88: Chapter 88 It's because you have a loud voice, not because my ears are good.

"Yeah!"

Zhou Shaochen immediately chimed in, answering quickly. He swept his eyes over Hu Tian and asked directly, "Do you practice martial arts?"

Lin Xiulan was bringing over tea. Hearing this, she shot her son a glare and said, "Why are you asking that? Sit down."

Zhou Shaochen didn't restrain himself at all. He sat directly on the single sofa nearby, leaned against the armrest, and looked at Hu Tian with that straightforward curiosity typical of boys his age. "I can tell by your hand posture that you've trained. Our school's sanda coach has hands a bit like yours, but the feeling is different. What do you practice?"

"Zhou Shaochen—" Zhou Waner called out to him.

Hu Tian raised his hand to pick up his teacup and glanced at Zhou Shaochen. His expression wasn't annoyed; he said calmly, "I know a little bit."

"Oh—" Zhou Shaochen drew the word out long, his eyes lighting up as he leaned forward. "Then how many can you take on?"

Zhou Waner put a hand to her forehead.

Lin Xiulan called out from the direction of the kitchen, "Shaochen, say less and come help me bring out the dumplings!"

Zhou Shaochen reluctantly pushed himself up from the sofa, but he didn't stop talking. "I was just asking."

He walked toward the kitchen, but after two steps, he turned back and grinned at Hu Tian. The smile was genuine, devoid of any ulterior motives. It was just an eighteen-year-old boy seeing someone he found interesting—very direct, very clean. "Brother-in-law, will you teach me a couple of moves after dinner?"

"Zhou Shaochen!"

"Coming, coming!"

He turned away with a cheeky grin, his steps bouncy, and he disappeared into the kitchen in a few strides.

From the kitchen came the sound of Lin Xiulan's low reprimands and Zhou Shaochen's cheeky replies. Zhou Waner leaned against the sofa armrest, sighed softly, and turned to look at Hu Tian. "Please excuse him."

Hu Tian set down his teacup and looked at her. "It's quite nice."

His tone was calm, not like polite small talk, but simply stating a fact.

Seeing his expression, Zhou Waner lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly, and she didn't say anything more.

Over in the dining room, Lin Xiulan had started calling for the bowls to be set. Steaming hot dumplings were brought to the table, and the aroma instantly wafted out, warming the air of the entire villa.

Just then.

At the entryway, the sound of keys turning in the lock echoed, followed by the sound of leather shoes stepping on the floor. Two people walked in, one after the other.

Lin Xiulan poked her head out of the kitchen, wiped her hands, and said in an understated tone, "You're back."

Zhou Jianguo walked in front, taking off his coat and draping it over his arm. His aura was different from the others in the house; between his brows was the steady, composed look honed from years in the business world, and his steps were steady, neither rushed nor slow.

As he walked inside, he raised his eyes and swept a glance around the living room, his gaze quickly landing on Hu Tian, who was sitting on the sofa.

Just that one look, and it paused.

It wasn't intentional, but it did stop.

Zhou Jianguo handed his coat to the nanny who had come to take it, his eyes still fixed on Hu Tian, calmly looking him up and down.

It wasn't aggressive scrutiny, but it certainly wasn't an ordinary glance either. It was just a father seeing a strange man in his own home, his instincts turning on like radar, quickly scanning everything from the other person's posture, attire, and demeanor to his eyes.

Hu Tian had noticed Zhou Jianguo's entry; he had turned his head as soon as the door was pushed open.

Their gazes met in the air.

Hu Tian didn't stand up immediately. Instead, he set down his teacup, his movements unhurried. He stood up, neither servile nor overbearing, nodded to Zhou Jianguo, and said, "Uncle."

His voice was steady, showing no panic, nor was there any sense of fawning by trying to be overly familiar. It was just a normal greeting, but he sounded confident, and his presence stood firm.

Zhou Jianguo paused, grunted a response, but his expression remained somewhat cold. He took two steps toward the dining room and said indifferently, "Sit."

Just those two words—neither cold nor hot, polite yet distant, but not clearly unwelcoming. Zhou Waner, sitting to the side, had already quietly let out a breath. She glanced at Hu Tian, who had sat back down with a calm expression, showing no signs of being rattled by that gaze.

Zhou Waner looked at him, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly, but she didn't speak.

However, another figure who had entered behind Zhou Jianguo immediately stirred up the atmosphere.

Elder Zhou Bo, with graying hair but looking vigorous, was wearing a navy blue button-up long shirt. He held a short cane that didn't even reach his knees, though when he walked, he mostly carried it; it was just a habit, not something he actually needed to rely on.

As soon as the old man entered the living room, his eyes swept the room and he saw Hu Tian on the sofa. His whole face immediately lit up.

"Yo!"

The old man tapped his cane on the floor and walked briskly toward Hu Tian, his voice booming. "Little Hu! Why didn't you give me a call before coming today?!"

Hu Tian had already stood up. Seeing the old man coming over, his lips curled upward and his expression softened significantly. He stepped forward to meet him. "Elder Zhou Bo, I was just afraid of bothering you."

"Bother? What bother!"

Elder Zhou Bo waved his hand, grabbed Hu Tian's wrist, and led him to the sofa. The two sat down together. The old man looked him up and down and nodded. "You look good. Have you found any good treasures out there recently?"

"Just small stuff, got a few trinkets."

"Good, good."

Elder Zhou Bo patted the back of his hand, his tone filled with genuine gratification. He turned his head and called out to Lin Xiulan, "Daughter-in-law, what kind of dumplings did you make today?"

Lin Xiulan poked her head out of the dining room. "Pork and cabbage, and a pot of shrimp ones. Dad, come sit down, everything's been served."

"Good!"

The old man stood up, tapped his cane on the floor, turned to look at Hu Tian, and waved his hand. "Let's go, eat first. We'll talk after dinner."

Hu Tian replied and followed him up.

Zhou Jianguo, watching this scene from the side, had a subtle expression.

He hadn't yet processed the distance between himself and Hu Tian, but his father had already pulled the man into the dining room. Given that posture, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was family.

As Zhou Jianguo walked to the dining room, passing by Hu Tian, he turned his head and gave him another calm look.

Hu Tian didn't avoid it, nor did he intentionally meet it; he simply met that gaze calmly, his expression very steady.

Zhou Jianguo withdrew his gaze and didn't say anything.

On the dining table, two large plates full of steaming dumplings were set out, along with a few side dishes. Lin Xiulan had also prepared a bowl of soup, and the aroma made the entire dining room feel warm and cozy.

Zhou Shaochen had already sat down and picked up his chopsticks, but a glare from Lin Xiulan made him sheepishly put them back down to wait for everyone to be seated.

The old man sat next to the head of the table and beckoned Hu Tian to sit beside him. "Come, come, sit here, closer to me. My hearing isn't good, I can only hear clearly if you're close."

Zhou Shaochen muttered quietly from across the table, "Grandpa, your hearing is perfectly fine. This morning, you heard me whispering from two rooms away."

Elder Zhou Bo glanced at him sideways. "That's because you're loud, not because my hearing is good."

Zhou Shaochen: "..."

Laughter immediately rippled across the table. Even Lin Xiulan couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth, and the atmosphere suddenly relaxed.

Hu Tian sat down, with Elder Zhou Bo next to him, Zhou Jianguo diagonally across, Zhou Waner on his other side, and Lin Xiulan at the end. Zhou Shaochen sat opposite the old man, reaching out to grab a dumpling with a lively motion, only for Lin Xiulan to tap his chopsticks, causing him to pull his hand back in grievance.

Elder Zhou Bo picked up his chopsticks and first placed a dumpling into Hu Tian's bowl. "Come, eat. You've been running around outside for so long, you probably haven't had a decent meal. Waner's mom made these herself; she's got good skills."

Lin Xiulan smiled upon hearing this, though she was modest in her reply. "It's just a home-cooked flavor. I hope you don't mind it being simple, Hu Tian."

Hu Tian looked down at his bowl and replied, "It's not simple. It's delicious."

He picked it up and took a bite. The filling was wrapped in soup, a solid, home-cooked taste. Lin Xiulan's cooking was truly good. Zhou Waner watched his expression from the side, slowly curled the corners of her mouth, and lowered her head to eat from her own bowl.

After the dumplings were finished, Lin Xiulan brought out the tea set, saying that since the weather was warm, they should sit in the garden to digest.

The garden wasn't large, but it was kept tidy. In one corner grew several clumps of bamboo, and a stone table and stools were placed under the shade of the trees. Nearby was a small fish pond where a few koi floated lazily on the surface. Sunlight shone down, making their scales shimmer with golden light.

Elder Zhou Bo was helped to his seat by Lin Xiulan. He leaned his cane against the stone stool, took the teacup, sipped it slowly, and squinted his eyes. "Good tea. This is how it should be drunk—slowly."

Hu Tian sat down next to him, with Zhou Waner opposite. There was a cup of tea by her hand, but she didn't drink much, just turned the cup around and around, her gaze occasionally falling on Hu Tian before shifting away.

Lin Xiulan poured the tea and retreated into the house to clean up.

Zhou Jianguo stood at the edge of the garden, his hands behind his back, looking at the bamboo. He didn't sit down, and it seemed his mind wasn't entirely here.

Only Zhou Shaochen couldn't sit still since leaving the dining room. He spun around twice like a little top, first leaning over the fish pond to poke at the koi for a while, then running to the bamboo to break off a thin twig. He swung it around as if he had nothing to do, and as he swung it, his eyes drifted toward Hu Tian.

Hu Tian held his tea, his expression calm, as if he hadn't noticed the boy beside him whose eyes were almost glued to him.

Zhou Shaochen circled half the stone table, finally stood in front of Hu Tian, placed the bamboo twig on the stone table, and put his hands on his hips. "Brother-in-law."

Hu Tian raised his eyes. "Hm."

"Can you really fight?"

Zhou Shaochen lowered his voice, but it was just for show; everyone at the table could hear him. "I heard you beat up several people at once."

Zhou Waner, sitting to the side, slowly turned her cup and didn't answer. It was actually about the time he dealt with Scar and his gang; Hu Tian had talked to Waner about it during their phone calls.

Hu Tian wasn't in a hurry to answer. He set down his teacup, turned his head to look at Zhou Shaochen, and said in a flat tone, "Who said that?"

Zhou Shaochen pointed to the opposite side. "My sister said it. She said you were very fast, like a hero in a martial arts movie on TV. You took them down in one move, and those people fell before they could even react."

Zhou Waner slightly raised her eyes and coughed. "I never said that, nor did I say Brother Hu was a hero."

"It means pretty much the same thing."