Chapter 239: Unpredictable Business Hours
Xu Youyou didn’t take the incident to heart.
However, as soon as she settled into Lu Jingyao’s house, his video call came through.
“How was your journey? Did the housemaids clean everything properly? Are the dishes to your liking?” Lu Jingyao’s questions came one after another.
Xu Youyou answered each question in turn and then raised her own doubts: “The journey was smooth, just a small hiccup, but nothing major. The house is very clean, but I haven’t tried the chef’s cooking yet. By the way, it seems like it’s the middle of the night back home. Are you staying up late?”
Lu Jingyao sighed helplessly. “There’s a lot on my plate. Once I finish this, I’ll go to sleep. Did something happen on your end?”
Xu Youyou then explained the situation with Shen Wenxing.
Upon hearing it, Lu Jingyao instantly became alert, saying, “What a coincidence, both of them have identities that make traveling abroad not easy…”
He didn’t continue and instead said, “As long as you’re both fine, that’s all that matters.”
Xu Youyou didn’t know that, at that moment, a certain jealous person was already planning to fly over. She looked around at the French-style decorated house. “This house is really beautiful, it feels like living in a painting.”
Lu Jingyao’s expression softened immediately. “I’m glad you like it. This house was designed by a friend of my mother’s who’s a designer in France. If you like her style, I can invite her to come to China and design a house according to your preferences.”
Xu Youyou shook her head. “There’s no need for that. As for my properties in China, I like most of the styles, except for a few that I don’t plan to renovate.”
Lu Jingyao didn’t insist. He continued, “When you go out there, make sure to have enough bodyguards with you. Although it’s the City of Romance, there are plenty of thieves and robbers.”
Xu Youyou nodded. Seeing his tired expression, she felt a little sorry for him and urged him to hang up and get some rest.
Although Xu Youyou had slept on the plane, she still took a nap after landing to adjust to the time difference.
In this house, Lu Jingyao had arranged for two sets of chefs—one with a standard French cuisine background, and the other with a Chinese culinary focus.
For her first meal, Xu Youyou tried French cuisine. While it tasted great, she felt that if she had to eat it every day for several days, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Looking out at the bright sunshine, Xu Youyou decided to go out.
“Miss Xu, I heard from Mr. Lu that this is your first time in Paris. How about we start with the Champs-Élysées?”
The person speaking was their local tour guide, a woman about twenty-five or twenty-six, impeccably made up and dressed in a stylish French outfit that made her look like a woman from a fashion magazine.
This guide had been arranged by Lu Jingyao, who had hired her for a month after receiving positive feedback from his relatives about her hospitality when she had previously escorted them.
Xu Youyou waved her hand and looked up at the golden pointer from the system that hovered in mid-air.
“I have other plans, I’ll visit the Champs-Élysées another time,” Xu Youyou explained.
The young female guide maintained her flawless smile and asked, “If you don’t want to go to the Champs-Élysées, would you like to visit the Arc de Triomphe or the Louvre instead?”
Xu Youyou waved her hand again. “I said I have other plans.”
The female guide smiled and said, “Miss Xu, please trust my professional ability. Since Mr. Lu entrusted you to me, I’ll make sure you feel right at home and won’t miss any beautiful scenery in Paris.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable, despite the woman’s perfect smile. It was their first meeting, yet she had this strange feeling of subtle hostility from the guide.
“Do you know Lu Jingyao?” Xu Youyou asked cautiously.
The young female guide smiled faintly and replied, “Mr. Lu and I are university alumni. He’s been very supportive of me over the years. Now, I’m doing my PhD at the University of Paris-Sorbonne. After learning that I work as a part-time tour guide, he’s always been kind to my business.”
Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow. “You two must have quite a connection.”
The guide gave a light smile.
“Such a pity,” Xu Youyou remarked.
The guide looked puzzled.
Xu Youyou spoke expressionlessly, “You’re fired.”
The guide frowned slightly. “Miss Xu, I was hired by Mr. Lu. You have no right to fire me. Please trust my professional abilities. Don’t take out your inexplicable suspicions on me. Aren’t you afraid that this might upset Mr. Lu?”
Xu Youyou couldn’t be bothered to explain. She simply signaled her bodyguards, ready to leave.
Only weak people need to explain repeatedly. She wasn’t that pitiful person from her past life. She was now a super-rich person, so why should she let herself suffer?
If Lu Jingyao took issue with something so trivial, she could fire him as well.
Xu Youyou didn’t give the driver a specific destination, just directing him as they went.
The driver was very obedient, slowing down without question, and he seemed worried that he might not meet Xu Youyou’s expectations and thus affect his tip.
The car traveled for about an hour and a half before stopping on a cluttered street.
“Vintage market, Miss Xu, so this is where you wanted to come,” the driver remarked.
Xu Youyou had no idea what the place was for and, seeing that most of the shops along the street were closed, she was confused.
“Why are the shops closed?” Xu Youyou asked.
The driver explained, “That’s how it is here. On weekdays, many shops are closed. But if you come on the weekend, almost all the shops will be open.”
Xu Youyou glanced at Xu Fang.
Their tacit understanding was unmatched by anyone else. After a brief moment of thought, Xu Fang asked curiously, “What’s this place for?”
“It’s a secondhand market! This is probably the largest secondhand market in France. It’s so big you’ll walk until your legs get sore,” the driver said.
Xu Youyou thought about the system’s time limit and remembered the many issues with the last “bargain-hunting” task. She had a vague sense that things might not go smoothly this time either.
As they got out of the car and started walking, even though the things in the shops were very tempting, she didn’t stop and instead hurriedly followed the arrow to the destination.
Upon reaching the destination, Xu Youyou couldn’t help but feel her face fall. The store’s door was tightly closed, and the owner had thoughtfully hung a small notice on it.
The French translator who was with them quickly explained, “Miss Xu, the notice says that due to a bad mood, business hours are irregular.”
Xu Youyou: …
