Chapter 293: Chapter 293 Chen Hao’s Car

“Really? We have another birthday boy or girl today?” Chen Chao said amusedly with an eyebrow raised.

The female classmate said, “Yeah, it’s Li Kai’s birthday today! Haha, I’d planned to call Li Xiao too but he was busy, and Chen Chao here is treating us all anyway!”

Li Kai was also a classmate of theirs in junior high, the simpleton type that always scored dead last in class. His family owned a cement factory, and because he wasn’t cut out for studying, he went straight back home to work after graduating junior high. Right now, everyone was looking at him.

“Damn, Kai. Why didn’t you say it was your birthday? This is so awkward, haha!” Chen Chao said.

“Yeah, Li Kai! I didn’t know today was your birthday too! Come, come. Let’s all add Li Kai on WeChat, and send him a birthday red packet!” The other classmates clamored in agreement.

Mr. Wang laughed. “Why do you young people not practice gift-giving on birthdays anymore? I remember when I was your age, I had to make the gifts myself! I guess it’s easier with WeChat now!”

“Of course, Mr. Wang. Birthdays, weddings, any gift-giving occasion can be handled with a red packet!”

The girls smiled.

“Li Kai, I’ve added you on WeChat. Take the red packet, yeah?”

“Got it. Thanks, everyone! Who would have expected that my birthday is the same as Chen Chao?”

Seeing that everyone was so nice to him, Li Kai felt overwhelmed and kept thanking them.

“This is such a coincidence. Li Kai’s birthday may be on the same day as Chen Chao, but let’s not forget that today is another person’s birthday, shall we?” Li Xiaoling quickly said when she noticed everyone was giving Li Kai red packets.

“Who? We don’t remember!” Everyone was confused.

“Hmph, it’s Chen Hao, of course! He’s got the same birthday as Chen Chao, so that makes three birthday boys including Li Kai,” Li Xiaoling said.

“Oh, so it’s also Chen Hao’s birthday today!” The others nodded, but no one spoke up after that.

“Oh, right. Chao, I heard that there’s an event over in Xiao Quan City. Let’s go there together! My father says it’s getting lively over there.” A girl excitedly broke the silence.

“Oh, yeah! It’s really lively in Xiao Quan City. Let’s go!” everyone one else chimed in.

“I’m definitely on board with that. How about this? We’ll start counting the cars, Miss Yang will follow us together, and we’ll see if we can fit everyone so no one has to call a cab!” Chen Chao suggested.

After that, they started counting. As it turned out, the cars were enough but try as they might, there was always one person too many to fit in all of them.

“This is awkward. It’s not worth renting another cab for just one person!” a girl said.

“Ahem, then I suggest Chen Hao not go. He’s a businessman after all, so who knows how many deals he'll miss out on if we bring him!” a boy said with a laugh.

“Ha! That’s right, it’s better if Chen Hao doesn’t go!”

“Alright, then you all have fun. Mr. Wang, I just wanted to see you today and invite you to my birthday party, though I guess now’s not a good time. I’ll see you again in a few days. I have something to take care of, so bye for now,” Chen Hao said to Mr. Wang.

“Alright, then go take care of it!” Mr. Wang replied, noticing that everyone was mocking Chen Hao in a passive-aggressive manner and knowing that he couldn’t take it anymore. After that, Chen Hao glanced at Li Xiaoling, who nodded and left after saying a brief goodbye to Mr. Wang.

“Damn, he left just like that? What did he mean, he only came to see Mr. Wang? Does he even consider us classmates anymore?” some of the girls complained with disapproval.

“Yeah. All we did was to not give him red packets, did he even need to say that?”

“Chen Hao, I’ve got to clear things up with you. It’s not that I don’t want to give you a red packet, I just don't want to add you on WeChat. Haha!”

“Sh*t, that’s too savage!” The crowd erupted in laughter.

Teasing Chen Hao had always been their greatest joy, so Chen Hao didn’t say anything. After all, it was so easy for him to take them down a peg, so he couldn’t even be bothered; all he did was to leave with Li Xiaoling.

Wang Xue shook her head as she watched Chen Hao leave. She’d been watching him the whole time, and thought that Chen Chao’s handling of the situation far outshined his. She was right to have chosen Chen Chao over him!

“It’s so infuriating, Chen Hao. Listen to what they said! And that Yang Ke is still biased against you after all this time! I can’t handle this. If we hadn’t all been on decent terms, I’d have roasted them all on your behalf!” Li Xiaoling’s chest heaved with anger.

“Come on, what good will all that anger do anyway?” Chen Hao soothed her as they walked. Within twenty minutes, they were back at the village.

“Chen Hao, are you celebrating your birthday at home? Should I help you cook? Ooh, I know how to make noodles now, so I can whip up some longevity noodles for you,” Li Xiaoling said, as if she was still worried about his bruised ego. It was her who asked him to go along with her after all. “Just forget about them. Li Xiao is living a good life now, anyway. So if push comes to shove, we’ll both reconnect with him and become best friends again just like in our third year!”

“Sure, it’ll be just like the old times.” Chen Hao smiled and patted Li Xiaoling’s shoulder. “I’m not celebrating at home this year, though. We’ll have to go to Xiao Quan City, because I’ve got a reservation there in the Hot Spring Scenic Zone.”

“What, the Hot Spring Scenic Zone? Chen Hao, you must be bluffing. Don’t you know the whole zone is booked, even the hotels?” Li Xiaoling sputtered. “How did you even get the reservation?”

To be honest, Chen Hao had no idea what Li Zhenguo was thinking when he booked all the hotels because by his estimate, there couldn’t have been more than 30 guests invited. Then again, maybe there was something he was planning, so Chen Hao didn’t question it further and only smiled at Li Xiaoling. “You’ll see. Now, come on. It’s already past eight so we need to hurry. I still have to pick someone up!”

“Are you serious? How are we going to get there now, when the city is so far away from here?” Li Xiaoling asked, feeling that Chen Hao was getting stranger and stranger.

“We’re driving, of course. My car’s parked in the alley, so I’ll go drive it out. We’re going with Uncle and Aunt Wu!” Chen Hao twirled the car keys in his hand and led her to the alley.

When Li Xiaoling saw the car, she was shocked. “Oh sh*t, an Audi A6? That’s your car?”

“Nah, it’s the company’s. Mine will come later.” Chen Hao smiled at Li Xiaoling’s shocked expression.

“Get in the car first. I’ll go call Uncle Wu.”