My American magical life
Chapter 203 - 203 79 Bro I'm only 19 this year_2

203: Chapter 79: Bro, I’m only 19 this year_2 203: Chapter 79: Bro, I’m only 19 this year_2 In the past, her friends were always her own age, from her parents’ circle of friends and relatives or from school.

Cheng Daqi was different; this man, complex enough that Zhao Hongjin couldn’t figure out try as she might, was the first friend she made who had no connection to her life.

“Emmm, Zhao sister, although your metaphor is quite presumptuous, I still don’t think someone like you would be without friends.”

The ‘armed to the teeth BOSS’ scratched his head and replied.

He felt like there was a generation gap between him and Zhao Hongjin.

Actually, a generation gap was normal since he was mentally in his thirties, and Zhao Hongjin was only nineteen this year.

“Don’t call me Zhao sister.

I never liked it when you called me that but was too embarrassed to say it straight.

It makes me sound so old!”

The usual warmth was gone from her peach blossom eyes as Zhao Hongjin complained with a trace of urgency.

She had already adjusted her attitude.

Since she’d already been seen through, there was no longer any need for pretense; she decided to let go of the pressure.

So, Zhao sister’s first step in not hiding anymore was to tell Cheng Daqi, with righteous indignation, not to call her Zhao sister anymore.

“Then what would you like me to call you?”

Cheng Daqi took a sip of pure water with lemon juice and ice cubes and muttered the question back.

“Let me think.”

The girl with peach blossom eyes began to space out, falling into deep thought.

This is how nineteen-year-old girls are; even if they act maturely most of the time, there are moments when they reveal a kind of innate innocence that hasn’t yet been worn away by reality and life.

Now, this heiress of the Republic was deep in thought over what to be called.

My parents usually call me Xiao Hong.

But it would feel weird for him to call me that.

My friends call me Jinjin, teasing me for trying to act mature, which also doesn’t fit.

After thinking for a long time, Zhao Hongjin finally spoke up.

“Why not just call me Xiao Zhao then, CEO Cheng.”

There was a clear smile at the corner of her mouth, obviously with a hint of teasing.

“That won’t do, how could I be blessed enough to employ such a formidable staff member like you.”

Cheng Daqi’s head was spinning like a rattle-drum.

Xiao Zhao, it’s okay to say as a tease.

But for him to actually call her that every day?

He didn’t have the nerve for that.

“Really, it’s not appropriate, it really isn’t appropriate to call me that.”

Under CEO Cheng’s strong objection, Xiao Zhao thought for a moment, and then her eyes lit up.

“Call me Ah Zhao, it sounds intimate, just right.”

“Alright then, Ah Zhao, it’s a pleasure to meet you.

I’m Ah Cheng, and I earn my keep at West Coast Saint Lodou.

Please take care of me from now on.”

Cheng Daqi’s tone carried a hint of Cantonese, like a gangster in a Hong Kong movie, as he introduced himself.

“Hahaha, okay, next time I go to serve food, I’ll send you a message beforehand.

I’ll give you an extra box when you come for food.”

Zhao Hongjin was amused by Cheng Daqi and joined in on the act, laughing.

“No way, you don’t treat me like a brother.

We have a relationship that’s like playing with mud together; you just give me one extra box?”

With the mood set, the performance continued, and Cheng Daqi took his turn to speak.

Role-playing = fun, but it’s not just for intimate relationships; it works well with friends too.

“When did we ever play with mud together?”

Zhao Hongjin clearly wasn’t used to this kind of abstract conversation and asked, somewhat foolishly.

Upon hearing this question, Cheng Daqi looked at her shockingly and asked back with astonishment,

“Have you forgotten?

That year I was seven, you were eight; I’d pee, and you’d play in the mud.

We promised to build a castle of magic.”

Zhao Hongjin was dumbfounded by his tale, and she pushed Cheng Daqi in annoyance, retorting,

“What do you mean ‘you pee, I play in the mud!'”

How strong could a young girl’s push be?

Besides, Zhao Hongjin wasn’t really that angry.

So Cheng Daqi wasn’t the least bit worried and continued to tease Xiao Zhao.

It wasn’t that he lacked manners; it was just that the flushed Zhao Hongjin was too amusing.

A nineteen-year-old beauty, even in anger she looked adorable; even the most hard-hearted old man couldn’t help but want to tease her.

“Hahaha, then you pee, I mud, I don’t mind.”

Hearing Cheng Daqi’s words, Zhao Hongjin felt like she had somehow won, replying with satisfaction,

“That’s more like it…

pah!”

Mid-reply, Xiao Zhao realized she’d been led into a trap by Cheng Daqi and glared at him.

The girl placed her cup on the ground and crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

She was a bit angry, but actually not too angry.

It was such a hard emotion to grasp, so Xiao Zhao chose a clearly expressive gesture.

“You should at least apologize, shouldn’t you?”

Noticing Zhao Hongjin’s tactical movement, Cheng Daqi chose to avoid the sharp edge and retaliate.

In the process of chatting with girls, you must never follow the other party’s logic.

That would mean being totally controlled.

Iron Rule: No matter what the starting point is, you must not be controlled during the process, or else you’re doomed to fail (excluding Rich Brother).

“What’s wrong, are you cold?

Look, you’re shivering.

I’ll go get you another blanket.”

Having said that, Cheng Daqi pretended to get up, his movements slow.

But halfway through, he was stopped by Zhao Hongjin.

“Wait, I’m not cold.”

Xiao Zhao’s tone was calm as still water, fully revealing the surging inside her.

“Then why are you hugging your arms?”

Smart men are top-notch at avoiding confrontation, and Cheng Daqi, a towering figure in entrepreneurship, was no exception when it came to this.

What he really meant was: If you’re not cold, why are you hugging your arms?

Could it be that you’re angry?

No way, you’re angry just like that?

This meaning was not delivered through his words, but Cheng Daqi had anticipated Zhao Hongjin’s potential psychological reaction.

“You’ve made me angry.”

Xiao Zhao was straightforward; she didn’t indulge in beating around the bush.

If something bothered her, she would say it outright.

But as direct as she was, Cheng Daqi found himself outmaneuvered by her.

Ah Zhao, CEO Zhao, Xiao Zhao, aren’t you dodging the issue?

Where has your usual cleverness gone?

From the perspective of God, Cheng Daqi’s feelings at this moment were exactly like Temir’s feelings towards him.

A perfectly good person, why change so drastically, not following the usual patterns?

“Angry about what?”

Cheng Daqi felt a bit panicked in his heart, not so much because he might lose a friend, but because he realized that he indeed had a generational gap with people Zhao Hongjin’s age.

Like that joke just now, it used to work wonders when trying to foster a closer relationship.

Slightly offensive, but more about full-on teasing and contrast, and it involved content that everyone found interesting and nostalgic about their childhood.

This was one of Cheng Daqi’s few conversational tactics since most of the time he adapted to circumstances spontaneously.

But now he found that his method seemed outdated against the new version.

“I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I feel like I’ve been led by the nose by you all along.”

Zhao Hongjin was smart, extremely smart.

She hit the nail on the head, revealing the true nature of the relationship between her and Cheng Daqi.

This was a friendship filled with tactics from the very first time Cheng Daqi spoke.

Why is it so hard to make new close friends after stepping into society?

Because too often, there are interferances of vested interests.

Like between Cheng Daqi and Temir, as well as Zhao Hongjin.

“At the beginning, you guessed my identity right away, which made me think you were very impressive.

Later, I misunderstood you, and then you gave me an unexpected answer, which made me think you were extraordinary.

Coming here today, you’ve overturned my impression of you again, Daqi.

Now facing you, I feel at a loss.

Are we friends?

But if we are, why are there so many mysteries about you?

And why could you guess that day that I was watching ‘Forever Young’?”

After saying a long passage in one breath, Zhao Hongjin took a sip of water and then waited for Cheng Daqi’s response.

“I actually told you before, because I need your help.

A magic castle can’t be built by me alone.”

Xiao Zhao thought Cheng Daqi’s answer was a bit romantic, because she understood it.

“Then why could you guess that I was watching ‘Forever Young’?”

This was the part that Zhao Hongjin couldn’t make heads or tails of, that day she was truly scared by Cheng Daqi.

CEO Cheng, who had seen big winds and waves, was just stumped by Zhao Hongjin today.

He shifted his chair to get even closer to Zhao Hongjin.

He opened the social media app, ready to give Zhao Hongjin a little shock with his subtle male cunning.

“I really need your help, so I’m very careful when I chat with you.

The message I sent you that day was just one short line, but every word was indispensable.”

Pointing to the message he had replied to Zhao Hongjin that day, Cheng Daqi began his explanation.

By the time he finished, the girl with the peach blossom eyes looked at him with fear in her gaze.

“Brother, I’m only 19 years old this year.

Don’t scare me.

Your tricks are too deep.”

Holding the blanket, Xiao Zhao said fearfully.