Chapter 75: Failing to Appreciate Kindness

Fan Bing made no attempt to hide anything and recounted to everyone how, during her hike that day, she was bitten by a snake and nearly lost her life, only to be saved by Zeng Xiaofan. Of course, she left out any mention of how Zeng Xiaofan had to remove her most intimate clothing or the meticulous process of extracting the venom. That utterly embarrassing episode was something she would never speak of to a third person for as long as she lived.

When she reached that part of the story, Fan Bing unintentionally glanced at Zeng Xiaofan; their eyes met, both tinged with a shy awkwardness.

“So that’s how it was!”

“Xiaofan! You really are lucky!”

“What good fortune, to have saved President Fan like that!”

Lin Chunhua repeatedly gave Zeng Xiaofan a thumbs-up, his envy barely concealed in his eyes.

The others felt the same, all thinking Zeng Xiaofan had stumbled into extraordinary luck, accidentally rescuing the beautiful CEO. Some even began to imagine that if they had been the one to save her, perhaps they too would now be on the fast track to success.

Fan Bing quickly shook her head with a smile: “Secretary Lin, what are you saying!”

“How can you call it Xiaofan’s good luck?”

“It’s clearly my good fortune, isn’t it?”

“Xiaofan saved my life!”

Lin Chunhua hastily put on a fawning smile at her words: “Yes, yes, yes! It’s true—President Fan, fortune favors the worthy!”

“President Fan is the lucky one!”

“Xiaofan had the luck to meet President Fan and the chance to help her—that’s his good fortune too!”

“You’re both lucky!”

“Yes, yes, both so lucky!” The crowd echoed in agreement.

Though everyone was praising Zeng Xiaofan, their attitude was clearly less respectful than before. Previously, they had shown deference because of his association with Fan Bing. The nature of that relationship had been unclear, but now, having heard the real story, it was revealed to be nothing more than a chance meeting and a debt of gratitude.

Although saving a life is no small matter, after all, they were but two strangers whose paths happened to cross; it wasn’t a close bond. A company president and a peasant youth from the countryside—no matter how close they became, there was a limit. Once President Fan repaid her debt, she would naturally keep her distance from Zeng Xiaofan.

With this in mind, everyone subtly changed their attitude toward Zeng Xiaofan. Even Lin Chunhua stopped calling him a close brother and addressed him simply as Xiaofan.

As for Xie Weifeng, who already had a grudge against Zeng Xiaofan and had just lost face, he now wore an expression of undisguised disdain. After a few more cups of wine, emboldened, he began to openly provoke Zeng Xiaofan.

Xie Weifeng raised a glass and strode up to Zeng Xiaofan, saying in a loud voice,

“Mr. Zeng! I’ve offended you before, I apologize!”

“I offer you a toast and hope you’ll forgive me.”

“Please, if you could put in a good word for me with President Fan, maybe she won’t hold it against me…”

With that, Xie Weifeng drained his glass in one go.

Zeng Xiaofan, seeing this, responded politely by raising his own glass and taking a small sip, showing some courtesy.

However, Xie Weifeng was already simmering with anger toward Zeng Xiaofan. Seeing that he himself had emptied his glass while Zeng Xiaofan had only taken a sip, he felt slighted. His drunkenness flared up, his expression darkened, and he snorted coldly:

“Zeng Xiaofan, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Zeng Xiaofan gave a crooked, amused smile.

“What do I mean?”

“Three, four, five, six, seven, eight things, maybe? What, feeling itchy for trouble again?”

At these words, the crowd stirred in surprise; no one had expected Zeng Xiaofan to turn hostile so abruptly, without leaving Xie Weifeng even a shred of dignity. Lin Chunhua anxiously signaled Xie Weifeng with his eyes, but by now Xie Weifeng, drunk and seething, ignored all attempts to restrain him and barked,

“Zeng Xiaofan!”

“Who do you think you are?”

“Everyone’s invited you for dinner, and you really think you were invited for your own sake?”

“You’re just a peasant! Don’t you know your place?”

“If not for President Fan, would you be sitting at the same table as me?”

“You’re not even fit to carry my shoes!”

“I toast you, and you have the nerve not to drink it all—how ungrateful!”

“Do you really think you’re somebody?”

Xie Weifeng grew more excited as he spoke. Fan Bing’s face turned cold on the spot, and Lin Chunhua hurried forward to pull him back but was shoved aside by Xie Weifeng.

“Mayor! Don’t… don’t stop me!”

“I have to say this—I have to!”

Zeng Xiaofan gave a crooked smile and waved Lin Chunhua off, saying coolly,

“Mayor Lin, let him speak.”

Only then did Lin Chunhua helplessly let go, and Xie Weifeng snorted coldly:

“You think I don’t dare?”

“You think I don’t know what you really are?”

“Tingting told me—you’re nothing but a dropout who didn’t even finish medical school!”

“And you were blind for years! Forget about practicing medicine—you couldn’t even look after yourself!”

“If it weren’t for some widows in the village looking out for you, you’d probably have starved to death by now!”

“And now, by some blind luck, you happened to save President Fan. Do you really think a nobody can turn into a phoenix?”

“I’m telling you—keep dreaming!”

“A nobody is always a nobody! Living off a woman, what kind of skill is that?”

“Sooner or later, you’ll be exposed and put back in your place! By then, you won’t even be fit to carry my shoes!”

Xie Weifeng shouted, venting all the frustration he had bottled up that day. The others wore strange expressions, and their gazes toward Zeng Xiaofan brimmed with a hint of ridicule.

Zhou Tingting was elated inside; nothing pleased her more than seeing Zeng Xiaofan humiliated!

“Ahem… Xiaofan, don’t take it to heart… Weifeng’s just had too much to drink…”

“You know what they say—when people get drunk, they speak the truth. But you really shouldn’t mind~”

Zhou Tingting seemed to be mediating, but in reality, she was reinforcing the notion that Zeng Xiaofan was living off a woman.

Zeng Xiaofan was no fool and easily caught the implication in her words. He sneered,

“So, you all think my medical skills are worthless?”

“That I only saved President Fan because of dumb luck?”

Xie Weifeng snorted, “Exactly, now you’re finally seeing yourself clearly!”

“Right,” Zhou Tingting chimed in, gloating, “Who doesn’t know what your medical skills are worth? Don’t get ahead of yourself—stop pretending to be something you’re not~”

Lin Chunhua hastened to smooth things over with a forced laugh: “Hahaha, everyone’s had too much to drink!”

“Let’s not talk about it, let’s drink, let’s drink!”

Zeng Xiaofan smiled and waved his hand, saying lightly, “The others can drink, but Mayor Lin, you shouldn’t have any more.”

“Why?” Lin Chunhua asked in confusion.

Zeng Xiaofan gave a faint smile. “Because you have stomach cancer. You’ve already reached your limit—one more cup, and you’ll start vomiting blood.”

The words had barely left his lips before the whole room was thrown into an uproar!