Chapter 190

Chapter 190

The mountain road didn’t have eighteen bends, but it still had seven or eight. The Jeep’s suspension was steady, and with Lu Qiuyan’s skilled driving, Tian Ruan sat in the passenger seat admiring the scenic American countryside.

The landscape was vast, dotted occasionally with a few villas, their lawns meticulously trimmed.

The environment was truly beautiful, but the population was sparse. Throughout the journey, Tian Ruan only saw about a dozen people, all of them elderly.

Once they reached the coastal highway, things improved slightly. Youngsters sped past in their cars, like a real-life *Fast & Furious*, letting out wild whoops and whistles at the Jeep as they flew by.

In the distance, golden beaches were lined with colorful sun umbrellas, like mushrooms in a forest, each one sheltering attractive men and women lounging beneath them.

Tian Ruan caught sight of topless sunbathers and nearly gaped in shock. “Wow…”

Lu Qiuyan’s brow twitched. He just couldn’t get behind that level of openness.

Suddenly, a car swerved out in front of them, weaving like a slippery snake before abruptly stopping. Lu Qiuyan slammed on the brakes, and Tian Ruan lurched forward against his seatbelt.

Several masked men stepped out of the car ahead, carrying an assortment of weapons, clanking them against the ground as they approached the Jeep.

Tian Ruan squinted. “…Are we being robbed?”

Lu Qiuyan: “Or are they handing out charity?”

“…”

Lu Qiuyan glanced in the rearview mirror—the bodyguards’ cars were roughly fifty meters back.

The masked men surrounded the Jeep, two of them flanking the driver’s side and banging hard on the window.

Lu Qiuyan rolled it down, eyeing them coldly.

“Hey, China boys, step out of the car.”

Clearly, they weren’t just after a robbery—they were after the Jeep too.

Tian Ruan blinked. Having been kidnapped once before, he wasn’t as intimidated by these burly foreigners. He said, “Take a look behind us. You could rob those two cars instead.”

“Those cars aren’t as valuable as a Jeep. Get out, leave your wallets, and we’ll let you go—in the Lord’s name.”

Tian Ruan: “How about this? How about a buy-one-get-two deal? Besides the Jeep, I’ll throw in those two cars behind us. Deal?”

The men burst into laughter. “Where’d this idiot come from? Talk about a fat sheep—you’re just too good.”

Tian Ruan waved his hand out the window. The bodyguards’ cars slowly pulled up and stopped. The doors opened, revealing them fully armed, their footsteps sharp and swift, each holding a gun.

The sound of guns cocking mixed with the cries of seagulls. For a moment, there was only the clear breeze, the bright sun, and the rolling waves.

The robbers: “…”

The bodyguards stood silently, guns trained on them.

The robbers clattered their weapons to the ground and raised their hands. “Hey, man, easy now—we’ll scram right now, okay?”

Mao Qi abruptly fired a warning shot into the air, the shell casing landing at his feet. “Scram.”

Tian Ruan leaned out the window, watching them bolt into the distance, leaving only a trail of exhaust before disappearing entirely. He sighed sincerely, “All fear comes from a lack of firepower. Truer words were never spoken.”

“A fat sheep like you, rolling with bodyguards, aren’t common,” Lu Qiuyan remarked as he started the car again. He pressed the accelerator, and the briny sea wind rushed in as a town loomed just ahead.

Tian Ruan remained leaning against the window, the breeze brushing his face pleasantly, when he suddenly asked, "Aren’t you carsick? You don’t get dizzy driving?"

"If I still got carsick while driving, we wouldn’t be on the road—we’d be in the sea."

"Then we’d be living out *Cast Away*."

The two made small talk until Tian Ruan pointed at a small cart by the beach and said, "That’s an ice cream stand."

Lu Qiuyan paid no attention and drove straight into the town, checking shop windows for job listings and pay rates.

"This one pays $15 an hour, this one $20..." Tian Ruan helped pick. "This one, this one—$30 an hour."

Lu Qiuyan scoffed, "That much just for waiting tables? Probably includes some 'perks.'"

"Extra services?"

"Copping a feel—chests if they’ve got ’em, backsides if not."

"...No way?"

"There’s no such thing as a free lunch." Lu Qiuyan kept driving around until he spotted a swimwear shop with a scribbled help-wanted notice taped to its door.

Tian Ruan read aloud, "My wife is about to give birth, so I need to go home to be with her. Looking for someone to watch the shop. Base pay $10 a day, half the earnings from swimsuit sales. If interested, call—"

Lu Qiuyan picked up the car phone and dialed the number.

Soon, a peppy young voice chirped, "Hey!"

Lu Qiuyan said, "I can watch your shop. Are you free to talk now?"

"Sure! Are you at the store? I’ll be there in about half an hour. Take a look around if you want."

"Alright."

Tian Ruan had already gotten out of the car and was pressing his face against the shop’s glass window. "Not bad, though kinda small."

A dog-walker gave them a suspicious once-over.

Lu Qiuyan muttered, "Quit gawking, thief."

Tian Ruan turned his head. "Thief? Where?" He met the dog-walking woman’s gaze. "...I’m not a thief. I’m here to help watch the store. The owner’s coming soon."

People here were big on privacy. Hanging around too long in one spot—like outside someone’s home—could make you look shady, with the cops called at any moment.

Of course, calling the police didn’t guarantee they’d show up. Mostly just to scare you off.

Tian Ruan and Lu Qiuyan strolled around the small town, scoping out the few shops and odd jobs. Working at the swimwear store was indeed the best option.

The owner arrived a full forty minutes later. Just like he sounded on the phone, he was a young man in his twenties with curly brown hair, deep-set eyes, and a grin full of white teeth. "Hey there! Come in, have a seat. Coffee or orange juice?"

Lu Qiuyan nodded. "Thanks."

The shop was perfectly placed. Through another window, Tian Ruan could see figures moving along the beach, the sparkling sea wedged between two white-walled, red-roofed houses like a natural painting.

"My grandpa left me this shop," the owner introduced humorously as he poured orange juice. "A local landmark, a tourist must-see."

Tian Ruan nodded. "It’s really nice."

"Too bad swimwear’s a dime a dozen now. I’m lucky if I move a dozen a month. If it weren’t for my grandpa, I’d have shut it down ages ago."

"A dozen or so sets?" Tian Ruan smiled. "We’ll sell at least thirty for you, guaranteed."

"Oh, both of you?"

"Yes."

"Alright, if you can sell thirty swimsuits, I'll count it as one salary per person. How's that?"

"Deal."

The shop owner briefly introduced the styles and prices of various swimwear, saying, "This is already marked up double, so I’m splitting half with you. Don’t undersell—I’m barely breaking even as is."

Lu Qiuyan crossed his arms. "Too cheap. You could mark it up even more."

"All the shops around here charge this price. If I hike the price more, I’ll price myself out of the market." The owner shrugged.

"Selling it is our problem."

The owner shook his head with a laugh. "Alright, I’ll be watching."

After handing the spare key to Lu Qiuyan, the owner drove off. Tian Ruan then sorted and organized the swimwear, noting their original prices. After deducting wages and overhead, selling at double the price would just scrape by with just over a dozen sets a month.

To make real money, they'd have to increase profits.

And despite the prime location, didn’t get a single customer all afternoon.

Tian Ruan: "...Is this place even on the map?"

Lu Qiuyan took the key. "We'll come back tomorrow."

The two drove back to the Du family estate, pulling up in front of the ridiculously oversized mansion. The servants bowed deeply at ninety degrees, chorused loudly: "Welcome home, Young Master Ruan!"

Tian Ruan felt whiplash—here he was, returning from his part-time job to a mansion spanning over 10,000 square meters.

One meal here cost more than he could earn in a month of work.

"Xiao Ruan." Madam Du glided over on her Segway. Already wearing high heels, the added height made her tower over Tian Ruan as she stopped gracefully in front of him, trailed by a wave of perfume. "Heard you got mugged today? Are you hurt?"

Tian Ruan looked up at his dear mother, then down at the Segway under her feet. "...Mom, why are you riding that?"

Madam Du spun elegantly, her shawl's tassels fluttering. "Jing Mo had it specially airlifted from China—just arrived this afternoon. With this little thing, your mom’s lightning-fast now."

Tian Ruan: "...Yeah, no kidding." And she was taller than him now!

Madam Du saw no issue at all, only admiring how her youngest son's small head and delicate features made him utterly adorable. "You've already gotten tanned in just one afternoon. Are you sure you want to keep working?"

Tian Ruan: "I was already tanned when I got here. You’re just noticing now?"

Madam Du indeed had only just noticed. Through a mother’s eyes, he was flawless. Now, looking closer, she could see he was still handsome—just a little darker. "Anyway. Let’s go for afternoon tea."

Tian Ruan shared a look with Yu Jingmo. "Mom, you go ahead. Mr. Yu and I need to talk."

Madam Du's lips quirked. "Alright." She beckoned, and Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan followed.

The servants melted into the background.

Tian Ruan closed the distance with Yu Jingmo. "Let’s talk outside."

"Mm." Yu Jingmo fell into step beside him out the main gate, heading to the side. The house was so large that even after two minutes of walking, they were still nowhere near the edge.

Tian Ruan pulled Yu Jingmo behind a pillar, eagerly pressing against his firm chest and tightly wrapping his arms around the man's waist. Taking a deep breath, he murmured, "I missed you."

Yu Jingmo let him cling, raising a hand to rest on the youth's round, full head, fingers combing through soft, smooth strands of hair. "Were you scared?"

"Of what?"

"The robbery."

"No."

"You're fearless—of course you wouldn't be scared."

Tian Ruan nuzzled his cheek against Yu Jingmo's shoulder before playfully biting down.

Yu Jingmo chuckled, his deep voice resonating through his chest. "Being clingy."

"I'm not." Tian Ruan's ears tingled.

"Mm."

"Didn’t you miss me?" Tian Ruan asked. "If you didn’t miss me, then I won’t miss you either."

"I missed you too." Yu Jingmo tightened his embrace, breathing in the youth's soft, warm scent.

The afternoon sun warmed the quiet estate.

After dinner, Tian Ruan finally remembered to ask, "Mom, when is Dad coming back?"

Madam Du said, "He said in a few days. Him being back doesn’t change much."

"It does. When Dad’s home, he can keep you company."

"He only talks when it’s about business. With me, he hardly says a word."

"If Dad farted in front of you, he’d be mortified."

"Oh, he lost that years ago. Back when we were young, he’d fart under the blankets—I always heard it."

"Haha!"

Madam Du took a sip of bird’s nest soup, murmuring, "Speaking of which, your eldest brother hasn’t called in days. He’s a workaholic like your father—too busy to call."

Dew brought the landline phone. Madam Du put down her bowl, wiped her hands with a napkin, and picked up the receiver, dialing a string of numbers.

"Xiao Zhou, is Hengbie there?"

"Mr. Du went to France."

"France?" Madam Du paused. "I see."

After hanging up, she dialed another number, but no one answered. She tried again. "Old Davy, has Xiao Du been by your place?"

The old butler replied, "The young master hasn’t been around lately."

Madam Du frowned as she dialed Du Danren’s number. "Danren, have you seen Hengbie lately?"

Du Danren sounded confused. "Isn’t he here?"

"No, he went to France. But Old Davy hasn’t seen him."

"Then call him yourself."

"If I could reach him, would I be calling *you*?"

"..."

Madam Du said coolly, "Forget it, I'll find him myself."

Du Danren: "Madam, I’ll help you look."

"What do you mean help me? Isn't Henbie your son?"

"..."

Tian Ruan quickly interjected, "Dad’s trying, he’s just bad at phrasing things. Less fighting, more patience."

Madam Du hung up and said to Dew, "Call all the properties in France. Henbie’s responsible—he wouldn’t just disappear. His phone must be dead. Which assistant did he take?"

Dew replied, "Don’t stress, Madam. I’ll check with his inner circle first. We’ll track him down."

"Good."

Tian Ruan raised his hand. "There’s one possibility, but I don’t know if I should say it."

"What?" Madam Du’s eyes went wide. "Xiao Ruan, you know? Speak quickly."

Tian Ruan: "Big Brother went to see his wife. They’re probably in bed right now and don’t have time to answer calls."

"..."

Yu Jingmo nodded. "Odds are 99%."

Lu Qiuyan and Yu Shang remained expressionless, acting like they didn’t hear—the adult world is so gross.

Madam Du cleared her throat. "In that case, we won’t call anymore."

Yet ten minutes later, Du Danren called back. "Madam, I found Henbie. He’s with He Lansi at a hotel in Paris, no danger."

Madam Du: "...How did you find him?"

Du Danren: "Tracked his phone. I sent a private detective to check, but the detective got inexplicably beaten up. Now I owe him for emotional distress. Why is that?"

Everyone: "..."

Madam Du: "You should’ve gone yourself. Then the detective wouldn’t have gotten hit."

Du Danren: "?"

Knowing Du Henbie was safe—and going at it with He Lansi again and again—Tian Ruan sighed in relief. His OTP was endgame.

At bedtime, Tian Ruan grew a little excited, eagerly dragging Yu Jingmo to the bathroom.

"Together?" Yu Jingmo murmured.

Tian Ruan nodded, face burning.

Then Yu Jingmo made sure to "fry" Tian Ruan over and over.

Tian Ruan was satisfied, though his legs were jelly, his ankles slick with soap and something else white.

Yu Jingmo held him, unwilling to let go, walking and...

The sheets were wrinkled, the blankets tangled, plum blossoms bloomed, and the kitten meowed.

The next day, Tian Ruan got up and ate breakfast as if nothing had happened. He was now used to Yu Jingmo’s size—as long as it wasn’t a wooden stool, his butt was fine.

Breakfast included tea eggs. Tian Ruan had a sudden idea: "Can I bring the leftover tea eggs to the swimwear shop?"

Madam Du was puzzled. "What do you need tea eggs at the shop for?"

A plan formed in Tian Ruan’s mind. "Small things, big impact—let those foreigners taste real Chinese food."

There weren’t many tea eggs, just over twenty. He packed them, broth and all, in an electric rice cooker and took them with him.

Tian Ruan looked at Yu Jingmo longingly. "Mr. Yu, I won’t see you till noon."

Yu Jingmo: "Mhm."

Tian Ruan blew him a kiss. "See ya."

Yu Jingmo raised his index finger and lightly pressed it against his beautifully arched lips. "Waiting for you."

Tian Ruan blushed.

Lu Qiuyan cringed at the sweetness, shuddering and ordering Yu Shang to work: "Grab those soup dumplings too."

Yu Shang sighed and played the errand boy—after all, he was the youngest in seniority... He wanted to see what these two could possibly come up with.

Sitting in the back seat of the jeep next to the soup dumplings, Yu Shang’s face was priceless. "You guys gonna do this every day now?"

Tian Ruan: "If it works, then yeah."

At the shop, Lu Qiuyan first reheated the tea eggs and soup dumplings in a pot, placing two stools right by the entrance. As soon as the power was connected, the smell of traditional snacks drifted through the small coastal town.

Even reaching the beach.

Tian Ruan slapped on quadruple-price tags on all the swimwear, offering small items like sun hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen clothing as basic freebies.

The tea eggs and soup dumplings were bonus freebies.

Within ten minutes, the first customer followed the smell of tea eggs inside. "Hey, how much for this?"

Lu Qiuyan said flatly, "Not for sale."

"?"

Tian Ruan rushed over, all smiles. "These are freebies—you’ll get them only if you buy anything from our shop."

The girl stepped inside and gasped. "Whoa, these swimsuits are crazy expensive."

Tian Ruan: "You can pick any two freebies here, plus a tea egg and soup dumpling. Just buy one swimsuit, and you’ll get five things in total. Ever seen a deal this good?"

The girl was tempted. "Really? I can pick anything?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, I’ll take this one."

"Thanks for shopping with us! Come back soon~"

Another ten minutes passed, and a few more young people were drawn in. "Oh my god, is this an egg? An enchanted egg? It smells amazing."

Tian Ruan repeated the trick.

Unable to resist the allure of the tea eggs, they ended up buying swimsuits as well.

By noon, the shop had sold a full ten swimsuits—way better than expected.

With a few tea eggs left, Tian Ruan nibbled on one while reporting the good news to the shop owner.

The owner exclaimed "Oh my god" repeatedly, ecstatic, almost delirious: "Dude, you guys are amazing! Oh my god, Chinese food rules!"

On the way back to the estate, Yu Shang suddenly remarked, "Each egg costs six cents. The tea spice packet for a pot of tea eggs costs about five yuan. Twenty tea eggs a day would be eighteen yuan, totaling twenty-three. The flour and meat for one basket of xiaolongbao cost roughly twelve yuan, bringing the total to thirty-five. And that’s before utilities, too."

Tian Ruan: "..."

"If business picks up, you’d be shelling out a hundred yuan a day just to work there."

Tian Ruan counted on his fingers, "Even if we cover some costs, we’d still come out ahead."

Yu Shang: "You should clarify the ingredient expenses with the owner. Even if you cover them, it’d be bad if he thinks you’re overcharging him."

Tian Ruan nodded, "This money came from my family, so it’s only right to be clear."

Moreover, the Du family used premium meat and flour, and the eggs definitely cost more than six cents each. The tea was also expensive. If they didn’t account for this properly, they might actually lose money on this "job."

Back at the estate, Tian Ruan explained the situation to Dew, implying that they should make ordinary tea eggs with regular tea—no need to turn them into "golden eggs," as losing money would hurt.

In the afternoon, Tian Ruan couldn’t accompany Lu Qiuyan to work—he had driving lessons to attend.

Dew had already handled all the paperwork and enrolled him. Now, all he had to do was study for the test while practicing driving. He could get his license in two weeks, no sweat.

The coach came to the estate for lessons, and with its plenty of private roads, Tian Ruan could freely practice driving straight, turning, and parking.

Madam Du gazed at the lush, flower-dotted lawn and the winding cement path, saying, "We had this built for my driving lessons. Who knew I’d get my license and still never have a chance to drive?"

Tian Ruan: "...Mom, you’re born to be spoiled."

Madam Du smiled softly, "You too, sweetheart."

Tian Ruan thought to himself that even if he didn’t have many opportunities to drive now, it was still good to have the skill—just in case. If the driver ever had a stomachache or quit midway, he could dramatically seize the wheel and say to Yu Jingmo, "Don’t sweat it, Mr. Yu—I’ve got you."

With that thought, Tian Ruan snickered to himself.

Madam Du worriedly said to Yu Jingmo, "This kid’s such a goofball. Can he really drive?"

Yu Jingmo replied, "He’s a decent driver already."

Madam Du: "?"

Yu Jingmo coughed lightly into his fist, "What I mean is, he’s watched the driver enough to have picked up some things."

Madam Du nodded, shielding her eyes from the sun, her pupils shimmering with the same amber hue as Tian Ruan’s—warm and clear as honey. "That’s good."

Yu Jingmo watched intently as Tian Ruan discussed something with the coach, occasionally looking over for help with unfamiliar terms. Yu Jingmo smiled and explained.

Tian Ruan nodded, eyes lit up, then got into the car and followed the coach’s instructions.

The car started and eased its way down the road.

The coach said, "Good job, hold it steady. You can speed up a little."

Tian Ruan copied Lu Qiuyan's move and stomped on the accelerator—

Coach: "Brake!!!"

The car slammed into a big tree with a loud CRASH!

Tian Ruan was left coughing from the seatbelt's sudden jerk, "Ah... cough, cough..."

Yu Jingmo rushed over and knocked on the window, "Tian Ruan, are you okay?"

Tian Ruan unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and stumbled into Yu Jingmo's arms, "Mr. Yu, that was so scary..."

The coach clenched his jaw and swallowed his words—this young lord was the really scary one.

Yu Jingmo comfortingly patted Tian Ruan's back and reassured him, "It's alright. Everyone's this bad at first when learning to drive."

Tian Ruan asked with wide eyes, "Did Mr. Yu also crash into a tree like me?"

Yu Jingmo suppressed a laugh, "I'm no bunny - trees are safe from me."

Tian Ruan just stared...