ECG -Chapter 94 It’s Been More Than Half a Year Since We Met, and You’re Already Being Formal with Me?

Lin Hao suddenly understood. He already had someone she was dating, so how could he stay at home every day like him?

Speaking of which, he had already been studying at the Art Academy for a year and a half. Where had his original ambition of finding a girlfriend gone?

“Do you still have money?” Lin Hao only remembered then. Last time at the hospital, he had given all the 1,000 yuan that Fourth Sister had stuffed back to him to Wu Xiaozhou. It was probably long gone by now.

“Yes, I do. My mom gave me five hundred yuan this morning! Are you coming or not? Later at noon, the two of us can go eat hot noodles!” Wu Xiaozhou asked.

“Forget it, what am I going there for? To be a third wheel? Come over to my place tonight instead!”

“Alright!” Wu Xiaozhou hung up after saying that.

That day, Lin Hao went to the bank, transferred eighty thousand yuan into his father’s savings account, then withdrew twenty thousand yuan to prepare for buying New Year goods. Wu Xiaozhou needed money in many places because he was dating someone, so tonight Lin Hao would give him a few thousand yuan. He couldn’t give him too much all at once either—too much wouldn’t be appropriate.

After reading for more than two hours, he steamed some rice, stir-fried potato slices, packed everything into a lunchbox, and rode his bicycle over to deliver it to his father.

A few days ago, he had already said he wanted to bring his father meals, but his father said it was too cold and didn’t want him making the trip.

“Dad, it’s so cold, don’t eat outside!” He was still a little worried.

Lin Qingsheng was wearing a military-style coat covered in oil stains and a thick dog-fur hat. Both sides of the hat were covered in frost. He pointed across the road and said, “I’m familiar with the noodle shop. If you don’t come, I’ll just go eat noodles there. I’ll bring it over and eat in a bit!”

“Then hurry up, it’ll get cold soon!” Lin Hao reminded him again before leaving.

“Mm!” Lin Qingsheng waved his hand.

The weather was cold, but holding a lunchbox of food, his heart felt warm.

His son had grown up. That was really great!

On the way back, Lin Hao went to the market and bought some meat, ribs, tofu, and vegetables.

Just as he carried the groceries into the house, his phone rang. He put the vegetables in the kitchen and took out his phone. It was Chu Yu calling.

He couldn’t help but smile bitterly. These past few days, he had kept thinking about it—she would probably call soon. Sure enough, after only a week, she had called.

“Sister Chu!”

“Brat, you used to call me ‘sis’ before. What’s wrong? We haven’t seen each other for more than half a year, and you’re already being so formal with me?” Chu Yu joked.

Lin Hao scratched his head. Honestly, it was indeed because they hadn’t met for too long, so naturally things had become a little distant. But he couldn’t say that out loud, so he quickly explained, “Look at what you’re saying. Isn’t this just a respectful way of addressing you? It’s a matter of politeness…”

“Alright, don’t explain. The more you explain, the worse it sounds!” Chu Yu giggled. “Do you have time tonight? Dongbing and I want to treat you and Xiao Wu to dinner!”

“No, no, no! Sis, saying that is actually scolding me!” Lin Hao quickly changed his way of addressing her. “I’d already been thinking about coming back and inviting you and Brother Zhou to drink. I was just lazy—these past few days after coming home, I only wanted to stay in and relax. Tonight I absolutely have to treat you!”

Chu Yu laughed. “Who spends the money doesn’t matter anyway, right?”

“No way!” Lin Hao replied very firmly.

Last time, when Sun Xiaowei from Yanjing Fenghua Fashion had plagiarized his work, it was all thanks to Zhou Dongbing’s help. How could he possibly let them treat him to another meal?

Although with Zhou Dongbing’s reputation in Chunhe, if he really wanted to drink, countless people would line up to invite him. He didn’t care about the little money spent on a meal.

But Lin Hao couldn’t be someone who didn’t know proper manners.

“Alright then, you’ll treat!” Chu Yu was also straightforward. “Sis wants an old-style hotpot—copper pot, charcoal-fired!”

Lin Hao was a little dumbfounded. He really didn’t know where there was a restaurant serving that kind of hotpot.

Chu Yu was a clever person. She immediately understood and said, “A new one just opened on Tonghe Road in Hexi. It’s called Beilaishun. See you at six tonight!”

“Got it!”

After hanging up, Lin Hao called Wu Xiaozhou.

“Xiao Wu, tonight I’m treating Brother Zhou and Sister Chu to dinner. You have to come!”

“Where?” It was noisy on Wu Xiaozhou’s end, so he was probably still outside.

“Hexi. It’s called Beilaishun.”

“Sure, but… can I bring Taozi with me?”

Lin Hao thought about it. They were already so familiar with each other, so it shouldn’t matter. “Sure. See you at six tonight!”

“Mm-hm!”

In the afternoon, he continued lying on the bed reading. He had borrowed quite a few books from the school library, but most of them were related to film and television acting, such as Basics of Film and Television Performance, Language Techniques in Film and Television Acting, The Art of Acting in Drama, Psychology of Acting, Sound and Human Hearing, Exploring the Profession of Film and Television Performance, and so on.

He had read far too many music theory books already. What he knew was far beyond that of some so-called masters, so naturally his interest had shifted toward film and television acting.

The last time he went to Fan Gang’s house, Fan Gang had promised to introduce him to a teacher, but he had been busy ever since. After the postgraduate entrance exam, he had ended up hospitalized only a few days later. It seemed he would have to wait until the next semester started.

The postgraduate exam would be in April, and at the end of February he planned to go back with Wu Xiaozhou. He had already graduated and no longer needed to attend classes, so when he had free time, he could go listen to acting courses. When he had nothing else to do, he could review the subjects for the postgraduate exam in the dormitory.

It was only a little after four, but the sky was already getting dark. He got up and went to cook for his father. He stewed half a block of tofu with pork belly, then reheated the rice from lunch in the electric rice cooker.

The soup in the pot was almost gone. He glanced at his watch—it was already past five. He turned off the gas and went out to put on his cotton-padded coat.

His home was quite far from Hexi. The roads were dark and slippery, and taxis couldn’t drive very fast, so he needed to leave early.

Just as he finished putting on his shoes, the door lock turned. Lin Qingsheng opened the door and brought in a gust of cold air.

“Going out?” Lin Qingsheng took off his hat and asked Lin Hao.

“Dad, why did you only just get back?” Lin Hao quickly took his hat from him.

“Nothing. I just chatted with an old neighbor for a while. You cooked?” Lin Qingsheng said as he took off his cotton coat.

“I stewed tofu. Xiaowu and I are going to invite the owner of Black Knight Bar out for a meal!”

Lin Qingsheng sat on the stool by the door and changed his shoes. “Go. We should treat him to a meal. Don’t drink too much!”

Lin Hao bent down and helped him pull off his shoes. His thick cotton shoes were frozen hard like lumps of ice. Lin Qingsheng rubbed his feet.

“Dad, it’s too cold. Don’t go tomorrow!” Lin Hao advised him again.

“Mm, starting tomorrow I’ll go out later and come back earlier. I won’t work for such a long time anymore!” Lin Qingsheng knew his son was worried about him, so he compromised a little.

Lin Hao was helpless. He put on his coat and went out. It took him a long while before he managed to hail a taxi.

Five minutes before six, he arrived at Beilaishun on Tonghe Road in Hexi. This hotpot restaurant was quite large, and many cars were parked outside.

As soon as he entered the restaurant, Wu Xiaozhou called him.

“Where are you? We’re already in room 2088 on the second floor. We’re just waiting for you!” Wu Xiaozhou’s loud voice came through the phone.

“I’m inside already. I’ll be there soon!”

Pushing open the door of room 2088, Lin Hao immediately saw Zhou Dongbing. He hadn’t changed much; he was still as handsome as ever! He was wearing a black cashmere sweater, a cigarette between his fingers as he chatted with Wu Xiaozhou.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m late!” Lin Hao entered the room and hurriedly apologized with a clasped-hands gesture.

Zhou Dongbing smiled. “You’re not late. We just came early. As soon as we entered, we saw Xiaowu, so we came up together. Hurry, sit down!”

Seeing that Bai Zhitao and Chu Yu were chatting quite happily, Lin Hao sat on Zhou Dongbing’s left side, while Wu Xiaozhou sat on his right.

Zhou Dongbing picked up a soft Zhonghua cigarette from the table and pulled one out for Lin Hao. He was about to light it for him, but Lin Hao quickly took the disposable lighter and lit it himself.

“When you came in, Xiaowu was saying that you got injured some time ago?” Zhou Dongbing asked Lin Hao with a slight frown.

Lin Hao shot Wu Xiaozhou a glance. This guy really couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

He didn’t want to cause Zhou Dongbing any trouble. Besides, Fourth Sister had already handled the matter, so he smiled and said, “It was nothing serious. The back of my head didn’t even need stitches. Just a minor concussion. I lay down for a few days and everything was fine!”

“Did you find out who did it?” Zhou Dongbing continued asking.