BXBX NOVEL Chapter 354 - Brother Hou
“Brother Hou.”
Ding Ning was very polite. To show his respect, he called him Brother Hou.
“Pfft!”
The silent driver wearing a peaked cap and sunglasses suddenly burst into laughter. Only now did Ding Ning find out, to his surprise, that the driver was a woman.
Xiahou’s expression was surprised and he smiled wryly. “Young master, my surname is not Xia. My surname is Xiahou.”
Ding Ning’s face was bright red, now things were awkward. How could he not know that Xiahou was a compound surname? The problem was that Xiahou only told him he was called Xiahou and did not tell him his name. Subconsciously, he thought his surname was Xia and his first name was Hou. A bit embarrassed, he asked, “Then what is your name?”
“I don’t have a name. I only have this surname. I use it as my name.”
He answered calmly. It seemed like Xiahou was someone with a story.
“Eh! Then I’ll call you Brother Xiahou in the future.”
He said with some embarrassment. Ding Ning was befuddled. It was the first time he had heard of someone using their surname as their first name but he had just gotten to know him so he couldn’t ask anymore.
“I dare not, young master, and you can just call me Xiahou.”
Xiahou said uncomfortably.
“There’s not that much to it. You’re older than me and have saved my life, so it’s right to call you brother. Besides, you keep calling me young master. I am not a young master, and you can just call me Ding Ning.”
Ding Ning waved his hand in objection.
“If you’re not a young master, who is a young master? Won’t the Longteng Group that the chairman has so painstakingly created be handed to you in the end?”
The female driver suddenly interjected eccentrically. However, there was a mocking tone to her voice and a hint of hostility.
“Lisa, shut up!”
Xiahou suddenly grew angry and an invisible pressure emanated from his body, suffocating Lisa. She glared at him then angrily stepped on the gas and sped up the car.
Ding Ning’s expression was thoughtful. Since this Lisa even knew about his sister handing over Longteng Group to him, she should be someone close to his sister.
Nobody would be happy to hand over the kingdom they had worked hard to build. He didn’t know whether or not his sister was upset about it but in any case, he had no intention of taking over Longteng Group so there was no need to discuss this dilemma. This Lisa clearly felt that the matter was unfair for his sister and that was why she was mocking towards him. This did not make him angry, on the contrary, he felt that this woman was quite cute. At least, she was loyal to his sister.
“Young master, don’t blame her. Lisa is the young lady’s assistant and her temper is always like this. She can’t control her mouth but she doesn’t mean harm.”
As Xiahou explained to Ding Ning, he glared fiercely at Lisa who still wanted to say something. This made her huff coldly and pout her lips. She continued to drive without another sound.
Ding Ning laughed and lightly said, “It’s doesn’t matter. For Sister Lisa to be able to speak to me like this it means she doesn’t see me as an outsider. Last night, I spoke with my sister about Longteng Group. Regardless of whether you believe me or not, I have never intended to take over Longteng Group. What is my sister’s is my sister’s, and no one can take it away.”
“It all sounds good but who knows whether you’re lying or telling the truth? Longteng Group is a big company worth billions on the market. I don’t believe you won’t be tempted.”
Lisa muttered quietly in disapproval, making Xiahou pull a helpless expression.
“I have my own hands and feet. If I want money, I will use my own hands to create wealth. The kingdom my sister has worked hard to create will always belong to her. I am not in the habit of gaining something without hard work.”
Ding Ning said seriously but a trace of anger rose in his heart. This woman was very incessant.
“Tch, so you say...”
Lisa frowned and was about to continue but was interrupted angrily by Xiahou. “Lisa, enough. If you continue to speak without thinking, don’t blame for informing the chairman.”
“You... humph!”
Lisa glared at Xiahou angrily. Seeing his ashen face and his serious expression, she immediately felt a moment of fear. Huffing coldly through her nose, she did not dare to speak again.
The awkward atmosphere in the car did not last long before they reached the restaurant.
The Tan Family restaurant was an old restaurant in Ninghai. It was also known as “the most expensive restaurant in Ninghai”. It was created by the Tan family, a functionary family, in the late Qing dynasty and early Republic era.
The paths inside were winging and each was named for a beautiful garden scene in Jiangnan. Art and calligraphy of famous artists hung on the walls and classical Shenzhou music drifted throughout the entire restaurant.
The main dish at the Tan Family restaurant was bird’s nest, abalone and shark fin. Their house special “first-class shark fin” had once won the gold and special gold prize among the famous Shenzhou cuisine. The materials selected were precious and the making was very precise. The dining rooms also had golden dragon thrones and even the dishes had designs bestowing longevity on them. The wealth and air of the royal family rose without bidding.
Even though Ding Ning was a billionaire with a fortune of many billions, the wealth and extravagance within still stunned him.
Until they got out of the car, Ding Ning did not get a chance to see Lisa’s appearance clearly. It had to be said, she was also a beautiful woman.
She was about twenty-seven to twenty-eight years old, with a head of wavy chestnut-gold hair that was tied simply behind her head revealing a white forehead. She had willowy brows and almond eyes, pretty nose and cherry lips. Her professional outfit set off her graceful and curvy figure. A pair of red-framed glasses sat on her high nose bridge and added an intellectual beauty. Her entire person gave one the sense of being a clean and tidy white-collar elite.
Seeing Ding Ning looking at her, she furrowed her brows and gave a cold huff before walking ahead on her seven-inch white heels with her chest out.
“Young master, don’t quibble with her. Her temper is not good but she is a good person.”
Xiahou said nervously by Ding Ning’s ear.
Ding Ning glanced at him with a little smile. “You like her?”
Xiahou’s expression froze and his entire face turned red. He quickly waved his hand and said, “No, no, I don’t.”
Ding Ning wrapped his arms around his shoulder familiarly and laughed in a low voice. “If you like her, then you like her, why not admit it?”
“I... I really don’t. Young master, let’s go in quickly, for the young lady is already here.”
Xiahou’s face was the color of a pig’s liver and he quickly diverted the subject.
“If you like her, you should go after her. For a girl with a temper like this, if you don’t conquer her, even if you marry her, she will ride roughshod over you.”
Ding Ning laughed wickedly and ignored Xiahou’s strangely colored face as he walked forward on his own.
“Sir, do you have a reservation?”
Two men in the uniform of security guards blocked Ding Ning’s path. Suspicion flashed through their eyes.
Ding Ning furrowed his brows. Logically speaking, such a high-class restaurant should not have service staff that looked down on people. How could they block a guest’s path so rudely?
When he looked up and saw Lisa sticking her tongue out at him and pulling a face, he suddenly understood. He was being played by this woman.
Xiahou quickly approached with a somber expression and was just about to yell angrily when he was stopped by Ding Ning’s hand. With a trace of mischievousness around his mouth, he purposely raised his voice and said, “I don’t have a reservation. I am a poor person and can’t afford to eat here. I’ll leave now.”
When he finished speaking, he turned and headed out without waiting for the two security guards to say anything. A light smile flickered around his lips. “Girl, you’re still quite some ways from fighting against me.”
“You... get back here.”
Lisa was anxious now. She had initially wanted the two security guards to make things difficult for Ding Ning, but she had not expected for him to turn around and leave. If the chairman found out about this, she would immediately have her leave.
However, Ding Ning completely ignored her and continued walking out with his back held straight. He had to teach this woman a lesson so that she would not be spoiled and not know her limits.
“You, you go chase after him.”
Lisa was almost crying from anxiety. She stamped her foot and yelled at Xiahou, who was standing to the side and watching the show.
Xiahou spread his hands in front of him. “Whoever made the mess can tidy it up. It was all fine before but you had to make trouble. Now that you’ve angered the young master, are you happy?”
Young master? The two security guards looked at each other and their expressions immediately changed. Unhappily, they said, “Miss. Gu, we helped you because you are a regular customer but aren’t you tricking us? If we offend a customer, we will be fired.”
Lisa’s face was bright red and she yelled at Xiahou, “Are you just going to watch and not help me? Are you still a man?”
“Whether or not I am a man, you’ll know if you try.”
Who knew that Xiahou, who had always been turtle to her teasing, would raise his eyebrows and speak so teasingly.
“You... pervert!”
Lisa’s face immediately turned bright red. Her heart jumped wildly and she was embarrassed, happy, angry, and anxious all at once.
She was embarrassed that Xiahou would tease her so openly. She was happy that this blockhead finally got it. She was angry that he had to get it at such a time, not later or earlier. She was anxious that if any more time passed, Ding Ning would actually leave. At that time, how would she explain to the chairman?
“Usually you tease me, but if I tease you once, I am a pervert? If I’m a pervert, then you are a female pervert.”
Xiahou muttered warily.
“Hurry up and help me chase down the young master.”
Lisa stomped angrily on his foot.
“Ouch, that hurts. My foot is swollen now, how can I chase him?”
Xiahou held his foot with an injured expression and limped over to the guest sofa. His pose clearly showed “chase him if you want, but I am an injured man and cannot help you”.
Lisa looked at his innocent expression and almost laughed with anger. She was very aware of how powerful Xiahou was. Although high heels had high attacking power, it shouldn’t have incapacitated him to the point of being unable to walk.
“Humph, if you don’t want to help, fine. I’ll go myself, happy? The young master is so handsome, perhaps with some pulling and tugging between the two of us alone, there will be some spark.”
Lisa was not easy to defeat. She immediately put on an expression of infatuation and pretended to chase after Ding Ning. “Huh, I don’t believe you won’t be nervous.”
Unfortunately, Xiahou had long seen through her intentions. He bent his head and rubbed his foot with a pained expression and pretended not to hear her. Lisa almost had smoke coming out of her head in anger and she chased after Ding Ning furiously.
Xiahou watched Lisa’s retreating figure and a pleased smile appeared on his face as he muttered silently to himself. “The young master was right. I have to cull some of her might otherwise, once we got married, I would be bullied to death.”
“As for there being sparks between you and the young master, you wish. Hehe, the women around the young master are all beauties, he won’t think much of you.”
He had long known of Lisa’s feelings for him. It would be a lie to say he didn’t like her but he still did not dare to accept her. The reason for his act of ignorance was that he could not accept her arrogant behavior.
As a man who grew up struggling between life and death, he was a man with a very strong personality. He could not be sure that he could be happy with an equally strong Lisa. He didn’t want it to be like Mars crashing into Earth, where they would fight every day over every little thing.
Compared to that, he might as well maintain the status quo and extend the shelf-life of this affection indefinitely.
Just as Xiahou was daydreaming, Ding Ning came back with a cigarette hanging from his mouth like a ruffian. He patted his shoulder and said, “Brother Xiahou, let’s go. Let’s go in.”