The Almighty Martial Arts System - Chapter 161

“How about I drive instead? Watching you drive makes me a little uneasy,” Jiang Fei said with a wry smile as he observed Qiao Yiyi’s somewhat unsteady handling of the car.

Fortunately, it was already late at night—past eleven—and the streets were nearly empty. If it had been daytime with heavy traffic, Jiang Fei was sure Qiao Yiyi would have fit the stereotype of a “female driver,” possibly provoking some furious male driver into pulling over for a roadside confrontation.

Female drivers had somehow evolved into a bizarre species these days, often pulling ridiculous stunts on the road as if treating the streets like a circus, letting their imaginations run wild.

“No way! You already helped me so much by performing at my concert tonight. How could I let you drive now? I’ll drive you,” Qiao Yiyi replied cheerfully, sounding almost excited. “Don’t worry, my driving skills are solid. I passed every part of my driver’s test on the first try!”

“So… they don’t usually let you drive, do they?” Jiang Fei teased.

“Yeah. Aunt Mei never trusts me behind the wheel, even though I got my license two years ago,” Qiao Yiyi giggled. “By the way, where should I take you? It’s too late to go back to Daocun. Why not stay at my place tonight? It’s really close.”

Having stayed in Jincheng for so long, Aunt Mei had stopped living in hotels and instead rented a high-end apartment. After Qiao Yiyi recovered her voice and returned from Daocun, she had been staying there.

Go to Qiao Yiyi’s place?

Jiang Fei tilted his head, glancing at her focused expression as she drove. It wasn’t a bad idea.

After all, they had already lived together in Daocun for a while—they were old friends by now. There was no need to be overly cautious, right?

But just then, Jiang Fei’s phone buzzed. It was Lin Moli calling.

“Jiang Fei, where are you? Where are you planning to stay tonight?” Lin Moli’s voice carried a hint of playful suspicion.

Jiang Fei’s heart skipped a beat. Was this woman some kind of Sherlock Holmes? How did she know what was happening here already?

“I’m staying at my place, of course. Where else?” he replied matter-of-factly.

Then, a commotion erupted on the other end of the line—Lin Moli’s phone seemed to have been snatched away. Xia Xiaozhi’s voice came through: “Uncle, hurry back! We’ve already bought ingredients. We’re waiting for you to cook us a midnight snack! We didn’t eat much earlier, and now we’re starving!”

Jiang Fei was speechless. So these women had stuck together after the concert instead of going their separate ways.

“Eating so late at night isn’t good for you, you know?”

“Nonsense! Going hungry is even worse!” Xia Xiaozhi laughed. After a few more exchanges—with Ye Yuanyuan and Bai Mangguo chiming in about what ingredients to buy—the call ended abruptly.

Sighing, Jiang Fei put down his phone and turned to Qiao Yiyi. “Just take me back to my place. Lin Moli, Ye Yuanyuan, and the others are all heading there, expecting me to cook them a late-night meal.”

Qiao Yiyi’s eyes lit up. “Great! I’m starving too. Mind if I tag along?”

Performing in a concert was exhausting, especially for a singer-dancer like her. It was like three hours of intense exercise, and she hadn’t eaten much beforehand to avoid feeling sluggish on stage.

“Of course,” Jiang Fei agreed.

So Qiao Yiyi turned the car toward Jiang Fei’s apartment.

Neither of them noticed the van tailing them. When Qiao Yiyi drove into a secluded underpass with almost no pedestrians, the van suddenly accelerated.

SCREECH!

In the blink of an eye, the van pulled up beside the BMW, then swerved aggressively in front, forcing Qiao Yiyi to slam on the brakes.

“Ah!” she gasped, jerking to a stop.

Jiang Fei, in the passenger seat, was equally startled.

Before Qiao Yiyi could even earn her “female driver” stereotype, this van had already claimed the title of road menace.

But before either could react, the van’s door flew open, and a man stormed toward them, his face twisted in anger.

Jiang Fei and Qiao Yiyi were baffled.

Qiao Yiyi hadn’t cut him off or done anything wrong. Was this guy really about to reenact the cliché of a man attacking a woman driver?

Before they could even step out to confront him, four more men piled out of the van—all burly, rough-looking thugs—surrounding the BMW.

Now alarmed, Jiang Fei and Qiao Yiyi realized something was very wrong.

But before they could react—whether to call the police or drive away—the first man swung a brick at the car window.

CRASH!

The glass shattered instantly.

The man had come prepared, wielding the brick like a weapon. This was no spontaneous road rage—it was planned.

Shards rained into the car, but Jiang Fei and Qiao Yiyi shielded their faces just in time. For people who relied on their looks, even a scratch would be disastrous.

THUD! CRACK!

The men smashed every window in seconds, then reached inside to unlock the doors.

Terrified but forcing herself to stay calm, Qiao Yiyi shouted, “Who are you? What do you want?”

Jiang Fei, however, was beyond furious. These bastards had crossed a line.

He unbuckled both their seatbelts, pulled Qiao Yiyi to his side, and pushed the door open himself, stepping out before the thugs could drag them.

The men started chanting like brainwashed fanatics:

“Qiao Yiyi, you gold-digging traitor! You dumped Quan Yingran for some official’s son! We’re here to teach you a lesson!”

“Let’s beat up this rich brat and show this bitch what happens!”

Jiang Fei shoved Qiao Yiyi behind him, his voice icy. “Stay back. Let me handle these scumbags.”

Neither of them bought the “Quan Yingran’s fans” act. These were grown men in their thirties—thugs, not starstruck teenagers.

This was a setup. Someone had sent them—likely the same person who had leaked false stories to the media earlier. Probably Li Jirong, the heir to Huaying Entertainment.

“Jiang Fei, don’t fight them! Let’s just call the police!” Qiao Yiyi pleaded, her voice shaking.

Jiang Fei shook his head. By the time the police arrived, it’d be too late.

Two of the men lunged at him, still shouting nonsense. Jiang Fei pushed Qiao Yiyi further back and met them head-on.

The leader barked orders: “You three deal with the guy. I’ll handle the girl.” He wanted to personally deliver the five slaps the employer had requested.

But before they could act—

THUD! THUD!

Two heavy impacts echoed as Jiang Fei moved like lightning, striking both men in the chest and sending them flying.

Before they could recover, he grabbed their heads and smashed them together.

CRACK!

They collapsed like ragdolls.

The leader’s jaw dropped. “What the hell just happened?”

The lone silent observer in the van finally smirked.

“Tai Chi…?”