The young nobles of Wuling ride east through the Gold Market, their silver saddles gleaming atop white horses as they pass through the spring breeze. Chapter 92: Even the mighty dragon cannot suppress the local serpent (2)

The braised chicken in the pot, however, was truly dreadful. Not only a young heiress like Shen Molan, but even people as unfussy as Fang Yu, Zhao Bin, and Cheng Chen were frowning as they ate, yet on the principle of not being choosy when someone else was treating, they still forced it down.

After the meal, Baozi cheerfully pulled out a large banknote and settled the bill, which made Fang Yu somewhat curious; by rights, the fat man should have been out of money by now.

The others set down their chopsticks and chatted idly, but Hu Yan’s eyes drifted to Shen Molan, who had been silent the whole time.

“Wow, miss, your bag is so pretty,” Hu Yan said with obvious envy.

“Mm. I bought it abroad last Christmas,” Shen Molan replied coolly, not yet finding the girl objectionable.

“Baozi bought me one too, but it always feels like the quality is a bit off.” Hu Yan lifted her little bag with some pride.

One glance was enough for Shen Molan to see that Hu Yan was carrying a cheap counterfeit, worth no more than a few dozen yuan at a wholesale market. But a wealthy young lady would never expose Baozi’s little trick to his face; she still had that much breeding.

“Oh? Heh, I never use that brand, so I don’t really know much about it.”

The tension in Baozi’s chest finally eased as well. He hurried forward to change the subject.

“Well, of course, a young lady like her wouldn’t use that kind of brand. She’d have to use the top luxury names, right?”

Shen Molan gave a faint sniff through her nose and did not answer. Turning her head, she resumed whispering with Zhao Bin.

But Hu Yan’s gaze never left Shen Molan. Whether it was that pink Z4 or the luxury labels from head to toe, everything about her stirred Hu Yan’s fragile heart.

The girl simply put on a fawning smile and circled Shen Molan with questions, from clothes and handbags to masks and lipsticks, every word steeped in admiration.

Since they were all girls and it was their first meeting, Shen Molan patiently explained everything to her one by one. She was a girl herself, and when it came to this sort of thing, she spoke with real authority.

“I’m sleepy. Let’s call it a night. Tomorrow, should I drive for you? Or Cheng Chen?” He looked over at Baozi.

“Anything’s fine. We’re just going out to the countryside for a spin anyway,” Baozi said carelessly, waving a hand.

He nodded and took them into the city; Shen Molan was certainly not used to the small hotels near the school.

“Awoo, Fang Yu, I want to sleep with you. Tell this young lady a story tonight!” Xia Churan said, grinning as she looped her arms around him again.

“No. I’m not used to sleeping with other people.” He sounded a little awkward, fearing that if he lost control for even a moment, it would be hard to explain things to Qin Lu afterward.

In the end, they still booked five rooms. Although Shen Molan and Zhao Bin were somewhat unclear in their usual relationship, they had never crossed that line between men and women.

The next morning, after everyone got up, Fang Yu looked over the group.

“Today we’re accompanying Baozi on a trip out to the countryside. I’ll drive that old Buick of his. Who’s driving the 640?”

“I will, I will, hehe.” Cheng Chen jumped up with a grin; Li Jing had loved convertibles for ages.

“All right, then let your Santana take a break. Let’s go.” He waved them on.

The moment he got into the Buick, he could tell something was off. The seat had sagged, the leather on the steering wheel was badly worn, and when he glanced at the odometer—good grief, one hundred fifty thousand kilometers!

The tank was full, though. He casually flipped down the sun visor, wanting to check the insurance papers, but out fell a registration certificate instead. One look confirmed it: just as he had guessed, Baozi’s car had been rented from a wedding service company.

Still, on the principle of not embarrassing someone to their face, Fang Yu calmly stuffed the certificate back into place just as Baozi and Hu Yan opened the back door and climbed in.

“Let’s go. My darling loves a drive the most,” Baozi said triumphantly, lifting a hand.

“Hmph, look at the one Cheng Chen is driving for Fang Yu. It’s a convertible.” Hu Yan pointed resentfully at the 640i.

“Oh, but convertibles like that aren’t safe. Look at mine—this is the classic choice, understand? Plenty of bosses like to drive this kind.” Baozi did not forget to keep up appearances.

All the same, Hu Yan was quite satisfied with the Buick. After all, it had once sold for more than two hundred thousand yuan. For a girl still in college, that was already an unattainable dream.

The outing was boring, terribly boring. The whole time they were almost entirely listening to Baozi boast: one moment claiming the family’s branch company was about to go public, the next saying the yacht was in for maintenance. In short, whatever a rich tycoon might have in a novel, Baozi claimed without omission, parading it all out.

“I listened to that fat bastard showing off all day, and my ears are greasy,” Zhao Bin muttered as he dug at his ears with a cotton swab in the hotel.

“Damn it, I should’ve known not to come. I thought he was treating us to some feast, but it tasted about the same as gutter oil from the snack street,” Cheng Chen complained too.

Fang Yu had thought this was just an ordinary outing, but unexpectedly, after he and Zhao Bin had been gone only half a day, something happened to the others.

That morning, he and Zhao Bin took the highway south toward Nanwu. The main reason was that Zhao Bin’s elderly grandparents had not seen their grandson in a long time, and he wanted to do his filial duty. A few days earlier he had just received his salary, so Zhao Bin happily bought some health supplements and asked Fang Yu to send him home for half a day.

As for Xia Churan and the others left at school, they slept until noon before getting up. Baozi remained as trustworthy as ever and still wanted to treat them to a meal, but Shen Molan could no longer bear the gutter oil here. She immediately waved a hand.

“Forget it. I’m not used to the food here. I’ll treat you all to lunch.” With that, she got into the Z4 on her own.

Since Hu Yan now idolized Shen Molan, she immediately stepped forward with a smile as well.

“Sis Molan definitely isn’t used to the food here. It’s all Baozi’s fault for not knowing better. Let’s go into the city to eat?”

Shen Molan gave a slight nod and sped off with a press of the accelerator. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Cheng Chen’s eyes fell on a newly opened cinema in the city.

“Heh, Baozi, take them back to school and stroll around for a bit. My girlfriend and I are tired, so we’re going to rest for a while.” As he spoke, he even gave the fat man a meaningful look.

Baozi glanced enviously at the lovely Li Jing and nodded.

“Sure, go on. There’s nothing else to do anyway.”

Xia Churan and Shen Molan looked at each other for a moment. In the end, it was Shen Molan who broke the silence.

“Very well. I haven’t been to this school before, so it’s worth a look. I hear the tuition here isn’t exactly cheap, either.”

At that, Baozi grew proud.

“That’s right. It’s fifteen thousand a year.”

Baozi’s rented Buick had already been returned to the rental company. In his words, his family needed the car urgently, so he had no choice but to return it first.

So when they went out, Xia Churan naturally sat in Shen Molan’s passenger seat with complete confidence, while Baozi and Hu Yan had to take a taxi themselves.

The four of them entered through the school gate, and many students stared at Xia Churan and Shen Molan, whispering among themselves. The two beautiful girls were truly a sight to behold. Even Baozi, standing nearby, looked smug, as though all three of them were his girlfriends.