Chapter 585: Returning to Lanling's Guesthouse Hotel

What did I just say?

Li Ming replied from beside me, "Thank you, Yang Tao. Let's go back to the Zaocheng Grand Hotel. I also don't want to go back to Niushiling,

there isn't even a place to eat if we go back. These days inside have been suffocating; eating cabbage and radish every day has made me crave."

Hearing Li Ming say that, I grew even angrier.

It's normal that Yang Tao doesn't want to go back; after all, she's a foreign noble.

Li Ming doesn't want to go back, and I just can't figure it out,

My Qian Niang worries about him so much,

He hasn't seen Qian Niang for days,

Could it be that he doesn't miss his mother?

Niushiling is, after all, the place that gave him life; he really doesn't want to go back and see.

I suddenly understood what Qian Niang had told me before,

Li Ming wants to return home in splendor.

Otherwise, he wouldn't go back.

Indeed, he just got out of detention; if he goes back, what would others say when they ask him?

That's why he doesn't want to go back.

People have hometowns they can't return to; when they're doing well, they have no time to go back.

When they're doing poorly, they don't want to go back, and going back would make the neighbors laugh.

Seeing Li Ming and Yang Tao snuggled together talking made me feel uneasy.

You all want to go back to the Zaocheng Grand Hotel, but I refuse to go.

I was also angry,

I said, "This car doesn't have much fuel left; let's refuel at Lanling.

and go back to Zaocheng Xin Cheng tomorrow."

"Back to Lanling?" Yang Tao asked, puzzled.

"Yes, back to the Lanling Guesthouse Hotel; it's safe there, and besides, the Zaocheng Grand Hotel is unsafe, making any discussion inconvenient.

The Guesthouse Hotel was, after all, the place where you once shone.

If you don't go back and look, after returning from abroad and becoming a noble, wouldn't that count as returning home in splendor?" I said deliberately.

"Right, Yang Tao, you're a foreigner; being able to become a foreigner now is impressive. Foreign lands are better; their security and social development surpass ours," Li Ming sighed.

"Fine, then let's go back and take a look," Yang Tao said somewhat helplessly.

So I turned the car toward Lanling. While driving, I thought about Li Ming's words; both what he said and implied was that foreign lands are better.

I cannot accept Li Ming's attitude,

If foreign lands are better, Yang Tao, don't come back; being bullied leaves nothing left when you return.

Damn it, she still has to pretend to be a noble, letting us flatter her. What the heck is this.

When the car reached Lanling, it was already near afternoon.

As soon as we entered the courtyard of the Lanling Guesthouse Hotel,

we didn't expect it to be closed and not operating.

I lived there just a year ago.

It closed so quickly. I said to Yang Tao in the car, "The Guesthouse Hotel is closed; business must be bad.

You should get out and take a look; it counts as revisiting an old place,

anyway, there's still some time before we need to eat."

Yang Tao opened the car door,

and Li Ming got out one after another.

When we walked into the courtyard of the Guesthouse Hotel,

seeing that no one was there, it felt very desolate.

Yang Tao glanced twice and sighed, "When I was the manager here back then, business was booming,

alas, these people don't know how to run it. If we took it over, I would definitely make the Guesthouse Hotel thrive."

Li Ming also said beside me, "Indeed, back then I ate here; the hotel required reservations. Especially the crystal pork knuckle made here, it was so fragrant."

"Li Ming, you still remember the crystal pork knuckle? That was made by the kitchen I hired from the Provincial Capital, along with the Nine‑turn Large Intestine; in Lanling, everyone knows it," Yang Tao sighed.

"Yes, the Nine‑turn Large Intestine is even more authentic than that of the Provincial Capital," Li Ming continued.

I felt a bit redundant here.

Listening to their reminiscences,

it became a scene from Li Ming and Yang Tao's past memories.

I said, "Alright, stop daydreaming. Let's go; this place is closed, let's stay at another hotel."

Just as I finished speaking, a security guard emerged from the hotel lobby,

from a distance he pointed at us and shouted angrily,

"Who are you, and who let you in?"

I looked at the guard, feeling he looked familiar,

though he was old, his face full of wrinkles,

I could still tell from his gait and voice that he was someone we all knew.

Who could it be? I felt like it was Liu Xian from before.

I stepped a few steps closer.

I carefully examined the security guard who walked over,

No mistake, it really is Liu Xian.

He actually works as a security guard here, looking at the already closed guesthouse hotel,

And I also ran into someone from the past whom I knew very well.

This is something I didn't expect, including Yang Tao and Li Ming also didn't expect it.

Liu Xian's voice is loud,

His speech has static.

I smiled and thought to myself, great,

Yang Tao has come; let Yang Tao get to know you properly.

I took out a cigarette and walked up to Liu Xian,

"We came in to have a look, thinking this hotel was always open."

Liu Xian looked at me, but he actually didn't recognize me.

Yeah, it's been many years; plus I've had plastic surgery and learned to speak like Zhou Fuhai. Only people nowadays can recognize me.

Liu Xian spent over ten years in prison,

We haven't seen each other all this time.

He also wouldn't have expected to run into someone familiar here.

"Let's go, business is closed, jeez, stop staring." Liu Xian shouted at us to leave.

Yang Tao looked at Liu Xian,

From her gaze, I felt he could see something.

She glanced at him then hastily said, "Jianqiang, let's go, to another hotel."

After saying that, she turned and walked toward the car.

How could I miss the chance for Liu Xian and Yang Tao to get acquainted,

I didn't leave,

took out a lighter to light his cigarette,

then said, "Sir, I feel you look like an old friend of mine."

Liu Xian took a puff, froze, and lifted his head to look at me.

After a while, he also spoke,

"Oh dear, I feel you also resemble someone. No way, that's too coincidental."

"Liu Xian." I called out.

"Sun Yansheng." Liu Xian called out.

We both called out at the same time.

After calling out, the atmosphere became a bit awkward,

After all, Liu Xian ended up in prison because of me,

there's no hatred in between; that's nonsense.

Liu Xian's gaze toward me is different now,

I've been smiling, indifferent; now Liu Xian is this age, working as a gate guard, I'm not afraid of him.

After a while, Liu Xian suddenly cried and said, "I never expected to see Brother Yansheng again. Sigh, let's not mention the past."

Thank you for still recognizing me,

also don't call me Liu Xian anymore; whatever Liu Xian is, it's a joke,

just call me Old Liu."

This Liu Xian, I still admire him; in a blink he made the past sound light and breezy, and even proactively shed tears.

and made me call him Old Liu. It seems over a decade in prison wasn't for nothing.

I proactively reached out my hand,

"You're a few years older than me; I'll call you Brother Old Liu. Now we're about the same. Sigh, I didn't expect to reunite here. As the old saying goes, 'After surviving the tribulations, brothers remain; meeting again, one smile dispels grudges.'

What's between us is like this wind,

it has long been blown away.

Being able to see you again, I am truly very happy."

I'm speaking the truth,

Back then, if Liu Xian hadn't valued me, I wouldn't have what I have today.

But later, we had conflicts; that was unavoidable.

After Liu Xian heard me finish speaking,

he really laughed, then tightly held my hand and didn't let go.