Chapter 373: Clearly Disdainful
In a bustling market on the outskirts of Zhonghai City, vibrant colors adorned every corner of the streets. Most pedestrians navigating the crowded pathways wore cheerful expressions, though a few migrant vendors who couldn't return home for the New Year forced themselves to stay energetic, hoping to earn some extra money during the festive season.
The market was alive with the sounds of vendors shouting, announcements blaring from loudspeakers, and lively music blending with the chatter of the crowd, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
Huilin hadn't expected Yang Chen to bring her to such a place to buy fireworks; she had assumed they would go to a direct sales point that specialized in them. However, she wasn't familiar with these mundane matters, so she simply followed wherever Yang Chen led her.
Yang Chen walked ahead, with Huilin closely following beside him. The noisy and bustling surroundings made her hesitant to stray too far from Yang Chen. Having spent most of her life on a serene mountain, Huilin found the crowd both fascinating and overwhelming.
Whenever Huilin saw some uniquely designed New Year decorations or brightly colored New Year gifts, her childlike curiosity made her stop and take a few more glances before reluctantly catching up with Yang Chen.
Yang Chen turned his head and, unable to suppress a smile, said, "If you like something, we can buy it on our way back. Let's focus on getting the fireworks first."
Huilin blushed slightly, surprised that Yang Chen had noticed her actions, but she was happy to hear that he would buy her things and nodded cheerfully.
Yang Chen wasn't exactly sure what kind of fireworks to buy. With the house being a "girls' dormitory," he would have to be the one to set off any large fireworks, which wouldn't be much fun for him. However, small fireworks wouldn't be impressive enough.
After some thought, he decided to buy both large and small fireworks. He led Huilin to a busy-looking large store, looked around, and selected a large firework box with eighty-eight shots, paying for it readily.
The shop owner, a kind-hearted plump woman, asked if Yang Chen needed help moving the box, as it was quite heavy. Yang Chen declined, saying it wasn't necessary.
Huilin stepped forward and asked innocently, "Big Brother Yang, should I carry it? I can do it, and you can buy other things." Since Huilin had martial arts training, carrying this weight was easy for her, unlike other girls.
Yang Chen frowned, "Why should a young girl like you do such a thing? Go to that store across the street and ask your grandpa to borrow two guards."
"Grandpa?" Huilin repeated in surprise.
Huilin was startled and turned her head, suddenly noticing Lin Zhiguo, dressed in casual clothes, standing by the door of a porcelain shop. He was with Grey Robe and two security guards, appearing like regular customers choosing tea cups and bowls.
When Lin Zhiguo saw Huilin looking at him with a surprised expression, he knew Yang Chen was finally acknowledging their presence. With a wry smile, Lin Zhiguo, Grey Robe, and the two guards walked toward the fireworks shop.
In fact, ever since Yang Chen and Huilin arrived at the market, Lin Zhiguo and his team had been intentionally or unintentionally staying nearby. Given Yang Chen's abilities, he must have noticed them from the beginning but had chosen to pretend otherwise for some reason.
Lin Zhiguo, being both an elder and a person of high status, had initially hoped Yang Chen would take the hint and approach him. However, Yang Chen had completely ignored them, leaving them hanging for a long time before finally acknowledging them.
"You've got some nerve," Lin Zhiguo said with a mix of displeasure and helplessness. "I thought you were planning to ignore us all the way until you got home."
Huilin quickly lowered her head and called out, "Grandfather." Her small face showed a bit of nervousness. Since learning about Lin Zhiguo's past deeds, she hadn't dared to speak to him, fearing it would anger her grandmother, Master Yunmiao.
Seeing his timid granddaughter, Lin Zhiguo's face softened with a hint of tender affection. "Hui'er, have you been comfortable living at your sister's house?"
"Yes, sister treats me very well," Huilin replied softly.
"That's good. Don't let your relationship with your sister be affected by anything related to me. By the way, does Ruoxi know your true identity?" Lin Zhiguo asked with concern.
Huilin hesitated, "I think she knows, but I'm not entirely sure. She should know by now, right?"
"Is that so..." Lin Zhiguo mused, sighing. "If Ruoxi can accept you as her sister but can't accept me as her grandfather, it seems my sins are still too deep in her heart."
Yang Chen grumbled, "Stop with the nonsense and help me move the fireworks."
Lin Zhiguo's face darkened with annoyance. "Is that how you talk to your elders? Why should I help you move the fireworks you bought?"
"Get your guards to help move them. I still need to take your precious granddaughter to buy some small things. Do you want Huilin to be disappointed and heartbroken after finally seeing her grandfather?" Yang Chen teased with a mischievous smile.
"You..."
Lin Zhiguo glanced at the bewildered Huilin, who looked pitiful. He sighed and instructed the two accompanying guards to help Yang Chen move the fireworks.
Seeing Yang Chen's smug expression as he called Huilin to leave, Lin Zhiguo frowned and asked, "Are you just going to leave? Don't you want to know why I came to find you?"
Yang Chen shrugged, "If you don't tell me, I won't ask."
Lin Zhiguo felt a surge of anger. This kid was deliberately making him lose face, but there was nothing he could do. Yang Chen had him completely cornered.
Finally, Lin Zhiguo sighed and said, "I'm here to inform you that the group will arrive on the night of the second day of the New Year."
Yang Chen casually nodded, "Got it. If there's nothing else, I'll take Huilin and go now."
"Are you that confident? Don't you need to ask how many of them there are, who they are, and what preparations we need to make?" Lin Zhiguo hurriedly questioned.
Yang Chen chuckled easily, "That's your job. I'm just going to observe. Don't mistake my role."
With that, Yang Chen ignored Lin Zhiguo's purplish face and led Huilin, who looked back at every step, out of the fireworks shop.
Grey Robe, seeing Lin Zhiguo's rigid expression, advised, "Master, if Yang Chen wants to know the details, he will surely get the information from the Sea Eagle Team. He's just keeping his distance."
"Hmph, he clearly looks down on me. With such disregard, let's see how he handles it when the Sandstorm members arrive," Lin Zhiguo said with a heavy tone. "The latest intelligence indicates that the leader of Sandstorm is involved in this plan. The man who single-handedly established this team is not someone to be taken lightly."
Grey Robe also showed a bitter expression, "With Huaxia's influence continuously expanding over the years, our enemies have grown stronger and more numerous. I wonder how long our Yanhuang Iron Brigade can hold out."
Lin Zhiguo's face was stern, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
On the other side, Yang Chen and Huilin retraced their steps back. Along the way, Yang Chen let Huilin pick out some trinkets she liked. Since Huilin didn't have any money with her, Yang Chen paid for everything.
"Big Brother Yang, I'll pay you back when I get home," Huilin said earnestly, her cheeks flushed.
"Don't be silly. I may not be as rich as your sister, but I can still buy some small gifts for my little sister," Yang Chen replied with a smile.
Huilin pursed her lips, feeling a strange sense of loss, but she still managed a sweet smile.
As they were about to head back to the parking lot, a tall woman wearing a white down jacket and black tight thermal leggings approached. She carried a woven shopping bag and, despite not wearing any makeup, looked strikingly beautiful with her jet-black hair and fair skin. The cold wind had given her cheeks a faint blush, making her stand out in the crowd.
Yang Chen paused for a moment, and the woman seemed to notice something as well. When she saw Yang Chen, she smiled with a hint of surprise.
However, upon seeing Huilin beside Yang Chen, who was smiling brightly with her delicate features and gentle demeanor, the woman's eyes clearly showed a trace of sadness and jealousy.