by Dragon King
Xie Yujia laughed as she stiffed the jacket a little. Then, she walked over to Ma Lina.
“Atta boy! You’ve got some moves!” Zhou Liren punched on Hao Ren’s shoulder when he saw her walking away.
“What moves? She was soaked. Shouldn’t I have lent her a jacket?” Hao Ren murmured.
“You are interested in Xie Yujia, right?” Zhou Liren looked excited.
“Stop it. You have made it embarrassing enough yesterday,” Hao Ren glimpsed at him.
“She must be interested in you. Judging from my experience…” Zhao Jiayi joined their conversation abruptly.
“What experience. Aren’t you single too?” Hao Ren said.
Zhao Jiayi wasn’t happy about it. He patted his chest and said, “Who says I’m not experienced…while I was in middle school…”
Cao Ronghua, Hao Ren, and Zhou Liren immediately covered up their ears and started shaking their heads. Listening to Zhao Jiayi’s brilliant history was worse than watching a boring drama show!
Hao Ren got changed after lunch, and they headed to the Mechanical Drawing Class in the afternoon. The four of them chose the same class, but Xie Yujia didn’t enroll in this course. Therefore, she wouldn’t run into them and certainly wouldn’t be able to return Hao Ren’s jacket.
Their school week finished as the two-hour class came to an end. The Internet Cafe was their Friday afternoon’s “must-go-to place”. However, instead of joining them, Hao Ren said he needed to go home that weekend.
Zhou Liren and the guys knew about his grandma’s incident, and they thought he was in a hurry to go see his grandma. Therefore, they didn’t insist.
Hao Ren said goodbye to them and stuffed two umbrellas in his bag. Then, he took a bus to LingZhao Middle School, where Zhao Yanzi was.
It was almost two o’clock, and it was only about ten minutes from the end of their last mid-term exam.
The street outside was crowded with cars such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Bentley…It was like a mini automobile exhibition.
LingZhao Middle School was the best middle school in East Ocean city. LingZhao Private School had both a middle school and a high school department. Mid-schoolers can directly enter the high school department after graduation, so this school not only had the smartest students in East Ocean City but also welcomed the children of the most wealthy and influential people in the city.
Hao Ren was the only one who came here to pick a student up with just an umbrella in his hand.
Pleasant music sounded from the school.
Then, the parents who were waiting got out of their cars and searched for their kids. In fact, even if it was only a typical Friday afternoon instead of the midterms season, this place would still be filled with cars. Since this was a semi-boarding school, most students could only go home on the weekends.
A large group of energetic mid-schoolers rushed towards the school gate in their blue uniforms. They were moving forward akin to the waves of the ocean.
The parents called out their children’s names, and the kids boarded the cars. Hao Ren also moved forward to look for Zhao Yanzi.
“Why are you here, Uncle?” Hao Ren didn’t find her in the “waves”. However, she appeared in front of him just like last time.
“Um…I’m here to pick you up,” Hao Ren tossed her the umbrella in his hand and said.
“Since when was it your turn to pick up Zi?” a cruel voice said beside them.
Hao Ren turned around and saw Third Uncle staring at him while standing beside a black Mercedes. His big eyes and bushy eyebrows stood out from the crowd.
76 I’m Not Keeping You Company! Humph!
Hao Ren didn’t expect to see her Third Uncle there. He was stupefied for a moment and ignored him.
“Hey, boy, I’m talking to you!” Zhao Kuo shouted impatiently when he didn’t get a response from Hao Ren.
Having ignored him again, Hao Ren turned to Zhao Yanzi and said, “Now that your Third Uncle is here, just forget about it.”
He put one of the umbrellas back in his bag. Then, he looked up at the sprinkling rain, opened up his other umbrella, and walked away.
“What…what temper…” Zhao Yanzi pouted as she stared at his back. She ran over and dragged on his arm after a few seconds. “Why throw a tantrum like a kid? You can come back with us now that Third Uncle is here to pick me up!” she asked.
“I am not getting into your Third Uncle’s car!” Hao Ren lightly threw away her hands.
“What are you saying, kid!” Zhao Kuo heard it with his acute hearing and shouted from afar.
“Stubborn! Grumpy!” Zhao Yanzi stomped her right foot and decided to leave Hao Ren alone. She jogged back to her Third Uncle at the school gate.
She was a little moved when she saw him waiting at the school gate with an umbrella, even though she didn’t like this “Uncle”.
“Forget about him and let’s go!” Zhao Kuo sensed Zhao Yanzi’s bad mood. After he opened the door to let her in, he started the black Mercedes.
Hao Ren quietly walked along the street with his umbrella. He ignored the million-yuan cars that were passing by him because all he cared about was his grandma.
It was a random idea to pick Zhao Yanzi up from school; he didn’t do it because it would make her happy. If anything, he was doing it as a reward for her hard work lately.
As the black Mercedes passed by, Zhao Yanzi looked back at Hao Ren who was walking by himself. She felt bad for him all of a sudden.
“Third Uncle, let it go. Let’s take him with us,” Zhao Yanzi said.
“I’m not taking him…who does he think he is!” Zhao Kuo said with pride.
The car left Hao Ren behind while they were talking.
Zhao Yanzi turned back again to look at Hao Ren who was strolling in the rain, and she said to her Third Uncle all of a sudden, “Third Uncle, stop the car!”
“Why? Did you forget something?” hearing Zhao Yanzi shout, Zhao Kuo immediately parked the car along the roadside.
“You go ahead, Third Uncle. Take my backpack with you!” Zhao Yanzi opened the car door and jumped out.
“Zi! It’s raining!” Zhao Kuo insisted.
“It’s fine!” she ran back over a puddle as the water reflected the shape of her slim pale legs.
Hao Ren was walking with his head down under the umbrella when the small body entered his view.
He looked up and saw Zhao Yanzi standing in front of him, breathing heavily.
“Give me the umbrella!” she reached out her hand.
“Huh?” Hao Ren didn’t realize what she meant.
“Give me the umbrella!” She repeated in a louder voice.
Hao Ren looked at her as he took the other umbrella out of his bag, confused.
Zhao Yanzi quickly snatched it from Hao Ren, opened it up, and walked ahead in big steps.
Hao Ren sped up to catch up with her.
“What are you doing? You are walking with me when there is a car waiting for you?” Hao Ren asked her.
“Who wants to keep you company! Can’t I just enjoy the rain?” Zhao Yanzi hopped over a small puddle and pouted.
“Zi!” Third Uncle backed up the Mercedes towards them and rolled down the window.
“It’s ok, Third Uncle! You can go back first!” Zhao Yanzi waved at him.
He looked at her in confusion as he noticed the impatience in her tone. He felt wronged and wondered if he had done anything incorrectly.
“It is indeed more and more difficult to see through this little girl. She was so mad at this boy that she wanted him dead…but now…”
He sighed as he watched them walk forward side by side. Then, he stepped on the gas paddle and headed home.
The drizzling rain fell down generously from the sky.
The air hadn’t been this fresh for quite a while, and the cool and refreshing wind made them feel very comfortable.
Zhao Yanzi’s shoes and socks got wet, yet she still insisted on walking instead of taking the bus or hailing a tax
i.
“How did the exams go?” asked Hao Ren.
“Just so-so,” she answered. Then she added, “You didn’t help me cheat.”
“You certainly have only yourself to rely on in the exam. How can you cheat?” Hao Ren said with a strong sense of righteousness.
“Pffft, don’t tell me you have never cheated,” Zhao Yanzi said with disdain.
Hao Ren examined his past and realized that he wasn’t really that righteous during his middle school exams either.
However, he quibbled for himself in silence, “We only used some cheat sheets…and the most serious offense would be peeking at other people’s papers. No one was bold enough to ask for answers with a cell phone…”
“When will you get your results?” Hao Ren asked.
“So annoying… you aren’t my parents!” Zhao Yanzi rolled her eyes at him.
Hao Ren quibbled secretly, “I’m your tutor…and… I’m your future husband…”
Seeing how defensive she was, he kept quiet as they continued walking. She didn’t answer any of his questions.
“You and that Class President…what has been going on with you two lately?” Zhao Yanzi suddenly asked after taking a few more steps.
“Why are you asking?” Hao Ren was interested.
“Just curious.” she pouted her mouth and sped up a little.
Hao Ren thought to himself as he hurried up and caught up with her, “Could she be thinking that Xie Yujia is my girlfriend at school?”
“Didn’t think she could get jealous too…” Hao Ren thought as he looked at her pretty little face.
They sped up and slowed down from time to time until they arrived at Zhao Yanzi’s house.
Zhao Kuo’s black Mercedes was parked outside.
Zhao Yanzi took out her key and opened the door, and she immediately heard the quarrel between her dad and her Third Uncle from the living room.
“What? Brother, you are inviting those jerks from West Ocean?” Zhao Kuo’s loud voice came into Hao Ren’s ears.
“Quiet, we have guests here,” Zhao Guang shushed him, “We need to invite them whether you like it or not. They used to be on good terms with us after all. If we don’t invite them to Zi’s 15th birthday party, it would be like coming to an open rupture publicly.”
“Brother!” Zhao Kuo stopped himself when he noticed that Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi had returned.
“Dad, Third Uncle, I’m back,” Zhao Yanzi walked inside and put the umbrella in a corner.
“Uncle,” Hao Ren followed in and greeted.
He didn’t want to look rude in front of Zhao Guang although he wasn’t a big fan of Zhao Kuo.
“Where is my grandma?” Hao Ren asked.
“Hehe, she is cooking dinner with Hongyu in the kitchen,” Zhao Guang laughed. Then, he turned to Zhao Kuo with a straight face and said, “You, come with me to the study room.”
Zhao Kuo’s face turned red as he looked down. He then followed Zhao Guang, who was taller and more well built, into the study room.
77 They Showed Up…
Hao Ren walked into the kitchen and said hello to Zhao Hongyu and his grandma who were busy cooking. Zhao Yanzi followed suit and greeted her mom Grandma.
Since dinner wasn’t ready yet, Zhao Hongyu asked Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi to go up and play before the dinner was served. Thus, they went upstairs and entered Zhao Yanzi’s room.
Zhao Yanzi was no longer feeling any resistance against Hao Ren entering her room, but it still was her territory, and Hao Ren must obey her rules while he was in there.
“I’ll play games, and you read,” upon entering the room, Zhao Yanzi immediately assigned tasks.
From the bookshelf, Hao Ren picked up the novel he was halfway through reading. He asked with deliberate casualness, “Your birthday is coming up?”
“It’s next month,” Zhao Yanzi answered. She turned on the computer before changing into the pink slippers she usually wore in her room.
“What’s the West Ocean your Third Uncle just mentioned?” Hao Ren continued to ask.
He knew very little about the Dragon Tribe. Sometimes he felt like they were no different from ordinary people, and sometimes every movement and every word of theirs was a mystery.
“The West Ocean is also a dragon clan, just like our East Ocean Dragon Clan but with different areas under control. They suck at running businesses on the land, and they are stupid and arrogant,” Zhao Yanzi’s tone revealed her resentment toward the West Ocean.
“And there are South Ocean and North Ocean too?” Hao Ren speculated.
“Yeah, but we have little contact with them; we would only meet at the annual conference,” Zhao Yanzi said while waiting for the computer to start.
“Annual conference?”
“Yeah, it is a regular meeting for River, Steam, Lake, Ocean Dragon Clans. Except for the annual conference, there are biannual Dragon Tribe Meetings. This stuff is more complicated than you can imagine. However, it’s not my business, and my dad takes care of it,” she said.
The game flashed on the computer screen, and Zhao Yanzi jumped onto her chair and grabbed the mouse; she was no longer in the mood to chat with Hao Ren.
On the other hand, Hao Ren didn’t want to ask any more questions. He knew he must get used to it gradually since things, just like Zhao Yanzi said, were more complicated than he had imagined.
From Zhao Yanzi’s short answers, Hao Ren knew Zhao Guang was running the East Ocean Dragon Clan and thus had a lot on his plate. No wonder he was busy all day long, and his younger brother Zhao Kuo exceeded him in cultivation levels.
As Zhao Guang’s wife, Zhao Hongyu was also a busy woman. Only Zhao Yanzi, cherished by all, was the stress-free and happiest one. Even though this was the case, she would have to shoulder her share of the burden and obligations when she grew up.
Sitting in the reclining chair and looking at Zhao Yanzi who was busy playing the online game, Hao Ren mused to himself.
After thinking for a while, he picked up a novel to kill time.
The clock ticked away, and the dinner was soon ready.
“Zi! Ren! Come down for dinner!” Zhao Hongyu called to them at the foot of the stairs.
“Coming!” Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren answered and got up at the same time before running out of the room together.
“Where is Third Uncle?” coming downstairs, Zhao Yanzi asked when Zhao Kuo was not in her sight.
“He had to go back to finish some business,” Zhao Hongyu said with a helpless expression on her face.
“He must have quarreled with Dad,” Zhao Yanzi pointed out the truth before sitting down. “It doesn’t matter. I will go visit him later,” she said.
“Your Third Uncle is short-tempered and stubborn. He needs time to think things over,” Zhao Hongyu took off the apron and said. Then, she turned to Hao Ren and his grandma and added, “Auntie, Ren, let’s eat.”
“Well…” Grandma sat down and wrung her hands. “I’ve stayed here for so long, and I’m sorry for the trouble I have caused you,” she said.
“No trouble at all. Auntie, you have helped me a lot,” Zhao Hongyu said warmly.
Grandma smiled and turned to Hao Ren as she said, “Ren, I’ve decided with your father that tomorrow, our two families will have lunch together and get to know each other.”
“Tomorrow…” Hao Ren nodded, having expected that such a day would come.
“So, this dinner is the last meal I will have in Zi’s home,” Grandma added with slight melancholy.
During her stay, she and Zhao Hongyu had become friends, she liked Zhao Yanzi a lot, and although Zhao Guang rarely spoke, he showed sincere respect towards her. Those were the reasons why Grandma felt reluctant to leave their home. After all, her son and daughter-in-law, who had always been busy with their work, had never given her such warmth.
“Auntie, don’t say that. You can come over any time you want. If you want, you can stay here forever,” Zhao Hongyu said immediately.
“Hehe
, it’s impossible. I can’t trouble you anymore. Let’s eat,” Grandma said.
Seeing the sorrow and reluctance on Grandma’s face, Hao Ren wished that she could continue to live here. However, just like what Grandma said, they couldn’t trouble Zhao Hongyu’s family anymore. Besides, his dad and mom had returned from abroad, and there was absolutely no reason for his grandma to live in someone else’s home.
“Ren, you can stay here for the night and don’t need to go back to school,” Zhao Guang said abruptly.
“Ok,” Hao Ren said immediately, wanting to spend more time with his grandma.
It was drizzling outside, and the atmosphere in the dining room was a little melancholy.
It was the second time that Hao Ren stayed the night in Zhao Yanzi’s home. He slept on the beddings on the floor in his grandma’s room, and they chatted well into the night. Grandma was full of praises for Zhao Yanzi’s family, and it was clear to Hao Ren that she had formed a deep bond with them during her short stay there.
The next day was Saturday, and it was a sunny day. Zhao Hongyu had packed for Grandma while still trying to change her mind about leaving.
Grandma wanted to stay with them, but she also felt uncomfortable staying any longer. To show her gratitude, she had asked her son to book a reservation at the Starlight Restaurant, the best in East Ocean City.
The lunch was scheduled for 11 A.M. According to the plan, Hao Ren’s parents should drive to Zhao Yanzi’s home to pick up Grandma’s bags before going to the restaurant together for lunch.
However, Hao Ren’s parents didn’t show up at 11 A.M.
Grandma, who had been restless all morning, couldn’t wait anymore and called her son. Soon, she was informed that they were delayed and would arrive soon.
Therefore, they sat in the living room and waited.
Half an hour passed, and Hao Ren’s parents still didn’t show up. Grandma who had been trying to appear calm became agitated.
“Auntie, take it easy. The traffic must have delayed them,” Zhao Hongyu comforted her.
Hao Ren was getting impatient too. Zhao Yanzi’s family put off everything and waited for his parents, but they just wouldn’t show up.