NOVEL NEXT Chapter 422 Zhu Baozhai
Old Guo had never invited anyone before, but in this situation, he had invited himself, so what was Old Guo's purpose in inviting him tonight?
Wang Ye pondered for a while and couldn't find any emotion, so he simply stopped thinking about this issue. Everything would become clear when he met Wang Ye tonight.
…
Zhu Baozhai, the first two characters of this name are a homophone for "jewelry." It is not very far from Jewelry Plaza, and this Zhu Baozhai is the only thing that Guo Pengzhan left for himself after leading the rise of the jewelry industry in Dragon Country and then immediately withdrawing.
Zhu Baozhai is located near Jewelry Plaza. Logically, considering such an important and bustling location, the items sold at Zhu Baozhai should be quite expensive; however, the prices there have always been very affordable, akin to the prices in small county towns in third-tier cities.
As a result, many customers have accumulated at Zhu Baozhai, and some of these patrons even eat there three times a day.
Because Zhu Baozhai was established by Guo Pengzhan, it has led some tycoons from jewelry groups to occasionally visit and spend money there during their leisure time.
Once, some internet celebrities discovered this place and wanted to promote Zhu Baozhai.
With Zhu Baozhai's interior decoration, its location, and the stark contrast between its prices and those typical of its surroundings, just a small amount of online promotion by those internet celebrities would have made it instantly popular, and by then, the number of people visiting Zhu Baozhai would undoubtedly be several times more than now.
However, Guo Pengzhan did not agree and eventually issued a rule: No internet celebrities were allowed to record videos or do live broadcasts within Zhu Baozhai.
In Guo Pengzhan's view, if Zhu Baozhai became a destination for internet celebrities through their promotion, it would lose the original significance he intended for it.
Of course, Guo Pengzhan does not usually stay at Zhu Baozhai; it is managed by someone he trusts. It just so happens that Guo Pengzhan came to live at Zhu Baozhai because he was attending the Dragon Country jewelry competition.
The moment Wang Ye arrived at the entrance, a service staff member who was responsible for greeting guests immediately saw him. One of the attendants approached Wang Ye with a smile, and upon reaching his side, whispered:
"Master Wang, I will now take you to Old Guo."
"Hmm."
Under the guidance of this service staff member, Wang Ye made his way to the Confucian-character room at the back.
The Confucian room was not directly inside Zhu Baozhai; instead, following a small path extending from Zhu Baozhai, Wang Ye surmised that its actual location seemed to be down an alley behind Zhu Baozhai.
After leading Wang Ye to the door of the Confucian room, the attendant turned and left, leaving Wang Ye alone to knock on the door.
"Just open the door and come in yourself!"
The sound of Guo Pengzhan's voice came from inside the room, giving Wang Ye the feeling that it was as though he was popping by someone's home for a visit.
When Wang Ye opened the door to the Confucian room, he felt he should be somewhat more confident, and could omit the words "felt that."
He was indeed popping by someone's home for a visit!
Rather than calling it a private room, it would be more appropriate to describe it as a small home with a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The moment Wang Ye pushed open the door, he was already in the living room.
To the left were a coffee table, a television, and a water dispenser, and to the right was a dining table. Although small, it was fully equipped. Merely standing here and looking around gave Wang Ye a sense of home, very warm.
He could feel the elderly's love for life from this place.
In the kitchen, obscured by frosted glass, the clanking sounds of a spatula striking a wok could be heard, and the aroma wafted out, indicating someone was cooking.
This tiny room was pervaded by a distinct homely atmosphere.
When Wang Ye stood here, he could sense that this little cottage was like a small world in itself, and even his own thoughts seemed to have quieted somewhat within this tiny realm.
Guo Pengzhan sat on the sofa, with "The Age of Awakening" playing on the television. He turned his head towards Wang Ye, and his face bore none of the stubbornness that Wang Ye had seen during the day.
Instead, it carried a touch of modest grace.
This stark contrast even made Wang Ye wonder if he had mistaken what he saw earlier that day.
Guo Pengzhan smiled at Wang Ye and called out, "You've arrived. Come on, sit, and my spouse will have the dishes ready in a moment."
When mentioning "my spouse," Wang Ye could even detect a softening in Guo Pengzhan's tone compared to his usual way of speaking, and there was a touch of indulgence in it as well.
"Alright."
Wang Ye agreed and sat down next to Guo Pengzhan, both of them focusing on the television.
However, it was evident that Guo Pengzhan's attention wasn't on the TV; from time to time, his eyes would drift towards the kitchen, listening to the clear sound of the spatula hitting the wok, his hands on his legs becoming slightly restless, slowly clenching the fabric of his pants together.
Guo Pengzhan's actions were all noticed by Wang Ye, who after some thought said, "Old Guo, do you want to help in the kitchen?"
"Ah? Haha, haha."
Having his inner thoughts exposed by Wang Ye, Guo Pengzhan at that moment was entirely different from the one Wang Ye had seen during the day; he seemed like a completely different person, becoming a bit cuter, like a child enjoying the sweet life of old age.
Guo Pengzhan touched his shiny bald head, a hint of embarrassment on his face from his thoughts being read. He began somewhat sheepishly:
"Every meal is prepared by me and my spouse together. Today, because you came, I didn't cook with my partner, but listening to my spouse busily working alone in the kitchen, I just can't calm down. I want to join my spouse in cooking, fearing that I might leave my spouse too tired."
"Then let's go together, and I'll lend a helping hand as well."
Without waiting for Guo Pengzhan to speak further, Wang Ye quickly helped him up from the sofa and led him to the kitchen.
Upon arriving in the kitchen, after Guo Pengzhan introduced Gu Jing, his spouse's name, to Wang Ye, he immediately started busying himself in the kitchen.