Chapter 136: Chapter 136 This Water Is Muddy
“How should I put this?”
“We just went out for dinner tonight, and then I ended up with a pair of brand-name watches?”
“That escalated quickly…”
“Ah, it’s really nothing,” Wang Hao scratched his head and promptly began to concoct an excuse, “It’s just that tonight I went to a party with that person, and she said a man can’t go without a watch, so she gave me one…”
Little Bai stood up: “Woof woof!”
“You little brat, you dare to lie to me now, don’t you?” Dad roared in anger: “I’m telling you, don’t look at Little Bai as just a dog, but he can tell when you’re lying! More accurate than a lie detector! Spit out the truth, now!”
Oh crap, you mongrel have this skill too?! Brother Bai! Are you an undercover agent sent by the Bai family?!
“That’s right, that’s right, come on, tell the truth, I’m telling you, otherwise you’re in for it!” Mom also asserted her authority: “Tell the truth so we can help you come up with ideas, right?! Speak up!”
“Alright, but if I tell you, you have to believe me, it’s really fantastical,” Wang Hao said cautiously: “Even more fantastical than what I just said!”
Dad urged: “Cut the crap, out with it!”
“Well, here’s the thing,” Wang Hao then began to tell the story: “You both know that I’m good friends with that big star, right? To put it simply, there’s a rich Tycoon chasing her, how rich? Almost the same league as the big star’s family…”
“As wealthy as the Bai family?” Mom pondered for a moment: “Someone from the four big families? Bai, Zhao, Fang, Hong, which one?”
Mother, you even know this?! I can only kneel!
“It’s from the Zhao family, named Zhao Zhenhao,” Wang Hao gulped, saying: “So, this Zhao Zhenhao knows I’m friends with the big star and figures to invite me to dinner, casually including the big star. Because she wouldn’t accept if he asked her directly…”
“Who do you think you are, that you command such respect?” Dad huffed, though he did not object: “Continue.”
“So we went,” Wang Hao continued: “This Zhao Zhenhao is a real Tycoon, he can spend millions without batting an eye! So, he prepared a gift for me, which was this watch…”
Mom patted Little Bai: “Is he lying?”
Little Bai shook his head.
Mom nodded with satisfaction: “Good, go on.”
Brother Bai, you must have traveled through time, right?!
“Then, there seems to be some significance behind this watch,” Wang Hao said: “The big star also ended up giving me one, it’s just that she hasn’t given it to me yet…”
“Zhao Zhenhao from the Zhao family gave you a watch as a meeting gift…” Dad stroked his chin’s beard and said: “Hmm, considering the Zhao family’s wealth, that’s possible. What happened next?”
“What next?” Wang Hao shook his head: “Nothing much, just ate and chatted. It was just an expensive meal, that’s all.”
Basically, that was the gist of it. Wang Hao simply omitted a lot of details but had managed to make the main point clear.
“Haoer,” Dad pondered for a while, then spoke earnestly: “Your dad doesn’t mind you having such friends, but both your mom and I worry. We’re afraid that hanging out with them too much will make you too high-minded. Plus, that big star is from the Bai family, so you should understand that Zhao Zhenhao certainly has feelings for her, otherwise why would he give you gifts? We’re just an ordinary family; we’re not on par with that sort of class. Not to mention anything else, just take this watch, oh, and that computer set of yours, how are you going to repay this favor? Don’t think just because you’ve saved her once, she owes you a lot, saving someone is a duty, and we should not accept gifts if we can help it, understand?”
“I know,” Wang Hao quickly nodded: “Actually, I hadn’t planned on getting involved with them, but since they brought it up, I went to see. I’ll try to avoid getting entangled with them from now on, the waters are too muddy!”
This was definitely a candid revelation.
Bai Yaning was pursued by countless suitors, not quite in the tens of thousands maybe, but certainly the eligible ones from just the top four families alone would amount to dozens or even hundreds, right?
Just being friends and chatting with her now and then was one thing, but actually developing feelings for her might not be so fortuitous. At least Zhao Zhenhao managed to maintain his composure, and Fang Wenbin was also tolerable, but what if one encountered those who were unreasonable?
Our family was just ordinary, and if those top families really started to stir things up, our only option would be to run as far as we could.
We truly couldn’t afford to get involved in such matters.
“Yep, it’s good that you’re aware of the potential crisis,” Dad thought for a moment, then said, “Actually, my idea is that you should find a partner as soon as possible. At least that will be safer. The girl I introduced to you the other day, that was with this thought in mind. Speaking of which, how are things going with that girl?”
How could they possibly be going, Your Majesty? I’m not able to handle Brother Fei!
“They’re so-so, actually that girl was a high school classmate of mine,” Wang Hao said with a grin, “I only found out when I saw her, but the prospects aren’t great.”
Not just not great, but absolutely no hope, right?
“So that’s the case,” Dad thought for a while, then continued, “Well, let’s just leave it at that for now, and we’ll see what the future brings. And with regards to the watch, you shouldn’t wear it for the time being. Such a valuable item, we better find an opportunity to return it to its rightful owner. But then again, given the Zhao family’s status, once a gift is given, there’s absolutely no taking it back. Let’s do this, when you get the chance, invite this Zhao Zhenhao and the big star over to our house. We can have a simple meal to express our gratitude, and that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Mom spoke up from the side, “Invite them to our house? Is that appropriate? Could they possibly want to come?”
“That’s what I mean when I say you women are clever with little things but can be clueless about bigger matters,” Dad retorted, “It’s precisely because their status is so high that we’re inviting them over. If we go to a restaurant, would you feel okay with anything less than five-star? And even with a five-star rating, it might not be good enough for them, whereas inviting them home is more genuine.”
“Well, that’s true,” Mom nodded, “Alright then, how about next weekend? At that time, we can invite them over for a visit. Whether they can come or not, at least the invitation should be extended—expressing our thanks is always the right move.”
Ah? A real invitation?
Upon thinking about Zhao Zhenhao’s germophobia… Are you sure he can even handle eating at our house?
“Alright, I’ll do my best,” Wang Hao nodded in agreement, “But if they don’t come, it’s not my fault!”
“Cheeky kid, as if that needs to be said,” Dad laughed and scolded, “Off you go to bed. Get up early tomorrow.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m going!”
As Wang Hao entered his room, Dad lowered his voice, “Looking at things now, the situation doesn’t seem too bad. At least from my observation, our Haoer didn’t show any particular reaction when the topic of that Zhao Zhenhao pursuing Bai Yaning came up. That suggests he really isn’t considering that direction.”
Mom chuckled, “Isn’t that the truth? Why would our Haoer be so foolish? Just consider their status. Cars worth millions, casually gifting luxury watches! We can’t even afford to reciprocate such gifts—it’s too deep for us!”
“Yeah,” Dad sighed, “When he was young, I was worried about his studies; now that he’s grown up, I’m worried about his dating life. And in the future, we’ll have to prepare for his wedding. These days, you need to have a house and a car to get married. Given our family’s situation, it’s not easy. This kid too, of all the people he could get tangled up with, he goes after a big star! I don’t even know about the woman, but they say the man from another family always seems best. A man who can get involved with a big star must be extraordinary. Eventually, those who might circle around Haoer could be those of high status, families easily worth tens of millions. If that day comes, he might even have to marry into their family, and the kids won’t carry the Wang surname, I tell you!”
“That’s enough from you, don’t be such a worrywart,” Mom laughed and scolded, “You always think too much! Alright, alright, let’s sleep!”
On Xinxing Road in Zhonghai City.
Xinxing Road was reputed to be the most beautiful garden road in Zhonghai City.
This quiet, narrow road, hidden under the dense canopy of plane trees, was tranquil and faintly aristocratic, exuding understated elegance. The towering plane trees on both sides proudly guarded the street’s serene charm.
Here, there was a horseshoe-shaped alleyway known as Xingsheng Villa. In the past, this alley housed many expatriates from different countries, which is why it was also known as “Foreigners’ Alley.” Inside the alley, there were dozens of European-style garden residences with varying architectural styles, including British, American, Dutch, Italian, and Spanish. Therefore, as one entered the alley, it was as if they had stepped into a European village.
However, if one was truly from the upper echelons, they would know that the entire alleyway actually belonged to one of the four major families—the Zhao family!