The rural beauty 168, Chapter 168: Smoking 168, Smoking Zhou Gaoren noticed Lu Yun approaching as if coming straight toward him, and instinctively stepped back. Then he recalled that there were over twenty of his friends supporting him behind—no matter how fierce or rough Lu Yun might be, today he could only take a beating. With that thought, he felt reassured and took a couple of steps forward. To his surprise, Lu Yun showed no intention of making a move. Instead, he smiled warmly and came right up to Zhou Gaoren. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pants pocket, opened it, and extracted one, offering it to Zhou Gaoren with a smile. "Zhou brother, why don't you have a smoke? I apologize—perhaps I've been too harsh before. How about we turn this rivalry into friendship, even transform our enemies into brothers?" Zhou Gaoren stared at Lu Yun, puzzled, almost convinced that the man had lost his mind. After all, Lu Yun had already beaten him several times—how could he just suddenly say they were going to be friends? Huffed, she took the cigarette offered by Lu Yun, glanced at the sign—seeming unfamiliar in the convenience store—and held it proudly in her mouth. Lu Yun immediately fetched a disposable plastic lighter, offering it to her with a friendly gesture. Then he handed a cigarette to the man who was embracing Juan, and returned to Zhou Gao-ren, smiling, “Zhou, how do you like this? It was hard to get.” Lu Yun's current performance clearly indicates he's backing down—Zhou Gao feels immensely satisfied. How could he not be? After all, how fierce can one be when faced with so many people? No matter how strong they are, they still have to yield. He's not even acting like a bear who's just giving in. This content is from Chapter 168 of "Rural Beauty with a Radiant Grace." Glancing sideways at Lu Yun, Zhou Gao draws on his cigarette with intense vigor—perhaps the smoke truly matches his mood, or perhaps the sheer satisfaction of having finally gotten his due is making him feel energized. Within just a few puffs, he's already consumed half of the cigarette. The young man accompanying Juanzi is even more enthusiastic, drawing on his cigarette with greater intensity, nearly finishing it off. Lu Yun watches this all unfold, his expression darkening with quiet contempt. The pack of cigarettes he's holding was specifically obtained from Yang Yanping—those fragrant, seductive-smelling ones. Draw, enjoy, and revel—there will be even more exciting things to come. "Lu Yun, our matter isn't going to be settled so easily. You've seen for yourself that I went Zhou Gaoren looked at Lu Yun with lofty confidence, his tail proudly arched all the way up to the sky. Lu Yun pretended to be nervous, stepped close to Zhou Gaoren, and sweetly pleaded, "Zhou brother, remember, enemies should be reconciled rather than kept apart. We're classmates from the same school—frequent encounters, both when we see each other face to face and when we don't. Can't you just this once let me off the hook?" Zhou Gaoren rolled his eyes and said, "I really want to let you go, but it's not just me calling the shots. Ask my teammates behind me—will they forgive you? As long as they give you even a single word of support, we'll be brothers from now on." To be honest, asking them is just like asking for nothing. You've clearly made up your mind to give us a good beating—so what's the point? We'll ride our donkey and go through our accounts slowly. Who knows, by then, it might just be the other way around! Lu Yun couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, yet he made sure to perform all the outward gestures as if truly bowing to his companions. He genuinely adopted the tone Zhou had described, turning to the group behind him and pleading, "Brothers, there's been a little misunderstanding between me and Zhou brother. I've already explained it thoroughly. Will you all be so kind as to forgive me this time?" "Zhou brother has promised to forgive you, but I haven't. Our accounts are definitely going to be settled." As soon as Lu Yun finished speaking, the man who had been holding Juan suddenly interjected, his expression clearly indicating that today would surely end with Lu Yun being beaten up. It was only natural that he held such strong resentment toward Lu Yun—during the earlier conflict between Li Hongyu and Juan, Lu Yun had knocked him down four or five times, sending them both scrambling through the women's dormitory, finally leaving them all sprawled out. With so many people now gathered around him, he certainly wouldn't miss this golden opportunity to teach Lu Yun a lesson. "By the gods, my smoke's going to go to waste!" Lu Yun naturally knew this guy. He stepped forward and smiled politely, saying, "Bro, how many times can I make a mistake? Just forgive me this time, okay? Sister Juan, could you please give me a word in favor? My little frame just can't take much more beating from so many people. Please, I beg you—this content is from Chapter 168 of 'Rural Beauty.' " "I've been tearing your fox-features to shreds, Zhang Xiaoyu! When have I ever had to let you interrupt me? You'll be crying like a baby before long! Lu Yun coldly glanced at her, continuing to plead with Juan. This time, however, it really riled up Zhang Xiaoyu. She raised her arm and slapped Lu Yun across the face, shouting, "You're giving me the benefit of the doubt, yet you treat me like a stranger!" Then she turned to the twenty or so male students and called out, "What are you waiting for? Go on, start fighting!" But the boys didn't buy a word of it—some even stuck out their middle fingers. Enraged, Zhang Xiaoyu stomped her foot and turned around to head off with Zhou Gao. Fine! You've actually dared to slap me! When Zhou Gao is done with you, I'll find a donkey to match your size! Lu Yun gritted his teeth, persisting in his pleas to Juan, waiting for the effects of the misty fragrance to take hold. Juan was no easy person to deal with either—Lu Yun had no illusions that she'd let him go. He kept playing his cards close To Land Yun's surprise, five minutes later, Zhou Gao-ren and Juanzi's boyfriend still showed no signs of reaction. Land Yun remembered that in Yang Yanping's office, just a few minutes had passed and he had been completely enveloped by a surge of heat—how could Zhou Gao-ren and the others still remain unbothered after such a long time? Could it be that Yang Yanping hadn't added the sedative fragrance to his cigarette? As this thought struck him, his heart grew increasingly anxious. If that were the case, then today's beating was certainly unavoidable. He quietly ran his fingers over the screwdriver at his waist, murmuring under his breath: "Yang Yanping, if you really intend to outsmart me, then I'll never stop fighting you."