Tomb raiding: A mere 20 is nothing!

Shen Mingchao thought these people were really idle.

They either don't appear at all, or when they do, they appear in droves.

As soon as Shen Mingchao stepped out of the cinema after the movie ended, he spotted a familiar figure in the bustling crowd.

The man was dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, his black hair was neatly styled, his back was straight, and his temperament was aloof and indifferent, exuding an aura of detachment and nobility.

Standing in the crowd, with calm eyes and a distinguished demeanor, she stands out from the crowd simply with her bearing and attire.

Seeing the other person walking towards them, Shen Mingchao spoke first without anyone else needing to say anything: "This is also one of my uncles, surnamed Zhang."

"Hmm?" Zhang Rishan paused, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"puff--"

Hei Xiazi, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but laugh out loud. He turned his head and exchanged a glance with Xie Yuchen, his eyes full of anticipation for the show.

Xie Yuchen pursed his thin lips, suppressing his smile, and casually looked away.

Although I felt somewhat awkward about being called "uncle" myself, I felt a strange sense of balance when I saw others being called "uncle".

As for why Zhang Rishan is here...

It wasn't exactly him tipping off his rival; he wasn't so idle as to create opportunities for her. It was just that because of a favor from their previous drama, she messaged him and asked him about it, so he answered truthfully.

I thought they were just asking, but I didn't expect them to come directly to me.

"uncle?"

Zhang Rishan muttered something under his breath.

He didn't dislike the title; compared to the previous polite and distant "Chairman Zhang," he felt that the title "Uncle" was more intimate.

Once his thoughts had settled, he gave a perfectly timed smile, walked slowly closer, and first looked at Shen Mingchao, greeting him, "Long time no see, Mingchao."

Then he pursed his lips and complained in a joking tone, "Why haven't you been replying to my messages lately? Have you completely forgotten about your uncle now that you have a boyfriend?"

What are you pretending to be?

Were you a plastic bag in your past life? How can you hold so much?

Shen Mingchao really wanted to say that.

But she swallowed her words back, forced a polite smile, and gritted her teeth: "Uncle Rishan, your ability to adapt is really fast, huh?"

Zhang Rishan nodded calmly in agreement.

They adapted quickly, since it wasn't the first time they'd heard the nickname. Besides, hearing it from Shen Mingchao himself actually sounded pleasant.

Just as I was thinking this, a deep, clear male voice rang out, "Hello, Uncle."

Zhang Rishan's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly; the way he was addressed didn't sound so pleasant to him.

He looked toward the man who had spoken, and was immediately drawn to his appearance. But soon, he sensed a familiar yet faint aura repelling him.

Zhang Haixia could also sense this subtle standoff.

In fact, from the moment he first saw Zhang Rishan, he narrowed his eyes and subtly sized up the man in front of him.

This person was someone from the same era as him. Although they had never crossed paths during his lifetime, he had heard of him.

As the adjutant of Zhang Dafoye in Changsha, he has become shrewd and calculating over the years, and is by no means a soft-hearted person.

Both of them belonged to the Zhang family and shared the same bloodline. With just one glance, they could vaguely sense each other's unique aura.

Alarm bells rang in Zhang Haixia's mind, fearing that the other party would notice something amiss, so he could only deliberately conceal his aura.

He remained calm and composed, trying his best not to reveal any flaws.

With a faint smile on his lips, Zhang Rishan slowly raised his hand and reached out towards Zhang Haixia.

"So you're Mingchao's boyfriend. I've heard so much about you. You do look quite respectable," he muttered to himself, "but I wonder if you're as good as you seem."

“Uncle, you’re joking,” Zhang Haixia said, reaching out to grasp Zhang Rishan’s hand. “My feelings for Chaochao will always be the same, and I will never have any second thoughts in this lifetime.”

"Ha!" Black Bear chimed in from the side, "That sounds nice, but a lifetime is so long, who can say for sure? I could have said I wouldn't have any designs on the Ming Dynasty—"

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp pain shot through the back of his foot.

Hei Xiazi suddenly took a step back, looked at Shen Mingchao who had stepped on his foot, and muttered softly, "I didn't lie."

Shen Mingchao smiled kindly: "Uncle, please don't make such disrespectful jokes about your age~~ I won't take it seriously~~"

Black Bear: "..."

Disrespectful to elders?

Ugh, I really don't want to hear those four words again!

On the other side, Zhang Rishan met Zhang Haixia's gaze, chuckled softly, shook his head, and sighed, saying:

"These young people nowadays always talk about forever, spouting sweet nothings without a second thought. Can such light promises stand the test of time? Or are they just saying it for fun?"

At this point, Zhang Rishan suddenly changed the subject: "Don't misunderstand, I meant the young people I know. I see they're all restless and unreliable, which is why I spoke up. You don't mind, do you?"

After listening to the whole thing, Shen Mingchao only wanted to give Zhang Rishan five words: The Art of Speaking.

Wang Can echoed in the space: [Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder he's a hundred-year-old thing, his sarcastic and veiled skills are truly first-rate. But since he's cursing Zhang Haixia, then please curse him as much as you want, curse him a few more times.]

Shen Mingchao was speechless: [Hey, get your stance straight. We're on the same side. Don't kick us when we're down.]

Don't worry, I'd love for them to fight like dogs.

Wang Can continued sarcastically: "[I'm not saying this to be mean, but in the Ming Dynasty, you're calling Zhang Rishan 'Uncle,' which is a generational difference. Back at Xie Yuchen's funeral, I personally heard Wu Erbai call him 'Uncle,' and Wu Erbai was Wu Xie's second uncle, so according to seniority, you should call him 'Great-Grandfather.'"

Shen Mingchao: [...Partner, do you know how terrifying that sounds?]

She subconsciously glanced at Xie Yuchen standing beside her out of the corner of her eye.

The man had gentle features and a refined demeanor. He keenly noticed her gaze and immediately gave her a warm smile.

Shen Mingchao clicked his tongue and sighed inwardly.

The entire Nine Gates sacrificed a great deal for the Sand Sea project, essentially risking their lives to survive.

Because she knew about that past, the things in her pocket were unusually hot to handle.

Since the other party has taken the initiative to contact us, we might as well take this opportunity to make things clear.

Shen Mingchao raised his hand and patted Xie Yuchen's forearm. Under the other's questioning gaze, he slowly said, "Could you come over for a moment? There's something I want to talk to you about in private."

After these words were spoken, all around fell silent.

Others cast subtle glances at him.

The word "alone" is quite intriguing.

Xie Yuchen was clearly taken aback, unsure of what Shen Mingchao intended to do, but he subconsciously nodded: "Okay."

So the two of them went to a secluded corner.