Chapter 22: Return (Part 1)

  Fang Yinghe and Lan Ruoxue followed Xia Yifei back to Beijing, purely out of habit or to mooch a meal off her. After getting off the train, Xia Yifei had thought about going straight to eat, but looking at each other's large and small bags and realizing they hadn't taken a comfortable shower in days, she reluctantly pulled out her phone and asked someone from her old house to drive over with her car.

  During the spare time waiting for the car to arrive, Lan Ruo Xue led a group of people who had eaten instant noodles until they were about to vomit and collectively rushed into KFC with green lights in their eyes. While standing next to a table waiting for seats, due to their overwhelming aura, the ordinary people who were originally sitting there quickly finished eating and left immediately.

  Nonsense, in that atmosphere, if you don't eat quickly, they all have a feeling of being skinned and deep-fried.

  After sitting down, Fang Ying and Xia Zezhao rushed to hug three whole family barrels back. Lan Ruoxue complained that there was no hamburger on one side, and started gnawing a chicken leg with one hand. Fang Ying stuffed his mouth full of chicken meat and fought with her. Xia Zezhao buried his head in eating from the moment he sat down, attracting a lot of attention from the people around him.

  Xia Yifei silently hinted that she was just there to make up the numbers and didn't know the three people at all. After hinting for three seconds, she calmly got up and carried away a whole bucket of food without changing her expression.

  The Ao Yuan sitting next to her originally looked at others with undisguised contempt, but after being stuffed with a piece of finger-licking original flavor chicken by her, he immediately joined the ranks of sharing fried chicken with her.

  It has to be said that Xia Yu Fei and Ao Yuan's appearances are quite eye-catching. However, Xia Yu Fei always wears sunglasses whenever he goes out into an environment with strangers, while Xia Ze Shuang and Fang Ying's original appearances weren't the type that would blend in with the crowd. But because of Ao Yuan, who seems to be a natural hormone-emitting body, they can only silently be classified as background characters.

  What? Are you asking Lan Ruoxue?

  As a pseudo-Lolita who has always been mistaken for a minor due to her height and apple face, she had long recognized that if she were to be seen at a glance among several people, it would either be a weirdo or a maternal explosion, so she might as well turn her sorrow into appetite and continue to struggle.

  Ao Yuan is the kind of person who, like Xia Yanyan, exudes elegance and refinement in every move, even when competing for food in a casual setting.

  This aura is not something that can be produced by deliberate effort after birth, but rather it has been deeply ingrained in one's bones and blood since childhood education.

  This is probably also why the girls passing by their table were excitedly whispering to each other, and the high heels made a loud noise on the floor.

  When several people finished fighting and started chatting with a can of Coke each (Ao Yuan refused to drink what he thought was a **, Xia Yunfei took two cups without hesitation), the person who helped Xia Yunfei drive the car over from the old house also arrived. After taking the key, Xia Yunfei happily threw the big bag on his shoulder into the trunk.

  It was the old driver of Xia's family who helped her drive the car over, and he happened to take the subway back from here, so he took it as a chance to get off work early. After helping Xia Fei put away his luggage, he smiled at her and said: "The old master told you to go back recently, haven't you been back for almost half a year?"

  Xiaoyan spun the car keys, playing out one trick after another: "Is that about it? I'll be back in two days. Uncle Chen, be careful on your way home."

  Even if Old Man Xia didn't say that, Xia Yifei would still have to go back for a trip soon, not for anything else, just to carefully investigate what the Yin Yang Dragon Jade really is.

  Looking at the crowded car, Xiaoyan couldn't help but feel grateful that her old man had given her this commercial vehicle. She thought for a moment and then turned to ask the three people in the back seat: "I say, Xia Zezhao, are you going home tonight? Are you two staying in a hotel or coming to my place?"

  Fang nodded casually, and Lan Xue thought for a moment before asking: "Isn't your dad's old house too far away?"

  Xiaoyan nodded after calculating the journey: "After finishing dinner and driving back, it's probably around dawn, and since no one has swept over there, it's all dusty."

  "Then stay in a hotel, your own house can't fit the two of us, not to mention that your only guest room is still occupied by this Long Jun you dug up." Lan Ruoxue shrugged her shoulders, Xia Yunfei gave her a calm glance and started the car: "I'm telling you, Lan Ruoxue, if you don't seek death, you won't die. How come you just don't know that?"

  "She has already become numb because she has died too many times."

  Complaints from Fang Ying.

  Then Lan Ruoxue rushed over and tangled with him, Xia Zezhao hesitated whether to intervene, while Xia Yanfei was accustomed to driving and sighing at the same time, now adding that he had to explain to Ao Yuan: "Those two idiots are like this, don't mind them."

  However, listening to the quarrel of the two people behind her and watching the high-rise buildings retreat into the distance, Xia Yu Fei finally felt that she had returned from that snake pit outside. When the red light came on, she stretched: "It's great to be alive."

  Ao Yuan, who was still studying the movement of motorcycles, turned his head to look at her when he heard her words. He happened to see her squinting her eyes and stretching lazily like a cat basking in the sun, and suddenly felt an urge to rub her head.

  But he clearly knew that this was just her disguise, just like a black panther retracting its sharp claws and taking a short rest in the woods.

  After putting things in the hotel, a group of people went straight to the big hotel downstairs and had a hearty meal. Fortunately, Xiaoyan got off the train and booked a room directly, otherwise there would be no seats at this dinner time. All kinds of foreign wine, red wine, white wine, and beer were opened, and only expensive dishes were chosen. The atmosphere was lively and noisy, without caring whether they were injured or trapped underground for a long time, as if they were superheroes, indulging in the pleasures of life.

  Lian Ao and Yuandu had both drunk a considerable amount of wine, but fortunately, Sheng Jun's alcohol tolerance was not bad and he remained sober. Only Xiaoyanfei didn't touch a drop of wine as she was going to drive, her cup was filled with orange juice instead. Fangying and the other two also didn't dare drink with her, fearing that they would accidentally get drunk and suffer from gastric bleeding due to alcohol poisoning.

  But she is the only one who makes a living from this, unlike Fang Ying and Lan Ruoxue who are half-hearted and only help her as a favor to a true friend using their learned skills.

  Only she knew that in this line of work, it's all a matter of life and death. So every time they returned from an operation - even if they came back missing an arm or leg - they would eat and drink like there was no tomorrow, because no matter how much these country bumpkins valued money, they understood that nothing was more precious than their own lives.

  A thousand pieces of gold scattered, yet they return again.

  As long as I'm still alive, it's all good.

  Drank to the end, Fang directly rolled under the table and hugged a wine bottle, muttering something unknown. Lan Ruoxue fell asleep on the table, while Xia Zhaoshao left early due to his parents' phone call.

  Xia Yanfei rubbed her temples and settled the bill, letting the waiter carry the two drunk men back to their room. She really didn't have the energy to deal with the aftermath anymore.

  After driving for almost an hour, Xiaoyan finally returned home. As soon as she opened the door, she turned on the light and under its glow, her eyes seemed to hold a whole sparkling starry sky: "Should I say welcome?"

  Ao Yuan looked at her and revealed an incredibly good-looking smile.

  "So should I still thank you?"