Jiang Luoze stared straight at Chu Xingxing’s eyes, lively as a deer in the forest.
For a moment, his heart melted into a puddle of water.
Girls of every age have their own charm, and to him, Chu Xingxing’s cuteness was one of a kind.
It was the kind of cuteness where every smile and every frown tugged at your heartstrings.
“Let’s go,” Jiang Luoze said in a low voice, putting down his phone.
He didn’t ask “who are we robbing,” nor “where are we robbing,” nor “why are we robbing.”
Just one word: “Go.”
[Ahhhhh!!! “Little Fox’s” expression right now is basically: I would kill for you.]
[OMG is this the “special favor” Xingxing wanted? Right? Right? Right!]
[I got chills from “Little Fox” — it’s like a male Omega trying to turn the tables and counterattack, hahaha.]
[“Little Fox” is actually kind of Alpha here. Is he trying to flip the script and become the “master”? Wuli Xingbao definitely won’t agree, hahaha.]
Chu Xingxing was startled by how serious Jiang Luoze looked.
Normally, she and Jiang Luoze talked casually, and they’d always joke around with each other.
Right now, they weren’t actually going to “rob” anyone — did Ah Ze misunderstand…
Jiang Luoze noticed the playfulness in Chu Xingxing’s eyes slowly fading.
He adjusted his expression as fast as he could and said with a smile, “Do we need to bring any tools?”
As he spoke, Jiang Luoze raised his hardcover sketchbook and weighed it in his hand: “Pretty solid. Could work as a ‘weapon.'”
“Pfft hahaha, how could that be a ‘weapon’? At most it’d give someone a scratch, and it’d be easy for the ‘enemy’ to snatch it and counterattack.” Chu Xingxing laughed out loud. The “Little Fox” she knew was back.
She rested her chin on the armrest and tilted her head: “I thought you were being serious. You didn’t even ask why we’re ‘robbing’ or where we’re going. What if I really took you to do something bad?”
Jiang Luoze leaned forward, his slender fair hand propping up his chin, revealing his long pale neck.
He knew that from this angle, Chu Xingxing couldn’t see the change in his eyes.
Jiang Luoze: “Xingxing won’t. You can’t do ‘bad things.'”
Jiang Luoze’s tone was smiling, but only he knew that the ruthlessness in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.
The second half was something he said to himself.
Because I’ll do the “bad thing” you want to do before you even get the chance.
[Wait, did I see that right? Why does “Little Fox” look like he wants to kill someone?]
[Jiang Luoze’s expression is clearly smiling, but looking at his eyes, I can’t help but feel a chill.]
[What! Is this the gentle-on-the-surface “Black Sesame Tangyuan” secretly scheming little fox!!! Damn, I love it even more, I’m here for it!!!]
[Xiao Jiang seems a bit dark and scheming — what’s going on? Did I see that wrong?]
“It’s not a real ‘robbery.’ We’re ordering some nice seafood and specialty dishes and taking them to the guesthouse next door where Abao and the crew are staying to trade. I just tried to use that delivery app Glovo you mentioned to order food, but I don’t have a European bank card and can’t link it…”
Chu Xingxing said, pulling out her phone and opening the Glovo app interface: “See, it keeps failing. So I wanted to ask you to help order delivery. We’ll order extra and bring it to the crew.”
“Trade for what?” Jiang Luoze was confused. “Trade for their staff meals? I’ve seen them eating pizza and burgers every night these past few days. If you want that, I can just order it for you directly.”
“No no no,” Chu Xingxing shook her head and mysteriously covered her mic, leaning close to Jiang Luoze’s ear: “At lunch today I heard that Abao and the others brought a ton of instant noodles, hot pot base, chili crisp, olive pickles, pickled mustard greens and stuff. They’re all sick of eating them and haven’t had proper Spanish seafood this whole trip.
But the grandmas really miss Chinese food. I checked the Chinese restaurants on delivery apps and they’re not authentic at all. It’d be better to cook the grandmas some noodles with vegetables and eggs — something warm and brothy that they’d find comforting.”
Chu Xingxing had searched Google Maps for reviews and photos of nearby Chinese restaurants that offered delivery.
They were truly… hard to describe…
All fake Chinese food like fried noodles, fried rice, lemon chicken, orange duck, frozen potstickers and the like.
When traveling, making sure the grandmas eat well is also the “porter’s” duty and obligation.
The main issue was that in downtown Seville, Spain, finding a Chinese restaurant that was still open at this hour, offered delivery, and had flavors suitable for the grandmas was no easy task.
Rather than risk stepping on a landmine with Chinese delivery, it was better to trade the seafood the crew wanted for some of their “stock.”
Although Chu Xingxing wasn’t great at cooking, she could at least boil noodles.
“I got it,” Jiang Luoze cooperated with her, also covering his mic and leaning close to Chu Xingxing’s ear: “We’ll sneak into the village quietly, no guns blazing — catch Abao and them off guard.”
At that moment, Abao — who was being bossed around as an errand runner by the follow-shoot director and sent to film empty night shots of Seville — had no idea his “lair” was about to be raided.
Chu Xingxing curved her eyebrows and made an OK gesture.
Because both of them had covered their mics, the audio didn’t pick up what they were whispering about.
All the fans and viewers could see was Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze looking mysterious and in perfect sync, which drove them crazy!
[Ahhhhh! Are these two whispering to each other???]
[What kind of dating show iconic moment is this — whispering right in front of the production crew!!!]
[Are there any lip-reading experts? Someone translate what these two are plotting!]
[I’m literally dying over “Xinghu” — Xingxing wants to cause mischief, and “Little Fox” responds and goes along with it completely, wuwuwu, does anyone else understand how much I love this!!]
—
Jiang Luoze estimated the number of crew members, while Chu Xingxing actually went to count heads.
After confirming, they placed orders at three different restaurants.
Paella, squid ink rice, truffle stewed rice, various fried small seafood, garlic oil shrimp, four seafood platters serving eight people each, plus a bunch of assorted Andalusian specialty tapas.
Why order delivery from three different restaurants?
Ah Ze had experience — restaurants in Europe are extremely inefficient.
If you ordered too many dishes from one place, they definitely couldn’t handle it.
Not only would the food be sloppily made, but the restaurant might just “give up” and call to say they can’t make it, asking the customer to cancel the order.
Yes, Europe is just that unreliable.
So to ensure delivery speed and food quality, Jiang Luoze ordered separately from different restaurants and added extra tips for each delivery person.
Jiang Luoze didn’t cut corners on the food for the crew either.
For the delivery address, he used the crew’s guesthouse address.
The crew’s guesthouse was in the block next to the four-story villa where Chu Xingxing and the others were staying — less than two minutes’ walk away.
After ordering, Chu Xingxing calculated the euro price of each order and directly transferred the corresponding amount in RMB to Jiang Luoze via WeChat.
It wasn’t a small amount, and for Chu Xingxing — a bit of a “miser” — it was a little painful, but she was happy to spend it.
Being able to let Abao and the production crew enjoy the Spanish seafood they wanted and let the grandmas taste some light Chinese flavors — it was all worth it.
Jiang Luoze’s phone buzzed.
“Being so formal with me?” He glanced down, and a hint of disappointment flashed through his eyes.
Chu Xingxing said without hesitation: “How is this being formal? I don’t treat Ah Ze like an outsider at all. The idea was mine, and you helped order everything — how could I let you pay too?”
“Then I’ll accept it,” Jiang Luoze said, as if suddenly coming around. He waved his phone and said with a smile: “Remember that day in Madrid when I said you could buy me? Consider this my selling price.”
“Huh?” Chu Xingxing was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud, not taking it seriously: “Designer Jiang is worth way more than that. How could you sell yourself for so little?”
With that, Chu Xingxing stood up and went to the entryway to find her “abyss-mouthed” eco bag.
Jiang Luoze rose from the armchair and watched Chu Xingxing’s retreating figure.
Of course he knew he was worth a lot — he wouldn’t sell himself for any amount.
But because it’s you, I’d sell myself for anything.
—
A little while later.
“Robber” Number One Chu Xingxing and “Robber” Number Two Jiang Luoze were ready to move out.
Each carrying an “abyss-mouthed” eco bag, they marched valiantly toward the crew’s guesthouse to “rob” it.
At the “Grandma’s Journey” crew guesthouse.
Abao dragged his exhausted body back to the guesthouse with the cameraman who’d been filming the empty shots, and flopped onto the beanbag sofa like a puddle of mud.
As Chu Xingxing’s assistant, Abao had basically not served her boss at all during this trip.
Because Abao was too clever and quick on the uptake, the “Grandma’s Journey” production crew had been using him as a “jack-of-all-trades.”
Basically, whatever position the crew needed, Abao — who was familiar with the entertainment industry’s variety show filming process — could fill in.
For Abao, this was a great learning opportunity.
The ceiling for a celebrity assistant is too low. Learning more skills in a variety show crew would lead to better career development in the future.
But the “sly” Abao had already asked Manager Jiang for a raise twice because of the extra work.
Though Manager Jiang kept “playing dead.”
No matter — Abao knew who Jiang Changsheng was afraid of.
When the time came, all she had to do was act cute in front of Xingxing…
Hehe, Manager Jiang would definitely grumble but transfer the money.
“Ding-dong!”
The crisp doorbell rang.
“Abao, get the door. Probably the C-team colleagues coming back for the shift change…” the cameraman who’d just climbed the stairs called out.
“Coming!” Abao struggled up from the beanbag, stepped on the backs of his shoes, and shuffled to the door.
The guesthouse door was a typical European thick wooden door — seriously heavy.
“Xingxing?!” Abao’s chubby hand froze mid-air.
Abao was both surprised and delighted, immediately putting on a spoiled act: “Wuwuwuwu, Xingxing, my life is so hard…”
Chu Xingxing: “Don’t move, hands up! I’m here to rob you today.”
Chu Xingxing said with a smile, pinching Abao’s nose: “Hand over the instant noodles, vegetarian rice, chili crisp, pickled mustard greens, and the non-spicy hot pot base — all of it.”
“Huh???” Abao looked completely confused.
“If you hand them over willingly…” Jiang Luoze smiled devilishly, the corners of his eyes tilting up, as he directly opened the huge shopping bag on his shoulder: “We promise not to tear up the ticket.”
Abao looked at his beautiful boss Xingxing, then at the seductive “fox spirit” beauty Jiang Luoze…
Silently swallowed.
So like, if the two of you together came to rob me of my body… no wait!
If the two of you together tore up my ticket, it wouldn’t be so bad…
[Hahahaha! So that’s what “robbing” meant?]
[I’m dying laughing, hahaha, these two “robbers” are kind of cute.]
[Has anyone noticed that Xingxing’s assistant isn’t scared at all — he actually looks like he’s enjoying it? Hahaha!]
[Honestly, if two robbers were this beautiful and tempting, I’d also choose to lie down and beg you to rob my body (bushi)]
[Finally understand why Xingxing and “Little Fox” were researching next to each other for so long and ordered so much food — I was worried they were being wasteful! Turns out they ordered it for the crew, to trade for Chinese food the grandmas wanted.]
[Xingxing is so thoughtful — she remembered what Little Jiang’s grandma said in passing.]
[Wuwuwuwu, actually don’t just look at how the grandmas spoil Xingbao — sisters, think about the details. Xingxing carries the grandmas’ pretty shoes and all styles of silk scarves just so they can take beautiful photos. She remembers what each grandma likes to eat clearly. Xingbao and the grandmas mutually spoil each other!]
[Xingxing deserves to be treated this well by others. She’s especially good to Cookie, “Little Fox,” and even Wen Han before — she’s the kind of friend who, if you give her one part kindness, she’ll give you ten parts back.]
[Who wouldn’t want to be besties with Xingxing? The tmt from the neighboring “Let’s Travel Together” show is already chasing “Xing” to the crematorium.]
Abao was still a coward — those weird thoughts just flashed through his mind.
Naturally, he chose to “surrender his weapons.”
But the main reason was that Abao shipped the “Xinghu” CP so hard — these two “robbers” were so in sync even when “robbing” someone. No one else could compare!
One was in charge of picking ingredients and thinking of recipes, the other was in charge of loading things into the “abyss-mouthed” eco bag.
“Little Fox,” as the head chef, became the “robbers'” commander-in-chief.
Jiang Luoze: “Olive pickles can make fried rice. Take four of those vegetarian rice packs — three for fried rice, one for congee.”
“Take five, better to have extra than not enough.” Chu Xingxing efficiently put the instant rice and olive pickles into the eco bag.
Abao squinted: Anya heh.jpg.
You two really are… perfectly in sync…
“Huh?” Chu Xingxing spotted her favorite — pointing at the red packaging: “Chef Jiang? Can we take a pack of tomato-flavored hot pot base? We can make tomato vegetable soup with potatoes, carrots, celery, and cabbage. The grandmas have been eating cold salads for days — they must want some hot vegetables.”
Jiang Luoze nodded: “Sure, take one pack. Grab more instant noodles too — we can cook noodles for breakfast tomorrow, and luncheon meat as well.”
…
Half an hour later, the two “robbers” had “robbed” two full bags of late-night snack “reserves” from the production crew.
The crew members were helpless against these two “porters” and could only lie down and let themselves be “robbed.”
“Thank you for the hospitality!” Chu Xingxing stood at the door and bowed deeply to the crew.
The chief director didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “For the sake of the old babies wanting to eat, we’ll let it slide…”
Just then, the crew guesthouse doorbell rang again.
Jiang Luoze opened the door and gestured “please come in.”
Outside stood six or seven delivery guys.
Some came by bicycle, some by scooter, some on foot — all grinning with bright white teeth.
How could they not be happy? Each of them got an extra ten-euro tip for this delivery.
Abao, the crew, and the chief director all stood there with their mouths hanging open.
They watched as the delivery guys pulled out an endless stream of fragrant, steaming food from their insulated bags.
Dumbfounded…
These two “robbers” had instantly transformed into “tianluo girls” (helpful fairies)?
Chu Xingxing elegantly bowed to everyone: “As compensation for the ‘robbery,’ Ah Ze and I ordered seafood delivery for everyone, plus some Spanish specialty dishes. The seafood needs to be eaten tonight — I’m worried it won’t be fresh if we put it in the fridge until tomorrow. The other dishes can be kept for tomorrow morning if you can’t finish them — paella and such keep well.”
“This was all Xingxing’s idea. I’m just her little assistant, helping execute it.” Jiang Luoze looked at Chu Xingxing, the smile at the corners of his lips impossible to hide.
Chu Xingxing hoisted the eco bag and felt it was a bit heavy, so she casually took the eco bag off Jiang Luoze’s shoulder and put it on her own.
Her reasoning was simple — Designer Jiang was too skinny, looked like he couldn’t carry anything, and if he hurt himself somewhere, it would affect his drawing.
Jiang Luoze didn’t protest and naturally handed it over.
He figured that as long as it made Xingxing happy, he’d go along with anything.
Jiang Luoze thoughtfully pushed open the guesthouse door, making way for Chu Xingxing.
“Please enjoy at your leisure. We two ‘robbers’ will take our leave now.”
Chu Xingxing, with a big bag on each shoulder, waved to Abao and the others and swaggered out of the guesthouse.
—
Although the walk from the crew’s guesthouse to the villa where the old babies were staying was only two or three minutes.
The crew’s guesthouse was deeper in the alley, and the streetlights were dim.
At night, the cobblestone road had been sprinkled with water and was a bit slippery.
Jiang Luoze used his phone as a flashlight, illuminating the ground beneath Chu Xingxing’s feet, one hand always making a protective gesture behind her — but without any physical contact.
Once they left that small alley, the main road to the villa was much brighter and the ground less slippery.
Jiang Luoze quietly put away his phone and withdrew his protective right hand.
Chu Xingxing suddenly stopped: “Huh? Ah Ze, am I seeing things…”
“Hm?” Jiang Luoze instinctively steadied the eco bag on her shoulder the moment she stopped.
“The person standing at our door — is that ‘Carlos’ grandpa?” Chu Xingxing set both eco bags at her feet and pointed for Ah Ze to see.
“It’s him,” Jiang Luoze confirmed.
The tall grandpa was still wearing the outfit from his performance with the Flamenco troupe, carrying a green eco bag printed with a vegetable basket design, standing somewhat awkwardly at the grandmas’ villa entrance.
He looked hesitant, unsure whether to ring the doorbell.
“Grandpa Little Card? Are you here to see Grandma Little Jiang?” Chu Xingxing didn’t know what to call him and could only force herself to say it.
“Hello. I heard Jiang Yao call you… Guai Bao?” the grandpa said uncertainly, a smile on his handsome face.
“My name is Chu Xingxing.” Chu Xingxing introduced herself.
“Hello, Xingxing. Sorry — before you left, I heard Jiang Yao say she wanted to eat Chinese food. We rarely eat it at home, but these are all things I bought from the Asian supermarket. I don’t know if they suit your taste. Here…”
“Carlos” grandpa saw that Chu Xingxing’s hands were full, so he handed the eco bag to Jiang Luoze.
He awkwardly touched his hair, nodded at them, and hurriedly left the villa entrance.
Chu Xingxing peeked into the eco bag.
Mushroom chicken instant noodles, braised beef instant noodles, eggs, fresh tomatoes, enoki mushrooms, baby bok choy, fresh cilantro, frozen hot pot fish balls, beef rolls…
Inside, there was even a pack of disposable chopsticks?!
Wow, Grandpa Little Card was very thoughtful!
A whole Chinese hot pot assortment.
Honestly, “Carlos” grandpa had pretty good taste in shopping.
“Sigh…” Chu Xingxing set the shopping bag she was carrying on the villa steps and pulled a hat out of grandpa’s bag: “Grandpa Little Card left his hat. I’m fast — I’ll run it over to him. Ah Ze, wait a moment…”
Before Jiang Luoze could react, Chu Xingxing had already dashed off in the direction “Carlos” grandpa had gone.
The cameraman following Chu Xingxing — close to two hundred jin — felt his heart sink and gritted his teeth to run after her.
Cameraman: Wuwuwuwu, I thought once we got to Europe, Xingxing wouldn’t do any more “parkour.” I was wrong…
Fortunately, “Carlos” grandpa hadn’t walked very fast. At the street corner, Chu Xingxing spotted him.
“Grandpa, your hat was left in the bag…” Chu Xingxing called out to the grandpa’s back.
The next second, she froze in place.
In front of Chu Xingxing.
Stood two “Carlos” grandpas — dressed differently, but with identical builds and identical faces — both turning around at the same time.
—
The cameraman hadn’t caught up to the street corner yet when he saw Chu Xingxing’s figure.
In a place like Spain, if Jiang Luoze left that pile of food at the villa entrance and ran off to chase Chu Xingxing…
Then tonight, they wouldn’t have anything to eat.
It would one hundred percent get “swiped” by someone.
He could only wait anxiously in place.
“Did you give it to him?” Jiang Luoze asked when he saw Chu Xingxing return.
“Yeah, gave it to him…” Chu Xingxing nodded, confusion written all over her face.
“Good. I’ll start cooking — hungry?” Jiang Luoze didn’t ask more, carrying the shopping bags inside with Chu Xingxing.
—
That dinner was rated by the old babies as the best meal they’d had since coming to Europe.
The grandmas who’d just been saying they weren’t hungry and could skip dinner were now eating with great enjoyment.
Although Chu Xingxing wasn’t a picky eater, faced with Jiang Luoze magically turning seemingly simple instant food into a table full of dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted amazing…
Her stomach, which hadn’t had Chinese food in days, gave an enthusiastic response.
Jiang Luoze used the tomato hot pot base to make a pot of non-spicy mini hot pot. Before cooking the meat, he served everyone a bowl of tomato soup, sprinkled with chopped cilantro and celery.
The fried rice made with olive pickles and diced luncheon meat was dry-style — refreshing and not greasy.
The rice grains were distinct and separate, and one bite brought great satisfaction.
Chu Xingxing couldn’t believe you could make such delicious fried rice with vegetarian instant rice.
Jiang Luoze also used vegetarian rice to make vegetable chicken broth congee — Grandma Sheng’s favorite.
Of course, he also made the braised beef noodles and mushroom chicken noodles that Mrs. Wen Xuelan, Grandma Ai Minli, and Grandma Little Jiang had been longing for.
Though they were instant noodles, they were deluxe versions.
Based on each grandma’s different preferences, the noodles were topped with soft-yolk fried eggs, hard-boiled eggs, and sunny-side-up eggs.
The luncheon meat slices were pan-fried until crispy on the surface, and the baby bok choy was blanched until just tender, lying quietly in the bowl.
Just looking at the red, green, and yellow colors was a feast for the eyes.
[Wuwuwu, what kind of god-tier cooking is this!!!]
[Ah, it’s already past midnight in China. Finally synced up with the old babies — I got up to cook instant noodles.]
[Like, why can “Little Fox” make even instant noodles look so beautiful!!!]
[“Little Fox” can even make fried rice and toss the wok. He really — I’m crying — whoever ends up with “Little Fox” is in for a lifetime of happiness.]
Before the grandmas started eating, they could hardly believe it.
“Xingxing, where did you find all these Chinese ingredients?” Grandma Sheng asked.
Chu Xingxing carried a bowl of noodles over and joked: “I went to ‘rob’ the crew.”
“Those kids — do they have nothing left to eat?” Mrs. Wen Xuelan asked worriedly.
Jiang Luoze came out of the kitchen: “Grandma Wen, Xingxing’s joking. She traded seafood and Andalusian specialties with the crew for these ingredients.”
Grandma Little Jiang nodded: “Our Guai Bao handles things so reliably. We took so much food from them — I feel bad. Tomorrow night we’ll pay to order them some more late-night snacks.”
“Okay.” Chu Xingxing agreed with a smile, but the look in her eyes when she glanced at Grandma Little Jiang was somewhat complicated.
After dinner, the grandmas wouldn’t let Chu Xingxing and Jiang Luoze clean the kitchen.
Washing dishes and clearing leftovers — the old babies treated it as post-meal exercise. The two kids had worked hard cooking; they couldn’t let Xingxing and Ah Ze wash dishes too.
Chu Xingxing and the others couldn’t argue with the grandmas and had to retreat from the kitchen.
Not two minutes later, a figure was “kicked” out.
Grandma Sheng Shuwen’s一贯 authoritative voice rang through the villa: “Xiao Lan, here’s your mission — escort Yao Yao out!”
Mrs. Wen Xuelan: “Got it. Out you go, Yao Yao. You’re just making more of a mess in there…”
Grandma Jiang Yao — spoiled by all her older sisters — had been ordered out because she was only “helping” in the kitchen by getting in the way.
[Hahahaha! The old babies are so cute. Grandma Little Jiang, the youngest, just gets disliked by her older sisters.]
[Grandma Little Jiang is clearly the type of refined little old lady who’s never done housework in her life — spoiled her whole life. That’s actually pretty fortunate!]
[It’s complementary, right? Grandma Little Jiang can’t do daily chores, but she always provides great emotional value. It’s not necessarily about being able to do things — that’s what’s most valuable.]
[I get it. Grandma Little Jiang was probably the sweet-girl type when she was young, and now she’s a sweet little grandma who’s always smiling. So cute — who wouldn’t like her!]
—
The “Grandma’s Journey” livestream officially ended after several days.
Once Chu Xingxing confirmed all cameras were off and the crew and follow-shoot directors had left, she quickly ran out of her room and called out to Grandma Jiang Yao, who was about to go upstairs.
“Grandma Little Jiang, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Chu Xingxing grabbed her arm, bent down, and whispered in her ear: “Today, I saw two identical ‘Carlos’ grandpas.”
Grandma Jiang Yao: ???
“It’s true. I thought I was seeing a ghost… no, but they really looked exactly the same.”
Chu Xingxing gestured: “Same height, same build, same facial features.”
Grandma Jiang Yao: “Are you sure, Guai Bao? The two of them were really identical?”
Chu Xingxing nodded: “I’m sure. And when Ah Ze and I were coming back from ‘robbing’ the crew, we ran into a ‘Carlos’ grandpa. Tonight’s mushroom chicken noodles, braised beef noodles, and hot pot fish balls — those ingredients were delivered by the ‘Carlos’ grandpa we met at the Flamenco troupe.”
Grandma Jiang Yao fell silent, as if trying hard to recall some past memories.
“It’s just, how should I put it?” Chu Xingxing paused, frowning and thinking for a few seconds before continuing: “Although the two grandpas look identical, their temperaments are completely different. The ‘Carlos’ grandpa we met at the Flamenco troupe is gentler. The other grandpa — how to say — he’s also handsome, but a bit gloomy, not very friendly…”
Grandma Little Jiang blinked, her eyes shifting slightly.
Chu Xingxing didn’t know what Grandma Little Jiang was remembering and didn’t ask more.
She just felt that she should tell Grandma Little Jiang about this.
“I understand.” Grandma Little Jiang held the stair railing and reached out to hug Chu Xingxing: “Thank you, Guai Bao. It’s very late — go rest. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Mm, okay…” Chu Xingxing watched Grandma Little Jiang go upstairs.
Compared to her usual light, girlish footsteps, this time Grandma Jiang Yao’s pace up the stairs was noticeably slower.
—
Chu Xingxing’s room was on the first floor, right next to Jiang Luoze’s room.
Both guest room windows opened onto the courtyard patio.
Most old houses in Seville don’t have heating installed.
The reason they didn’t give the two first-floor guest rooms to the old babies was that Chu Xingxing noticed the first-floor rooms were damper and colder than the upstairs rooms.
Although daytime temperatures in Seville had reached 27-28 degrees Celsius, the temperature difference between morning and evening was significant.
In places without sunlight, it was still quite chilly.
Fortunately, although this old villa had no elevator, the stairs were relatively gentle and the lighting was bright — the grandmas could manage walking slowly.
The room layout of the old villa also wasn’t like new houses — the two first-floor guest rooms didn’t have en-suite bathrooms, so they had to come out to use the guest bathroom.
Jiang Luoze slept late and was still sitting in the courtyard patio drawing.
If Chu Xingxing didn’t come over on her own, he never called her to keep him company.
After showering and changing into comfortable long-sleeve T-shirt and sleep pants, Chu Xingxing came out of the bathroom and noticed the courtyard light was still on.
“Little Fox” really has become immortal — has he evolved past the need for sleep?
“Want some milk, Xingxing?” Jiang Luoze asked softly.
He could sense Chu Xingxing looking at him.
“No thanks, I already brushed my teeth…” Chu Xingxing, caught in the act, hugged her towel and walked into the courtyard, sitting in the armchair across from Jiang Luoze.
Jiang Luoze paused, set down his sketchbook: “Something you want to tell me?”
“Do you have mind-reading powers?” Chu Xingxing slapped her forehead. She did want to talk to someone about the two “Carlos” grandpas.
Chu Xingxing hadn’t been the type to gossip before — she was purely trained by the old babies. Now she was in a state where if there’s gossip she can’t share, it’ll kill her.
She’d wanted to chat with Cookie, but Little Cookie hadn’t replied to her WeChat in two days.
So much for coming to Seville to sleep with her?
Chu Xingxing wasn’t really complaining about Cookie — just sweet grumbling.
She knew Little Cookie had probably become the team leader on “Let’s Travel Together” and got too busy to keep up with things here.
“Will chatting with me affect your drawing?” Chu Xingxing asked cautiously.
“Of course not,” Jiang Luoze re-erected his sketchbook, his slender fingers gripping the pencil, the familiar “scratch scratch” sound beginning: “You being here is a great help to me.”
My muse.
“Good then,” Chu Xingxing relaxed. Even casual chatting shouldn’t interfere with a friend’s work: “I’ve been holding this in all evening. With the cameras around earlier, I didn’t dare say anything…”
Chu Xingxing told Jiang Luoze everything about encountering two identical “Carlos” grandpas.
“…So, I was thinking — could it be that back then, the person dating Grandma Little Jiang was actually two people? One person met her in person, and the other exchanged letters with her.”
Chu Xingxing shared her theory.
Jiang Luoze was also shocked by his aunt’s extraordinary love story and put down his sketchbook.
“That’s possible. Thinking about it that way, a lot of things make sense.”
Jiang Luoze played with the pencil in his hand, paused, and said: “I’ve heard Grandma Sheng mention a little about Auntie’s past before, but maybe Grandma Sheng thought I was too young and didn’t explain clearly. But if ‘Carlos’ is a twin, then I think I understand.
The grandpa today probably isn’t the ‘Carlos’ Auntie knew. Let’s call him Grandpa A for now.
The person who went to China with the Flamenco troupe back then was Grandpa A’s twin brother Carlos, but after returning to Spain, the person who corresponded with Auntie was Grandpa A, not Carlos.”
Chu Xingxing nodded vigorously: “Right! Grandma Little Jiang said Grandpa Carlos’s Mandarin wasn’t good, but Grandpa A today spoke Mandarin very well.”
“That must be it.” Jiang Luoze confirmed Chu Xingxing’s guess.
He wasn’t the type to enjoy gossip, but strangely, being with Xingxing, even gossiping was fun.
Chu Xingxing sighed and looked at the moon above the courtyard: “So… did Grandma Little Jiang fall in love with Grandpa Carlos back then, or Grandpa A who wrote letters to her?”
When it came to love, it was beyond Chu Xingxing’s understanding — logic and evidence couldn’t be used to deduce it.
Jiang Luoze smiled faintly and said gently: “We can’t know that. Only the people involved can answer. Emotions are complex and private.”
Chu Xingxing grabbed her towel and rubbed her hair randomly: “Before, Grandma Little Jiang didn’t know about this, so she refused to meet Grandpa A. But now that Grandma Little Jiang knows, will she agree to meet Grandpa A alone?”
“Knowing my aunt, she will.” Jiang Luoze turned his head away, not letting himself watch her such tempting movement.
“Why?”
“Because Auntie is like you — she has a curious heart.”
Chu Xingxing laughed: “Seems so? Grandma Little Jiang is the most lively old baby among the four grandmas.”
Jiang Luoze looked gently into her eyes: “That’s good. Always staying curious, always seeing the world through a child’s eyes — you’ll never grow old.”
Chu Xingxing mimicked his way of speaking and joked: “Then Ah Ze has a pair of beautiful fox eyes, so he’ll always see the world through an animal’s eyes?”
“Then you’d better be careful,” Jiang Luoze narrowed his eyes slightly, deliberately putting on a “fierce” look: “Foxes are carnivores too. When they stare at prey, their eyes can be very cruel.”
Chu Xingxing dismissed it: “Oh, at this point I think foxes are canines too. How could a big dog be fierce?”
—
After gossiping with Jiang Luoze, Chu Xingxing returned to her room.
The hair dryer was in the bathroom, and she was too lazy to get it. While letting her hair air-dry, she took out the souvenirs she’d bought today at the Flamenco troupe shop to photograph.
Abao had told her to take good photos, and the studio would edit Weibo copy and post them for a giveaway.
This trip meant something different to Chu Xingxing.
She had friends she thought about, and fans who cared about her.
So throughout the journey, she always remembered to bring gifts for friends and fans.
She’d already bought Flamenco dance dresses for the little girls Xin’er, Ruirui, and Shanshan, and for fans she’d bought Flamenco hairpins, fridge magnets, funny aprons, and other souvenirs.
Today when she chased Grandpa A to the street corner, she saw a souvenir shop still open with lots of choices, including many pet supplies.
Chu Xingxing planned that tomorrow after the road trip, she’d go back to that souvenir shop to buy Flamenco-style little outfits and cute dog collars for Jiang Changsheng’s Tank and Sister Xiaonuan’s Guaiguai.
Sister Xiaonuan is an artist — Chu Xingxing planned to pick her gift in Barcelona, the art capital.
For Brother Xiaonuan’s gift, Chu Xingxing wanted to find a good grip strengthener.
As for Jiang Changsheng, and… Sheng Luzhi’s gifts, Chu Xingxing still hadn’t decided.
She hadn’t seen anything suitable yet. She’d buy when she found something.
Oh, and she couldn’t forget Cookie’s gift. The little one gets jealous the most — if she was left out, she’d definitely make a fuss.
After photographing the giveaway gifts for fans, Chu Xingxing took out the three Flamenco dance dresses — big and small, with hanging tassels in vibrant colors and exquisite workmanship — to admire.
Xin’er is six, Dr. Ai’s little niece.
Ruirui is four and a half, Ah Ze’s sister’s little daughter.
These two little dresses in sizes for five- and six-year-old girls looked especially adorable.
Just thinking about two chubby little girls twirling in Spanish-style Flamenco dresses, Chu Xingxing’s heart melted.
Human cubs who aren’t being naughty or troublesome are truly like little angels.
Suddenly, her gaze fell on the last Flamenco dress — the size-thirteen one.
The more Chu Xingxing looked, the more something seemed off…
She hadn’t thought much when buying it — she just figured Sheng Luzhi’s little cousin Sheng Youshan was also a child.
But looking at it now, this dress — why was it so big?
Compared to the little dresses for Ruirui and Xin’er, the one she bought for twelve-year-old Sheng Youshan was almost the same as an adult XS size. She could fit into it herself.
Chu Xingxing tried to recall Shanshan’s outfits.
Seemed like… they were trendy designer brand clothes.
Save! Had she bought too childish a gift?
Would a twelve-year-old girl dislike a dance dress meant for little kids…
Chu Xingxing wasn’t sure. She hesitated about whether to WeChat Sheng Luzhi to ask.
Before she could even reach for her phone, she heard a crisp message notification.
“No way…” Chu Xingxing looked at her phone screen, incredulous.
Was this some quantum entanglement principle? She’d just been about to ask, and Sheng Luzhi sent a WeChat message.
—
Sheng Luzhi had just landed in Barcelona, Spain, on his way to the hotel.
Tomorrow morning, he’d attend the European Mobile Communications Conference.
Sheng Luzhi spoke to his assistant in the front passenger seat: “Cancel tomorrow noon’s cocktail party. Compress the Paris schedule.”
“Yes, President Sheng.” The assistant nodded.
Actually, President Sheng didn’t necessarily have to attend this European Mobile Communications Conference.
The assistant simply assumed President Sheng was being filial and using the opportunity to see the old President Sheng. He quickly adjusted the schedule on his phone.
—
Seville, Spain, old town villa.
Chu Xingxing stared at her phone screen.
She didn’t know that Sheng Luzhi was currently in the same IP location as her.
[Sheng Luzhi: Xingxing, where’s tomorrow’s itinerary?]
[Sheng Luzhi: I asked Ah Ze, he didn’t reply to WeChat.]
Chu Xingxing immediately assumed her role as “messenger.”
She lifted a corner of the curtain — the courtyard light was still on, and she could only see Jiang Luoze’s back. He was probably still drawing.
[Xingxing Estrella: Ah Ze is drawing in the courtyard, probably doesn’t have his phone.]
[Xingxing Estrella: Tomorrow we plan to drive around nearby towns, stopping wherever the scenery is nice for a walk. The only confirmed destination is Ronda.]
Ronda is known as the “City in the Sky,” a small town built entirely on a 750-meter cliff.
The deep blue sky, the white Moorish-style houses set against each other, and the bridge spanning a 120-meter-deep gorge — all make this “city built in the clouds” feel so special.
When Jiang Luoze introduced this town to the grandmas, everyone was completely captivated.
So for this Andalusian road trip, the old babies insisted they must visit Ronda.
[Sheng Luzhi: Okay.]
Chu Xingxing looked at Sheng Luzhi’s simple reply. No time like the present — since he was free now, she might as well ask directly.
[Xingxing Estrella: I bought Shanshan a Flamenco dance dress. Based on what you know about Shanshan, would she think it’s too childish?]
This time the reply came quickly.
[Sheng Luzhi: No. She’ll like anything you give her.]
[Sheng Luzhi: Don’t forget, you’re Shanshan’s idol.]
Chu Xingxing breathed a sigh of relief.
Good. The worst thing about gift-giving is missing the mark.
She was about to reply “thanks” when she saw “the other person is typing…”
[Sheng Luzhi: Have you gotten tired of Western food these past two days?]
Chu Xingxing went “oh” — the big boss must have watched the livestream and was concerned about the grandmas.
[Xingxing Estrella: The grandmas are a bit tired of it, but we’ve already solved it.]
[Sheng Luzhi: I’m asking about you.]
Chu Xingxing’s heart inexplicably tightened. Was he worried she wouldn’t have energy to take care of Grandma Sheng if she ate poorly?
Oh man, the big boss was overthinking it.
She immediately typed seriously and earnestly.
[Xingxing Estrella: I’m fine. Not picky, eat everything with gusto, full of energy!]
“The other person is typing…” went on for a long time without a new message.
Chu Xingxing was about to send “goodnight” when a new message popped up.
[Sheng Luzhi: Drive safely tomorrow. Avoid fatigued driving. The Spanish sun is glaring — remember to wear sunglasses.]
Chu Xingxing replied promptly.
[Xingxing Estrella: Boss, don’t worry. A car full of old babies — absolutely guarantee safe driving!]
Chu Xingxing switched out of the chat with Sheng Luzhi and was about to WeChat Sister Xiaonuan and Jiang Changsheng to ask for their dogs’ neck measurements when she glanced at Moments.
The first post that jumped out was from Jiang Luoze.
[Jiang Luoze: If you want to go to Spain for a honeymoon or to elope with someone, Ronda is the most suitable place — Hemingway.]
She checked the timestamp — five minutes ago.
“Huh? Didn’t he not have his phone…” Chu Xingxing was confused.
And also…
Elope with whom???
