Chapter 69 - I'm Minding My Business
Chapter 69: I’m Minding My Business
Xiang Wan did not expect that she would see Zhan Se again as they just had dinner last night.
Moreover, the location was at Zhan Se’s villa.
Jin Villa.
To Xiang Wan, this place was full of mystery.
It was an independent villa with its own entrance and courtyard. There was a huge pond in front of and mountains behind the villa. The villa was hidden in a grove of camphor trees forest, keeping a low profile yet also dutifully extravagant at the same time. The security measures were so tight that Xiang Wan was in awe of it.
She already detected that Zhan Se was not a simple woman when they first met. But it was only now that she knew her Senior was really from an extraordinary family.
“Why did I feel like I’ve entered a medieval castle and I’m waiting for an audience with the king?”
She laughed to herself softly while Bai Muchuan rolled his eyes at her. “Teacher Xiang, compose yourself, will you?”
“Why am I not composed? So what if I’m like ‘Granny Liu visits the Grand View Gardens’? I’m just stating a fact.”
Bai Muchuan’s sexy lips formed a smile, his hands in his pocket, and his body slightly leaned toward her. “Do you need me to hold your hand?”
Uh! Xiang Wan smiled awkwardly. “No need, I can walk myself.”
…
The two of them walked to the entrance after Bai Muchuan parked the car. They could see Zhan Se and Quan Shaoteng standing at the door of the villa.
“Senior, sorry to intrude. I didn’t know about this… So, I didn’t bring you any present.”
“Don’t worry about it, my dear junior.”
Zhan Se laughed and took a glance at Bai Muchuan meaningfully.
“Please come in!”
Actually Xiang Wan was somewhat curious about Zhan Se’s husband, Quan Shaohuang, but he was not present when they entered the villa.
Zhan Se knew what she was thinking with just one glance. “Well, this is the summer holidays,” she smiled, “my husband brought our kid to a military summer camp. But, it’s good that he’s not around, we can help ourselves to his wine.”
Then she blinked, revealing a playful side of her.
Xiang Wan suddenly concluded that she was a fortunate woman with a doting husband.
“Senior, your kid could already attend the summer camp?”
Zhan Se laughed. “Yeah, the elder one’s already in primary school, and the younger one’s asleep. No need to worry about her…”
Xiang Wan looked at Zhan Se’s beautiful face. “You have two children? I can’t tell at all.”
Zhan Se appeared to be in her late twenties. Her skin was fair, and she had a nice figure. Xiang Wan could not tell that she was a mother of two. It was obvious she maintained herself very well.
“You’re amazing!”
Clearly, Zhan Se enjoyed such compliments. She gave a chuckle, took Xiang Wan’s arm, and whispered, “I’ll give you some tips for maintenance, it’s effective…”
Xiang Wan was unable to understand the life of the rich.
They actually gathered not at the dining room, but at the underground wine cellar.
This was the largest, most luxurious, and most extensive wine cellar with a strong individuality that Xiang Wan had ever seen—it felt just like an underground castle.
When she followed Zhan Se and entered the dining room inside the wine cellar, she noticed there was already someone sitting there.
“Hello, beautiful young lady.” That someone waved and greeted her.
Xiang Wan was startled for a moment. She reflexively tensed up and said, “Hello, Mr. Harry Potter.”
“…”
After a few seconds, the group of them burst out in laughter.
Quan Shaoteng was the one who cackled the loudest. His laughter resounded the entire wine cellar. “Seriously, this name really suits you. Zhan Yuan, why don’t you go change your name tomorrow to ‘Zhan, Harry Potter, Yuan’? It’s classy, magnificent, and prestigious!”
“Mr. Harry Potter” was called Zhan Yuan.
After listening to Quan Shaoteng’s taunts, he simply grunted and continued to research the wine.
“I won’t bother to communicate with a stupid human like you.”
Zhan Yuan was like an “alien creature”, an oddball. He was still wearing his huge, black framed glasses as well as his long overcoat. If one just took a glance at him, he really looked like the Chinese version of Harry Potter. However, this time, Xiang Wan looked at him seriously and noticed that the Zhan Family’s genes were still good. This “Mr. Harry Potter” was still not bad looking.
Well, he was actually rather good-looking too… provided if he was willing to behave in a more down-to-earth manner.
There were also employed service personnel in Jin Villa.
After they chatted with each other for a while, the service personnel started to bring the food down to serve them.
One by one, the dishes started to fill the dining table.
Under the bright lights, the plates of every dish was gleaming with light and looked very costly.
Xiang Wan lowered her head and asked Bai Muchuan who was sitting beside her, “Didn’t you mention that you’re buying me dinner?”
She was finding out why she was being brought to Zhan Se’s house for dinner.
Bai Muchuan looked at her casually. “Saving a meal is a meal.”
Xiang Wan pouted. “Miser!”
Bai Muchuan put on a faint smile and did not say a word.
“What are you two whispering about?” Zhan Se laughed.
When Xiang Wan saw the fully filled glass of wine that Zhan Se had poured for her, she felt troubled.
“Senior, I can’t drink anymore. My head is still hurting.”
Actually, her head did not hurt at all. It was all because of last night that after she drank some wine, Zhan Se took control of the conversation. She was simply just worried and wary of the same thing happening again.
Zhan Se obviously saw through her worry and chortled a laugh.
“Don’t worry, Little Bai’s here today, so I won’t bully you.”
“…”
The information revealed in her words hinted a vague romantic relationship.
Xiang Wan’s heart suddenly drummed and she smiled awkwardly, while Bai Muchuan remained expressionless.
“You’ll regret if you don’t drink wine from the Quan Family,” he said.
What is so different about the Quan Family’s wine?
Xiang Wan didn’t know much about wine. Other than the fact that the wine looked valuable to the naked eye, Xiang Wan was not able to tell difference it had with the other wine.
However, if the Quan Family had such an ability to make Detective Bai come to enjoy free food and drinks shamelessly, she concluded that they must be very special.
“Then I… shall have a taste.”
That sentence was simply lip service.
She had not expected that she would like it so much with just a taste!
It tasted great.
It did not smell like wine.
The sweetness of the wine lingered at her tongue.
“This wine is not intoxicating. The only shortcoming is that I have too little of this at home. It’s basically perfect.”
Zhan Se really knew how to persuade her to drink wine. Xiang Wan found it difficult to reject the temptation.
A wine that was not intoxicating and tasted great, who wouldn’t like it?
…
After three drinks, everyone started to talk about more topics.
Zhan Yuan was a loner. No matter what topic the others were chatting about, he was only concerned about his “six misfortune stars pierce through the heaven”, constantly enticing them to follow his lead.
Xiang Wan was not able to understand his professional terminology, but hearing them discussing about the case at “The Palace”, she suddenly thought of Huang He.
“Actually, I’ve been very curious what happened when they barged in to arrest the drug offenders. Even if Huang He drank some wine prior to carrying out his duty, he shouldn’t have been suspended, right? I still think that this case is very unusual.”
“Mr. Harry Potter” acted as if he had found a confidant and concurred with her by nodding his head.
“You’re right. There’s a problem with the fengshui of ‘The Palace’. Little Bai, if your cousin had engaged me to help him, it wouldn’t have come to this…”
“Enough,” Quan Shaoteng chuckled, “stop saying such things to scare them.”
The two of them squabbled among themselves while Bai Muchuan seemed slightly stunned and stared at Xiang Wan.
“Huang He… got suspended?”
What? He actually didn’t know about this? Xiang Wan was puzzled.
They were police officers after all, for such news to spread to the capital from Jin City, was it really that slow?
Xiang Wan then gave an account of what happened by mentioning the main points.
“Originally, from the way they showed their love to each other, I actually believed in love once again. Nevertheless… Sigh!”
Bai Muchuan raised his eyebrows. “Do you still believe in it now?”
Xiang Wan felt that his question was unwarranted. She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Mind your own business[see translation notes].”
Bai Muchuan said, “… I’m minding my own business.”
Xiang Wan: “…”
D*rn, it’s easy to be at a disadvantage when talking to men.
Xiang Wan decided to ignore him.
Now that they knew what happened to Huang He, everyone was a little moody.
Quan Shaoteng and Zhan Se had come in contact with Huang He during their short stint in Jin City. They felt that this guy was honest but kinda weak-willed. To get into such trouble, they were very sure that he was either just unlucky or was being maligned.
Bai Muchuan said with a cold face, “I’ll find out what happened tomorrow.”
Hearing that from him, Xiang Wan heaved a sigh of relief.
Young Master Bai was really so much more helpful than that Cheng Zheng.
… Although he was so hateful while Cheng Zheng looked like he was the good guy.
Ironically, their values toward people and relationships were opposite.
She gave him a look of approval when unexpectedly, Quan Shaoteng let out a laugh. “Little Bai, you’ve already left Jin City, do not meddle in the affairs over there. Haven’t you heard what Zhan Yuan has said, that six misfortune stars pierce through the heaven? It’s really inauspicious!”
Bai Muchuan gave him an icy cold glare. “You can shut up now!”
“What I’ve said is for your own good, understand?” Quan Shaoteng laughed, “Let me tell you, Zhan Yuan’s fortune-telling is really accurate.”
“How accurate?”
“Last year during Chinese New Year, he told me that I’m still going to be single for another 365 days. And true enough, it’s too accurate, f*ck! I really can’t believe it, I’m such a gorgeous, dashing, and talented guy, why isn’t there a single woman who fancies me?”
“Didn’t Miss Xia Chuqi like you a lot?”
“… Don’t mention her.” Quan Shaoteng waved and rubbed his temples. “Maybe I’m a Tiansha lonely star. She’s such a good girl, but got ruined by me.”
“?” Everyone was intrigued by his words, full of curiosity.
“The two of us didn’t manage to become lovers but become buddies instead. Zhan Yuan told me to better leave her alone, but I didn’t believe him. In the end, there was once a time when I asked her to come to my house and somehow she just tripped and fell. Now, she’s still lying in the hospital in a coma.”
“…”
So mysterious?
Xiang Wan’s heart was pounding loudly as he gave an account of what happened.
“This is called fate,” Zhan Yuan smiled creepily, “maybe she has transmigrated for all you know. Do you want me to give you a reading?”
“Don’t!” Quan Shaoteng immediately blocked with his hand. “I don’t want anymore readings. What if you tell me I’m going to be single for the rest of my life? My life would be ruined! Zhan Yuan, I need to stay away from you!”
Quan Shaoteng changed his seat to sit next to Bai Muchuan as he said that.
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he decided to tease both Bai Muchuan and Xiang Wan.
“Zhan Yuan, you should do a reading for my buddy and Teacher Xiang. See if both of them are destined for marriage?”
Xiang Wan was so embarrassed that her face flushed red. “I think you two are more compatible for each other,” she rebutted at Quan Shaoteng, “definitely made for each other.”
“That’s for sure.” Quan Shaoteng laughed and put his arm over Bai Muchuan’s shoulders like good buddies. “Back when we’re in Red Thorn, we’re bunk mates that occupies the top and bottom of the bunk bed, we’ve done all that can be done as well as those not to be done…”
“…”
Cough! Bai Muchuan pushed his hand away. “Stop misleading people. I’m not interested in you. You’re the one who keeps throwing yourself at me.”
“I’m just throwing myself onto the bunk bed, not throwing myself at you. You gotta be clear about this, okay?”
Bai Muchuan grunted and suddenly turned to Zhan Yuan.
“Give me a reading.”
Zhan Yuan was listening to them arguing with each other and did not respond in time. “Ah?”
The corners of Bai Muchuan’s mouth turned upward, forming a nice curve. “Please read for us, see if the two of us are compatible?”
Ah? What a scoundrel!
The temperature of Xiang Wan’s face had just recovered. She almost choked to death when she heard him said that.
“This is not funny!” She gave Bai Muchuan a push. “You can ask for a reading yourself, but you shouldn’t include me.”
Bai Muchuan looked at her, and he sounded as if he was glad about it, “You really don’t want a joint reading? Now or never…”
Xiang Wan stared at him angrily.
The lightings; the misty environment; as well as his pair of deep eyes…
Bai Muchuan looked at her intently. His well-defined features exuded an idly and casual aura.
But from Xiang Wan’s perspective, she really thought of it as a joke.
“I don’t want to argue with you, I’ll drink with my senior.”
Xiang Wan turned to Zhan Se and clinked their wine glasses together before drinking up.
Bai Muchuan did not retract his gaze. When he saw her blushing face, he smiled and drank with Quan Shaoteng.
Only Zhan Yuan, who had wanted to display his skills, was being ignored.
“So, do you want a reading or not?”
…
Nobody answered him.
…
Well, they might have drank a little too much.
Xiang Wan wanted to go to the restroom so she got up from her seat and realized that her head felt dizzy.
The brightly lit lights were over her head, as though fireflies were flying around.
She tried hard to remain conscious and visited the restroom. When she came out of the restroom, both her legs felt light and weak.
Urgh! She shook her head and walked with her hands on the wall as support. She rubbed her head and was preparing to continue walking when a hand held her arm tightly.
The man’s hand was very strong. With his low-pitched voice, he asked, “Are you alright?”
Why is Bai Muchuan here?
“Of course!” Xiang Wan smirked and nodded at him. With a face that clearly indicated she was drunk, she pushed his hand away and continued to walk.
Bai Muchuan immediately grabbed her arm and looked at her face. “Tell me, how many is this?”
A finger was moving in front of her.
This scene seemed rather familiar. Xiang Wan squinted her eyes and looked at the finger. Without a warning, she directly opened her mouth to bite it.
“…”
Translation notes:
关你鸟事 – This is really crude when in Chinese. Literally, it means “what ‘bird’ business is it of yours”. When you put it nicely, it means “mind your own business”.
In this context:
Xiang Wan: “关你鸟事?” (what ‘bird’ business is it of yours)
Bai Muchuan: “…关我鸟事.” (overthink version: I’m minding my ‘bird’ business; normal version: none of my ‘bird’ business)
Anyone got the pun that Author is trying to pull?Granny Liu visits the Grand View Gardens (刘姥姥进大观园) – Originated from the classic “Dream of The Red Chamber”, it means someone of a simple background overwhelmed by new experiences and luxurious surroundings.