Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 893 - 894: Uncle Again

Chapter 893: Chapter 894: Uncle Again

After a while, Song Xiaodong removed the needles and gave He Wenbai and the others a bit of an explanation.

"Alright, that’s it for today. If you have any questions in the future, gather them up and I’ll answer them next time I’m here."

Lin Shu looked at her grandfather, who appeared like a primary school student in front of Song Xiaodong. She found it amusing but dared not laugh, fearing that her grandfather would notice and scold her.

He Wenbai and the others walked out, but Song Xiaodong and Lin Yi Yuan didn’t leave right away.

Instead, they accompanied Lin Shu to the area outside the ward, while Zhong Chuling stayed inside talking with her father.

"Here’s the key. Hurry home later, and stop causing trouble here. I don’t have time to deal with you."

Lin Shu took the key and, pouting, said, "Grandpa, I came all the way here to see you, and you’re just throwing me aside like this!"

Lin Yi Yuan said, "I’ve got plenty of work to do. I don’t have the time to babysit you. Don’t wander around."

Lin Shu kept pouting and said, "Alright, I get it."

Song Xiaodong chimed in, "How about this—she can go play at my place with Xiao Ling?"

"Great, great!" Lin Shu exclaimed immediately, but then quickly added, "Oh no, can’t do. I promised a classmate I’d hang out with her tonight. How about I go to your place tomorrow instead?"

Song Xiaodong chuckled and said, "Suit yourself. Just give me a call whenever you want to come over, and I’ll have someone pick you up."

"Awesome!" Lin Shu nodded eagerly.

Lin Yi Yuan hastily interjected, "Mr. Song, maybe it’s better if she doesn’t go. This kid is too mischievous; I’m worried she’ll cause trouble for you."

Song Xiaodong replied, "It’s fine. She’s come all this way. It’d be impolite not to host her properly."

"Thank you for accommodating her, Mr. Song. I’ll leave her to you while I get back to work." Lin Yi Yuan said and walked off directly.

Zhong Chuling came out just then, her tone excited as she said to Song Xiaodong, "Uncle, my dad said he might be discharged in about a month! Is that true?"

Song Xiaodong smiled and said, "Actually, your dad could’ve recovered earlier. But I’ve been so busy that I had others take over for me. That slowed things down a bit."

Zhong Chuling’s eyes turned teary as she said, "As long as he recovers, that’s all that matters. Uncle, I...I don’t even know how to thank you."

Lin Shu snickered and said, "How about you offer yourself to him?"

Song Xiaodong burst into laughter, then raised his hand to tap Lin Shu’s head. "You still haven’t lost your habit of talking nonsense all day long."

Lin Shu rubbed her head, grinning. "I’m speaking the truth! It’s not nonsense. You have no idea how much Xiao Ling misses you. And yet, you’re totally oblivious!"

Song Xiaodong glanced over at Zhong Chuling, whose face instantly flushed red. She lowered her head and shyly muttered, "I never said that..."

Her bashful demeanor was as good as admitting it, leaving Song Xiaodong both amused and helpless. He didn’t take it seriously though—an innocent crush from a young girl was perfectly normal. Once they visited his home tomorrow, she’d likely have second thoughts after seeing his lifestyle.

"Alright, I don’t have time to hang out today. Here’s a card—take it, and buy whatever you want. Don’t say your uncle didn’t treat you well."

Lin Shu snatched the credit card that Song Xiaodong offered, flipping it back and forth as she examined it. "Anything we want? How high is the limit on this card, anyway?"

Song Xiaodong chuckled and said, "As long as it’s enough for you, it’ll do. Have fun."

Lin Shu quickly shoved the card into her little handbag and said, "Don’t worry, we won’t stand on ceremony. I just love taking from the rich and giving to the poor—it’s my favorite thing to do."

Song Xiaodong patted the pair on their shoulders and said, "Alright then, I’m leaving. Call me if anything comes up."

"Okay, you go, Uncle," Zhong Chuling said hurriedly.

Watching Song Xiaodong walk away, Lin Shu pulled out the credit card again, gave it a big kiss, and said, "Xiao Ling, how about we play the part of rich people today?"

Zhong Chuling quickly objected, "What? No way! This card is Uncle’s thoughtful gesture; we can’t misuse it."

Lin Shu smirked mischievously and said, "What’s there to be afraid of? He gave it to us—it’s not like we stole it. Besides, you’re destined to be Uncle’s woman someday. Spending his money would be totally legitimate!"

"You...Fine, even if I am, give me the card then."

Lin Shu immediately withdrew the card, saying, "That’s not happening. If the card goes to you, you definitely won’t spend anything. You’re trying to fool me, but it’s not going to work."

"But you can’t just use Uncle’s money carelessly!"

"Why not? Worst-case scenario, I can be his woman too—just for today. He’s not here anyway, haha."

"Pfft... You’re way too devious," Zhong Chuling said, laughing helplessly.

The pair stayed in the ward chatting with Zhong Chuling’s father for a while. He seemed thrilled but quickly noticed Lin Shu’s eagerness to go out. Not wanting to hold them back, he encouraged Zhong Chuling to go with her.

Zhong Chuling saw how well her father was recovering—he could move freely without issue—which put her mind at ease. With her father urging her, she left the hospital with Lin Shu.

Shortly after leaving the hospital, Ji Huan called.

"Xiao Shu, do you two have time right now?"

"Sure, Xiao Ling and I were about to head out for some fun."

"Perfect, I’ll come pick you up. I’ll take you to check out the malls around here."

After the three met up, Ji Huan led Lin Shu and Zhong Chuling to the malls, specifically taking them to high-end luxury stores. She wanted them to experience firsthand how important money was.

Lin Shu and Zhong Chuling had never been to luxury stores before. Seeing a simple tank top priced at several thousand yuan and a modest outfit well over ten thousand, both couldn’t help but feel secretly astonished. Even with a credit card from Song Xiaodong, they didn’t dare purchase anything.

Ji Huan noticed the hint of panic in their eyes and felt quietly smug. But outwardly, she put on an air of generosity and said, "Come on, try something on! You’ll be coming with me to a party tonight—everyone there will be people like me. If you don’t dress well, you’ll be laughed at. Don’t worry about the cost; it’s on me."

"No way, it’s too expensive. We really can’t afford this," Zhong Chuling quickly declined.

"What do you mean, ’too expensive’? I told you, I’ll cover it! Who knows, in a few days, I might become part of the uppermost elite, and then I won’t even need my pocket money anymore. For now, let’s just splurge a little!" Ji Huan said, forcing a smile.

"But still... It’s just too much for me," Zhong Chuling stammered, wanting to decline but worried about offending Ji Huan.

"So, you’re saying you don’t want to help me out?" Ji Huan said, feigning disappointment.

At this, Lin Shu spoke up, "Alright, we’ll buy our own stuff."

"Buy your own? Do you even have money?" Ji Huan asked incredulously.

Lin Shu grinned and said, "No problem—Uncle just gave me a credit card and told me to use it however I want. Owing him doesn’t bother me. Worst comes to worst, I’ll let him sneak a couple pats later. But relying on you to pay? That’s too much to ask."