“Oh, correction, I meant female friend.”
Xie Yunzhao still didn’t get it: “Speak clearly.”
Not that her comprehension was poor, but it was just that the words “girlfriend” and “Xie Dingyuan” didn’t sound like they should be in the same sentence—too surreal.
Zhong Yunyi gave her a quick rundown of what had happened.
As for what occurred inside the private room… better left unsaid, best not mentioned.
Xie Yunzhao’s eyes lit up with surprise: “Little Nine actually brought a girl? And said she’s his friend?”
“Mhm.”
“What’s the girl’s name? How old is she? What does she do for work?”
Zhong Yunyi tossed his cigarette. “I wasn’t conducting a census.”
“Fine, I’ll just call and ask him directly—”
“Don’t!” He yanked her phone away. “Ah Yuan’s still with the girl. You call now and even the hardest ironwood tree about to bloom will shrivel right back into its bud.”
Xie Yunzhao thought about it. Fair point.
“Alright then, I won’t call. Now give me back my phone.”
Zhong Yunyi handed it over, and while he was at it, pulled her into his arms. “Don’t move. Let me lean for a bit…”
And true enough, she didn’t move again.
Half a minute passed.
Xie Yunzhao: “That’s enough, let’s go home.”
“A little longer.”
“?”
“There’s one more person.”
Just as he said that, a man in a black overcoat came out of the hot pot place.
His head was slightly bowed, light didn’t reach his face, only revealing a tall, slender silhouette.
Zhong Yunyi let go of Xie Yunzhao and walked over. The two exchanged a few words. The man took a cigarette from Zhong Yunyi and left in the opposite direction.
Xie Yunzhao noticed her husband’s pleased expression on returning and couldn’t help but ask, “Who was that?”
“You wouldn’t know even if I told you. Let’s go.”
“If you don’t tell me, then of course I won’t know.” She sidestepped his reaching hand.
Zhong Yunyi stopped, looked at her for two seconds, then smirked: “Doesn’t matter if I tell you—it was the newly appointed head of Lou Group.”
“Lou Mingshen?”
He raised an eyebrow: “What, you know him?”
She didn’t answer, just walked off toward the other side of the street.
Zhong Yunyi followed: “Wife, don’t walk so fast…”
“We’re on a public street—keep your hands to yourself.”
“I’m your lawful husband! Why can’t I?”
“Stop acting drunk.”
“Ugh—told you not to touch my stomach, it’s definitely bruised!”
“What, you really did get beat up?”
Zhong Yunyi rubbed his nose.
…
Once home, he immediately collapsed onto the couch.
Xie Yunzhao went to the kitchen to make him some hangover soup.
Suddenly, a loud crash came from the living room. She rushed out to find the father and son at it again—
Zhong Ziang: “Give it back!”
Zhong Yunyi held his phone high: “No.”
“What the h*ll is wrong with you?!”
“You brat, is that how you talk to your father? Looking for a beating?!”
“You were the one who snatched my phone first, and now you’re playing the victim? Old man, you’re shameless!”
Zhong Yunyi exploded: “Say that again if you dare!”
“I’ll say it—shameless—”
“You little—think I can’t deal with you?! I’ll—”
“That’s enough!” Xie Yunzhao rushed in and stood in front of her son. “Zhong Yunyi, try laying a hand on him today!”
He sheepishly lowered his hand, turned away, muttering: “Too soft and spoiled. You’ve ruined him…”
At the same time, he quickly pulled up the photo gallery on the phone—
Aha! Knew she looked familiar! Sure enough, the dumb kid’s phone was full of photos of her.
Zhong Yunyi closed the gallery and turned off the screen, then tossed the phone back:
“Here, take it.”
Phone returned, but the anger hadn’t passed.
“I’m going back to Linhuai tomorrow! This house is unbearable!”
“Stop right there—”
Zhong Ziang froze mid-step.
Zhong Yunyi said slowly: “Linhuai? You really think that place is home now?”
“Better than living under the same roof as you.”
“If not with me, then who? Xie Dingyuan? Grow some brains, kid!”
That uncle of yours just had hot pot with the girl you like—the hot pot he normally never eats.
Zhong Ziang rolled his eyes: “None of your business.”
Then stomped upstairs.
Xie Yunzhao frowned: “Can’t you just stop provoking him? What good does it do you to rile up your own son?”
“I provoke him? He’s the one being disrespectful!”
“Alright, then let me ask you—why’d you snatch his phone?”
“Ahem… just teasing.”
She sneered: “He was right—you really are sick in the head. The hangover soup is on the stove. Drink it or don’t. Just make sure to wash the pot.”
“Hey! What’s with your temper lately—”
She ignored him and went upstairs.
Zhong Yunyi clicked his tongue, flopped back onto the sofa. His back and stomach throbbed. “D*mn!”
That girl really didn’t hold back!
…
The very same heavy-handed Jiang Fuyue was now standing in front of a street stall.
Stall owner: “Miss, want to give it a try?”
“How does it work?”
“Thirty bucks for ten darts. Aim for the target board over there. If you score 95 points total, you can pick a plushie.”
Jiang Fuyue asked him to get ten darts. Xie Dingyuan reached for his wallet.
The stall owner beamed: “Ten might not be enough. How about more? That way you’ll get a better score.”
Jiang Fuyue: “Ten is enough.”
“But 95 points! That means almost every shot needs to hit the inner ring—pretty tough!”
She repeated: “Ten will do.”
The stall owner must’ve thought he’d caught a couple of easy marks. You could tell just by looking—they were on a date, young, probably well-off, and willing to spend.
He kept persuading.
Jiang Fuyue’s eyes narrowed. The stall owner suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
Next second, the girl smiled sweetly: “Alright then, give me three hundred bucks’ worth.”
Three hundred?! A hundred darts?!
This was a jackpot!
“Coming right up!” He rushed off happily.
Two full boxes—one handed to Jiang Fuyue, the other naturally to Xie Dingyuan.
Professor Xie: “I’m not playing. Give them all to her.”
Owner: “No no, not asking you to play. Just hold it for your girlfriend. Once she finishes the first box, you can swap in the second.”
Xie Dingyuan silently took it.
The owner sighed: “Young man, just ‘cause you’re tall and handsome doesn’t mean you can act like a clueless brick wall. You know what girlfriends are for?”
“?”
“They’re for pampering! Shoes when they step out, bags when they shop, pay the bill, and yell ‘666’ when they game—got it?”
“…Huh? Oh.” Xie Dingyuan awkwardly nodded, quietly taking mental notes.
The owner nodded, satisfied. “Alright, it’s starting. Get your ‘666’s ready, even if she misses, cheer like crazy—got it?”
“Mm.”
Jiang Fuyue picked up a dart, aimed once, and let go.
Ten points!
“Whoa!” the owner exclaimed, “Your girlfriend’s got some luck! Bullseye on the first throw—not bad, not bad.”
Xie Dingyuan cleared his throat. She was far enough away that she probably didn’t hear the “girlfriend” part.
Anyway, he didn’t correct it. “She’s… okay.”
Watching the stunning pair, the owner thought they made a perfect match—though the guy looked quite a bit older, maybe five or six years.
While they chatted, Jiang Fuyue had already thrown five darts, all hitting the inner ring.
The stall owner was stunned, then forced a smile: “Your girlfriend’s luck is… really something. She should buy a lottery ticket.”
Silently: Go buy lottery tickets, please! Don’t ruin my stall!
Xie Dingyuan nodded: “I’ll take her after this.”
Stall owner: “…” internal injury.
After all ten darts landed in the inner ring—two of them dead center—the stall owner could no longer smile.
He turned to Xie Dingyuan, eyes wide: “Bro, is your girlfriend ex-military?”
Xie Dingyuan: “?”
“Did you two come here just to crush my stall?!”
Seeing that Jiang Fuyue was about to continue, the owner rushed over: “Miss, miss! You’ve already passed 95 points—come pick your prize! Right over here…”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t budge. She weighed the dart box in her hand: “I’ll pick after I finish them all. Oh, and could you either swap the board or remove the stuck darts? I want a fresh round.”
The stall owner nearly fainted.
Who is this little boss lady?!
Finish them all? At this rate, he wouldn’t last that long!
