Chapter 3459: Departure for the Maldives

On the morning of the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Ye Chen and his family packed their luggage and prepared to head to the airport for a rare vacation.

Xiao Changkun had originally suggested driving his Cullinan to the airport and leaving it there, since the trip was only five days and four nights, and he could simply drive it back upon return.

As he put it, this had a major advantage: no need to take a taxi, especially with all the luggage, which would otherwise be quite troublesome.

Ye Chen knew well that his father-in-law, ever since acquiring the Rolls-Royce, would drive even to buy a pack of cigarettes, seizing every opportunity to let others know he was a Rolls-Royce owner.

Ye Chen himself didn't see any issue with it—his father-in-law had always been this way, and going along with it wasn't unreasonable.

But from Xiao Churan's perspective, her father still wanting to show off in the Cullinan made her feel somewhat uneasy.

After all, this Cullinan had been given to Ye Chen by Fei Keyin as a favor, and her father driving it around was essentially borrowing the tiger's might.

So she suggested: "Why don't we just take a taxi? A business car would be more comfortable for four people, airport parking is expensive—nearly two hundred yuan a day with no cap, which is far more than round-trip taxi fares, and the parking spots there aren't spacious either. Dad, if you park that expensive car there for several days and it gets scratched, wouldn't you feel bad?"

Xiao Changkun thought about it and agreed: leaving a car worth millions at the airport for days, if someone envious of the rich decided to key it, he'd have nothing to cry about.

He then chuckled and said: "They say listening to advice keeps you full—then I'll listen to my daughter."

Xiao Churan pulled out her phone and hailed a six-seat business car via a ride-hailing app. When it arrived, the family of four dragged their luggage to the community gate and headed to the airport.

Not driving to the airport actually spared them one hassle: the walk from the parking garage to the terminal.

The driver parked directly at the international departure area and enthusiastically helped the family unload their luggage.

Xiao Changkun, whether trying to show off or genuinely impressed, sighed: "Ah, this is indeed much more convenient than driving my own Cullinan—otherwise we'd have to lug big and small bags across from the opposite parking garage."

The driver couldn't help but chuckle, but said nothing. After helping everyone with their luggage, he politely said: "Thank you for using Dudu Private Car."

After the driver left, the family was about to enter the terminal when a dung-yellow Bentley Bentayga slowly pulled up beside them.

As soon as the car stopped, a middle-aged man jumped out from the driver's seat, eagerly opened both rear side doors, and respectfully said to those inside: "Mr. Li, Madam, please alight."

First to emerge was a man in his early forties, followed by a young woman in her twenties.

The man had a large belly, while the woman beside him was dressed to the nines in head-to-toe Chanel—down jacket, hat, pants, shoes—and held a limited-edition Himalayan Hermès bag.

After the man stepped out, the driver retrieved two LV suitcases from the trunk, handed them over, and said respectfully: "Mr. Li, wish you and your wife a pleasant honeymoon!"

The man shoved his hands in his pockets, puffed out his belly, glanced around, noticed many people staring at him as he exited the Bentley—including Xiao Changkun and Ma Lan not far away—and then said arrogantly: "Xiao Wang, take my Bentley Bentayga to the 4S shop for maintenance, and tell them to use the best oil."

The driver nodded and said respectfully: "Yes, Mr. Li, don't worry—I'll arrange it."

The man added: "When you come back to pick us up, remember to bring the Alphard. My wife is returning from the Maldives and wants to go shopping in Dubai first—she'll definitely have a lot of stuff."

"Yes, Mr. Li, no problem!" the driver replied, nodding repeatedly.

The man was also quite pleased—having spoken loudly earlier, he'd drawn even more attention.

He sighed to the young woman beside him: "I used to fly private jets all the time, but their aircraft are in the US for maintenance this time, so I can only wrong you by making you fly first class with me."

The young woman flirtatiously laughed: "Oh honey, don't worry—suffering with you is nothing. The only regret is that I didn't know you back when you were struggling alone; otherwise, I'd have shared your hardships then."

The man chuckled: "Oh, you're really my good wife! Just having you say that is enough."

Ye Chen and Xiao Churan paid no mind to the two, but Xiao Changkun gave them an extra glance, heard the man boasting, and sneered at Ma Lan beside him: "Tch, embarrassing to even drive that broken Bentley Bentayga out—losing face."

Ma Lan asked: "Isn't Bentley also a famous brand?"

Xiao Changkun scoffed: "It depends on what you compare it to. Compared to Mercedes-Benz and BMW, it's the father. Compared to Rolls-Royce, it's the grandson."

Unaware whether Xiao Changkun meant to or not, he spoke slightly louder, and the man heard him immediately.

The man's face instantly changed, he looked at Xiao Changkun, and sneered: "Damn, what a world—big forest, all kinds of birds. You take a broken Dudu Private Car out and dare to say others' Bentleys are embarrassing? If I didn't know better, I'd think your family drives a Cullinan."

Xiao Changkun also felt challenged, so he pulled out his pocket, took the Cullinan key fob, spun it on his finger, and remarked: "This loser is just a loser—can't afford it himself, so assumes others can't either. I've always been low-key; otherwise, I'd have driven the Cullinan to the airport too."

The man instantly recognized the Rolls-Royce key fob, and his expression faltered.

He sized up Xiao Changkun from head to toe, feeling the old man didn't look like someone who could afford a Cullinan, and the young man and woman beside him didn't look wealthy either—though the young woman was truly beautiful, far more so than his new mistress-turned-wife, he thought.

So he said to the young woman beside him: "Honey, you don't know how easy it is these days to fake a luxury car key. Just spend a few dozen yuan online to buy a lighter that looks identical—use it to pretend you've got a rich car key in front of others, and when alone, you can even use it to light a cigarette."

Xiao Changkun laughed at the man's remark, broke the tension of their mutual sarcasm without direct conflict, pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, handed the key fob to the man, and said: "Come on, come on—teach me how this thing actually lights. Honestly, I've had it a while and never knew it could double as a lighter."