Chapter 65: Meeting Si Cong For the First Time
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
After lounging in the courtyard for two days, Zhou Chao finally received a call from Qin Fen upon his arrival in Jingdu.
“Zhou Chao, where are you?”
“Did you just arrive from the airport?”
“Yeah, we just got out.”
“I’m in Building 30 of the courtyard by the Jingdu Canal. Hurry up and come over, I’m getting so bored.”
“Which one did you say? The courtyard by the Jingdu Canal? We’ll be right there.”
Before Zhou Chao could respond, Qin Fen had already hung up. He stared at the now disconnected phone. Why was Qin Fen so excited?
Waiting felt like the slowest thing, and Zhou Chao sat in the courtyard, pouring himself a glass of juice. He leisurely listened to the comedic sketches playing on his phone.
Time slipped by, and the doorbell rang. Zhou Chao slowly got up from the lounge chair and walked towards the direction of the front door.
As he swung open the door, he was greeted by a group of people. Leading them was none other than Qin Fen himself. Standing beside him was a familiar face—Zhou Chao recognized him as the son of the Yida Group, Si Cong. Qin Lang and Yang Shuo had also joined Qin Fen on his visit to Kyoto.
“Welcome, welcome. Please come in.” Zhou Chao stepped aside, opening the door for them. They all entered in a rush, their attention immediately drawn to the vast courtyard.
“Well, I’ve heard so much about the distinct Chinese style of these courtyards. It’s a pity 1 hadn’t had the chance to see it myself until today,” Qin Fen exclaimed, looking around the courtyard.
“Let’s head inside. Are you all planning to stand here like utility poles?” Zhou Chao said with a chuckle.
They all proceeded into the interior of the villa, scattering in different directions to explore and marvel at the luxurious courtyard.
“Zhou, let me introduce you.”
“I don’t need that. If I can’t even recognize the owner of the property, I shouldn’t be in this group. Hello, Zhou Chao, nice to meet you.”
“Hello, Si Cong.” Zhou Chao shook Si Cong’s hand naturally. People who could afford to live in a place like this had a special status, and considering it was Qin Fen who brought him here, they treated Zhou Chao as an equal.
“You finally made it. I’ve been cooped up here for two days. Is there any interesting place you guys can take me to?” Zhou Chao looked at the two with anticipation.
“How about bars and nightclubs?” Si Cong, who was no stranger to nightlife, didn’t hesitate to suggest.
“Forget about those. I actually have a girlfriend now. So, please don’t take me to those places,” Zhou Chao said earnestly.
“Girlfriend? We haven’t seen each other for just a month, and you already have a girlfriend? Your speed could rival Si Cong’s.” Si Cong on the side innocently took the hit.
“I’m a faithful person, unlike you guys. When the opportunity arises, I’ll introduce her to you. You can meet her then,” Zhou Chao said with a contented smile. Both of them grasped his sincerity; being adept in romantic affairs, they could easily discern it.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of girlfriend you’ve found.”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
After Qin Lang and Yang Shuo returned from their tour of the entire courtyard, it was clear from their excited discussion that they were quite impressed.
“Chao, this house of yours is really something. The various garden courtyards are enormous, like a traditional siheyuan,” Qin Lang said while seated next to Qin Fen, sharing his observations of what he had seen.
Qin Fen knew about such a place before but hadn’t visited it in person. As for Si Cong, he wasn’t interested in such things at all, but who wouldn’t appreciate such a luxurious mansion!
“Did you guys have lunch on the plane?”
“Now that you mention it, I’m actually quite hungry,” Si Cong patted his stomach.
Most of the things Zhou Chao had bought previously were consumed, and there wasn’t much left to eat at home. It would be odd to just offer them water. Unfortunately, since they weren’t familiar with Jingdu and didn’t frequent the area, they had to resort to ordering a table of dishes from a large hotel online.
“How about we play some cards? What do you guys think?” Si Cong looked at everyone on the sofa, engrossed in their phones.
Qin Fen and Qin Lang exchanged glances and then turned their gaze to Zhou Chao. Understanding their silent message, Zhou Chao spoke up, “There’s a game room upstairs. You can go play, and when the dishes arrive, I’ll call you.”
Si Cong looked puzzled, but Qin Fen and the others pulled him towards the game room. Qin Lang and Qin Fen beside them were smiling happily, while Si Cong was left wondering what was going on.
“Si Cong, let me explain. From now on, you can play cards with anyone except Zhou Chao. Otherwise, you’ll have no chance to win at all,” Qin Fen said seriously, leaving Si Cong even more puzzled.
“Hey Si Cong, you might not be aware, but Zhou Chao joined us for a card game in Macau once. He effortlessly won over 300 million. Playing cards with him would be akin to giving him money for free.” Qin Lang shared with Si Cong their previous Macau adventure, which left him quite thrilled. After all, having a friend skilled in gambling techniques could provide valuable lessons and even help impress girls.
“From now on, when we play cards or mahjong, we won’t even consider him. We’ll let him sit aside and watch us play. How frustrating do you think he’ll find that?”
Upon hearing Qin Fen’s words about Zhou Chao, Si Cong and the others burst into hearty laughter.
Upon hearing the group criticize his innocence in such a manner, Zhou Chao felt a bit uncomfortable. “Qin Fen, could you please refrain from speaking ill of me behind my back and making sure I hear it? Doesn’t this come across as looking down on me?”
The laughter from upstairs grew louder, and Zhou Chao felt like a flock of crows had flown over his head.
Upstairs, the sound of people playing cards echoed throughout the room, while Zhou Chao was the only one sitting on the sofa downstairs, playing with his phone. The large hotel was quite efficient; after about an hour or so, the doorbell of Zhou Chao’s courtyard rang.
Upon opening the door, Zhou Chao saw several young men standing there, each holding a thermal food container. He let them in, and they followed him into the courtyard.
“You can place the food on the table.” Zhou Chao pointed to the table in the backyard. Soon, they took all the dishes out of the thermal boxes.
“Excuse me, sir.” Zhou Chao was about to go upstairs and call Qin Fen and the others to eat when he was stopped by one of the delivery guys.
“What’s the matter?”
“Sir, can 1 take a photo in the front courtyard? I’ve never seen such a beautiful courtyard before.” the guy looked a bit embarrassed.
“Sure, go ahead. Just avoid taking pictures of me or revealing any information about me,” Zhou Chao said before turning and heading upstairs.
“How did things go? Don’t tell me only Qin Lang lost.” Zhou Chao looked at everyone, and only Qin Lang had a bitter expression.
“Haha, Qin Lang’s luck was really bad today. Even with a good hand, he still lost.”
“Okay, let’s have our meal now. You can resume playing afterward. Otherwise, the food will get cold,” Zhou Chao descended from upstairs and noticed that the delivery person who had brought the food had already departed. He wasn’t bothered, understanding that he, too, would have desired to capture a photo if he wasn’t endowed with the system’s privileges and the opportunity to experience such an impressive villa.
After starving for most of the day, nobody held back. They all grabbed their chopsticks and started eating..