Chapter 198: Angelica

The next afternoon, Lin Xian arrived at the Donghai Lakeside Villa District, just as he had planned with Ji Lin. After getting out of the car at the entrance, he began walking inside. The internal roads were spacious, just as he remembered. The road in front of Ji Lin’s villa was the widest and straightest, perfect for sports cars.

The main road within the villa area had many manhole covers, especially concentrated in front of Ji Lin’s villa. Each side of the road had two manhole covers, spaced about ten meters apart.

Manhole covers are common in urban areas due to the various underground pipelines, such as sewers, gas lines, water pipes, electrical conduits, and communication cables. These manholes facilitate maintenance and repairs. In residential areas like this, most of the manholes are for sewers or sewage wells. Wide roads are ideal for large sewage trucks to come and clean regularly.

This necessity is universal, whether in upscale villa districts or ordinary residential areas. No matter how luxurious a community is, if the sewage wells are not regularly cleaned by sewage trucks, blockages are inevitable.

Lin Xian walked slowly, observing the manhole covers placed “just right” along the road. He chuckled to himself and shifted his gaze away.Fôllôw new stories at no/v(e)lb/in(.)com

When he reached the front of Ji Lin’s villa, Lin Xian rang the doorbell.

“Welcome,” Ji Lin quickly opened the door and smiled at Lin Xian standing at the entrance. “Come on in. Your help is greatly appreciated.”

He led Lin Xian into the house. The living room was relatively tidy, but it was unlikely that Ji Lin had cleaned it himself. Someone as wealthy as Ji Lin probably had a housekeeper or a maid. Otherwise, given Ji Lin’s self-care abilities, he would likely starve.

The living room floor was covered with various decorations, colorful props, and numerous uninflated balloons.

“Are you trying to turn your house into an amusement park?” Lin Xian asked, puzzled. “Isn’t this a bit much for a birthday party?”

“It’s fine. Better to be over-prepared than under-prepared,” Ji Lin replied casually.

Lin Xian scanned the luxurious villa with large floor-to-ceiling windows. It was decorated in an opulent Nordic style and even had a fireplace that was more for show than for use.

“I usually like to sit here,” Ji Lin pointed to a spot on the wooden floor. “Normally, this living room is filled with books and newspapers. I love books. Sometimes sleeping among them makes me feel more at peace than sleeping in a bed.”

“That’s my bedroom,” Ji Lin pointed to a room on the first floor across from the living room. “Typically, bedrooms are on the second floor, but I’m too lazy to go upstairs. I rarely go up there; it’s more convenient to sleep on the first floor.”

Lin Xian and Ji Lin entered the bedroom. Although the bedroom was not small, it was clearly not proportional to the villa’s size. It seemed that, as Ji Lin mentioned, this bedroom was converted from other first-floor rooms. Normally, the bedrooms would be on the second floor.

The bedroom’s setup was extremely simple, with only a desk, a bed, and an en-suite bathroom, and little else.

“This fits my stereotypical impression of you,” Lin Xian teased.

He walked to the desk, where two photo frames were placed. He picked up one. It looked like a family photo with a father, mother, and a little boy standing in front.

But Lin Xian quickly recognized one familiar face—Xu Yun.

The man standing on the right in the back was Xu Yun from his younger years. Lin Xian had seen Xu Yun’s younger self in the Donghai University graduation album, and it was unmistakably him.

Apparently, Xu Yun had been very happy back then; his face radiated youth and cheerfulness.

“Me?” Lin Xian was taken aback.

“Yes,” Ji Lin continued, setting the photo back down. “Remember how you drove alone to chase that suspect? If that bomb hadn’t gone off, you would’ve tried to stop the taxi with your sports car, right? Maybe even flip it?”

“Probably,” Lin Xian admitted, recalling his readiness to use Zhao Ying Jun’s Ferrari to intercept the taxi. A well-placed hit could indeed flip a taxi due to the car’s low center of gravity and centrifugal force, but he never got the chance as the taxi exploded first.

“Angelica would do the same,” Ji Lin stated.

“In the movies?” Lin Xian inquired.

Ji Lin shook his head, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. “In real life too. She’s just as daring.”

...

After leaving the bedroom, Lin Xian and Ji Lin began decorating the living room. With everything from decorations to board games available online, setting up was straightforward and quick. In just an hour, they had transformed the room into a festive, welcoming space, perfect for Ji Lin’s upcoming birthday.

“You’ve really gone all out,” Lin Xian noted, impressed by the array of games and decorations.

“I researched a lot online,” Ji Lin admitted. “Everyone suggests board games for parties. We had so much fun with them at Chu An Qing’s birthday, I thought we should have them too.”

“That makes sense,” Lin Xian laughed. “Playing games in a group is always more enjoyable.”

“Speaking of which,” Ji Lin said as he arranged the games, “I don’t have many friends to invite like Chu An Qing does. If you have any friends you’d like to bring, feel free.”

In Donghai, Lin Xian’s social circle was limited. “Aren’t Chu An Qing’s classmates coming?”

“They are, but it’s a small group, and all girls,” Ji Lin replied.

“Okay,” Lin Xian smiled, thinking of someone he could invite. “I do have a high school classmate here in Donghai. Mind if I invite him to your party?”

“Of course not,” Ji Lin smiled warmly. “The more, the merrier. I’d rather have a lively house than a quiet birthday. Can he make it?”

“I’ll check,” Lin Xian said, pulling out his phone and showing Ji Lin the contact name.

“Who is it?” Ji Lin leaned in curiously.

“Zhou Duan Yun.”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation