Your Aloof Persona Has Crumbled - Chapter 49

Lu Jingwei glanced at Wen Shike. “Even if we film this kind of footage, we probably can’t air it, right?”

“Aren’t we editing the VLOGs ourselves?” Wen Shike blinked. “Do they even care what we put in our own VLOGs?”

“Likely no one will bother you… but won’t it violate portrait rights?” Lu Jingwei frowned slightly.

“I’ll blur the faces.” Wen Shike opened the window and extended her GoPro outside. “Besides, if the traffic police show up later, this will serve as evidence.”

The next second, Wen Shike’s GoPro was snatched away. Without anyone noticing, the person who had cut them off earlier had run over to their side of the car. After grabbing the GoPro, he tried to force their door open, his face flushed with rage.

“You smelly b*tch, who gave you permission to film? Damn it, you locked the door?” The man reached out again, trying to unlock the door from the inside through the window. Wen Shike immediately grabbed her bag and swung it hard against his hand a few times.

Wen Shike frowned. “That brother behind us is filming too. Why don’t you go after him? Give me back my stuff.”

Likely provoked by Wen Shike, the man slammed the device onto the ground and yanked at the door handle twice more. He was clearly the one in the wrong, and having been cornered by a group of people further up the road, he was now venting his frustrations on Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei.

To him, these two slender, delicate young girls looked like easy targets to bully.

“Lu Jingwei, call the police.” Wen Shike’s face went dark, and she let out a cold laugh. “People with road rage shouldn’t be driving in the first place.”

“I’ve called them,” Lu Jingwei said.

“Ha! Two stinking sluts, dressed like this, who knows what you’re really up to. Calling the police? I wonder who they’ll actually arrest when they get here.”

“Please keep your mouth clean.”

“I won’t. What are you going to do about it? Did I hit a nerve? You’d better stay in that car forever, because if you step out, I’ll kill you!”

Wen Shike looked back at Lu Jingwei. Lu Jingwei’s window was closed, and she was holding a GoPro; every word the man said was being recorded.

The program staff were in a vehicle two cars behind the girls’ taxi. They had originally been poking their heads out to watch the commotion, but the situation quickly began to look grim.

“Isn’t that the Eldest Miss’s car?” “Yes, her GoPro was just snatched.” “What?! We’re doomed. Get out of the car, go check on them!” “My god, that man just insulted Wen Shike.” “What? Wen Shike?” A middle school girl in another car poked her head out. “Keke, is that you?! Keke!”

Of course, the girl was quickly pulled back inside by her mother.

“Get out of the car! What are you acting so tough for inside the car?!” The man sneered, yanking violently on the handle again.

“You shameless piece of work, only capable of bullying young girls!” The taxi driver and several others ran over, pushing him away. “Don’t you dare damage my car.”

“Get the hell away from me!”

The shouting match shifted toward Wen Shike’s side, and everything escalated. Whenever someone scolded the man, he would direct a barrage of insults back at Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei.

Wen Shike could only conclude that this was a classic case of “sitting at home while trouble falls from the sky.”

It was a typical case of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

However, one could only say this man had kicked a literal steel plate.

The road ahead had cleared slightly, and although traffic was moving at a snail’s pace, the man had no intention of leaving. Other cars began to drive around them.

The program staff arrived and warned the man several times that they were filming a show and told him to leave so he wouldn’t obstruct traffic. He refused to stop and even began cursing at the staff.

Upon hearing that Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei were celebrities, he became even more agitated. His insults grew increasingly foul, hurling verbal abuse and shaming them from every possible angle.

Yet, Wen Shike remained largely unmoved. Her expression didn’t even flicker, she was merely surprised that there were so many varieties of insults. It was the first time she had heard such things.

Lu Jingwei was also unaffected, her hand holding the GoPro steady without a single tremor.

Only a fool would argue back with a person like this.

More bystanders poked their heads out to film with their phones.

Seeing so many people filming and noticing that Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei weren’t talking back, the man assumed they had backed down. His tone took on a bizarre sense of pride, and he began to speak even faster.

Wen Shike didn’t understand what this man found so exciting. She lowered her head to send a message, then opened the door and stepped out. Lu Jingwei tried to follow, but Wen Shike firmly shut the door, keeping her inside.

Lu Jingwei, who had moved into Wen Shike’s original seat: “?”

She looked at Wen Shike, who gave her a reassuring glance.

As soon as Wen Shike stepped out, the panicked staff immediately moved between her and the man, terrified he might turn violent. If anything happened to Wen Shike during filming, the Yin family would likely never let the production team hear the end of it.

“The police are almost here. My lawyer is already on his way to the station. We’ll go there together shortly, and he will speak with you. I don’t know much about the law,” Wen Shike said, tidying her sleeves. “So I’m not sure how long you’ll be sentenced for, but I trust my lawyer will do his best to ensure you stay inside for as long as possible.”

“Intimidation and threats, severe verbal assault, robbery, and damage to personal property.” Wen Shike looked at him with cold eyes. “I wonder how old your child is. Does he plan on taking the civil service exam in the future? Having a father like you is truly his misfortune.”

The traffic police and local police arrived simultaneously.

Seeing the police cars, the man suddenly snapped out of it. The fire in his head finally began to die down, replaced by a look of panic. He tried to say something, but Wen Shike didn’t want to hear a single word.

What was supposed to be a trip to the Ancient City turned into a trip to the police station.

Once at the station, Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei didn’t actually need to say much, the GoPro had recorded the entire incident.

Wen Shike leaned back in her chair. A kind policewoman brought them glasses of warm water to calm their nerves, even though neither of them looked the least bit startled.

“No settlement,” Wen Shike stated.

“Young lady, I was just heated in the moment. I wasn’t thinking.” The man clenched his fists, his face flushed. “I’ll get on my knees for you, or you can even hit me a couple of times.”

“No settlement means no settlement. We will follow the law. Do you really think your knees are made of gold?” Wen Shike mocked. She took a sip of water and looked at the man standing nearby. “Lawyer Cao, I’ll leave it to you.”

Lawyer Cao was a recommendation from a friend, known for his high level of professional expertise.

“Understood, Miss Wen.” Lawyer Cao offered a confident smile. “Rest assured.”

The man wanted to say more, but he was held back. He looked like he wanted to start cursing again, but he restrained himself because he was in a police station.

After finishing their statements, Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei stayed for a while before leaving.

“People must be held responsible for their actions. Without a price to pay, they never learn,” Wen Shike said.

“True.” Lu Jingwei smiled. “Are you not angry at all?”

“The moment those foul words left his mouth, he became no different from a pile of trash in my eyes. Would you get upset with a pile of trash?” Wen Shike laughed.

The staff brought them a new GoPro. Wen Shike was a bit annoyed, the old one had been smashed to pieces, and she wasn’t sure if the footage inside could be recovered even if it were repaired.

The police station wasn’t far from the Ancient City, so they didn’t bother calling another taxi and instead walked over slowly.

The sky was completely dark now, and the streetlights were lit. The lamps were shaped like ancient lanterns, and the ancient city walls visible in the distance created a profound atmosphere.

Many flags were planted along the walls, alongside modern “bonfires.” One could faintly see the character “Jiang” written on the flags.

Since entry to the Ancient City was free, many people were out for a stroll, likely walking off their dinners. The area was lively, yet the atmosphere between some people was quiet and warm.

“Do you want to take some photos?” Wen Shike asked.

Lu Jingwei stopped and looked up at the massive wall, heavy with history. “Okay.”

They took several photos of each other and some together.

A message from Ming Wangxue came through, asking if they had arrived. Their group had already finished their tour. Upon checking their phones, they had seen the Weibo push notifications. Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei were trending again.

The nine of them had gathered to watch the videos online. Zhou Yueran had rolled up her sleeves on the spot, saying Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei were far too good-tempered.

[Ming Wangxue: You two and your luck… this is just too unlucky.]

[Wen Shike: It’s fine. Jingwei and I just arrived at the Ancient City. You guys can head back first.]

[Ming Wangxue: …]

[Zhou Yueran: Okay, are you two alright?]

[Wen Shike: We’re fine. We hired a lawyer.]

[Sheng Ling: That guy probably didn’t expect to run into a brick wall.]

Ming Wangxue gripped her phone and thought for a few seconds. Suddenly struck by an idea, she nudged Sheng Ling. “Actually, maybe it’s not bad luck. The heavens are just making sure the two of them get some private time. Isn’t that just destiny? Oh no, I’m shipping them again!”

Sheng Ling: “…”

It was past eight o’clock, but the Ancient City was still very crowded.

Wen Shike opened the memo on her phone and took a look. “There’s a shop here called Jiang City Steamed Cakes that’s supposed to be very good.”

“You even did your homework in advance?” Lu Jingwei was slightly surprised.

“Mhm.” Wen Shike nodded. “I did it this afternoon.” She looked around. “The shop should be near the city gate.”

“Is it that one?” Lu Jingwei tugged at Wen Shike’s hand, pointing to a dark red flag in the distance that said “Steamed Cakes.” The shop was decorated with historical charm, and there was a small stall set up outside.

“Should be.” Wen Shike felt a slight itch in her fingers where they had been touched.

They were in luck, there were exactly two pieces left. However, the red bean flavor Wen Shike wanted was sold out, leaving only red date and matcha. Wen Shike took the red date, and Lu Jingwei chose the matcha.

They sat down at the small outdoor stall. Wen Shike used the plastic knife provided by the shop to cut the cake in half and skewered a piece to hand to Lu Jingwei.

“Try it,” Wen Shike said.

“Thanks.”

Wen Shike had intended for Lu Jingwei to take the skewer, but the other girl leaned in and took a bite directly from her hand.

Wen Shike: !!!

Only for the second bite did Lu Jingwei actually take the skewer.

Wen Shike immediately lowered her head, focusing on eating her own portion. Then, a green piece of cake appeared next to her red one.

“Thank you,” Wen Shike said, without looking up.

The steamed cake was indeed delicious. The taste and texture were just right, sweet, but not cloying. Wen Shike finished both pieces.

Moreover, the price wasn’t expensive. For something the size of a palm, it was only three yuan, which didn’t feel like typical “tourist trap” pricing at all.