Xuan Mo looked over. It was Lu Jian Hua indeed. Donned in a suit, he was all tidied up as he conversed with the middle-aged ladies and gentlemen with crystal glass in his hand.
Lu Yu Chen contemplated for a moment before he decided to head over and call him: “Dad!”
Lu Jian Hua was very surprised to see his son here. Elation quickly replaced his shock, and he laughed: “Hoh, I just reached the capital, was planning to see you after this conference, wasn’t expecting to bump into you here instead.”
The ladies and gentlemen around him complimented: “Mr Lu, is that your son, how talented and handsome!”
Lu Juan Hua was very delighted. In terms of appearance, his son had never failed to impress when there were guests around. In fact, Lu Yu Chen could even to compare up to the star of the night tonight, the young master of Infinite Liquor that had inherited the company.
Lu Yu Chen hesitated before adding: “Xuan Mo’s here too.”
Lu Jian Hua paused for a moment before he smiled: “Oh, is that so, I don’t see her? It’s been quite a while hasn’t it.”
The moment Lu Yu Chen revealed that she was here too, Xuan Mo knew there was no way she could continue hiding. Well, not that she was anxious or anything about meeting Lu Jian Hua again though. Before Lu Yu Chen called her over, she walked over herself and nodded at Lu Jian Hua, greeting: “Hello Uncle Lu.”
Lu Jian Hua sighed. His largest regret was what he’d done to Xuan Mo and her mother. When he recalled how clouded and stupid he’d been, he couldn’t help but become incredibly frustrated and angry at himself. When he later learnt about Xuan Mo’s outstanding performance in school, his regret further drowned his consciousness. Everything was too late. While Xuan Mo wasn’t his biological daughter, and they no longer were bound as a family, he still planned to treat her like his own daughter.
“Mo Mo, you got prettier since the last time I saw you, the military training didn’t tan you did it?”
“No.”
“Haha you’re still in your military uniform today, do you like wearing it very much?”
Xuan Mo pointed behind her: “My clothes are all behind.”
“Oh!” Lu Jian Hua knew what kind of attitude this “new” Xuan Mo had with regards to buying new things, so he sent Lu Yu Chen a meaningful look at her reply, “looks like I might as well send your allowance to your brother’s card instead, he spends more on you than you do yourself… did you use the beauty products that I got you? How is it, if you like it, I can get someone to bring more back if you do?”
It was only now did Xuan Mo learnt that Lu Jian Hua was transferring allowance to the card her mother gave her, she’d barely used the card before so she’d never paid attention to the balance. Based on the number she recalled seeing the last time she went to withdraw money, she’d probably had enough to go on countless shopping sprees.
“Boss Lu, thank you really for coming down, and even bringing your son and daughter with you.” A happy voice suddenly sounded behind them.
Xuan Mo frowned. As a result of her occupation, she disliked coming into contact with anyone else other than her target. However, she couldn’t help the current situation, so she could only turn around with Lu Yu Chen and greet the people heading in their direction.
Cheng Ming Xuan and Lu Jian Hua chatted for a while before he suddenly asked: “Miss Xuan right, have we met before?”
Xuan Mo didn’t reply; she couldn’t figure out what Cheng Ming Xuan had in mind.
Lu Yu Chen thought that Cheng Ming Xuan was trying to hit his lil sis up. And so, he pulled Xuan Mo behind him, replying coldly: “Sorry but my sis doesn’t keep up with the celebrities much.”
Despite Lu Yu Chen’s brush off, Cheng Mind Xuan smiled nicely: “I believe that doesn’t appear to be related to whether I’ve met your sister before. Miss Xuan, would you like an autograph?”
Xuan Mo squinted. It seemed that this person recalled their previous encounter clearly, very well then. However, the fact that he still remembered didn’t change anything. She shook her head: “No thank you.”
“Dad, we still have plans in the afternoon, so we’ll head off first.” Lu Yu Chen didn’t like Xuan Mo and Cheng Ming Xuan’s coded conversation, as though only the two of them knew what they were each referring to. And so, he immediately bid his dad farewell and pulled Xuan Mo along to make their leave. However, Cheng Ming Xuan suddenly blocked the two of them, asking: “Miss Xuan, may I have the honour of getting your contact, I have some queries regarding our previous two encounters that I’d like to clarify with you.”
While Xuan Mo really wanted to tell him that they had nothing to talk about, this guy appeared as though whatever he wanted to speak to her about was important… she recited her number before she was pulled away by Lu Yu Chen.
Lu Yu Chen was very unhappy: “You gave him your number, just because he asked you? When were you this obedient when you were with me!?”
“You already have my number.” Xuan Mo replied seriously.
“Uh, that’s not what I mean…” Lu Yu Chen was rendered speechless for a moment, “I’m not talking about the fact that you gave him your number… uh, but it is because you gave him your number, ah wait that’s not right…”
Lu Yu Chen was still muttering to himself even when the group of them were out of the shopping district and nearing the attractions: “I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn’t give your numbers out easily to random people…”
“What random people?!” Ye Zhen Zhen immediately rebuked him, indignant, “Cheng Ming Xuan is not some random guy! Mo Mo, if Cheng Ming Xuan asks you to go out to play, you musn’t forget to bring us along!”
“Yeahh!” The other girls were extremely excited too.
Xuan Mo however figured that these bunch of girls would be more of a headache than Lu Yu Chen was.
The bunch of them followed their planned schedule and bought tickets to the Imperial Palace. Even though having seen the palace online countless times, and perhaps had even visited the actual site a few times, one would still be awestruck by the majestic architecture every time you enter. You’d also bump into countless tour groups bringing the tourists around, and every time, you’d catch the tour guide sharing a palace intrigue or some sort of tale. Ah Kah said that this was called “tour group-crashing”.
When they walked over to a particular hall in the palace, the tour guide from the tour group there shared: “XX Hall, this is Kangxi’s fourth son Yin Zhen and his mother’s living quarters; later Yin Zhen became Emperor Yongzheng…”
“Woah! This is the hall that lil four* stayed in!” One of the girls exclaimed.
* T/N: the numbers refer the Emperor Kangxi’s various sons, e.g. lil four is the fourth son; the nicknames ‘lil four’ etc. were given by fans, and might have originated from certain literature and/or period dramas
“I wonder where lil eight stayed.”
“I wanna see where thirteen stayed, he’s the cutest!”
“No way, lil eight’s the best, he’s gentle and smart.”
“What, lil four’s smarter!”
“Lil four’s black-bellied, that’s what you call him!”
“Nonsense, lil eight’s the black-bellied one!”
“…”
Xuan Mo was completely befuddled by their conversation. In the history books she’d previously read, such… “endearing” nicknames didn’t exist, the books had only recorded the various historical happenings and biographies, and they were written very objectively.
She continued listening to them for a while, but their conversation seemed to be taking a strange turn. In fact, they started chatting about what they’d do if they were transmigrated in the Qing dynasty, how they were going to save lil eight, tease lil four and play with thirteen, before they broached an even wider topic, about transmigrating into X dynasty and conquering the X emperor. They continued chatting about how Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty was the most imposing, how Yang Guang, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, was wronged and how Li Shi Min, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, was the most dangerous and the likes…
Xuan Mo patted Lu Yu Chen, asking softly: “What are they talking about?”
Lu Yu Chen was still relatively updated about the trends, but he couldn’t help but stiffen at his little sister’s “pure and innocent” gaze. While he was relieved that she didn’t understand, he couldn’t help but raise his guard, there was no way he would allow his lil sis go down that route. And so, he immediately shook his head: “Don’t listen to them, they’re just braincannon-ing, it’s all made up!”
“Enh…” Xuan Mo’s reply dragged on, evidently on the fence about his reply.
Lu Yu Chen became anxious at her reaction: “Mo Mo, they’re just a bunch of fangirls brainwashed by all the various online novels! Don’t learn from them!”
Xuan Mo tapped her chin: “Transmigration? Why not, what’s transmigration?”
Comments