Volume 1 Chapter 33: The Era of Picking Dads

  Bao Guoqiang's store didn't have a lot of business, most customers just browsed without buying. Occasionally, when there were some real buyers, Qu Wen wouldn't even get a chance to serve them. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he focused on studying antique appraisal and incidentally absorbed all the spiritual energy from the items in Bao Guoqiang's store. Every single item in the store had a small amount of spiritual energy, but with such a large quantity, after absorbing it all, it was almost comparable to Jin Tingbiao's authentic paintings.

  If it were someone he didn't know, then so be it. But Bao Guoqiang was his senior fellow apprentice. Who knew what would happen if this antique lost its spiritual energy? What if it greatly depreciated in value because of that? Wouldn't that harm one of their own people?

  "What is Ah Wen thinking about, being so absorbed?"

  Qu Wen was thinking about this matter, and for a moment he didn't notice the person approaching. He suddenly heard a loud shout and almost fell off his chair. After calming down and looking up, it turned out to be Bao Guoqiang.

  "There's no great master, just some homesickness."

  "Oh, I miss home." Bao Guoqiang said lightly, with an expression that was hard to read, and even a bit strange: "Master asks you something, don't know if you're willing to answer honestly?"

  "What's going on!?" Qu Wen was shocked in her heart, not knowing what Bao Guoqiang wanted to ask. Looking at his expression, it shouldn't be anything good. Could he have found out her secret?

  "To be honest, did you promise Xiaolin to secretly accompany her to play?"

  "Ah! Is... is that it?" Qu Wen thought Bao Guoqiang would ask him about the Ling Jue Shen Tong, and for a moment his heart was greatly relieved. As long as it wasn't about that, he was fine. But whether or not to tell him about Bao Xiaolin's affair was another matter. Telling him would be disloyal to Bao Xiaolin, but not telling him would be disloyal to Bao Guoqiang.

  Bao Guoqiang was just about to go out for a morning exercise when he saw his daughter whispering to Qu Wen, so he hid behind the wall to eavesdrop. But after hearing what Qu Wen said, it seemed like there was more to the story, and he couldn't help but narrow his eyes and stare at Qu Wen intently.

  "What else are you hiding from me?"

  "No, nothing." Qu Wen hastily shook his head, secretly absorbing the spiritual energy of all the antiques and strange stones in Bao Guoqiang's store. He already felt a deep sense of guilt, and now that he had something else to hide from him, he couldn't shake off the feeling of being in the wrong. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke up, this time he could only apologize to Bao Xiaolin, and make it up to her when he had the chance.

  "Xiao Lin did ask me to accompany her to a gathering with some classmates, but I haven't agreed yet. If you don't agree, then forget it. Actually, I've also taken the college entrance exam and know how important it is for one's life, but I've also seen people who got too tense before the exam, put too much pressure on themselves, and ended up affecting their performance. It's not that I'm saying you're wrong, teacher, but actually Xiao Lin's grades have always been good, so it's okay to relax a bit sometimes. As an elder, if you pull the strings too tight, it can easily backfire."

  I thought Bao Guoqiang would be unhappy after hearing this, but unexpectedly he smiled and said: "I also know about this. In fact, I don't oppose her participating in normal social activities, it's just that the school Xiaolin is in is a bit special, so I'm worried. But with you going along, I feel at ease. There's still half a year before the college entrance exam, be sure not to play too wildly and remember to take good care of her for me."

  Compared to Guo, Bao is more open-minded and doesn't spoil his children to the point of being overly protective. He understands that education should be balanced with leisure time, which is why he often keeps an eye on Bao Xiaolin - he's afraid she'll get into trouble outside. As her father, he knows her conditions well, and even if she can't compare to international superstars, she's not far off from domestic first-line actors. Moreover, Bao Xiaolin is at the age of youth and vitality, and if she can't withstand others' temptation and gets into an early romance, that would be a big headache. However, it's also impossible to keep her tied up at home all the time - having Qu Yun by her side makes him feel more at ease.

  Looking at him again, I feel that he has changed a bit today, not on the surface, but in his temperament. It's as if he has become more refined and elegant, giving off an air of ease and naturalness that makes one feel comfortable and relaxed. I couldn't help but ask: "Ah Wen, did you put on makeup today?"

  "Ah! Eldest senior brother, don't joke with me, I've never been accustomed to using those things."

  Everyone says that the love of beauty is universal, but Qu Wen insists that men should still be masculine and cannot accept the beautiful flower boy type from Japan and South Korea. Therefore, he never puts effort into his face. Every morning, he washes his face with plain water, which is convenient, refreshing, and can quickly refresh his spirit. It's a natural and environmentally friendly way to maintain beauty.

  "Is that so, seeing you really feel old, no longer having the vigor and vitality of young people like you. Since you're going to attend the class reunion with Xiaolin, why not go buy a few clothes first, otherwise others will laugh at you for being out of style."

  Isn't it just an ordinary high school gathering? Why is there so much fuss about it? Although my clothes aren't international brands, they were still bought for several hundred yuan.

  "No way, I just bought this clothes not long ago and spent a lot of money on it. If I buy again, I'll become a poor guy."

  Bao Guoqiang said this naturally has his own reason, but he is not a person who pays too much attention to appearance either. He chuckled and said: "Don't pretend anymore, who doesn't know that you have hundreds of millions in your pocket? Not to mention buying a few clothes, opening a brand clothing store wouldn't be difficult for you."

  Qu Wen doesn't care about how much money he has, only a few people know, not even his parents. He puffs out his chest like a spoiled brat: "The little money I have is not enough to buy two treasures, I'm counting on them to multiply from one to ten, and from ten to hundred."

  Make your own affairs clear, Bao Guoqiang slapped his thigh heavily: "Got it, don't think I didn't say it, you just take good care of your own pocket, with your skills and luck, in the future, not to mention changing hundreds, even if it's over a thousand, it won't be a problem. If you have time, help Ah Feng reorganize the porcelain on the upper floor, I have something else to do, so I won't bother you here."

  Bao Guoqiang took two steps out and turned back: "By the way, tell Ah Feng that he will help drive you and Xiaolin to send you off the day after tomorrow night. You must keep an eye on Xiaolin for me."

  "Don't worry, Big Brother."

  Bao Guoqiang didn't object, so Xiaolin and he could openly go out to play, and they would have a free driver. Qu Wen was also very happy, which saved dozens of yuan in car fare.

  Two nights later, Qu Wen and Bao Xiaolin arrived at the villa area in Changping Badaling by Zhao Haifeng's car.

  For Changping Villa, Beijingers are familiar with it. Most of the people living here are early wealthy merchants and nobles. Now, a piece of land is worth a lot, and you can't buy it without thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan. Walking along the road, every family's gate is decorated exquisitely, and from afar, you can feel the luxurious atmosphere inside the courtyard.

  The owner of the house doesn't understand Feng Shui, but the surrounding environment is surrounded by mountains and water, business is booming, and it's hard not to feel a sense of tranquility. As the saying goes, "the land is spiritual and the people are outstanding", borrowing momentum to generate good fortune, no wonder so many rich people are willing to settle here.

  But what puzzled Qu Wen was that they were supposed to attend a high school reunion, so why did they end up in a high-end villa district on the outskirts of Beijing.

  "Xiao Lin, are we really going to a high school reunion? There's nothing but villas around here, no entertainment venues at all?"

  Bao Xiaolin glanced at Qu Wen: "Who said that a party can only be held in an entertainment venue, this is going to my classmate's home."

  Qu Wen was stunned, nowadays high school students are really something else. Not to mention that some people have the whole reunion dinner taken care of, these students each took a taxi here and spent a lot of money, for a 30-40 kilometer trip, it's equivalent to Qu Wen's food expenses for several days.

  "Your classmate's family is really rich, they can actually afford a villa here!"

  "It's just a villa, what's the big deal? If his house wasn't so big, I wouldn't have bothered running all this way, it would've been fine at my place."

  Bao Xiaolin was not exaggerating, the value of her family's siheyuan was not much lower than that of the villas here. Moreover, Bao Guoqiang's family had a lot of good things in their collection, each one was a fine and precious item, if they were to be auctioned off, they could immediately buy several villas here.

  This guy is more arrogant than anyone, just the other day Qu Wen had just made over a million and thought he was rich. But compared to the little beauty in front of him and her classmates, he's basically nothing, not even worth mentioning, not even as much as someone else's spare change.

  Before long, the car drove into a villa. As soon as they arrived at the gate of the villa, the electronic monitor on the door just swept lightly, and the gate opened automatically very quickly. Entering inside, looking at the spacious courtyard, one by one luxurious cars, Qu Wen felt what it means to see a bigger witch for the first time.

  From Lamborghini to Bentley, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, there were several cars parked outside. The Bieke driven by Zhao Haifeng had become the cheapest ride, feeling inferior even to taxis on the street.

  But no one cared whose car it was. As soon as Bao Xiaolin got out of the car, two young people in luxurious attire came up to greet her immediately.

  "Xiao Lin, why are you so late? I told you earlier that I'd have my dad send a car to pick you up."

  A boy with a flat head started talking, and another boy with a flowing hairstyle next to him said: "What good car can your dad have? It's just those two old Benzes that come and go. Look at my dad's newly bought Bentley 2000, V8-16 valve SEFI gasoline engine, automatic four-speed transmission, maximum power 294/4150, widened wheels, all-electronic interior control, constant speed cruise system and pure handmade interior decoration, which is much more stylish than your old Benz. More importantly, it's suitable, and it won't humiliate Xiaolin."

  Bentley and Rolls-Royce are considered the most luxurious cars in the world, with expensive prices that not all wealthy people can afford. Many people know of this brand but rarely see it. When someone mentions the advantages of Bentley 2000, a sports-type boy's face immediately turns purple-black, with angry eyes looking like he wants to punch the other person.

  "Isn't it just a Bentley? If you're capable, get your dad to give it to Xiaolin." The athletic boy retorted, then turned around and smiled at Bao Xiaolin: "Xiaolin, I heard you like jade accessories. Coincidentally, my dad opened a jade store in the city center two months ago. When you have time, come with me to take a look, and if you see something you like, we can pack it up and bring it back."

  Qu Wen was still in the car and hadn't gotten out yet, but he could already hear the two people outside bragging about their dads. He was sweating all over. Damn it, everyone online talks about bragging about their dads, but today I finally saw the real deal. Each of those rich kids was boasting about their own dad without holding back, as if they wished other people's dads were just ordinary guys, while their own dads were like Sima Qing.

  "No need, if I'm missing anything, my brother will buy it for me." Bao Xiaolin was too lazy to bother with the few people and used Qu Wen as a shield.

  "Hey, isn't Little Lin an only child?" The athletic boy exclaimed in surprise, turning his head to see Qu Wen sitting in the back seat of the Buick.

  Seeing the athletic boy's gaze, Qu Wen helplessly waved at him and got off the car: "Hey, hello, my name is Qu Wen."

  "Who cares what you're called, bro just wants to know what's the relationship between you and Bao Xiaolin." The boys standing next to Bao Xiaolin all had the same idea, staring straight at Qu Wen, as if as long as he said something slightly wrong, they would immediately pull out a knife from their waist and stab him into a honeycomb.

  "You're Xiaolin's brother? I've never heard that she has any siblings?" asked Liu Hai, his tone full of acidity and hostility.

  "I don't have an older brother, can't I even have a cousin?" Before Qu Wen could speak up, Bao Xiaolin cut in and said, fiercely pushing several people away: "Miss is here to have fun tonight, bother me again and I'll leave."

  Bao Xiaolin said so, the two boys actually all closed their mouths tightly, with a honest and obedient appearance following her into the villa, temporarily no one paying attention to Qu Wen behind them.

  He began to regret agreeing to Bao Xiaolin's request, and it seemed that Bao Xiaolin had found him just to use as a shield. But since he was already there, he couldn't just leave like this, so he leaned over and said to Zhao Haifeng: "You go back first, I'll still need to trouble you to make another trip later."

  Zhao Haifeng sat in the driver's seat and chuckled: "No trouble, but you should be careful. Xiaolin has been a troublemaker since she was young. She doesn't need to actively provoke anyone, things will come to her on their own. I'm just helping to open the car door for her, which is much better than accompanying her for an evening. The young people inside are mostly officials' second generation and rich second generation. They're not very old, but their vision is high up in the sky. They all think they're the boss and never take others seriously. If you can't handle it, just call me directly."