I'm in Love Apartment, and the system is making me cultivate immortality.

Chapter 386 Dumas Arrives! Oh no, Miss Lin has discovered him!

After scratching the lottery tickets and deducting the costs, I made about 600 yuan.

The newsstand owner's face immediately darkened.

But he saw with his own eyes that the two men had shaved, so he couldn't fake it. He had no choice but to reluctantly pay them off and let them go.

This boss is so petty!

If you don't win, pretend you're deaf and dumb; if you win a few hundred yuan, you'll feel terrible about it.

Tang Youyou was indignant and kept muttering under her breath, feeling indignant on behalf of others.

They said Gu Yifan should have bought two more tickets to infuriate that stingy shopkeeper, and so on.

Gu Yifan echoed this sentiment.

The two of them, carrying gift boxes, swayed and staggered to the intersection.

"I'll head back now. I need to go to the film set to return the props."

Tang Youyou, carrying the gift box in both hands, turned around and gave Gu Yifan a bright smile.

"Okay, I'm leaving too. See you later." Gu Yifan smiled.

"goodbye."

After the initial excitement of winning the lottery, life eventually returns to normalcy.

I ate the pan-fried buns and also scratched the lottery tickets.

The two parted ways at the intersection.

One turned left to take the subway, while the other opened the car door, got in, and went home.

Neither of them mentioned going for a walk together or having dinner.

Adult life is like this: we can only meet by chance on the street or in a hurry when we have a spare moment.

Everyone remained restrained, avoiding being too enthusiastic so as not to disturb the other person.

However, as Tang Youyou carried the gift box towards the subway station, her figure appeared somewhat lonely.

Just when you're having a good time, it comes to an abrupt end, leaving you feeling neither happy nor sad.

Thinking of this, Tang Youyou stopped and turned around to look behind her.

She regretted not mentioning it earlier, asking if Gu Yifan was free so she could take him to the film set.

But then they saw Gu Yifan's SUV turn around and drive away in the crowd, its turn signal on.

“.eh”

Tang Youyou was a little discouraged, but then she perked up again.

It's okay, we have each other's contact information anyway. I'll ask him if he's free during the Chinese New Year.

Tang Youyou turned around again, struggling to lift the heavy gift box, and muttered to herself.

"It's so heavy, it must be carrying a lot of good stuff. I'm pretty lucky."

When Gu Yifan returned to the apartment.

The sky was gradually darkening, and before the streetlights were turned on, as dusk was approaching.

However, many windows in the community already have lights on.

Gu Yifan first put the gift box in room 3601, only to find that Wan Yu, who should have been in the apartment, was not in the room.

Then he turned around and went to 3602.

Gu Yifan couldn't find Wanyu there, but instead saw a handsome older man he didn't know wandering around the suite.

The two were both taken aback when they met.

It was the well-dressed, handsome old gentleman who broke the awkward silence by speaking up and greeting them.

"This young man must be Yifan."

"Yes, who are you?" Gu Yifan felt a strange sense of familiarity from the other person and suddenly realized that this person could be Ziqiao's godfather, Alexandre Dumas.

As expected, Alexandre Dumas introduced himself with a smile, saying that he was Ziqiao's godfather, and that he had come from Moscow to visit Ziqiao.

As he spoke, Dumas kept looking Gu Yifan up and down, his eyes full of admiration.

If Gu Yifan hadn't known that Dumas and Ziqiao shared the same interests, and that a wealthy woman hadn't followed him all the way from Moscow, he would have worried that Dumas might be gay.

However, Dumas was witty and very talkative, which quickly dispelled the awkwardness in the air.

Alexandre Dumas praised Gu Yifan for his youth and talent, saying that Ziqiao should learn from him.

For some reason, Gu Yifan felt that he might try to sell him something at any moment.

For example, hair growth shampoo?

The system suddenly issued a notification.

Today, you've unexpectedly encountered a legendary figure. Seemingly ordinary, he is in fact a prominent figure from the previous generation of the Eastern Wilderness, and the patriarch of the Lü family, possessing unfathomable strength!

You might be able to learn some lessons from this once-famous figure to supplement your training in the 'Lüshi Chunqiu'!

Gu Yifan: Huh?!
Gu Yifan, who had been somewhat absent-minded, suddenly became enthusiastic as his eyes lit up.

This surprised Alexandre Dumas.

This young man doesn't seem to have any unusual fetishes, does he?

The old man and the young man seemed to hit it off immediately, with Dumas boasting about how he traveled the world alone and was surrounded by beautiful women.

Gu Yifan watched the experience bar rise rapidly and wished that Dumas would talk a little longer.

At this moment, Ziqiao, Guangu, and Zhanbo pushed open the door and came in carrying large and small bags.

"Dad, we've bought the ingredients you wanted. You can show off your cooking skills now. Yifan? What are you doing here?"

"Why can't I be here?" Gu Yifan asked, spreading his hands.

Dumas, on the other hand, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, licked his dry lips, and stood up.

"Ziqiao, your good friend is indeed handsome and dashing. Looking at him reminds me of myself when I was young."

Alexandre Dumas looked at Gu Yifan with eyes full of nostalgia.

It felt like seeing my younger self.

Ziqiao rolled his eyes and, without any appreciation, exposed his father's lie.

"Dad, stop patting yourself on the back. I've seen photos of you when you were young, and you weren't even as handsome as me, let alone Yifan."

"Hehe, maybe so, but you can't say that. For a man, what's important isn't his face, but his inner and outer charm."

Alexandre Dumas shook his head and laughed, not at all bothered by having his tire punctured by his godson.

No wonder he's Ziqiao's mentor; he's someone who can live a carefree life.

Ziqiao walked behind Dumas and pushed him toward the kitchen, urging him on.

"Alright, alright, Dad, hurry up and cook. Didn't you say you learned how to make authentic Italian braised pork knuckle in Russia? Go and show it off."

Gu Yifan: Wait a minute, did you learn authentic Italian cooking in Russia? Or was it braised pork knuckle?
"Alright, alright, you silly child, you just arrived and you're already making your old man cook, sigh."

Alexandre Dumas took the plastic bag and asked Ziqiao in a low voice, "Isn't there something strange about your friend? Why is he more enthusiastic than me?"

Ziqiao blinked. "He's also an author."

Alexandre Dumas immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "That's not surprising."

After Dumas left, Ziqiao quickly rushed to Gu Yifan's side and whispered nervously.

"My godfather, he didn't try to sell you anything, did he? You didn't buy anything, did he?"

Gu Yifan clicked his tongue in regret, thinking that if Lü Shi Chunqiu had just a little more experience, he could have broken through from the middle grade of the Heavenly Rank to the upper grade of the Heavenly Rank.

When that time comes, I'll definitely be more at ease when facing all the girls around me.

It's okay, we can continue chatting later.

"No, your dad is very enthusiastic and speaks very nicely. It's very interesting to chat with him," Gu Yifan said with a smile.

Ziqiao breathed a sigh of relief and reminded Gu Yifan, "That's good. Don't buy anything my dad tries to sell you."

"why?"

"Heh, because you'll never use it if you buy it. It's even more of a rip-off than my miracle pills!" Zi Qiao sneered.

Zhanbo chimed in, "Ziqiao said his godfather is a top salesman; there's nothing he can't sell."

“That’s right, my godfather can sell combs to monks, air conditioners to Norwegians, chairs to Japanese, and Spanish ham to Afghanistan!”

Gu Yifan was taken aback. Good heavens, if ham is sold to Afghanistan, will anyone buy it? They must want to eat purple eggs.

Also, there's nothing wrong with selling the chairs to Japanese people, right?

"Wait a minute, autumn bean sack!"

"Gu Yifan suddenly imagined a series of bow-legged people walking past him."

"puff"

Gu Yifan almost couldn't help but laugh. Ziqiao was really too mean; Guan Gu was still here.

Looking at it this way, Alexandre Dumas really is a super experience pack.

Gu Yifan's eyes lit up, while Ziqiao watched anxiously.

"No, were you even listening to what I said?"

"I know, don't worry, I won't be fooled by your old man. By the way, Ziqiao, you weren't studying under Alexandre Dumas, were you?" Gu Yifan asked nonchalantly.

Ziqiao shrugged. "Pretty much. My godfather is much better than me at conning people and picking up girls."

Guan Gu exclaimed in surprise, "So this is what Zi Qiao looks like when he gets old."

"Yes, there is more!"

Ziqiao suddenly remembered something and added in a low voice, "Especially don't accept his checks!"

Zhanbo and Guangu exchanged a glance, then asked curiously, "Why? Does your godfather, Ziqiao, give fake checks?"

"The check is real, but my godfather has always believed in living life to the fullest and enjoying the moment. He usually doesn't have much money in his bank account, so you know what I mean."

Ziqiao shrugged and gritted his teeth, saying that he had probably been tricked many times and was now traumatized.

Gu Yifan rubbed his chin. Logically speaking, Dumas should have known that the check couldn't be cashed.

Given his style, he should be very careful about things that would be exposed directly and damage his reputation.

Perhaps Alexandre Dumas thought this was part of the joke?

While waiting for Alexandre Dumas to showcase his culinary skills.

"By the way, do you know where Wanyu went?" Gu Yifan asked Ziqiao curiously.

"Wanyu went shopping with my sister, Yu Mo, and Meijia," Zhanbo said, raising his hand.

Gu Yifan nodded in understanding. No wonder he hadn't seen a single girl; they had gone shopping in a group.

Ziqiao wondered, "When did the four of them become so close?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because all the girls live in 3603. Isn't that a good thing? Meijia won't cause me any trouble."

Guan Gu was very happy that Mei Jia had something to do.

Otherwise, if he left the studio for even a short while, he would never find his drafts again; they would all be collected by Mika.

Guan Gu: Don't look at my manuscript. The paint is piled up everywhere, but there's a reason for all those placements!
After Meijia tidied things up, Guangu couldn't remember where he had put his things. Ziqiao patted Zhanbo on the shoulder, "That's why you should never bring Molan along, otherwise you'll know how terrifying it is when five women get together!"

Zhanbo shuddered.

Gu Yifan rolled his eyes. "Don't scare the child. You'll scare him silly."

at the same time.

A shopping mall near the apartment was bustling with people during peak hours.

"Cheers to today's girls' gathering!"

Four girls, who had spent the afternoon shopping and going on a shopping spree, chose a self-service barbecue restaurant on the fifth floor of the mall for a get-together.

Miss Lin raised her glass in celebration, using fruit juice instead of alcohol.

Various foods were laid out in front of them, and the four of them took some of each.

If Gu Yifan were here, he estimated that this wouldn't be enough for him to eat alone.

"Yeah, having a girls' activity once in a while really makes a difference, hehe, let those guys go hungry." Meijia said with a mischievous smile. She had also gone on strike, not giving the guys a chance to freeload, let's see if they get anxious.

"That's not necessarily true. Yifan is still around, so maybe they'll organize a boys' party too," Miss Qin said with a smile, her eyes as clear as autumn water.

"I should have invited Yifan. With him around, we definitely won't lose money at the buffet."

Upon hearing this, both Ms. Hu and Miss Lin nodded subconsciously.

“That’s right. With him around, I can eat whatever I want without worry. Otherwise, I’ll give him a call and ask him to come over secretly.”

Lin Wanyu agreed with Qin Yumo's suggestion, and with a quick glance, she took the opportunity to make her own suggestion.

But in her heart she wondered if that jerk missed her, and if he would panic if he found out she wasn't in the apartment.

Not even a text message, huh!
Ms. Hu's eyes flickered, and she coughed, saying, "What's wrong with Gu Yifan? He's not a boy anymore, so we can't treat him differently."

"We should have brought a little over 100,000 yuan with us; feeding it to this animal would have been just as good!"

By the way, since Xiao Shiwan is also a young girl, they brought her along as well.

In the afternoon, I first strolled around the pedestrian street.

Since she couldn't go into the mall, Meijia found a high-end pet grooming salon downstairs and instructed the staff to give Xiao Shiwan a full-body spa treatment.

They're probably enjoying the attentive service from the staff right now.

"Oh? Who was it that was complaining about not having a bag carrier, and saying that it would be great if Gu Yifan drove over so they could throw all their stuff in his trunk?"

Miss Qin curled her lip dismissively. Yifei's act of deliberately distancing herself from someone was truly laughable!

Ms. Hu's face immediately turned red.

"How can they be the same? Besides, Yu Mo, don't think I didn't see it! This afternoon, Wan Yu wanted to buy clothes for Yi Fan, and you were giving him advice. How do you know so much about his figure?"

As soon as Hu Yifei said that the blame was being shifted to the east, Qin Yumo couldn't sit still. Feeling guilty, she quickly glanced at the smiling Lin Wanyu and retorted.

"I was just giving Wanyu some advice. It was Wanyu who asked me for advice, why didn't she ask you for advice!"

At this point, Meijia stepped in to smooth things over.

"Alright, alright, Yifei and Yumo, stop arguing. Today is a girls' gathering, why do we have to bring up those stinky men?"

Yifei and Yumo then called it a day and stopped.

"But speaking of which, it seems like I haven't heard you guys mention Teacher Zeng or Guan Gu at all. I'm getting tired of hearing you three talking about Yifan."

Meijia said casually.

But these words caused a subtle change in the expressions of the three women.

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.

"Meijia, you're really joking, haha. It's just that only Gu Yifan isn't annoying. As for Zeng Xiaoxian and my good-for-nothing brother, I don't even want to mention them."

Although Ms. Hu said that, she still felt guilty.

She secretly blamed herself for forgetting to be vigilant; even Mika could see through it.

Wan Yu probably didn't notice anything.

Miss Qin also felt a pang of anxiety.
At this moment, Wan Yu smiled and said, "After all, we are best friends who are like-minded."

Upon hearing this, Ms. Hu felt somewhat bewildered.

Especially when Hu Yifei's eyes met Lin Wanyu's wise gaze unintentionally, and then she saw the smile on Lin Wanyu's lips that looked like a faint mockery.

Ms. Hu looked away in surprise.

Meijia hadn't realized the situation was amiss and was still joking, "But you can't keep an eye on your best friend's boyfriend, you know. What's that saying again? 'Don't mess with your brother's wife,' and the same goes for your best friend's girlfriend!"

After speaking, Meijia realized that she was the only one talking and that there might be some misunderstanding, so she quickly explained.

"Of course, I'm not saying that Sister Yifei and Sister Yumo have any feelings for your boyfriend, Wanyu. We're all friends, aren't we?"

Finally, seeing that no one was saying anything, Mika realized she might have messed up. Her voice gradually weakened, and she lowered her head to start stuffing fried chicken into her mouth.
Without exaggeration, Hu Yifei felt that her heart rate was approaching the threshold of fainting. It was pounding wildly, cold sweat broke out on her back, and she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

She especially felt that Wanyu's eyes were constantly staring at her.

We cannot admit it, we absolutely refuse to admit it!

Ms. Hu reminded herself.

Otherwise, everything will be over.

Unexpectedly, Lin Wanyu did not continue to pursue the matter. At this moment, Miss Lin unexpectedly displayed the same elegance and poise as her mother, like a matriarch who had everything under control in her household.

"Alright, Mika was just joking. Why are you two so nervous? Let's eat."

This unusual tone made Ms. Hu and Ms. Qin shudder again, but it was too late.

The two had no choice but to bite the bullet and force a smile.

"That's right, that's right, Mika, you can't make jokes like that anymore."

"Wanyu will be angry."

The atmosphere gradually returned to harmony during the next meal, but it could never recapture the initial enthusiasm.

Miss Qin was alright. Although she had the idea, she hadn't put it into practice yet, so although she was a little guilty at first, she later returned to normal.

Ms. Hu, on the other hand, kept her head down and didn't say much, not daring to look at Wanyu.

Indeed, Ms. Hu really wanted to take out her phone and call Gu Yifan to tell him that Wanyu seemed to have noticed something and what to do.

It was only through sheer willpower that she didn't take out her phone. If Wanyu had been watching her closely, it would have been no different from walking into a trap.

Hu Yifei then recalled her actions over this period of time, from the initial probing to the eventual unbridled behavior.

The three of them even squeezed together to watch a horror movie, shared a tub of ice cream, and their playful and affectionate behavior showed their close bond.

Looking back now, even a fool would find something wrong.

Ms. Hu secretly blamed herself for losing her guard.

Wait until after dinner.

We were originally planning to go see a movie.

But Hu Yifei was in no mood to watch the movie, so she tried to find an excuse to slip away. "Oh dear, I still have lesson plans to work on at school. You guys take a look first."

But then, Wanyu suddenly spoke up, "It's time to pick up Xiao Shiwan. Feifei and I will go first. Meijia, you and Sister Yumo keep an eye on things."

"Huh? No way, you two are leaving?"

Meijia had already excitedly bought popcorn, and while stuffing it into her mouth, she pouted.

Miss Qin, however, pulled Meijia aside and smiled, "It's alright, I'm here with you."

"Speak," Miss Qin and Hu Yifei exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's meaning.

"Yifei, please take care."

What else could Hu Yifei do but force a smile? "Okay, let's go back together. Wanyu, why don't you call Yifan and ask him to come pick us up?"

"No need," Lin Wanyu said, shaking her head.

Hu Yifei chuckled, "That works too, that works too."

Lin Wanyu took Hu Yifei's arm, her quiet face carrying a hint of haughty air that made people afraid to look directly at her. "Then let's go first."

The two groups then parted ways.

Gu Yifan, far away in his apartment, was unaware that a battle for him had already begun.

3602, in the restaurant.

The aroma wafted through the air, and the boys weren't eating instant noodles as the girls had imagined. On the contrary, Alexandre Dumas's cooking skills were surprisingly good.

"How is it? This Harbin red sausage tastes pretty good, right?"

Dumas smiled and said to the boys who were starving and wolfing down their food.

"It's delicious." Zhanbo nodded politely. "Especially this braised pork knuckle, it tastes amazing."

"Wait a minute, Dad, you came all the way from Moscow, why are you carrying Harbin red sausage?" Ziqiao maintained his elegant demeanor just like his father, dressed in a suit and tie, with a white handkerchief around his neck.

This behavior was met with unanimous disdain from the boys; who would eat sausage and pork knuckle with a knife and fork?

"Well, I finished the red sausage I brought on the way here. This one was bought in Harbin, but the taste is about the same." Dumas smiled slightly and instructed the group.

"To win a girl's heart, the first thing to do is to win her taste buds. Delicious food can soothe a person's mood, and eating is also the most relaxing time."

"When I travel around the world, the first thing I do when I arrive at a new place is to try and learn about the local cuisine so that I can have more in common with the local girls."

"Oh, so there's so much to learn here! No wonder my father always said that if I inherited the Guan family's craft, I wouldn't have to worry about finding a wife," Guan Gu said admiringly.

But Ziqiao scoffed, "Father, Confucius said that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen."

Gu Yifan rolled his eyes and coughed. "It was Mencius who said it, not Confucius."

Ziqiao disagreed, "They're all the same."

Alexandre Dumas smiled slightly and said, "Your words are meant to tell people to have compassion and cherish life."

"If I had the chance, I would really like to stay and teach you more of my skills."

Ziqiao said casually, "That's easy. Godfather, you can stay a few more days. I can give you my room and I'll sleep on the sofa."

Alexandre Dumas smiled but said nothing.

Gu Yifan knew that he had been hiding from that rich woman all along.

On the other hand, Dumas still avoided the question of how to deal with the women around him. Would he ever get an answer?

"By the way, Dad, did you meet any romantic interests in Moscow?" Ziqiao asked with a grin.

"Of course, I met a girl named Elizabeth and won her over with my cooking skills." Dumas gave a knowing smile that all men understood.

"Then why didn't you stay, Godfather? Are you going to travel the world?" Ziqiao asked again.

"Ziqiao, how could you have such a thought?" Dumas elegantly wiped his mouth and put down the napkin.

"People like us are born to soar through the skies. Even if we take a break temporarily, it won't stop us from taking flight again. Marriage, for me..."

"It's a grave, I know that."

Alexandre Dumas laughed heartily, "Well, now you've all learned to answer first."

A burst of hearty laughter echoed from inside the apartment.

(End of this chapter)