Chapter 50: Young Master Ling’s Lament
Xia Chenge didn’t notice Ling Hanmu’s quiet delight; her mind was filled only with braised pig trotters.
Ling Hanmu’s car was always parked by the “No Parking” sign at the school gate, arrogantly proclaiming his privilege.
“Although your driving skills are good, for the safety of others, you shouldn’t drive without a license, right? How hard is it to find a driver?” After getting into the car, Xia Chenge glanced at him.
“Who told you I don’t have a driver’s license?” Ling Hanmu retorted irritably. “If you tell me who spread that rumor, I promise I won’t beat them to death!”
Xia Chenge raised an eyebrow: “Which country’s driver’s license do you have? I remember our country requires you to be eighteen to get one, right?”
Speaking of which, Ling Hanmu looked ahead a bit unnaturally and stammered, “Yes, you have to be eighteen to take the test.”
“Don’t tell me you’re already eighteen?” Xia Chenge immediately realized the situation and seized the opportunity to mock him, “You’re only in your second year of senior high school? A slacker!”
Ling Hanmu grumbled, “So what if I took a year off from school? Is that not allowed? This Young Master is a law-abiding citizen, I would never drive without a license!”
“Why did you take a year off?” Xia Chenge’s curiosity was piqued.
“I got very sick in my third year, so I took that year off,” Ling Hanmu explained. “I heard I almost died back then, but thankfully I was lucky.”
“A wicked person lives a thousand years.”
“That’s right, a wicked person lives a thousand years. How could I die so easily, right?”
For some reason, when Xia Chenge heard Ling Hanmu say this, she felt a deep sense of hatred.
But when she looked at his handsome face, it was the same as always, with no other discernible expression.
Was it an illusion? Xia Chenge wondered, but she quickly put the matter out of her mind.
“Your grades were always at the bottom in exams, but this time you got first place in the whole school. Did you perhaps see the exam questions in advance?” Xia Chenge tested Ling Hanmu.
Ling Hanmu’s eyebrows shot up: “Am I that kind of person? This Young Master disdains such unfair methods. I prefer to win people over with genuine skill.”
“By using your strength to win people over?”
“Little Brother, why bring up sore subjects? I don’t actually like fighting, but those people are just too stupid, it makes me angry. Just like you, aren’t you angry when you see Xu Jingyun?”
“I don’t have a habit of getting angry at fools; I just don’t provoke others unless they provoke me,” Xia Chenge said.
“The reason my grades were bad before was that I always fell asleep during exams. By the time I woke up, the papers were already collected, so I didn’t have time to do the questions! Besides, I hated going to school. I only attended a few days each semester, so it’s no wonder I couldn’t keep up with the exams.”
“Rich people can be so willful! Then why do you go to school every day now?”
“Because Little Brother is at school, so school has more appeal to me,” Ling Hanmu said with a smile.
“Nonsense.”
“You caught me. Actually, it’s because you’re more interesting than school.”
Xia Chenge: “…”
She should just keep quiet!
As they spoke, they arrived at the destination Ling Hanmu had mentioned.
After Xia Chenge got out of the car, she found it hard to believe that Ling Hanmu would come to such a place.
“It’s in here,” Ling Hanmu pointed towards the depths of the alley, where a worn and greasy sign swayed in the setting sun.
Braised Pig Trotters, the four characters were simple and clear.
“You come to this kind of dive restaurant?” Xia Chenge looked skeptical. “Have you really eaten here before?”
Ling Hanmu solemnly guaranteed: “You absolutely won’t be disappointed!”
“It seems you’ve only heard rumors,” Xia Chenge walked past him and headed inside first.
If he found the food at Yan Sheng High School’s student cafeteria difficult to eat, let alone this kind of humble restaurant frequented by common folk, she’d write her name backward.
It was likely just after the restaurant opened, with only the shopkeeper and his wife busy.
Although the restaurant didn’t look like much from the outside, the interior environment was quite clean, making it feel comfortable.
“Are you two here to eat?” the shopkeeper asked hesitantly, noticing their expensive clothing and the noble aura they exuded, clearly not the usual clientele for such a place.
“One order of pig trotters!” Xia Chenge found a seat and said, “And a few of your signature dishes.”
“Tsk, why aren’t you moving? Are you not going to serve us?” Seeing the shopkeeper frozen, Ling Hanmu immediately put on a stern face.
The young master’s imposing presence was powerful, startling the shopkeeper, who quickly apologized and headed to the kitchen.
Xia Chenge rolled her eyes at him: “We’re here to eat, not to cause trouble, why so fierce?”
“I just saw him being slow to serve you!” Ling Hanmu scratched his head sheepishly, a gesture full of childishness.
Ling Hanmu was sometimes like a domineering president, sometimes like a spoiled rich kid, and sometimes like a big child… Xia Chenge wasn’t sure which was the real Ling Hanmu.
Before long, the shopkeeper brought out steaming hot braised pig trotters, along with several other braised dishes.
The aroma made Xia Chenge’s mouth water. Ling Hanmu handed her a pair of chopsticks he had meticulously wiped clean: “Eat!”
Xia Chenge didn’t stand on ceremony. She picked up a piece and ate it. The pig trotters were rich but not greasy, melting in her mouth. Xia Chenge praised it repeatedly and urged Ling Hanmu to eat.
Ling Hanmu looked at the greasy pig trotters and couldn’t muster any interest. Furthermore, he couldn’t bring himself to use the restaurant’s cutlery, so he waved his hand: “I don’t like this. You eat it. We can order more if you’re not full.”
Xia Chenge looked at him disapprovingly: “Being a germaphobe isn’t good. You’ve lived too comfortably, which has led to this bad habit. If you were thrown into the apocalypse… and starved for a few days, you’d find raw meat delicious.”
Just hearing that made Ling Hanmu feel a bit nauseous: “Little Brother, please don’t say anymore. Just order whatever else you want to eat, it’s my treat.”
Xia Chenge shook her head: “Hopeless!”
Ling Hanmu smiled without speaking. In fact, he hadn’t been a germaphobe before; it was only after he got sick that time that he became one…
The shopkeeper initially thought Ling Hanmu and Xia Chenge were just trying it out, but he was astonished when Xia Chenge became addicted and ordered three orders of pig trotters for herself.
“Young lady, pig trotters are quite rich. Don’t eat too much at once, be careful not to upset your stomach,” he kindly advised Xia Chenge.
Xia Chenge said with a smile: “Shopkeeper, your pig trotters are the best I’ve ever eaten!”
The shopkeeper was very happy with Xia Chenge’s praise: “Then next time you come, I’ll give you a 20% discount.”
“Okay,” Xia Chenge’s eyes curved.
Ling Hanmu looked at Xia Chenge’s friendly demeanor and felt a bit resentful: Why is Little Brother so cold to me?
“By the way, Shopkeeper, your cooking is so good, why did you open your restaurant in such a remote location?” Xia Chenge was puzzled. With the shopkeeper’s skill, if he found a good location, business would be booming.
The shopkeeper’s face fell, and he sighed helplessly: “The Xia family doesn’t allow it. There’s nothing I can do.”
