*In Front of the Smile Café*
Shayu Fan lay on the ground, barely able to stand, with his mouth full of blood and a few broken teeth. Beside him was an old man in a white robe with a long beard, while opposite them stood Alex with his right hand covered in blood.
The old man said, "Young man, you have good reflexes."
Alex stared directly at the person in front of him and said, "What do you want, old man?"
"Well, you're trying to harm the guard of the lady I serve."
Upon hearing this, Alex wanted to say something, but a scream came from behind him: "Aaaalex, are you okay?"
Alex turned around and saw Jo Shiner approaching him, holding his hand and asking, "Are you okay? Does your hand hurt?"
Alex didn't know what to say, looking at Shayu Fan and feeling pity for him. The hero is injured, and the heroine isn't concerned about him but is worried about the villain who attacked him.
Alex replied, "I'm fine."
Jo Shiner said, "But what about the blood on your hand?"
"It's not my blood."
"Cough... cough."
Jo Shiner turned to the source of the sound, her face turning cold as she said, "Jo Jan, what if you hurt Alex with your actions?"
Jo Jan replied, "Young lady, he was trying to harm Shayu Fan."
She responded sharply and angrily, "He was the one who tried to harm him first. It's natural for Alex to defend himself."
Shayu Fan, who had remained lying on the ground after hearing Jo Shiner's words, said, "Shiner, I did this to protect you. He was following you, so don't let him deceive you just because he saved you. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Jo Shiner said sternly, "Be quiet, who said he was following me?"
Shayu Fan added, "He came to the same café at the same time you did. Isn't that strange? He's trying to create an opportunity to get close to you and deceive you. He might be an enemy of your family."
Upon hearing this, the old man Jo Jan looked at Alex and said, "Young man, if you don't give me an explanation, don't blame me for my rudeness."
Jo Shiner clenched her teeth upon hearing Shayu Fan's words and wanted to say that the café belonged to Alex, but if she did, Alex would know that she was investigating his background, which might anger him.
"Sorry, I'm not a fan of talking," Alex replied seriously to Jo Jan.
"Very well, I'll make you talk the hard way."
"Try if you can."
Then Jo Shiner intervened with a harsh tone, "Old man, if you hurt Alex, I'll make you regret it."
"Sorry, young lady, but it might be as Shayu Fan said, so your safety is my priority."
Jo Jan prepared to attack, but before he could, a voice made him halt his movements: "Sir, are you okay?"
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice and saw a woman in a waitress uniform, covering half of her face, standing in front of the café door.
Alex said, "I'm fine, Xia Waner. You can go back."
Xia Waner hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay, sir."
The old man Jo Jan, looking confused, asked, "Sir! What does that mean?"
Alex replied, "As you can see, old man, I'm the owner of the café."
Shayu Fan and Jo Jan were surprised by Alex's words. Jo Jan looked at Shayu Fan and said, "Didn't you say he was following the young lady?"
Shayu Fan had nothing to say, glaring at Alex with hatred and saying, "Alex, you scoundrel, you did this deliberately to set me up."
Alex looked at Shayu Fan as if he were a fool and thought to himself, "The protagonist really has thick skin." Both Jo Jan and Jo Shiner's faces turned red upon hearing his words. Then Jo Shiner spoke in a stern tone.
"Shayu Fan, you're dismissed from today. There's no need for you to come to protect me. As for my grandfather, I'll discuss it with him."
She added, "Jo Jan, I've seen everything. I don't think Shayu Fan deserves to be my guard."
Jo Jan replied, "Yes, young lady. I will make sure to convey your words to the head of the family."
He then turned to Alex, clasped his hands, and bowed, "Please excuse this old man's rudeness for rushing to judgment."
Alex waved his hand and said, "It's fine, you're just doing your job. And please keep this dog away from my place."
Jo Jan replied, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
Shayu Fan shouted, "Alex, I'll kill you!"
Shayu Fan tried to attack but found himself feeling dizzy. When he turned around, he saw Jo Jan glaring at him and saying, "Rest for a while."
Then Jo Jan carried him on his back and said, "Young lady, I'll take my leave and return after dealing with this matter."
Jo Shiner said, "Okay, you may leave."
After Jo Jan left, Jo Shiner turned to Alex and said, "I'm sorry, Alex, for causing you trouble."
"It's fine. But what are you doing here?"
Jo Shiner stammered, "I... I was passing by when I saw the café. I wanted to buy breakfast. I didn't know it was yours, haha."
Alex looked at her for a moment before nodding, "Well, welcome. Would you like me to make you some coffee?"
Jo Shiner, hearing this, fell into a deep state of rapture... Coffee made by Alex, coffee made by Alex. I want that, I want that, I want that, I want that, I want that, I want that, I want that, I want that, I want that.
"Hello, are you with me?"
Jo Shiner snapped out of her daze upon hearing Alex's words and said, "Yes, please."
Then Alex entered the café, with Jo Shiner following behind him, wearing a strangely obsessive smile.
---
*Villa of the Su Family*
A taxi slowly stopped in front of the large iron gate of the Su Family's mansion, designed with elegance and luxury. A young man in his twenties got out of the car, examining the mansion which symbolized grandeur and authority.
"Is this the mansion of my godmother?" he muttered, surveying the magnificent façade adorned with golden carvings. "Well then, let me go there."
As he advanced toward the entrance, a guard dressed in a full black uniform with a small hat stopped him, his face serious and stern. He said in a monotone voice, "Who are you? I advise you to leave; this is private property of the Su Family."
The young man responded boldly, "I am the son of Lady Su."
The guard was taken aback. He had heard about Lady Su's son but had never seen him. He was surprised for a moment and then said, "Alright, wait a minute."
The guard took out a walkie-talkie from his pocket and pressed the button to speak, "Hello, there is someone here claiming to be the son of the lady."
The voice on the other end asked, [What's his name?]
"What's your name?" the guard asked sternly.
Lin Fan hesitated for a moment before deciding to avoid revealing his true identity. He knew that his godmother had another son named Alex, who was not liked by her. If he mentioned his name to the guard, she might greet him with reluctance. But at that moment, he would surprise her by not being Alex, and she would be much happier to see him instead of the one she disliked.
"Alex Shon," Lin Fan said, smiling widely as he imagined the expression his godmother would make upon seeing him.
"He says his name is Alex Shon."
[Alright, I will inform the lady.]
In the Su Family's mansion, Su Min'er sat on one of the comfortable chairs in the back garden, surrounded by large trees and colorful flowerbeds. She watched as the predatory lions devoured the corpses scattered in the fenced-in backyard, while sunlight filtered through the branches.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
"What's the matter?" she asked calmly without lifting her gaze.
[Madam, there is someone named Alex Shon who claims to be your son.]
Su Min'er froze for a moment, then smiled lightly before standing up quickly. "Where is he?"
[He's outside, waiting at the entrance.]
"What are you waiting for? Let him in immediately."
[As you wish, madam.]
Su Min'er ended the call and walked towards the entrance, saying with joy, "Alex, I knew you couldn't stay away from me. Hahaha!"
---
*Note*
Dear readers,
Thank you so much for your kind support. If you enjoyed my writing and were touched by my stories, please share your experience by leaving a positive review. Your words help spread the work and motivate me to create more. Your support means a lot to me!
With sincere thanks and appreciation,
[Author]