Even though they were domineeringly shooed away from the lively scene by Su Ning, the crowd of onlookers still maintained an immensely powerful passion for gossiping about the Guan family's act of "bearing the brambles to ask for forgiveness."
It had been so many years since they had seen such a grand spectacle!
Early the next morning, the front page headlines urgently printed by the newspaper offices were dominated by an eye-catching photo of a bare-chested man carrying thorny brambles on his back.
Newsboys waved the papers and shouted:
University Scholar Humiliatingly Pleads for Forgiveness, For What Reason?
Story of the Warring States Period Reenacted Today
Local Snake Cannot Defeat the Crossing Dragon, Guan Family's Decline Hard to Hide
Attempted Price Gouging Fails, Slapped in the Face Instead, Miss Su Shows No Mercy
It could be said that all the newspaper publishers brought out their best tricks, each headline more explosive than the last. Their efforts paid off, as passersby basically all stopped in their tracks.
"Hey, hey, hey, newsboy, give me a copy."
"Give me one too. What a bizarre thing, a grown man streaking in the snow. Could this be another one of those fads from abroad?"
"You haven't even read it yet, what nonsense are you spouting? He only bared his upper half, how is that streaking? And look here, he's carrying brambles, brambles! Don't you understand 'bearing the brambles to ask for forgiveness'?"
"What are you showing off for? Did you eat gunpowder this morning? I haven't even gotten a clear look yet. Does my casual comment bother you? Anyone who didn't know better would think this streaker is your relative!"
"Bullshit..."
The more the two argued, the angrier they got. People were already irritable going to work on a winter morning, and seeing that a fight was about to break out, the bystanders hurriedly stepped in to pull them apart.
"There's no need for this, no need."
"Calm down, everyone. We are all civilized people. It's almost the New Year, fighting is a bad omen."
Someone else chimed in with a stroke of genius:
"If you really fight and word gets out, what will people say? That you fought tooth and nail over a naked man in the newspaper?"
"Ew..."
The two men, who had just been glaring at each other and rolling up their sleeves, sprang apart like coils, terrified of being misunderstood. The atmosphere was extremely awkward. To ease the tension, one of the peacemakers changed the subject:
"My newspaper says that the naked... bah, the one bearing the brambles to apologize is the young master of the Guan family. A talented university student who has even published poetry."
Wickedly enough, right below the photo was his poetry.
The very fresh and melancholic words, paired with the dejected, half-naked photo in the snow where he was trying to cover himself up, truly made one find it both hilarious and pitiful.
The others also hurriedly flipped through their newspapers.
"No wonder. The Guan family offended that Miss Su first and suffered terrible retaliation. They really had no other choice but to bear the brambles to apologize and hope she calms down."
"Why is it her again? How long has she even been back in Peiping? She causes one incident after another. First the Fang family, now the Guan family... She doesn't know how to rest for even a moment."
This came from someone who couldn't stand Su Ning's arrogance.
"What nonsense. To be fair, Miss Su might seek revenge for the smallest grievances, but when has it ever not been someone else provoking her first? Take the Guan family for instance, their way of doing things was too unethical. Who wouldn't be angry about a sudden price hike when selling a mansion?"
Human nature admires the strong, and someone immediately retorted.
"Exactly, exactly."
"The Guan family was in the wrong, but Miss Su was also a bit too overbearing. What business deal doesn't have haggling? Striking out to vent her anger over a single disagreement and forcing someone to bear the brambles to apologize... Who will be willing to work with her in the future?"
"With money, what is there to fear?"
The reports from the various newspapers were not identical; each had its own focus, so the crowd simply shared them to read.
They began to discuss it animatedly.
You say one thing, I say another. Spit flew as they talked, and none of them felt cold anymore.
...
The news quickly spread through the streets and alleys of Peiping.
The Guan family had many old connections. Some close friends rushed over directly to offer comfort. "You still need to relax your mind..."
"That Su Ning went too far. No matter how rich she is, she makes people want to keep a respectful distance. If nothing else, we will definitely stand by your side."
Master Guan's voice was a bit weak:
"Well, it can't really be considered going too far. Once you spend more time with her, you'll know that Miss Su is actually a very good person."
What?
The old family friend almost thought he had misheard. He carefully observed Master Guan's expression and saw that he didn't look heavily devastated at all; instead, he looked quite energetic. Suspiciously, he asked:
"Could it be that she still bought the mansion? And didn't force the price down too much?"
His voice gradually rose.
Hearing this, Master Guan nodded reservedly. "Miss Su really likes our Xiunian. Aside from clearing all of our family's debts, she also gave us this amount."
He held up one hand, displaying five fingers.
"Five thousand dollars?"
The old friend asked enviously. Since they knew each other well, he had a rough idea of how much debt the Guan family was in. The oldest debts could be traced back to over a decade ago.
In short, it was absolutely not a small sum.
Without these debts, the Guan family's old foundation would remain intact. Coupled with five thousand silver dollars in cash, needless to say, their life would instantly become comfortable.
Master Guan slowly shook his head and smiled:
"Five thousand? Then you are underestimating Miss Su. Add another zero to the end of that!"
Hiss—
The old friend gasped, completely unable to sit still anymore. Fifty thousand silver dollars! Looking at the smile on Master Guan's face, he found it incredibly glaring no matter how he looked at it.
No wonder the newspapers were overwhelmingly reporting on his family's humiliating affair, yet he wasn't anxious or angry in the slightest. If it were him, let alone bearing brambles to apologize, even streaking naked once would be worth it!
"I've made a fool of myself in front of you."
The old friend shook his head, mocking himself as he sat back down. "Come to think of it, every time this lady makes a move, it's a massive endeavor, yet every time it leaves people in disbelief. At such a young age, even if she is immensely wealthy, her boldness is simply too great."
"A qilin shows its extraordinary horns even in its youth. What is there to disbelieve?"
Master Guan caressed his teacup, enthusiastically telling him about the conversation and his feelings when he met Su Ning. His words were full of praise and admiration.
This was the result of him and his entire family brainstorming together.
The grander and more magnificent Su Ning's image was, the less face they lost. Losing to someone who was both immensely wealthy and possessed unparalleled talent—wasn't that only natural?
