Chapter 18: Paying Back What Is Owed

Inside the noodle shop, a vibrant young woman with delicate features and a gentle smile moved gracefully among the tables, a jet-black ponytail swaying behind her as she served meals to the guests.

“Let’s go. The noodles here are quite good,” Lu Ming said to Huo Yutong, stepping inside first.

Huo Yutong, having grown up in a well-off family, was unaccustomed to dining in such places and felt a bit out of place.

They found an empty table and sat down. The girl, noticing new customers, hurried over to greet them.

“What would you like to eat… Oh, Brother Lu, it’s you!” The girl’s smile grew even brighter when she recognized Lu Ming.

Lu Ming smiled back, “You’re becoming more beautiful every day, Dongni. Bring your brother two bowls of zhajiang noodles.”

“Brother Lu, you’re teasing me again. Just a moment, I’ll be right back.” With a flourish of her ponytail, as lively as a butterfly among flowers, she dashed off to the kitchen.

Witnessing this, Huo Yutong couldn’t resist giving Lu Ming a playful pinch at his waist. “So this is your idea of treating someone to a meal—coming here to flirt with a pretty girl.”

But almost immediately, she realized her words might be inappropriate, and her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

Lu Ming turned to her, his smile fading, replaced by a note of melancholy in his voice. “She’s the younger sister of a good friend. Her brother and I met with misfortune while we were away. His last words to me before he died were to take care of his only family—his little sister.”

Huo Yutong’s expression darkened as well, and she hurried to apologize. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I was just joking.”

“It’s all right. The noodles here are really good though, you should try them,” Lu Ming said, changing the subject.

Xue Dongni’s brother, Xue Donglin, had once been Lu Ming’s loyal subordinate, squad leader, a brother-in-arms who had braved countless dangers together with him. In the Battle of the Dragon, Xue Donglin was killed in action. With his dying breath, he’d entrusted his only sister to Lu Ming’s care.

After returning to Xijing, Lu Ming tracked down Xue Dongni, who was studying at Xijing University. He delivered Xue Donglin’s belongings to her and took on the responsibility of caring for her as if she were his own sister.

Every week, Lu Ming would visit the noodle shop where Xue Dongni worked part-time, checking in on her. Over time, his fondness for this adopted sister only deepened.

The siblings had lost their parents early and relied solely on each other. To give his sister a better life, Xue Donglin had gone abroad to work as a mercenary, which was how he and Lu Ming became sworn brothers. After Xue Donglin’s death, a generous pension was left for Xue Dongni. Yet, after her initial grief, she never touched the money, choosing instead to support herself through scholarships and part-time jobs.

Lu Ming had no idea what she was saving that money for, but he deeply respected her decision and grew all the more fond of her.

Soon, Xue Dongni returned, deftly carrying two bowls of zhajiang noodles, each with an extra helping of sauce.

“Brother Lu, Miss, please enjoy your meal,” she said, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she beamed at them.

“Thank you,” Huo Yutong replied with a smile, and the two began to eat.

As they ate, Xue Dongni busied herself with her work once more.

Before long, they’d finished their noodles. Lu Ming wiped his mouth and asked, “How was it?”

Honestly, Huo Yutong usually did not eat so much; she could never finish such a large bowl of noodles. But after hearing about Xue Dongni’s story and noticing the extra sauce, she forced herself to eat every bite.

“It was delicious,” Huo Yutong replied with a smile.

Lu Ming grinned and stood up to pay. Just then, a flustered girl burst in, calling, “Dongni! Dongni!”

Xue Dongni, busy as ever, turned and greeted her with a smile, “Li Wei, what’s wrong?”

Before she could finish, seven or eight young men with dyed yellow hair swaggered in behind Li Wei, each with an unfriendly glare. They crowded into the shop, hemming Li Wei in.

The other diners, seeing their menacing appearance and sensing trouble, hurriedly paid and left, many abandoning their meals.

Lu Ming, on his way to the counter, slowly sat back down.

Huo Yutong, reassured by Lu Ming’s presence, remained calm and composed at his side.

Within moments, the shop had emptied. The leader of the group stepped forward, grinning wickedly at Li Wei.

“Little lady, we’ve been waiting for you for days. If you’ve got guts, don’t leave campus.”

Li Wei, trembling with fear, clung to Xue Dongni’s arm, unable to speak.

Xue Dongni gently stroked Li Wei’s back. “Li Wei, what happened?”

“It’s about the loan. The deadline’s up, and Yifan can’t be found. They’ve been waiting for me outside the school gates,” Li Wei whispered.

Xue Dongni shook her head, exasperated by the situation.

Meanwhile, the shop’s owner and his wife watched nervously from the kitchen, peeking out to see how things would unfold.

Seeing her roommate so frightened, Xue Dongni had no choice but to address the leader. “She wasn’t the one who used the money. The person who took it can’t be reached right now, but once we find him, we’ll repay you. Please stop harassing her.”

The young man sneered. “Easy for you to say. She’s the one who borrowed the money—I don’t care who used it. I’m looking for her. And I know you, too. You’re Xue Dongni, right? She listed you as her guarantor. If she can’t pay, you’d better be ready to settle her debt.”

He clearly came prepared, his tone uncompromising.

Xue Dongni was left speechless with anger.

Li Wei was her university roommate and a close friend. Some time ago, Li Wei had started dating a man named Li Yifan, an alleged rich kid from outside the school. Not long into their relationship, Li Wei succumbed to his persistent pursuit.

A few months later, Li Yifan’s business ran into trouble. He’d even sold his luxury car but still couldn’t make ends meet. Li Wei, deeply concerned, was told by her boyfriend that he only needed a few hundred thousand more to turn things around—if he could just get the funds, his company would be safe. He’d already borrowed and sold everything he could.

Li Wei was anxious for his future. Her boyfriend claimed his father was testing him: if he pulled through, he’d inherit the family business; if not, it would go to his younger brother. If the company failed, his future would be ruined.

Just then, Li Wei was approached via social media by someone offering an online loan. The lender promised that if she was willing to use nude photos as collateral, she could borrow half a million yuan.

After days of inner struggle, Li Wei’s desire to help her boyfriend overcame her reservations. She took out the fifty thousand loan with her photos as collateral.

When she transferred the money to her boyfriend’s account, he was moved to tears, vowing eternal fidelity.

That night, they shared a sweet and passionate evening at a hotel, and for the next ten days, they were inseparable.

But as the repayment date approached, Li Wei suddenly lost all contact with her boyfriend. Panic set in. No matter how many calls or messages she sent, there was no response from Li Yifan—until the debt collectors appeared.

Seeing Xue Dongni stand up for her, Li Wei gathered her courage and spoke to the gang. “My boyfriend used the money. His company’s about to recover, and he’ll repay you soon. Please, stop coming to my school. I just want to study.”

The gang leader leered. “If you owe money, you pay it back. Your boyfriend’s got nothing to do with me. Whoever borrowed the money, that’s who I want. Don’t forget, we have your photos. If you don’t pay, you know what happens.”

At his words, Li Wei nearly burst into tears. She was just a student—where could she possibly find so much money? If they released those photos, her life would be ruined.

“I don’t have that kind of money, please, just wait until my boyfriend can pay you back. We’ll give you extra interest,” Li Wei pleaded.

The leader grinned maliciously. “That’s none of my concern. You’re already a week overdue. If you don’t pay today, your nudes go public tonight. It’s your choice.”

The mention of those photos drained the color from Li Wei’s face. Even Xue Dongni was stunned; she clearly hadn’t known about this.

“What happened?” Xue Dongni asked.

Li Wei hesitated, but seeing the thugs wouldn’t relent, she whispered to Xue Dongni, “I used my pictures as collateral for the loan… for Yifan.”

Xue Dongni’s head throbbed. Her roommate had truly acted without thinking.

But now, there was no choice but to pay off the loan—otherwise, how could Li Wei ever face anyone again?

After a moment’s thought, Xue Dongni said, “Fine, I’ll pay the money. Will that settle it?”

The leader grinned widely. “Of course. Principal and interest, that’s seven hundred and fifty thousand. Cash or card?”

“What? Seven hundred and fifty thousand? Wasn’t the loan fifty thousand?” Xue Dongni demanded, furious.

The thug’s face grew cold. “No interest? No late fees? Collection comes free? Honestly, we’re giving you a deal.”

“You’re nothing but thieves!” Xue Dongni’s face flushed crimson.

She did have some savings, but they were the money her brother had died to earn—she’d always kept it for the future, to start a company in his name and carve out a life for herself and her brother’s memory.

Now, forced to use it, she was sickened at the thought of handing it over to extortionists.

Realizing Xue Dongni had money, the gang leader’s expression turned vicious. “Boys, take these two with us. If they don’t pay today, let’s have our fun first, then release the photos.”

His underlings advanced, ready to act.

Just then, a lazy voice called out.

“Wait a moment.”