Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Business Club
Early the next morning, Aunt Han knocked on the door.
"Sister Luo, Brother Qin, I simmered some chicken soup. I brought some over for you to try."
The door opened, but it was Qin Tuo.
Aunt Han looked startled. She stared at him for a moment, then her eyes lit up with delight.
"Qin Tuo, it’s you, dear! I almost didn’t recognize you!"
"Hello, Aunt Han!"
Qin Tuo greeted her with a smile.
Aunt Han often helped out his family, so Qin Tuo held her in high regard.
Walking inside, Aunt Han praised him nonstop:
"Oh my, you’ve gotten more and more handsome with age. You’re a truly good-looking young man!"
The look she gave Qin Tuo was one of complete and utter satisfaction.
Qin Tuo smiled, a warmth spreading through his heart.
Ever since he got out of prison, most of the people he knew had looked at him with prejudice.
Only Aunt Han had known his character and personality since he was a child, so she didn’t look down on him in the slightest.
Seeing Aunt Han personally deliver chicken soup, Luo Xianglan looked rather embarrassed.
"Oh, Sister Han, you really shouldn’t have! You’re being too kind!"
Aunt Han gave an enthusiastic smile.
"What’s the big deal? We’re going to be family sooner or later anyway, so let’s not sweat the small stuff."
Hearing this, Luo Xianglan nodded repeatedly, a goofy, happy grin on her face.
Qin Tuo rolled his eyes helplessly.
’Great,’ he thought. ’The main party involved is standing right here, and my life is already being planned out for me.’
Qin Hongguo also came over, took the chicken soup, and thanked her profusely.
"Auntie, why don’t you stay for lunch before you go?"
Normally, Aunt Han would have bashfully refused, but today she agreed in a heartbeat.
"Alright! Since your boy Qin Tuo is home, I won’t be polite."
The smiles never left Luo Xianglan and her husband’s faces as they hurried to prepare for lunch and buy groceries.
Meanwhile, Aunt Han enthusiastically pulled Qin Tuo to the sofa and chatted with him endlessly.
She asked many questions about what Qin Tuo had been up to recently, and he answered them all conventionally and politely.
Han the Great God found that the more she looked at Qin Tuo, the more she liked him!
An idea struck her, and she suggested,
"Why don’t I call Zilin right now and see when she’ll be home today? Then our two families can go out for a nice meal together."
Luo Xianglan nodded eagerly, saying happily,
"That’s a wonderful idea! Quickly, see when that girl Zilin will be home!"
Aunt Han nodded in agreement as she took out her phone.
"As soon as Zilin gets home, we can go out to eat right away. Our homes are right next to each other, after all."
Luo Xianglan also laughed.
"Yes, we live so close. If we become in-laws, it’ll certainly be very convenient!"
At this point, she was just short of starting to call Aunt Han her fellow mother-in-law.
Only Qin Tuo sat to the side, too awkward to say a word.
BEEP!
The call connected.
Before Han Zilin could even speak, Aunt Han asked hurriedly,
"Honey, when are you coming home today? There’s a surprise waiting for you!"
However, the other end of the line seemed a bit noisy, and it was hard to hear clearly.
"Mom, what did you say?"
So, Aunt Han repeated herself.
Han Zilin’s voice came through the phone.
"Mom, I’m not coming home today. I still have some things to take care of!"
Aunt Han was taken aback, then she grew anxious.
’What could be more important than finding a husband!’
"Zilin, what could you possibly be busy with? Right, where are you now? How about I come find you...?"
But before she could finish, Han Zilin cut her off with a rushed reply.
"Mom, I have to go, I’ll call you back! Hanging up now!"
’This child!’
Aunt Han’s face was instantly filled with displeasure.
"Tell me, do girls just stop listening once they grow up? In the past, that girl Zilin would never dare to talk back to me like that!"
The more Han the Great God spoke, the angrier she got. She wished she could rush right over to where Han Zilin was.
Luo Xianglan quickly stepped forward to smooth things over with a smile.
"It’s alright. A day or two won’t make a difference. We can just let the two of them meet next time there’s a chance."
Hearing this, Aunt Han had no choice but to drop the matter reluctantly, though she was still muttering under her breath.
"No, I just like this boy Qin Tuo too much. I’ll have to really push Zilin to come back and meet him. What if a great guy like him gets snatched away by some other girl?"
Qin Tuo, sitting to the side, heard everything clearly and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Just then, his phone also rang.
He answered and found it was Long Wu.
"Long Wu, what’s up?"
Qin Tuo went into his room and lowered his voice.
Long Wu said with a laugh,
"Celestial King, my apologies for troubling you yesterday. Are you free today? I’d like to treat you to a meal to properly thank you!"
"Alright. Where?"
Qin Tuo was looking for an excuse to leave, so he agreed immediately.
Long Wu was also delighted and quickly said,
"Celestial King, how about I send a car to pick you up personally?"
But Qin Tuo shook his head.
"No need. Just tell me where we’re eating. I’ll take a taxi there myself in a bit."
So, Long Wu didn’t insist and just gave him a location.
"Mom, Dad, Aunt Han, someone invited me out to eat, so I’m heading out."
Qin Tuo hurriedly grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.
"Hey, that kid! Why isn’t he eating at home? So impolite!"
Luo Xianglan immediately chided.
Qin Hongguo’s face was also ashen; he felt he had lost face in front of his potential future in-law.
But Aunt Han quickly waved her hand with a smile.
"It’s no problem! It’s perfectly normal for men to have social engagements outside the home!"
She was extremely fond of Qin Tuo and didn’t feel the least bit displeased.
Qin Tuo took a taxi to the city center.
Only then did he notice how quickly Ming City had developed over the past two years. This street was almost entirely lined with entertainment venues.
Bars, KTVs, business clubs, and the like were everywhere.
"Hm? What’s this?"
As he passed a business club, Qin Tuo inadvertently spotted a familiar figure.
He took a closer look, and his eyes widened.
’Han Zilin... What is she doing here?’
That’s right, the figure was none other than Han Zilin.
She was hurrying into the business club, her expression somewhat uneasy.
’Something’s not right. Didn’t Han Zilin just tell her mom she was too busy to come home? Why would she be in a place like this?’
Countless speculations instantly flooded Qin Tuo’s mind.
Besides, Han Zilin was still a student. Why would she be frequenting this kind of entertainment venue?
At this thought, Qin Tuo couldn’t remain calm.
"Driver, please stop the car!"
Qin Tuo got out of the taxi, his expression grave, and walked directly toward the business club.
He planned to find Han Zilin and ask her exactly what was going on.
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