Chapter 46 – Destination is HongLou North Stree
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Xing Xing and Uncle Zhang were still waiting for me in the same place.
When I arrived, I told them in the car that they just had to think of a way to get me into the school and I can go back by myself.
Anyway since I already came in, what are the Flying Tigers security guards going to do to me, strap me down and raise me?
“Big Brother Ye, you came back!”
Xing Xing gazed at me with a look of expectation.
Uncle Zhang held a cigarette in his hand, smiled and nodded at me.
The two of them insisted on driving me home.
Sitting in the back seat of the car, I said that I would return the school uniform to Xing Xing.
No matter what I said, Xing Xing did not agree, saying that the size was customized for me. If someone else took it back, they would not be able to wear it. I thought that I might still need this uniform if I helped Ai Mi in the future, so I decided to keep it.
“Xing Xing, you did well this time. Next time I’ll treat you and your brothers to a meal.”
Those weren’t empty words. Now that I have Ai Mi’s credit card, I can easily expend two to three thousand yuan. Even if I couldn’t eat at Hao Ting I can at least eat at Haidilao? (TN: One is a high-class restaurant and one is a chain store)
If it was someone else’s money, I would have probably spent it frugally. But who asked it to be Ai Mi’s money, who treats money like air? Also, the reason why the checkered books were delivered successfully was thanks to Xing Xing’s help!
Since you said that this card is to go against your mother’s “liquid cash”, then should it not be reasonable if I use it to buy people over?
Hearing that I wanted to treat him to a meal, Xing Xing put on a miserable face, as if I wanted to take his life.
“Big Brother Ye, please stop joking with me? Last time you saved me in the alley, I only treated you to eat some skewers from street stalls. After my dad found out, he scolded me terribly!”
I put on a serious face.
“I really want to invite you guys to dinner.”
“That won’t do, it doesn’t make sense.” Xing Xing waved his hand. “When you helped me before, you saved my life. This time when I helped you, it’s just a small favor, oh and by the way ——”
Xing Xing suddenly thought of something and pulled out a banknote-sized sheet of printed paper from his pocket and handed it over.
I took it over and saw that it was a coupon for Shangdao Cafe, which read “Original price $338, great value premium doubles combo meal with classic taste”.
“What’s this for?”
“Big Brother Ye, this shop was recently opened by one of my relatives. In order to promote their store they sold a lot of coupons on the Internet, I also received a lot, saying that I should give it away to my friends. I just remembered about it when you mentioned the meal!”
“But this is a coupon for two people, I can’t eat it myself.”
I am starting to lose interest.
“You just have to find someone to accompany you… Of course, if you ask Miss Ai Mi to go to Shangdao Cafe, it would a bit too embarrassing for her…”
That is not true, if I invited Ai Mi to drink coke she would be happy out of her mind.
Did you want me to ask Xiao Qin to go?
No way! I was shocked by the idea that popped out of my mind. Although Xiao Qin would be happy, I am not willing to let her misunderstand that I am interested in her!
I can ask the old man to go with me, maybe one day he will add too much salt to the food again.
“Okay, I’ll take it, where’s this cafe?”
“It’s easy to find, it’s on PuTai South Street, right beside Ru Jia hotel.”
I breathed a sigh that signified that I did not know the place he was speaking of.
“You don’t know where RuJia is? Hey, now that I think about it… There’s also a pet hospital on that street, what’s it called… the Pet Love Hospital! Do you recognize the place?”
Now that you mention it, that place is not too far away, I have been to that pet hospital before.
When I have no food to eat next time, I will go enjoy with my old man.
Suddenly I remembered that I did not eat dinner yet.
I will just buy some bread at the canteen in our building, anything is fine. There is no reason to eat luxuriously every day.
I stuffed the clothes I removed earlier into my shoulder bag and waved goodbye to Xing Xing and Uncle Zhang. I walked into our building’s corridor.
The moon outside the window of the corridor was eerily round.
I felt my face. Fortunately, I did not grow any hair, I did not become a werewolf.
Ah, I forgot to buy bread… Why is my memory so bad recently!
I could only go home and eat instant noodles.
Dad saw me coming back wearing Qingzi Academy’s uniform and looked shocked:
“Xiao Lin, why’d you transfer schools by yourself?”
Don’t ask, I actually do want to transfer to a school where Xiao Qin can’t find me.
I quickly explained it to the old man, just saying that a friend loaned it to me to play with, I did not mention the stuff that happened with Ai Mi.
I still have to go to Xiao Qin’s house tomorrow to repair the computer.
I stuffed two CDs into my bag and a USB disk boot system that my dad helped make. These should be enough.
I imagined the punching bag in my bedroom as the head of the Little Tyrant, and consecutively punched it more than 200 times in a row without rest.
I feel that my recent lifestyle has been very morbid.
I may not be able to be saved anymore.
On Saturday morning, I still ran around Dongshan Lake three times.
Exercising is one of the few things left in my life that I still have control over.
The old grandpa wearing the purple Kung Fu shirt stroked his beard and nodded to me. Recently, I have simplified his name in my mind to “Gramps”.
Ever since I started working out three years ago, gramps and I met almost every day, but we never really talked.
It is just that we feel very familiar with each other. If we don’t see each other every morning, it will feel like something is missing.
Although I finished Ai Mi’s business Friday night, I could have gone to Xiao Qin’s home this morning.
But I just want to leave it till afternoon.
If I went early in the morning, it would seem like that I was too unsettled.
After eating breakfast, I took the chance when the old man went to the washroom and gave Xiao Qin’s family a call.
The phone number was given to me before school ended on Friday. Me giving her a call is better than her calling us and it being picked up by the old man.
In case Xiao Qin said to the old man, “Hello, uncle, I’m your daughter-in-law”, I could only facepalm.
I told Xiao Qin that I would arrive at her house at exactly one in the afternoon, she doesn’t have to welcome me, and she is not allowed to call my family.
If I can send a challenge letter to our house, I can find it as well.
“I’m waiting for you~ Don’t you dare not come~?”
Xiao Qin urged on the phone with a sappy voice.
I violently hung up the phone, and the old man who just came out of the washroom thought I had a conflict with the courier company.
After lunch, I left my home. I didn’t wear Qingzi Academy’s uniform and pretend to be a rich boy, but changed back to dark gray casual clothes.
When I was on the subway, I suddenly remembered that I had been harassed by a female pervert on this route.
That pervert said that she will see me at school.
But I never saw her? She must have repeated the act on other male students and was finally arrested by the righteous police officers.
Serves her right.
Xiao Qin lives at Honglou North Street, in a very unique neighborhood.
It is different from the uncharacteristic building I live in and it is not as full of the nouveau riche feeling like Director Cao’s home.
I don’t know what Honglou North Street has to do with “Dream of the Red Chamber“. I only feel that this is a very peaceful and old street.
There are many short lilac trees on both sides of the street, the branches were already bearing dark purple flower buds.
It is a four-petal lilac and will turn into lavender after blossoming. In this city, many grow every year, the smell is quite nice.
The Honglou north street neighborhood that was surrounded by lilac buds was like a hermit, hiding behind the high-rise buildings not wanting to be discovered.
The point is that it is not very easy to find.
It took me a long time for me to find the door to Xiao Qin’s home.
Although her building only had 4 floors, it still had an elevator.
At this time on a Saturday, most of the people who come and go are all seniors, young people are rarely seen.
A few elders looked quite familiar, probably neighbors who lived near us a while back.
But they probably weren’t able to recognize me anymore? Before I was bullied by the Little Tyrant, I was still a cute shota.
Nothing like now, just asking people for directions and they think I am a mugger.
When I reached out and just wanted to press the doorbell, the door opened by itself.
“Welcome~?”
Xiao Qin flashed a beaming smile and greeted me. She must have seen me through the peephole and opened the door first.
Seeing as her feet looks a bit numb, I don’t know how long she waited standing behind the door.
Today, her dress was a refreshing change from her usual self.
On her upper body she was wearing a with a striped T-shirt with red, blue, and white stripes, and on her lower body was a casual denim skirt with a decorative border.
It is a very homey style, simple yet sweet.
In addition, the skirt was really short.
It always feels like she’s plotting something.