At this moment, a tea art attendant pushed open the door, carrying a delicate porcelain tray adorned with various styles of pastries. Upon closer inspection, this tea art attendant was an exceptionally beautiful young woman. With willowy eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a delicate nose, and cherry-like lips, her slender figure was tightly wrapped in a qipao, highlighting her graceful curves. The exposed forearm was fair and tender, and due to the high slit of the qipao, the voluptuous and slender thigh on one side was almost completely exposed, leaving some onlookers dumbfounded and swallowing hard.

Lin Jianghu happened to be sitting closest to the door, and upon seeing the tea art attendant enter, he was momentarily stunned. Quickly standing up, he extended his hands, attempting to take the tray, and unintentionally revealing a faint smile.

Little did he know that the patrons here were individuals who considered themselves of some status, and it was rare for anyone to voluntarily assist the tea art attendants in serving trays or tea. Lin Jianghu, with his exceptionally handsome appearance and long hair, fit the stereotypical image of someone with less-than-desirable habits in the eyes of many. Moreover, what he perceived as a well-intentioned smile appeared distorted to the tea art attendant, resembling a sinister and lascivious grin. Thinking he was attempting to take advantage, panic flashed in her eyes, and she instinctively retreated, taking a step back. In her haste, her heel landed awkwardly, causing a sharp pain to shoot through her ankle. Letting out a high-pitched scream, she lost grip of the tray, and her body tumbled to the ground.

The tray, following a parabolic trajectory, flew directly toward Lin Jianghu. While everyone expected him to use his hands to catch it, he suddenly raised his left leg to head level at an unimaginable speed. With an incredibly swift downward motion, a strong gust of leg wind slowed the tray's velocity. Then, lifting his right leg as the left one touched the ground, he effortlessly caught the tray. All the pastries inside the tray remained intact, still neatly arranged.

Xiao Zihan smiled as he watched Lin Jianghu, clapping his hands. "Jianghu, impressive legwork."

Others were staring at Lin Jianghu in amazement, as they hadn't been able to see clearly how he used his leg to catch the tray. At this moment, seeing Xiao Zihan applaud, they followed suit, applauding as well.

Wu Xiaofeng, on the other hand, was profoundly shocked, almost incredulous, as he gazed at Lin Jianghu. Under such rapid leg speed, to control both force and the point of impact so precisely—Wu Xiaofeng, considering his own capabilities, believed it would be impossible for him.

"You bunch of ruffians, hmph, not a decent person among you," a crisp but angry voice suddenly echoed, drawing everyone's attention. Only then did they remember that a beautiful lady was still lying on the floor.

Lin Jianghu was the closest to her, so he put down the tray and squatted down, expressing concern. "Are you okay?"

The woman stared fiercely at the person responsible for her fall, secretly cursing that if not for this troublemaker, she wouldn't have stumbled and twisted her ankle. Thinking about making a fool of herself in front of so many people, she felt both angry and embarrassed. Forget about the tea house's teachings on politeness and customer service, she pointed at Lin Jianghu's nose and scolded, "You shameless scoundrel, stay away from me." She had attempted to move her twisted right foot earlier, only to find it extremely painful. Since not moving was also not an option for getting up, she could only sit there, feeling increasingly frustrated. She had initially hoped someone would help her up, but unexpectedly, these people seemed to ignore her, clapping their hands for no apparent reason. This further fueled her anger, and she directed all her grievances toward Lin Jianghu.

Lin Jianghu was momentarily stunned by the scolding, looking at the delicate and slender finger pointing at him. He stammered, "Shameless scoundrel, me?"

"Not you, then who else? You should have some self-awareness," the woman said without a hint of kindness.

Lin Jianghu scratched his head, completely perplexed.

Xiao Zihan chimed in, trying to help, "Miss, you've misunderstood Lin little brother. He was just trying to help you with the tray. There was no ill intent. How did it turn into him being a troublemaker? Look at Lin little brother, outstanding and righteous. He looks every bit like a noble gentleman, a fine young man. The gap between him and the image of a troublemaker is like night and day. Miss, maybe you've made a mistake? Take a closer look."

Upon hearing Xiao Zihan's words, the woman reassessed Lin Jianghu. Seeing his well-defined features—thick eyebrows, large eyes, straight nose, and a broad forehead—he indeed did not fit the image of a troublemaker. Perhaps, she thought, she had been too nervous earlier, mistaking his genuine intentions for something else. Feeling embarrassed, she refused to admit it and said, "Can you tell if someone is a troublemaker just by their face? It's absurd. Anyway, it's all his fault. If he hadn't reached out, there wouldn't be any problem. If he needs to serve the tray, what do we need to do? Isn't he trying to take away my job? Even if he's not a troublemaker, he won't be a good Samaritan either."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Hey, young lady, what's with the way you're talking? Do you think Lin little brother is easy to bully? Just because he looks a bit refined, what's so impressive about that? You can find plenty like him on the streets. With Lin little brother's qualities, he could easily find women willing to undress for him. Damn, do you think you're more alluring than them? Look at your small chest and flat buttocks. What's worth Lin little brother 'oiling' you for?" Duan Jiaojiao couldn't stand it any longer and thought, "You're making a fuss in front of me, you're still so green."

The woman shivered at Duan Jiaojiao's words. Her delicate and beautiful face turned red with embarrassment, and even her jade-like ears flushed with a rosy hue. Such foul language, though heard before, suddenly felt different when directed at her. Instantly, she was filled with anger, her rage billowing like smoke from seven orifices. However, she had no idea how to retort, pointing at Duan Jiaojiao and stammering, "You..."

At this moment, Xiao Zihan smiled and said to Lin Jianghu, "Little brother Lin, the young lady probably can't stand up due to her twisted foot. Why don't you take a look?"

Lin Jianghu blushed and hesitated. He mumbled, "Big brother Xiao, this doesn't seem right."

Unperturbed, Xiao Zihan said, "Whether you look or not is up to you, but if the young lady has tendon or bone injuries, the responsibility will be yours."

Lin Jianghu hesitated for a moment, then bit his lip, his expression firm. He bent down.

"Hey, what are you doing? I don't want you to look. Get away from me. We have medical staff here. Hey, you..."

Lin Jianghu paid no attention to the woman's words. Swiftly, he removed the woman's high-heeled shoes, revealing a delicate and snow-white small foot. There were signs of swelling near the ankle, but it didn't look too severe. Lin Jianghu's hand hesitated for a moment, but he still gently massaged the woman's ankle. The skin under his touch was tender and smooth, like satin, creating a pleasant sensation. Lin Jianghu had never touched the skin of an adult woman, not even his sister. He was unintentionally captivated by this strange feeling, completely immersed in it. The pressure from his hands became even more gentle and soothing, with a careful balance of force.

The woman, feeling shy, closed her eyes. The thought of her small foot being touched by a man made her want to find a hole to hide in. Perhaps, due to mistakenly accusing Lin Jianghu earlier, she didn't resist at this moment. As Lin Jianghu gradually increased the pressure, the pain at her twisted ankle intensified. However, amid the pain, a tingling sensation accompanied it, alleviating her suffering. It made her heart pound, like a deer in disarray, reducing her pain to the point where she refrained from crying out.

At this moment, the room fell into complete silence, everyone quietly watching Lin Jianghu and the tea art attendant.

"Ah-choo!" A sneeze rudely interrupted the silence, making everyone aware of the surroundings. Yan Tiannong rubbed his nose apologetically and glanced around.

The woman, prompted by this peculiar "reminder," suddenly realized that nearly ten people were watching her. A wave of embarrassment swept over her, and she subconsciously tried to kick Lin Jianghu's hand.

However, her already injured foot couldn't endure any further mistreatment, causing her to cry out in pain. Lin Jianghu was also startled. If the scream when the woman twisted her foot wasn't loud enough for those outside to hear, this time, the much louder scream echoed inside and outside the tea house.

The person in charge arrived swiftly with two tall and sturdy men accompanying him, all dressed in sharp suits, indicating an authoritative presence. Seeing the tea house's attendant lying on the ground with a man touching her bare foot, the manager's initial reaction was that the man was a lascivious person. While tea houses traditionally represented a place of refined and leisurely atmosphere, attracting individuals of noble character, societal changes had transformed their nature. Nowadays, they leaned more towards places for casual conversation and relaxation, drawing a diverse crowd where it became challenging to distinguish the virtuous from the less reputable. Instances of tea attendants being harassed by patrons had become quite common, and the manager had witnessed many. Consequently, he didn't immediately express his anger and maintained a composed demeanor, asking, "What happened?"

Standing up, Xiao Zihan calmly explained, "This young lady accidentally twisted her ankle, and my friend was just checking on her."

The manager clearly didn't believe Xiao Zihan's explanation. Bending down to inspect the woman's ankle, he sighed with relief upon seeing redness and swelling. Observing that the young lady wasn't resisting, he apologized, "I apologize for the disturbance caused by our staff's momentary negligence. On behalf of our manager, I extend our apologies to everyone."

Waving it off, Xiao Zihan said, "No worries." Then, he turned to Lin Jianghu, saying, "Little brother Lin, help this young lady to the medical room."

The manager, still skeptical, hurriedly added, "Sir, we have professional medical staff. There's no need to trouble your friend."

Smiling, Xiao Zihan replied, "My friend is an expert in this field. With his help, this young lady will recover quickly. I believe you wouldn't want your employee to be absent from work for an extended period, right?"

After a moment of consideration, the manager reluctantly agreed, "Fine, please follow me." With that, he exited the tea house.

Looking at Xiao Zihan, Lin Jianghu anxiously said, "Big brother Xiao, I'm really not skilled in this."

Interrupting him, Xiao Zihan said, "Little brother Lin, don't be too modest. Trust me, you're capable. Go on, take the young lady to the medical room."

Lin Jianghu nodded helplessly, extending his large hands towards the woman's waist. Surprisingly calm at this moment, the woman didn't voice any objections. However, when Lin Jianghu's hand approached her slender waist, a seductive blush appeared on her face. Yet, she made no effort to refuse. Apparently, Lin Jianghu's previous massage had somewhat bridged the gap between them, at least making them less like strangers.

Once Lin Jianghu left, Xiao Zihan turned to Yan Tiannong, saying, "Father-in-law, please come out for a moment. I have something to discuss with you regarding Yan Mei."

Hearing this, Yan Tiannong shivered briefly, then chuckled, "Are you going to ask about the test? Curious how your father-in-law managed it, huh? Alright, since you're hesitant to discuss it in public, let's talk privately."

Impressed, Xiao Zihan gave him a thumbs-up, praising, "Father-in-law is amazing. You can guess everything."