Chapter 451: Cold War
"Girls, dinner is ready!"
Grandma called out from the living room.
"Coming, Grandma!"
From the rooms downstairs and upstairs, Lu Linlin, Lu Lili, Xie Yujia, and Zhao Yanzi came out almost at the same time.
In her apron, Grandma couldn't stop smiling.
Zhen Congming yawned while he walked out of his room with Little White following him closely.
Hao Ren walked downstairs from the second floor wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
"Come and eat zongzi!" Grandma led the girls to the table and put chopsticks before them.
"Thank you, Grandma!" Xie Yujia and the other three girls said simultaneously.
"The fillings are duck egg and fresh pork. Each of you must eat at least two zongzi, or you'll get hungry!" Grandma smiled and asked, "How were your sleeps last night?"
"Very good, Grandma!" Zhao Yanzi answered before the others.
"That's good!" Grandma nodded with satisfaction. "Ren, you are a young man and must eat three at least three zongzi!"
"Ok..." Hao Ren sat at the table and sighed helplessly when he saw that the zongzi were as big as fists.
"Little White, come! You eat a zongzi too!" Grandma put a small bowl on the floor and unwrapped a small zongzi before putting it into the bowl.
Little White sniffed at it and decided that it didn't want to eat it.
"This puppy is picky." Grandma patted Little White's head lightly.
"Little White, be good!" Xie Yujia urged.
Reluctantly, Little White lowered its head and began to nibble at the zongzi.
When it was halfway through the dumpling, it found something else besides meat!
It was an Essence Combination Pill!
It was a type of elixir pill that was most fitting for spirit beasts since it could improve the spirit beasts' physique and accelerate their growth.
Exhilarated, Little White's eyes lit up and swallowed the rest of the zongzi.
It looked up at Grandma expectantly, hoping for another one.
However, Grandma called out, "Zhonghua, Yue Yang, drive the kids to school!"
Hao Zhonghua and Yue Yang each drove a white Ford to the gate of the house, beckoning at them.
"Thank you, Auntie!" Lu Linlin and Lu Lili ran over and got in Yue Yang's car before the others.
"Auntie!" Zhao Yanzi jumped into Yue Yang's car.
Obviously, Yue Yang liked her more than Hao Zhonghua.
Xie Yujia helped Grandma to clean up before walking out and getting into Hao Zhonghua's car. Hao Ren followed her into the car as well.
Stretching, Zhen Congming also got into Hao Zhonghua's car.
Yue Yang bought a new white Ford. With four members in the family, one car had been sufficient for them. However, with the increase of the temporary and permanent residents living in their home, one car could no longer meet the needs of the family.
Due to yesterday's rain, the road was slippery, and the Ford driven by Yue Yang, who was not a very skillful driver, was very soon left behind by Hao Zhonghua's Ford.
"Yesterday, I had a small argument with your mom," Hao Zhonghua said while he drove the car.
"Huh?" Hao Ren turned to look at Hao Zhonghua.
"Over some minor things." Hao Zhonghua shook his head and looked at Xie Yujia who was sitting in the back seat through the rear-view mirror. "Yujia, are you going to the U.S. for the summer break?"
"Ah?" Surprised, Xie Yujia nodded. "Erm... I'm supposed to visit my parents in the U.S."
Hao Ren turned to look back at Xie Yujia, but he remained silent. Xie Yujia missed her parents in the U.S., and it was natural for her to keep them company during the summer vacation.
"Ren, do you want to go with Yujia?" Hao Zhonghua asked suddenly.
"Ugh?" Hao Ren looked at Hao Zhonghua in surprise.
"Yujia's parents cared for you when you were little, and they hoped that you could visit them in the U.S.," Hao Zhonghua continued.
"Oh..." Hao Ren hesitated. "Aren't Yujia's parents very busy with their business?"
"Their factories recruited several managers. Besides, their business is usually slow in July and August, and they are not busy in that period," Hao Zhonghua said.
Hearing his father's words, Hao Ren turned to look at Xie Yujia and nodded. "Ok. I'll go and visit them."
"Ok..." Hao Zhonghua nodded with satisfaction. "I'll take a few days off and go with you."
"Isn't Mom going?" Hao Ren asked immediately.
"She..." Hao Zhonghua tightened his grip on the steering wheel and said, "She will be busy, and I don't think she can take any time off after the end of June."
"Oh..." Hao Ren didn't ask any more questions.
He glanced in the rear-view mirror on his side and couldn't see Yue Yang's Ford anymore.
When Hao Zhonghua dropped off Zhen Congming at the gate of LingZhao Elementary School, Hao Ren who was sitting in the passenger seat saw a white Ford stopped at LingZhao Middle School not far from them.
Vivacious Zhao Yanzi got out of the white Ford and waved at the driver enthusiastically.
Whoosh!
Hao Zhonghua started his Ford and passed Yue Yang's Ford.
It was evident to Hao Ren that his parents were in a cold war.
About ten minutes later, Hao Zhonghua drove Hao Ren and Xie Yujia to the gate of East Ocean University.
"Thank you! Uncle!" Xie Yujia got out of the car and felt a little awkward.
"Dad, drive safe!" Hao Ren said to Hao Zhonghua.
"I will!" Hao Zhonghua waved at him before turning the white Ford smoothly toward the direction of the Ocean Research Institute where he worked.
Standing before the school gate, Hao Ren and Xie Yujia looked at each other with some embarrassment.
"Let's go. The first class is about to begin!" Xie Yujia said.
"Ok!" Hao Ren turned immediately and strode into campus.
Shoulder to shoulder, they walked toward Academic Building C with thoughts weighing on their minds, but neither of them wanted to share their thoughts with each other.
The campus road was wet and full of puddles. While they walked around the puddles, they saw the reflections of them walking shoulder to shoulder in the water.
"If it's not convenient for you, you don't have to go and visit my parents," Xie Yujia said in a low voice.
"Oh! It's not like that," Hao Ren answered hurriedly.
"There are many things that I haven't told them," Xie Yujia said again in a low voice.
"For example?" Hao Ren asked tentatively.
"For example, I haven't told them that I like you," Xie Yujia said.
Splash!
Hao Ren stepped into a puddle.
He turned to look at Xie Yujia and saw her expression didn't change.
"I'm just kidding. My parents miss you as well." Xie Yujia quickened her steps and walked into Academic Building C.
After flicking the water off his shoes, Hao Ren hurriedly entered the Academic Building C after her.
They walked upstairs to the third floor and entered classroom 312.
Their classmates had gotten used to seeing them coming to class together. After all, in everyone's eyes, Hao Ren was Xie Yujia's boyfriend, and they were an official couple.
There were two vacant seats in the front row of the classroom. Even though Zhou Liren who was sitting in the last row waved at Hao Ren enthusiastically, Hao Ren followed Xie Yujia, and they sat in the two empty seats in the front row.
"Damn! You forget your buddies when you're with your girlfriend!" Zhou Liren muttered, ignoring the fact that he himself would immediately ditch his buddies at the sight of beautiful girls.
Pitta-patter... It began to drizzle outside the classroom.
The students who had just returned from the Dragon Boat Festival holiday were all tired while the teacher on the platform was discussing the summary for the final exam. Xie Yujia borrowed Ma Lina's notes and began to copy them earnestly while Hao Ren looked up and listened carefully.
After reaching Gen-level, not only his cultivation strength grew, but his IQ experienced an increase as well. He understood everything the teacher said while the complicated structures of the mechanical parts took shape in his mind quickly.
He just couldn't understand why Zhao Yanzi, who had reached Zhen-level and thus was supposed to be a gifted girl, would be so poor in her studies. He attributed it to her inattention to her classes.
The only sounds in the classroom were the teacher's voice and the scratching sounds on paper as students took notes. Outside, the drizzle washed the dust off the flowers and grasses, making the red and green colors more vibrant.
Suddenly, he remembered the inspector's token that he had tossed into his necklace. He took it out immediately and attached it to a string on his waist.
"Come to my office when the class is over." Su Han's voice sounded suddenly.
"Ok!" Hao Ren answered immediately.
All the other students and the teacher looked at Hao Ren who had spoken suddenly.
"Ugh... Nothing." Hao Ren lowered his head slowly.
He was still not used to receiving messages from Su Han through the token.
"How was your trip to Sixth Heaven?" Su Han asked.
"How did you know that I went to Sixth Heaven?" Hao Ren asked in surprise. Of course, it was convenient to communicate without opening his mouth, but he had a weird feeling as if Su Han was living in his heart.
"Do you think the Dragon God Shrine doesn't know everything you do?" Su Han said coldly.
Hao Ren was surprised that the Dragon God Shrine still knew his whereabouts after he put the token, equivalent to a tracker, into his storage space which could disconnect nature essences and spiritual senses.
It seemed to have nothing to do with the token. The intelligence network of the Dragon God Shrine had spread to places above Fifth Heaven, and its ability in collecting information was phenomenal.
"I just looked around on Sixth Heaven. What are you doing?" Hao Ren asked.
No matter how powerful the intelligence network was, Hao Ren thought that it was not able to penetrate the Ethereal Summit, which meant that the valley on Fifth Heaven was absolutely his private territory.
"I'm drinking tea and cultivating," Su Han said.
"I see..." Hao Ren could imagine the scene of Su Han cultivating in her office. On a rainy day like this, Su Han would look especially charming while she sat at the window.
"If it's convenient for you..." Su Han suddenly sounded hesitant. "Can you ask Xie Yujia to make two more Beauty Pills for me?"
"You want them for someone?" Hao Ren asked.
"For myself. They are really effective; My skin got smoother after I took it," Su Han answered.
"Ugh..." Hao Ren lowered his head in exasperation.