Translator: Lynn
Sponsored chapter (2/2)
Cheng Ke remained unaware of when Jiang Yuduo had contacted Xu Ding or the details of their conversation. Jiang Yuduo chose not to share this information, and Cheng Ke had no intention of prying.
What he did know was that Jiang Yuduo had been meticulously planning and coordinating with Chen Qing for over a month now, and preparations for the renovation were well underway. It was evident that this was a significant undertaking for Jiang Yuduo, one that was filled with personal importance.
To his friends, this venture was equally significant, and their expectations were high. Cheng Ke hoped that Jiang Yuduo could realize his vision for the store according to his own preferences and methods.
As for Cheng Ke himself, he found himself quite occupied. The theme restaurant’s business had taken off in the past month, and Xu Ding was urging him to find a new location, devise new plans, and make decisions regarding project expansions or reductions.
In addition to his professional commitments, there were personal matters to attend to. Jiang Yuduo had presented him with a three-year birthday gift list, and even though two years remained, the prospect of fulfilling these three requests left Cheng Ke scratching his head.
He had no idea how to brew sorghum wine, create a meow wool scarf, or craft a handmade vase. Despite this, Cheng Ke decided to start with what he could do.
He brushed the cat every day. Meow, with her long hair genetics, yielded a small fluffy hairball with every brushing session. Although it fell short of the quantity required for a scarf, Cheng Ke meticulously examined Meow’s fur. Thankfully, despite some stray hairs, her predominantly white coat provided a fair amount of white wool, which he believed would be suitable.
After a long brushing session, Meow eventually fell asleep, and Cheng Ke paused. It felt akin to tending to a crop—you shouldn’t harvest too aggressively and must leave room for growth.
“I’ll be out for a while,” Cheng Ke softly rubbed Meow’s head. “Today, your San-ge’s store needs to buy materials for the decoration, so I’ll go check it out.”
Meow flicked her ears in acknowledgment.
Cheng Ke phoned Huihui to check if everything was fine at home, then changed into different clothes and headed out.
Today was supposed to be his day off, and he had initially planned to rest at home. However, he decided to surprise Jiang Yuduo, even though Jiang Yuduo wasn’t particularly concerned about surprises.
He called a taxi and set off. Jiang Yuduo’s shop was a bit of a distance away, located in a commercial plaza in the city center. The front entrance faced the street, while the rear entrance opened into a recently inaugurated shopping mall. The location was quite favorable, and without Xu Ding’s connections, it would have been nearly impossible to secure this spot.
Nevertheless, to ensure that Jiang Yuduo felt that he was running the store independently, Cheng Ke had never visited it before. In fact, he hadn’t been to the city center in quite a while, and it felt like he had only come here once or twice since leaving his hometown.
Exiting the taxi, he felt a bit out of place.
Finding Jiang Yuduo’s shop was easy. It was on a street adjacent to the mall, lined with small shops, many of which were food establishments still under renovation. Within 20 meters, several milk tea shops had already opened for business, alongside various grilled wing outlets and the like.
The area was bustling, with people constantly coming and going for food and relaxation. Even though there were three adjacent milk tea shops, their outdoor tables were all fully occupied. A couple of tables were placed near the back entrance into the mall, but even these had their share of patrons who preferred sitting outdoors under the parasols.
Cheng Ke leisurely strolled past each shop’s entrance.
The store wasn’t very large. Besides the area around the bar counter, there were essentially four small tables that could be accommodated, so they had set up parasols at the entrance, and they were all occupied. A few more tables could be placed inside the mall near the back entrance, but even these were in high demand, with many guests opting for the shaded outdoor seating.
Milk tea, grilled wings, milk tea, ongoing renovations, milk tea, skewers, more renovations, milk tea, burgers, milk tea, more renovations… It seemed like there was a lot of construction work going on in this area.
As Cheng Ke came to a halt, he noticed Chen Qing sitting under one of the parasols by the entrance, looking quite stern.
Chen Qing appeared quite surprised upon seeing Cheng Ke. He stood up, cast a quick glance into the store, and greeted Cheng Ke loudly, “Brother Ke? What brings you here?”
Upon hearing this address, Cheng Ke immediately grasped that the individuals inside the store likely had nothing to do with the renovations.
Chen Qing had addressed him as “Brother Ke” primarily to create the impression that this shop had the backing of individuals from their generation, regardless of the background of the mysterious “Brother X.” It was a tactic to maintain a facade of influence and authority.
“What’s happening here?” Cheng Ke inquired.
Chen Qing, folding his arms, sneered, “You’re dealing with debt collectors. The previous shop owner vanished before opening for business. These guys couldn’t locate the rightful owner, so they took out their frustration on us.”
“They’re getting off to a fast start,” another person emerged from inside, seeming quite unfriendly, with every wrinkle on their face spelling out disdain. “Isn’t the handover usually smoother? What kind of place is this? Do you believe we’ll vanish before you even lift a heel to walk away?”
Chen Qing retorted, “Stop spouting such ignorant nonsense. You can tell you’ve been away for a while. Just relax; I’m taking a break.”
“Then give it a shot,” Cao Zi challenged.
“Do as you wish,” Chen Qing waved his hand. “Just make sure you don’t disappear suddenly.”
Cheng Ke looked around and noticed that Chen Qing was alone in the store at the moment. The renovation materials had arrived, but there were no workers in sight, indicating that this group of people had also been driven away.
“Where’s San-ge?” Cheng Ke inquired.
“He went to grab a bite,” Chen Qing replied. “Take a seat for a while; Da Bin and the others will be here soon with their crew.”
“…You plan to resolve this through force even before the renovation begins?” Cheng Ke asked.
“No violence,” Chen Qing clarified. “According to your standards, it’s more about non-cooperation. These guys aren’t gangsters, and they’re not formidable opponents, but they’re annoying. They’ve been hanging around for two days now.”
“He didn’t tell me anything about this,” Cheng Ke sighed.
“We can handle it, but if I had told you, it would have just caused some unnecessary trouble,” Chen Qing offered him a cigarette. “This is much simpler than dealing with protection money.”
“Protection money? Is there someone here demanding protection money?” Cheng Ke was taken aback.
“No,” Chen Qing glanced at him. “I was just giving an example. Are you that dense?”
“…Maybe,” Cheng Ke admitted.
In the store, several individuals merely stood around, occasionally kicking the renovation materials. A bag of cement had been kicked open, spilling its contents across the floor.
Cheng Ke lit a cigarette, sensing that these individuals weren’t going to make any moves for the moment. He settled under the parasol and took a closer look at Jiang Yuduo’s shop.
He had heard that it had been specially designed, but at the moment, he couldn’t discern any particular design elements. However, he did notice the signboard that had been hung up. It had a very simple black and white color scheme, giving it a sleek appearance.
A red cloth hung beneath the signboard, and the store’s name was faintly visible.
It was just one word.
“Meow.”
“Qing’er,” Cheng Ke had a suspicion that he might have misread it, so he pointed at the signboard. “Is there only one word on it?”
“Yeah, just one word,” Chen Qing affirmed, taking out his phone and opening his photo album. “Let me find it for you. I snapped a picture the day we hung it up.”
“Who came up with this?” Cheng Ke inquired.
“Who else but San-ge?” Chen Qing handed his phone to Cheng Ke. “Look, it’s cool.”
The design featured a cartoon cat with only one head and one tail, appearing somewhat like a garlic bulb at first glance.
“It’s quite cool,” Cheng Ke agreed.
“I feel like San-ge wanted to commemorate the beginning of your… uh, relationship,” Chen Qing remarked, rubbing his arms and wincing. “Ouch… I can’t stand it.”
Cheng Ke smiled but didn’t respond.
Perhaps it was because Meow had witnessed it all?
Jiang Yuduo had waited for Chen Qing to help him retrieve the cat, and in the process, he had kicked over a trash can. So, they had become acquainted.
Well, almost. It was better to say they had met due to a toppled trash can.
As he contemplated this, Cheng Ke suddenly realized that the events of that day seemed like a distant memory. The emotions he had felt at the time and the sensation of seeing Jiang Yuduo had grown somewhat hazy.
Perhaps the moment was too profound, and memories had started to fade.
Maybe one day, when everything had settled, and they were leading a peaceful life, the past would gradually return to memory. Each detail would be like a prophecy, gaining strength through the passage of time.
A Land Rover pulled into the parking space next to the parasol where Cheng Ke and Chen Qing were seated.
“That’s your customer’s car; you might want to consider buying a used car,” Cheng Ke remarked, spotting Jiang Yuduo, who was already grinning in the driver’s seat. “I’ll be spending at least a week a month with you.”
“He’s not my customer anymore; he’s my friend,” Chen Qing clarified. “He’s thinking about getting a new car, and I actually suggested that my San-ge think about buying this one.”
“Why are you here?” Jiang Yuduo hopped out of the car and shouted over.
“Take a look,” Cheng Ke replied.
Several more individuals exited the car, led by Da Bin, and they strolled around the sidewalk. A few of them approached Cheng Ke and huddled down together, saying, “Brother Ke!”
“Just play along…” Cheng Ke muttered.
“We need to strike this pose right now; it’s what we all do, and we coordinate seamlessly,” Chen Qing quipped as he stood up.
Upon seeing Da Bin and the others, the people inside the store who had been handling materials suddenly grew tense, sensing an awkward atmosphere.
Cao Zi and his group began moving towards the store’s entrance, seemingly thinking that it would be more advantageous to fight outside.
However, before they could reach the door, Da Bin and his crew had already blocked their path.
Da Bin’s henchmen appeared to have been carefully selected, sporting well-built frames and intimidating appearances. They were dressed like rough-and-tough fitness trainers. They pushed and shoved, preventing Cao Zi and his crew from exiting the store.
Jiang Yuduo then went over and lowered the rolling gate halfway.
“What are you doing?” Cao Zi shouted. “You guys want to fight, don’t you!”
Jiang Yuduo bent down and entered the shop.
Cheng Ke hastily stood up and followed, and Chen Qing offered a hand of support. “It’s okay, you don’t know how to fight, stay outside.”
Cheng Ke could only stand outside, behind the half-closed rolling gate, listening to the sounds emanating from within.
“I told you yesterday, if you want trouble, don’t be afraid of it,” Jiang Yuduo’s voice echoed from beneath the rolling gate. “If you want to extort money, be straightforward about it. I might even commend your courage. But to come up with such a foolish excuse, don’t blame me for looking down on you. When I was out there fighting, you were probably still a kid playing in your dad’s shadow, searching for a glimmer of light…”
Cheng Ke hadn’t heard Jiang Yuduo use such coarse language in a long time. It was very much in his San-ge style, and he felt like chuckling.
Suppressing his laughter upon seeing Chen Qing’s serious expression, Cheng Ke kept quiet.
“I’ll count to three,” Jiang Yuduo announced, lifting the rolling gate.
Cheng Ke got a clear view of the scene inside and noticed that Da Bin and his crew were armed with knives. He grew tense, anticipating what kind of challenge Jiang Yuduo might present to them after counting to three.
Jiang Yuduo often mentioned feeling a bit sluggish in his mind due to the medication he took daily. Cheng Ke hadn’t really noticed any difference, but now, as Jiang Yuduo opened his mouth to speak, he couldn’t help but feel that there might be some truth to it.
“One, two, three,” Jiang Yuduo rapidly counted in his usual fashion, completely skipping the challenge part.
This unexpected declaration left everyone stunned.
Da Bin was the quickest to react, tossing the knife aside and saying, “Why? Don’t move!”
Cao Zi cast a brief glance at Jiang Yuduo, exchanged looks with his accomplice, exited the shop, and took a few steps before turning back.
“One, two, three,” Jiang Yuduo repeated.
“You just wait,” Cao Zi retorted.
“I’ll wait for you, my ass,” Jiang Yuduo raised an eyebrow. “If you want to leave, go ahead, or just stand there. I don’t have time to mess around with you.” Cao Zi glared at him and then turned and departed.
Cheng Ke breathed a sigh of relief and noticed that Da Bin and the others had discreetly put away their knives.
“Call the decorator to come over,” Jiang Yuduo instructed. “You guys can help out too. Bring over the tables I ordered, and I’ll cover the delivery cost.”
“Sure,” Da Bin replied.
Jiang Yuduo took money from his wallet and handed it to Da Bin. “Grab a bite to eat before you go. You said you hadn’t had lunch yet.”
“Get lost,” Jiang Yuduo continued. “You didn’t take the money to eat when it was given to you. Now you’re pretending to be stingy with me.”
Da Bin didn’t say anything, smiled somewhat sheepishly, took the money, and left with the others. They drove away.
“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Jiang Yuduo approached Cheng Ke. “I thought you were planning to sleep until the afternoon.”
Chen Qing turned his head swiftly and let out a long sigh as he went back into the store.
“The renovation is about to start, so I had to come and check on things,” Cheng Ke replied with a smile. “What kind of luck do you have, running into trouble when your store has just begun?”
“It’s the police officer causing trouble. I just scared him away,” Jiang Yuduo explained, folding his arms and nodding toward the store. “How about it?”
“What can I say, it’s an empty store with a signboard that says nothing,” Cheng Ke chuckled. “What else can I do?”
“I put a lot of thought into that signboard!” Jiang Yuduo took out his phone. “I’ll show you the whole thing.”
“I’ve seen it,” Cheng Ke said, grabbing his hand and giving it a playful squeeze. “Meow~”
Jiang Yuduo couldn’t contain his triumphant laughter. “Isn’t it quite creative? I’ll place Miss Zhaocai Miao inside it and bring it to the store…”
Cheng Ke gazed at Jiang Yuduo with a mixture of excitement in his expression, but suddenly felt a hint of tingling in his nose.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yuduo glanced at him and lowered his voice. “Damn, are you okay? Are you about to cry?”
“I’m just a bit moved,” Cheng Ke admitted. “It’s not because of you.”
“Be careful, now I’m the boss, just like you,” Jiang Yuduo teased.
“You’re even better than me; my big boss is Xu Ding,” Cheng Ke quipped with a chuckle.
Jiang Yuduo remained silent for a moment, gazing at the signboard, rubbing his hands, and letting out a couple of chuckles.
“Do you still need help here?” Cheng Ke asked. “The boss can’t make milk tea and snacks, right?”
“The girl used to work in a milk tea shop, so she knows various milk tea recipes and how to operate the fryers and boiling equipment in the neighboring shops,” Jiang Yuduo explained.
“She’s experienced, but that probably means a higher salary, right?” Cheng Ke suggested.
Jiang Yuduo clicked his tongue and sighed after contemplating it. “Da Bin talked to her before, but she wasn’t interested. Chen Qing suggested I meet her… and she agreed.”
“What?!” Cheng Ke felt like he had just figured something out.
“I’m warning you, I’m not fair game here!” Jiang Yuduo quickly hushed his voice.
“I’m not going after you; it’s the little girl who’s interested in you, San-ge,” Cheng Ke teased, stepping back and examining him closely. “Yes, San-ge.”
“You little punk,” Jiang Yuduo shot back with a glare.
Cheng Ke chuckled and was about to respond when his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID—it was Huihui. “I’ll take this call first, and we can talk more about that girl later.”
“Talk about crap,” Jiang Yuduo retorted.
“Hello, Huihui?” Cheng Ke answered the phone.
“Brother Cheng, let me tell you something,” Huihui spoke in a hushed tone. “Brother Xu brought an elderly gentleman with him, and they’ve gone up to the third floor now.”
“What elderly gentleman?” Cheng Ke inquired.
“Brother Xu didn’t introduce him. I overheard him calling the person ‘Mr. Cheng.’ He looks… quite similar to you,” Huihui reported. “I don’t know if Brother Xu mentioned it, but I thought I should let you know.”
Cheng Ke was taken aback.
Huihui had been working in the store for a while and was quite perceptive. She was aware of certain aspects of his life, including his relationship with his father. Her call indicated that the person Xu Ding had brought was likely his father.
What could his dad possibly be doing in his shop?
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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