Chapter 9 Chance Encounter

Chapter 9: Unexpected Meeting

Jiang Luo got into the car and was struck again by how, in this life, Huo Zongzhuo’s attitude toward him wasn't just average—it was unusually good.

So good, in fact, that he was taking him to eat again.

He didn't bother fastening his seatbelt—nobody enforced that back then.

Leaning back in the seat, he looked at Huo Zongzhuo and asked, "Is this along your route, or did you come here specifically for me?"

Huo Zongzhuo, driving, glanced at Jiang Luo and replied, "Both—specifically for you, and also on the way."

Jiang Luo asked, "What're we having?"

Huo Zongzhuo responded, "What would you like to eat?"

Jiang Luo thought for a moment and said, "Huating."

Huating Hotel, located in the Xuhui District, had been built and opened in 1986. It was very famous and luxurious in Shanghai back then.

In his previous life, Jiang Luo had only been able to eat and relax at Huating after years of hard work, once he had made a name for himself and earned real money.

He had always genuinely liked the cuisine at Huating.

Huo Zongzhuo didn't object.

If it were someone else, they might have thought Jiang Luo’s request was too high-end, throwing out Huating right away.

But Huo Zongzhuo routinely stayed at the Hilton, drove a BMW in this era, and eating at Huating was no big deal for him.

Besides, when inviting Jiang Luo, of course he would choose a luxurious place—certainly not some roadside street food cart.

It was Jiang Luo who caught himself speaking before thinking, blurting out "Huating" without remembering that this was a different life, and he was no longer that "Boss Jiang" he once was.

So Jiang Luo paused and added, "Can we go there?"

"If not, we can just pick any other restaurant. Doesn't matter to me—I’ll eat anything."

"Up to you."

After all, Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo didn't know each other that well. No matter how bold he was, it wasn’t appropriate to ask to be taken to Huating right away.

Huo Zongzhuo said calmly, "There’s no problem going. Don’t worry about saving me money."

Then he asked, "Do you like the food there?"

Jiang Luo said, "I’ve never been, just curious."

Huo Zongzhuo responded, "Perfect chance to take you then."

Huo Zongzhuo then asked, "How were the stocks today?"

Jiang Luo replied casually, "All green."

Huo Zongzhuo smiled slightly, "Looks like you made good money."

Jiang Luo said wryly, "Only 'cause you gave me plenty."

"Plenty, huh."

Huo Zongzhuo wasn’t bragging; he was simply stating a fact: "Compared to what I bought, what you have is nothing."

Jiang Luo smiled to himself, thinking, *Who are you? You’re Huo Zongzhuo. Compared to you, it’s like a sparrow meeting a phoenix—it pales in comparison.*

When they arrived at Huating, the two took the elevator upstairs to dine.

Just like the day before, after entering Huating, Jiang Luo looked around briefly.

Given Huating’s reputation and opulent decor in present-day Haishi, anyone who walked in would take a good look and be silently impressed.

But Jiang Luo didn't seem surprised or curious, remaining calm throughout, as if he were already used to fancy places like Huating.

Huo Zongzhuo once again noticed this, feeling both curious and appreciative. He couldn’t understand where Jiang Luo’s composure came from but found it impressive, thinking Jiang Luo was truly different from ordinary young men.

When ordering, Jiang Luo skimmed the menu and ordered effortlessly, as if he were a regular. He even instructed the waiter not to add scallions to the stir-fried sponge gourd with eggs.

"Of course," the waiter noted respectfully.

After the waiter left, Huo Zongzhuo said to Jiang Luo, "Don’t like scallions?"

"I do," Jiang Luo replied, leaning back in his chair and drinking his lemon water. "I just don’t like scallions in stir-fried sponge gourd."

It was still early May, and sponge gourds weren’t yet in season. Most households wouldn’t normally have sponge gourd on their tables around this time.

Jiang Luo had not only ordered sponge gourd but also specifically requested no scallions. Huo Zongzhuo, being observant, felt surprised and puzzled again, wondering where Jiang Luo’s familiarity with such details came from.

Huo Zongzhuo thought perhaps Jiang Luo came from a well-off family, which would explain his nonchalance about eating sponge gourd in April.

However, Huo Zongzhuo didn't ask more. He remembered Jiang Luo mentioning that he had left home and had a difficult relationship with his family, so he avoided touching on sensitive topics.

He did take note, though: Jiang Luo liked sponge gourd.

Just as Zhao Shuo entered the restaurant with his companion, he saw this scene: Jiang Luo sitting relaxed across from a man in a suit.

Confirming it was indeed Jiang Luo, Zhao Shuo got angry immediately.

After saying goodbye to his companion, he quickly strode toward Jiang Luo’s table.

Before he could get close, Huo Zongzhuo, facing his direction, noticed him. He glanced at Zhao Shuo, then turned to Jiang Luo, nodding toward the approaching figure. "Someone you know?"

Jiang Luo turned around just as Zhao Shuo reached the table.

Zhao Shuo first glanced at Huo Zongzhuo, then looked down at Jiang Luo. Holding back his anger, he managed to keep his tone mild: "So this is where you are."

He didn’t lose his temper right away and spoke to Jiang Luo calmly: "You could've at least told the family before leaving. Mom and Dad were worried when they found out you hadn’t returned home."

Jiang Luo looked up at Zhao Shuo expressionlessly.

In his previous life, Zhao Shuo had despised him as much as possible, caring only for Zhao Mingshi and treating only him as a brother.

Jiang Luo had never gotten along with Zhao Shuo but had tolerated him for the sake of their family and Su Lan.

Yet Zhao Shuo had repeatedly sabotaged him in business, both openly and covertly.

Now, reunited in this life, Jiang Luo’s mind instantly recalled Zhao Shuo’s past attitude toward him, his disdain, and all the things he had done.

He simply couldn't muster a pleasant expression, nor could he instantly get over the past just because he was reborn.

He couldn't get over it.

Not one bit.

So, as soon as Zhao Shuo finished speaking in a gentle tone, Jiang Luo rolled his eyes to the side, his lip curled. He took a deep breath, and ignored him.

Zhao Shuo saw this and thought it was ridiculous—what kind of attitude was that? Did he really need to be like this?

Suppressing his anger, Zhao Shuo said, "Jiang Luo, I'm talking to you."

"Forget it."

Jiang Luo put down his glass, stood up, and looked at Huo Zongzhuo across the table. "I'm not in the mood to eat. Enjoy your meal alone.

This one's on me. I'll buy you dinner next time to make it up to you."

With that, he turned to leave.

Zhao Shuo got even madder. Not caring about appearances and the presence of Huo Zongzhuo, he reached out and grabbed Jiang Luo's arm. "What do you mean by this?"

He added, "I'm talking to you! Is it how I'm saying it, or is my attitude not good enough? Why are you acting like this?"

Jiang Luo yanked his arm back and looked back blankly at Zhao Shuo.

He had nothing to say originally. In this life, he had long decided he wanted nothing to do with his so-called parents and brothers.

But hearing Zhao Shuo speak with such self-righteousness, Jiang Luo thought it was pathetic.

"Don't say that," Jiang Luo retorted, looking him in the eye. "Don't act as if you all care so much about me.

Where I am, where I go—it has nothing to do with any of you."

He made to leave again.

Zhao Shuo grabbed his arm, his anger finally boiling over. He hissed in a low voice, "Jiang Luo! Mom and Dad have been looking for you for days! I've been looking everywhere for you too! Is this how you respond?"

"What do you mean, 'Don't act as if you all care so much about me'?"

"You left without a word, didn't come home, and you were impossible to track down. What exactly are you trying to do?!"

Before Jiang Luo could respond, Huo Zongzhuo stood up and stepped away from the table. He first asked Jiang Luo, "Is this a relative of yours?"

Then he addressed Zhao Shuo politely and calmly, "If you can't control your emotions, you shouldn't say things like that here."

He added, "This is a restaurant, a public place."

Zhao Shuo frowned at Huo Zongzhuo and asked Jiang Luo, "Who is he?"

He was deeply displeased. "Are you either partying at clubs or associating with people of questionable backgrounds?"

From Zhao Shuo's perspective, even if Huo Zongzhuo looked classy and respectable, he didn’t believe such a person was someone Jiang Luo should or could be associating with.

In Zhao Shuo’s mind, he strongly suspected that Jiang Luo’s interactions with such people were for some improper purpose, even if he wasn't sure yet what exactly that might be.

Huo Zongzhuo was naturally displeased by Zhao Shuo’s words, and his expression tightened.

Jiang Luo, however, let out a scoff and smirked at Zhao Shuo. "Hanging out? Questionable backgrounds?"

He nodded. "Yes, that’s exactly how you see me, how you think of me."

His tone was sarcastic. "After all, I’m not your precious brother who got into Fudan University.

I’m just a good-for-nothing troublemaker."

"Jiang Luo!"

Zhao Shuo completely lost it. He reached out to grab Jiang Luo by the collar, but Jiang Luo, staring directly at him, pushed his hand away. At the same time, Huo Zongzhuo quickly reacted, grabbing Zhao Shuo’s arm and pulling him aside, stepping in front of Jiang Luo.

Huo Zongzhuo’s expression darkened as he looked at Zhao Shuo. "This is a public place. Cool it."

Other tables in the restaurant were already staring, and the manager was hurrying over.

Zhao Shuo hadn’t intended to cause a scene either. He had come to Huating for his own business, not to make trouble.

But Jiang Luo’s behavior only infuriated him further, especially since Jiang Luo had just brought up Zhao Mingshi.

Suppressing his anger, Zhao Shuo pointed at Jiang Luo, who stood behind Huo Zongzhuo. "You’ve always thought Ming Ming owed you something, haven’t you?"

"Whoa, there!"

The restaurant manager rushed over, eager to mediate. "What’s going on here, folks? Let’s talk this out calmly. No need to ruin the harmony."

"You should say that to him."

Huo Zongzhuo gave Zhao Shuo one last look, then turned and placed a hand on Jiang Luo’s shoulder, speaking calmly and reassuringly. "Let’s go. I’ll take you somewhere else to eat."

Jiang Luo didn’t look back at Zhao Shuo and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Zhao Shuo grew even angrier and stepped forward. "Don’t you dare leave! You’re coming home with me today! You—"

The manager stopped him. "Sir, sir, please calm down. Don’t be impulsive. If there’s anything unsatisfactory, tell me, and I’ll resolve it."

And so, Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo walked out of the restaurant together. Behind them, the manager patiently tried to calm Zhao Shuo, who, concerned about saving face, kept his voice low but insisted the manager not block him, claiming he knew the two and so on.

Jiang Luo had initially intended to ignore Zhao Shuo, but hearing the ruckus and Zhao Shuo’s voice behind him, he suddenly turned back, strode quickly to the table, picked up the glass of lemon water he had been drinking, and flung its contents directly into Zhao Shuo’s face.

Zhao Shuo: "..."

Everyone else: "..."

Jiang Luo put the glass back on the table and said to Zhao Shuo in a measured tone, "Stop with the hypocritical nonsense. It disgusts me."

"If you think I’ll never measure up to Zhao Mingshi, then keep treating Ming Ming as your brother. Don’t bother me. It makes me sick."

"Right now, I have nothing to do with any of you."

With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Author's Note:

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