CHAPTER 379: CHAPTER 376

Chapter Three Hundred and Seventy-Six

A morning tea session had the five of us eating nearly until noon.

We had agreed not to drink alcohol, but by noon, we still ended up back in the garage on Tangzi Street. Brother Lei phoned a nearby diner to deliver a few dishes and then walked across the street to the supermarket to fetch a few bottles of white spirits.

By the time the drinking finally wound down, it was already three in the afternoon.

Eventually, the table fell quiet. Luo Qing had clearly drunk too much. Zhu Dazhi and Zhang Linsheng, those two martial brothers, were laid out after three rounds, taken down together.

Brother Lei had been pacing his drinking, not letting himself get too drunk. Seeing that the three younger guys had quieted down, he shifted in his seat and moved next to Chen Nuo.

"When are you leaving? You mentioned going to Britain?"

"In a few days," Chen Nuo replied with a smile, glancing at Brother Lei. "Don’t worry, there’s really no danger in this trip; I’m just going to find someone."

Brother Lei’s heart stirred, and he gestured with both hands to mimic long hair. "The one you met before, that one? The one who’s really beautiful? You call her your wife, right?"

"Right."

Brother Lei nodded.

Yeah, a wife that beautiful definitely needs to be coaxed back home.

But... if he brought her back, what about Sun Keke from Jinling City? How would he balance the two?

However, that was a problem for Chen Nuo to consider.

"Do you need my help with anything? Buying plane tickets? Or sorting out a passport?" Brother Lei frowned. "Let me see if I can find someone... as for the passport..."

"No, you don’t need to handle those," Chen Nuo said with a laugh. "It’s just family matters. I need you to help take care of them."

Brother Lei gave a nod. "Sure, that’s definitely no problem. As long as you don’t get into trouble, your mom and your little sister will be safe and sound."

"Well, it’s not just about taking care of them. I actually do have something specific I need you to check out."

Chen Nuo spoke in a lower tone, "My mom... at her workplace, that property management company, there’s a man who seems to have taken an interest in her."

Upon hearing this, Brother Lei’s eyes bulged. "Holy shit! Who is it? Someone’s that bold? Wants to be your dad?"

Chen Nuo: "(⊙_⊙)?"

No, if you hadn’t said it, I might have forgotten to think that way...

Chen Nuo felt a bit weird about it.

Brother Lei’s eyes widened, his fleshy face looking fierce as he slammed his hand on the table. "Holy fuck! Holy fucking fuck! That’s some nerve, messing with your mom? Isn’t he just looking to take advantage of you and become your cheap old man? No, no, that won’t do, this kind of thing is unacceptable. You tell me... it’s that property management company, right? Tomorrow I’ll bring a few guys and block him! Break his legs!!"

Chen Nuo stared at Brother Lei, who was filled with righteous indignation, and remained silent for a while before speaking softly, "...You’re hoping my mom will be a widow for the rest of her life? She’s just over forty. That’d be a bit cruel, wouldn’t it?"

"Huh?" Brother Lei was taken aback.

What does that mean? So, this young master wasn’t upset because someone was trying to woo his own mother? Looking at how things were, it almost seemed like he was somewhat pleased with the situation?

"She’s only in her forties. She’s lived half her life, fallen into traps twice, marrying two men who were heartless. She’s never encountered one good man. She even went to jail once because of a man. It’s too pitiful for a woman to end up in such a situation. She can’t be expected to live like an old person from now on, can she? Even old ladies enjoy their twilight years."

Brother Lei was a bit baffled. "...So what you mean is?"

"I’m not against it." Chen Nuo shook his head, picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, and threw it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully for a second before continuing slowly, "She has suffered for half her life already; she deserves to spend the rest of it in peace and happiness. The man... I met him when I came back. He seemed alright. His behavior and demeanor came across as a pretty honest person. But you can never judge a book by its cover, so we still need to find out more details about him."

Brother Lei blinked—now he was getting it.

"The man’s name is Hou Changwei, a delivery driver in the company’s logistical department. Probably just a regular guy. I want you to help me find out more about him, investigate his background. If he turns out to be alright, how he and my mom want to date is their business. I won’t interfere. As long as Ou Xiuhua is willing and it’s consensual, I’m happy for her to find a good partner for the latter half of her life. But there’s one thing: if you find out he has any bad habits or anything like that..."

At this point, Chen Nuo shook his head emphatically. "That won’t do! She’s fallen into traps twice already. I can’t let her fall into a third one right before my eyes!"

Seeing Chen Nuo’s serious expression, Brother Lei quickly nodded. "Okay! Don’t worry, I’ll definitely find out everything there is to know about this guy for you."

This sort of thing wasn’t suitable to have someone else handle, and it was also inconvenient for Chen Nuo himself to get involved. Brother Lei was the best man for the job.

"If the two of them end up together, Xiao Yezi will have to call him ’Dad’... Won’t you feel a bit awkward about that?" Brother Lei couldn’t help but ask.

He didn’t quite understand. According to Chinese tradition, children are not usually pleased to see their parents with someone else. Having someone else become their father is an awkward situation for anyone. Brother Lei didn’t believe it. With Chen Nuo’s capabilities, was he really comfortable letting his mother marry some stranger, allowing a middle-aged man to become his step-dad?

Seeing Brother Lei looking puzzled, Chen Nuo couldn’t help but laugh.

He suddenly patted Brother Lei on the shoulder, leaned in close, and whispered, "Brother Lei, you don’t understand what’s going on here. And... are you afraid I’ll feel awkward? Didn’t you once pretend to be my dad as well?"

Shit!

When that final sentence came out, Brother Lei immediately broke out in a cold sweat and sobered up quite a bit. With a jolt, he sat up straight, his eyes widened, and he quickly said, "You, you know about that?"

"Yeah, I know."

"No! I was totally forced to at that time! Your wife forced me... I, I was also..."

Chen Nuo laughed. "Okay, you were trying to save me at that time, not taking advantage of me on purpose. Besides, I should be thanking you for that."

After saying that, Chen Nuo waved his hand. "Let’s not bring up the past."

Brother Lei wiped off the beads of sweat, then looked at Chen Nuo, who truly seemed unconcerned, and his mind was finally at ease.

Just then, Zhang Linsheng and Zhu Dazhi had just finished their drinking competition. Both of them, looking dazed, sidled over.

After a year, Zhang Linsheng actually looked quite different. Probably because he frequently trained with Zhu Dazhi, this foul-mouthed blockhead had influenced him. Now, Zhang Linsheng had also adopted the habit of peppering his speech with "I, your father." However, their relationship as martial brothers was quite good.

"Right, Chen Nuo, about Master..." Zhang Linsheng shook his head vigorously. "You should also make a trip there."

Chen Nuo nodded. Old Jiang had always been really good to him, as well as to Xiao Yezi. After returning, he definitely planned to pay a visit.

"Master and Mistress have always been worried about you. They’ve even taken care of your family and visited Xiao Yezi several times." Zhang Linsheng spoke slowly, "Knowing you’ve returned safely, Master and Mistress will be very happy."

"How are Old Jiang and Mistress Song doing recently?"

"Uh... Mistress’s illness seems to have relapsed a bit. Master isn’t teaching us boxing much anymore, saying that Dazhi and I have graduated and can practice on our own. Before, we used to train with Master in the woods every few days. Now, we barely manage to go twice a month. Dazhi and I found a gym, rented a boxing venue, and we practice there two or three times a week."

After hearing this, Chen Nuo inwardly frowned. Old Jiang couldn’t be that busy, right? Or was it that Song Qiaoyun’s illness has flared up again?

He steadied his mind and mentally noted the matter, planning to definitely visit Old Jiang’s home later.

Zhu Dazhi, on the other hand, was poking Brother Lei forcefully.

"You should tell Chen Nuo, what’s there to be embarrassed about..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Nuo turned his head and smiled. "What do you want to tell me?"

Zhu Dazhi laughed, about to speak, but then Brother Lei slapped him on the forehead. After coughing a bit, Brother Lei smiled and said, "Well, it’s not a big deal, just that..."

"My brother-in-law is getting married to my sister!" Zhu Dazhi shouted and then received another slap from Brother Lei.

Chen Nuo was amused.

"That’s something to celebrate! What’s there to be embarrassed about? When is it happening?"

"At the end of the year, on the day before New Year’s Day. Xiao Juan said a wedding at the end of the year means starting the new year on the first day as a married couple, which brings a fresh vibe and good omens."

Chen Nuo chuckled with feeling. "That’s wonderful! Brother Lei, congratulations in advance."

Zhang Linsheng joined in with a smile. "Brother Lei was always hiding it, embarrassed to say. What’s there to be embarrassed about when getting married?"

Brother Lei thought for a moment, then smiled. "On the day of my wedding..."

"I’ll definitely be there," Chen Nuo said with a smile.

"Not that. I mean, on the wedding day, we’ll need someone to officiate and witness the ceremony, right? We’ll have elders from Xiao Juan’s family officiate. On my side, since my parents are gone... for the witness, I was thinking of inviting you, Brother Nuo. After all, you’re also the boss of our company."

Chen Nuo immediately shook his head. "That’s not suitable."

What a joke, himself, not even twenty years old, to be a witness for Brother Lei, an old hand like him? It’d look ridiculous.

"On that day, we’ll all be your groomsmen. Let’s skip the witness part. Find an elder with more age for that," Chen Nuo laughed. "We’ve agreed, get Xiao Juan to bring her beautiful sisters as bridesmaids. Luo Qing and Zhu Dazhi are still single, after all."

"Yes, yes!" Luo Qing seemed to sober up a bit as well, clapping his hands and laughing. "My dad just bought a new Mercedes last month. I’ll drive it as the lead car for the wedding!"

"Great, the lead car is sorted. What about the rest of the convoy? Have you booked the cars with a wedding company?" Zhang Linsheng asked.

Before Brother Lei could speak, Zhu Dazhi retorted with a smirk, "Why go out and hire a motorcade! We have so many cars ourselves..."

All four turned to look at Zhu Dazhi.

Zhu Dazhi scratched his head proudly and said, "Don’t think I’m clueless! I’ve thought it through too! Thirty-six warriors of Heaven and seventy-two fiends of Earth, combined, they make a total of one hundred and eight! Look, the warehouse at our family’s scooter shop has so many electric bikes! When the time comes, just get a hundred and eight electric bikes to follow behind! The sight, shit, just think about it – it’s awesome! I’d bet you anything that you couldn’t find such a scene throughout the whole city of Nanjing!"

The four of them: "...."

Chen Nuo visualized the scene in his mind: On the wedding day, the lead car would be a luxurious Mercedes Benz, decorated with a floral arrangement, adorned with red "double happiness" characters... Behind it, a procession of a hundred and eight electric bikes rolling majestically through the streets...

I’ve certainly never seen anything like this before! Because no one is that crazy!!!

Brother Lei was so mad he slapped Zhu Dazhi under the table. "Get lost! Save that scene for your own wedding in the future!"

Zhu Dazhi retorted with his neck stiff, "Fine! It’s settled then! When I get married, you’ll get me a hundred and eight electric bicycles lined up behind me! I’m telling you, that scene will absolutely be show-stopping!!"

Chen Nuo sighed, went over to pull up Dazhi, helped him sit down, and patted his shoulder, speaking softly, "Dazhi..."

"Huh?"

"Well, that... When you get a girlfriend later, before you get married, don’t tell the girl about this idea, okay?"

"Of course I can’t tell her in advance, I want to give her a surprise!"

"...Yeah, better not tell her."

Jeez! Who the heck needs bicycles...

After the gathering ended, everyone went back to their own homes.

On his way home, Chen Nuo made a detour to the time-honored Shuiximen Duck Shop to buy an authentic Jinling roast duck, which he asked the shop to cut in half and then chop into pieces. He packed two servings of the seasoned sauce in plastic bags, one bag for each half.

Then, carrying the duck, he stopped by Jinling Normal University to secretly visit Sun Keke and slipped half of the roast duck through her dormitory window.

After that, he checked the time and hailed a taxi to head to No. 8 Middle School.

In the staff dormitory building of No. 8 Middle School, Chen Nuo arrived at Old Jiang’s doorstep and knocked.

No one answered.

Chen Nuo furrowed his brow and, with a slight shift of his spiritual power, confirmed that no one was home.

After thinking for a moment, he carried the roast duck back down the stairs. While walking along the road, he took out his phone to call Old Jiang. He pressed the call button, but soon heard the prompt that the other party’s phone was turned off.

Chen Nuo frowned and put down his phone.

After pondering for a bit, he made another call to Sun Keke, asking her to help find out about Old Jiang’s recent situation. Luo Qing and Zhang Linsheng were unaware of this because they had already graduated and were no longer at the school. And Zhang Linsheng even mentioned that Old Jiang hadn’t been teaching them boxing recently, and they hadn’t seen their master for several days.

Soon, Sun Keke returned the call. School belle Sun relayed information from Old Sun, saying that Old Jiang had taken a long leave of absence this semester, claiming his wife was ill and that he had taken her to seek medical treatment out of town. The leave was arranged before the semester began, and they had been gone for more than two weeks already.

This was odd.

It seemed that Old Jiang must have left in a hurry... and he hadn’t informed his disciples, Zhu Dazhi and Zhang Linsheng, before departing. It didn’t make sense.

Chen Nuo thought about it and went back upstairs. He directly entered Old Jiang’s home and looked around.

The house clearly hadn’t been lived in for several days. Though everything was tidy, it was obvious that many clothes were missing from the wardrobe, likely packed and taken away.

But what puzzled Chen Nuo the most...

...was that the bird Old Jiang had been raising on the balcony was gone too.

If he was taking his wife out for treatment, it wouldn’t make sense to also carry a birdcage, would it? Perhaps he had entrusted it to a friend’s care first? But then he could have left word with his disciples. Zhu Dazhi might be unreliable, but Zhang Linsheng was dependable. He could have easily left the bird with Zhang Linsheng to take care of for a while.

With these thoughts, Chen Nuo left Old Jiang’s home.

As he came out, he nearly ran into Yang Xiaoyi returning from work downstairs. Chen Nuo quickly ducked behind a telephone pole to hide from Yang Xiaoyi, waiting for her to go upstairs before emerging.

Chen Nuo had agreed with Sun Keke not to tell Old Sun and his wife that he had returned because he couldn’t come up with a plausible enough excuse. So, for now, he had to let it be until the right moment to act according to the situation.

After leaving No. 8 Middle School, Chen Nuo returned home.

Xiao Yezi had come back from school, and Ou Xiuhua was cooking dinner. Seeing Chen Nuo return, she finally felt relieved.

"Did you drink?" Ou Xiuhua smelled the alcohol on Chen Nuo.

"Yeah, a little," Chen Nuo smiled. "Don’t worry, I told you I was going to meet Brother Lei and the others today, didn’t I?"

Ou Xiuhua nodded. "Right, during the year you weren’t home, Brother Lei, Lin Sheng, and your classmate Luo Qing took good care of us. Now that you’re back, it’s fitting for you to meet them and express your gratitude properly. Of course!"

"Don’t worry, I’m not drunk, it’s just the smell of alcohol on my clothes."

Chen Nuo smiled as he put the roast duck on the dining table and then went into the inner room to check on Xiao Yezi, who was frowning as she struggled with her homework, before turning back to his own room.

Xiao Yezi naturally wanted to play with Chen Nuo, but with the onset of elementary school, homework became the biggest source of distress for children. Ou Xiuhua was very strict with her daughter, forbidding any playtime until the homework was completed. Furthermore, after dinner today, Ou Xiuhua had to go to her company for an evening shift.

After closing the door behind him, Chen Nuo first took out his laptop, then pulled out a flash drive with a secondary account for the Octopus Monster website. After logging into the website, he searched for "Why Bother with Life?" (Old Jiang’s ID on the Octopus Monster website).

After some thought, Chen Nuo sent a private message to the other party.

"Someone recommended you to me, saying you are very reliable. I have a task that may be a bit dangerous, but it pays well. If you’re interested, please contact me."

Having finished, he clicked send.

After sending the message, Chen Nuo waited for a few minutes without reply, so he left the bedroom and went to have dinner in the living room.

Ou Xiuhua, while urging Xiao Yezi to eat quickly, gave Chen Nuo some instructions. "I’ll probably be back after ten tonight. After you’ve had dinner, keep an eye on Xiao Yezi until she finishes her homework. If there’s anything she doesn’t understand, help her out. Once she finishes, let her watch cartoons for at most half an hour, then make sure she goes to bed quickly. Don’t worry about the dishes, just leave them, and I’ll take care of them when I come back later."

Chen Nuo thought for a moment. "It’s not safe to come back that late from a night shift. I’ll pick you up."

"No need," Ou Xiuhua said with a smile, shaking her head. "The whole way is along main roads, and the streetlights are bright enough. I won’t be taking any shortcuts or alleyways. I can ride my bike home just fine."

Chen Nuo reflected briefly. "Try to take as few night shifts as possible in the future."

"That won’t work. I have to drop Xiao Yezi off at school in the morning, and if I finish sending her to school, I won’t make it in time for the morning shift. So I always try to swap with others for an evening shift."

"I’ll take Xiao Yezi to school in the mornings from now on."

"Let’s talk about it later; we’ll discuss it when I get back." Ou Xiuhua seemed genuinely rushed. She quickly finished the rice in her bowl, then got up to change clothes and leave for work.

At home, Chen Nuo dined with Xiao Yezi. After his sister finished eating, he supervised her homework. Then, he cleaned the table, washed the dishes, and stored the leftover food in the refrigerator. He then sat down with Xiao Yezi for a while to work on her homework.

Watching television finally softened Chen Nuo’s heart. Despite Ou Xiuhua’s instructions to allow only half an hour, he let Xiao Yezi watch for a full hour before turning the TV off.

Luckily, Xiao Yezi was sensible. She wasn’t clinging or fussing and obediently went to brush her teeth and wash her face before heading to bed.

Chen Nuo sat by the bed for a while, watching as Ye Zi’s eyelids grew heavy and closed. He then quietly left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Back in his own room, Chen Nuo took another look at the Octopus Monster website.

"Why Bother with Life?" had still not replied.

He called Old Jiang once more, but the phone was still off.

He glanced at the time and thought for a moment. Leaving a strand of Spiritual Force Tentacles at the house, he placed it outside of Xiao Yezi’s bedroom.

Then, Chen Nuo left the house.

Outside the property company where Ou Xiuhua worked, Chen Nuo saw her walking out with her bicycle. Soon after, Hou Changwei also emerged. Today, Hou Changwei hadn’t brought his van. Instead, he also had a bicycle, which he pushed while speaking with Ou Xiuhua for a few moments.

Ou Xiuhua clearly seemed a bit embarrassed, but under Hou Changwei’s insistence, she rode her bicycle home with him.

The two cycled one behind the other until they reached the entrance of the Chen Family’s residential community. After a couple of words with Hou Changwei, Ou Xiuhua urged him to go home quickly.

After seeing Hou Changwei off, Ou Xiuhua obviously looked somewhat helpless. She turned and pushed her bike into the community. As she looked up, she saw Chen Nuo standing at the entrance, smiling at her.

Ou Xiuhua immediately blushed slightly.

"You... why are you here?"

"I came down to buy something," Chen Nuo said with a smile, casually shaking the can of coke he had just bought from the nearby supermarket.

Ou Xiuhua cleared her throat and whispered, "That... he, he said it was too late, so he escorted me home since it was on his way."

Chen Nuo chuckled. "That’s good."

"What?"

"Driving is too fast; a few minutes’ drive and you’re home," said Chen Nuo cheerfully. "Riding a bike is better, nice and leisurely. The weather isn’t cold, and the wind is warm. It gives you time to chat more along the way."

Ou Xiuhua’s face turned red. Shaking her head, she exclaimed, "Nonsense," and with a downturned gaze, she pushed her bike and proceeded into the complex.

Back home, Ou Xiuhua wasn’t in the mood to talk to Chen Nuo. Apparently embarrassed, she quickly went to her room to rest after her nighttime routine.

Chen Nuo returned to his own room and checked the Octopus Monster website on his computer once again...

Old Jiang had still not replied.

"It’s the first of the month; those with guaranteed monthly tickets, please show your support~"