For the next few days, Chen Yang spent most of his time at home. Every morning, he would get up on time, swim a kilometer, then exercise in the yard. The rest of the time, he would read or surf the internet in his study, or accompany Su He and his grandmother for walks in the neighborhood. His life was regular and peaceful.
Yang Liuyi sometimes had to fly long distances, so she would leave Huanhuan with Chen Yang. The little girl gradually became less shy and more familiar with Su He and the others. Every time she visited Chen Yang's house, she would happily run around in the yard, winning everyone's affection.
Song Yi lived up to Chen Yang's trust. Negotiations on the prices of several apartments were underway. One apartment had already reached a basic agreement, with the price about 50,000 yuan lower than Chen Yang's target price. The four secondhand apartments Chen Yang listed were all properties that Chen Yang remembered would be demolished within the next few months to a year, so the prices he listed were relatively higher than the market price, also to ensure Song Yi could make a profit.
Early that morning, Chen Yang was swimming on the third-floor terrace when his phone, which was lying by the pool, suddenly rang. He kicked a few times to get to the edge, pushed himself up with his hands, grabbed a towel, dried himself off quickly, and picked up his phone.
He was slightly surprised to see it was Liu Xinyao calling. Since Sanya returned, and with school on summer vacation, Chen Yang and Liu Xinyao hadn't seen or contacted each other. What could she want? Chen Yang, with a hint of doubt, swiped to answer the phone:
"Hello, Xin Yao!"
Liu Xin Yao's voice was as cold as ever, seemingly devoid of any emotion:
"Chen Yang, please contact Uncle Yuan. My father wants to see him. Also… come along! My father says he wants to thank you in person."
Chen Yang was taken aback for a moment, then realized that Liu Xin Yao's request for her father's gratitude was probably referring to the time he risked his life to save her during the plane hijacking. After a brief hesitation, he said:
"Uh… okay!"
After hanging up, Chen Yang sat blankly for a while, thinking that he couldn't come empty-handed on his first visit! Liu Guoqiang was a prominent figure in the second generation of the Liu family, and the more prestigious the family, the more they valued these traditions. But what kind of gift should he bring in such a rush? After much deliberation, Chen Yang remembered that when he treated Guan Weiping and the others to dinner last time, they had drunk two bottles of the Little Jiang Commemorative Wine and given away three, leaving only one bottle in the downstairs wine cabinet! Since Liu Guoqiang's reputation for fine wine was well-known, he decided to give him that one!
Having made up his mind, Chen Yang picked up his phone, found Captain Yuan Fang's number, and dialed. Hearing the ringtone, Chen Yang felt slightly relieved; at least it meant Yuan Fang wasn't flying. The phone was answered after two rings, and Yuan Fang's cheerful voice came through:
"Chen Yang! Hello!"
"Uncle Yuan, are you in Rongcheng?" Chen Yang asked directly, without beating around the bush.
"Hehe, I just got off the plane a little while ago, and I'm on the airport expressway right now!" Yuan Fang replied with a laugh, then asked, "What's up?"
Chen Yang chuckled and teased,
"Old Yuan, you're in trouble! You promised to visit Chief of Staff Liu's house last time, but you haven't gone yet! Liu Xinyao called me today, and Chief of Staff Liu brought it up himself!"
"Oh! Don't even mention it! After returning from Sanya, I went to the Australian base to train the new pilots! I just managed to get a few days' leave and rushed back, otherwise, even if you gave me a million lives, I wouldn't dare stand up the old company commander!" Yuan Fang immediately cried out in grievance.
"You should explain these things to Chief of Staff Liu yourself!" Chen Yang said with a smile. "Uncle Yuan, when do you expect to arrive in Rongcheng? I'll come pick you up! Chief of Staff Liu gave a strict order that he must see you before noon today!"
Yuan Fang hesitated for a moment, then said:
"Chen Yang, it's like this, Old Gu was discharged from the hospital today. I originally wanted to pick him up and have a good chat at his house. But since the old company commander gave the order, I certainly can't refuse. How about this? I'll go to the Provincial People's Hospital first, pick up Old Gu, and then meet up with you, okay?"
"Captain Gu was discharged! That's great news!" Chen Yang said excitedly. "Uncle Yuan, let's meet at the Provincial People's Hospital! I have to go and congratulate Captain Gu on his discharge!"
"Sure! I'll be there in about forty minutes. Let's meet at the hospital!" Yuan Fang said readily.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Yang said goodbye to Su He, telling her he wouldn't be home for lunch. Then he took the bottle of sorghum liquor from the liquor cabinet, drove away from the villa.
It only takes about half an hour to get from Luhang Residential Area to the Provincial People's Hospital. After parking his car in the underground garage of the inpatient department, Chen Yang stood on the steps in front of the building waiting for Yuan Fang. Bored, Chen Yang couldn't resist taking out a cigarette. Just as he was about to light it, a somewhat familiar voice came from beside him:
"Don't you know smoking is prohibited in the hospital? Don't you have any public decency?"
Chen Yang turned his head and saw a girl with short hair, wearing a light yellow tight-fitting t-shirt and light blue jeans standing prettily beside him. Wasn't this the air force cadet who had clumsily bumped into Yang Liuyi at the elevator entrance and then turned around and accused her? However, she wasn't wearing her uniform today; perhaps she had heeded his words and promptly corrected her behavior.
Chen Yang abruptly stopped himself from putting the cigarette in his mouth, instead taking a deep drag under his nose, raising an eyebrow and saying,
"Oh! Girl, you're really nosy! I just have a craving, can't I even smell it to satisfy my craving?"
"You…" Gu Ruoxi was almost bursting with anger.
Today, her father was being discharged from the hospital, and she had dressed up in a pretty outfit to happily pick him up. Unexpectedly, she ran into this annoying boy again downstairs at the hospital building. Seeing him about to smoke, Gu Ruoxi couldn't help but mock him, but he actually started arguing and acting like a scoundrel.
"You were clearly going to smoke just now! If I hadn't reminded you, you would have lit it by now!" Gu Ruoxi said indignantly.
"You actually know what I'm thinking?" Chen Yang asked deliberately, exaggerating. "Are you a mind reader or something? Girl, go ahead and do what you need to do! I absolutely don't smoke, okay? But remember to watch your step when you get out of the elevator, if you bump into someone again, they might not be as easy to talk to as I am!"
"You bastard!" Gu Ruoxi was furious. Chen Yang's words ignited her anger instantly. Always quite fierce, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to step forward and teach Chen Yang a lesson.
Just then, a voice rang out behind her:
"Ruoxi! What are you doing?"
Gu Ruoxi quickly stopped, turned around, and saw who it was. A cheerful smile spread across her face as she called out,
"Uncle Yuan, you're here!"
Yuan Fang walked over, asking,
"Ruoxi, what are you doing with...Chen Yang again? You got here before me! What's going on?"
Yuan Fang then realized that the person he had just clashed with Gu Ruoxi was Chen Yang, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Uh...you...know each other?" Chen Yang was also slightly taken aback. It turned out this little firecracker was actually acquainted with Yuan Fang! "Chen Yang?" Gu Ruoxi exclaimed in surprise upon hearing Yuan Fang's words. Pointing at Chen Yang, she asked, "Uncle Yuan, he... which Chen Yang is he?"
Yuan Fang looked at Gu Ruoxi, half-laughing and half-crying, and asked in return:
"Which Chen Yang could it be? I heard your dad say you're always talking about Chen Yang at home, saying he's your lifelong idol. How come you're so aggressive when you meet him?"
Gu Ruoxi's face flushed instantly. Yuan Fang's words made even the usually carefree Gu Ruoxi feel a little embarrassed, especially since they were said in front of Chen Yang. What almost made Gu Ruoxi collapse was that this annoying boy she had argued with twice was actually the brave and decisive lone hero her father had described, the one who made an emergency landing? This... was completely different from the heroic image she had imagined! Looking at his shifty eyes, where was there even a trace of heroism?
Lost in thought, Gu Ruoxi couldn't help but steal another glance at Chen Yang before quickly lowering her head again; her fierce expression had vanished without a trace.
Chen Yang looked at Yuan Fang, completely bewildered, and asked:
"Uncle Yuan, what are you two talking about? Who...who is this girl? Have we met before?"
Yuan Fang glanced at Gu Ruoxi, whose face was flushed red with embarrassment, and couldn't help but laugh and tease her:
"Chen Yang, this is what you call 'no fight, no friendship'! This is Old Gu's daughter, Gu Ruoxi, a top student at the Air Force University of Science and Technology! She heard about your bravery in fighting hijackers and making an emergency landing, and she idolizes you, saying she's always wanted to meet you! Unexpectedly, you two almost came to blows when you met..."
Gu Ruoxi, her secret exposed by Yuan Fang, quickly said:
"Uncle Yuan, can you stop?"
"Captain Gu's daughter?" Chen Yang was also slightly surprised, and after a moment of hesitation, muttered, "I didn't expect Captain Gu to have such a fierce daughter..."
"You're the fierce one! Your whole family is fierce!" Gu Ruoxi retorted instinctively upon hearing Chen Yang's words. She still couldn't reconcile the image of the tall, mighty hero in her mind with this annoying boy in front of her, and couldn't help but want to argue whenever Chen Yang spoke.
Yuan Fang quickly stepped in to smooth things over:
"Alright, alright! Stop arguing! Let's go upstairs! Old Gu is probably waiting impatiently! Haha..."
Gu Ruoxi followed behind Chen Yang and Yuan Fang with her head down, seemingly still not quite used to her idol turning into an annoying person. The three of them took the elevator to Gu Xinmin's floor. As soon as they opened the door to the ward, they saw Gu Xinmin already dressed and ready, sitting by the bed waiting! Seeing the group enter, Gu Xinmin quickly stood up. Seeing that Chen Yang was also there, Gu Xinmin said happily,
"Xiao Fang! I didn't expect you to come pick me up from the hospital! Thank you so much!"
After saying that, Gu Xinmin turned to Gu Ruoxi and said,
"Ruoxi, weren't you always complaining that your father didn't introduce Xiao Fang to you? Why are you looking so miserable today, like someone owes you 100,000 yuan?"
"Captain Gu, I've already met your daughter!" Chen Yang said with a grin, stepping forward. "If I'm not mistaken, the day Liu Yi and I came to see you, there must have been a little problem with your breakfast, right..."