DP Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“Take a vacation and find a place to play,” Xu Chuo said, taking back the plane tickets, “Check out the northern scenery, gather some inspiration.”

Oh, he’s here for tourism, Xiang Yiye thought.

The broadcast announced passenger boarding. From walking through the boarding bridge to entering the business class cabin, Xu Chuo followed closely behind Xiang Yiye the entire way.

After being patted on the shoulder by Xu Chuo for the third time, Xiang Yiye finally couldn’t resist anymore and said, “Xu Chuo, don’t keep sticking to me.”

Xu Chuo was a little puzzled, not knowing why he wasn’t allowed to touch him again. He said, “These are all very normal physical contacts.”

“You have a strange smell on you.”

Xu Chuo sat down in his seat, picked up the front of his coat, and sniffed it. “I don’t smell anything.”

He even asked the flight attendant passing by for confirmation, sincerely asking, “Hello, excuse me, did you smell any strange odor on me just now?”

Xiang Yiye looked horrified, feeling that Xu Chuo was simply a social bandit.

The flight attendant approached, squatted down next to Xu Chuo’s seat, smelled carefully, and smiled, “No, sir, you only smell of cologne.”

“Thank you.” Xu Chuo turned to look at Xiang Yiye, who ignored him and found his own seat, a little distance away from Xu Chuo.

Xiang Yiye took the hot towel and wiped his hands, seemingly casually looking back. Xu Chuo was chatting happily with the beautiful flight attendant. If she weren’t working, he probably could have chatted with her until the plane landed.

A dozen minutes later, the plane reached its cruising altitude. Business class had Wi-Fi, and Xiang Yiye received a message. He opened his phone.

Xu Chuo: “Your reason from just now doesn’t hold water.”

Xiang Yiye replied: “You have the smell of strangers on you.”

Xu Chuo was silent. He wondered what kind of nose Xiang Yiye had to be able to smell that? But he wasn’t easily stumped. After a while, he replied in a serious tone, “Oh, I helped an old Grandmother cross the road on the way here at noon.”

As if it were true, Xiang Yiye looked numbly out the window at the clouds, completely ignoring him.

About two hours later, the plane landed at M City Jiabei Airport. Xiang Yiye didn’t say a word, rushing to get off the plane before Xu Chuo, getting into the shuttle bus alone, and waiting for his luggage at the carousel alone.

Xu Chuo always followed not far away, not pestering him. When Xiang Yiye passed by with his suitcase, he spoke up to remind him, “You’ve left something behind.”

Xiang Yiye wasn’t fooled, not even blinking an eye.

“Really don’t want it? You’ll regret it,” Xu Chuo said.

Xiang Yiye paused, still keeping a straight face as he turned back. He wanted to see what he had left behind.

Xu Chuo’s hand in his pocket touched the business card, but then he smiled brightly, revealing a row of white teeth. “Your heart.”

Xiang Yiye couldn’t take it anymore. He vowed that he would be a dog if he ever paid attention to Xu Chuo again, turning around and walking forward without looking back.

The entrance to the terminal on the first floor was covered with thick windproof curtains. Xiang Yiye lifted a corner, and the biting cold wind immediately poured in, giving him a sudden sense of coming home, like a fish finally returning to the small river where it was born and raised.

Father Xiang was waiting for him in parking area C. After Xiang Yiye came out, he followed the signs to find the parking lot entrance.

Xu Chuo also left the terminal, probably to take a taxi, shivering and wrapping his coat tighter around himself. Winter nights came early in the north; at four in the afternoon, the sky was already dark. He stood alone by the roadside, looking rather pitiful.

Xiang Yiye stared at him for a long time, unable to ignore him, and walked over to ask, “Where’s your luggage? Didn’t you get it?”

“No, I figured I’d just buy whatever I’m missing when I get there,” Xu Chuo said.

“Don’t bother buying anything. Before you even get to a store, you’ll freeze into a popsicle. The thing you need most isn’t stuff, it’s common sense.” Xiang Yiye verbally unloaded on him, squatting down on the street to open his suitcase and rummaging through it to pull out a down jacket, which he unceremoniously threw over Xu Chuo.

Father Xiang had been craning his neck waiting in the parking lot for a long time, but hadn’t seen anyone. He sent messages and made calls, but got no response. He drove around the perimeter of the terminal to try his luck, and suddenly saw his son’s figure by the side of the road. He was first overjoyed, then noticed that Xiang Yiye was with someone, and his joy increased.

After rejoicing, he realized something wasn’t right. Why was it a man standing across from him?

“Young Master Xu, would you please lift your arm for me?” Xiang Yiye resentfully helped Xu Chuo put on the coat.

A horn sounded behind them. Xiang Yiye turned his head and said, “Don’t honk, grandpa, we’re leaving right away… Dad?”

“This is what happens when you go to school, you can’t even recognize your own father. It was a waste of my time to wait for you for an hour.” The car window rolled down, revealing Xiang Wan’s face. He glanced at Xu Chuo and asked, “This handsome young man, is he your classmate?”

Xiang Yiye was about to introduce him, but Xu Chuo spoke first, “Uncle, hello. I’m Xiang Yiye’s friend, Xu Chuo. I’m taking advantage of the winter break to visit M City for a couple of days. I’ve often heard Xiang Yiye mention you, and I’m finally meeting you today.”

“Then he definitely hasn’t said anything good about me,” Xiang Wan said. “Welcome, Little Xu. Where are you going? Want a ride?”

Sitting in his family’s SUV, Xiang Yiye said to Xu Chuo in the back seat, “So you did know to book a hotel. I thought you were planning to sleep on the streets.”

“How can you say that, Xiang Yiye? He’s come all this way,” Xiang Wan said. “Or how about this, Little Xu, don’t stay in a hotel. If you don’t mind…”

Xiang Yiye immediately knew what his father was going to say. “He minds. Dad, he’s a rich second generation. He needs to sleep in a bed inlaid with diamonds, and eat from a bowl made of gold. Our house is too small. He wouldn’t be used to it.”

“Is that so?” Xiang Wan said, slightly regretful. “Xiang Yiye, then you have to take him out to eat something good these next few days. Tell me if you need money.”

Xu Chuo glanced at Xiang Yiye. If he hadn’t jumped in just now, Xu Chuo would have most likely declined politely. But after Xiang Yiye said that, if he declined again, wouldn’t that be as good as admitting he was disgusted by it?

For someone who cared so much about appearances, that would be like being roasted on a fire. So Xu Chuo said, “Uncle, I definitely don’t mean to be disgusted. I would love to visit your home.”

“Then come over. Your aunt has cooked a table full of dishes tonight, originally hoping Xiang Yiye would bring back a partner…”

Xiang Yiye coughed, interrupting him, “Dad, focus on driving.”

“You little rascal, can’t even let me talk,” Xiang Wan said. “You have to come, Little Xu. If not today, then another day.”

Xiang Yiye turned to give Xu Chuo a look, signaling him to refuse, but Xu Chuo said, “Then there’s no time like the present. I’ll be imposing on you, Uncle and Aunt.”

Xiang Yiye: “…”

The airport was about an hour’s drive from the Xiang family’s home. On the way, Xu Chuo talked to Father Xiang about the local customs, landscapes, and historical sites of M City, and they got along very well.

Xiang Yiye couldn’t get a word in. He looked down at his phone and asked his mother what dishes she was making for dinner, wondering if there was anything Xu Chuo didn’t like to eat.

A message popped up at the top of the screen, sent by Xu Chuo. Even though they were in the same space, he insisted on whispering.

Xu Chuo: “Send me your home address.”

Xiang Yiye: “What are you going to do?” He finally saw what it meant to be a master of time management, conducting things online and offline at the same time, without taking a break.

Xu Chuo: “Order takeout, buy some daily necessities and stuff.”

Xiang Yiye: “We have everything at home. You can use mine. There’s also a supermarket downstairs in the neighborhood.” So much for not minding. He’s already showing his true colors so quickly.

Xu Chuo: “You don’t know what kind of things I usually use.”

Okay, this is a young master; he needs to be pampered. Xiang Yiye sent him the address.

Entering the neighborhood, Xiang Wan dropped the two boys off early and went to the parking lot to park.

The door opened, and Mother Xiang said warmly, “This must be Little Chuo, right? You said you were coming, but you brought so many things. Aren’t you being too much of an outsider?”

Brought things? Xiang Yiye lowered his head and saw a large pile of things stacked in the entrance hall, as he suspected. Only then did he realize what Xu Chuo was planning just now.

“I didn’t have time to buy them myself, so I could only order takeout. I hope Auntie doesn’t think I’m not sincere enough,” Xu Chuo said.

“How could I? Come, sit down quickly. What would you like to drink? Juice or tea?” Qiao Sha said.

Xiang Yiye stared at the pile of things, seeing a wide variety of items, including nuts, milk, and other New Year’s goods, rice, flour, fresh ingredients, and even protein powder, fish oil, and other health products.

Even when a son-in-law comes to visit, he doesn’t bring so much, Xiang Yiye thought. He turned his head and saw his Grandmother holding Xu Chuo’s hand on the sofa, chatting, “You’re the granddaughter-in-law that my Yizai brought back? What’s your name… What? Little Chu? Oh my, such a nice name, and you look so handsome. You have dimples, which means you’ll be blessed…”

His parents must have discussed his marriage with Grandmother when he wasn’t home, and she overheard them. This was very bad. Xiang Yiye quickly walked over and squatted down next to his Grandmother to explain, “Grandmother, this is my friend, not…”

Grandmother listened for a long time but didn’t understand. “Your girlfriend is good. Treat her well, you hear?”

Xiang Yiye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He said to Xu Chuo, “My Grandmother is old and sometimes doesn’t understand things very well.”

Xu Chuo shook his head, indicating that it was okay, and said to Grandmother, “Grandmother, your family’s Yizai is very good to me.”

Xiang Yiye: “…”

Grandmother patted the back of Xu Chuo’s hand. “If he’s not good to you, come back and tell me. When are you two planning to get married? Tell Grandmother about it.”

Xu Chuo continued to make it up. “We’ll get married as soon as Yizai makes a lot of money.”

He’s really getting into this acting thing. At this moment, Xiang Wan entered the house, and Xiang Yiye changed the subject at the right time. “Dinner’s ready, Grandmother. Stop chatting, don’t let Little Chu get hungry.”

At the dinner table, Xiang Wan asked about Xu Chuo’s personal information, such as how old he was, where he was from, and where he studied. When he learned that he was the young master of Yunhua Real Estate, Xiang Wan’s face was full of disbelief.

Xiang Yiye joked, “Don’t just talk about it, show us your ID card.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe Little Chuo,” Xiang Wan said, “It’s that I don’t believe you could make friends like this.”

Xiang Yiye: “…” He immediately felt like he wasn’t his real son.

When it came to family matters, Xiang Yiye kept winking at Xiang Wan. Xu Chuo took it all in, but he didn’t feel anything about it. He generously said that his parents divorced when he was ten years old and that he grew up with his father.

Xiang Wan said, “No wonder you’re so independent, do things so steadily and thoughtfully, and know how to talk. If Xiang Yiye could be half as good as you.”

If you’re going to praise someone, just praise them, don’t bring others down. Now Xiang Yiye wasn’t worried at all that the conversation would fall apart. He’d better just focus on eating.

“Little Chuo is twenty-four this year. Do you have a partner?” Xiang Wan said. According to the basic flow, he should have asked what he planned to do after graduation, but thinking that Xu Chuo probably didn’t have to worry about that, he could only ask about his love life.

“Not yet,” Xu Chuo said.

Qiao Sha was attentive and immediately caught the key words. She smiled and put a chopstick of food on Xu Chuo’s plate, saying, “Not yet, which means you have someone you admire, and you’ll soon be making it official. Am I right, Auntie?”