1970s: Hot wife accompanies the army, cold-faced rough man is not easy to tease

Chapter 273: Cartilage

Besides, what can they do if the victim, Li Mingyue, keeps quiet and doesn't say a word?

In the end, it was just an accidental bump. Wouldn't it be bad to make a big deal out of it?
They said they were going abroad to study, but apart from when they were applying for visas, they had never met any other foreigners and were unsure how to interact with them.

I learned some things during the training, but when it came to face-to-face interaction, I forgot most of it, and my broken English just got stuck in my throat, and I couldn't say anything.

The foreign man clearly disdained to apologize, and what was even more speechless was that he actually complained that Li Mingyue was in the way.

The voice was soft, the speech was fast, and it contained a bit of slang. Lu Youyou heard it clearly, but only she understood it.

The old man wanted to step forward and negotiate, but Li Mingyue, who had been silent for half the time, spoke first.

"Teacher Zhang, I'm fine. I don't blame this foreign comrade." She gritted her teeth and stood up, clearly trying to smooth things over.

The old man's expression was serious: "Are you really alright?"

He was just thinking that he didn't need an apology, but he should at least get a word of apology, but the victim left first.

Li Mingyue really didn't want to cause trouble; she remembered the foreign man's face.

She caught a glimpse of this face at the door of an office when she went to the embassy for her visa interview. The man had a mole on the corner of his mouth, and she wouldn't mistake him.

She hadn't even arrived in the US yet, and her student life hadn't even begun; she really didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

This person might be an embassy staff member. What if she was? What if she was sent back as soon as she landed?
She knew that it was unlikely to have any impact, but the unknown was terrifying, and she really didn't dare to take the risk.

Li Mingyue even wanted to apologize first, as the "neither humble nor arrogant" principle repeatedly emphasized at the training session had been pushed to the sidelines by worry and fear.

She forced a smile at the two foreigners and said in very broken English, "I'm sorry to have taken up your time."

Some students already looked a bit off; after all, not everyone lacks backbone.

Not saying anything is one thing, but isn't it a bit much for the victim to apologize in return?

They turned to look at the teacher in charge, wondering what to do next.
The old man looked at Li Mingyue with a sense of disappointment and frustration.

Stand up straight! What are you afraid of? It's not your fault!

Before anything even happened, the person involved backed down first. If they then speak up, wouldn't it seem like they're being unreasonable?
The foreign man seemed to have anticipated this outcome. He curled his lip and sneered, "Chinese people are just inferior."

Still not loud, but clearly audible, Lu Youyou suddenly looked up, her eyes like daggers piercing the man's face.

The foreign man was startled and immediately looked over.

Against a backdrop of gray, Lu Youyou's gaze was like a beacon in the night, its sharpness pinning him to the spot.

"Excuse me, sir, what did you just say?"

It wasn't about how fluent Lu Youyou's English was or how BBC-like her pronunciation was, but rather about the immense power she exuded, forcing men to meet her gaze and ultimately putting them at a disadvantage in the unseen battle of wits.

"What do you want to do?" the man asked instinctively.

A standard, nonsensical opening, a standard sign of shirking responsibility.

When Lu Youyou spoke, the students' eyes widened, seemingly surprised that it was the "high-and-mighty flower" Lu Youyou who stood up to speak.

I never expected her to be so assertive. Those few steps she took just now were amazing, she exuded an aura of power!

Li Mingyue was also dumbfounded. She had already rehearsed the subsequent events in her mind—she would apologize, and that would be the end of it. She could just accept that she had sprained her ankle and consider it bad luck.

Suddenly, Lu Youyou rushed out!

Li Mingyue's mind was in turmoil. She felt a little pleased that someone had stood up for her, but she was also anxious and flustered.

Will this affect her study abroad opportunity? Maybe we should stop making a fuss and just go to the US first.

The old man darted forward and stood in front of Lu Youyou. He couldn't let the students rush ahead, otherwise what would be the point of having a teacher leading the team?
Lu Youyou took a step to the left, bypassing the skinny "mother hen" with her wings spread, and faced the self-important foreign man directly. "Sir, is it because what you said was inappropriate that you dare not admit it?"

Before she could finish speaking, the man's face had already darkened considerably.

He was, after all, in China, surrounded by Chinese people, so of course he couldn't say such insulting things publicly.

Damn it, aren't all Chinese people docile sheep? Is this woman an overseas Chinese?

He's been in China for two years and has never heard such authentic English before!

He glared at Lu Youyou resentfully, hating her aggressive manner: "Miss, I don't know what you're talking about!"

Without evidence, he can simply deny it to the death.

Lu Youyou spoke, her clear, melodious voice repeating the two offensive words the man had just uttered.

Not a single word was omitted, even the intonation was the same.

The man's expression immediately changed. If it weren't for the woman's voice, he would have almost thought it was a recording being played back.

"What are you saying? Don't slander people with your words!"

The foreign man is caught in a dilemma: revealing his identity is problematic, but not revealing it is also problematic. He is indeed an embassy staff member, and if this matter escalates, it will definitely have a negative impact.

Lu Fang stood next to Lu Youyou. He had only heard the gist of what was being said before, but now that he finally understood, he also stood next to Lu Youyou.

Despite his less-than-fluent English, he remained determined to get an explanation from the foreign man.

Suddenly, a thin female voice came out.

"Lu, I'm fine. Look, we're about to leave, so how about..."

Li Mingyue hadn't intended to speak, but the foreign man's eyes darted around in his panic, brushing across her face, and her heart skipped a beat.

The anxiety I had barely managed to suppress resurfaced.

Why couldn't she keep her balance? If she hadn't fallen, none of this would have happened!

Lu Youyou turned her head away expressionlessly, and the coldness in her eyes made Li Mingyue shiver.

"You don't even dare to stand up straight and speak in your own home, how are you going to manage outside?"

Should we just kneel down?

Lu Youyou didn't say the second half of the sentence, but her eyes clearly conveyed the meaning.

Many people felt a chill run down their spines. It wasn't that they weren't angry, but they simply didn't have the courage to confront foreigners over such a trivial matter.

Many people didn't hear clearly just now, so Lu Youyou repeated it word by word, and everyone who understood it was furious.

Lu Youyou has already stepped forward. If they don't speak up, the foreigners might think that the Chinese are easy to bully.

More and more people questioned him, and even the foreign man couldn't handle it. In fact, compared to Li Mingyue, he was the one who wanted to avoid trouble even more.

Now is the honeymoon period between China and the United States, so even if he is a complete racist, he can't show it on the surface.

As a lowly embassy staff member, he didn't want to cause a diplomatic conflict, so faced with the angry students, he could only apologize and let it go.

He said sorry with a dark expression, and hurriedly left with his female companion.

Once he left, Li Mingyue was left feeling awkward.

Although no one said anything and they could understand her initial intention to keep the peace, compared to Lu Youyou's composure, the label of "spineless" had been firmly placed on her head.