Mr. Xu Sr. waved the two of them over, a broad smile on his face. "As it happens, Ah Yu was here too, so I asked him to join us. This young lady is Chi Wan. I’ve told you all about her before, regarding the Ghost Orchid."

The other elders at the table immediately began to tease him. "See? Xu is certainly getting his fill of showing off today." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Speaking of which, Ah Yu has grown up in the blink of an eye. The last time I saw him, he was still in school..."

"Chi Wan, young lady, you have no idea how curious we’ve all been about you. To think someone as young as you could cultivate a Ghost Orchid... Truly, talent knows no age."

While pulling out a chair for Chi Wan to sit, Xiahou Yu greeted the elders with practiced ease.

’Chi Wan had originally just planned to tag along with Mr. Xu Sr. for a free meal and expand her network. She never expected that with Xiahou Yu in the mix, the nature of the situation would completely change.’

She demurely greeted everyone as Mr. Xu Sr. introduced them, but as the only two young people there, the looks the elders were giving her and Xiahou Yu were becoming a little hard to bear.

Fortunately, everyone was tactful and didn’t press the issue. Xiahou Yu also proactively brought up a few other topics, diverting the attention away from them.

Seeing Chi Wan let out a small sigh of relief, Xiahou Yu chuckled softly. "They’re just teasing. We’ll leave right after we eat. I’m heading back this afternoon. Are you coming with me?"

Chi Wan nodded. "I have class tomorrow, so I was planning to leave this afternoon anyway."

Mr. Xu Sr. was going to stay for another two days to wait for the final awards ceremony.

Meanwhile, an old lady—who, despite being dressed modestly, was exquisite in every detail upon closer inspection—quietly asked Mr. Xu Sr., "About Ah Yu..."

Mr. Xu Sr. took a slow sip of his tea. "The affairs of the young are beyond my control. But Yu Xiu, how is that little grandson of yours doing now?"

The old lady named Yu Xiu sighed. "I have Ah Yu to thank for being so attentive to that matter. The Jade Token has already been consecrated, and we’ll be bringing it back in a few days. Xuanxuan’s condition has been very stable recently, so my heart can finally rest a little. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been in the mood to come to this..."

As she spoke, she looked at Chi Wan, who was focused on eating with her head down, and chuckled. "Who is this young lady? This is the first time I’ve ever seen Ah Yu help someone out of a bind like that."

Mr. Xu Sr. let out a sly chuckle. "This kid is quite something. Mr. Zhou Sr. discovered her. Remember a while back when that old coot was posting on his social media every day, showing off the orchid he was raising? That’s the one Wanwan gave him. It’s all thanks to Zhou, otherwise I would never have discovered such a gem."

The old lady tutted at him. "I think you’re just playing dumb. But in the blink of an eye, Ah Yu is already at the age to start a family... Why didn’t Ruifeng come with you to the gathering this time? For us old friends, each reunion is more precious than the last."

Mr. Xu Sr. poured her a cup of tea. "You were always prone to melancholy, even when you were young. At our age, it’s good enough just to do what we enjoy. But Zhang is different from me. He’s incredibly capable and carries a lot of weight on his shoulders."

"Right now, he’s off ’treasure hunting’ in the mountains, all for the sake of developing a new wheat strain. It’s tough on him, running all over the place at his age, but he’s got plenty of spirit."

The old lady nodded, her voice filled with emotion. "His dream since he was young was for everyone to have enough to eat. And although he’s made some progress, I know he isn’t satisfied."

"He’s racing against time... Speaking of which, he contacted my husband a few days ago and suddenly started asking about our current energy consumption issues. Did he actually find some ’treasure’ while digging in those mountains?"

Mr. Xu Sr. wasn’t particularly clear on that. "He hasn’t mentioned it to me. If you ask me, Zhang just worries too much. Mr. Zhou Sr. may be a blockhead, but his grandson is truly outstanding. After following Zhang for all these years, Zhang is so pleased with him he wishes he could take the boy everywhere he goes."

"In any case, the Zhou family’s boy will inherit his mantle in the future, so why must he always push himself so hard?"

The old lady refilled his tea. "Compared to you, no one seems as carefree. But Ruifeng is different. After researching something for so many years, who wouldn’t want to see the day it finally bears fruit?"

Chi Wan had no idea that just a table away, people were discussing such a heavy topic—a topic that might even be related to her.

’All she knew was that the food at this restaurant was delicious, and she kept her head down, happily eating away.’

Amused, Xiahou Yu pointed to a small smudge of sauce on her cheek and handed her a napkin.

Chi Wan took the napkin, wiped her cheek, and smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. I woke up late this morning and didn’t have time to eat."

Xiahou Yu nodded in understanding. "The head chef of this private kitchen comes from a line of imperial chefs."

Realization dawned on Chi Wan. "No wonder it’s so delicious... Are you finished eating? When can we slip away... erm, I mean, depart?"

’She was still thinking about the USB drive Song Baihan had given her and wanted to get back early to see what was on it.’

It was just a gathering of old friends, so it wasn’t overly formal. Since Mr. Xu Sr. and his friends wouldn’t be wrapping up anytime soon, Xiahou Yu simply told them they wouldn’t disturb the elders from catching up, and then pulled Chi Wan away with him.

Chi Wan’s round-trip plane tickets had been booked from the start, but she was surprised to find that Xiahou Yu was on the same flight as her.

After a quick trip back to the hotel to grab Chi Wan’s bag, the two of them headed straight for the airport.

While waiting to board, Xiahou Yu took the initiative to talk about the little mechanical dog, mentioning the features he hadn’t had time to tell Chi Wan about one by one.

Chi Wan, however, waved her phone. "Surprise! I already know all of this thanks to Lili~ But her AI is seriously advanced, and it’s fun to talk to her. If Lili hadn’t told me herself, I would have never known her camera could be detached. Your company is amazing!"

"You mentioned before that you wanted to improve the basic quality of life for people with disabilities using bionic mechanical caretakers, and I thought that seemed a bit far-fetched. But after getting used to Lili’s functions recently, I’ve realized she’s far more incredible than I ever imagined."

After all, she had been truly stunned the first time she casually mentioned, "I want an apple, but peeling them is such a pain," only for Lili’s back to extend a mechanical arm that deftly peeled the fruit, sliced it, and handed it to her.

Listening to Chi Wan shower Lili with praise, Xiahou Yu’s expression grew very gentle.

It had to be said, when it came to giving emotional validation, Chi Wan had maxed out her stats.

He smiled faintly and said, "Every mechanical puppy is unique. They continuously adapt themselves based on their owner’s personality, habits, and daily needs, until they become a perfect match."

Chi Wan nodded enthusiastically. It was true; interacting with Lili had become even more comfortable recently.

Just as she was about to board the plane, the dedicated contact app for Lili on her phone suddenly rang.