Chapter 99: Headline Topic

They both escaped, incredibly fast, squeezing out the door shoulder-to-shoulder and disappearing before anyone could react.

Ye Qingrou also turned and left. Even without revealing her wings, she moved with remarkable agility and speed, her figure blurring as she departed her table and appeared outside the restaurant.

"Boss, Little Sister Qingrou, wait for us!" shouted Du Huaijin, also known as Thousand-Mile Eyes. He and Ouyang Qing, or Wind-Listening Ears, quickly followed, realizing the situation was getting out of hand and deciding to leave immediately.

"Was that really... Jiang Luoshen?!" A commotion erupted in the restaurant. A crowd had already gathered, but the group managed to push their way through and escape.

The restaurant, located on the 88th floor of Qingyun Tower, was a high-end establishment. Even on busy weekdays, it maintained a serene atmosphere with soothing music, never becoming noisy. Now, however, it was in disarray, with a large group of people standing up, all asking if the individuals who had just left were Jiang Luoshen.

"Yes, I saw her with my own eyes! It was definitely the National Goddess!" someone declared, swearing to the heavens. He was filled with regret for not realizing it sooner. If he had known it was her earlier, he would have approached her for an autograph, or perhaps even a photo. This instantly created a stir, shattering the restaurant's tranquility and sparking a lively discussion.

"How is that possible? My goddess is eating with a man, on a date?" someone wailed loudly. As people at nearby tables pieced together the events, it became clear that Jiang Luoshen had indeed been dining with a man, seemingly on a date. This was undoubtedly explosive news, and if it got out, it would certainly cause a massive sensation.

Jiang Luoshen had been acting since her student days and had only recently graduated. Despite her young age, she had always maintained a spotless public image without any scandals, earning her the title of "National Goddess." Today, however, a bombshell had suddenly dropped, making it impossible to avoid a major uproar.

"Did anyone get a photo? Oh my god, this is priceless news! Quickly contact the media; it's guaranteed to dominate the headlines!"

The restaurant was now a scene of noise and chaos.

With the others gone, only Xia Qianyu remained. Not being an Awakened, her slender and delicate build made a quick escape impossible. She desperately wished she could disappear into the floor. As she tried to discreetly slip away, a waiter politely stopped her, informing her that the meal had not yet been paid for. Meanwhile, another group of people swarmed around her, eager to take photos once they confirmed she had been with Jiang Luoshen. Xia Qianyu's face paled with fright. She quickly snatched a plate to cover her face and hurried away, running forward, utterly mortified.

"Miss, you haven't paid the bill yet," the persistent waiter politely reminded her, staying right by her side. The restaurant manager had been alerted; someone had immediately informed him of the significant commotion.

"Please, everyone, step back. We must respect personal privacy," the manager calmly stated, separating the crowd and escorting Xia Qianyu to a quiet room.

Xia Qianyu had never felt so humiliated in her life. It was all that damned pervert Chu Feng's fault, she thought, gritting her teeth in anger. She also blamed Jiang Luoshen for abandoning her alone there.

"Manager, this young lady's total bill is..." the waiter said as he entered, informing them of the amount. Xia Qianyu felt dizzy when she heard the sum. The bill was surprisingly high, equivalent to several months of an average person's salary, and her expression immediately became uneasy. She didn't have that much money on her, and her card balance was insufficient. Having just graduated and only starting her acting career, she was far from a life of extravagance. Xia Qianyu cursed inwardly. They had planned to fleece that pervert, but in the end, she was stuck with the bill. It was outrageous!

***

Chu Feng and Jiang Luoshen, like a gust of wind, rushed into the elevator together, then frantically pressed the button for the ground floor. Jiang Luoshen fled because she feared being photographed and ending up in the headlines, particularly for dating a man. Such news would make her furious enough to kill.

"What are you running for?!" Jiang Luoshen asked, raising her pale chin and glaring at him with wide eyes, her eyebrows bristling with anger.

"Can I not run?" Chu Feng replied unhurriedly. "After all, I'm currently adorned with the halo of the National Goddess's boyfriend. Should I just stay there and wait for them to bombard me with questions about all sorts of unspeakable private matters and secrets between us?"

Hearing this, Jiang Luoshen was so incensed that her teeth ground audibly. "Unspeakable private matters and secrets"? It sounded as if something had actually happened between them. But most importantly, he was shamelessly claiming to be the National Goddess's boyfriend! At that moment, Jiang Luoshen wanted to punch him!

"Don't be angry," Chu Feng said. "I didn't say this; it's what everyone in the restaurant thinks. If you don't believe me, just wait and see tomorrow's headlines; I guarantee that's what they'll say." He then shook his head, whispering, "If only it were true, then it wouldn't be so bad. But it's not, and I'm still unjustly envied and cursed. How unlucky!"

Jiang Luoshen's exquisite face instantly darkened with murderous intent! Her family upbringing was very strict, and her background was exceptionally distinguished. She had received extensive etiquette training since childhood, and since her debut, she had always been graceful and considered to have impeccable manners. Yet now, the National Goddess wanted to brutally beat Chu Feng, feeling it still wouldn't be enough to satisfy her anger!

Chu Feng looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you feeling unwell? Why are your fingers trembling?"

"I want to kill you!" Jiang Luoshen snarled, enraged, her delicate white hand already clenched into a fist. She found him utterly detestable. He was wearing her mask over his mouth and her sunglasses on his face, looking utterly nonchalant as he spouted nonsense, deliberately provoking her.

They soon reached the ground floor. Just as Chu Feng was about to run, Jiang Luoshen grabbed his arm. "Don't even think about running," she said. "Let's see how I deal with you!"

"Hey, men and women shouldn't touch each other like this," Chu Feng said through the mask.

"Follow me!" she commanded, pulling Chu Feng along at a very fast pace.

"I can't run anymore," Chu Feng gasped dramatically. "Carry me."

Encountering such a pervert, Jiang Luoshen was utterly exasperated. Upon hearing his remark, she was so frustrated she almost physically carried him, instead forcefully dragging him into a small roadside shop. Once inside, she lightly touched the middle-aged shopkeeper, causing him to faint. Then, she moved to deal with Chu Feng. Could a mere pervert truly possess boundless power?!

Punches landed... Even while attacking, Jiang Luoshen maintained her elegance, moving like a dancing swan. Her combat prowess was truly extraordinary; any ordinary Awakened person, other than Chu Feng, would have been instantly subdued. Yet, after dozens of attacks, the final outcome was that Chu Feng counter-grappled and captured her.

"What's going on?"

Thousand-Mile Eyes and Wind-Listening Ears weren't called that for nothing; these two managed to track Chu Feng's whereabouts and, bringing Ye Qingrou along, chased him to this very spot. They pushed the door open and walked in, just in time to see Chu Feng holding Jiang Luoshen in a counter-grapple.

"Boss, I'm truly impressed, you're incredible! You and Goddess Jiang have such a good relationship, so intimate you're wrestling in public!" exclaimed Ouyang Qing, also known as Big Ears. He then pulled out his communicator and snapped a photo decisively.

At that, Chu Feng and Jiang Luoshen instantly separated.

"Goddess, I'm so sad, sigh!" Du Huaijin, Thousand-Mile Eyes, sighed, no longer asking for an autograph.

Jiang Luoshen was practically fainting from anger; these people were utterly unscrupulous. She no longer wanted to stay there. Chu Feng's strength had utterly astonished her, far exceeding her expectations. She decided to have the Bodhi Gene personnel conduct a thorough investigation, and then... she would deal with him herself!

"Give me back my things!" Jiang Luoshen demanded, extending her hand.

Chu Feng removed the mask and sunglasses and handed them directly to her, remarking, "That perfume brand is quite nice; it smells very sweet."

Jiang Luoshen instantly felt goosebumps all over her body. There was no perfume; she hadn't used any that day. Seeing him hand her those two items, she immediately recoiled, unwilling to touch them. Having been used by a man, she wouldn't touch them even if it killed her. However, if she walked out barefaced, she would surely be recognized. She couldn't just run wildly the entire way, could she?

"Goddess, I'll buy you new ones!" Du Huaijin, Thousand-Mile Eyes, volunteered enthusiastically.

"No need!" Jiang Luoshen flatly refused. She was a germaphobe and didn't want any man touching her belongings.

Ye Qingrou immediately smiled. "I'll go," she offered.

***

Back on the 88th floor of Qingyun Tower, the restaurant manager, being well-versed in social graces, discreetly waived Xia Qianyu's bill, not wanting to cause her any further trouble. He understood that she was Jiang Luoshen's companion and wished to cultivate a good relationship. Later, the restaurant could simply announce that Jiang Luoshen enjoyed dining there, and they would recoup any losses. Finally, the manager personally escorted Xia Qianyu out of the building, ensuring she was undisturbed.

"Manager Xu, you're truly a good person, thank you!" Xia Qianyu said gratefully, then turned and ran. As she ran at full speed, she dialed Jiang Luoshen's communicator.

"Jiang Luoshen, you terrible friend, where are you? You abandoned me! Those people couldn't find you, so they tried to take countless photos of me. I was practically mobbed! And the waiter even suspected me of dining and dashing, boohoo... It was utterly humiliating!"

Fifteen minutes later, Xia Qianyu found Jiang Luoshen in a small shop at the very edge of the commercial district. She also found Chu Feng there, along with those two boisterous rascals; not a single one was missing.

"Pervert, I'm going to fight you!" Xia Qianyu cried, lunging at Chu Feng the moment she saw him. Her day had been utterly cursed since meeting him.

"Hey, how did I flirt with you?" Chu Feng retorted, rather ungenerously poking at her sore spot. "You can dine and dash all you want, but you can't just throw accusations around." He had just overheard Xia Qianyu's miserable account during her call with Jiang Luoshen, learning that the waiter had suspected her of dining and dashing. Chu Feng's hearing was incredibly sharp, on par with Wind-Listening Ears. Her face flushed crimson from being hit where it hurt, and her clear, large eyes seemed to spit fire. She was ready to fight Chu Feng.

"Don't worry, little sister," Ouyang Qing, Wind-Listening Ears, stepped forward, trying to ingratiate himself. "I'll help you pay the bill in a bit. Consider it my treat."

"Get away from me, you big-eared scoundrel!" Xia Qianyu wanted to punch him. If it hadn't been for this big-eared youth's careless talk in the restaurant, she wouldn't have been in such a terrible predicament.

Jiang Luoshen walked over and pulled Xia Qianyu aside, preventing her from engaging further with those infuriating individuals, knowing she would be driven to fury. Jiang Luoshen knew exactly how she felt. While confronting Chu Feng, those two rascals had talked incessantly, saying whatever came to mind, making the National Goddess herself want to resort to violence.

Just then, Ye Qingrou gracefully entered from outside the small shop, carrying a bag containing sunglasses and a mask. She handed them to Jiang Luoshen, saying, "Here, I bought them for you."

Jiang Luoshen had never felt so disheveled. She quickly put on the sunglasses and mask, finally regaining her goddess-like demeanor. She decided to contact Xia Qianyu's aunt to investigate Chu Feng further. Of course, she was desperate to know Chu Feng's background and why his strength was so terrifying.

Jiang Luoshen looked at Du Huaijin, Thousand-Mile Eyes, because the fervor in his eyes when he asked for her autograph didn't seem feigned. "What exactly do you do?" she asked Thousand-Mile Eyes.

"What can actors do? We act," Chu Feng interjected, looking lazy. While revealing their identity wouldn't matter much, he enjoyed making Jiang Luoshen work a little harder.

Hearing Chu Feng's remark, Du Huaijin's spirits immediately lifted, as they had indeed been filming recently. He leaned closer to Jiang Luoshen and began to speak effusively. "Goddess, let me tell you," he gushed, "a few days ago, we filmed a groundbreaking epic drama. It depicts the magnificent upheaval of the apocalypse and recreates the mysteries and legends of ancient myths. The protagonist is an invincible ancient great sage. It's coming out soon, and you absolutely must watch it! It's going to be a massive hit, truly something to look forward to!"

In truth, these were all lines from Director Zhou Yitian. Thousand-Mile Eyes simply recited the boasts verbatim, making Xia Qianyu, who was standing nearby, want to punch him. It seemed he was truly cut from the same cloth as that pervert, using the same trick of talking about acting to deceive people. Ouyang Qing, Wind-Listening Ears, also chimed in: "Yes, Goddess, this drama is sure to cause a huge sensation when it's released, just wait and see. All of us were in it, so from now on, we'll be in the same circle." He was even more shameless.

Jiang Luoshen couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed Xia Qianyu and ran. For the National Goddess to flee like that was certainly a rare sight, mainly because the two men's incessant blather was so outrageously nonsensical.

"Jiang Luoshen," Chu Feng shouted from behind, "when you get back, quickly find someone to handle the aftermath! Don't actually drag me onto tomorrow's headlines with you. I'm still single; I don't want my life to be ruined because of you!"

Jiang Luoshen stumbled, turned back to glare fiercely at him, then pulled Xia Qianyu along and disappeared from view.