Chapter 22: The Statue of Guan Gong
Hearing his mother’s words, Song Zhibai’s smile faded.
“Mom, I remember you once told me—when someone is unusually attentive for no reason, they’re either scheming or stealing,” Song Zhibai said.
Song’s mother gently shook her head. “Miss Xu is not that kind of person. Her eyes are very clean.”
Song Zhibai was stunned by her words.
His mother continued, “Did you lie to me? Didn’t you sign a management contract with her?”
Song Zhibai quickly shook his head. “Mom, the contract is real—you can’t fake something like that. It’s just that I feel uneasy…”
But his mother shook her head again and said, “Since you’re already here, just go with the flow. Miss Xu is not a bad person.”
“You used to think Dad wasn’t a bad person too!” Song Zhibai blurted out.
A look of sorrow immediately appeared on his mother’s face.
Song Zhibai quickly held her hand. “Mom, I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have brought him up…”
His mother gently squeezed his hand in return. “Don’t let my past mistakes stop you from trusting others. Miss Xu is genuinely kind to you. Don’t hurt someone who truly cares about you just because of my failures.”
Song Zhibai’s heart trembled. He thought about how he had been deliberately keeping his distance from Xu Youyou lately—always on guard during their meetings. Could he have hurt her feelings?
Meanwhile, Xu Youyou was not heading straight back to her hotel. Instead, she urged the driver to take her through the streets of New York City.
Two bodyguards accompanied her in the car—both were muscular and looked intimidating.
Given how much this country values its freedoms, with reports of shootings frequently in the news, Xu Youyou wanted to make money but valued her life even more.
“Miss Xu, where exactly do you want to go?” the driver asked in heavily accented Mandarin.
Xu Youyou frowned slightly but chose not to reveal her mastery of English. Instead, she responded in Mandarin, “Just wandering around.”
The driver’s brow furrowed. His Mandarin wasn’t great, and he struggled to understand her instructions, even taking a few wrong turns along the way.
After nearly an hour of weaving through the city, they finally arrived at their destination—Chinatown.
Xu Youyou hadn’t expected the system’s guidance to lead her here.
The driver’s face lit up with understanding. “Miss Xu, you should’ve said so earlier! But I gotta say, I’m impressed—you know New York so well you didn’t even need GPS. You’re like a living map!”
Xu Youyou forced a stiff smile. In reality, she had no idea where Chinatown was—she was simply following the system’s directions.
Leaving the driver behind, she entered Chinatown with her two bodyguards and walked to the very end of the main street.
“Hey, beautiful! It’s mealtime—how about dining at my place? Authentic Chinese cuisine!” A restaurant owner’s eyes lit up when he spotted them.
Xu Youyou glanced at the empty restaurant behind him and the visibly unsanitary dining area. She wasn’t eager to go in.
But the system’s prompt was firmly pointing to this hole-in-the-wall eatery.
She led her bodyguards inside, unaware that they were mentally grumbling. After all, she had rushed here right after landing without even adjusting to the time difference. They couldn’t help but wonder—was the food here really that good?
The restaurant owner, surprised that they actually came in, continued chatting enthusiastically in his heavily accented Mandarin. “You made the right choice coming in! We serve authentic Minnan cuisine—you won’t find it anywhere else in New York. All the Minnan students love eating here!”
Xu Youyou looked around. Despite it being peak mealtime, the restaurant—large enough to seat about ten people—only had her party of three. She found his claim highly suspicious.
“Bring me one of each of your signature dishes,” Xu Youyou said, flaunting her wealth.
Since the bodyguards had followed her overseas, she couldn’t let them go hungry.
The owner’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “You got it—once you try it, you’ll never forget it!”
Xu Youyou nodded casually.
Though the restaurant was small, the owner had a chef working in the kitchen.
“Miss, are you here for school or sightseeing?” the owner asked with a smile.
After a brief pause, Xu Youyou answered, “Sightseeing.”
The owner became even more excited. “If you’re sightseeing, did you hire a tour guide? I gotta warn you—there’s a saying among Chinese expats here: ‘When a fellow countryman meets another, expect to get scammed!’ Be careful not to get cheated by our own people!”
Xu Youyou almost suspected he was talking about himself.
Sure enough, he continued, “I’ve been in the U.S. for over a decade—I know the place inside and out. If you need a guide, I can introduce someone reliable!”
Wanting to change the subject, Xu Youyou forced an awkward smile and lied, “I’ve already got a guide—my cousin, who’s studying here.”
Hearing that, the owner looked disappointed but quickly pivoted. “What about your accommodations? I know someone who runs a hotel…”
“I’m staying at the Aman,” Xu Youyou interrupted.
The owner’s mouth fell open. The Aman Hotel’s cheapest room cost at least two thousand dollars a night. Now, he sized Xu Youyou up more carefully—everything about her screamed wealth. Seeing the menu he had given the chef, he quietly added a few extra dishes.
“Miss Xu, did you just get off the plane?” the owner asked dryly.
Xu Youyou nodded.
The owner, like the bodyguards, was confused. With so many high-end restaurants in New York, why would she rush to eat in this humble joint?
Feigning innocence, Xu Youyou explained, “I was supposed to meet someone in Chinatown, but they never showed. I wandered around a bit, and you were the only one who invited me in—so here I am.”
Hearing this, the owner couldn’t hide his excitement. He had already pegged Xu Youyou as young, rich, and a little naïve—a prime target to overcharge.
His only regret was not yet having come up with a clever way to exploit her.
Meanwhile, Xu Youyou quietly observed the shifting expressions on his face, sensing that the moment was ripe. Her gaze fell on the offering table tucked in the corner of the restaurant.
“Is that a statue of Guan Gong?” she asked.
The owner didn’t think much of her question and nodded.
“It’s funny,” Xu Youyou mused. “Seeing a ceramic statue of Guan Gong here in a foreign country makes me feel strangely at peace—like my heart is grounded.”
The owner perked up with renewed enthusiasm. “That statue was passed down from my grandfather. It traveled across the ocean to get here—and it’s incredibly effective!”
