The huge bouquet of 999 roses burst apart with Xia Lei’s kick. Fresh, tender petals filled the air and Xia Lei’s size 41 leather shoe went through petal after petal to land heavily on Gu Ke-Wu’s shoulder. 

Gu Ke-Wu groaned as he fell to the floor from his one-kneed, rose-holding position. 

Jaws dropped in the Tian-Yin Pavilion and it was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. 

No one could believe that someone had actually dared to kick Gu Ke-Wu, and in Distinguished Gathering on top of that!

Xia Lei, however, had done it without hesitation and without qualm. 

He had not thought of fighting here with Gu Ke-Wu but Gu Ke-Wu had been just too much of an intolerable bully. Shentu Tian-Yin had already told him again and again that he was her fiancé but Gu Ke-Wu had still professed his love in front of an audience. This was highly disrespectful. He was not in a real relationship with Shentu Tian-Yin but Gu Ke-Wu’s insult was real. Would he still be a man if he let this insult slide? 

Another reason was that there was sure to be someone reporting to Shentu Tian-Feng in the group of people. If he did nothing when Gu Ke-Wu insulted him, the act he and Shentu Tian-Yin put up...