Chronicle of the 70s
Chapter 156: When will 152 have its second update?

Chapter 156: When will 152 have its second update?

Xu Xi went first, and Qin Xi, holding clothes, went back to change into the trousers that Li Xianglu had tailored for him, as well as a short-sleeved shirt. Once he changed, he waited at the cabin’s door.

Several sounds came from inside before the cabin’s door was opened, and Qin Xi’s eyes lit up.

Li Xianglu was wearing a casual cheongsam with slight cuffs. It was made of real silk bought from a Shanghai department store, in pale pink, just below the knee, and slightly slit.

Her hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head. She wore no necklace or earrings, just a glass bangle on her wrist, and a pair of white low-heel leather shoes on her feet. Li Xianglu’s face always looked rather childish, often revealing a bewildered expression, which made her seem not fully grown-up. Her attire resembled a child dressing in adult’s clothes, but far from being odd, it was indescribably pretty.

When Li Xianglu saw the amazed look from Qin Xi, she proudly tilted her little chin up, extending her hand to link arms with him as they walked toward the corridor.

Qin Xi slightly bowed his head and sniffed, a faint orchid fragrance; the girl had sprayed on perfume.

The large dining room on the lower level to the west was available to all who had bought cruise tickets, offering buffet meals three times a day and a late-night snack. Drinks were out-of-pocket.

Being young is a capital on its own. Under the dazzling lights, the two attracted much attention—one tall and one petite, one mature and one dainty.

Li Xianglu was unfazed, calmly finding a seat with Qin Xi. She placed her knife and fork crossed on the plate before heading over to the food area with a large plate to make her choice.

There weren’t many headed to the UK or Hong Kong at this time, so only half of the cruise was occupied, and they picked seats near the window in the half-full dining room.

Li Xianglu picked a large plate full of her favorites, including cream cake, pasta fried with tomato sauce, and some seasonal vegetables.

Qin Xi also grabbed plenty, primarily meat. He chose the freshly grilled steak done medium-rare, taking two pieces and pouring on black pepper sauce with a tantalizing meat aroma.

Qin Xi got a pint of beer, and Li Xianglu gazed at it longingly, but Qin Xi resolutely shook his head. The girl’s alcohol tolerance was really poor. It was better not to drink while traveling, so Li Xianglu, feeling sorry for herself, got a bottle of cola and added ice cubes before returning satisfied.

The dinner was lavish. No food tickets were needed, no money required, and everyone in the dining room ate heartily.

After finishing the last sip of cola, Li Xianglu burped comfortably and sighed, "It’d be great if Qin Zhen were here. He could eat the cost of the cruise ticket back!"

Qin Xi... So that’s how useful a younger brother is!

At this point, Qin Zhen had already gotten off the train. He didn’t go back to Grandpa’s house but instead headed straight for Grandpa Li’s courtyard house. Upon finding out that the two had left for Hong Kong two days earlier, he started to wail. Grandpa Li, feeling helpless, kept promising to take Qin Zhen to Old Mo for a meal and then buy him a bicycle as compensation when they returned. Only then did Qin Zhen calm down a bit, picking a few dishes he had been craving before settling in contentedly.

For Qin Zhen, studying in Shanghai was a nightmare. At first, he thought the food in Shanghai was alright, but then it became tasteless. Everything was sweet, they even put sugar in steamed buns, and the noodles didn’t have the texture of those from Guanzhong. Thinking about this made Qin Zhen feel like he had been deceived.

But whom could he blame? After all, it was he who had insisted on coming, despite his brother, Chou Xiang, and even Grandpa Li advising against it. Back then, for some reason, he just couldn’t see it any other way and desperately wanted to go.

Perhaps it was the allure of that 24-story international state-run hotel, but schooling is the priority, and there are so many restaurants and upscale venues to visit there.

Most students studying in Shanghai come from the south, and they study like their lives depend on it, poring over books with flashlights late into the night. Not wanting to fall behind, I had no choice but to join in on the studying. Thankfully, I did well on the initial exams and finals. Otherwise, instead of meals, I’d be facing daily beatings.

The cruise ship docked at 10 PM and stayed at the port overnight, then set sail at 8 AM the following morning.

Li Xianglu and her group passed through customs smoothly and were picked up by a car that had been waiting for them.

Xu Xi told Li Xianglu in the car, "We’ll settle in first. Miss Su felt unwell due to the long boat ride and might not recover until the day after tomorrow."

Li Xianglu nodded and asked, "How old is grandma?"

Xu Xi paused, grandma? Miss Su? Well, if Miss Su’s child had married in their twenties, it would make sense for her to have a granddaughter Li Xianglu’s age. Smiling, he said, "Hmm, she’s four years older than your grandpa."

What? Older than Grandpa? Grandpa really has odd tastes, fancying women older than himself.

After disembarking at 10 PM, there was no need for dinner, and a half-hour car ride took us to a hotel parking lot. Li Xianglu got out of the car and gazed up at the towering building—ah, the Sheraton, close to Victoria Port. No wonder it was so quick.

She and Qin Xi were staying separately. After Xu Xi had settled the two of them in, he left them his own phone number and his assistant’s, before leaving to visit relatives he had in Hong Kong.

Qin Xi was unpacking when he saw the girl leap backward onto the bed with a bounce, chuckling amusedly. "What’s wrong, tired of the ship? It’s only been a few days. Think of those who go on business trips abroad, a trip to the UK takes a whole month."

Li Xianglu rolled around the soft bed a few times before climbing to the spot near the window. "In the future, I definitely don’t want a job that requires frequent business trips. It’s too tiring."

Qin Xi took out a few sets of clothes to hang up, then packed their toiletries in a separate bag and placed it aside. After washing his hands in the bathroom, he took a glass bottle of milk from the mini-fridge under the TV and set it on the bedside table, saying, "Don’t stay up too late. Go to sleep now. Tomorrow night we can go out and explore the seaside scenery."

Watching Qin Xi take things out of the fridge, Li Xianglu’s eyes narrowed slightly in familiarity. Their family hadn’t bought a fridge yet; they planned to purchase one when they returned home. She didn’t expect Qin Xi to become so accustomed to using it, but just as he never probed about her many flaws, she also kept silent.

Checking the time, it was already 11 PM. Qin Xi pecked Li Xianglu’s head affectionately, reminding her to lock the door after coming down, since he was leaving.

Li Xianglu pouted, "When can we sleep together?"

Qin Xi...

After drinking the milk, Li Xianglu took a hot shower, changed into a camisole nightgown, put on a face mask, and threw herself onto the spring bed. So comfortable! When things get better back home, I’ll buy a big bed and an imported mattress for my family. Good mattresses are great for a man’s back - for the sake of my own happiness, I have to get a good one!

Amidst her wild thoughts, Li Xianglu slowly fell asleep and had a dreamless night.