?"

"I didn’t say that." An Zhiqian couldn’t possibly admit to what she was implying. Otherwise, wouldn’t that be an open admission that they were throwing their weight around?

This was the mainland, after all, not Xiangcheng. Besides, the Cheng Family was here. If word of this got out, it would damage the An Family’s reputation.

Some things were fine to do in secret, but they could never be brought out into the open.

"Is that so?" Su Qing arched a brow. "But that’s exactly what you meant."

An Zhiqian’s brow furrowed deeper. "Miss, you’re jumping to conclusions."

"Even if I am, I’m not as quick to judge as your sister. Cheng Beilin and I were having a perfectly pleasant conversation when your sister showed up uninvited and said that Cheng Beilin isn’t picky about who she talks to. I’d love to know, what kind of person does that make me?"

An Zhiqian took a deep breath at Su Qing’s words and shot a look at An Zhiwei. But An Zhiwei didn’t think she’d said anything wrong in the slightest. "I wasn’t wrong," she retorted. "She’s just some mainland commoner who has nothing to her name. Cozying up to Cheng Beilin like that... isn’t she just looking for a chance to latch onto a wealthy family? It’s not like her intentions aren’t obvious. I was only saying it for Cheng Beilin’s own good."

"Give me a break, An Zhiwei! You’re the snob who fawns over the rich and looks down on the poor, so don’t lump me in with you. I’m not nearly as shallow and self-righteous as you are. You’re just a useless airhead coasting on your family’s fortune, and you actually think you’re something special, don’t you? Have you no shame? Without that family money, a brain like yours would have starved to death eight hundred times over." Cheng Beilin didn’t spare An Zhiwei’s feelings in the least, launching right into a tirade.

It had to be said, when Cheng Beilin decided to be vicious, her words were truly venomous.

Hearing this, Su Qing couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.

"You... Cheng Beilin, you..." An Zhiwei was so furious she yelled, "As if you aren’t doing the exact same thing! We’re all in the same boat, so what right do you have to say that about me?"

"On the basis that I’m smarter than you, prettier than you, better educated than you, more talented than you, and more cultured and reasonable than you," Cheng Beilin said with a raised eyebrow. "I wouldn’t starve if I had to rely on myself."

"Ahem." Cheng Beize coughed twice, trying to hide a laugh. "Xiao Lin, even if what you’re saying is true, blurting it out so bluntly is a bit harsh. Try to be more tactful next time."

"Yes, I know, big brother," Cheng Beilin replied, then shot a challenging look at An Zhiwei, whose chest tightened with rage.

An Zhiqian was also getting angry at the way the Cheng siblings were ganging up on them. And with Su Qing in the mix, all three of them had sharp tongues. Su Qing, in particular, was not only verbally ruthless but physically unforgiving—she had laid out the An Family’s bodyguards without breaking a sweat.

But it was obvious An Zhiwei had started this. Even if he wanted to demand justice, he had no ground to stand on. He could only say in a cold voice, "We all move in the same circles. Don’t you think you’ve gone a little too far? My sister was just joking around. There’s no need to take it so seriously."

"That was quite a ’joke,’ Mr. An," Cheng Beize said coolly.

Su Qing also smiled. "In that case, we were just joking too. Surely Mr. An isn’t so petty that he’d argue about who’s right or wrong over a simple joke."

"Exactly," Cheng Beilin immediately chimed in.

An Zhiqian felt his chest tighten, cornered by the trio’s words. Swallowing his anger, he nodded. "Fine. We’ll call today’s incident a joke, then. Let’s let it go."

An Zhiwei was not having it. "Brother, this woman pushed me, and she beat up our bodyguards! We’re just going to let it go like that?"

"Shut up!" An Zhiqian was starting to regret bringing An Zhiwei along. ’We’ve only been here for two days, and she’s already picked two fights. The thing is, if you’re going to start a fight, even if it’s by throwing your weight around, at least win! But no, she tries to bully someone and ends up getting a beating herself. What am I supposed to say to that?’

’The An Family is in the wrong today. If I really make a scene with the Cheng Family over this, who knows what kind of lecture Dad will give me when we get back to Xiangcheng.’

An Zhiwei was still protesting, but An Zhiqian forcibly dragged her away.

Watching An Zhiwei get dragged away by An Zhiqian, Cheng Beilin was in an excellent mood. She turned to Su Qing with a wide smile. "Su Qing, you’re amazing! I had no idea you were so skilled. That move just now was so cool!"

Su Qing just smiled. "It’s nothing special, just a bit of brute force."

"I love it! You’re incredible." Cheng Beilin joyfully latched onto Su Qing’s arm. "You have to come visit me in Xiangcheng sometime! I’ll give you a proper tour. Oh, and Xiangcheng has so many delicious street foods. I’ll take you to try all of them."

If Cheng Beilin’s earlier invitation to Xiangcheng had been mere pleasantries, this time she was completely sincere. She truly wanted to be friends with Su Qing.

"Okay," Su Qing agreed with a smile.

"That’s great! Let me give you my address." With that, Cheng Beilin turned to Cheng Beize. "Brother, give me one of your business cards. I’ll give it to Su Qing so she can find us when she comes to visit."

Cheng Beize, standing to the side, was surprised at how quickly Cheng Beilin and Su Qing had hit it off. He didn’t object, though. The Cheng Family never cared about status when making friends; it was all about whether they felt a connection. He took out a business card and handed it to Su Qing. "Su Qing, right? My name is Cheng Beize. I’m Xiao Lin’s older brother."

"Hello, Brother Cheng," Su Qing said with a smile, accepting the card.

"You absolutely have to come, okay?" Cheng Beilin urged.

"I will." Su Qing nodded slightly. ’But even as I say it, I don’t actually plan on going to Xiangcheng. This is only the second time I’ve met the Cheng siblings. To me, they’re still strangers, and I’m just being polite.’

Seeing Su Qing come out on top, Cheng Beilin was delighted. She then turned to Su Qing with an expectant look.

Su Qing didn’t understand why and arched a brow.

Seeing that Su Qing didn’t get it, Cheng Beilin said bluntly, "You haven’t given me your address and phone number yet."

Since Cheng Beilin had put it that way, Su Qing felt it would be rude not to reciprocate, especially since they had already given her their details. So, she gave her address to Cheng Beilin and added, "My home is in a village, so I don’t have a phone. Just the address."

"That’s fine!" Cheng Beilin was thrilled to get the address. "If I get the chance, I’ll come find you! I’ve never been to the Northeast before."

"Okay," Su Qing replied with a faint smile.