Chapter 170: Visiting Lao Xiao
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Huff, huff, huff!” Zhou Chao felt like he was struggling to catch his breath, abruptly awakening from his slumber.
“Shoufu!” A furious roar erupted from Zhou Chao’s mouth.
“Meow-” It turned out that the plump Shoufu was lying on top of Zhou Chao’s chest, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe.
Zhou Chao grabbed Shoufu and began to gently rub the cat’s big head.
“Tell me, how did you get into my room? And you dare to jump onto my bed. Are you up to no good?” Shoufu’s innocent eyes gazed at Zhou Chao, as if asking, “What’s wrong with my owner?”
Zhou Chao played with Shoufu on the bed for quite some time before letting it go. He got up and headed towards the bathroom, only to realize that his bedroom door was left ajar. He couldn’t tell whether he had forgotten to close it or if Shoufu had opened it. Zhou Chao shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it, and entered the bathroom.
*Buzz, buzz, buzz-* Just as he stepped out of the bathroom with damp hair, Zhou Chao heard his phone vibrating on the table.
“Hey, Brother Yang, did you install surveillance in my house? I just finished showering, and you call right on time. Is this some kind of coincidence?” Xiao Yang on the other end of the line, upon hearing Zhou Chao’s words, felt as if a flock of crows had flown over his head.
“You, kid, mind your words! Be careful, I might sue you for defamation!”
“Why are you calling so early? Is there something you want?” Zhou Chao didn’t waste time on idle chat and got straight to the point.
“You, kid, you’re back in Jingdu, and you don’t even come to say hello? Old Master just issued an order this morning, asking you to come over for dinner tonight!”
Zhou Chao suddenly realized that he didn’t even know where Xiao Yang and the others were staying. He hurriedly asked, “I got it, Brother Yang… um, where are you guys staying?”
“At the Four Courtyards of Shichahai Hutong. Call me when you arrive!” Zhou Chao hung up the phone and, after thinking about the location Xiao Yang mentioned, sighed. It was going to be a difficult night.
Zhou Chao dried his hair and went downstairs, heading straight for the wine cellar. He looked around but couldn’t find any good liquor to use as a gift. He scratched his head with a sighed.
“I guess I’ll have to take the last two bottles of red wine.” He had originally planned to use the check-in system, but who could guarantee that the check-in items would be liquor? He eventually gave up on that idea.
Zhou Chao put the final two bottles of red wine in a small wooden box, placed it inside a bag, and planned to retrieve it later when he headed out in the afternoon. Afterward, he left the wine cellar.
As soon as he left the wine cellar, he saw that Shoufu had also come down at some point and was lying on the sofa, cleaning its face with its paws.
Zhou Chao walked over and picked up Shoufu, hugging the cat in his arms and giving it a good rub. He could feel that Shoufu had become fatter, but it was even more comfortable to hold.
Just as Zhou Chao was happily petting the cat, his phone in his pocket rang again. He took it out and saw the familiar name “Master Yu.”
“Hey, Master Yu, what’s up?”
“Hey Buddy, 1 hope I’m not interrupting anything good!” Upon hearing Zhou Chao’s tone, Yu Qian felt a sudden sense of unease, as if his timing for this call was off.
“No problem, it’s just that my big fat cat at home got on my nerves!” The fluffy Shoufu in Zhou Chao’s arms lifted its head and meowed twice, as if protesting, “I’m not a big fat cat!”
“Well, buddy, on Lantern Festival, our Deshe is planning an unboxing ceremony at the North Exhibition. We were wondering if you’d be interested in coming!” Upon hearing Yu Qian’s words, Zhou Chao didn’t rush to answer. After all, on Lantern Festival, he was likely to be with Jiang Li, and he wasn’t sure if she would want to go.
“Master Yu Qian, let me check with my girlfriend first to see if she’s interested. I’ll call you back later!”
“Sure, buddy, take your time!” Zhou Chao hung up the phone and then received a call from Jiang Li.
“Hey, Brother Chao!”
“Ah Li, today I’m going to get lectured at Lao Xiao’s house. Do you want to come with me?”
“Sure, if grandfather scolds you, I’ll stand up for you! Hehe.”
“Great, I’ll come to pick you up in the afternoon. By the way, are you interested in attending Deshe’s unboxing event on Lantern Festival?”
“Oh, Brother Chao, do you have good tickets? I’d love to go; I really enjoy their comic sketches!”
“Alright, I’ll arrange it when the time comes!”
The two chatted and flirted for a while before hanging up. Zhou Chao then called Yu Qian back.
“Master Yu Qian, please reserve two better seats for me!”
“Sure, I’ll have someone deliver them to your residence when the time comes!” Yu Qian’s face lit up with a smile upon hearing that Zhou Chao would be coming.
“Thank you, Master Yu Qian.”
After hanging up, Zhou Chao felt like he had spent the whole morning making phone calls. He vented his frustration on Shoufu, whom he held and rubbed for a while.
“Meow, meow!” Shoufu was too weak to argue and could only endure Zhou Chao’s teasing.
In the afternoon, after having lunch, Zhou Chao lazed on the sofa until 1:30 PM. He went to the wine cellar, picked up two bottles of wine, and headed to the garage. Before leaving, he sent a text message to Jiang Li.
“I’m here!” Zhou Chao had just arrived at the entrance of the mansion in his Phantom when he saw Jiang Li waving her hand.
“You waited for a while, right? Have some water first!” Zhou Chao took a bottle of water from the storage cabinet and handed it to Jiang Li.
“No, not really. I just came out a little while ago!” Jiang Li replied, unscrewing the cap and taking a gulp, nearly finishing half the bottle in one go.
Zhou Chao playfully looked at Jiang Li, and when Jiang Li saw his expression, her face turned slightly red as she tried to justify herself, saying, “I didn’t drink any water today, that’s why I’m so thirsty. Yes, that’s it.”
Jiang Li even cheered herself up while saying this, and Zhou Chao couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ah, you’re still laughing!” Jiang Li’s pink fists playfully punched Zhou Chao several times until he stopped laughing.
“Here, for you!” Jiang Li pulled out a piece of paper from her bag and handed it to Zhou Chao.
“What’s this?” Zhou Chao took the paper that Jiang Li handed him and opened it to find it was a pass.
“Who gave it to you?”
“My dad!” Zhou Chao didn’t say anything more upon hearing this. He understood what it meant.
“Let’s go, let’s head to your grandfather’s place!” Zhou Chao started the car and drove towards Shichahai.
During the ride, Zhou Chao mainly listened to Jiang Li recount her childhood experiences, like visiting Lao Xiao’s home, trying her hand at fishing in Shichahai with Xiao Yang and Xiao Feng, and humorously failing to catch any fish.
She also shared some other interesting anecdotes, and whenever she mentioned embarrassing moments, Zhou Chao couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Just park the car outside, and we’ll walk in!” Jiang Li pointed to a parking spot. Zhou Chao quickly parked the car and, carrying the two bottles of red wine, followed Jiang Li into the old hutong.
Following Jiang Li for about 5 minutes, they arrived at a place that was low-key luxurious. There were many cameras mounted on the walls, bamboo plants grew outside the walls, and the alley had only one courtyard. The alley was narrow but clean, and the floor tiles appeared to have been well-maintained.
The house gave Zhou Chao the impression of being dignified, elegant, and imposing, yet not extravagant or flashy.
“We’re here!” Jiang Li led Zhou Chao towards the entrance. The young guard at the gate was about to approach and inquire when a slightly more mature guard behind him held him back.
Jiang Li walked inside confidently with Zhou Chao.
“Captain, who is this? You just let her in like that?” The young guard asked in confusion.
“That’s the Chief’s granddaughter,” the guard captain replied calmly, looking at the two who had already walked inside..