Chapter 23: The World's Common Pleasures Pale in Comparison to You!

"Just touched your waist?" Xue An asked calmly.

The seven-out-of-ten-looking woman felt a flicker of panic, but she continued her performance, sobbing as if it were real. Tears from a woman often easily win sympathy, especially since this woman was reasonably attractive. Many of the men watching began to glare at Xue An with hostility. A few even rolled up their sleeves, eager to play the role of the "hero saving the damsel."

A sneer appeared on the corner of Xue An's mouth. "Do you think your crying is moving? Or perhaps... do you think you are very beautiful?"

This question made the woman cry even harder, but deep down, she felt a sense of relief. *To say such a thing in front of so many people? Just wait to be torn apart by the crowd!*

And indeed, it happened.

Several male students, filled with righteous indignation, shouted, "How can you talk like that? You molested a young girl with your sleazy hands, and now you’re insulting her?"

"Exactly! You’re not a man at all!" some of the women in the crowd chimed in, pointing fingers.

Xue An looked at the group and said coolly, "If I truly wanted to touch someone, do you honestly think I would set my sights on a piece of merchandise like this?"

The remark caused an uproar.

"He touched her and now he's looking down on her? Are there really men like this in the world?" many women in the crowd yelled.

The woman crouched on the ground, a triumphant smile forming on her face. *Now you're finished!*

But just then, a clear, beautiful voice rang out. "Xue An, what’s wrong?"

The mere sound of that voice was enough to make many of the men present lose their composure. Moments later, Tang Xuan'er and Fan Mengxue walked over. Their appearance brought an abrupt silence to the scene.

Tang Xuan'er was not wearing a long dress today, but a pair of jeans and a white down jacket, which made her look exceptionally youthful and vibrant. Fan Mengxue wore an exquisitely tailored white dress that perfectly highlighted her graceful curves. Even though she wore a mask, her picturesque eyebrows and eyes suggested she was an absolute beauty.

These two women, both easily scoring a nine out of ten, left the men staring blankly. Unlike the woman on the ground, they wore minimal makeup, which only served to highlight their elegant temperament. Compared to them, the woman on the ground didn't look like much at all.

"What happened?" Fan Mengxue asked with concern. She had come over after hearing the commotion.

Xue An smiled faintly. "Nothing much. Someone is claiming I harassed her!"

"Who?"

Xue An gestured toward the woman on the ground, who had frozen into a statue. "It’s her."

Just then, Xue Xiang and Xue Nian spoke in unison: "This lady... is so ugly!"

This assessment mirrored the thoughts of most people present. Comparisons are cruel. Moments ago, many inexperienced men had thought the seven-out-of-ten woman was quite pretty, but next to Tang Xuan'er and Fan Mengxue, she seemed like a pebble in a cesspool.

Fan Mengxue couldn't help but laugh, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents. "Hubby, she says you harassed her?"

As she spoke, Fan Mengxue naturally hooked her arm through Xue An's. At that moment, everyone understood. So, this breathtakingly beautiful woman was this man’s girlfriend!

The woman's claims instantly lost all credibility. After all, if you have a cream cake, why would you choose to eat filth?

The men who had been shouting the loudest now lowered their heads in shame, while others glared at the woman, disgusted by her baseless accusations. The woman felt a surge of panic. She never imagined this man would have such a stunning girlfriend. Compared to them, her own surgically enhanced face felt like that of a monster.

Many of the boys looked on with disappointment. Some, however, stole glances at Tang Xuan'er; compared to the masked Fan Mengxue, the bare-faced Tang Xuan'er seemed gentler and quieter. But Fan Mengxue’s next sentence ruthlessly shattered their fantasies.

"Little sister, this woman actually slandered our husband!"

*Our... husband?*

Following this strange address, the way everyone looked at Xue An changed. There was shock, jealousy, and, above all, envy. Tang Xuan'er blushed and lowered her head, staying silent. Xue An felt a bit helpless; Fan Mengxue could be quite mischievous at times.

Xue An turned back to the woman. "Now, are you still going to say I touched you?"

The woman trembled. She wanted to lie, but Xue An’s gaze made her feel as though she had fallen into an icy abyss. She found herself saying involuntarily, "No... no, you didn't!"

"Do you know you were wrong?" Xue An asked coldly.

"I know I was wrong!"

"Then slap yourself twenty times."

After saying this, Xue An walked away with the others. Seeing him leave, the woman breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself, *Why would I listen to you just because you told me to?*

But the moment she tried to stand up, she felt her hand move of its own accord, delivering a heavy slap to her own face. The force was so great it made her dizzy. Before she could react, her other hand landed a second slap.

*Smack! Smack! Smack!*

After twenty slaps, the woman’s face was swollen like a ball, and her carefully crafted nose was crooked. No one felt sympathy for her; they all looked at her with disgust. She scrambled up, cast a venomous look at Xue An’s back, and fled.

After this small episode, Xue An led the others to go ice skating. Fan Mengxue was quite skilled, but Tang Xuan'er had no experience and kept stumbling as soon as she put on the skates. Although Xue An was also inexperienced, his abilities made such trifles simple; he held Tang Xuan'er’s hand to teach her. As for Xue Xiang and Xue Nian, they were having a blast riding a sled pulled by dogs.

The winter daylight was short, and soon the sky began to darken. Fan Mengxue had enjoyed the afternoon immensely. She sat beside Xue An, panting, a rosy flush on her cheeks.

"Tired?" Xue An asked.

Fan Mengxue shook her head. "Not at all!"

Xue An looked at Tang Xuan'er, who was stumbling along in the distance, and smiled. "Are you happy, then?"

"Of course! This is the happiest day I've had in four years!"

At that moment, the decorative lights on the ice rink were switched on. The ice-sculpted mazes and castles shimmered under the glow, looking like a kingdom from a fairy tale.

"So beautiful," Fan Mengxue whispered, her eyes lost in the scene.

Xue An nodded. Though he had seen sights a million times more magnificent, he felt that this humble, earthly beauty was truly wonderful as well.

*Is that too poetic? Don't worry, even when we show off, we do it with class. This is called "poetic showing off."*