Chapter 371 Jade Feet

CLICK~

The doorknob turned, and Chu Linhai’s face appeared.

“Old Chu?”

Xu Huo paused, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you doing here in my humble little place?”

“Hah, you think I came to see *you*!?”

Chu Linhai’s expression stiffened. He glanced from side to side before walking into the kitchen.

Of course, Chu Linhai was here to see Chu Xi. After all, he saw Xu Huo every day at the station.

Although Chu Xi wasn’t his biological daughter, he had raised her for nearly twenty years. There was no difference from having his own child—in fact, in terms of normal treatment, Chu Linhai was even better to her than to his own son.

Now, with New Year’s Eve approaching, it seemed the girl wasn’t planning on coming home, so he had to come and check on her.

Of course, the most important thing was…

“When are you two getting your marriage license?”

Chu Linhai said suddenly, sitting on the sofa.

‘Here it comes, here it comes.’

‘The New Year’s marriage interrogation has arrived!’

Xu Huo shuddered and quickly replied.

“No rush, no rush. We can start thinking about it once Xiao Xi has fully recovered.”

“She still needs to ‘fully recover’?”

Chu Linhai frowned.

“When I was your age, I already had a son!”

“What’s there to ‘get used to’? Back in my day, you’d just find a matchmaker, get engaged, and then spend time together. The feelings would develop naturally. Look at me, I turned out just fine.”

‘Classic, just classic!’

Inside, Xu Huo was cursing a blue streak, but he didn’t let it show on his face.

“Come on, Xiao Xi doesn’t even know what marriage is right now. Getting a license now would just be tricking her, wouldn’t it?”

“You’d be selling your daughter! That’s immoral!”

Sitting cross-legged nearby, Chu Xi tilted her head and looked at him.

Chu Linhai was just about to speak when Chu Xi interrupted him.

“I know what marriage is.”

‘She… knows?’

Xu Huo froze. A look of astonishment crossed his face, followed by terror.

Chu Linhai’s eyes, however, lit up.

“What do you think it is?”

“Marriage is sleeping together.”

“No, that’s not right. We slept together once before, but we didn’t seem to get married…”

Chu Xi said this with a completely serious and earnest expression, which then turned to one of suspicion.

Chu Linhai: ?

The atmosphere in the room suddenly fell silent for a moment.

“Who taught you that?”

Chu Xi looked at Xu Huo.

“Um… Chao Zi called me about something. I’m gonna go find him.”

Xu Huo grabbed his jacket and was about to head out, but was stopped by Chu Linhai’s “friendly” gaze.

“You’re going to explain to me what ‘slept together once’ means, and what this ‘don’t want to get a license’ business is all about.”

“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t do anything?”

“Do you think I’d believe you?”

“I think you would!”

“Come over here, and I’ll show you whether I believe you or not…”

“Nope, can’t do that.”

Xu Huo ran.

He ran fast. He had no choice. If he stayed any longer, Chu Xi might have talked his innocence right out of existence!

Not that there was much of it to begin with…

Of course, he wasn’t just leaving without reason.

Wang Chao really did have something to discuss with him.

What he didn’t expect, however, was…

That Chu Linhai went with him.

…

…

Chao Zi was currently living in a slightly smaller luxury flat, paid for with his “blood money”—a reward from the police department.

However, at this moment, his face was full of worry.

“Chao Zi, what on earth are you doing?”

“You haven’t gotten caught up in a pyramid scheme, have you?”

“If this doesn’t work out, have your brother find a position for you. At least then you won’t be without a proper job later on!”

Wang Chao’s parents had arrived.

Along with his older brother, Wang Yu.

His parents were bickering, looking displeased with everything they saw.

“What future can you possibly have wasting your days in Jiangsan City… Just look at your brother.”

“If it comes to it, we can just go back to our hometown.”

“I do have a proper job! I’m in charge of more than ten stores right now, with a monthly revenue in the millions!”

“At the same time, I also co-founded a smartphone company in the Capital City that’s going to lead the future of the industry! The software is in the works, too!”

“Software, schmoftware… How can working in a shop be the same as being a company employee?”

The Queen Mother was still standing to the side, frowning with clear dissatisfaction.

“It’s true! Look at my certificate! It was issued by the municipal bureau. This can’t be fake, right!?”

Wang Chao opened a little red booklet.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t considered that his parents were illiterate…

“What is this thing?”

His parents frowned, looking at the official seal on it. They didn’t understand it, but it looked impressive.

Fortunately, his big brother Wang Yu came over for a look.

“Honorary Consultant to the Public Security Bureau. Wow, Chao Zi, you’re amazing!”

Wang Chao was about to smile, but in the next second…

“How much does it pay?” Grandfather Wang and the Queen Mother asked.

Wang Chao was suddenly at a loss for words.

He finally decided to be honest. “There’s… no pay…”

“No pay?”

His parents were stunned, then became furious.

“Then aren’t you just working for free?”

“You’d be better off as an auxiliary police officer! At least they get paid!”

“Enough. Quit all this nonsense right now and go to your brother’s company. Work there for a couple of years and become a manager.”

“That way, your mother and I can consider our duty fulfilled…”

Wang Chao fell silent, sitting on the sofa and quietly taking it all in.

‘Parents are always like this.’

‘Anything beyond their understanding is wrong, it’s bad.’

‘That’s why civil servants and white-collar workers are the best things in their eyes.’

‘But being a so-called “person-in-charge” or “manager” of your own thing is just seen as something nondescript.’

‘They’re also pragmatic enough that honor doesn’t matter. What matters is the money…’

“Look at your older brother,” the two of them started nagging again.

“Is he like you? Who at the police station is going to pay any attention to some volunteer?”

“Does anyone important at the bureau even know you!?”

His older brother, Wang Yu, shot him a helpless look from the side.

Wang Chao was silent for a long while.

‘It’s always like this. If they don’t understand it, they have to reject it.’

‘And if they reject it, it must be wrong, a crooked path.’

Until…

“Hey, where are you going?” his mother suddenly asked, watching Wang Chao stand up.

“To buy a pack of cigarettes,” Wang Chao said casually.

“You haven’t learned any good habits, but you’ve learned how to smoke?”

Wang Chao didn’t respond.

He had just placed his hand on the doorknob.

SQUEAK~

The door opened.

In the next second, two people who had just been about to knock stood frozen before him.

“Chao Zi? Where are you off to?”

Xu Huo asked.

However, before Wang Chao could reply, their gazes were drawn to the people behind him.

Wang Chao’s mother frowned, looking at Xu Huo and then at Chu Linhai beside him.

‘Her son was in Jiangsan City… hanging out with shady characters like these?’

She looked at Chu Linhai, her brow furrowed.

“Who are you!?”