Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 125: Mr. Shao’s Summer (3)

Dragon Raja 4

“I met a new brother today! The guy’s a philosopher—his words were so touching!” Shao Gongzi exclaimed. “After talking with him for just a bit, I feel completely fired up!”

“Uh, boss, isn’t that guy… staying in a psychiatric hospital?” the lackey hesitantly asked, wary of speaking ill of his boss’s friend.

“You don’t understand a thing! Isn’t that where all philosophers belong?” Shao Gongzi waved dismissively, unwilling to waste his breath on people with such shallow understanding.

When the elevator doors opened, Shao Gongzi threw his coat at the lackey and marched into his office, only to freeze in place.

A figure dressed in deep red sat by the window, holding a glass of strong liquor.

Shao Gongzi was startled. Is Tu Xiaojiao still here waiting for me? He thought the secretary should have sent her away after he left.

“Sorry, sorry. I had an urgent matter earlier and didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, Miss Tu.” He intended to say a few polite words and send her on her way.

The girl didn’t turn around. Instead, she casually tossed a set of car keys with a Medusa silver charm towards him. After placing the empty glass on the table, she stood up to leave.

When Shao Gongzi saw the car keys, his face instantly lit up with joy. “Senior? It’s you?”

Nono was wearing a long-sleeved dark red T-shirt, which was the same color as Tu Xiaojiao’s outfit. The sofa back had obscured her jeans, so Shao Gongzi hadn’t recognized her right away.

“Were you looking for that girl from earlier?” Nono shrugged. “She left about half an hour ago. Did I interrupt your date?”

Tu Xiaojiao had indeed met Nono earlier. She had been debating whether to stay and talk to Shao Gongzi when a girl with soaking wet hair had walked straight into the office. The secretary hadn’t even tried to stop her, simply murmuring that Shao Gongzi was out. Nono had said it was fine; she would wait.

Nono had never needed to wait a second at Shao Gongzi’s office—the door was always open to her. But today, she was acting a bit out of character by staying longer.

Tu Xiaojiao had decided that it was best to confront the situation head-on. She’d immediately struck a pose, making sure her Tiffany, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry sparkled, like a peacock displaying its feathers to assert dominance.

But Nono hadn’t even glanced at her. Instead, she had poured herself a drink, sat by the window, and quietly gazed at the city under the night sky.

Tu Xiaojiao had felt an inexplicable unease and took a closer look at Nono. She didn’t think Nono was better than her in terms of appearance. When it came to fashion, Tu Xiaojiao’s outfit could be worn on a red carpet, while Nono looked like an ordinary passerby. As for body shape, while Nono’s was good, Tu Xiaojiao, being a trained dancer, had little to envy. Makeup? Well, that was no contest—Nono was bare-faced and looked exhausted, as if she had just swum for ten kilometers. Yet as she sat there, she resembled a queen who had just lost her kingdom, drinking and watching over her fallen realm. Tu Xiaojiao felt as though her own space had been squeezed into a corner.

By Nono’s fourth drink, Tu Xiaojiao had quietly slipped out, and the two hadn’t exchanged a single word the entire time.

“She was here for an audition!” Shao Gongzi quickly raised his hand in defense. “I swear on my honor, Senior, I’ve only just met Miss Tu, and we haven’t even exchanged five sentences!”

“Did you take the wrong medication? Why would I care about your business?” Nono glanced at him. “Here are the car keys back. I’m leaving now. Thanks for your help.”

“Senior, just keep using the car! If the G55 doesn’t feel right, I’ve got a new Lamborghini in the garage. I’ll have it fueled and brought down right away.”

“No need, I’ll be leaving soon.”

“Senior, we’re not strangers, are we? It’s pouring rain outside. You’ve already returned the car—how are you going to get home? Why don’t you rest a bit, and I’ll have someone drive you back?” Shao Gongzi became anxious, worried that Nono was upset because of Tu Xiaojiao.

Nono realized that returning the car had indeed left her without transportation. She wasn’t familiar with public transit, and with the stormy weather, it would be inconvenient to get around.

“Senior, you’ve been back for a while, but we haven’t had a proper chat. It’s like we only know each other from a car club,” Shao Gongzi said with a pout, sounding hurt.

Nono sighed and sat back down. “Pour me a gin, with ice.”

Shao Gongzi eagerly hurried to prepare the drink, returning a moment later with the glass and placing it on the coffee table in front of her.

He was just about to start a conversation when Nono downed the entire glass in one gulp. “Another.”

Shao Gongzi had no choice but to pour another drink. After three rounds, Nono was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol and slowed down, sipping her fourth gin while still staring silently out the window.

Shao Gongzi wasn’t sure why his senior was in a bad mood, but he remembered reading in a book that when women are emotional and have been drinking, they tend to open up to familiar men. Shao Gongzi felt as if the heavens were on his side, his chubby face glowing red with excitement.

“Did someone upset you, Senior?” Shao Gongzi asked, trying to read her mood.

“No. You’ve known me long enough—who could upset me?”

“Of course, no one before,” Shao Gongzi hinted, “but now, aren’t you engaged?”

“Stop worrying and mind your own business. Stay away from those actresses; they only want to use you and see you as an easy target,” Nono said, massaging her forehead.

“I swear, I’m not messing around with those actresses—it’s all for work!” Shao Gongzi quickly pivoted to the topic he was most concerned about. “But Senior, are you really planning to marry that Italian guy? You know Italian men have a reputation for being players.”

“Why wouldn’t I marry him? Please, give me a reason not to,” Nono said, still massaging her forehead. “Besides, it’s not your place to meddle in this.”

Shao Gongzi sighed, “Senior, you never even gave me a chance. If you had, then maybe I’d have a say.”

Nono was so amused by his words that she laughed, “Are you done yet? Can we stop talking about this? I’ve told you a hundred times—I don’t see you that way. I borrow your car because it’s convenient.”

“Why can’t there be something more?” Shao Gongzi said, feeling aggrieved. “We used to be so close. Do you know how many British boys you had to beat up to save me back in the day?”

“I regret it now, don’t I? It would’ve saved me so much trouble if I hadn’t. Let me formally apologize, Your Lordship. I shouldn’t have saved you—it was a mistake. Please forgive my past error, okay?”

Shao Gongzi’s eyes darted around, panicking internally. He had come to this conversation full of confidence after being inspired by Lu Mingfei, but now he realized he had no control in front of Nono.

Sensing that she was about to leave, he frantically blurted, “Have you ever read Saiyuki?”

He tried his best to mimic Lu Mingfei’s expression when he told the story—calm with a touch of melancholy. “In Saiyuki, the Monkey King was a dumb monkey, stuck in the Water Curtain Cave for hundreds of years without anyone to talk to. One day, a handsome guy named Tang Sanzang walked into the cave and asked the Monkey King, ‘Was it you who called me?’ The dumb monkey said, ‘No, it wasn’t me.’ Tang Sanzang looked at him for a long time, then reached out and said, ‘Well, come with me then.’ From that day on, the Monkey King followed him, no matter where he went, to the ends of the earth. There are lots of monkeys in this world—some smart, some dumb. The smart monkeys get taken out of the cave and run away, but the dumb ones… they can only follow that person. If they don’t, they don’t know where to go. You always said I was Pigsy, but I’m telling you, I’m just a dumb monkey. Do you believe me?”

Shao Gongzi got carried away as he spoke, shouting inwardly for lights, cameras, action! He imagined everyone’s gaze fixed on him, admiring his heartfelt confession. I’m Shao Yifeng! I’m shining… no, I’m shining for Senior!

Nono, holding her glass of gin, was about to drink but stopped, her hand trembling slightly. Ripples formed on the surface of the liquid. She stared at Shao Gongzi, her mind seemingly elsewhere.

Shao Gongzi thought to himself, Dear heavens, did my confession really hit that hard? Did I move her that much? Just as he was about to reach for her hand, Nono suddenly put down her glass, got up, and left.

By the time Shao Gongzi chased after her, Nono had already disappeared down the spiral staircase, moving so quickly that she hadn’t even waited for the elevator.

At the same time, not far away, Nono sat alone in a hotpot restaurant, sipping from a cup of Erguotou and eating from a double-flavor pot.

After finishing two plates of lamb, she felt much better. It was the first thing she had eaten all day, having spent the entire day working at the pit site of Huan Ya Group, trying to figure out how to pump the water out.

Chu Tianjiao was the last clue. If this clue broke, she would have no idea where to find Chu Zihang.

The middle-aged man with the eight-pack abs had been helpful, bringing in several water pumps. Eventually, they managed to drain the water, clearing a path to the small room. But the original furnishings were long gone, and the items that bore Chu Tianjiao’s imprint had been washed away, replaced by all sorts of debris. In that moment, Nono felt as if she didn’t even have the strength to breathe. Is this the end? Chu Tianjiao, Chu Zihang, and the mysterious car accident from years ago—everything had been swallowed by time, leaving it all an unsolvable mystery.

That’s why when Nono entered Shao Gongzi’s office, she was so exhausted. She had understood the challenge from Tu Xiaojiao, but all she wanted at that moment was a drink and some quiet time to zone out.

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