Chapter 110 Bring your boyfriend to eat!
However, Xie Chen seemed to have forgotten that Mu Yan, who had lived here before, was far more at ease than he was. It was Xie Chen himself who was nearly hit by an electric scooter at the intersection.
The electric scooters here are just...unreasonable. A parent with a child on the back seat didn't slow down when they saw people; instead, they sped towards the two of them.
Electric scooters are the tyrants on the road here; pedestrians and cars all have to avoid them. Mu Yan reached out and grabbed Xie Chen's hand, pulling him towards her, so that they could pass each other peacefully by the electric scooter.
"You weren't hit, were you?" Mu Yan asked nervously. "That's how the electric bikes in town are; they drive very aggressively, and you always feel like people have to give way to them."
After crossing the intersection, Mu Yan let go of his hand. But Xie Chen's hand still seemed to retain the warmth he had left behind, and Xie Chen was stunned for two or three seconds before he came back to his senses.
"No collision occurred."
Mu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. The two arrived at the wonton shop, and sure enough, there were still seats available. Mu Yan ordered several servings of wontons and various braised snacks. The proprietress had a good memory and asked with a smile if he had been a student in the town's middle school before.
Mu Yan smiled and answered the landlady very seriously which generation he belonged to.
"Aren't you the one with the best grades, the one whose picture used to be plastered all over the school? It's been a while since you've been here. Did you bring your boyfriend to eat today?"
The town's educational resources are poor, and not many students can get into universities like A University each year. There used to be a roll of honor outside the school gate, which was full of photos of graduates who got into famous universities.
The headshot of the top student in the whole school was even slightly larger, taking up two rows of space.
"No, no," Mu Yan quickly denied, her ears turning red instantly. "He is my...brother."
The proprietress smiled without saying a word, clearly not believing it.
"Okay, then I'll give you and your brother two more chicken feet to eat."
The wontons were cooked to order, and the braised dishes were ready to eat right away. The two of them carried the small iron plates of braised dishes back to their seats and started eating right there.
The chicken feet and duck heads were stewed until tender and flavorful, and Xie Chen praised them generously, saying they were delicious.
“Sometimes you can smell it from far away,” Mu Yan smiled. “During lunch break, some of my classmates even climb over the wall to eat here.”
A short while later, two steaming bowls of wontons were served.
Xie Chengjun's ancestral home is in the north, and the chef in Xie Chen's family has always preferred northern flavors when it comes to wontons and glutinous rice balls. This was Xie Chen's first time trying these square wonton wrappers, and the small wontons with only a tiny bit of meat filling were surprisingly refreshing and delicious.
The strong flavor of the braised dishes complemented each other perfectly, and the taste was actually quite good.
“The landlady said there are photos of you outside the town,” Xie Chen suddenly thought of something, “Could you take me to see them?”
"No, it's not like that anymore. It's changed every five years," Mu Yan said embarrassedly. "It's nothing. It's just that our school isn't very good, and not many people get into good universities, so we made such a big fuss about it."
"Why do you always deny that what you've accomplished is actually nothing special?" Xie Chen frowned when he heard him say that, and subconsciously retorted.
He had noticed Mu Yan's habit for some time now; in many situations that Xie Chen didn't think were necessary, Mu Yan would subconsciously belittle himself.
Self-deprecation is certainly a good thing; belittling oneself can sometimes represent approachability and achieve many goals. However, Mu Yan's self-deprecation had absolutely no such purpose; it seemed as if he genuinely thought that way.
Xie Chen couldn't help but feel a kind of inexplicable displeasure.
But as soon as he said it, he realized that his tone might have been a bit too harsh. Mu Yan was taken aback by his sudden fierceness and looked a little dazed.
"I might be a little like that..."
"Sorry, my tone was a bit harsh just now..."
The two spoke at the same time. Mu Yan was taken aback, then gently shook his head to indicate that he didn't care and that he didn't need to apologize.
Lin Yi and Mu Juanhua also said the same thing about him, as did his high school homeroom teacher.
Mu Yan was aware of this flaw in himself, and Xie Chen's words did not offend him. It was just that it was a matter of personality, and it was really difficult to change it in a short time.
“It’s okay,” Mu Yan said, looking at Xie Chen’s expression. “I might be a little like that, but I’ll try to change.”
"Besides... your tone wasn't actually that harsh just now. You said you wanted me to treat you like an older brother. You've been so good to me. If I do something wrong, it's okay if you really yell at me."
Xie Chen was visibly taken aback when he heard his words. Mu Yan then urged him to eat the wontons, saying they wouldn't taste good if they got cold.
After dinner, the two strolled around town for a while.
In familiar surroundings, Mu Yan became a little more talkative. He would point to an unnamed milk tea shop and laugh as he said that he used to work there and that he had run into their dean of students who used to harass couples in the shop. He would also lower his voice and say that there was a burger shop with a long queue, but after he tried it, he found that it was actually not very tasty.
Despite their meager circumstances, they didn't complain or blame others. They believed that even in times of hardship, there were ways to make the best of a life. Xie Chen looked at Mu Yan, who seemed to have returned to his high school days, with a very gentle gaze.
It was getting late, so he took Mu Yan back to her hotel. When he was alone, he checked his phone and found that his assistant had sent him several messages.
"Mr. Mu Yan was with this gentleman when he went through immigration."
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“An S-rank alpha, with vetiver pheromones, from City A, and a classmate of Mr. Mu from the same university. We've already arranged a meeting for you, but haven't received a reply from his secretary yet.”
The last message, sent two minutes ago, reads: "Sir, the other party's assistant replied, saying that they are currently closing their doors to visitors and not accepting any business or private visits. However, I found out that his sister is an art enthusiast, and there is an opening ceremony for a gallery she has invested in in a few days, which this gentleman should also attend. They have also sent us an invitation to the opening ceremony."
Xie Chen glanced at the name and replied to his assistant that it was fine and there was no need to contact them again.
He has this person's contact information.
Xie Chen acted swiftly, dialing the number immediately. After several rings, the call connected, but no one answered.
Xie Chen frowned slightly, his displeasure growing.
When he last came to City A, he had dinner with this family. He actually still had the contact information of the elders in this family, but Xie Chen was not such an extreme person and did not want to really cause trouble in front of the elders.
Xie Chen never attends these business partners' messy ceremonies that require people to show their support. Even if necessary, Xie Xiao would go. The invitation for the opening ceremony is definitely still in Country A. He sighed and asked his assistant to contact the people at the gallery and ask them to send him a replacement invitation.
The gallery staff didn't delay and sent the invitation the next day. Xie Chen had his assistant pick out a gift for him and quietly entered the reception during the ceremony. He found the person in charge and asked them to give the gift to Ms. Lu Zhi.
The person Xie Chen was looking for was just as low-key as him, staying in a corner and only getting up to toast friends he had to greet occasionally. Xie Chen found him easily: "Mr. Lu, it's been a long time. Is it convenient for us to chat?"
Compared to their last meeting, Lu Chong's face was slightly paler, but his composure concealed this well. He immediately stood up to offer a toast: "Mr. Xie, why didn't you tell me you were coming to City A?"
"It seems I couldn't get in touch with you. Your assistant said you're currently staying home and not wanting to disturb you. Are you sick?"
“I had a minor surgery a while ago,” Lu Chong replied, “It’s all resolved now, it’s nothing serious. Mr. Xie, don’t you have my personal contact information? If I didn’t see the text message, you could have just called me. Is there something you need me for in such a hurry?”
...He's lying.
For Xie Chen, judging whether an ordinary person is lying is a piece of cake. Lu Chong's expression was calm and composed. In ordinary business negotiations, being able to lie like this without batting an eye is more than enough. However, his micro-expressions could not fool Xie Chen.
It wasn't a crucial issue, and Xie Chen didn't want to expose him like that, but Lu Chong's initial dishonesty lowered his credibility in his eyes even further.
"Mr. Lu, is there a place where we can talk?"
Lu Chong seemed a little confused and pointed to the corner behind a large screen-like artwork, probably asking Xie Chen if he wanted to go there.
There was indeed no one there now, but with so many people around, there was no guarantee that everyone would be sensible enough not to approach. Xie Chen shook his head and asked if there was a VIP lounge or something similar.
"Yes, my sister was just touching up her makeup in one of the lounges, and I have the key."
Lu Chong stood up and led Xie Chen toward the VIP lounge. The gallery's opening ceremony wasn't really his concern; he was only there today because Lu Zhi was an individual investor and didn't know the other art partners well, so he wanted to represent the group and support her.
He didn't know that the invitation had been sent to Xie Chen, nor did he know what the Xie family, who lived in Country A and used a different currency, had to do with this gallery, that he had to come all the way here in person.
As for his interest in art, he didn't seem to be present when the participating artists spoke or when the curator explained the artworks; he only arrived late at the reception.
Lu Chong thought and thought, and could only conclude that Xie Chen had come to him alone to discuss other collaborations.
When he was discharged from the hospital this morning, his assistant did convey that Mr. Xie Chen had made an appointment with him while he was staying home. Lu Chong planned to deal with it after the gallery opening was over, but before the opening ceremony was over, he ran into Xie Chen at the gallery.
Why the rush? Is it to raise funds? But the Xie family has been rooted in Country A for so many years and has many connections there. Why would they need to raise funds from us, who are separated by vast oceans?
The two walked side by side, two body lengths apart, with Lu Chong leading the way slightly ahead, appearing both polite and distant.
Xie Chen remained silent the entire way, which made Lu Chong even more puzzled. There were some things he couldn't say. Although he didn't have any ill intentions towards Xie Chen, the Xie family members did give off a somewhat... abnormal feeling.
[Author's Note]
There will be one more update today (the 3rd).
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