Free Web NovelChapter 387: Chapter 387: Locked Horns
Tang Xiao’nan snapped out of it and saw the napkin in her hand. Beside her, Jim Thorne was giving her a strange look. He held out his hand. "Let me use that to blow my nose."
"Yuck, yuck, yuck..."
A wave of disgust washed over Tang Xiao’nan. She threw the napkin at Jim Thorne and shot him a fierce glare. Jim innocently rubbed his nose, took the napkin, blew his nose with it, and went back to stuffing his face.
A soft chuckle reached her ears. Tang Xiao’nan instinctively turned her head and her eyes met the Mad Lord’s again. The imposing man with the cold, severe features was actually smiling, the corners of his lips quirked upward. ’He must have been the one laughing.’
Tang Xiao’nan didn’t dare meet his eyes, so she lowered her gaze, hoping to avoid trouble.
The smile on the Mad Lord’s face turned icy. He suddenly barked, "You, little girl. Come here."
Tang Xiao’nan jumped. ’He can’t be talking to me, can he?’
’But I made sure not to look him in the eye. Maybe he’s calling someone else.’ Tang Xiao’nan pretended not to hear, lowering her head to nibble on her bun. But she couldn’t taste a thing, and she silently prayed he wasn’t talking to her. frёeωebɳovel.com
"Putting on airs, are we, little girl? Get over here!" The Mad Lord pointed directly at Tang Xiao’nan. This did not look good.
Aston Marsh jumped, forcing a placating smile. "Mad Lord, she’s just a child who doesn’t know any better. Please, you’re a magnanimous man, don’t stoop to a child’s level."
The Mad Lord snorted. "I wasn’t talking to you. I said, have the little girl come over."
Jim Thorne shot to his feet, his fists clenched. Aston Marsh, so scared his knees felt weak, quickly shoved Jim back into his seat. "Do you have a death wish?" he hissed. "This is his turf! How many of his men do you think you can take on? Stay put!"
"I don’t care if I can’t win, I still have to fight! No one bullies my sister!" Jim grumbled defiantly.
A warmth spread through Tang Xiao’nan’s heart. She was terrified, but she couldn’t let her brother get into trouble for her sake. ’It must be because I snuck a look at him earlier. This whole mess is my fault for not being more careful.’
"I’m coming over."
Tang Xiao’nan bravely lifted her head and met the Mad Lord’s gaze as if he were any other person. She had expected to see something unusual about his eyes, but after staring for a good while, she couldn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. They were just a normal pair of eyes, completely devoid of emotion. freewёbnoνel.com
Jim Thorne started to follow, but Adrian Hawthorne held him back. Adrian’s eyes remained fixed on the Mad Lord. If that man so much as laid a finger on Tang Xiao’nan, he would start a commotion and use the chaos to get her out of there.
The Mad Lord watched Tang Xiao’nan with interest. ’The little girl’s got some nerve.’ He poured a cup of tea and gestured for her to drink it.
Tang Xiao’nan picked up the cup and took a sip. Her entire face puckered. It was horribly bitter. ’Does this guy enjoy torturing himself?’
A flicker of amusement showed in the Mad Lord’s eyes. He grabbed a few steamer baskets from a passing cart. "Eat up."
With a pained expression, Tang Xiao’nan took a crystal dumpling. The taste finally washed away the bitterness in her mouth, and her fear began to subside. ’A big shot like him wouldn’t really pick on a little kid, right? He probably just thinks I’m cute and wants to treat me to breakfast.’
Feeling relieved, Tang Xiao’nan flashed the Mad Lord a wide grin, trying to use her cuteness to win him over. But—
"Stop smiling. It’s ugly as sin," the Mad Lord snapped, his brow furrowed.
Tang Xiao’nan snapped her mouth shut, but she fumed internally. ’How am I ugly? I’m fair-skinned, chubby, and adorable! This guy must be blind. No wonder he doesn’t want people looking at his eyes.’
"Eat," the Mad Lord commanded.
Tang Xiao’nan glanced into the steamer basket, chose a shrimp dumpling, and began eating it in tiny bites. She didn’t want to expose her gapped tooth and be called ugly again.
"Why aren’t you taking bigger bites? You think the food I ordered tastes bad?" The Mad Lord’s tone grew even harsher.
A surge of anger rose in her chest. Tang Xiao’nan had the overwhelming urge to smash the shrimp dumpling in her hand right into his face. ’Damn it, is this guy going through menopause or something? I don’t even know him, and he’s going psycho on me for no reason!’
