Chapter 781 You’re Just Begging for a Slap

• The worst part wasn’t just running into someone—it was running into Xu Hui. Her sworn enemy from back in the day. Years ago, both she and Xu Hui had a crush on Hu Jiaxin’s father. In the end, he chose Xu Hui, and the two got married. That hit Li Xiaojuan hard. She held a grudge against Xu Hui ever since. They hadn’t spoken in years, but Li Xiaojuan still kept tabs on her, peeking at her Moments whenever she was bored. The moment she saw Xu Hui having a rough time, her mood instantly lifted. Today, coming to this high-end restaurant, Li Xiaojuan had planned to flex a little—post something to her feed and let Xu Hui see how she was living now. She never expected they’d actually bump into each other here. That pissed her off. Xu Hui let out a cold laugh. “This isn’t exactly some unaffordable place. What here is beyond you?” Xu Hui was usually low-key, but running into an old rival brought the temper right back. Seeing her attitude, Jayce instantly knew who Hu Jiaxin took after. Mother and daughter were cut from the same mold. Hearing Xu Hui’s jab, Li Xiaojuan’s face darkened. She wasn’t having it. “Oh? Listen to yourself. So a three-star Michelin is just your home cooking now?” Xu Hui smiled. “You could say that. My daughter’s raking it in these days. Forget eating at Michelin—she could buy a few Michelin places if she felt like it. But honestly, I don’t think this place tastes all that great. I prefer oriental style restaurants.” After that, Li Xiaojuan ground her teeth. What a show-off. How can she brag this hard? “Buy a Michelin restaurant? What, your daughter’s the richest woman now? Made it big? What business are you in—robbing banks?” She rolled her eyes nonstop, clearly not buying it. And yeah—who could buy a Michelin restaurant other than a top-tier tycoon? How rich could Xu Hui’s daughter possibly be? Hu Jiaxin only smiled and kept quiet. She let her mom have this moment. With her net worth, a Michelin spot wasn’t even on her radar. She was the jewelry queen of Chanaea, worth hundreds of billions. Ordinary people couldn’t compare. Xu Hui sneered, a smug look on her face as she glanced at the jewelry on Li Xiaojuan. “Those pieces—you got them from Jiaxin Jewelry, right? They do look lovely.” Li Xiaojuan blinked, stunned that Xu Hui would compliment her. It threw her off. She snorted. “That’s right. This is from Jiaxin Jewelry. The set cost tens of thousands. What, jealous? Want one too?” Xu Hui burst out laughing. “Oh, I’m definitely jealous. But I don’t need to buy. Jiaxin Jewelry… let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Hu Jiaxin.” Li Xiaojuan froze, staring at Hu Jiaxin. Her expression shifted a few times, then turned stiff. “Hu Jiaxin… You’re the boss of Jiaxin Jewelry?” Hu Jiaxin gave a soft smile and nodded. “That’s right. Your set is one of our budget-friendly lines—the cheapest set, actually. Thanks for the support.” The moment she said it, Li Xiaojuan’s face locked up. Awkward. Brutally awkward. She’d tried to show off her jewelry, only to flash it in front of Hu Jiaxin herself. And Jiaxin was the boss. What a joke. Li Xiaojuan clenched her teeth and snorted. “So what? Still sold it with your looks, didn’t you? If you hadn’t flirted with Old Hu back then, how would you have had a daughter like this?” She was furious. In her head, if Xu Hui hadn’t stolen her boyfriend, the jewelry-empire daughter would be hers now. As soon as she said it, Xu Hui’s face darkened. “Li, have you no shame? At your age, you’re really saying this? Got any dignity left?” Li Xiaojuan laughed coldly. “I have no shame? Who’s shameless here? You seduced my man and now you dare brag to my face? You’re the shameless one, you bitch!” “You—you’re full of crap! Li Xiaojuan, you’ve only yourself to blame. Calling someone else a bitch? You’re the shameless bitch!” Xu Hui snapped back. Rage burned through Li Xiaojuan. “Bitch, I’m going to finish this!” She lunged and swung a slap at Xu Hui. So what if the daughter had money? She’d still smack her. Jayce frowned. What was with women these days? Why did every argument turn into a brawl? He shook his head, helpless, and stepped in again. With Jayce there, there was no way he’d let Hu Jiaxin and her mother get hit. He caught Li Xiaojuan’s wrist mid-swing. “Public place. Don’t do this. Otherwise, the only one getting hurt is you.” Li Xiaojuan hesitated, then her face twisted with rage. She glared at Jayce. “Trying to scare me? You shameless boy toy. Living off them, huh? Which one are you warming at night—the old one or the young one? Or both together?” She’d lost it, lashing out like a rabid dog at anyone in reach. Seeing Jayce step forward, she went straight for the insults. Jayce had only meant to break it up, but that mouth of hers was nasty. Heat flared through him. “You’re just begging for a slap.” He finished, then cracked her across the face. Smack. Her cheek puffed up fast, a perfect five-finger welt blooming. He hadn’t held back. The sound was loud as hell. Everyone in the restaurant heard it and turned to look, most wearing an amused smirk. Li Xiaojuan’s face went ashen. To be humiliated in a place like this felt worse than death. She clenched her jaw so hard it seemed her teeth might crack. “You bastard! You hit me! Do you even know what my husband does?!” Jayce let out a cold laugh. He’d just heard this line earlier. Hearing it again was almost funny. “I don’t care who your husband is. Keep yapping and I’ll make sure you don’t walk out of here.” He repeated himself word for word. Li Xiaojuan ground her teeth. “Fine. Just you wait. Don’t you dare leave!” With that, she stormed out. Xu Hui was still fuming. She hadn’t expected Li Xiaojuan to act like she was sick in the head and spit out that kind of filth. Asking for it. After Li Xiaojuan left, Xu Hui still felt uneasy. “Jayce, maybe we should go. We just stirred up trouble here. If someone actually shows up, we might not be able to get out.” Hu Jiaxin nodded. “Yeah, let’s go. I didn’t bring my bodyguards. I don’t want things to get risky.” Jayce said, “Alright. We’re done eating anyway. Let’s bounce.” He wasn’t afraid of trouble. No matter who those two women called, he wasn’t worried. But just because he wasn’t scared didn’t mean he had to sit here and wait. The three of them stood, paid, and headed out. At the door, Li Xiaojuan had just stepped outside and was about to make a call when a man and a woman walked in. She froze. “Honey? Sweetie? What are you doing here?” Lisa had a hand over her cheek. Seeing Li Xiaojuan, she blinked in surprise. “Mom, you’re eating here too?”