Tomb raiding: A mere 20 is nothing!

With San San's problem resolved, Shen Mingchao and Xie Yuchen headed to the airport.

Wu Xie stood at the entrance of Wu Shan Ju and said that Yu Cun's house would be completed soon.

The fat man casually replied that he would let her eat all-natural, additive-free food then.

Shen Mingchao agreed to all of them, then turned her gaze to the silent Zhang Qilan. She walked over and took the initiative to say goodbye.

"Idols, I will come to Yuchun to find you after some time."

Then she received a nod from Zhang Qiling.

Wow! Taking initiative really does pay off.

Shen Mingchao smiled brightly and was about to strike up a conversation with the others when a dark figure squeezed out.

Then a affected, pretentious voice rang out: "Chao Chao~ You have to think about me, you blind man~ Otherwise, I'll be heartbroken~"

"..."

Someone, take this monster away, right now.

Shen Mingchao's face darkened, and as if he had made a decision, he turned around and got into the car.

Immediately afterwards, her phone started buzzing.

She opened the message and saw that it was all from Hei Xiazi.

The general meaning is: You are heartless, you are ungrateful, you just left like that, blah blah blah.

What kind of abstract online record is this, featuring a centenarian?

Shen Mingchao still softened and sent a message.

[Okay, I'll miss you, Blackie. Be careful on your journey too (heart emoji)]

[Bye-bye Bear Emoji Pack]

Xie Yuchen was extravagant; because of her status, she couldn't fly, so she directly called a private jet.

During the first half of the flight, Shen Mingchao, still amazed by Xie Yuchen's extravagant spending, drifted off to sleep. When she opened her eyes again, she looked to her side and found him intently studying documents.

As expected of the head of the Xie family, whose net worth is in the hundreds of billions, he's incredibly busy, even handling official business on the plane.

Seemingly noticing Shen Mingchao's gaze, Xie Yuchen turned his head and asked gently, "Awake? How did you sleep?"

"good."

Even the most comfortable seats on an airplane are bound to be bumpy.

Xie Yuchen put away his laptop: "The plane will be here soon. A car will pick us up after we leave the airport. You can get some rest once we get to the Xie family home."

"Mhm."

A moment later, Shen Mingchao suddenly heard Jie Yuchen ask her a completely unrelated question.

"Would you like to hear a traditional opera?"

Shen Mingchao didn't think much of it, assuming that Xie Yuchen was trying to be a good host and invited her to see a play. Not wanting to disappoint Xie Yuchen's kindness, she nodded slightly.

While waiting for her ID card and student registration to be processed, this man visibly became very busy, appearing almost daily but never leaving her side.

This became a minor incident, and Shen Mingchao didn't take it too seriously. She figured that Xie Yuchen must have been busy with official duties while picking up her brother from Changbai Mountain, so it was normal for him to be busy.

Why not just let Xie Yuchen do whatever he wants, and I can just laze around in the Xie family and have a blast!

What kind of value does it have to be to offer free food and lodging in Beijing, a place where land is incredibly valuable?

What's wrong with being alone? Taking this opportunity to travel to various tourist attractions in Beijing is the right thing to do.

You can't mistreat yourself, no matter who else you are.

Time slipped away quietly as Xie Yuchen was too busy to be seen and Shen Mingchao indulged in various forms of eating, drinking, and having fun.

Until early October, Huo Xiuxiu, who was also a very busy person, took the initiative to contact her and asked her to go shopping.

Shen Mingchao readily agreed.

However, after a day, she felt something was off.

Huo Xiuxiu was too enthusiastic towards her, dragging her straight to various hair salons and clothing stores, doing her hair and clothes with the utmost care, treating her like a doll.

As the sun set, Shen Mingchao sat in the Huo family's car and glanced suspiciously at Huo Xiuxiu. He noticed that she was staring at her phone, smiling broadly, her eyes brimming with undisguised joy.

It's familiar, all too familiar.

The same expression she had when she stayed up all night online eating gossip.

Shen Mingchao finally couldn't hold back any longer and leaned over to ask, "Sister Xiuxiu, tell me the truth, is there some kind of banquet tonight?"

Huo Xiuxiu smiled gently and said two words lightly: "Secret."

This really whetted Shen Mingchao's appetite.

Shen Mingchao's eyes darted around, preparing to unleash her irresistible charm offensive. While shaking Huo Xiuxiu's hand, she said in a soft voice, "Sister Xiuxiu~ can you give me a hint? What's there to hide from me? Don't worry, if you tell me secretly, I'll pretend I didn't hear anything. I'm very tight-lipped."

Fearing Huo Xiuxiu wouldn't believe him, Shen Mingchao made a pulling motion with his hand in front of his mouth and gave her an OK sign.

"Alright, I'll give you a little hint then." Huo Xiuxiu softened and whispered in her ear, "I'm here on someone's behalf to take you to see a good show."

What does that mean?

Shen Mingchao recalled Huo Xiuxiu's expression just now and immediately realized that Huo Xiuxiu was going to take her to see gossip.

When the car arrived at their destination, Shen Mingchao got out and found they were back at the familiar Xie residence. After following Huo Xiuxiu out through a secret passage in the room, Shen Mingchao looked around and his first thought was: Had they been trapped in a maze?

From one courtyard house to another, who can tell her how many courtyard houses there are in the Jie family estate?

"Sister Xiuxiu, where is this?"

A sly glint flashed in Huo Xiuxiu's eyes: "This is Brother Xiaohua's private residence. He rarely lets others in."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mingchao's thoughts began to wander.

Shen Mingchao tugged at Huo Xiuxiu's sleeve and tentatively asked, "Could it be that Master Hua is hosting a banquet here tonight, and someone wants to take advantage of this banquet to cause trouble on the Xie family's territory? So you brought me here to see Master Hua deal with them?"

"what?"

Seeing Huo Xiuxiu's surprised expression, Shen Mingchao thought she had guessed correctly. Since ancient times, when gods fight, passersby suffer. It's better not to watch this show.

Shen Mingchao chuckled awkwardly and tried to negotiate, "Sister Xiuxiu, you see, I'm completely powerless. If a fight breaks out, I'll just be a hindrance. Maybe I should back off first."

"Huh?" Huo Xiuxiu was both amused and exasperated. "What are you thinking! It was Brother Xiaohua who invited you to see him perform! I didn't tell you because I thought you wouldn't know, and I wanted to give you a surprise. I didn't expect you to have such a wild imagination!"

Shen Mingchao blinked blankly.

Oh, it means watching a play literally.

"Alright, now that the guest has been brought in, my task is complete. Mingchao, I'll be taking my leave now."

"Hey! Aren't you going to stay and watch it with me?"

Huo Xiuxiu didn't say anything more, but just smiled and waved to Shen Mingchao before turning and leaving.

Now that things had come to this, Shen Mingchao finally realized that what Xie Yuchen said on the plane was not a joke.

Her gaze lingered on the ornately decorated stage in the distance, and the neatly arranged table and chairs in the courtyard. The host's invitation was so obvious; if she were to refuse or act coy, she would appear unromantic.

She gracefully lifted her skirt, walked over, and sat down leisurely.

Why wouldn't she accept the invitation from a beautiful woman to watch a play?