Chen Ming seems less and less like an older brother to Yun Sheng; the way he guides him is more like a teacher.

He was guiding Yun Sheng through that door. Beyond that door would lie a completely different world. This was a good thing for Yun Sheng.

Great generals are hard to find, and good teachers are even harder to come by.

Xu Keke sat bored to watch Chen Ming, while increasing the difficulty of the thing in Yun Sheng's hand.

Judging from his technique, it was clear that he had studied mechanics before. He worked quickly, adding a spring casually, which made Yun Sheng frown.

Yun Sheng simply didn't have a direct concept of what difficulties were. Unlike most people, he didn't subconsciously assume the difficulty level of a problem when faced with it.

He has a child's mindset; when he encounters a problem, he goes straight to the solution without dwelling on it.

Xu Keke, bored, turned her head to look to the side. Liu Fang was spinning a ball of yarn, and Li Shi was obediently stretching out his arms to help her hold the yarn.

The two of them chatted quietly about the twins they had met at noon that day. Liu Fang said the one with the two little pigtails was obviously the younger sister. Li Shi said the one with the student-style haircut looked younger.

The two of them talked back and forth, thoroughly enjoying their discussion. Xu Keke watched them for a while before they finally noticed her.

The moment Liu Fang met Xu Keke's gaze, she blushed.

"Why are you staring at us?" Li Shi asked, somewhat taken aback. Even Chen Ming looked over at them.

"I just think you... are a little silly,"

Xu Keke swallowed the word "they," and said, "There's no right answer, so what's there to discuss?"

“No,” Liu Fang hurriedly defended Li Shifen, “They go next door to eat steamed buns every day, we’ve seen them several times.”

After saying that, she exchanged a glance with Li Shi, and similar smiles appeared on their faces at the same time. Like two high school students, sharing a little secret unknown to others.

It's strangely a little silly, and...sweet.

Xu Keke glanced at Chen Ming again, but he had already turned his attention to Yun Sheng, seemingly uninterested. It was clear he was more interested in Yun Sheng.

It seems his uncle has already put the green hat on his head, and he himself is still unaware of it.

A boring night, five boring people.

The afternoon of the second day.

Standing at the entrance of No. 28 Xiangzhang Road, Miss Guo felt a surge of pride.

As she watched the driver get out and ring the doorbell, she sat in the car, unconsciously raising her head and straightening her back.

Being able to get into this place was something she had never imagined. Miss Guo pursed her lips, controlling the expression on her face.

No. 28 Xiangzhang Road has been vacant for some time, but it is still being cleaned and managed.

Through the car window, Miss Guo could see a rocking chair on the grass in the distance, where a child and a young man were sitting.

They had their backs to me, so I couldn't see their faces, but from their casual demeanor, I felt they were the owners of this house.

Miss Guo's imagination kicked in again. Rumor has it that Brother Long's youngest child is a son, though he's never been seen in public. But judging from the timing of the rumors, the child is around the same age.

Once inside the main house, Miss Guo became even more certain of her guess. This Chen Ming definitely had a special relationship with Brother Long.

Because after the maid went upstairs to report, Chen Ming, a young lady, and the boy who had been following him all along came down from upstairs.

Apart from the young lady who was wearing a cheongsam, Chen Ming and the young man were dressed very casually.

Upstairs, that's the master bedroom.

Miss Guo believed she had made the most correct judgment. She was also proud that Chen Ming had approached her for cooperation from the very beginning.

To avoid being looked down upon, she greeted Chen Ming with demureness.

Chen Ming led her into the outer study on the first floor.

If Miss Guo knew even a little more about Brother Long's household, she would have noticed something was amiss based on this alone.

This outer study was actually for the steward's use; the master's study was located deep inside the house. How could it possibly be on the outer perimeter?

But once you step into this outer study, it feels like you've stepped into a bygone era.

The room was filled with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, and the chairs were all carved mahogany spring and autumn chairs with dark blue brocade cushions on them.

In the innermost room, directly opposite, is a long couch made of rosewood. On the wall behind it is a painting of ten thousand horses galloping.

On the low table in the middle, there were no extra tea sets, just a steaming Jingdezhen teapot and two gold-engraved peacock blue teacups.

Against the wall was a long table, its brush holders carved from bamboo. The inkstone and brush rest were clearly not ordinary items. The only somewhat incongruous element was a telephone on the table.

This kind of room made Miss Guo a little nervous.

As far as I can remember, I saw a room like this, furnished entirely with Chinese-style furniture, when I went home to pay respects to my ancestors.

Unlike Western-style furniture, which allows for a relaxed atmosphere and makes one feel unable to unwind, it doesn't.

At Chen Ming's prompting, Miss Guo sat awkwardly on the other side of the long couch. Xu Keke sat on a round-backed chair to the side.

Liu Fang then sat down at the long table. With the telephone in front of her, she looked every bit like a secretary.

Miss Guo, being an experienced woman, quickly composed herself. Without further ado, she told Chen Ming the purpose of her visit.

“I’m very interested in the collaboration you mentioned last time. No, I really want to collaborate with you.”

Chen Ming smiled, picked up the teapot and poured her a cup. As the tea poured into the cup, a particularly pleasant aroma wafted out.

"Miss Guo, please have some tea first. This was given to Brother Long by someone else. I heard it used to be a tribute to the Emperor and the Empress in the palace. It tastes good, you should try some."

Under Chen Ming's watchful gaze, Miss Guo respectfully picked up the bowl. She took a small sip, savoring the lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth.

She looked up in amazement and exclaimed, "It's definitely not an ordinary item!"

Chen Ming agreed with her praise, "This tea is so precious not only because it tastes good, but also because less than five catties are produced each year. Its origin is kept secret to prevent anyone from having malicious intentions. The only thing that can compare to it is..."

Miss Guo wasn't there to appreciate tea, so she quickly interrupted, "Is there a problem with that collaboration?"

Chen Ming clicked his tongue, shook his head, and sighed deeply, "You're so smart, I knew I wasn't wrong when I first saw you."

Miss Guo looked at Chen Ming with some nervousness, "Back then? What do you mean by that?"

Chen Ming gave Liu Fang a wink, and Liu Fang nodded, stood up, and took a stack of papers from the shelf behind her. Then she walked up to the two of them and handed them to Chen Ming.

Miss Guo stared intently at the stack of papers. From where she was sitting, she could see the word "contract" written on them.

Chen Ming didn't keep her in suspense any longer and handed her the stack of papers.

Miss Guo took it. After carefully examining it, she stared at Chen Ming in disbelief, "What, you...you want so much money?"