After Snagging a Stuffy Giant-Wealthy Daddy - Chapter 9

The car pulled into the busy flow of traffic. Under the night sky, Hong Kong resembled a brilliant pearl. Everywhere one looked, there were bright lights, colorful neon signs, and a thriving, prosperous scene.

Shao Tingyue had been resting with his eyes closed since getting into the car. His features were sharp and defined, resembling a resting, dormant beast.

The car windows insulated them from most of the noise, leaving only the faint sound of the air conditioning. Having wandered around all afternoon, Li Chu was somewhat exhausted. He was rubbing his sore eyes, his head bobbing slightly.

“Was that person you were with earlier a close friend?” Shao Tingyue’s voice suddenly broke the silence, low and calm, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet vehicle.

Li Chu was startled, his sleepiness vanishing instantly. He blinked, his eyes still shimmering with a bit of moisture, before realizing that the person being asked about was Jiaming.

“Not really. Not particularly close.” Li Chu tilted his head, thinking about it with a serious expression. “But he is a good person. Back at the bar, if he hadn’t secretly told me to run, I might have been caught by those people.”

As he spoke, Li Chu’s voice grew quieter. He still felt awkward bringing up what had happened previously.

Shao Tingyue’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment before he suddenly changed the subject. “What about the one called Wen Sitong? Liang Wei said you two were cohabiting previously.”

Li Chu froze, muttering a silent complaint to himself.

It was true that he had been staying at Wen Sitong’s place, but it had strictly been on a floor mat. Why did the word “cohabiting” sound so strange coming from Shao Tingyue?

“Sister Sitong is my savior. When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I didn’t understand anything and had no money. It was she who brought me home and took me in without hesitation.”

Shao Tingyue’s dark eyes flickered slightly, his tone ambiguous. “You certainly have many saviors.”

Li Chu was choked by his words, feeling inexplicably confused and even secretly defiant. What was wrong with having many saviors? Had he never heard of relying on friends when away from home?

Then again, for someone like Shao Tingyue, who had lived in the clouds since childhood and controlled a massive business empire, it was probably difficult to understand the life struggles of people at the bottom like them.

The car became even quieter, with only the sound of their breathing audible.

Just then, a graceless rumbling sound erupted inside the car.

Li Chu’s face turned bright red instantly, and he subconsciously covered his stomach. His stomach never rumbled that loudly when he was hungry; what was going on today?

Shao Tingyue heard it too, turning his head to ask. “Are you hungry?”

Li Chu did not know whether to nod or shake his head, so he simply admitted. “I am a little hungry.”

Shao Tingyue pondered for a moment before calmly instructing the driver to detour to a nearby Western restaurant.

Li Chu was somewhat surprised. He had not expected Shao Tingyue to change his itinerary just because he was hungry.

He whispered. “Thank you, Second Uncle.”

The car soon stopped at the entrance of the restaurant. Shao Tingyue was clearly a regular, and the waiter trainedly led the two of them to a quiet, secluded table by the window.

Since arriving in this era, Li Chu had only eaten at tea restaurants and street stalls. A restaurant that looked this expensive probably paid even higher wages for washing dishes.

The menu the waiter brought was in French, with pictures, and Li Chu was so dazzled that he had no idea how to choose.

Seeing this, Shao Tingyue simply made the decision for him.

He ordered pan-seared foie gras, pan-fried cod with white wine sauce, and dessert, while he himself ordered only a simple steak and a salad.

While waiting for the food, the atmosphere was somewhat silent. Li Chu did not dare to look around much, staring instead at the bustling street scene outside the window.

From here, one could see the skyscrapers of Central. The famous Bank of China Tower of the future had not even begun construction, but it did not affect the glory of this land.

The dishes were served quickly, beautifully plated.

The cod in front of him was seared to perfection with a rich sauce, and just looking at it made one’s index finger twitch with appetite.

Once Li Chu was hungry, he stopped worrying about dining etiquette and began to eat very seriously.

He ate with great satisfaction, his expression relaxing unconsciously. Occasionally, he would squint his eyes slightly, looking like a satiated kitten.

Shao Tingyue did not eat much, his movements elegant. Most of the time, he was watching Li Chu, who was intently focused on his food.

This meal was more relaxed than Li Chu had imagined. Cured by the delicious food, his brows and eyes smoothed out significantly.

When they left the restaurant after paying the bill, the two walked one after the other toward the parking area.

At the roadside, a little girl timidly stopped them.

She was carrying a small bamboo basket containing some handmade colorful bracelets and small animal pendants. The craftsmanship was not particularly refined, but they were quite charming and childlike.

“Sir, please buy a bracelet. It will bless you with peace.” The little girl’s voice was thin, her eyes large as she looked hopefully at Li Chu, who was walking behind.

Li Chu stopped, seeing the little girl’s faded dress, and could not help but crouch down slightly. “Little sister, why are you still out so late?”

The little girl glanced at her mother, who was pushing an ice cream cart not far away, and spoke quite articulately. “Big brother, I am waiting for mommy to finish work. Do you want to buy one? Besides bracelets, there are also keychains. They are all handmade by my sister. They are very cute!”

In the basket, a small pig keychain made of yarn caught his eye. It was wearing a pair of blue denim overalls, a fisherman’s hat, and was simple and round, with two buttons used to accentuate the pig’s nose.

Li Chu picked it up and squeezed it, finding it cuter the more he looked at it. He was about to reach for his money when he put his hand into his empty pocket and remembered he did not have a cent on him.

The little girl was still looking at him with eager eyes.

Li Chu immediately felt awkward. He looked at the little pig in his hand, then at the little girl’s hopeful gaze, and finally decided to ask Shao Tingyue for money.

Shao Tingyue was tall with sharp features. Standing on the corner of the street where the lights were dim, even without speaking, he exuded an invisible pressure.

Li Chu shuffled over, his voice low. “Second Uncle, could you lend me some money?”

After saying this, his earlobes began to burn uncontrollably. Borrowing money from this cold-faced King of Hell second uncle felt even more nerve-wracking than being punished by copying house rules two hundred times.

The halo under the night light softened the boy’s facial contours, and his naturally watery eyes held a bit of pleading.

Shao Tingyue glanced at the little girl selling handicrafts and then back at Li Chu’s little face, which was clearly written with the words “out of money.”

He paused, his noble brows knitting together. “You have been back at the Shao Mansion for quite some time now. Did the Old Madam and Uncle Ming not arrange daily pocket money for you?”

Li Chu blinked blankly, then shook his head, his expression showing a bit of unconscious grievance. “No. I have not seen a single cent.”

He whispered to himself, thinking that besides pocket money, he had originally planned to save some money from the Shao family to run away, but now his pockets were emptier than his face. When he was working part-time at the bar and tea restaurant, he had not been this impoverished.

Fortunately, he spent most of his time in the mansion and did not have much need to spend money. The only time he went out with Shao Mingzhu, he was caught red-handed.

Thinking of these sad past events, Li Chu could not help but purse his lips.

Shao Tingyue looked at the little expression of grievance on his face, and his brows knit even tighter.

He did not say anything more, taking his wallet out of his suit pocket and handing it to Li Chu.

Li Chu took the heavy wallet and looked up at Shao Tingyue. The man’s expression was indifferent and showed no impatience.

He pursed his lips and revealed a bright, smiling face. “Thank you, Second Uncle.”

Opening the wallet, there were Hong Kong dollars of different denominations inside, along with a few cards of different colors.

Li Chu carefully pulled out a one-thousand-dollar note, then thought it was too much and hesitated, wondering if he should swap it for a smaller denomination.

“Take it,” Shao Tingyue’s voice sounded from the side, still in a calm tone. “No need to return the change.”

Li Chu said “Oh,” stopped hesitating, took the thousand-dollar note, turned around, and walked quickly back to the little girl to hand it to her. “Little sister, I want that denim little pig.”

Seeing the big bill, the little girl’s eyes went wide. She quickly waved her hands. “Big brother, you do not need to give so much. Ten dollars is enough.”

Li Chu smiled, pointing at the cold-faced, menacing-looking Shao Tingyue standing next to him. “It was that uncle who gave it to you. Feel free to accept it, and go home early with your mommy.”

After saying that, he put the money into her small bamboo basket and picked up the round little yarn pig.

The little girl looked at the huge sum of money, then at Li Chu and the imposing man behind him. As if remembering something, she dug out another little pig wearing a suit with a cold expression from the bottom of the basket and stuffed it into his hand.

“Thank you, big brother! This one is for you too! It is a pair with the other one!” The little girl’s voice was crisp. After finishing, she grabbed her basket and ran toward her mommy in the distance.

Li Chu looked at the two little pigs, one goofy and one cool, in his hand. He could not help but smile again and waved at her.

Until he returned to the Shao Mansion, Li Chu kept playing with the two little pigs in his hand. This little pig in a suit had a cool expression and really looked a bit like Shao Tingyue.

He could not help but mischievously tug on the pig’s ears, his eyes narrowing into a small arc, and the little mole on the tip of his nose shining brightly.

Shao Tingyue glanced at Li Chu’s little movements, suppressed the corners of his lips, and called Uncle Ming into the study directly.

After only a moment, Uncle Ming knocked on the door and entered, his expression respectful. “Second Young Master, were you looking for me?”

“Yes.” Shao Tingyue leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the solid wood desk, and asked in a flat tone, “Chu Zai has been back for quite a while. How are his daily living expenses arranged here at the mansion?”

Hearing this, Uncle Ming immediately tapped his forehead lightly. “Oh my! Look at my memory! I deserve a beating! The Old Madam just finished surgery, and everyone’s mind was on that. I completely neglected Young Master Chu’s affairs! It was my negligence; please punish me, Second Young Master.”

Shao Tingyue waved his hand to indicate that it did not matter.

He naturally knew that Uncle Ming had not intentionally slighted him; it was just that Li Chu’s status was special, and many processes had not kept up.

Shao Tingyue’s tone remained unchanged as he continued to instruct. “Starting tomorrow, transfer fifty thousand US dollars per month to Li Chu’s name from my personal account. Open an independent bank account for him and deposit the money promptly every month. Get the paperwork done as soon as possible.”

Fifty thousand US dollars per month?

A flash of surprise crossed Uncle Ming’s eyes. This amount was not much for a family like the Shao family.

But for a young master like Li Chu who had just returned and had not yet participated in family affairs, this allowance was quite generous, even exceeding that of the young ladies of the Shao family’s second house.

With this move from the Second Young Master.

Uncle Ming reined in his thoughts, his expression returning to normal, and he took his orders and retreated.

After breakfast, Li Chu acted cute with the Old Madam for a while before returning to his bedroom, where the servants had already organized the loot from their day.

The closet in the cloakroom was full, from coats to intimate undergarments, shoes, socks, and ties, all arranged neatly according to his preferences.

Li Chu had the illusion that he would live here for a long time, but he shook his head as if in denial.

Just then, a light knock on the door came from outside; it was Uncle Ming.

Li Chu opened the door and saw Uncle Ming standing by the door holding a tray. He recognized the velvet box on it; it was the one Shao Tingyue had gone to collect that afternoon. Beside it was a thick, bulging kraft paper bag.

“Sorry to disturb you, Young Master Chu. This is a gift prepared for you by the Old Madam, and also her heartfelt wish to celebrate your official return home.” Uncle Ming handed the tray over gently.

Li Chu opened the box suspiciously. Inside was an exquisite butterfly-shaped brooch embedded with pure blue sapphires, diamonds, and pearls. It shone with a luxurious luster under the lights, and one could tell at a glance that it was worth a fortune.

Uncle Ming’s smile remained the same as he continued. “Second Young Master has instructed that from now on, fifty thousand US dollars will be transferred from his personal account to your personal bank account every month. This is for this month.”

Li Chu opened his eyes wide. “!”

Uncle Ming watched him look stunned, the smile in his eyes deepening, though he did not say much. “Everything has been delivered. If Young Master has no other instructions, I will take my leave.”

“Oh… okay, thank you, Uncle Ming.” Li Chu held the kraft paper bag blankly, hit by this sudden shower of immense wealth, feeling a bit lost for a moment.

Uncle Ming retreated gently and closed the door.

The room became quiet again. Li Chu stood where he was for several full seconds before reacting.

“Ah!”

He let out a low exclamation, then threw himself onto the bed, burying his face in the fluffy down pillow.

Fifty thousand! Fifty thousand every month! And in US dollars!

This was simply becoming rich overnight! No, it was reaching the peak in an instant!

Li Chu rolled halfway across the bed. Although he had indeed wanted to scrape some benefits by using the identity of a young master of the Shao family, he never expected to become rich so directly!

Regardless of what happens in the future, at least for now, he was rich! He had so, so much money!

So, Shao Tingyue was not a King of Hell; he was the God of Wealth! From now on, let alone calling him Second Uncle, he would even call him Daddy!