Dragon Clan: Lu Mingfei Returns from Japan

Chapter 734 Room Arrangement
"Long time no see."

The woman smiled gently: "It hasn't been that long, the last time we met was only about half a year ago, right? I still remember how dashing you were back then."

“Yes, it was six months ago, when we first collaborated,” Lu Mingfei replied with a smile.

The person sent by the Zhou family to greet them was naturally Zhou Li. The person who liaised with Professor Mans and his team during their first collaboration with Kassel College was also this Zhou Li.

Remembering what Lu Mingze had said at the airport not long ago, that the Zhou family's clan association could be roughly divided into conservatives and liberals, the Dr. Zhou in front of him, who had been responsible for liaison work with the academy several times, was probably a member of the liberal faction? This did fit Lu Mingfei's imagination.

After all, conservatives sound old-fashioned and conjure up images of a bunch of pedantic scholars. Liberals, on the other hand, give off a youthful and energetic vibe.

Zhou Li nodded, shifting her gaze from Lu Mingfei to the two girls behind him: "Miss Ling and I are old friends. I was very impressed by Miss Ling's calmness and intelligence during our last collaboration... And this is..."

Su Enxi, who had been standing behind Lu Mingfei, stepped forward and introduced herself, saying, "Hello, my name is Su Enxi. Miss Zhou, you can just call me Enxi."

“It’s a nice name.”

Zhou Li smiled and pointed to the Panamera parked next to her: "Shall we get in the car first, and continue our conversation there?"

Lu Mingfei put all three suitcases into the trunk. The seating arrangement was that all three sat in the back seats, with Lu Mingfei on the outermost side, Su Enxi on the inner window seat, and Ling in the middle separating the two. After the brief interaction of suddenly touching each other's faces at the airport, the atmosphere between Lu Mingfei and Su Enxi was now a little awkward.

The Panamera roared away as it sped off. Zhou Li, sitting in the driver's seat, asked as she drove, "Have any of you visited Xiangyang before?"

Lu Mingfei and Ling both answered no, while Su Enxi replied that she had been to Xiangyang once or twice before, but not for tourism. She didn't elaborate on the reasons for her previous visits, but Lu Mingfei deduced that Su Enxi's previous visits to Xiangyang were probably for business.

He knew that the young and beautiful Su Enxi was far more complex than she appeared, and that she actually owned quite a few businesses. She had shares in "Su's Energy," owned by the Little Fairy, and she also had investments in the businesses of the Snake Clan.

When Zhou Li heard that Lu Mingfei and his group had never visited Xiangyang before, she couldn't help but show a slightly regretful expression: "Although it might sound like I'm bragging when I say it, Xiangyang is actually quite a fun city. Since you're here in Xiangyang, if you're interested, I can drive you around the city."

"Sure, I've always wanted to visit Gulongzhong too."

Su Enxi blinked and said, "If we still have time after this mission is over, we might really need to trouble Miss Zhou to be our tour guide."

Lu Mingfei clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking that Su Enxi's status as a negotiation expert was truly impressive. He quickly shifted the topic back to the mission, stating that the academy's mission was their primary purpose for coming to Xiangyang. Tourism could wait until after the mission was complete.

He neither offended Zhou Li nor refused her invitation, leaving her room to maneuver, while also expressing his own attitude.

With Su Enxi around, at least in terms of communication, Lu Mingfei no longer needs to rack his brains.

Zhou Li smiled and said, "Okay, I hope I'll have that opportunity."

The scenery outside the car window changed. The city of Xiangyang had less of the hustle and bustle unique to the capital, and more of a down-to-earth tranquility and peace.

It seems Zhou Li is right. Lu Mingfei doesn't know if Xiangyang is a fun city, nor does he know what secrets this place, which has been a hotbed of history, holds. But at least it does look like a livable city.

Soon the scenery outside the car window changed again, from the desolate nature of the suburban airport to the bustling city, and then back to the lush greenery of the countryside in midsummer.

Lu Mingfei noticed the mountains beside the road and subconsciously asked, "Are we heading into the mountains now?"

Zhou Li replied, "Yes, more or less. The mountain you see is Xian Mountain. Part of it has been developed into a scenic area, but most of Xian Mountain still retains its original topography. The old Zhou family residence that I am taking you to now is located at the foot of the central Xian Mountain."

Do you all live in the mountains?

"Not really."

Zhou Li smiled and said, "We're not that isolated from the world. Although our family still retains many old customs, such as holding ceremonies on certain holidays, we are still modern people. The Zhou family has businesses all over the country. Most of the Zhou family members, including myself, usually live outside. Only 'Nuwa' and a few elderly members of the Zhou family live in the old Zhou family house."

Nuwa. This was the second time Lu Mingfei had heard this name today.

Judging from Lu Mingze's tone, Nuwa seems to be a young girl? But how could such a young girl endure loneliness and live in the mountains?

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but label Nuwa as a pitiful left-behind child in his mind.

Zhou Li continued, "However, the Ghost Festival is just over half a month away. The family is currently busy with preparations for the Ghost Festival celebrations, and many members of the Zhou family have gradually returned to the old house. The accommodations arranged for you distinguished guests by the Zhou family are also in the old house."

"Is the Zhou family busy with a festival lately? Wouldn't our sudden visit be too much of a disturbance?" Lu Mingfei asked.

“Of course not,” Zhou Li said. “In fact, the arrival of several distinguished guests would surely please the goddess Nuwa. The Zhou family rarely receives visitors from outside.”

Elderly people?
Lu Mingfei suddenly had a question.

Lu Mingze said that Nuwa was a young girl, but Zhou Li, who was a few years older than him, said that Nuwa was an "old lady"... He was becoming more and more confused about Nuwa's identity.

The car drove onto a side road branching off from the main highway. After passing through a rather long tunnel, when it emerged again, Lu Mingfei could see a cluster of buildings at the foot of the mountain outside the window. The buildings were of the gabled, purlin-style type, surrounded by walls, and contained large areas of green space and a lake, covering a considerable area. It was quite a sight.

If Lu Mingfei hadn't known that his destination was the Zhou family's old residence, he would have definitely thought it was either a tourist attraction like Lijiang Ancient Town, or a key cultural relic site like the Qiao Family Compound, one of the "Fifty Scenic Spots of the Yellow River".

Zhou Li seemed to have figured something out and said with a smile, "Don't worry, this isn't a cultural relic site; it's perfectly safe to live in."

"Oh, oh," Lu Mingfei replied, wondering to himself if his expression was that obvious.

The car quickly drove from the mountain road into the foothills and finally stopped in front of the Zhou family mansion. The mansion was built on a slightly higher ground, with a fairly large parking lot below. Looking around, you could see luxury cars that often appeared on the covers of car magazines, the lowest being a BMW 5 Series or a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Just by looking at the cars parked at the entrance, one can imagine how lavish the Zhou family's family gatherings must be. They're probably no less extravagant than the impressive banquets of the Gattuso family.

After the car came to a stop, Lu Mingfei and his group got out. Just as they were about to retrieve their suitcases from the trunk, they discovered that someone had already taken them out for them. "Are they guests from Kassel College?"

A pretty girl waved and greeted them, introducing the boy next to her: "My name is Zhou Minyao, and this is my brother, Zhou Minhao. Shall we help you with your suitcases?"

Zhou Li locked the car door and introduced them: "These are my cousins, but this introduction seems a bit redundant? After all, we've come to the Zhou family, and all the people of the same age we meet are cousins."

Lu Mingfei felt a little embarrassed by the other party's enthusiasm: "No need, no need, we can carry our own suitcases."

Zhou Minhao smiled and revealed a set of white teeth: "No need to be polite. We've already come to the Zhou family's territory, how can we let the guests carry their own luggage? Actually, I've heard your name for a long time and have always wanted to meet you."

Am I that famous?

"Of course, after all, he's the one who could sever the body of the next generation Samson." Zhou Minyao blinked. "Seeing him in person today, he's really handsome!"

Lu Mingfei wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but even though the sun was shining brightly overhead, he suddenly felt a tiny bit of chill down his spine...

"I am Zero," Zero introduced himself, standing behind Lu Mingfei, his voice cold.

Su Enxi then introduced herself.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you all." Zhou Minyao smiled sweetly.

Unable to resist the Zhou family's hospitality, Lu Mingfei had no choice but to have two people carry their suitcases. It must be said that the Zhou family's consideration was indeed quite thoughtful; knowing that Ling and Su Enxi were traveling with Lu Mingfei, they specially sent a girl to carry Ling and Su Enxi's luggage.

Fortunately, after leaving the parking lot, it wasn't too far from the Zhou family's house. After passing through the gatehouse and walking up a short but not too long hill, we arrived at the front of the Zhou family's house.

Contrary to Lu Mingfei's expectations, there was no notification or identity check before entering the gate. The gate was wide open and there wasn't even a guard. There were only two bronze lions, one on the left and one on the right, sitting on their pedestals, looking lifelike with their eyes closed in a deep sleep.

After that, Zhou Minyao suddenly stopped, as if she had remembered something: "Oh right! I almost forgot to give you that thing."

Zhou Li said, "Look how careless you are, how could you forget that thing?"

Zhou Minyao stuck out her tongue: "Mingfei, could you put your hand out? Miss Ling and Miss Su are also in trouble."

...So all the girls in your Zhou family are so quick to make friends? We've only known each other for less than ten minutes, how come you're already calling him Mingfei? It took Miaomiao several months to go from calling Lu Tongxue to calling him Mingfei!

Lu Mingfei, puzzled, reached out his hand. Zhou Minyao took out three bracelets from her pocket and placed them on their hands. Each bracelet had a key-shaped pendant.

Zhou Minyao explained, "Wearing this means you are guests of the Zhou family and are allowed to enter the Zhou family."

Lu Mingfei took the bracelet and put it on. The bracelet was made of some kind of metal, cool and hard, but not bulky. It didn't feel heavy on his wrist.

For a while, Liu Miaomiao and Chen Wenwen took a liking to rope braiding. The two of them braided a rope bracelet with a love knot for him to wear. Wearing this bracelet felt similar to wearing a rope bracelet.

After confirming that all three people had put on their bracelets, Zhou Minyao spoke again: "Then... on behalf of Nuwa, I would like to extend a welcome to our guests for their visit to the Zhou family."

……

Lu Mingfei and his group were arranged to stay in a courtyard house on the east side of the Zhou family residence.

It's a very traditional courtyard house, not very big, but it's small but complete. The exterior looks quite rustic, but the interior is decorated in a modern Chinese style. It has a TV, air conditioner, internet access, and a small refrigerator. It's just like a small guesthouse in an ancient town.

There's also a small courtyard in the middle. When the weather isn't too hot, it would be quite pleasant to sit there on a stool and bask in the sun.
The only drawback is that there are only two rooms in the courtyard, and the toilets are outside the two side rooms. This is probably because the Zhou family residence was a modern renovation based on an old-style building.

Zhou Li also expressed her apologies: "Because of the recent Ghost Festival celebrations, many Zhou family members who were away have returned to the old house one after another, so we can only make room for the three of you to live in this small courtyard."

Fortunately, it's not too inconvenient. Although there are three of them, there are two women and one man, and Su Enxi and Ling are also friends. The double bed in the room is spacious enough. It shouldn't be a problem for three people to stay in two rooms... right?

“No, I want to have a room by myself. As you know, I sleep very late, often stay up all night, and I'm a restless sleeper. Sometimes I even sleepwalk. If I sleep in the same room as you, you won't be able to sleep well either.” Su Enxi said this when the rooms were being assigned.

Lu Mingfei was dumbfounded: "But we only have two rooms..."

"It's very simple." Su Enxi blinked, her smile innocent and natural: "Can't you just share a room with Ling?"

Lu Mingfei objected, saying that wouldn't work, as he was a boy and Ling was a girl.

Su Enxi continued, "But as long as Lu Mingfei, you have a clear conscience, it won't matter if you share a room with Ling, right? Or are you actually feeling guilty and afraid something might happen..."

This statement truly left Lu Mingfei speechless. So, as long as he didn't sleep in the same room as Ling, it meant he felt guilty towards her? What kind of twisted logic was that!
Lu Mingfei was about to vehemently reject Su Enxi, saying that regardless of whether he felt guilty towards Ling, men and women should not be allowed to have physical contact and should not live in the same room...

Then Zero, who was standing to the side, said calmly, "I can."

"?"

Lu Mingfei paused for a moment, then looked at Zero: "You just said 'you can,' which means..."

Zero said expressionlessly, "What I mean is, I can sleep in the same room as you, it's fine."

……

(End of this chapter)