LRAB Chapter 27 This kid is not easy to deal with
Chapter 27 This kid is not easy to deal with
No friends?
Don't these second-generation rich kids all have their own circles? Zhang Zhishan most wants his son to form cliques and get to know the rich kids. Looking at Zhang Zihao's meek and submissive appearance, Zeng Jia suddenly felt a surge of pity. This kid looks tough, but frankly, he's only fifteen. He's probably never been properly respected for his opinions since he was little, and has only been constantly yelled at by his parents.
"What do you mean by everything being wrong? Your opinion is very important. We'll eat whatever you want. If you can't even decide what you want to eat in this life, you might as well hang yourself with a noodle!" Zeng Jia said, then realized her words were a bit harsh and quickly added, "Of course, you can't choose the ones you're allergic to. Those things can be deadly, and we can't risk our lives."
A flicker of surprise flashed across Zhang Zihao's eyes, so fast it seemed like an illusion. He pursed his lips, still in that half-dead tone: "You decide, I have no objection." His voice was as flat as a dead fish, making it impossible to tell whether he was happy or annoyed.
Zeng Jia glanced at him and picked up her phone: "Alright, then I'll make the decision for you. But let me make this clear beforehand, all the things I pick are things your mom won't let you touch. If you enjoy them but then turn around and complain to me..."
Zhang Zihao scoffed, his lips curling into a sneer that could tether a donkey. "Complain? Do you think she has time to listen to me complain? She's working hard for my career, making money for me, paving a bright future for me. She'd rather fart for me than not do anything for me. So she doesn't even have time to listen to me say a word."
Zeng Jia clicked her tongue twice. So every family has its share of mother-son conflicts during adolescence, and the boss's son was no exception. She stopped trying to figure out what Zhang Zihao liked to eat and simply prepared all the dishes she herself craved. She considered herself a seasoned gourmet; if she liked it, how could Zhang Zihao, who ate nutritious meals every day, not like it? She was confident of that.
Before long, Wang Haowen returned carrying large and small bags, with the ingredients piled up like a small mountain.
Zeng Jia had already prepared all the cooking utensils. "You go play a game of King of Glory with him. I'll take care of your boss's rabbit meal in no time. Once we're done, the three of us will head out. Let's not hold each other up."
Wang Haowen looked skeptical: "Just one game of King of Glory skill? Are you even capable?"
Zeng Jia glanced at the photos of the nutritious meal Yu Li sent, and curled her lip in disgust: "Isn't it just rubbing some vegetable leaves together, arranging them on a plate, sprinkling some oil and black pepper on chicken breast, flipping it over and frying it until cooked? I really don't understand, how do people swallow this stuff? Chewing wax is more flavorful than this!"
Upon careful consideration, Wang Haowen realized he couldn't refute it. To put it bluntly, the nutritious meals Yu Li arranged were just fancy presentations.
He resigned himself to his fate, grabbed his phone, and moved closer to Zhang Zihao to start fighting. As soon as the screen lit up, the two of them immediately started yelling, "Positioning!" "Use your ultimate!" "Oh my god!" The noise was so loud that it almost lifted the roof off the entire living room.
Zeng Jia worked incredibly fast, finishing the job in no time, including taking photos, editing, and beautifying them.
Wang Haowen sent the photos of the repaired food to Yu Li with trepidation. Once Yu Li confirmed that the food was acceptable, the three of them immediately made a quick getaway, heading straight to a Leshan snack shop near the China World Trade Center, aiming for a swift and decisive meal.
After the meal, Zhang Zihao was grimacing and hissing from the spiciness, his lips swollen like sausages. It was his first time eating Sichuan cuisine, and he found it novel and satisfying, feeling incredibly happy. The only downside was that when he went to his horseback riding practice in the afternoon, he practically wore out the toilet after running around, and his face turned pale from diarrhea after three bouts.
Zeng Jia was so frightened that she almost lost her mind. She rushed to a nearby pharmacy and bought antidiarrheal medicine to force-feed him. She stayed by his side, handing him water and wiping his sweat, taking meticulous care of him, her eyes fixed on Zhang Zihao.
Wang Haowen's eyes almost ached from looking at her, as if he had drunk two buckets of aged vinegar. "Oh my, what a thoughtful and caring older sister you are. We've been friends for so many years, and I've never seen you take such good care of me. So I'm not even as good as a half-grown kid, huh?"
"Why are you jealous of some greenhorn? Can't you have some self-respect?!" Zeng Jia glared at him, finding his jealousy inexplicable. "Besides, dare you say I haven't taken care of you? Back in your senior year, when you got into a fight with your dad and ended up in the hospital with a stomach hemorrhage, who stayed up all night watching over you like you were royalty? And now you're turning your back on me, eating nothing but rice?"
"How can that be the same? You're my girlfriend!" Wang Haowen's voice deepened, tinged with a genuine sense of grievance. "Besides, he completely forgot about my mother's death anniversary that time. How could I not get angry? And you know that's the only time I've ever had a falling out with him in my life!"
It was during that time that he fully realized his father was unreliable, and he resolved not to be like his mother, always striving for excellence and advancement, lest he lose his life before achieving much.
But now, in order to buy a house for Zeng Jia, he has not only broken his previous vow, but also tightened his belt and worked himself to the bone here.
The most ironic thing about people is that the kind of life you swear you won't live is the kind that fate will make you willingly try, a testament to your defiance.
Zeng Jia, oblivious to Wang Haowen's subtle mood, continued to sigh, "But do you really think this kid is happy? When you went out to buy groceries today, he said something to me."
"What did you say?"
"He said that he couldn't even find a temple to complain to, and his mother didn't have time to listen at all."
Wang Haowen was silent for a few seconds before resuming his usual sarcastic tone, "Let's not stand here feeling so bitter for him. He lives in a multi-million dollar mansion, with everything he needs provided for. He can have whatever he wants. Meanwhile, we're crammed into a cramped rented room where we're afraid of bumping into the neighbor's ear if we turn around. How can we compare?"
Zeng Jia sighed. Who could argue with that? Her overflowing kindness was indeed a bit unreasonable. No matter how bad their lives were, they were still much better off than her and Wang Haowen.
"Forget it, I'd better think about what to make for a more substantial dish tonight!"
She pulled out her phone and opened Dianping (a Chinese review platform). "If I can't spend this 20,000 yuan, I'll have to pay out of my own pocket. I can't do a losing business!"
Wang Haowen read two pages, when he suddenly caught Zhang Zihao looking at them with a half-smile.
He quickly fawned over like a lackey, continuing to play games with the little devil, afraid that this little rascal might cause any more trouble.
The next day, Wang Haowen drove Zhang Zihao to class. Zeng Jia stayed at the villa to finish preparing the "rabbit meal" that Yu Li had prepared for her check-up before going to find the two of them. The three of them even took some time to play an escape room game, which terrified Zeng Jia so much that her legs went weak. If she wasn't afraid that Zhang Zhishan would find out she hadn't accompanied Zhang Zihao, she would never have gone along.
"I told you you were scared, but you still insisted on coming along!" After the three of them finished playing, they went straight to Guijie Street for some crayfish. Wang Haowen teased them while peeling the crayfish shells, occasionally sneaking a couple of peeled ones into Zeng Jia's plate.
Zhang Zihao's chilling voice drifted over: "How do you know Sister Zeng Jia is scared? She was quite brave just now."
Wang Haowen, like a chicken with its neck choked, sighed that she spoke without thinking, "With her guts, she wouldn't even dare to go to the break room alone when working overtime. She always needs someone to accompany her. Just now, she was just putting on a brave face." He could only make up a casual remark to appease her.
Zhang Zihao suddenly looked at Wang Haowen with a serious expression, "I've finished my classes for the past two days, so you don't need to stare at me like a thief anymore. Just go home tonight, don't come back with us."
Wang Haowen dropped the crayfish in his hand onto the plate with a "plop," his expression instantly changing. "So, after all I did—serving you lavishly, eating and playing with you, worrying myself sick by sending your mom fake photos and making up lies—you're the first one to kick me out? Zhang Zihao, have you no conscience?!"
Zhang Zihao's lips curled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes. "Aren't you afraid that if you come to Universal Studios with us tomorrow, Zeng Jia will complain about you? My mom has that temper; if she finds out you're the one taking me, she'll definitely dock your pay, and she might even fire you right away!"
Zeng Jia was also stunned. What kind of trick was this kid playing? Why did he suddenly want to kick Wang Haowen out? But Zhang Zihao was staring at her, as if waiting for her to speak. Zeng Jia could only glare at Wang Haowen and say, "Yes, I will definitely tell on you, so you'd better hurry home after you finish eating."
"No way, you can't lie to President Zhang and President Yu. We're accomplices. You wouldn't risk hurting yourself as well as your enemy." Wang Haowen exchanged a glance with her, then smugly popped a shrimp into his mouth. He glanced at Zhang Zihao, a forced smile on his face, "Speak up, kid, what mischief are you up to? Just say it, don't play games with me." After spending two days with him, he realized this kid was a real dragon fruit, all cunning and scheming. Suddenly kicking him out was just a prelude; there was bound to be a sequel.
Zhang Zihao let out a hiss, not expecting his guess to come true? He decided to drop the pretense: "It's not that I can't take you along, but you have to register a game account for me, and my mom can't know." They'd gotten a bit more familiar with each other these past few days, and Zhang Zihao wasn't so cold anymore.
Wang Haowen instantly wore a look of utter disgust: "Good heavens, I've been carrying this scare for ages! If your mom catches me like this, I'm definitely out of a job!"
"It's okay, I have an ID card too. If he won't register, I will." Zeng Jia added fuel to the fire, which was also a way to give Wang Haowen a way to compromise, so that he would have something to say if Yu Li really asked.
Wang Haowen feigned helplessness, "Alright, alright, I agree! But let's make this clear beforehand: I can help you, but if things come to light, you'll have to kneel down and beg your mother for me!"
Having successfully blackmailed Wang Haowen, Zhang Zihao let out a little bit of youthful smugness. He immediately took out his phone, opened miHoYo, and asked Wang Haowen to enter his ID number.
Zeng Jia was very generous and directly deposited four thousand yuan into his account. "Let me know when you've spent it all!" Anyway, it was his father's money, but she had to keep track of the favor.