After buying the bracelets, none of them had the mood to stroll through the department store anymore. Once they were outside, Li Yan asked Li Qing, How did you get here? Do you want me to give you a ride? Li Qing did not wear the flashy bracelet on her wrist, carefully tucking it away inside her handbag instead. No need for a ride, Xue Yingmei and I rode our bikes here, so we’ll head out first. Oh right, Brother, you’d better go home as soon as possible, Grandpa he… Li Yan knew that because of his arbitrary decision to quit his job, his grandfather was still in a fit of anger. He had originally thought about hiding out for a few days and waiting for the old man’s temper to cool down before returning, but thinking of Branch President Zhang’s behavior today, it seemed he truly had to go back and take a look. I know. Li Qing nodded, waved at them, and pulled Xue Yingmei along as she prepared to leave. Right before turning around, Xue Yingmei couldn’t help but sneak a shy glance at An Chutang. This look happened to land in a direct four-way eye contact with him. Xue Yingmei startled, a visible flush creeping up her face. An Chutang didn’t think much of it and didn’t look too closely, merely smiling and nodding politely at her. Be careful on the road. The other girl quickly lowered her head, muttered an acknowledgment, and hurriedly followed Li Qing away in a fluster. Li Yan’s brows were already locked together by this point, and he turned around directly, saying in a deep voice, Let’s go. Hey! Wait… Li Guangtao kept up. Where are we going next? An Chutang hurried after Li Yan, feeling vaguely that the other man seemed a bit unhappy. He cautiously negotiated, I still want to make a trip to the Friendship Store to buy some daily necessities, is that okay? Li Yan stared into his eyes for two seconds, cursed inwardly, and said, Walk. Then we won’t need to ride our bikes, Yan-ge? The Friendship Store is only a few hundred meters away from here. Yeah, let’s walk there on foot. Walking down the dilapidated yet tidy streets, watching the crowds of people walking or riding bicycles back and forth, An Chutang felt an indescribable sensation, constantly feeling somewhat disconnected from reality as he realized he had truly been reborn into the late 1970s. He had always maintained high standards for his quality of life and had been pampered with fine clothing and rich food since childhood. Coming here, apart from the target he needed to approach who still managed to satisfy him, he found everything else unpleasing to the eye and felt even more bewildered about the future. Not to mention his precarious little life, which right now could only be taken one step at a time. I see cars passing by occasionally on the road here. Where are they bought? Can I buy one? It’s way too inconvenient without a vehicle. Ordinarily, Li Guangtao wouldn’t have been all that surprised no matter what came out of An Chutang’s mouth, but hearing him talk about buying a car still made him gasp in amazement. He had no idea just how wealthy this sudden Brother Xiao Tang really was. Cars aren’t easy to buy; they’re usually allocated by work units, and I’ve never heard of any individual buying one. Yan-ge’s family does have one, though the old man doesn’t go out much anyway. If there’s a need, Yan-ge occasionally drives it out. An Chutang looked at Li Yan. Ever since a moment ago, this guy hadn’t said much of anything, and there was no telling what he was thinking. Seeing An Chutang look at him, Li Yan couldn’t help pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. His slender fingers held the cigarette to his lips, taking a light drag before slowly exhaling a cloud of smoke. An Chutang didn’t smoke and didn’t much care for others smoking either, but at this moment, the sight of the other man smoking hit him with another wave of impact. He was just too damn manly. Li Yan narrowed his eyes and asked, Want one? A stunned An Chutang didn’t react in time. Huh? What? A car, do you want one? You have a way? His eyes lit up. Of course he didn’t want to wrong himself; if he could successfully survive, not just a car, but whatever items he needed would eventually have to be scavenged one by one. I have a friend over at the neighboring province’s customs office. I heard last month they seized a few smuggled cars. If you want one, I can take you to check them out later. Great! You have to save one for me! If they’re suitable, keep a few extra. No wait, are you actually buying a car, Brother Xiao Tang? We don’t usually have any use for it anyway. If we really need one, doesn’t Yan-ge’s family have one already? Why keep a few extra? Li Guangtao always felt like this was somewhat surreal. Money spent was money gone, and he worried that in the end, whatever money was promised for investing in his business might vanish. Having walked just this short stretch, An Chutang was already a bit tired. Of course they’re useful, the uses are massive. He didn’t bother explaining just how massive, leaving Li Guangtao scratching his head in quiet anxiety. After reaching the Friendship Store, the choices were slightly wider, and An Chutang finally managed to buy items he could barely accept: A toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel, a bath towel, slippers, and skincare products. Once everything was settled, he directly invited Li Yan and Li Guangtao to lunch at the nearby hotel. After the meal, Li Guangtao patted his belly and sighed with emotion. Tsk, this steak really tastes great. These capitalists certainly know how to enjoy themselves. Sooner or later, I’ll be eating beef every day too. With that, his thoughts returned to his grand money-making scheme. Yan-ge, where are we going this afternoon? How about we take Brother Xiao Tang for a spin around the black market? The so-called black market was simply a place where small items were resold. Yan-ge! Tao-ge! We finally found you. A familiar figure shouted as he ran over from across the street. An Chutang recalled that this tall, buzz-cut, bronze-complexioned guy was one of the others who had been with Li Yan and them last night, seemingly named Wang Qiang. Wang Qiang ran over in two or three strides, saw An Chutang, and nodded politely. Young Master An. How did you find us here? What happened? Li Guangtao thought Fan Jianguo was stirring up trouble again. Wang Qiang looked at Li Yan. The old man is looking for you. The phone call went through to Jianshu’s place, and the two of us have been searching for you separately for quite a while. Li Yan’s expression shifted slightly, and Li Guangtao instinctively stood up straighter. He felt fear and respect for the old man straight from the bottom of his heart. Li Yan pulled out his leather gloves, slowly putting them on as he said, Let’s go. Tao-ge, you and Qiang go back first, and tell Jianshu that I’m heading home. Alright. Li Guangtao paused for a moment before adding, Don’t butt heads with the old man again. Talk things out nicely. I know what I’m doing. With that, he flicked his chin toward An Chutang standing nearby. Before he could speak, An Chutang interrupted him. I’m going back with you! As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt it might have sounded a bit too eager, so he gave a light cough. Well, I’m staying at your place, so paying a visit to your family is only proper. Oh boy… Li Guangtao quickly advised him, Brother Xiao Tang, listen to me, you definitely shouldn’t go over there. The old man is currently furious with Yan-ge, and for all you know, he might throw both of you into the military camp for a few days of rigorous training! Trust me, with a delicate little frame like yours, you won’t survive that kind of training. Why don’t you just come wander around with me instead? Upon hearing that Li Yan might be sent to the military camp by his grandfather for training, An Chutang felt his heart skip a beat. If he disappeared for three, five, or seven or eight days, wouldn’t he be completely frozen through by then! It’s fine! I’m not afraid! Visiting elders is a traditional virtue of the Chinese people, and I’ve always placed great importance on these things. No matter what, I have to go over there! With that, he grabbed onto Li Yan’s arm as if afraid the man might run away. Even the usually taciturn Wang Qiang scratched his head in surprise and remarked, I didn’t expect Young Master An, having grown up abroad since childhood, to care so much about our traditional etiquette. That strange feeling flooded Li Yan’s mind once more. He grabbed An Chutang’s wrist with a reverse grip and headed toward the bike shed. An Chutang asked eagerly, Does this mean you agree to let me go with you? Right? Do I need to buy any gifts? Li Yan didn’t answer, deep in thought about something. An Chutang could only follow along with trepidation, pondering various countermeasures as he walked. When they reached the motorcycles, Li Guangtao took Wang Qiang and bid farewell to the two of them. Then we’ll head out first, see you later. Li Yan handed a helmet to An Chutang. Thinking the other man had agreed to let him tag along, just as An Chutang started to break into a smile, the other man threw his leg across the motorcycle, sat down, turned his head, and told An Chutang, I’ll send you back to my place first, I’ll be right back. An Chutang was shocked. Why aren’t you taking me with you?! Don’t worry, I won’t cause you any trouble, I’ll just go say hello, is that not even allowed? Or else, I can just wait for you outside your house? Li Yan’s brows knitted slightly. Although his grandfather had stepped down, his status remained sensitive. Seeing the other person so eagerly wanting to follow along, even though he had developed unusual feelings toward An Chutang, he couldn’t help but feel a shred of suspicion. What was more, the old man calling him back this time was very likely because Branch President Zhang had already visited his place. It’s not very convenient this time. You wait at my place first, I’ll go and be right back. An Chutang wanted to argue further, but seeing that Li Yan had already turned his head to start the ignition, his tone non-negotiable despite not sounding overly forceful, he had no choice but to get on the bike first and figure out another plan. (Life Countdown: 7 hours 50 minutes)
Chapter 12 - Want one?
Reborn In The 70s As A Spoiled Young Master: Please Let Me Touch You (Sequel)