Chapter 53

Chen Hao continued practicing, and in the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed.

These few days, after completing the formal procedures of the purchase of the apartment, Chen Hao ignored everything else and focused on cultivation, training his body, practicing the Dipper Steps, and practicing calligraphy. His schedule was full every day. Zhou Gang had asked him about eating together twice, and Chen Hao had rejected him both times. As for Bai Ru’s various invitations, he naturally rejected them all as well.

After several times, Chen Hao would impatiently turn off his phone and ignore all distractions.

He improved greatly over these ten-odd days.

Firstly, the Dipper Steps. After his near-death experience in the tomb, his body started getting used to the combination of the Dipper Steps. Now that he knew the way and direction, his Dipper Steps improved tremendously.

Next would be his calligraphy.

Chen Hao’s handwriting was not bad. Else, his junior high teacher wouldn’t have asked him to learn calligraphy. After all, it would be easier to teach someone with a basic foundation, and only if the teacher managed to teach the student well would the parents not feel like they had wasted their money.

Chen Hao had just graduated from university, so he hadn’t forgotten all that he had learned. Hence, after his hard work of more than ten days, he was getting the grasp of it. If he persisted on, shortly after, he could consider practicing drawing an amulet.

Chen Hao was satisfied with his visible improvement . He felt that he was on his way to becoming a genuine great master.

One day.

Just like the previous ten days or so, early in the morning the black cat woke up first and squirmed out from Chen Hao’s arms. It twisted its body and pulled open the curtains. Then, ignoring the fact that the sunlight shining in was awakening Chen Hao, it went to the washroom and started washing up.

It was a simple process—lick toothpaste, rinse mouth, then clear throat.

After washing up, the black cat ran out and started fixing its own breakfast using the cat food that Yang Hui had imported from overseas.

The taste of the overseas cat food was very much to this black cat’s liking. It would eat a lot every time. However, what Chen Hao found astonishing was that even though it was eating a lot now, it had become thinner and thinner. Its chubby body was visibly turning into a rectangle-shaped one.

As the black cat was enjoying its food, Chen Hao was awoken by the piercing sunlight. He sat upright and stretched with a helpless look on his face, but he couldn’t be bothered to get angry anymore.

Mornings had passed like that ever since they had moved here.

He felt speechless about the fact that he had already bought the cat a pretty cat bed, and it also seemed to like it. But why was it that when it came to bedtime, the cat would always climb onto his bed? Did it feel insecure or something?

Mouth twitching, Chen Hao got out of bed and started washing up.

By the time he finished, the black cat had finished eating. Without the need for words, the human and cat went out the door one after the other to get breakfast.

There was a breakfast shop not far from the area where he lived run by an elderly couple, mainly selling buns, soy milk, and dry noodles. As they had good culinary skills, business was brisk.

Chen Hao liked the noodles there, so he would go there at the same time every morning.

Several minutes later, the boss brought Chen Hao a bowl of noodles, a steamer of xiaolongbao[1], a cup of soy milk, and a bowl of soy milk.

Chen Hao casually brought the bowl of soy milk to the black cat, for it to slowly lick from the bowl, while he picked up his chopsticks and enjoyed his dry noodles.

While he was eating, someone suddenly sat in front of him.

The speechless Chen Hao raised his head.

It turned out to be Bai Ru.

Why is this woman everywhere? Haven’t you gotten your promotion and pay raise? Does a senior management executive of the Shuanglong Group have nothing better to do?

“It’s been a long time since we last met, Master Chen.” Bai Ru pretended not to notice how Chen Hao was displeased to see her, maintaining the broad smile on her face, making it difficult to find fault with her.

Chen Hao said calmly, “President Bai, are you here to see me because your Shuanglong Group has met with another troubling issue?”

Bai Ru pursed her lips and smiled, appearing not at all unhappy at Chen Hao’s sarcastic words.

“No, all is good. Now that Shuanglong Group’s development has gotten onto the proper track, after the construction at Stream Mountain is completed, it will be rocketing to success.”

The surprised Chen Hao raised a brow.

Damn. It had only been a few days and this woman seemed to have improved. She was now turning his sarcastic remarks into a compliment. Tsk tsk, this woman was indeed scary. Her improvement was terrifying.

“Congrats, then.” Chen Hao abruptly stopped the conversation seeing that he no longer had the upper hand.

Bai Ru smiled smugly.

You really think I’m as easily pissed off as I was the last time? I read a lot of books over this period of time and learned a lot. I now have tens of methods for dealing with men like you.

“Master Chen, I have been looking for an opportunity to treat you to a meal to thank you, but you kept saying you were busy. This time I even came personally, so surely you will give me the face?” Bai Ru went straight to the point.

Chen Hao asked with a smile, “If I say I won’t, will you turn around and leave?”

Bai Ru was speechless.

Chen Hao continued, “Forget it, let me put it more subtly. I’m not free. Let’s make it next time.”

Bai Ru was speechless.

Isn’t this as good as saying you’re not giving me face?

Seeing that Bai Ru was about to speak, Chen Hao interrupted her. “If you insist on treating me, fine. I shan’t turn down your kindness. You can convert it to cash and transfer the money to me via WeChat.”

He then continued eating his noodles.

Bai Ru’s countenance looked quite terrible at this point.

This a**hole. There weren’t any issues when we were cooperating. Why did you suddenly become like this after our cooperation was over? I didn’t do anything to let you down.

“Master Chen, is there only cooperation between the two of us?” Bai Ru asked softly.

Chen Hao smiled. “So you do know your limitations. Honestly speaking, a woman like you is too scary. In order to succeed, you could even disregard your own life. Even if it’s just cooperation with you, it fills me with anxiety, for fear that you will deceive me or something. Thus, President Bai, if you don’t adjust your attitude, there’s nothing more to talk about. There’s no need to discuss anything either. If we fall out, we wouldn’t even be able to cooperate with each other.”

Bai Ru said, “Fine, then let’s cooperate. Master Chen, I have a sum of money now. Can you give me some pointers on what to invest in?”

Chen Hao froze and looked dubiously at Bai Ru.

Bai Ru was beaming broadly, and her eyes were narrowed like a fox’s.

Good fellow. I was tricked. She was putting up an act earlier. She came with the intention of collaborating.

Tsk tsk. With your acting skills, you can win the Best Actress award. Why didn’t you go be an actress?

Chen Hao stopped eating his noodles and wiped his mouth, then gazed at Bai Ru. “President Bai, now that you’ve received a promotion and a pay raise, why aren’t you handling the matters at Stream Mountain construction site? And instead, you have the time to engage in other business deals? You’re not getting your priorities straight, are you?”

Bai Ru gazed at Chen Hao for a moment, then said softly, “Because I’ve been abandoned.”

Chen Hao was speechless.

“Isn’t it very shocking? But you might misunderstand my words, Master Chen. By abandoning, I don’t mean in a relationship, but by my family,” Bai Ru said with a cold smile.

“In the past, I would always hear my father sigh about how I’m not a boy, so on and so forth. That’s why I’ve been striving hard to prove that I’m not at all inferior to a boy. So that my father would sit up and take notice of me. This time, as you can see, in order to succeed, I even risked my life. But what happened in the end? I wasn’t appointed President, but the Vice-President. Hur hur. I had initially thought it was no big deal. After all, Xue Chuang is also a Vice-President, so we’re competing on level ground.”

Bai Ru’s smile intensified at this point, and it somehow made her look even colder now.

“But a few days ago, my mother told me something that finally made me understand that all my hard work was merely wishful thinking on my part, that I had an unrealistic rosy view.”

[1] a type of Chinese steamed bun.