Li Rui brought Li Yi into the apartment behind Shen Yong, who called out, "Mom, Dad, my classmate's here."
Shen Yong's parents, who were still inside discussing their son's wedding car, opened the door and came out at the sound. Although his father considered this classmate of his son's a disreputable friend, this was his first visit to their home, after all, so basic courtesy was still necessary. If they were too rude, it would only embarrass their own son.
Shen Yong's father smiled and said, "You must be Xiao Rui?"
"I often hear Xiao Yong mention you. You really are a fine-looking young man," he said politely.
"Heh." Li Rui gave an awkward laugh. Although he wasn't ugly, he could hardly be called handsome. His studies had been much the same; the university he'd attended was only an ordinary one.
Without the system, he would have been an utterly ordinary person, perhaps not even that. After all, he'd muddled along for three years and nearly ended up unable to afford food, doing worse than most ordinary people. Being praised as a fine-looking young man by Shen Yong's father left him a little embarrassed.
"Come, have some tea." Shen Yong's mother brought over a pot of tea and invited everyone to drink.
Seeing Li Yi standing behind Li Rui like a door god, she invited him too. "Have some tea, have some tea."
Only then did Shen Yong and his father notice the two-meter-tall Li Yi. The sight of his muscles immediately gave them both a start.
"Third Brother, who is this?" Shen Yong asked hesitantly. With that height, that build, and that expressionless face, he really didn't look much like a good person. Third Brother could afford such an expensive car-was he doing something illegal?
"Big Brother, this is my bodyguard."
A bodyguard? Everyone in the room had a head full of question marks.
Seeing that Shen Yong was about to ask more questions, Li Rui spoke first. "It's getting late. Why don't I treat you and your parents to a meal out?"
"Third Brother, that makes no sense at all," Shen Yong said. "You've come to my home, so of course I'm treating you. How could I let you pay? Your big brother might not be as capable as you, but I can still afford a meal."
"Exactly, Xiao Rui. You're our Xiao Yong's friend, which makes you one of our juniors. How could we let you treat us when you're our guest?" Shen Yong's father chimed in. His attitude toward Li Rui was now completely different from before.
If his earlier warmth had been feigned, his warmth now was solid and genuine, truer than pure gold.
After all, someone who could afford a bodyguard like Li Yi wouldn't be shooting arrows without a target when he said he could arrange a wedding car worth over ten million for his son. They certainly needed to build a good relationship with someone like him.
With both Shen Yong and his father saying this, Li Rui could only nod in agreement.
Everyone took the elevator down and headed for the parking lot. Once there, Shen Yong's family walked toward a Cadillac.
Li Rui took out his car key and pressed a button, and a sports car not far from the Cadillac flashed its lights.
Seeing this, Shen Yong's parents looked at Li Rui in surprise, then turned to Shen Yong a moment later.
"Mom, Dad, that's Li Rui's car," Shen Yong explained.
"Th-that car must be expensive, right?" his mother asked quietly.
"Yes, very expensive. Over thirteen million. I couldn't even afford one of its wheels," Shen Yong said with a sigh.
"So when Xiao Rui said he'd find you a car worth over ten million for the wedding, he meant this one?" his father asked uncertainly.
"Probably," Shen Yong said hesitantly too. Since Third Brother had promised him, he certainly wouldn't deceive him. Surely he couldn't have a second car worth over ten million.
"Xiao Yong, we need to change where we're eating," his father suddenly said.
"Huh? Where are we going? Not the Small Village Family Restaurant? Where, then?"
"To hell with the Small Village Family. He's lending you a thirteen-million-yuan car for your wedding, and you're taking him to some little restaurant?"
"Never mind that we couldn't even rent a car like that around here-even if we could, it would cost twenty or thirty thousand a day. We owe him such a huge favor. We have to go to the Splendid Grand Hotel at the very least."
"Seriously? The Splendid Grand Hotel is a five-star hotel. A meal for all of us will cost five or six thousand. Add some alcohol, and ten thousand will be gone," Shen Yong said, feeling the pinch. It wasn't that he begrudged spending money on a meal for Third Brother, but with the wedding, the family didn't have much money left.
"You fool. Your university classmate is so capable, and you won't make the most of the opportunity? Do you want to spend your whole life as a low-level employee?" his father said, looking exasperated at his failure to measure up.
"Dad, my relationship with Third Brother doesn't need any of this." All six of their dormmates had gotten along very well throughout their four years at university. "We chased girls together and got into fights together. Do we really need meals to maintain our friendship?"
"He might not need it, but you can't be inconsiderate. You still have a long way to go when it comes to dealing with people." With that, his father was the first to get into the car.
The Splendid Grand Hotel lived up to its reputation as Gaoyang City's only five-star hotel. Its exterior was grand and imposing, and its interior glittered with gold and splendor.
Naturally, the prices matched. Spending per person generally came to around six hundred to eight hundred yuan, and that was without ordering expensive alcohol.
If someone ordered a bottle of 1982 Lafite or Romanée-Conti, the bill would be over a hundred thousand.
"All your dishes have been served. Please enjoy."
A large round table was laden with over a dozen dishes. Seated around it were Shen Yong's party of four and Li Rui's party of five. Li Rui treated the biological bodyguards, including Li Yi, entirely as brothers, so naturally he wouldn't eat while making them stand to one side.
"Uncles, aunties, I have to drive, so I can't drink. I'll use tea in place of wine to toast you." With that, Li Rui raised his wineglass and drained it.
"Hahaha, you're far too polite. If anyone should be giving thanks, it's me thanking you. Xiao Yong is blessed to have a brother like you."
"Uncle, you're treating me too much like an outsider. Back at university, Big Brother looked after me plenty. Once, I nearly got beaten up. Without him, my face might have been beaten into a pig's head. Hahaha." Remembering his youthful university days, Li Rui laughed heartily.
Hearing Li Rui bring up their university days, Shen Yong joined in.
"That's true. Back then, Third Brother said he wanted to build up his courage so he could find a girlfriend. He saw a pretty girl on campus and went up to ask for her phone number. Guess what happened?"
"Her boyfriend was right behind her, looking at his phone. He thought the guy was just a passerby and went straight up to ask for her number. How could her boyfriend not get worked up when he heard that? He came right over to beat him up. If I hadn't stopped him, this guy's face would definitely have been beaten into a pig's head." He burst out laughing as he finished.
Everyone present chuckled along.
After that, Li Rui and Shen Yong exposed each other's embarrassing moments and talked about amusing incidents at university. Everyone else ate while listening to their stories. Only Li Yi through Li Si paid no attention to what the two were saying and simply buried themselves in their food. With their large builds, the four naturally got hungry easily and ate more than the others.
Just as everyone was halfway through the meal and chatting merrily, a somewhat snide female voice suddenly rang out.
"Well, well, isn't this my little cousin? Aren't you getting married? How do you still have money to eat at a five-star hotel? Though your food looks a little too shabby, doesn't it? You've come to a five-star hotel, so why aren't you even having Boston lobster or king crab?"
Li Rui, who had been eating and chatting with Shen Yong, looked up at the shrill, cutting voice. He saw a young woman of about twenty-five wearing a black evening gown, with all kinds of jewelry covering her hands and neck. Those exquisite pieces did nothing to make her more beautiful; instead, they made her seem to reek of money.
Li Rui didn't look closely at her features. Combined with the words coming out of her mouth, his first impression was of a shrewish harridan.
"Cousin." Everyone present exchanged bewildered looks at the woman's voice. None of them knew her, but He Xiaozhu was the first to respond.