Ch. 1521..1530
Chapter 1521: 1520 cups of coffee
Monica had already gone inside for a while when Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu hurried into the café, which was quite spacious and luxuriously decorated inside. Flower prices in J country are expensive, but the café was filled with fresh flowers everywhere, clearly not lacking in funds.
“What would you like to order?” Seeing two foreign faces enter, the waiter immediately communicated with them in an international language.
Tan Rou didn’t want to reveal that she knew the J country language, so she also replied in the international language, “We’d like to find a place to sit down, we’ll order coffee after we’re seated.”
“Certainly,” the waiter’s service attitude was very good, “We have seats on both the first and second floors, the first floor is a bit more lively, the second floor is quieter, you can choose freely.”
Tan Rou asked, “Are the prices the same for the first and second floors?”
“No, they are not the same,” the waiter said, “The second floor has finer decorations and better privacy, with shelves separating the seats, so the price is a bit higher.”
...
Tan Rou turned her head and spoke in their native language to Zhuang Liu, “According to Monica’s personality, she would definitely choose the more expensive place, let’s go check out the second floor first.”
Zhuang Liu said, “I’ll follow your lead.” Anyway, he didn’t like coffee, so it didn’t matter where they sat.
After discussing, Tan Rou said, “You take us to the second floor first to have a look, if the second floor doesn’t meet our expectations, we’ll come back downstairs.”
The waiter had never heard such a request before; most of the time, guests would choose seats on the first floor immediately upon arrival, and only if they were dissatisfied with the first floor would they go to the second floor.
These two foreign guests were a bit strange, why would they tour the second floor first and then come to the first floor if they were not satisfied? The environment on the second floor was definitely better than the first floor, if they weren’t satisfied with the second floor, then there would be no better place to choose from.
Perhaps in the home country of these two guests, it was customary to start picking from the better places first.
“All right, please follow me.” The waiter didn’t show a surprised expression; he smiled and said, “The stairs are this way, please be careful as you go up.”
After arriving on the second floor, the two realized that the environment was indeed better, and there were even bookshelves with many out-of-print books, which instantly caught Tan Rou’s eye.
Zhuang Liu knew that Tan Rou liked books, so he suggested, “Let’s stay here and read books.”
Tan Rou said, “Let’s see if Monica is here first, if she is, we’ll find seats closer to her, if not, we’ll stay here and read.”
Monica, like her outside persona, wasn’t low-key inside the café either; she chose a rather conspicuous place to sit, surrounded by three women who appeared to be older than her.
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu each took a book, then hid their faces behind a bouquet as they slowly moved toward Monica.
Monica and her group were seated in a small booth, which had no door and one side was open, similar to bar booth seating but with a top added to the booth.
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu sat down two seats away; they could have sat closer but Monica and her group were speaking loudly enough that Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu could hear them from a distance.
Tan Rou whispered, “Waiter, didn’t you say it was very quiet here? Why do I find it noisy?”
The waiter said very apologetically, “I’m sorry, madam, these ladies are VIP guests of our café, they speak as they wish and we ordinary waitstaff cannot stop them. If you are dissatisfied with this spot, we can help you find another place.”
“Do you have a quieter place here?” Tan Rou asked, “It’s supposed to be noisier downstairs, right?”
The waiter nodded, “It is indeed a bit noisy.”
“That’ll be fine,” Tan Rou flipped through the menu, “Even though this second floor isn’t as quiet as I imagined, there are quite a few books here that I like, so I’ll still order something.”
She ordered two cups of coffee and some cakes, “I’ll start with these, if I want to order something else, I’ll call you.”
The waiter was very pleased, “Then please remember my staff number, I am number 017.”
Tan Rou nodded, “Hmm, I got it.”
Chapter 1522: 1521 Eavesdropping
The second floor had fewer people, with only a few seats occupied and the rest were empty. The seat where Tan Rou and her group sat was against the wall, concealed by plenty of plants, and one wouldn’t notice them unless they walked over.
Tan Rou and her group picked out several books to place on the table, partly to shield their line of sight and partly to read. The books here were quite good and more than half were written in an international script, so Tan Rou did not feel much pressure reading them. Zhuang Liu casually picked up a book and started reading it with Tan Rou.
Although Tan Rou was reading, her attention was entirely on Monica; she wanted to hear what Monica was talking about.
“Oh, ever since you became a princess, we’ve rarely come out to eat together,” said a woman in a white long dress, “The last time we met was two months ago. You don’t reach out to us, and we dare not message you.”
Monica laughed, “We’ve been close friends for many years, you can just call me if you want to find me.”
A woman in yellow clothes said, “I called you last week, but your maid said you were busy and asked me to call you back when you were free. How would I know when you’re free?”
Monica pretended to be distressed and said, “Oh, that’s because His Royal Highness is rarely at home, and I need to handle everything. I’m so busy every day that I don’t have time to answer the phone. Don’t worry about these things, didn’t I come out to meet you this time?”
The last woman, wearing a pink top, said, “Yes, the princess is a very busy person, and it’s difficult for us ordinary people to meet you. But there’s no helping it, since you’re the princess, after all. You’re the one among us who’s mixed in the best.”
Monica was pleased to hear these words, “We’re close friends, and there’s no need to worry so much between close friends. If you need my help with anything, I’ll definitely help you. Even if I can’t help you, His Royal Highness can!”
A few women exchanged glances, and then they began to boast about Prince Busodi and Princess Monica, making Monica even happier, and her laughter echoed throughout the second floor.
Originally, there were only a few customers on the second floor, who came to the cafe seeking tranquility, not to listen to Monica’s frenzy. Once they realized the woman laughing loudly was the famous Monica, they hurriedly paid their bills and left, fearful of causing any trouble.
If Tan Rou hadn’t wanted to eavesdrop on potentially useful information, she would have left already, but her ears had been tortured for so long. Leaving now would mean that all the previous suffering was in vain, right?
Right then, their order arrived. Tan Rou thought that if they didn’t hear any useful information before they finished eating, they would pay the bill and leave.
Zhuang Liu had no objections, as he would be wherever Tan Rou was.
They ordered two desserts, one Black Forest cake and one Red Velvet cake. Looking at the cherry-topped cake adorned with fresh cherry jam, Zhuang Liu suddenly remembered something; what about his other bouquet?
He had prepared one bouquet of flowers and one of fruit. He had forgotten about it after meeting Tan Rou. Were the fruits still with Xiao Mo? He wouldn’t be carrying the insulated box shopping, would he?
“Tan Rou…” Zhuang Liu was about to speak up about it when Tan Rou interrupted him.
“Wait, I think I heard Monica and her friends plotting something.” Tan Rou perked up her ears to listen closely, “Their voices have gotten softer; they must be discussing something important.”
Oh well, Xiao Mo definitely won’t have thrown the stuff away; we’ll talk about it when we get back. Zhuang Liu thought to himself and stayed quiet.
“You want me to help your family get that piece of land?” Monica hadn’t become foolish enough to agree to anything, “Alisa, that’s a difficult task. That piece of land is coveted by the royal family. There’s no way I can help you secure it.”
Alisa was the woman in the long dress. Her husband was in real estate, but the industry had been struggling in recent years, and their company was facing a huge crisis. Thus, she came to meet Monica today with a mission.
“But aren’t you part of the royal family?” Alisa asked.
Chapter 1523: 1522 Ridiculous Decision
Monica was taken aback and then smiled, “Although I’ve married His Royal Highness, I don’t have royal blood flowing through my veins. My words are useless, even if I wanted to give that land to your family, it wouldn’t end up with you.”
“I’ve heard long ago from His Royal Highness that the land belongs to Princess Samiyi, His Majesty the King plans to build a summer palace there for the princess to spend her old age. Do you think your family has the capability to get that land?”
Alisa said, “Your Highness the Consort, everyone knows that Prince Busodi is very fond of you. If you just speak up, he would certainly help you with this favor. Moreover, what is Princess Samiyi compared to you, you are…,” she lowered her voice, “the one who is going to be queen!”
Monica was both surprised and pleased, but she still pretended to be very calm, “Don’t talk nonsense, this isn’t your home.”
Alisa said, “In our hearts, you are the most honorable woman in the whole world!”
Monica seemed to be fantasizing about such a future, “Hmm, you’re absolutely right. However, I still can’t agree to help you because there are other residents there. What about the people living there if you take the land? The reason the King hasn’t immediately started building the new palace is probably because there are people still living there; he must be waiting for them to move out.”
But Alisa countered, “Isn’t it easy to make those people move out? Just cause a little trouble there, like poisoning their water supply, and they’ll move out immediately.”
Monica said, “Alisa, ever since you got married, I’ve found you to be more and more vicious.”
Alisa scoffed, “I’ve been used to living a hard life, and now that I’ve finally met a rich man, I must hold on tight to him.”
She had married her current husband as his second wife, his previous wife having died, thus making her the successor.
Moreover, Monica had introduced her to her husband. After marrying Prince Busodi, Monica had taken care of all her good sisters. It was uncertain whether she truly wished to look after her friends or to flaunt her current status.
“Keep your voices down, this isn’t home,” the woman in the pink garment advised.
Monica looked around and saw no one on the second floor, so she boldly proclaimed, “It’s fine, there’s no one here. We sisters can chat to our hearts’ content. Even if there is someone, it doesn’t matter. Who would dare to report me, the consort?”
These friends of Monica’s, not only foolish and vicious, but also shortsighted, failed to notice Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu sitting right there, not having seen them or heard their presence.
Tan Rou made a gesture to Zhuang Liu, signaling him to stop flipping through the book.
Zhuang Liu gently closed the book and continued listening to the conversation of the few people.
“Don’t you cause any deaths,” Monica still didn’t want to stir up serious trouble.
Alisa reassured, “Don’t worry, I will only put a little poison in their drinking water.”
Monica nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll talk to His Royal Highness as soon as I get back. I believe you’ll get that land very soon.”
Tan Rou was furious. These despicable people were planning to poison innocent individuals for a piece of land. No, she couldn’t let them succeed; she needed to inform Samiyi about this promptly.
Monica and her good sisters talked for a while longer, discussing various dark schemes, and they were brazen about it, not afraid to act in a public place.
Probably because there was no one else around, they genuinely had no fear of others overhearing their conversation.
After the conversation, Monica’s friends left happily, clearly having achieved their objective for the day. Yet Monica did not leave; she sat there elegantly drinking coffee and touched up her makeup.
Tan Rou observed Monica’s actions, waiting for her to leave. Just when she thought Monica would go after fixing her makeup, Monica took out her mirror again.
Monica looked at herself in the mirror while glancing at her watch, as if waiting for someone.
Zhuang Liu and Tan Rou exchanged glances, Shall we go?
Chapter 1524: 1523 can’t understand
Tan Rou shook her head, then typed on her phone for him to see, “Let’s wait a bit longer and see who she is really waiting for.”
Zhuang Liu nodded and continued to sit there waiting.
Tan Rou had drunk too much coffee and felt the urge to go to the bathroom, so she typed a message to Zhuang Liu and then quietly headed downstairs. Monica was focussing on her mirror and didn’t notice the situation here.
Actually, there was also a restroom upstairs, but to go to that restroom, she would have had to pass by Monica’s seat; Tan Rou did not want to expose herself in front of Monica just yet, so she chose to go to the first-floor restroom.
Just after Tan Rou had gone downstairs, a man came upstairs. After entering, he did not rush to find a seat but looked at each one thoroughly.
He spotted Zhuang Liu sitting by the wall and headed towards him.
Monica, hearing the sound of leather shoes behind her, immediately turned around and said, “Why did you just get here? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
The man stopped in his tracks and said dissatisfiedly, “Why did you choose a place with so many people for a meeting?”
Monica replied, “I had to use meeting a friend as an excuse to come today; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to get out at all. The old man at home is getting more and more annoying; he throws temper tantrums every day. He even hit me last time. I can’t bear these days any longer!”
“Shush!” The man told Monica to be quiet, “There are other people here.”
Monica looked around and didn’t spot anyone, “You’re too cautious, where are there people here? I already told the waiter not to let anyone in on the second floor randomly.”
The man pointed at Zhuang Liu sitting by the wall, “Didn’t you notice there’s a person here?”
Monica was very surprised, she hurried over and indeed saw a strange man by the wall.
“Oh my!” Monica gasped, “When did this person come over? Weren’t all the people gone just now?”
At that moment, Zhuang Liu showed a very puzzled expression and then spoke in broken International Common Language, “Hello… what is it… looking for me… you guys…”
Monica, who could only understand Japanese, asked, “What is he saying?”
The man seemed relieved and answered, “He’s a foreigner; he probably doesn’t speak Japanese, and his International Common Language is all messed up too, so he probably didn’t understand our conversation.”
Zhuang Liu continued with a puzzled expression, “What is it that you are looking for me? You guys?”
His acting was top-notch; if he hadn’t been the head of the Zhuang family, maybe becoming an actor would have made him a big star.
The man spoke to Zhuang Liu in fluent International Common Language, “It’s nothing, we saw that you were a foreigner, and just got curious so we came over to say hi.”
Zhuang Liu showed a conflicted expression, as if trying hard to think about something. After a good while, he finally replied, “What is it that you want?”
The man said, “Oh, it’s nothing, just looking at you.”
Zhuang Liu’s expression changed again, “Just looking at me? Okay.”
The man laughed and then said to Monica in Japanese, “The guy looks quite handsome, but seems not very smart; I talked for so long and he only understood ‘just looking at me,’ really stupid.”
Zhuang Liu inwardly sneered, good, he remembered this man’s face. He planned to record his face later and hand it over to Xiao Mo and the others for handling. If he didn’t teach him a good lesson, it would be upside down to write Zhuang Liu’s name.
“What did you say?” Zhuang Liu was puzzled again.
The man didn’t bother conversing further and told Monica, “This is just a foreign man who doesn’t understand our language, let’s not worry about him and go about our business.”
Monica showed a shy expression, “Naughty, I’m really short on time; you have to be quick.”
The man stretched his arm around Monica’s waist and said, “This can’t be hurried.”
Zhuang Liu glanced at their actions, then quickly shifted his gaze back to his book, as if he had seen nothing.
Monica and the man left, but Zhuang Liu developed suspicions. The man looked quite young, hardly in his forties; could he be that prince?
Chapter 1525: 1524 is actually him
The first floor was crowded, so there were many people lining up for the restroom; it took Tan Rou three minutes of waiting before it was her turn. When she emerged from the restroom, she spotted a vaguely familiar face in the café.
Wasn’t that Kudu, a close confidant of Prince Busodi? What was he doing here?
Tan Rou hid herself briefly among a crowd, then quietly observed where Kudu was heading. When she saw Kudu move towards the second floor, her first thought was that he was going to meet Monica.
But that might not necessarily be the case. What if Kudu had arranged to meet friends here too? Moreover, even if he was here to meet Monica, it wouldn’t be a big issue; Monica was the wife of Busodi, and Kudu was a trusted individual by Busodi. It was perfectly normal for them to know each other.
It wasn’t until Kudu began ascending the stairs to the second floor that Tan Rou quietly followed at a distance, careful enough to avoid being noticed by him.
The café was quite lavish; the owner had filled the lobby with fresh flowers and placed many potted plants on the stairs. Tan Rou crouched behind a large green plant, which, along with the staircase blocking the view, completely hid her at the stairway entrance. Unless someone came up or down, no one would notice her.
She watched Kudu make a round on the second floor, and then he saw Zhuang Liu. At that moment, Monica also approached, appearing somewhat flustered upon seeing Zhuang Liu.
But Zhuang Liu’s acting was impressive; he perfectly portrayed a foreigner unfamiliar with the language of J and not fluent in the international common language, his puzzled expressions relaxing Kudu and Monica’s alertness.
Soon after, Tan Rou saw Kudu place his hand on Monica’s waist. If her previous thought was just a bold speculation, the scene she was witnessing now could confirm that there was definitely an extraordinary relationship between Monica and Kudu, and his presence here was indeed to meet Monica.
Realizing this, Tan Rou quickly took out her phone to record audio and video. Despite the distance, one shouldn’t underestimate the capabilities of modern smartphones, which could easily zoom up to thirty times without a hitch. However, for this distance, a two-times zoom was sufficient.
As for the audio, that was even less of a concern. Even if it couldn’t capture what they were saying, it could still show what they were doing. Even biological siblings wouldn’t engage in such actions after reaching adulthood, let alone Kudu and Monica, who were not siblings at all.
Anyway, Tan Rou had never heard about them being siblings; she decided to record the video first and show it to Samiyi later; perhaps it could help Samiyi.
Tan Rou truly felt she was the best friend in the world; for a friend she had known less than a month, she had gone to such lengths. Who else in the world cared about friends more than she did?
Oh, she truly was a friend moving the whole world!
Kudu and Monica left soon after, and Tan Rou stopped filming. She sent a message to Zhuang Liu to keep listening and to record their voices as well. Then she waited for him downstairs.
Zhuang Liu texted her, “This man isn’t Busodi, is he?”
Tan Rou replied, “No, he is a confidant of Busodi, and Busodi trusts him a lot. The King also really enjoys hearing him speak. Lin Yu told me that this man also speaks many languages; make sure you don’t reveal that you can speak multiple languages.”
Zhuang Liu typed back, “Understood. I realized something was off just now, so during the conversation, I pretended not to be fluent in the international common language, nor could I speak the language of J, which seemed to dispel their suspicions.”
Tan Rou quietly headed downstairs, then continued messaging Zhuang Liu: “Keep an eye on them for a bit longer, pass any important information to me, and see if you can discover any secrets.”
Zhuang Liu sent a “okay” emoticon.
Tan Rou then found a spot on the first floor to sit down. When waiter number 017 asked her why she had come down, she answered, “I feel I should be in the bustling world.”
The waiter, number 017, smiled and said, “Alright, as long as you’re happy.”
Tan Rou was thirsty again after using the restroom. She said, “Bring me a glass of lemonade, iced, please.”
Waiter 017 said, “I’m sorry, we don’t have lemonade.”
Tan Rou then ordered the cheapest drink available; after all, her goal wasn’t to enjoy a beverage.
Chapter 1526: 1525 Big Secret
Tan Rou was constantly looking at her phone, receiving numerous messages from Zhuang Liu. She selected some useful messages to screenshot and planned to send them all together as evidence to Samiyi later.
The Zhuang Liu who stayed on the second floor continued to play the role of a clueless foreigner, but in reality, he had already sent all the overheard messages to Tan Rou.
It must be said that these two people were truly bold. Even with a foreigner sitting there, they should not have let their guard down like this. What if this foreigner’s entire demeanor was an act?
Well, Zhuang Liu’s recent performance was indeed an act, but these two fools hadn’t noticed.
Monica and Kudu were sitting together, her lying very shyly in Kudu’s embrace as she asked, “Why did you stay abroad for so long this time? I missed you to death, but I didn’t dare contact you. Everything at home is under surveillance by that old man. If he knew I contacted you privately, I would be in big trouble.”
Kudu pinched Monica’s face and then said, “I had some business abroad this time, which is why I was delayed for so long. Moreover, the first day I returned, I came to look for you, but I didn’t expect Busodi to actually be at home.”
Mentioning Busodi, Monica became irritated, “That old man is becoming more and more annoying. It was his fault for being put under house arrest, but he blamed us for it. He throws tantrums at home every day, to the point where everyone is afraid to speak. Luckily, he was under house arrest, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to come out and meet you.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay here a bit longer. Once he leaves, we can meet as much as we want,” Kudu reassured her.
“It’s so annoying, when will these days end? I don’t want to stay with him anymore.” Monica complained, “I’m a young and beautiful girl married to an old man who’s about to die, and he hasn’t even become King yet. I’m afraid I might die of frustration before he even ascends the throne.”
Kudu said, “Monica, whether he becomes King or not is not the point. The important thing is whether our child can become King.”
Monica replied, “Yes, I know. If it weren’t for the child, I wouldn’t have stayed by that old man’s side.”
Kudu was silent for a while, then said, “The situation has changed now. I originally thought the old King could only choose between Busodi and Laka, both fools. No matter who becomes King, it would be to our advantage. But now the situation is different, it seems the King hasn’t chosen either of them.”
Monica asked, “If the King doesn’t choose them, then who will he choose? Although there are many people in the royal family, none of them are close to the King. The King surely can’t pick someone unrelated to succeed the throne, can he? Could it be that the King really wants that foreigner to inherit the throne?”
The foreigner Monica mentioned was Lin Yu. She had always been displeased with Lin Yu. A foreigner, so what if he knew a few languages? What’s the big deal?
Her Kudu also knew a few languages, yet the King never let Kudu stay in the palace; it was only when Kudu was needed that he was remembered and called over.
Monica had a big complaint about this.
“I’m not talking about Lin Yu, nor Laka and Busodi, but a woman,” Kudu said.
Monica immediately cried out, “A woman, what woman?”
Kudu covered her mouth, urging her to be quieter, “Have you forgotten? Besides a foolish Prince, there’s another person very close to the King.
After thinking hard for a moment, Monica’s eyes widened, “Mmm mmm…”
Kudu released his hand, and Monica immediately said, “Are you talking about that bitch Samiyi?”
Kudu replied, “Right now I’m just speculating that the King wants to make strong use of Samiyi. It’s still uncertain whether he will pass the position to her or not.”
Monica said very resentfully, “If that bitch can become King, then I could be King too.”
Kudu wanted to say “What’s your status, what’s hers; how could you possibly compare to her,” but right now, he still relied on Monica, so he couldn’t speak those words.
Zhuang Liu, eavesdropping from the side, quickly passed the information to Tan Rou. Although he didn’t quite understand what they were saying, he had a feeling that this was absolutely a big secret!
Chapter 1527: What did 1526 say?
Tan Rou was stunned when she saw the message Zhuang Liu sent her. She indeed could tell that Monica wasn’t very bright, but she hadn’t expected Monica to be so bold. Not only did she dare to have an affair with another man, but she even dared to flirt in public.
And there was Kudu, wasn’t he afraid that someone would discover their illicit relationship?
What shocked Tan Rou even more were Busodi’s two sons. Samiyi had said that Monica had given birth to twin sons for Busodi. None of Busodi’s previous wives had borne him sons, which had always depressed him.
When Monica bore him twin sons, Busodi’s affection for Monica reached an extreme. Whatever she wanted, Busodi gave her.
But in the end, those two children were not Busodi’s biological sons, but rather children secretly born by his young wife and someone he trusted very much. This was not just a big secret, but a very explosive one.
Tan Rou really wanted to tell Samiyi about this right now, but Zhuang Liu hadn’t come down yet. She needed to get the recording from Zhuang Liu before going to talk to Samiyi, to be more convincing.
Just as Tan Rou was thinking about uncovering other big secrets, she spotted Monica coming down from upstairs. Her Highness the Princess had just reached the foot of the stairs when several guards walked in from the entrance, carrying a red carpet. Monica stepped onto the red carpet, head held high, and left.
Tan Rou pressed her head down a bit, but she didn’t actually need to be so cautious, as Monica wouldn’t spare her a glance. This high-profile princess was too arrogant to look at the commoners beside her.
As soon as Monica left, Tan Rou quickly followed, but unfortunately, Monica went straight into the car, seemingly ready to go back. Since there were no more big secrets to dig out on Monica’s end, Tan Rou then turned her attention to the other main character.
She swiftly returned to her own seat, waiting for Kudu to come down from upstairs. About ten minutes later, Kudu came down, but he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he chatted briefly with the receptionist at the cafe counter before exiting the door.
After Kudu had left, Zhuang Liu also packed up his things and came down. He handed a mini recording pen produced by his family’s company to Tan Rou, “Everything you want is in here.”
Tan Rou quickly pocketed the item, then said, “Let’s go, let’s ask the waiter what Kudu said when he left, see if we can find out anything from the waiter’s mouth.”
As it happened, the waiter Kudu had asked was number 017, the same waiter who was serving Tan Rou and her company.
Before asking questions, Tan Rou ordered a few expensive coffees and cakes. The decor of this shop was so luxurious; naturally, the products wouldn’t be cheap, otherwise, there wouldn’t be only a few people on the second floor.
With Tan Rou’s order, waiter 017’s KPI for several days was completed, and he was almost ready to worship Tan Rou and her company.
“Miss, when you come here next time, come to me, and I’ll give you a 20% discount!” waiter 017 said, very excited.
Tan Rou handed the packed coffee and cakes to Zhuang Liu, then she turned to waiter 017 and said, “Hey, young man, I want to ask you something. If it’s difficult for you, you don’t have to tell me, I’m just asking casually.”
Waiter 017 was a bit hesitant, but seeing the check in Tan Rou’s hand, he grew very determined, “Miss, please ask. As long as it doesn’t involve our store’s trade secrets, I will tell you.”
Tan Rou smiled and said, “I have no intention of starting a coffee shop, what use would I have for your trade secrets? I just wanted to ask, what did that man in the black and white shirt say to you just now?”
Waiter 017 asked with curiosity, “Do you know him?”
Tan Rou nodded, “Yes, I know that person. He’s the husband of a friend of a friend of mine. I didn’t expect to encounter him here, let alone with a strange woman. I want to know what that woman’s identity is?”
“I’m not at liberty to disclose the woman’s identity,” waiter 017 said: “But I can tell you what that gentleman just said.”
Tan Rou nodded, “Alright, then go ahead.”
Waiter 017 quietly told Tan Rou, “He asked me where the most confidential hotel nearby is.”
Chapter 1528: Has there been a change in personnel in 1527?
Tan Rou smiled and said gratefully, “Thank you, young man. Next time I come here for coffee, I’ll definitely look for you.”
Employee No. 017 said joyfully, “Okay, take care!”
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu left with their arms full of items, including flowers and cakes; anyone unaware of the situation might have really thought they were out shopping.
“Hahaha…” Once they were a distance away, Tan Rou finally couldn’t hold back her laughter, and she said to Zhuang Liu, “This is too funny; I’ve never seen anything so amusing.”
Zhuang Liu also said, “The things we saw today were indeed a bit explosive.”
Tan Rou added, “If Prince Busodi knew that the son he adores is actually someone else’s child, would he keel over from anger?”
Zhuang Liu replied, “Tan Rou, don’t worry about whether he’ll die of rage or not. We just need to take care of our own business.”
Tan Rou nodded slightly, “Okay, I’ll go back in a bit and pass the secret to Samiyi. She’ll definitely laugh her head off when she sees it.”
Zhuang Liu asked, “Before you go back, could you stop by my hotel? I have something to give you.”
“Of course, I’ll go!” Tan Rou exclaimed, “We haven’t seen each other for so long, don’t you miss me?”
Zhuang Liu was very happy, “I brought a lot of the cherries and snacks you like. Later, you can take them with you to the palace. If you run out, just let me know, and I’ll send more over.”
Tan Rou said, “No rush, I haven’t even finished the cherries Xiao Mo brought last time. The weather here is hot, and cherries don’t store well. It’s better to eat them fresh.”
After finishing their business, Zhuang Liu finally had the chance to speak about the flowers, “Actually, I had prepared a box of cherries to make a fruit bouquet for you, but as we were making the bouquet with fresh flowers, I completely forgot about it. I’m not sure if Xiao Mo took it, or if it’s still at the florist.”
“No worries, I’ll send Kas a message in a bit to see if it’s still there. If it is, I’ll ask him to hold on to it for us, and I’ll pick it up tomorrow,” Tan Rou said.
“Hmm,” Zhuang Liu nodded.
Following Zhuang Liu, Tan Rou arrived at the hotel she stayed in last time. Upon entering, she saw the front desk clerk who had teased her and Kas before, wiping the table. Hotel receptionists normally work shifts, eight hours a day, hence there are three people taking turns.
The one Zhuang Liu and Xiao Mo had encountered was one, and the one Tan Rou now saw was another. Upon seeing Tan Rou, he curiously asked, “Miss, you’re back again? Eh, changed companions this time?”
Tan Rou felt offended and said sternly, “I told you last time that Mr. Kas and I have no improper relationship. He is my friend, and our relationship is completely platonic. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I’ll rip out your tongue!”
The clerk immediately apologized, “Yes, yes, don’t be angry, I misspoke.” However, his expression showed no hint of remorse; instead, he seemed to think it was no big deal.
Tan Rou said, “You seem quite reluctant? Shouldn’t you be sincerely apologizing after misspeaking?”
The clerk rolled his eyes and said, “I already apologized. Didn’t you hear it?”
“I didn’t hear it,” Zhuang Liu spoke up, “Your voice was too low just now; who knows what you were mumbling there. If you don’t apologize loudly enough, then I will be less than courteous to you.”
This clerk indeed knew Kas, but he had no connection with Tan Rou. If Kas had been there, he might have sincerely apologized, but now, with only two foreigners here, what did he have to fear?
He threw the cloth he was using to wipe the table on the ground and said impatiently, “Damn it, I apologized already. What more do you want, eh? Should I kneel and kowtow to you?”
Tan Rou sneered, “Since you want to kowtow to me, I must satisfy your wish. You don’t need to kowtow too much, three will do.”
The hotel clerk laughed aloud, “Hahaha, who do you think you are? Why should I kowtow to you? I’ll tell you, this is my country; if anyone should be kowtowing, it should be you two foreigners to me!”
Chapter 1529: 1528 kowtows
“I could kowtow to you, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t survive it,” Tan Rou said. “In my country, we only kowtow to the dead, so if you want me to kowtow to you, then you’d have to die first.”
The front desk clerk caught the threat in Tan Rou’s words and immediately burst into curses, “Fuck, you damn woman dare to curse me to die, looks like you’re tired of living. Do you have any idea who I am? I am—”
Zhuang Liu kicked him out, “I don’t need to know who you are. You’ve offended us, and you must face the consequences.”
“Ah, Zhuang Liu, you’re too impulsive,” Tan Rou quickly pulled him back, “There are so many cameras here. If you knock him to the ground and he calls the police, what will we do then?”
Clearly, the man on the ground hadn’t thought of calling the police; after he got up, he immediately grabbed a chair and hurled it their way. Despite looking thin and weak, he wielded impressive strength as he flung the metal chair.
“Watch out!” Zhuang Liu instinctively shielded Tan Rou with his body.
Tan Rou was faster to react; she quickly pulled Zhuang Liu away, and then the metal chair smashed into the wall, cracking the white tiles and damaging the floor when it fell.
“You dare dodge?” The front desk clerk grabbed another chair and threw it, shouting, “I’m going to smash you two to death!”
Zhuang Liu stuffed everything he was holding into Tan Rou’s hands and then charged forward to catch the chair. He grabbed the chair and spun around to counteract the force of the chair with the rotation, then placed it down and kicked it away.
The metal chair scraped against the ground with an ear-piercing noise, making Tan Rou shake her head. They should avoid using such self-damaging tactics in the future.
Zhuang Liu gasped for breath, covering his ears and saying, “This chair is so cheap, the noise is so annoying!”
Although it was noisy, the chair was still powerful. It was heavy by itself, and the momentum Zhuang Liu gave it when he kicked it sent the hotel clerk stumbling back several steps.
“Asshole!” The clerk lifted the chair and charged at Zhuang Liu, screaming, “I’m going to smash you!”
Zhuang Liu smiled, “Hope you can aim a bit better. Make sure not to hit your floor, okay!”
The clerk, enraged, charged at Zhuang Liu, who simply sidestepped, evading the attack. Then Zhuang Liu tripped him, and the man crashed to the ground.
While he wasn’t hurt badly, the floor certainly was—the iron chair shattered three ceramic tiles, sending shards flying.
“That’s rough!” Zhuang Liu couldn’t help but comment, “You could have just kowtowed earlier; now you’re not only kowtowing but doing it face down on the floor; that’s got to hurt your knees and face, right?”
The noise of their scuffle drew the attention of other guests. They looked after hearing the first sound of the chair hitting the wall and, after witnessing the skirmish that lasted less than five minutes, chose to retract their heads and pretend they had never seen such a scene.
“I’m going to… I’m going to call the police and get you arrested…” It was then that the clerk remembered to capture someone, “I need to… uh…” and then he passed out.
Tan Rou put things down, then squatted to check on him, “He fainted from the fall; I have to wake him up. Otherwise, we’ll be in big trouble.”
Zhuang Liu agreed, “Yeah, if some nosy person calls the police, they’ll come and will most likely see it as a one-sided assault by us and won’t consider it a mutual fight.”
“We’ve already fought, and although we started it, it was completely self-defense on our part afterward. I hope the police won’t be unfair,” Tan Rou said. “I’ll give Samiyi a call and have her help us deal with this. After all, we are foreigners, and we’ll definitely be at a disadvantage.”
“Sorry, I’ve caused you trouble,” Zhuang Liu calmed down and felt a bit too impulsive. He should have waited for the other person to start the fight, but he couldn’t stand anyone speaking ill of his wife.
Tan Rou smiled and said, “Samiyi has to help us with this. Even if we are not in the right, she needs to see us off safely. You’re here to deliver machinery, not to have fun. We’ve done her a big favor; she must get us out of this mess.”
Zhuang Liu laughed helplessly, “Tan Rou, you’re being too domineering.”
Chapter 1530: 1529 is all about acting
Indeed, among the noisy crowd, someone had indeed called the police, just as Tan Rou had woken up the hotel receptionist, the police stormed in holding their batons.
“Who reported that there was a fight here?” one of the bearded police officers asked. But no one stepped forward to admit they had called the police; they all crowded around to watch the excitement.
The officer asked several times, still no one responded to him, so he angrily asked, “Fine, if you won’t say who called the police, at least tell me who was fighting. The ones fighting, step forward now!”
“Officer, it was them…” the receptionist pointed at Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu and said, “They hit me.”
The officer frowned, “Abiya, why is it always you?”
Abiya complained, “Officer, this time it really wasn’t me causing trouble. They hit me first! I was just there wiping the table when they suddenly kicked me, and I couldn’t escape. They sent me flying several meters.”
Zhuang Liu said, “Officer, I really didn’t intend to hit him, but he kept saying things that insulted my wife. I could not stand it and that’s why I reacted. You can check the surveillance; I admit I hit him first, but I didn’t smash these floors, he did with a chair.”
Onlookers around also said, “Yes, yes, when we came out, this staff member had a chair in his hands, ready to smash it on this gentleman with black hair, although the gentleman with black hair did not attack him, instead, he was just dodging his attacks.”
Another person said, “No, no, you came out too late. Just now, this guy with black hair also kicked the chair at the staff member, and the chair hit the staff member—and let me tell you, that sound was really awful.”
“We didn’t see it clearly enough, I saw it more completely, it was clearly that woman who provoked them first, so I think the woman should be taken away!” Another guest said, “Look at that woman, she doesn’t seem to be decent. Just now, I heard the staff say, the man she brought last time wasn’t this man, I guess…”
“What did you say?” Zhuang Liu’s eyes brimmed with ferocity, “Want to…”
Tan Rou quickly covered Zhuang Liu’s mouth, stopping him from speaking further, and Zhuang Liu looked puzzledly at Tan Rou, “Tan Rou…”
Tan Rou gently shook her head, then vigorously rubbed her eyes and burst into tears instantly, “Officer, it’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have been impulsive. But you know, us girls are always very fragile, the last time he insulted me with his words, I endured it.”
“But this time, I came with my husband, and he still said many insulting things. If I… if I am at fault, the officer should arrest me, not let me be insulted by such people over and over! Wuu wuu wuu…”
Zhuang Liu was amazed; it was the first time he had seen Tan Rou’s ‘skills’ like this—how did she manage to cry instantly?
Tan Rou blinked at him, signaling him to play along.
Zhuang Liu caught on quickly, he immediately hugged his wife and said, “It’s our fault, we shouldn’t have come to this country for a vacation. We always heard that the people of Country J were very warm and hospitable, which is why we came here, but we didn’t expect Country J to have so many people who don’t welcome us. This has really saddened us!”
This confused the police; they came to handle a case of assault and battery, but it turned into handling an issue of international friendly exchanges.
“Sir, ma’am, please stay calm, we have proper ways to discuss this!” The officer nervously didn’t know where to put his hands, worried that a minor incident might cause international problems, which would be a big trouble for them.
“Officer, you must believe me, they hit me first!” Abiya was anxious as he watched them cry, he insisted, “I…I was just retaliating!”
The noise gave the officer a headache, he asked Abiya, “Who was the first to throw the chair?”
On this point, Abiya could not deny and confessed, “It was me, I was the one who threw the chair!”
The officer had already disliked Abiya, who caused trouble every other day, he was fed up with him, “Who told you to throw the chair. Do you know throwing such a heavy chair could kill someone?”