Chapter 115: Old Man Xu's Request (Double Chapter)

Stunned, Chen Xiao found his gaze involuntarily locked onto Xiao Qing. The way he stared caused a slight blush to rise on Xiao Qing’s cheeks. She gently tilted her head to the side, initially intending to give Chen Xiao a playful reproach, but when the words reached the tips of her lips, not a single one could escape.

There was only a single voice echoing in her heart: *The way I dressed up tonight, wasn’t it entirely for him to see?*

"Chen Xiao."

Finally, someone arrived to shatter the awkward silence. In the distance, Old Man Xu caught sight of Chen Xiao, burst into a hearty laugh, waved in his direction, and gestured for him to come over.

Chen Xiao glanced at Xiao Qing, and the two of them walked toward the older man together. Yaya also obediently stood up and followed by Chen Xiao’s side.

"Uncle Xu, happy birthday. May your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity outlast the Southern Mountains." Chen Xiao walked up to Old Man Xu, smiled with a trace of embarrassment, and said, "Forgive my lack of manners. Earlier, seeing how busy you were, I didn't dare come over right away."

Old Man Xu seemed to hold a genuine fondness for this young man. He smiled and said, "I actually noticed you a long time ago. With beauties gathered around you like clouds, you've practically become the focal point of tonight's banquet."

As he spoke, he cast a deliberately teasing glance at Yaya and Xiao Qing standing beside Chen Xiao. Xiao Qing’s family and the Xu family were long-time family friends, and upon encountering such a scene, she formally and respectfully offered her own birthday greetings.

Finally, Old Man Xu’s gaze fell upon Yaya, his eyes filled with immense curiosity. "Ah, so this is the little girl Yifang mentioned... the one called Yaya?"

Beyond mere curiosity, Old Man Xu’s eyes held a subtle, deeper implication. However, he did not dwell on it, simply turning to take glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, and the group toasted together.

Chen Xiao looked slightly abashed. "Uncle Xu, I came empty-handed today and didn't prepare any gifts for you."

Old Man Xu laughed heartily. "I consider you just like one of our own family's younger generation, so we don't need to stand on such empty formalities. Your presence and a glass of wine with you are gift enough."

Chen Xiao made no false pretenses and drank his glass down in one go.

After all, he was currently a penniless youth with hardly any wealth to his name, while the Xu family possessed fortunes that rivaled nations. When a tycoon like Old Man Xu celebrated his birthday, an endless stream of people naturally showered him with all sorts of precious treasures. As for Chen Xiao... given his current financial capacity, even if he exhausted his entire net worth to buy something, it might not even catch the Xu family's eye. Since that was the case, it was better not to buy anything at all.

Chen Xiao smiled. "Then... Uncle Xu, let's do it just like last year. Since I couldn't bring you any gifts, I'll head into the kitchen later and personally cook a bowl of longevity noodles for you. Haha, my cooking wasn't very good last year, but I've practiced for a full year since then."

Old Man Xu laughed out loud, while Yaya suddenly piped up with an air of absolute innocence, "That's right, the noodles Chen Xiao makes are the most delicious."

Lu Bancheng, standing nearby, also exchanged a few pleasantries, his words conveying deep courtesy toward Chen Xiao.

However, Chen Xiao noticed that ever since he walked over, the four-man squad in business suits serving Phoenix had fallen completely silent. Standing off to the side, the four of them stared at him with strange expressions.

In particular, Chen Xiao caught a telling detail: the moment the four men laid eyes on Xiao Qing, absolute astonishment and shock flashed simultaneously across all their faces. Realizing others might notice, they quickly masked it.

Even so, the four of them occasionally cast furtive, curious glances at Xiao Qing. Such lingering looks were naturally impolite, causing Xiao Qing’s expression to grow gradually cold as she began to view the four of them as mere scoundrels.

Could it be... that these four subordinates of Phoenix had never laid eyes on Xiao Qing before?

At this thought, Chen Xiao deliberately assumed a polite demeanor and asked the four of them, "Uncle Xu, these gentlemen are..."

Old Man Xu smiled. "They are also some esteemed guests of mine." Seeming reluctant to elaborate, he offered a polite smile to the four men and said, "Four gentlemen, I need to have a private chat with a junior of my family, so you must excuse me for a moment."

The four men nodded without saying much, though their gazes still could not resist occasionally drifting back to Xiao Qing.

However, the tallest among them, who seemed to be the leader, gently pulled back his companion and spoke up. "Mr. Xu, please go ahead. The few of us will just have a casual drink."

Old Man Xu offered another apologetic nod to Lu Bancheng. Guessing they had private matters to discuss, Lu Bancheng smiled and said, "I'll go see where that wild girl Xiaoxiao has run off to. I haven't seen her in ages; I just hope she hasn't stirred up any trouble here."

With that, he walked away.

"Let's go, Chen Xiao. Let's head to the kitchen together." Old Man Xu looked at Chen Xiao with a warm, benevolent smile.

This had become an unspoken tradition between the two of them.

Last year during Old Man Xu's birthday, Chen Xiao’s family fortunes had already collapsed. Yet, for reasons unknown, Old Man Xu had taken a sudden liking to the financially struggling young man his son had brought home. Chen Xiao had no money to purchase expensive gifts—when everyone else presented lavish offerings of incalculable value, one could hardly show up with a bouquet of flowers bought for a few dozen bucks.

Therefore, lacking money, Chen Xiao had no choice but to pour his efforts elsewhere.

Last year, Chen Xiao had cooked a bowl of longevity noodles for Old Man Xu. Originally, his culinary skills could only be described as utterly mediocre. To his surprise, after eating them, Old Man Xu was overjoyed. Moreover, looking at his expression, it was by no means feigned. A business tycoon of such magnitude had a flicker of genuine, unfeigned emotion and gratitude flash in his eyes after eating Chen Xiao's noodles, leaving everyone somewhat astounded.

Thus, the two of them made an agreement: from then on, every year on Old Man Xu's birthday, Chen Xiao would come and cook a bowl of longevity noodles for him. Holding deep respect for the old man of the Xu family, Chen Xiao naturally never refused such a request.

However, there was one rule: he could cook the noodles, but only a single portion specifically for Old Man Xu. First of all, Chen Xiao was well aware of his own culinary limitations. The Xu family naturally employed master chefs whose delicacies surpassed his own a hundredfold. He simply didn't dare present his own rudimentary standard of cooking for everyone to consume—though why Old Man Xu liked it so much remained a mystery. Did this retail giant perhaps possess taste buds entirely different from ordinary mortals?

Secondly, on Old Man Xu's birthday, his mansion was packed to the brim with guests. If Chen Xiao were actually expected to cook noodles for every single guest, he would spend the entire evening doing nothing else except remaining trapped in the kitchen...

Chen Xiao looked at Old Man Xu with a slight smile. "Uncle Xu, should we go now?"

"Naturally now, otherwise I'm afraid we won't be able to leave later," Old Man Xu sighed.

Nearby, Yaya and Xiao Qing looked on with curiosity. However, Old Man Xu glanced at the two girls, a gentle smile touching his eyes, filled with the worldly sophistication of an elder. He said softly, "Young ladies, would you mind lending Chen Xiao to me for a little while? This old man has some private matters to discuss with him alone. You don't need to follow us."

Even though a trace of reluctance lingered in Xiao Qing's heart, it was hard for her to voice any objection. As for Yaya, she looked at Chen Xiao and, seeing him nod, obediently kept quiet.

Being a shrewd man seasoned by decades of life, Old Man Xu noticed the lingering trace of concern in Chen Xiao's eyes, as if he worried about leaving Yaya by herself. He smiled, raised a hand to summon a middle-aged man who served as an assistant, and pointing at Yaya, instructed him, "Take good care of this young lady and make sure no one bullies her! If any scoundrels dare to act presumptuously here, have them thrown straight out onto the street."

Xiao Qing could not help laughing aloud nearby. "There's no need for that. With me here, I won't let anyone bully Yaya."

"Ah, that's right. I almost forgot about our martial heroine Xiao," Old Man Xu laughed heartily. Then, throwing an arm around Chen Xiao's shoulders, he made his way toward the kitchen inside the luxury mansion.

The kitchen of the Xu mansion was naturally extraordinary. While it could not quite compare to the back-of-house operations of a grand luxury hotel, its floor space was countless times larger than the kitchen of an ordinary household.

Today being Old Man Xu's birthday banquet, the kitchen was naturally bustling with numerous hired chefs. When Chen Xiao and Old Man Xu stepped inside, the person in charge froze in surprise. Old Man Xu waved a hand and gave a few brief instructions, and moments later, everyone hurriedly retreated, leaving the massive kitchen entirely to the old man and the youth.

"There you go, everything is here. Cook however you like," Old Man Xu laughed heartily, shedding his suit jacket and tossing it onto a nearby counter. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. "I'll chop the green onions for you."

In the Xu family kitchen, all kinds of ingredients were fully stocked, and cooking utensils were readily available. Chen Xiao immediately rolled up his sleeves and set to work.

The old man chopped onions while the youth boiled the noodles—boiling noodles was an indispensable survival skill for any man who had lived alone. Chen Xiao's movements were well-practiced, and in no time, a pot of noodles was ready.

Ladled into a bowl, garnished with a sprinkle of chopped scallions and a few drops of sesame oil, the aroma was enticing. When Chen Xiao sprinkled a pinch of roasted sesame seeds over the noodles, Old Man Xu, standing beside him, was already beginning to salivate.

Just such a bowl of simple plain noodles, devoid of any mountain delicacies or rare sea treasures, caused a subtle shift in Old Man Xu's expression.

The wealthiest man in K City actually produced a packet of cheap, pickled mustard greens from the refrigerator like a magician!

Chen Xiao took a glance—yes, it really was ordinary pickled vegetables! A towering real estate tycoon actually enjoyed eating this?

Yet watching Old Man Xu’s deeply moved expression, his fingers trembling as he pulled out a pair of ivory chopsticks, he proceeded to devour the large bowl of noodles in less than ten minutes, slurping them down with gusto. As if still unsatisfied, he crunched happily on the pickles and drank half a bowl of the remaining noodle broth.

Holding ivory chopsticks, wearing a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist and a D&G shirt on his back—at this moment, Chen Xiao almost felt as though his eyes were playing tricks on him. The old man before him seemed to transform into countless ordinary elderly men sitting on plastic stools eating noodles at roadside food stalls late at night in K City.

After finishing the noodles, Old Man Xu was drenched in sweat. He lit a cigarette and passed one to Chen Xiao, who did not refuse and boldly accepted a light.

"Good, thoroughly refreshing!" The old man puffed on his cigarette while contentedly rubbing his belly. "That's the exact taste!"

Saying this, he cast a glance at Chen Xiao. "You must find it strange and want to ask me why, don't you?"

"Of course I find it strange," Chen Xiao said with a wry smile. "Considering my mediocre culinary skills, I honestly never expected that you would..."

"Tsh, what mediocre culinary skills? Your cooking is downright abysmal," Old Man Xu said with a teasing glint in his eyes. "To be honest, the noodles you make don't even taste as good as the ones from a roadside stall."

Chen Xiao was stunned. "Then... then why..."

"Yet I still love eating them... Ah, I just love this flavor you make," Old Man Xu shook his head. An indescribable, profound nostalgia filled his gaze as he swept his eyes across the luxurious kitchen.

After smoking half the cigarette, he stubbed it out directly, shook his head, and sighed. "I'm old; I can't smoke too many cigarettes. Actually... Chen Xiao, let's just chat casually like this. Hmph, I couldn't care less about the guests outside today. Day in and day out, I never live for myself. Today is my birthday, and I'm going to live a good day for myself. Today, the old man doesn't care about the guests outside!"

He actually pulled up a chair and sat down right there.

Then, looking straight into Chen Xiao's eyes, he asked, "You... should know that I'm not originally from K City, right?"

"...Yes, I know," Chen Xiao nodded.

"I'm a northerner," Old Man Xu smiled faintly. "When I was young, I came to K City, never expecting to put down roots here. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed that I don't even know how to speak my hometown dialect anymore. The moment I open my mouth, it's all K City local slang."

"I came to K City when I was fifteen years old, working as an apprentice in a factory back then. It was during that time that I met Yifan's mother—the woman who would later become my wife." Reaching this point, Old Man Xu sniffled, as if unable to restrain himself. Hesitating for a moment, he lit another cigarette for himself, though this time he only took two puffs before stubbing it out again.

Seeing Old Man Xu bring up his wife, Chen Xiao fell silent, knowing that the second young master Xu's mother had passed away many years ago.

"When I was young, I suffered through hard times. A few words can't possibly sum it up," Old Man Xu said, a strange light shimmering in his eyes. "Now, I suppose you could say I've achieved success and renown. But living in these lavish, magnificent mansions, surrounded by delicacies and fine clothes, my heart feels far less secure than it did back then. More often than not, I feel like I'm walking on thin ice!"

He looked at Chen Xiao. "Back in the day, my wife used to cook noodles for me frequently... It's a pity she wasn't very good at cooking either, and the only kind of noodles she knew how to make were the absolute simplest plain noodles. At most, she'd crack an egg on top, and on rare occasions, add a slice of braised pork rib—that was already considered a luxury, haha!" Pausing here, he chuckled softly, "Why do I like the noodles you make, kid? It's not because you cook them well... it's because the noodles you make taste almost as terribly bad as the ones my wife used to make! Hahaha..."

Chen Xiao remained silent. Although he was being mocked by Old Man Xu, he didn't laugh, because he noticed that the old man's eyes were faintly glistening with moisture.

"If you like them, I can make you noodles every day from now on," Chen Xiao thought for a moment and said slowly.

"Spare me," Old Man Xu replied with carefree ease. "Nostalgia is best enjoyed occasionally. If you indulge in it every day, it becomes affectation. From now on, just come and cook a bowl of noodles for me once a year on my birthday."

"That's not a problem," Chen Xiao smiled.

Old Man Xu waved a hand. "Alright! Enough reminiscing about the past. Let's talk about something serious now."

Chen Xiao felt his heart stir involuntarily!

"Actually, you've had lingering doubts in your heart all this time, haven't you?" Old Man Xu smiled faintly. "How did I come to know those old fellows in the Dead End Alley? And why did those supernatural beings come after me? Wealthy as I am, I'm ultimately just an ordinary businessman in the mortal world; how could I possibly provoke such people? You've always wondered about these things, haven't you?"

Before Chen Xiao could speak, Old Man Xu shook his head. "Unfortunately, it's not convenient for me to tell you about these things."

"............" Wasn't saying that equivalent to saying nothing at all?

Old Man Xu let out a hearty laugh, but his expression immediately tightened, turning solemn. "Chen Xiao, I truly never expected that you would end up walking down this path as well... Ah, actually, wouldn't it be wonderful if you just lived a simple life, just like you did the past two years? Once your studies are finished in the future, I naturally wouldn't ignore you. Besides, you're smart, young, willing to learn, and not afraid of hardship. In the future, I could arrange a promising career path for you, allowing you to live your life like millions of ordinary people—wouldn't that be best? Why... why must you be like this now?"

Chen Xiao thought for a moment. "To be honest, Uncle Xu, I've always been a person lacking grand ambitions. I've never wanted to achieve greatness or stand out from the crowd. At my core, I'm quite lazy. When I was working part-time at the fast-food restaurant not long ago, I used to think... in the future, if I could just open a small fast-food joint and run it as a small boss, living life like that would actually be quite nice."

Old Man Xu paused, his expression turning somewhat peculiar. "A fast-food joint boss... Heh!"

However, he quickly waved his hand, gazing intently at Chen Xiao with a serious expression. "Chen Xiao, let me ask you a question: are you willing to leave K City?"

Leave K City?

What did that mean?

Old Man Xu sighed and slowly said, "Gideon Academy, although a prestigious name, is built entirely upon piles of money—flashy and devoid of true substance. You're not young anymore, and I happen to be planning to send Xu Yifan abroad for his studies. If you're willing, you can go with him. How about it? As for tuition fees, you needn't worry. I know you've always had a proud nature and hate accepting handouts; if you feel uncomfortable about it, just treat it as a loan from me. Once you graduate and start earning money, you can slowly pay me back. If you still feel awkward, you can even calculate the interest and return it together. How does that sound?"

Leave K City? Go abroad to study?!

"Why?" Chen Xiao looked at Old Man Xu.

His question carried several layers of meaning: Why go abroad? Why help him like this? Why insist that he leave?

"You don't need to ask," Old Man Xu looked at Chen Xiao. "You trust your Uncle Xu, don't you? I wouldn't harm you."

To this, Chen Xiao immediately nodded without the slightest hesitation.

"That's settled then. Since you trust my word, give my suggestion some serious thought," Old Man Xu pondered for a moment. "Leave this place... leave all these current troubles behind!"

Clearly, the "troubles" Old Man Xu referred to were the supernatural world!

Though his mind was filled with a flurry of questions, Chen Xiao's trust in Old Man Xu was unquestionable. Contemplating for a moment, he said slowly, "Uncle Xu, of course I trust you, and I believe you have my best interests at heart. However... such a major decision is not something I can agree to instantly. Will you allow me some time to think it over carefully?"

"Naturally, you need to think it over. Besides, if you go abroad, you'll happen to be with Xu Yifan, so you can keep each other company and look out for one another."

Having said all this, Old Man Xu cast a meaningful look at Chen Xiao. "Oh, right, there's one more matter... um, that girl Xiao Qing seems to harbor quite a bit of affection for you, doesn't he—err, she?"

Chen Xiao blinked, his instinct urging him to deny it, but when the words reached his lips, he suddenly found himself lacking absolute certainty!

"When it comes to the affairs of the young, you must consider things carefully and think them through. Xiao Qing is a good girl, but her family background is somewhat complicated. Oh, I'm not trying to tear apart a pair of mandarin ducks; I merely wish to remind you that if you intend to pursue something with her... you'd better prepare yourself mentally. Haha."

Leaving the kitchen with Old Man Xu, they returned to the outdoor banquet area. Without saying anything further, Old Man Xu departed shortly after, presumably to find Lu Bancheng and the others.

Chen Xiao scanned his surroundings, searching for the figures of Xiao Qing and Yaya, but at that exact moment, four men in black business suits approached him.

Tall, short, stout, and thin—they were precisely the four "notorious figures in the supernatural realm" who served Phoenix.

"Chen Xiao," the tallest one stared directly into Chen Xiao's eyes. "Got a moment? Step outside with us for a bit; we have a few things to tell you."

Chen Xiao sighed inwardly.

What was wrong with tonight? Why did everyone keep wanting to have a talk with him?

"It won't take long, at most an hour, and then we'll send you back," the tall man said slowly.

After all, these four fellows were subordinates of Phoenix, and Chen Xiao had no way of knowing whether their business was tied to Phoenix, leaving him with little room for refusal.

"Alright," he nodded.

The tall man smiled. "Our car is right outside."