Chapter 157: Jiang Li Came to Fog City
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
After dropping off Third Aunt at the Golden Coast, Zhou Chao drove back home. He had just lounged on the couch when he received a call from Qin Fen.
“Hello, Qin Fen!”
“Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year!”
“Have you returned to Fog City?”
“Yes, I’m back for the New Year.”
“When are you coming back to Modu?” Zhou Chao thought for a moment, calculating the approximate time.
“It’ll probably be around Lantern Festival.”
“Alright, call me when you’re back!” After a few more minutes of chatting, they hung up.
However, Qin Fen’s call reminded him of the importance of New Year’s greetings. Social etiquette still had its place. Even though he couldn’t visit people in person, making phone calls was a must. It was essential to convey caring and well-wishes to others.
The call was quickly answered!
“Uncle Ye, Happy New Year!”
“Oh, 1 thought you’d come to Peng City. I didn’t expect you to call me for New Year’s greetings. Be honest, you want a red envelope, right?”
“Why would I want a red envelope? 1 want to give one to Little Mango!”
“You are full of weird ideas. 1 brought Little Mango back to our hometown.
Even if you come over to visit us, you wouldn’t see me!”
“Hehe, when I get back from Fog City, I’ll visit you and enjoy some free food and drinks!”
“Alright, when you come to Peng City, we’ll talk!”
“Okay, Uncle Ye, I won’t disturb you anymore!” Ye Zhengfeng agreed, and the call ended.
Then, Zhou Chao proceeded to call Xiao Yang, Big Bro, Third Bro, Fourth Bro, and the others. By the time he finished calling these friends, his ears were buzzing from the non-stop conversations.
However, Zhou Chao had no choice but to send messages to other friends, such as Yu Qian, Wu Jing, Sun Yue, and others. These messages were short and to the point.
Soon enough, he received replies from them, and most of the responses were quite similar. Zhou Chao felt like he had completed his busy round of greetings and was about to lie down on the sofa for some rest.
However, his nightmare was far from over. Starting from early morning, almost every three minutes, someone would call him to exchange New Year’s greetings. It wasn’t until he received six of these calls that Zhou Chao, feeling helpless, posted a message on his social media profile.
“Temporarily closed for business! (Please don’t call me; I’ve already received over ten calls in half an hour, and 1 just want to take a break!)”
Soon, he enjoyed a moment of peace.
“Ding, ding, ding…”
However, the phone rang again, prompting Zhou Chao to sit up angrily and grab his phone, ready to give someone an earful. But when he saw that the caller was Jiang Li, his expression quickly changed from anger to a smile. This transformation was quicker than turning a page in a book.
“Ah Li, Happy New Year!”
“Brother Chao, Happy New Year! I’ll be in Fog City tomorrow. Are you excited?”
Zhou Chao jumped up from the couch, suddenly energized, and asked excitedly, “Really? What time is your flight?”
“Of course, I’m not lying. I’ll be taking the flight at 11 am, so 1 should land around 1 or 2 pm.”
“Great! Tomorrow, Brother Chao will take you to try all the delicious food in Fog City!”
“Don’t you dare deceive me!”
“Don’t worry! Why would I lie to you, my little treasure!”
“Puh, who’s your little treasure!” The two of them continued their sweet talk for a while before finally hanging up. Zhou Chao was ecstatic and bouncing around the living room.
Zhou Chao spent the entire afternoon searching online for recommendations, all to ensure that he could show Jiang Li a fantastic time the next day. It wasn’t until it was dark outside that Zhou Chao clapped his hands and stood up.
“Phew, everything’s finally in order. Let’s see how tomorrow pans out.” Zhou Chao glanced at his scheduled plans for the next day on his phone and felt quite content.
Early the next morning, Zhou Chao took a shower and changed into a stylish outfit. He left his home around io a.m.
“Traffic is a nightmare!” Zhou Chao had departed at io AM, and by now, it was nearly noon. However, he had only managed to complete half of the journey. Frustration crept in as he observed the seemingly endless traffic jam ahead.
Fortunately, the presence of traffic police helped gradually clear the congested road. By the time Zhou Chao reached Jiangbei Airport, it was around 1 p.m.
“The plane is landing in about half an hour. Let’s head to the parking garage first.” Zhou Chao drove his car into the airport parking garage and then walked to the arrivals gate with the car keys in hand.
Waiting was excruciating. The more anxious he felt, the slower time seemed to pass. Zhou Chao felt like he had been pacing back and forth for ages, but when he checked the time, it had been less than io minutes.
“Phew!” After taking a deep breath, Zhou Chao finally calmed his impatience and stood quietly at the exit.
Time passed quickly, and people started emerging from the arrivals gate. Zhou Chao extended his neck, trying to spot Jiang Li in the crowd as soon as she appeared.
“Jiang Li!” When Jiang Li walked out of the arrivals gate, she saw a remarkably handsome man waving at her.
“Why are you making such a fuss? It’s not like you haven’t seen me before!” Jiang Li jogged over to Zhou Chao and whispered.
“Ah Li, I couldn’t help it because you’re so beautiful! Come on, let’s grab some dinner first,” Zhou Chao remarked, grabbing his suitcase with one hand and holding Jiang Li’s hand with the other.
The two of them, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, attracted the attention of many airport-goers. Some even wanted to take out their phones and take pictures, but Zhou Chao and Jiang Li quickly walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
“Brother Chao, 1 want to eat authentic Fog City hotpot!” Jiang Li sat in the passenger seat, cradling her head and looking at Zhou Chao affectionately.
Zhou Chao couldn’t resist the temptation and agreed, “Of course, I’ll take you to a hotpot place! Just keep in mind that the food is delicious, but the atmosphere might not be upscale.”
“That’s okay, I’ve heard that the best hotpot places in Fog City are tucked away in small alleys!”
“Alright!” Zhou Chao nodded and drove towards his chosen destination, following his heart’s desire.
This was all thanks to the research Zhou Chao did the previous night. He had considered Chinese, Western, and hotpot options, and the hotpot place they were heading to had received many positive reviews online.
After about half an hour, they arrived at their destination.
“We’re here, this is the place, one of Fog City’s classic hotpot spots!” Jiang Li looked over and saw that it was located under a residential building. It was already 2 o’clock, and there weren’t many people dining.
“Lijie Hotpot!” Zhou Chao led Jiang Li inside.
Even though it was the afternoon, the place was still open. They were greeted by a lady as soon as they entered.
“Are you here to dine in?”
“Yes, just the two of us.”
“Feel free to find a table, and I’ll bring you the menu.” Zhou Chao chose a table by the window and sat down. The lady soon came over with the menu.
“Ah Li, do you prefer mild or slightly spicy?”
“I want it moderately spicy!!!” Zhou Chao looked at Jiang Li with a surprised expression and then flashed a mischievous smile.
Quickly, Zhou Chao placed their order and handed the menu back to the lady.
“What was that mischievous smile about?” Jiang Li asked once the lady had walked away.
“Oh, nothing, really!” Zhou Chao tried to appear serious, and Jiang Li believed him. They soon began discussing their plans for the next few days.
Not long after, the waitress brought the hotpot base, poured in some tea-infused water, and lit the burner. Jiang Li watched with curiosity, finding it rather intriguing..