Not sure if he noticed Thelma’s embarrassment, but he finally withdrew his gaze from her and ruffled the little boy’s head, saying, “What you said might scare Aunt Thelma.”
“Really?” The little boy looked remorseful, hanging his head low with a gloomy expression. “Aunt Thelma, I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
Thelma couldn’t bear to see the little boy like this and quickly said, “It’s okay.”
The little boy dropped the topic and obediently continued eating.
The atmosphere finally lightened up a little. Just then, a server rushed over. The door to the private room wasn’t closed, and she glanced inside. Seeing Thelma, she said, “Thelma, there’s a situation in one of the private rooms downstairs. You should go check it out.”
Thelma noticed her anxious expression and asked, “What happened?”
The server replied, “I’m not sure exactly, but I know some customers are giving the boss a hard time.”
The boss was her sister, Samantha.
“I need to excuse myself. Please enjoy your meal,” Thelma said to the father and son before following the server downstairs, worried something might happen to her sister.
The private room was on the right side of the main hall, a large room. When Thelma entered, she saw about a dozen people sitting inside, both men and women. At that moment, her sister was being grabbed by a bald man with tattoos. The tattooed man was holding her hand, grinning lecherously as he said, “Don’t be shy, just have a drink with me.”
Her sister clearly looked uncomfortable, but running a business meant avoiding offending customers. Forcing a smile, she said, “I really don’t drink. How about I toast with tea instead?”
The tattooed man insisted, “Oh, come on, just one drink. That’s all.”
His greasy hand gripped her sister’s wrist tightly. Samantha frowned in pain; it was clear the grip hurt. Thelma walked in, went straight to him, and pinched his hand hard. The man yelped in pain and finally let go.
“Whatever you have to say, say it properly. Why are you grabbing her? Didn’t you hear her say she doesn’t drink?”
The tattooed man, irritated from being pinched, was about to lash out. But when he turned his head, he froze. Standing beside him was a stunning beauty—her bold, striking appearance was so breathtaking it was as if the creator had gone out of their way to ensure no one could overlook her.
The tattooed man stared for a moment, then smacked his lips in admiration. “I’ve heard about the famous sisters of ‘Harmony Restaurant,’ both said to be extraordinarily beautiful. Seeing you today, the rumors are indeed true.” He chuckled, leaning his large face closer. His features were crowded onto his broad face, and his eyes squinted into thin slits, making him look even more sleazy. “You told me to speak properly? Fine, I’ll speak properly. Since your sister doesn’t want to drink with me, how about you join me instead?”
As he spoke, he reached out to grab Thelma’s hand. Samantha immediately pulled Thelma back, dodging the man’s attempt, and then scolded her, “Why are you here? Get out now!”
While saying this, she tried to push Thelma out of the room. But how could Thelma leave her sister to be bullied like this? Refusing to leave, she turned to address the crowd in the room. “This is a restaurant, not a nightclub. We only serve food here, not drinks!”
As soon as Thelma finished speaking, a short-haired woman sitting opposite let out a sneer and said, “Only serve food and not drinks? Don’t act so high and mighty. It’s just that the money isn’t good enough.”
Hearing this, the tattooed man’s face darkened. He pulled two bundles of cash out of his bag and slammed them on the table. “I’ve got plenty of money. Don’t look down on me!”
Thelma didn’t even glance at the money. Instead, she turned to the short-haired woman with a mocking expression and said, “So it turns out this ‘madam’ here is someone who will drink with people as long as the price is right. Such lofty behavior—I can’t compare to that!”
“Who are you calling madam?” The short-haired woman was clearly offended.
Thelma tilted her chin slightly and said, “Well, you look the most like a madam here. Who else could I be talking about?”
The room fell silent for a moment, and the two other women sitting there covered their mouths, trying to stifle their laughter. It seemed like this group didn’t have a particularly close bond, as they openly mocked one of their own.
The short-haired woman, furious, turned to the tattooed man and said, “Alan, this little girl is obviously looking down on you. If she refuses to drink with you, make her drink! Let’s see how tough she really is!”
