Chapter 28

When Xiao Bing walked into the small noodle shop, it was just about to close. Seeing Xiao Bing return, Zhang Jing, Li Hong, and Wang Guifang immediately surrounded him. It was clear that they had been worried, and Zhang Jing and Li Hong started asking questions non-stop.

Xiao Bing smiled bitterly and said, "I'll tell you everything in a moment, Aunt Wang, could you please cook us some hot noodles? We haven't eaten dinner yet."

The fool held up three fingers, "Give me four bowls."

Wang Guifang was taken aback for a moment.

"Oh, no," the fool held up four fingers, "Give me three bowls."

Wang Guifang chuckled, "Your friend is really funny. Don't worry, I'll cook a pot for you. Eat as much as you want."

The fool scratched his head and laughed.

After Xiao Bing and the others sat down, while Wang Guifang was cooking the noodles, Xiao Bing began to slowly recount what had happened in the cell, including how the fool had been framed and how they had met. He told everything in detail.

After Li Hong heard the story, she glanced at the fool and said angrily, "Brother Bing, he wanted to break your legs, and you still brought him out and even invited him to eat noodles!"

After saying that, Li Hong looked at the fool with hostility, and the fool looked a bit confused.

Since the day Xiao Bing had protected Li Hong and said those two sentences, Li Hong had been moved by him. Now, in her eyes, Xiao Bing was not only the shop manager but also like an older brother. So when she learned that this seemingly foolish person had once fought with Brother Bing, she immediately became unhappy.

Xiao Bing smiled and said, "Li Hong, don't be like that. He was also forced. Think about it, they scared him, saying they would lock him up for life and said many bad things about me. If it were you, what would you do?"

Hearing Xiao Bing defend the fool, the hostility in Li Hong's eyes lessened.

Xiao Bing smiled and said, "Don't make things difficult for the fool. I think he has nowhere to go now. Why don't we let him stay and help in the shop? We have two rest rooms, and we can give one to him so he has a place to sleep at night."

Zhang Jing hesitated and said, "We don't mind, but will Aunt Li agree?"

Xiao Bing smiled and said, "I'll talk to Aunt Li. Don't worry, it'll be fine."

The fool laughed and said, "I just want to be full at every meal. I don't need a salary."

Xiao Bing patted the fool's head and laughed, "You're not that stupid. Don't worry, we'll pay you, but since you eat so much, your salary will be a bit less than others."

Zhang Jing and Li Hong giggled, and Ye Zi said, "Brother Bing, you can't bully him just because he's called the fool. How much can he eat in one meal?"

The fool scratched his head and laughed, "I feel pretty good about it."

The noodles were quickly served. Wang Guifang put three bowls on the table and sat down. While Xiao Bing and Ye Zi were eating and chatting with Wang Guifang and the others, the fool started eating without a word. Before Xiao Bing and the others could say two sentences, the fool had already put his bowl aside and said with his mouth full of oil, "Two more bowls."

Everyone except Xiao Bing was stunned by the fool's empty two large bowls. Xiao Bing laughed and scolded, "Alright, you don't need to be polite with your appetite. Go to the kitchen and get more yourself."

"Okay." The fool stood up and walked straight into the kitchen, quickly bringing back two large bowls of noodles and started eating voraciously. This time, everyone watched in silence as the fool almost finished two bowls in less than a minute. It wasn't eating; it was pouring into his mouth...

The fool stood up again, holding two empty bowls, and walked to the kitchen, then brought back two more bowls of noodles and continued eating...

In less than ten minutes, five bowls of noodles were gone. The fool put the bowls aside, and Xiao Bing asked curiously, "Are you full?"

The fool scratched his head and laughed, "The pot is empty..."

"Heavens!" Wang Guifang exclaimed, "With such large bowls, five bowls and still not full?"

"My mother said that because I eat so much, I have more strength than others..."

Xiao Bing smiled, "Your mother is right. Sister Wang, go make him some more noodles."

The fool quickly said, "No need."

Everyone looked at him, and Xiao Bing asked, "Not eating anymore?"

The fool stood up and headed straight to the kitchen, "I'll cook myself."

Everyone looked at each other and laughed.

Ye Zi smiled, "I didn't expect your brother to look so foolish but actually know how to cook."

Wang Guifang added, "People from poor and remote areas are often hardworking and can do many things."

Hearing Wang Guifang's words, Li Hong and Zhang Jing both looked a bit sad, clearly their family situations were not good either.

At that moment, the door creaked open, and everyone looked towards the entrance. Su Xiaoxiao, wearing a light green dress, walked in. Besides her cold demeanor, there was a faint sense of purity. When she saw Xiao Bing, she showed a hint of relief but deliberately maintained a cold expression, frowning and saying coldly, "I just went to the detention center to see you, and they said you had been released. I couldn't reach you on your phone, so I guessed you'd be here."

Xiao Bing took out his phone and looked at it, "It's dead."

Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, "Couldn't you borrow someone's phone to let me know?"

At this moment, Ye Zi stood up and smiled sweetly, "Brother Bing, who is she?"

Xiao Bing smiled and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Su Xiaoxiao, whom I mentioned to you. Xiaoxiao, this is Ye Zi."

Su Xiaoxiao and Ye Zi sized each other up. Ye Zi secretly admired Su Xiaoxiao's cold and elegant demeanor, while Su Xiaoxiao was surprised to find that Ye Zi was the school's beauty queen. How did Brother Bing know her, and they seemed quite familiar.

Ye Zi extended her hand and smiled sweetly, "I've heard about you from Brother Bing. And I think we've met before. I remember... one of my classmates has a crush on you."

Su Xiaoxiao shook Ye Zi's hand and said sincerely, "The boys in our class often talk about you behind your back. You two..."

"Oh," Ye Zi hooked her arm around Xiao Bing's, her face gently touching his, and said with a happy and playful expression, "He's my boyfriend."

"Is that so." Su Xiaoxiao actually smiled, but it was a bit forced. Her gaze wandered around the noodle shop, and she said distractedly to Xiao Bing, "Since you're safe, I'll go back. I'll visit the hospital tomorrow. My mother asked about you..."

"Okay." Xiao Bing agreed, but before he could say more, Su Xiaoxiao hurried out, almost tripping on the threshold.

After leaving the noodle shop, Su Xiaoxiao's face was a bit unnatural. She thought to herself, What am I thinking? He has a girlfriend, why am I so upset? He doesn't deserve Ye Zi, that's it!

Seeing Su Xiaoxiao rush out of the noodle shop in a daze, Ye Zi let go of Xiao Bing and looked at him with a smile, saying meaningfully, "She seems to care about you a lot."

Xiao Bing smiled bitterly, "You're talking nonsense. She hates me..."

"Is that so?" Ye Zi giggled, "I don't believe it."

Zhang Jing and Li Hong also said, "I don't believe it either."

Xiao Bing asked, "Why?"

The three girls said in unison, "Women's intuition."

"Intuition?" Xiao Bing's mind flashed back to Su Xiaoxiao's cold demeanor, the icy and hateful look she always gave him, and then to the concern and anger she showed when she rushed in. Could it be that she doesn't hate me anymore?

But even if she doesn't hate me, it doesn't mean she likes me... How could that be!

The fool later ate three more bowls of noodles. This time, the women understood why Xiao Bing said he would deduct a bit of the fool's food expenses each month. The fool really ate a lot.

That night, the noodle shop became the fool's home. It was too late, and everyone dispersed. Xiao Bing still didn't have the chance to take Ye Zi home, so he returned to his place alone.

The house was dark. After turning on the light, Xiao Bing saw Su Xiaoxiao lying on the sofa. She immediately sat up when the light came on. Xiao Bing changed into slippers and asked, "You haven't slept yet?"

Su Xiaoxiao nodded and took out the USB drive, placing it on the sofa. She asked, "Was it because of this that they released you?"

Xiao Bing smiled, "Very smart, you're right!"

Su Xiaoxiao frowned, "What should we do with this USB drive? Keep it or destroy it?"

Xiao Bing smiled, "Of course, we should report it. Should we keep a corrupt official?"

Su Xiaoxiao was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Didn't they release you because of a settlement?"

Xiao Bing walked over, picked up the USB drive, and held it in his hand. His eyes flashed with a cold and fierce light. At that moment, Su Xiaoxiao realized that the man in front of her had changed, becoming the same cold, ruthless, and domineering person he was when facing Xie Lun. His voice was filled with a cold and stern tone, "I only told him that if he didn't release me, I would report the evidence. I didn't say that if he released me, I wouldn't report it."

"For such a corrupt official, the only solution is to eliminate him!"

"Do you remember? When he arrested me, I said, 'I go to prison, he goes to hell!'"

"Against enemies, I never consider means or mercy. Only elimination!"

Su Xiaoxiao looked at Xiao Bing in a daze. Xiao Bing's face had a faint smile, a smile that exuded a confidence and strength that was overwhelming. It was a kind of confidence and dominance that transcended everything: "Chang Huai'an should go to hell."