Chapter 110: Unexpected Call
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Ding ding ding!” The crisp sound of a phone ringing echoed, and a slender hand emerged from the covers, fumbling on the bedside table until it finally retrieved the cellphone.
“Hello, who’s this?”
“Hey there, handsome brother, still snoozing, huh? Rise and shine, the sun’s already up!” A youthful voice with a hint of innocence sounded from the other side of the phone, and Zhou Chao’s drowsy eyes immediately popped open.
“Oh, Little Mango, what made you decide to call your big brother?” Zhou Chao sat up in bed, leaning against the wall.
“Hmph, handsome brother, you said you’d come to see me in a few days, but it’s been a month, and you still haven’t come. You broke your promise!” A pouty voice filled with milk-like sweetness came through the phone, and Zhou Chao’s eyes were wide awake.
“Hey, Little Mango, I’ve been really busy lately. I just finished a project yesterday. 1 promise 1’11 find time to come and see you soon,” Zhou Chao reassured hurriedly, sensing Little Mango’s discontent.
“Really? You better not be lying to me. If you lie, you’ll be a bad brother.” Hearing Little Mango’s melodious voice, Zhou Chao couldn’t help but wish for a daughter of his own.
“Little Mango, is it not fun at home?”
“Uh-huh, it’s not fun at all. I secretly used Mommy’s phone to call handsome brother. Mommy doesn’t take me out to play!” The voice of Little Mango on the other end of the line turned somewhat subdued.
“Be a good girl and wait patiently, okay? Brother will come and play with you as soon as possible.”
“I know. Little Mango will wait patiently for brother to come play. When brother comes, please don’t bring toys like big teddy bears, big lions, or little brain tigers. Little Mango won’t like them.” As Little Mango spoke, her voice grew more cheerful, and Zhou Chao understood what was happening.
“Alright, Little Mango, I promise I won’t bring any of those things. You can count on it.”
“Oh- Brother, are you really not bringing them?” Little Mango’s tone suddenly turned despondent.
Just as Zhou Chao was about to say he would bring those toys for her, he heard Little Mango’s mother shouting from the other end of the phone. Little Mango quickly hung up.
With his phone in hand, Zhou Chao couldn’t help but laugh thinking about Little Mango. Glancing at the time—it was already 10 o’clock—he decided to head to Peng City today and give the little one a surprise.
Getting up nimbly from the bed, he took a quick shower in the bathroom and changed into fresh clothes. He grabbed his phone and wristwatch and headed out.
Originally, Zhou Chao planned to leave empty-handed, but thinking about visiting Little Mango and probably going to Ye Zhengfeng’s house later, he grabbed a bottle of Domaine Romanee Conti wine and the keys to his Lamborghini Veneno (previously written as Poison) and headed out.
Driving his Lamborghini Veneno out of The Palms Residence, Zhou Chao made his way to Hongqiao Airport. By the time he arrived, it was already past 11 o’clock. He bought a 1 p.m. flight ticket and his stomach started growling. He had no choice but to carry the wine and stroll around the airport, looking for something good to eat.
After wandering around Hongqiao Airport for about half an hour, he settled for a KFC meal, carrying the wine with him. He then proceeded to check in his luggage.
Lounging on a comfortable sofa in the VIP waiting area, Zhou Chao idly watched short videos on his phone. He noticed that his childhood friend’s videos had been updating slower lately, and their quality had decreased as well. He figured that when he had the chance, he should call and ask what was going on.
“Ding dong!” Zhou Chao heard the airport announcement and stood up, heading towards the fast track.
The plane took off, and Zhou Chao sat in the first-class cabin, his eyes closed in relaxation. A voice beside him broke the silence, “Are you Mr. Zhou Chao?”
Zhou Chao opened his eyes and realized the person addressing him was Wu Jing, who had gained quite some popularity in recent years.
“Hello, Brother Jing. How do you know me?” Zhou Chao was puzzled; there weren’t many people in the entertainment industry who knew him.
“A few days ago, when I was drinking with Yu Qian and Ma Wei in Jingdu, we talked about you. Brother Qian even boasted about the wine you gave him in front of me, acting all old-fashioned.” Perhaps because Wu Jing was a martial artist, he spoke straightforwardly, without beating around the bush.
“Those two are just big kids. Last time, they almost had a fight over a bottle of wine!” Zhou Chao held a favorable impression of Wu Jing, so he didn’t mind chatting and passing the time with him.
“All, 1 missed out on that. Didn’t get to enjoy such great wine.” Zhou Chao looked at him with a hint of regret, causing Wu Jing to chuckle.
“No problem. Next time, when I’m back in Jingdu, let’s make plans. We’ll invite Master Yu Qian and Old Master Ma too. 1 have a 30-year-old Lai Mao that’s on par with the Han Emperor Moutai we had last time.” Hearing that Zhou Chao had a bottle of Lai Mao, Wu Jing unconsciously swallowed, his throat dry.
“Mr. Zhou, I’ll remember that. Make sure you don’t forget about me when the time comes.” Enthusiasts of good wine always expressed their love for it, and it was evident that Wu Jing was one of them.
“Don’t worry. Let’s exchange phone numbers and become friends. It’ll be convenient to keep in touch.” Zhou Chao had just finished speaking when Wu Jing took out his phone. Zhou Chao shared his number, and he saved Wu Jing’s in his phone as well.
“Jing Ge, you don’t need to call me Mr. Zhou either. We’re friends, so just call me Zhou Chao!” Zhou Chao’s words left Wu Jing momentarily hesitant. After all, he had heard from Master Yu Qian that Zhou Chao’s net worth was at least a few billion. However, he wasn’t one to be overly formal.
“Alright, then. I’ll be presumptuous.” Zhou Chao waved his hand nonchalantly.
“Brother Jing, what are you doing in Peng City?”
Wu Jing scratched his head bashfully. “I just finished shooting a movie, so I’m going to Peng City to see my wife.”
“What movie did you shoot recently, and when will it be released?” Zhou Chao still enjoyed watching movies that Wu Jing starred in. The character Luo Tianhong from ‘Duoshuai’ had left a lasting impression on him with his blue hair.
“The Wandering Planet. It’s scheduled for an early release next year.”
“I’ll definitely be there to support it.”
The two chatted from the takeoff until the plane landed, their conversation growing more engaging.
“Brother Jing, I won’t be going out with you. I don’t want to end up in the news tomorrow.”
Understanding that Zhou Chao was low-key, Wu Jing didn’t say much. After exchanging greetings, they each went their separate ways.
Zhou Chao retrieved the Domaine Romanee Conti wine he had checked in and made his way out of the airport. A chauffeured car from a five-star hotel was waiting for him outside.
Sitting in the hotel car, Zhou Chao was transported directly to the hotel. After securing the wine, he left his room. He intended to buy the teddy bear and little brain tiger for Little Mango. Fortunately, there was a large shopping mall near the hotel.
After spending over half an hour inside the mall, Zhou Chao finally found a store that specialized in large plush toys, and they were of high quality. He quickly picked out two adorable ones as Little Mango had mentioned: the teddy bear and little brain tiger. After vacuum sealing the toys, Zhou Chao returned to the hotel with them.
It was then that he realized he didn’t have Little Mango’s home address. After some consideration, he decided to call Ye Zhengfeng.
“Hello….”