Paying a Visit

Let's go.

Li Fengheng waved his hand dismissively.

A procession carrying boxes and gift sets began its grand procession at the mansion's main gate, heading west towards the city.

Along the way.

This impressive lineup drew considerable attention.

"What's inside that box that requires two people to lift?"

"Those boxes are made of Ambrosial Arbor! Such precious wood, used to make travel trunks, the contents must be incredibly valuable!"

"Isn't that the one walking at the front, the founder of Sili Trading Company, Third Master? With such a grand entourage today, is Third Master planning something big again?"

"Recently, many people have come to Spirit City to buy houses. Is Third Master trying to bribe the City Guard Office and then buy up houses in bulk?"

"Impossible. Those boxes are so heavy; the contents must be extremely valuable. If we were to use that much money for bribes, wouldn't we be losing a fortune?"

"The place they're heading to seems to be... towards the west side of the city."

"Is there some important person over there that he should visit?"

"It's another beautiful day."

Li Mubai sat up in bed, stretched, and was in a very good mood.

Last night's skirmish on the tree-lined path ended in a resounding victory, with him leading millions of heavenly soldiers to capture the position. The enemy was utterly routed and suffered a crushing defeat, remaining dormant to this day.

Seeing that Xiao Qian still looked tired and squinted her eyes, Li Mubai quietly got out of bed, dressed, and tidied his clothes.

He hadn't forgotten that there were now two more people in the house, both of the opposite sex. Naturally, he couldn't just walk around the house in his underwear without a belt like before.

"Her good looks are just getting more and more irresistible."

Looking at the handsome young man in the mirror, Li Mubai revealed a vain expression.

Li Mubai wasn't really that concerned about his appearance.

Just a little smug.

He then pushed open the bedroom door.

The morning air is crisp and pleasant, making it an excellent time for meditation.

But.

This has nothing to do with Li Mubai waking up early; he's just not used to sleeping until late morning.

His 20 years of tireless study and rigorous training had instilled in him a habit of waking up early; even sleeping a moment longer in bed made him feel uneasy.

As the door opened, Li Mubai stepped out with a faint smile on his face.

As soon as he stepped out of the bedroom, he saw a familiar figure. It was Zhao Shuran, dressed in a white gauze dress, who had just come out of the kitchen door.

At this moment, she was wearing an apron that she only used when cooking, and she was holding a plate of food in one hand, which contained a few steaming buns.

Obviously.

These things weren't bought from a breakfast shop; she made them herself.

From kneading the dough and letting it rise, to wrapping the buns and finally steaming them, how long does this whole process take?

I am afraid.

I have to get up at four in the morning.

"Sis, why are you up so early? Don't overwork yourself. If you want breakfast, just go to the store and buy it. You don't need to make it yourself; it's too much of a waste of time."

Smelling the aroma of meat buns wafting through the air, Li Mubai couldn't help but complain.

Zhao Shuran exhausted enough on a regular basis.

Now that we've come to his place, we have to get up early to cook. How is he, as the host, supposed to behave?

"Breakfast outside is too expensive, and the filling in the buns is meager. It's much cheaper to make it at home and save a lot of money."

Zhao Shuran, with a smile on her face, carried the plate past Li Mubai, went to the living room, placed the plate on the dining table, and then turned to look at Li Mubai, saying:

"Brother Bai, go wash your hands and eat. I'll go call Yu'er."

"Good."

Li Mubai nodded, then went to the backyard and began to rinse his mouth and wash his face.

Not long after.

He then returned to the living room looking refreshed.

At this moment, Xiao Yu'er had been pulled out of the bedroom by Zhao Shuran and sat on a stool in front of the dining table. Her eyes were still blurry, and she was still sleepy.

Zhao Shuran brought over a wooden basin filled with water, in which was placed a pink handkerchief. She skillfully rubbed the handkerchief in the water a few times, then wrung it out and used it to wipe Xiao Yu'er's face.

After she did that...

The little girl, who had been half-asleep, suddenly perked up. Looking at Li Mubai sitting opposite her, she immediately broke into a big smile, "Good morning, Brother Mubai!"

Good morning, Yu'er.

Li Mubai responded with a smile.

"You guys eat first, I'll go get some water."

Zhao Shuran smiled and said something, then carried the wooden basin to the backyard, where there was a ditch specifically for dumping wastewater.

Watching Zhao Shuran's hurried figure heading towards the backyard, Li Mubai couldn't help but sigh. This woman was indeed the ideal wife and the virtuous helper of every man's dreams.

No man could resist a woman like that.

"Brother Mubai, why don't you call Sister Xiao Qian to eat?"

The girl, now energized, immediately opened her large, bright eyes and looked at Li Mubai, asking with a sincere expression.

Her innocent and sincere childlike voice brought Li Mubai back to reality.

Li Mubai withdrew his gaze, his face once again displaying a warm expression:

"Sister Xiao Qian had insomnia last night and didn't fall asleep until late at night, so we won't wake her now and let her get some rest."

The little girl blinked her big eyes, staring blankly into Li Mubai's eyes, as if trying to see something in them.

I don't know why.

Even Li Mubai couldn't help but feel a little uneasy looking into those sincere eyes.

This is the first... no, it should be the second time since he became Titled Douluo that he has had this feeling.

The first time he felt uncomfortable was when Bibi Dong asked him a question.

Especially Bibi Dong's eyes; whenever he spoke with her, Li Mubai dared not look directly into them. He had a strange feeling that... Bibi Dong could see through his inner thoughts.

Therefore, whenever he was with Bibi Dong, he would fix his gaze on Bibi Dong chest or shoulders and neck, and rarely made direct eye contact with Bibi Dong.

Something's not right with this girl!

Li Mubai's suspicions began to rise.

He always felt that the young woman in front of him seemed to know some secret about him, which was why she looked at him like that.

For a long while.

The little girl then looked away, sullenly leaned back in her chair, reached for the large meat bun on the plate on the table, and took a bite.

Instantly.

A glistening sheen appeared around the corner of the little girl's mouth.

This big meat bun has a lot of meat filling. The bun only has a thin skin and is full of meat inside. Otherwise, Xiao Yu'er wouldn't have been able to eat so much oil after just one small bite.

Upon witnessing this scene...

The uneasy feeling that Li Mubai had been experiencing finally disappeared.

And just then...

The little girl was chewing her food when the indistinct sounds suddenly rang out:

"Yu'er and her mother also had insomnia last night, but they still got up this morning."

Upon hearing this, Li Mubai automatically explained in his mind: it must be because the two of them had just arrived at this house and were in a new living environment, so it was normal for them to have trouble sleeping for one night.

And at this moment.

Zhao Shuran, who had just returned from the backyard after pouring out the water for washing her face, also heard the little girl's words, and her face immediately turned red.

However, this strange expression vanished in an instant, and she walked to the dining table with a serious face, standing beside Xiao Yu'er.

"Eat your food properly. Have you forgotten what I taught you? Don't talk while you eat. Swallow the food in your mouth first!"

"Oh."

The little girl chewed a few times, swallowed what was in her mouth, and then timidly whispered a reply.

After glaring at the little girl, Zhao Shuran looked at Li Mubai with a softened expression:

"Brother Bai, don't listen to her nonsense. That's not true. We slept very well last night. Isn't that right, Yu'er?"

As she spoke, Zhao Shuran glanced sideways at the little girl who was still eating.

"Yes, yes."

Seeing the strong threat in Zhao Shuran's eyes, the little girl immediately expressed her opinion, almost to the point of raising both hands in agreement with Zhao Shuran's words.

???

Li Mubai was completely baffled.

What the hell are these two talking about?

Could it be that they overheard our conversation last night...?

Impossible!

Li Mubai shook his head inwardly.

After he bought the house, he specifically demolished and rebuilt it. He carefully selected all the building materials, especially the walls between the rooms, which he chose again and again, using the wood with the best sound insulation.

It's absolutely impossible for sound to pass through!

"Brother Bai, eat the buns while they're hot, they won't taste good when they get cold."

Zhao Shuran noticed that Li Mubai was deep in thought, so to prevent him from overthinking, she quickly called out to Li Mubai to distract him.

"Good."

Li Mubai nodded, not thinking any further, and reached for the steamed buns on the plate on the table.

Just then...

Knock knock knock...

There was a sudden knock on the door.

Who would knock on the door so early?

Li Mubai paused, his brow furrowing slightly.

His first thought was to rule out Demon Bear Douluo; that guy was a sly one and usually couldn't get up in the morning, so the person knocking on the door definitely couldn't be him.

Could it be Bibi Dong again?

Li Mubai felt that this was more likely.

After all, he had promised the other party yesterday that he would draw up the development plans for that wasteland in the east of the city.

Thinking about this...

Li Mubai was somewhat displeased.

Even drawing a diagram wouldn't be this fast. It's not like it's a life-saving procedure, why the rush?

Before drawing up the blueprints, it is necessary to conduct on-site inspections and discuss land issues with various people. This process cannot be completed in a short period of time; it will take at least several weeks.

Upon hearing the knock, Zhao Shuran instinctively got up and went to open the door.

"Sis, sit down, I'll go."

Li Mubai stared at the gate, his expression displeased.

"Good."

Zhao Shuran sat back down.

This was the first time she had seen Li Mubai with such an expression. Even the incident involving the Wild Wolf Gang hadn't upset him.

This made Zhao Shuran curious: who was so powerful that they could make Li Mubai unhappy?

At the same time.

Outside the door.

Li Fengheng knocked on the door, but when the door remained closed for Jiujiu, he couldn't help but look at the burly man behind him.

The burly man instantly understood the doubt in the other's eyes, and immediately bowed slightly, replying respectfully:

"Third Master, there's no mistake. I've specifically checked this place; it's the place all the Platinum Bishop acknowledge. That elder resides here."

"Then why didn't anyone open the door?"

Li Fengheng frowned, already showing some displeasure.

"Well... perhaps that elder hasn't gotten up yet. We could wait a little longer."

The strong, muscular man's voice trembled; he was filled with fear.

Even though he had confirmed repeatedly that this was indeed Li Mubai's residence, he was no longer certain at this moment.

He could only pray silently that Li Mubai lived there; otherwise, the trust he had just gained from Li Fengheng, and the opportunity for promotion, would slip away.

Not only that.

He will also be labeled as incompetent.

He feared he would never have a chance to work for Sili Trading Company again, and he would likely never find a job in any trading company, because the person in front of him was Li Fengheng!

He is one of the leading figures in the entire industry!

That alone is enough to make it impossible for him to survive in the entire industry!!!

Just as Li Fengheng and the others were getting impatient and had already raised their hands, ready to wave them away and return home...

With a creak.

The gate opened.

"What's with the rush? What's with the rush? If you keep rushing me, I'm quitting!"

Li Mubai stood at the gate, one hand on the door, shouting loudly, his face full of displeasure.

He had already assumed in his mind that the person knocking on the door was Bibi Dong, or someone sent by Bibi Dong.

Upon hearing the sound, Li Fengheng, who had raised his hand, immediately lowered it, then bowed slightly, his face full of respect.

"Greetings, Tenth Elder. I am Li Fengheng of the Sili Trading Company. Having heard of your illustrious reputation, I have come to pay my respects."

Li Mubai raised an eyebrow.

He had assumed the other party was sent by Bibi Dong, but it turned out they weren't.

As the middle-aged man in front of him introduced himself, Li Mubai's expression softened, but he became puzzled.

Sili Trading Company.

He had heard of it.

It is a huge chamber of commerce specializing in cross-border business. It can be said that this chamber of commerce is a behemoth in cross-border business, and almost no one can match it in this area.

The founder of this trading company was surnamed Li.

Could it be... this person in front of me?

Li Mubai looked at Li Fengheng, who was somewhat obsequious, with suspicion.

His attire was impeccable, his demeanor commanding, and his speech appropriate...

With just a few glances, he was certain of the other person's identity; he really might be the founder of that trading company, otherwise, an ordinary person wouldn't have this aura.

Li Mubai glanced behind him at the people carrying boxes or holding gift boxes, and he couldn't help but feel a little strange.

He had never had any contact with the people from the trading company, so why were they looking for him?

Looking at the boxes behind the other person, Li Mubai didn't believe that the other person wasn't just throwing money away to give gifts; they must have something to ask for, otherwise they wouldn't have brought so many boxes.

And at this moment.

Li Fengheng's entourage had already drawn a large crowd to the street.

"Who are these people? What are they doing surrounding Young Master Li's house?"

"What do these people want? They don't seem to be here to cause trouble. If they are, don't blame me for being impolite! Young Master Li has always treated us well, and I will never back down when it matters!"

"Yes, count me in!"

"Don't get agitated. Didn't you see how humble and respectful that person was to Young Master Li? He certainly wasn't here to cause trouble."

"Young Master Li is exceptionally talented, so it's no surprise that he receives gifts and recognition. I could tell at a glance that he's no ordinary person!"

"I recognize the man in the lead; he's Li Fengheng, the founder of the Sili Trading Company."

"Sili Trading Company? What does that do?"

"You scoundrel! I always told you to read the newspapers more and play the piston game less, but you messed up at the crucial moment, didn't you? He's a leading figure in cross-border trade, richer than a country!"

"What? That's amazing???"