Zhan Feiyu looked up at the second floor and saw a young girl in a bright red fox fur coat. Her eyes held an arrogant and overbearing air. Not only that, but the girl also had a whip at her waist, suggesting she was either from a military family or of noble birth.
"Look at me again, and I'll dig out those eyes and use them as fish eyes!" Her wild and overbearing face showed undisguised contempt and disgust. It was unclear whether she looked down on Zhan Feiyu's obvious outsider status or if her delicate and lively appearance had attracted trouble.
He Nuan frowned. In the years she had accompanied Zhan Feiyu on her travels, she had met all sorts of people, but it was rare to encounter someone so aggressive without even an initial interaction. To use her young lady's words, "Nobles in the capital are as common as dogs."
Zhan Feiyu originally didn't want to bother. A wise man can accommodate a boat in his belly; she would never argue with a mad dog. Unfortunately…
"Ah Da, go slap her!"
The innkeeper's head ached even more upon hearing this. Guests who could afford to stay in the inn's private rooms were definitely extraordinary. Even if they weren't from the capital's noble families, they likely had some background.
The Zhe family's little ancestor might be someone the other party couldn't afford to offend, but if this fire later spread to their Baofeng Tower, it would be truly undeserved disaster.
The other guests in the lobby had also stopped eating. When they saw the guards flying down from the second floor, some guests who recognized Miss Zhe sighed. This young girl was going to be unlucky today; that slap was unavoidable.
Zhan Feiyu remained in place, her round eyes widening slightly. Coupled with her skin as white as fat, she looked like she had been scared silly at first glance.
Even the usually gentle He Nuan was angered. She coldly watched the approaching guard. He Nuan's figure moved, and before anyone could react, she kicked out in mid-air, striking the guard in the abdomen.
A martial artist? Ah Da's pupils contracted slightly. His body in mid-air twisted sharply, precisely avoiding He Nuan's kick.
Unfortunately, his movements were fast, but He Nuan's next move was even faster. She quickly moved to the right, and the moment Ah Da landed, He Nuan's right hand swung out fiercely.
With a "slap!" the crisp sound of the slap brought a deathly silence to the entire hall. He Nuan had not held back, and Ah Da stumbled from the blow. Although he retreated to the railing and stabilized himself, his right cheek was swollen from He Nuan's slap, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
In the private room on the second floor, upon hearing the familiar scolding, not only did the young Master Ning, who was hosting friends that day, have a grim expression, but his companions also couldn't hide their disgust.
The Ning family, though no longer possessing the glory of their ancestors, now only had young Master Ning and Old Madam Ning as the main figures. A sickly illegitimate son had not appeared in public for years.
The Ning family was, after all, a prominent family from Jiangnan. Although their descendants were few, their foundation remained.
The Ning family was a scholarly lineage. Young Master Ning's grandfather was the first Zhuangyuan (top scholar) when the late emperor ascended the throne, and he had once served as a First Rank Right Prime Minister.
Although Ning's father was only a Tanhualang (third-place scholar) in the imperial examination, he had also served as a Second Rank Minister of Personnel. It was a pity that the Ning family members were prone to early death, and Ning's father had died in his prime. Fortunately, the Ning family's foundation was still intact, and with the help of their in-laws and old friends, the orphaned mother and son would not be bullied.
Young Master Ning was talented and elegant, and he was considered the top candidate for the Zhuangyuan in the upcoming spring imperial examination. But who would have thought that after Miss Zhe from the Zhe family accidentally met young Master Ning last year, this future Zhuangyuan would become the talk of the capital?
"Please excuse me for a moment, I'll go out and see." Ning Chen'an stood up and apologized. This was not the first time. No matter how much he disliked Miss Zhe's actions, Ning Chen'an had to step in.
Perhaps sensing this, Miss Zhe would deliberately cause trouble, forcing Ning Chen'an to come out and quell the disturbance. She had even considered "forcing herself upon him."
However, the Ning family was a scholarly family and still held a place in literary circles. If the Zhe family, a noble family, dared to humiliate Ning Chen'an in such a way, an impeachment memorial from a Censor could force the Zhe family's military officials to commit suicide to atone. Because of this concern, Miss Zhe dared not be too arrogant and could only vent her anger on others.
"You dare to hit my man?" Zhe Jing, from the second floor, roared and drew the whip at her waist, rushing down from the second floor. "I would have let it go with just a lesson, but since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Zhan Feiyu still stood there, rolling her eyes. This one grew in height but not in brains. If she had these long legs, it would be great; she would be a perfect combination of beauty and talent.
"Miss, you..." The innkeeper looked at Zhan Feiyu, truly wanting to cry. Although this little ancestor of the Zhe family was a bit overbearing, her words just now were indeed correct. Her overbearing behavior was just giving someone a slap. Once Young Master Ning came out, the matter would be over.
Afterward, the Zhe family would send people to offer an apology. But today, this little ancestor had lost face, and instead of slapping someone, she was slapped. The innkeeper truly feared that the commotion today would lead to the inn's roof being torn down.
Zhan Feiyu stopped rolling her eyes and looked at the innkeeper, who looked like he was about to cry, with a look of confusion. "Do you people in the capital have this fetish? Do you like offering your faces to be slapped?"
"Slapping you was giving you face, but you refused the toast and chose to drink the forfeit!" Zhe Jing sneered, pointing her right hand's whip at Zhan Feiyu. Looking at Ah Da, whose face bore the imprint of a slap, her anger reached its peak, making her expression appear even more ferocious.
"In the capital, no one dares to hit someone from my Zhe family. You have this dog's courage, which is very good. If I don't leave this lowly maid's right hand today, how can my Zhe family maintain its dignity?"