Chapter 69: Get Zhao Lianfeng to Come Out

Chapter 69: Luring Zhao Lianfeng Out

When he got off work, Zhao Yu put on his helmet and rode away on his motorcycle. Because his face was covered, Zhao Lianfeng didn't notice him.

He didn't know Zhao Lianfeng was lying in wait for him, so he took a detour, making sure he wasn't being followed before heading home.

As soon as he got upstairs, he saw several empty cardboard boxes piled by his door, which looked like opened delivery packages. He kicked them aside, opened the door, and went in.

The lights were on inside, and Chen Xitong got up from the sofa: "Bro, you're back."

"Why are you still here?" Zhao Yu asked.

Chen Xitong was wearing newly bought pajamas and showed no sign of leaving. He dodged the question: "Did you run into Dad at work? He didn't cause you any trouble, did he?"

"Didn't you tell him where I work? And you still ask me." Zhao Yu walked inside, saw various daily necessities piled on the floor, and frowned. "I said you can only stay one night."

"I ordered you some late-night snacks." Chen Xitong changed the subject again, running into the kitchen to bring out a tray.

Zhao Yu was about to say he didn't need it when he suddenly spotted the coconut sago pudding in the bowl on the left.

When they were kids, there was a dessert shop near the school gate. In the summer, after playing soccer, Zhao Yu would always run to the shop to buy two cups of iced coconut sago pudding. He'd drink one on the way home and bring the other to Chen Xitong.

Once, after Chen Xitong drank it, he got diarrhea, and Chen Li asked him what he'd eaten that day. He listed everything he ate, except he didn't mention the sago pudding.

After that, Zhao Yu was afraid it would upset his stomach, so he stopped buying it for him, but Chen Xitong instead sulked for days, going to the dessert shop in a huff and insisting Zhao Yu buy it for him.

Chen Xitong put the late-night snacks on the table, stole a glance at Zhao Yu's expression, and pulled out a chair: "Bro, this place tastes just like when we were kids. Want to try it?"

"Don't try to get cozy with me." Although he said that, Zhao Yu's tone softened a bit. "I didn't run into Zhao Lianfeng today, but if I do someday, he might follow me home. Staying here isn't much safer for you."

"I know." Chen Xitong looked down at the water droplets on the coconut sago bowl and said with complicated feelings, "But I feel safer here. I'm sorry, bro, actually..."

He wanted to say that he was the one who had lured Zhao Lianfeng back, but the words stuck in his throat. He was afraid Zhao Yu would get angry and really kick him out.

He added: "I can explain things to Mr. Gu for you. I was the one who started that fight the other day. I never had any feelings for Mr. Gu anyway, and I won't stir up trouble between you two anymore."

"No need to explain. Whether you like him or not has nothing to do with me." Zhao Yu said: "Stay if you want, but if Zhao Lianfeng comes looking, don't blame me for not warning you."

Seeing Zhao Yu relent, Chen Xitong's face immediately lit up with joy. He followed him to the bathroom door: "Can I sleep in the guest room? The sofa is so hard."

"The sheets are in the closet."

"Great!"

Zhao Yu turned on the shower, and the cold water hit him, making him shiver. Only then did he snap back to reality and regret letting Chen Xitong stay.

But the words were already out, and he didn't want to go back on his word.

Chen Xitong had bought a bunch of daily necessities during the day, and whatever Zhao Yu's home was missing, he filled in. The delivery boxes at the door were the ones he'd opened.

By the time Zhao Yu finished showering, the place was spotless. Chen Xitong had even bought a robot vacuum that was slowly roaming around the floor—Zhao Yu almost stepped on it when he opened the door.

"Bro, what do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I'll order it."

"Just order for yourself."

Zhao Yu dried his hair and walked into the bedroom, closing the door.

He was thinking about how to deal with Zhao Lianfeng. That man had a criminal record—although it was committed abroad, if he committed another offense in China, he'd definitely get a heavier sentence than before.

The question was how to get something on him. With a lesson learned, Zhao Lianfeng would definitely be more cautious.

Maybe he could use Chen Xitong as bait?

Zhao Yu rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and dismissed the idea.

Too dangerous, and Chen Xitong definitely wouldn't agree. To catch him on something big, he'd have to commit something big—that probably wouldn't be easy.

Maybe he could be the bait himself, but how...

His phone suddenly buzzed, interrupting Zhao Yu's thoughts. He picked it up and saw a message from Zhuang Shubai.

Zhuang Shubai sent him a photo of a teddy bear plush—a brown curly-haired bear holding a spatula and wearing a chef's hat.

Zhuang Shubai: A kid who was discharged today gave this to me. It looks like you.

Zhao Yu couldn't help but laugh. The bear's face was round, with little black dot eyes and a tongue-out expression. If anything resembled him, it was the spatula in its hand.

Zhao Yu: I'm not that round, am I?

Zhuang Shubai: That's true.

Zhao Yu: No night shift today?

Zhuang Shubai: I'm not in the ER anymore. I transferred to general surgery.

Zhao Yu: Still busy now?

Zhuang Shubai: Not as busy as the ER. What about you?

Zhao Yu: Work is just work. No day is especially busy, and none is especially slow either.

The two chatted about their daily lives. Zhao Yu watched the messages popping up on his phone, replying without having to weigh his words or tread carefully—half an hour slipped by without him noticing.

Zhuang Shubai shared stories about the most bizarre patients he'd encountered that day, making Zhao Yu laugh repeatedly. He'd never known how tough doctors had it, and learning about another profession's stories was surprisingly fascinating.

At the end, Zhuang Shubai asked: Do you have time on Wednesday? A movie starring my friend is coming out. Want to catch it with me and contribute to the box office?

Would going to a movie together count as a date?

Zhao Yu scratched his head, mulling over whether to agree. Knowing how Zhuang Shubai felt about him, he always sensed a hint of courtship in the other's invitations.

When he hadn't replied for a few minutes, Zhuang Shubai said: Just inviting you as a friend—no pressure. I respect your decision. Whether you say yes or no, we're still friends.

Zhuang Shubai's inherent gentleness and grace always let him sense Zhao Yu's discomfort, then dissolve the awkwardness like a spring breeze.

With him saying that, how could Zhao Yu refuse? He replied: Okay, see you Wednesday.

...

The next morning, as Zhao Yu was heading to work, Chen Xitong asked: "Bro, want me to drive you to work?"

Zhao Yu said: "No need. If you're bored, go home."

Chen Xitong immediately fell silent.

That morning, Zhao Yu drove around the area near Yatai as usual, didn't spot Zhao Lianfeng, and headed into the parking lot.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lianfeng was eating at a restaurant. He only knew Yatai opened at 10:30, but didn't know the chefs started at 10:00—so he and Zhao Yu just missed each other.

After wasting the whole day yesterday on a stakeout, Zhao Lianfeng was getting impatient. He sat from morning until night, but even after Yatai closed, he hadn't managed to catch Zhao Yu.

Chen Xitong wasn't answering his calls, so he couldn't tell if he'd been played or if Zhao Yu simply didn't work there at all.

After he ate, he kept watching the place for a while longer. Around lunchtime, luxury cars started rolling into Yatai one after another, but there was still no sign of Zhao Yu coming to work.

Zhao Lianfeng watched those luxury cars and took a sip from his bottle of mineral water.

The midday heat was brutal—even sitting under the shade of a tree was unbearable. The idea of Zhao Yu chilling in that fancy restaurant with the AC on, maybe even listening to some classy music, just made him hate him even more.

His old man was rotting in jail while this kid was living it up.

At that thought, Zhao Lianfeng couldn't take it anymore. He got up and strode toward Yatai. When security stopped him, he yelled, "I'm here for Zhao Yu! You got a guy named Zhao Yu working here? Tell him to come out!"

If he'd been wearing nice clothes or had a decent attitude, the guard might've gone in to check for him. But he looked like he was looking for a fight, so the guard couldn't be bothered and shoved him out.

"Sir, if you wanna go in and find someone, you gotta show your membership number. If you don't have one, quit making a scene!" the guard said.

"I know he works in there, so tell him to get his ass out here!"

The guard wouldn't let him in, so he hung around the entrance, refusing to budge. When a luxury car pulled up, he blocked it and said, "Hey! My son works as a waiter in there. Do me a favor and call him out!"

Two guards rushed over to drag him off, apologizing to the customer as they pulled him away: "Sorry about that, please go right in."

Zhao Lianfeng cursed, "Why doesn't he need to show a membership number? Are you guys just judging people by how they dress or what?"

The guard said, "That guy's a regular, so of course we know him! Now get lost, or we're calling the cops!"

When he heard they might call the cops, Zhao Lianfeng got nervous. The owners of a place like that had serious connections—they could probably get him locked up for a few days.

He'd already done what he came to do—yelling Zhao Yu's name at the entrance. If Zhao Yu really worked there, he'd definitely crack.

If he didn't want to lose his job, he'd better get out here fast.

His stunt outside did cause problems for Zhao Yu. After the security guard notified the manager, the manager immediately went to the kitchen to find Zhao Yu.

"Xiao Zhao, there's a guy at the door asking for you, making a scene and blocking cars. The guards just ran him off," the manager said with a tense expression. "Who is he to you? You owe him money or something?"

Zhao Yu knew right away it was Zhao Lianfeng. There was no avoiding it, so he said, "Can you give me a few days to sort this out? If he shows up again, just kick him out or call the cops."

The manager sighed, looking annoyed. "Fine, but make it fast. Don't come back until it's handled."

"Okay."

Zhao Yu greeted Cao Xu, who frowned and asked in a low voice, "What's going on? Need any help?"

"No, Master, you do your thing."

Zhao Yu changed and headed out, putting his helmet on before leaving so he wouldn't run into Zhao Lianfeng at the front door. But after circling around, he still didn't see a single soul.

The street at noon was hot enough to give you heatstroke. After making his scene, Zhao Lianfeng had gone back to sit under a tree in the park—a spot easy to miss, so Zhao Yu didn't see him. And he had no clue the guy in the helmet was Zhao Yu, so he didn't bother chasing him.

They missed each other again. Zhao Yu couldn't find him, figured he'd left, and gritted his teeth as he rode home in the blazing heat.

Chen Xitong was at home buying new stuff online, thinking about renting a keyboard to practice for a few days, when the door suddenly opened.

Zhao Yu, who wasn't supposed to be home until evening, showed up at noon. He tossed his helmet on the couch and said, "Get Zhao Lianfeng to come meet me!"