A bl.u.s.tering figure charged over like a bolt of lightning and held back the attack of those two purple aura Level 6 guards with a wave of his hand."Who dares to create such a ruckus in my First Impressions Restaurant!" The robust voice was authoritative and full of fearsome power.
That person came to a halt and his tall, erect figure gave off a potent and forbidding vibe.
"It"s Boss Qi!"
Someone in the crowd exclaimed.
"The regulations of my First Impressions Restaurant state that no one is allowed to fight in here. Seventh Prince is a frequent guest and knows this very well. I wonder what does he mean by causing all this commotion?" Qi Hao"s handsome face was grave. His brows were set in a stern line and his tone was imperious.
"Boss Qi, this woman has slandered my name. I must make her pay!" Chu Yixuan behaved rather cautiously toward Qi Hao. As angry as he was, he still held back some of his fury when speaking to Qi Hao.
"Seventh Prince, you know the rules of my First Impressions Restaurant very well. As long as this lady stands within my establishment, I will never allow you to attack her!" Qi Hao"s tone was calm but full of unyielding resolution.
"You…" Chu Yixuan gritted his teeth. He was just about to say something when Jiang Mo cut in.
"Boss Qi, in that case, we will take our leave now." Jiang Mo glanced at Zihou before looking at Chu Yixuan. He said in a soft voice, "Yixuan, a n.o.ble man will achieve his revenge, even if it takes ten years. The First Impressions Restaurant can help her this time, but can it protect her forever? Calm down first, we will settle our score with her later!"
Chu Yixuan was very reluctant but luckily still possessed a bit of wisdom. He gnashed his jaws and glared vehemently at Zihou before snorting angrily. "Let"s go!"
The situation was finally defused after Chu Yixuan slunk off. The onlookers also started to disperse, carrying with them an armful of gossip about Chu Yixuan…
"Miss, are you alright?" Qi Hao turned to smile at Zihou after the crowd dispersed.
"I"m fine. Thank you, Boss Qi, for rescuing me today." Zihou cupped her fists respectfully and smiled at him sincerely.
Although she would have her own way of resolving her crisis even without his interference, he did save her, and she was not stingy in her grat.i.tude.
Qi Hao"s smile widened and his eyes sparkled as he gazed at Zihou"s beautiful face.
"May I ask what is your name?" Qi Hao asked politely after a brief pause.
"Zihou."
"You are the Young Mistress of the Wei Family, Wei Zihou?" Qi Hao"s eyes flashed in antic.i.p.ation as he pursued further, his tone sounding somewhat strange.
Zihou observed the older man more closely. It must be said that he possessed a very formidable presence. He was already middle-aged but still extraordinarily handsome. He was like a fine wine that had matured and gotten better with age. He possessed the kind of gravity that only came with experience. Not only that, but it also appeared that he was the owner of this First Impressions Restaurant.
Tsk tsk, could he be that rare breed of a man: tall, rich and handsome?
"Indeed." Zihou nodded, having noticed the strange glint in Qi Hao"s eyes.
"Haha, you are all grown up now. Don"t you recognize me?" Qi Hao suddenly beamed and his tone turned affectionate.
Huh?
Zihou was completely tongue-tied. She was puzzled and had no idea how to respond.
Who could tell her what was going on? When did she come to know such a tall, rich and handsome uncle?
She carefully combed through her new memories but failed to find any linkage to this handsome older man.
Could he be some predatory weirdo?
"Girl, we have not met each other for over 10 years, so it"s not surprising you don"t remember me." Qi Hao reached out to pat Zihou"s head, but on second thought, he realized it might not be too appropriate and so awkwardly retrieved his hand. The smile on his face looked somewhat bitter.
"When you were young, you used to follow me around all the time, pestering me to carry you. You used to be very affectionate and called me Uncle Qi." Qi Hao gazed off into the distance as if witnessing that past scenario again.
Uncle Qi? Her good uncle?
The corners of Zihou"s lips twitched. She felt rather fl.u.s.tered. Such a handsome older man suddenly telling you that you used to pester him to carry you—it was inevitable that she would feel embarra.s.sed.
However, even though she had no impression of this person at all, she didn"t doubt his words. This man gave off such a clean, breezy vibe, warm and gentle.
And it seemed like some fragmented memories were resurfacing in her mind…
A cute little girl. A tall, handsome man. As well as a gorgeous lady… but as it was too long ago, her memories of that scene were too faded and splintered. She could not get a clear grasp of it.
Nevertheless, the memory of that strapping figure in her mind"s eye matched the image of this older man before her.
"Uncle Qi." Zihou greeted him affectionately. Her radiant smile and sweet voice had Qi Hao momentarily dazed.
He was struck by a sudden sense of melancholy on hearing her call him "Uncle Qi" again. It had been more than 10 years but time seemed to have just flown past.
Objects might remain the same, but people changed. That little girl had now matured into an adult woman. There were some things that could never go back to before.
If only… but there was no room for "if only" in this world!
Qi Hao shook his head with a bitter smile. He suppressed his emotions, but his eyes still held a sad light.
Zihou naturally detected his melancholy and regretful air, and she smiled with a faint sparkle in her eyes. "You are my good uncle, right?"
"Yes, good girl." Qi Hao smoothed over his churning emotions and chuckled. However, the curve of Zihou"s lips held a slightly wicked slant to it, which filled him with a sense of foreboding…
"Uncle Qi, since you are my good uncle and we are family, will my next visit here be free of charge?" Zihou asked brazenly.
Since they were one big family, there was no need to be coy about things, right?
Qi Hao: "…"