Chapter 192 – Extra 5
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Half an hour later, Yuan Li and Chu Hechao stood puzzled at the location where the other was supposed to appear, but neither saw the other’s figure. With the help of kind-hearted people, Yuan Li learned that Chu Hechao was also looking for him. They had missed each other perfectly.
Yuan Li could only laugh and cry, worried about Chu Hechao’s situation. He didn’t know whether to wait in place or go look for him again. Fortunately, Du Xin was an enthusiastic girl. She asked her friend at A University to post a message on the school forum, hoping to get in touch with the bespectacled student who took Chu Hechao away.
On the other side, at Longhu Plaza, Chu Hechao looked at the surroundings with a grim face. He held the handle of the sword tightly, making a creaking sound, but he didn’t say a word. However, the bespectacled student standing beside him was almost scared out of his wits. “Big brother, don’t be angry, please don’t be in a hurry! I’ll ask someone for directions!”
The sword must be fake, it must be fake! The bespectacled student swallowed his saliva, feeling that this handsome guy was going to take out a real sword to chop him!
Chu Hechao took a deep breath, but he was not angry. Instead, he unclasped the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to the bespectacled student, saying in a low voice, “Young man, thank you for bringing me here. Could you please help me find him? Consider this jade pendant as my thanks.”
His humble attitude would surely shock his subordinates if they saw it. The bespectacled student was a bit embarrassed. “No, no need, it’s really too much.”
Chu Hechao directly stuffed the jade pendant into the student’s hand. The jade pendant was well-crafted and felt delicate to the touch. Although the bespectacled student didn’t understand jade, he estimated it should be worth a few hundred bucks, otherwise, Chu Hechao would feel embarrassed to give it to him. Seeing Chu Hechao’s insistence, he decided to accept it and made up his mind to find his friend.
“Wait a moment, let me check the local trending topics, see if there are any updates about your friend.”
The bespectacled student opened his phone and saw a message in his dormitory group, @ing him, and sent a post, ‘Old Second, didn’t you say you took a handsome guy in ancient clothing to Longhu Plaza to find someone? Take a look at this post, someone is looking for you.'”
The bespectacled student quickly opened the post and, after a moment, excitedly said to Chu Hechao, “I’ve contacted your friend! Do you want to give him a call?”
“Call?” Chu Hechao asked in a deep voice, “What is calling?”
“Come on, brother, you haven’t had enough acting, have you?” The bespectacled student complained while dialing the number, “It’s rare to see someone go out without a phone and cash… It’s connected.”
A few moments after Du Xin and the bespectacled student chatted, they decided to stay at Longhu Plaza and wait for Du Xin’s group to arrive by taxi. After a few seconds, the voice on the phone changed to a gentle and clear tone, “Hello, can I talk to my friend?”
The bespectacled student quickly handed the phone to Chu Hechao, who hesitated and kept a guard on the device. He could hear Yuan Li’s voice coming through, “Ci Ye?”
Chu Hechao immediately took the phone, imitating the bespectacled student’s manner, and spoke hesitantly, “Le Jun?”
“It’s me,” Yuan Li confirmed, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there soon to find you. Stay where you are, and I’ll be there in no more than two quarters of an hour.”
Chu Hechao felt completely relieved. He nodded and thought Yuan Li couldn’t see him, so he added, “I got it, I’ll wait for you. Take your time, no rush.”
On the other end of the phone, there was some background noise, probably a girl calling for a car, and she was urging Yuan Li to get in. Yuan Li responded and then sat in the car, reassuring Chu Hechao with a smile, “Did you also ride in one of those metal giants on the road just now?”
“Yes,” Chu Hechao furrowed his brows, “Although they are fast, they are too narrow. It’s not as spacious as a horse carriage, and I couldn’t even stretch my legs.”
“Oh, is that so?” Yuan Li laughed softly, sounding as gentle as water, “Were you scared?”
Chu Hechao coughed twice.
He didn’t need to answer, and Yuan Li already knew the answer. The cramped environment and the occasional honking of horns would undoubtedly drive someone from ancient times with fragile nerves crazy. Chu Hechao must have been on the verge of going crazy while sitting in the car, his veins ready to burst.
But Yuan Li comforted him, “Don’t worry, I’m here. This is my hometown. Once I meet you, I’ll take you to eat some delicious food, okay?”
Chu Hechao’s gaze softened, and he replied, “Okay.”
Since it was someone else’s phone, Yuan Li didn’t want to say too much and quickly hung up the call.
Chu Hechao listened to the beeping sound, making sure Yuan Li wouldn’t speak again, before reluctantly handing the phone back to the bespectacled student. The bespectacled student was amazed, “The power of a single phone call is truly amazing.”
The guy who seemed like he could explode and hit someone at any moment had suddenly calmed down.
Half an hour later, the two groups finally met at Longhu Plaza. When Chu Hechao and Yuan Li saw each other, they both let out a sigh of relief. They hugged briefly before restraining themselves and expressing sincere thanks to Du Xin and the bespectacled student.
Du Xin was beaming with excitement as she looked at the two of them. Along with the bespectacled student, she waved her hands, saying it was unnecessary, but she shyly asked, “Can I take a photo with you guys now?”
Yuan Li immediately pulled Chu Hechao into a pose while the bespectacled student helped take the pictures. They took more than twenty shots with Du Xin. After looking at the photos for a while, Du Xin asked, satisfied, “You guys didn’t bring your phones or wallets, how do you plan to get back home?”
Yuan Li had already thought of a plan. “Is there a jewelry store nearby?”
After finding out the location of the store, Yuan Li thanked the two students solemnly, noting down their contact information, intending to repay them once he had the money.
After parting ways, Yuan Li took Chu Hechao directly to a jewelry store. The most important thing now was to earn money and change out of their current outfits.
As it was early in the morning, the jewelry store had no customers. Yuan Li went straight to the point upon entering, “Do you buy gold here?”
The staff looked surprised at their attire but nodded, “Yes, do you want to sell gold?”
Yuan Li smiled and took out the gold they had with them. It was fortunate that he had brought some gold along; otherwise, they would have been in dire straits.
Curious, Chu Hechao asked in a low voice, “Is this a pawnshop?”
Yuan Li explained in a hushed tone, “It’s not a pawnshop; this place deals only with buying and selling gold and silver, nothing else.”
Chu Hechao was about to unfasten the large knife when he stopped midway, his brow furrowing with a hint of regret, “If only I had brought the three taels of silver you give me every month.”
Yuan Li chuckled, “Silver is not valuable; gold is. The three taels of silver you receive wouldn’t even be enough for us to use for a few days.”
Chu Hechao’s lips twitched, “You’ve never given me gold before.”
Not only did Yuan Li not give him gold, but he would immediately hand over his salary to Yuan Li as soon as he received it. However, Chu Hechao had no expenses, so he was willing to hand over his salary to Yuan Li willingly.
Yuan Li waved his hand grandly, “No worries, I have money. We will stay here for a month, and I’ll take you to enjoy all the good food and drinks. Let me show you the world!”
Chu Hechao chuckled, “Alright, then I’ll rely on my wife for food.”
Yuan Li glared at him and jokingly scolded, “Get out of here.”
An hour later, Yuan Li carried a bag of money gifted by the jewelry store and took Chu Hechao to a men’s clothing store.
The store had various kinds of clothes, all looking extremely strange to Chu Hechao. To accommodate him, Yuan Li directly bought two sets of long-sleeved casual clothes. After changing, they looked at themselves in the mirror; apart from their overlong hair, they looked almost like modern people.
Chu Hechao stared at Yuan Li in the mirror, and Yuan Li looked at him, and they both found it extremely fascinating.
However, they looked quite handsome.
Chu Hechao touched the mirror and commented, “This mirror is so clear, even clearer than a bronze mirror.”
Yuan Li suppressed a laugh and teased, “Do you want me to buy you one so you can have a mirror with you at all times?”
Chu Hechao’s lips twitched as he glanced back at Yuan Li, lowering his voice, “Do you have some ulterior motive again?”
Yuan Li innocently blinked his eyes.
The store staff praised the two handsome gentlemen and warmly suggested, “Why don’t you guys take off your hats? Aren’t you hot wearing them?”
Yuan Li sighed – these were not hats; this was their real hair. If they had to stay here for a decade or two, they could cut their hair, but they were only here for a month, and cutting their hair would be troublesome.
Yuan Li looked around and said, “Let’s get a couple of hats.”
After they finished shopping, it was already noon. Yuan Li was both tired and hungry, and his stomach growled loudly. He asked Chu Hechao, “Brother, are you hungry?”
Chu Hechao sighed, “Your brother has been hungry all morning.”
Yuan Li rolled up his sleeves and said, “Let’s go, we’re going to eat some delicious food!”
Nearby was the Longhu Square, where there were countless delicious things to eat. Spicy hot pot, Jianbing Guozi (a kind of stuffed pancake), roasted cold noodles, and more lined the streets. Yuan Li’s mouth watered at the sight, and he bought lots of snacks for Chu Hechao to carry. The two of them headed straight for a hot pot restaurant.
At this time, it was mealtime, and the hot pot restaurant was quite crowded. Yuan Li got a private room and ordered a couple’s hot pot, filling the table with various ingredients, taking into account their large appetites.
Chu Hechao had also eaten hot pot in the Great Wen, but the hot pot he had eaten in the past was somewhat different from what he saw now. The couple’s hot pot looked similar, but the soup base inside was completely different.
Great Wen did not have chili peppers, but the soup base bubbling away in the couple’s hot pot was a bright red, with a dominant and captivating aroma.
Chu Hechao felt ignorant and asked, “Why is this soup red?”
“This is the spicy soup,” Yuan Li patiently explained, “It’s made from something called chili peppers, which we don’t have in Great Wen. The spicy soup is appetizing and addictive; I think you’ll like it. But if you’re not used to it, don’t eat the spicy hot pot, have this clear soup instead.”
Chu Hechao touched his chin with curiosity, “Then I want to taste this spicy soup.”
Yuan Li rubbed his hands together, “The condiments here are also plentiful, much more delicious than what we had back then. Wait for a moment, I’ll go get you a bowl of aromatic condiments, I promise you’ll want to swallow your tongue.”
Chu Hechao immediately stood up, not willing to let his husband go alone, “I’ll go with you.”
When they returned, the hot pot soup was not yet boiling. Yuan Li took out the snacks they bought on the way and let Chu Hechao taste each one.
Chu Hechao followed his example and picked up a piece of roasted cold noodles with his chopsticks. The aroma of the sauce mixed with the taste of eggs and ham exploded on his tongue, rich and delicious.
Chu Hechao narrowed his eyes in surprise and swallowed the food with satisfaction, “It’s delicious.”
Yuan Li, who hadn’t eaten these things in years, ate happily and emotionally. He proudly agreed, “Right? I think it’s really delicious too.”
The two of them quickly devoured all the snacks before the hot pot was ready.
Chu Hechao couldn’t help but marvel at why Yuan Li missed everything from their homeland so much. Each of the snacks he tried was tastier than the last, leaving him wanting more.
Yuan Li hadn’t had spicy food for a long time, so he ordered a jar of sour plum juice to have with the hot pot.
Once the hot pot started boiling, Chu Hechao tried the spicy soup Yuan Li recommended. The moment the heavily spicy beef entered his mouth, Chu Hechao drank three glasses of water in one breath.
His forehead was sweating from the spiciness, and he gasped for breath. However, as Yuan Li had predicted, Chu Hechao immediately fell in love with the taste of the spicy hot pot, saying, “Refreshing!”
Yuan Li’s dipping sauce was delicious, appetizing, and aromatic. Chu Hechao kept grabbing the spicy hot pot to eat, and in no time, both of them were sweating profusely.
Chu Hechao’s collar and back were wet, so he impatiently rolled up his shirt, revealing his muscular waist and abdomen.
Yuan Li glanced at him and thought since there was no one else in the private room, he could let him be.
However, Yuan Li started thinking about more important matters. In the modern era, money wasn’t everything. They didn’t have identification documents… What were they going to do about that?
“System,” Yuan Li warned sternly, “You brought us to the modern era, so you should solve this problem for us.”
The system remained as aloof as ever, completely ignoring Yuan Li.
Rubbing his forehead, Yuan Li thought about it. If they didn’t have identification documents, they wouldn’t be able to go to reputable hotels. Yuan Li had sold some gold for a hundred thousand yuan, which would be enough to rent a place for a month. If they negotiated properly with the landlord and offered some extra money, they might be able to rent a place without the need for identification.
The remaining money should be enough for them to spend for a month, and if it wasn’t, they could sell some items. Their clothes, jade pendants, and headpieces were all valuable works of art.
Money wasn’t a problem, but Yuan Li and Chu Hechao had come to the modern era with so much anticipation. Yuan Li wanted to take Chu Hechao on a high-speed train and an airplane, and he also wanted to take him to a hospital for a thorough examination.
He had a headache.
No matter how he thought about it, it gave him a headache.
Chu Hechao clicked his tongue, “Why are you frowning like that?”
He wiped his hands with a wet tissue, then pinched Yuan Li’s cheek playfully, coaxing, “Now that we’ve finally returned to your hometown, you should smile more.”
Yuan Li sighed, “We don’t have identification documents.”
“Identification documents?” Chu Hechao repeated, realizing from the context what it meant, “Does it mean we can’t do anything without them?”
“It’s not that severe, but it’s quite close,” Yuan Li sighed again, “Come on, cheer me up. I can’t be gloomy on the first day back home.”
Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow, holding Yuan Li’s hand and placing it on his own body, “Be happy, husband will let you touch his abs.”
Yuan Li jumped up with a blush on his face, looking incredulously at Chu Hechao, “Who taught you to say that?”
Chu Hechao casually replied, “It’s what Li Ke said on the phone.”
Yuan Li’s forehead tensed with blue veins, “Who is Li Ke?”
After a while, Yuan Li finally learned that Li Ke was the eyeglass-wearing guy who brought Chu Hechao to find him. While waiting for Yuan Li to arrive, the guy kept showing Chu Hechao videos, and that’s where Chu Hechao learned that phrase.
“Why are you still not happy?” Chu Hechao suppressed a laugh, “Do you want to touch it again?”
Yuan Li took a deep breath, trying to compose himself and calm the redness on his face. He sternly said, “Next time, you can’t casually learn phrases from others.”
Chu Hechao held Yuan Li’s hand. His palm was calloused and hard, emanating warmth. “Why?”
Yuan Li looked down at him and gave a simple evaluation, “Too vulgar.”
Chu Hechao: “…”
He could understand that phrase.
Chu Hechao chuckled and directly pulled Yuan Li close. Yuan Li’s lips suddenly felt a bit hot as Chu Hechao playfully bit him.
This man was like a bandit or a ruffian, touching Yuan Li’s cheek with his rough fingers, and said in a serious tone, “I know, you like it a bit vulgar.”
Yuan Li couldn’t help but laugh.
Just then, someone knocked on the door of the private room.
Yuan Li figured it should be the waiter coming to add soup. He said, “Come in.”
The person outside pushed the door open and walked in, sounding familiar as if they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, “I’ve been looking for you since I saw the trending topic. I searched for two hours, and finally found you here.”
Chu Hechao suddenly turned his head, looking surprised.
The person who entered had a relaxed demeanor, elegant and leisurely, like a charming and carefree scholar from history.
“Long time no see, Ciye,” Chu Mingfeng said with a smile, his gaze shifted from Chu Hechao to Yuan Li, who was still stunned, and his smile deepened with a meaningful touch, “And my wife.”
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