Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 186: Old Friends

Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Old Friends

An old restaurant, which usually thrives with business, was unusually quiet today. There was only one customer in the eatery because he generously booked the entire place for himself.

"Old Zhang, your family’s culinary heritage is truly amazing, you’ve maintained it excellently," said Luo Jingrong as he savored the food, nodding in satisfaction from time to time.

"Eat as much as you like. It’s been such a long time since we last met. Anything you like, I’ll cook more of it," Old Zhang responded courteously, meanwhile casting an admiring glance, "Given how busy you business-minded folks are, I’m not sure when you’ll pay us another visit."

Luo Jingrong chuckled, "I’ll be making an investment in this city, therefore I’ll stay here consistently, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to dine here, and we can see each other often."

To this, Old Zhang shook his head, "I’d rather not, you’re a public figure now. If you come frequently, I might attract unwanted attention."

Gu Fan didn’t feel like cooking today and thought of taking it easy, so he decided to visit his favorite restaurant. Upon reaching, he saw three impeccably dressed men standing at the entrance, apparently acting as gatekeepers.

This restaurant has been around for a long time. The Zhang Family, which owned the restaurant, were once residents of Gu Fan’s old house before shifting out. Meanwhile, the restaurant continued its operation, frequented by Gu Fan’s family, hence the connection between the Gu family and the Zhang family.

Gu Fan was very fond of this restaurant, he even once brought Su Hui here when she was heartbroken. Today, however, something felt off.

As Gu Fan approached the restaurant, he was informed by the men at the entrance that the restaurant was booked for the day; Gu Fan should dine elsewhere.

"What, it’s booked out?" Gu Fan looked astonished. Although he knew the restaurant was popular for its excellent culinary skills and had a constant influx of customers, he had never come across it being fully booked out. This was indeed an unprecedented first.

As he was preparing to leave, he noticed one of the guards looked familiar, he seemed to have seen him somewhere. When he remembered, he was even more astonished, "Aren’t you one of Mr. Luo’s bodyguards? I saved you guys that night."

The bodyguard recognized Gu Fan too, "It seems that indeed it was you...what a coincidence..."

"Yes, it’s quite a coincidence!" Gu Fan glanced at the bodyguard then back at the restaurant, frowning, "If I’m not mistaken, the one who booked the entire restaurant today is Mr. Luo, right?"

At this, the guard nodded. Then Luo Jingrong’s voice could be heard from inside, "Is that Gu Fan, who saved us last time? If so, let him in."

The guard promptly stepped aside, allowing Gu Fan to enter. Upon entering, Gu Fan found Uncle Zhang, who owns the restaurant, and Luo Jingrong looking at him with interest.

Gu Fan didn’t understand why, but he politely greeted, "What a coincidence, Mr. Luo. I didn’t expect you to like this restaurant too."

Luo Jingrong chuckled, "Yes, indeed. I ate here when I was young; I still can’t forget that taste. It’s just a pity I didn’t have a chance being abroad. I simply couldn’t resist coming here for a meal, and to catch up with an old friend, now that I’ve returned."

After hearing those words, Gu Fan was stunned again, "Old friend, Uncle Zhang, are you and Mr. Luo old friends?"

Uncle Zhang nodded, "Yes, we were playmates whenever he was back in the country during his childhood. We even stirred up mischief together, getting scolded by our families. As we grew up, he seldom came back to the country. I thought we lost contact for good, but here he is."

Luo Jingrong added, "And that’s thanks to your restaurant, which remained open all this time. It gave me a chance to find you."

Filled with mixed emotions, Gu Fan realized the benefits of not moving. It could reunite long-lost friends. Preserving their old house was indeed a necessity.

At this moment, Luo Jingrong asked, "So, Gu Fan, I hear you’ve been living in your old house. I only visited there once when I was a child, I barely remember it."

Gu Fan was puzzled, "How come even Mr. Luo knows about my old house?"

Uncle Zhang chuckled, "Because the Luo family also lived in your old house once, they moved out even before we did."

"Really? What a coincidence." A delighted Gu Fan never imagined he would encounter another former resident of his old house. He felt like everything was predestined after rescuing them that night.

Luo Jingrong couldn’t help but sigh, "I never imagined that the person who saved us that night was a descendant of the Gu family. Your parents always speak of you with great pride."

This gave Gu Fan another surprise, "What do you mean, Mr. Luo? You also know my parents?"

"We’re not exactly acquaintances, but I’ve seen her a few times. We’ve talked a lot during work transactions and one thing led to another and we discovered that we both had a connection with the old house. What a coincidence." Luo Jingrong explained with a look of surprise on his face, "Your parents showed me a family photo of you all in front of that old house. So, when you saved me that night, I recognized you right away."

Gu Fan was pleased, "Haha, my act of bravery seems to be destiny’s will."

Luo Jingrong nodded, "Perhaps it was fate. Initially, I was so angry after the attack that night, I decided to withdraw my investment. However, when I saw it was you who saved me, I calmed down and decided to continue my investment."

"We appreciate your giving us and this city another opportunity," Gu Fan felt a mix of emotions. He believed he played a critical role in the city’s economic development.

After thinking for a moment, Gu Fan asked, "It’s been a long time since I last saw my parents, do you know when you last saw them?"

Luo Jingrong replied, "About three months ago, I reckon. They looked well, you’ve got nothing to worry about. But your sister Gu Ling is often out causing havoc, giving your parents a headache."

"Really? My sister has been a troublemaker since she was little. She’s quite a handful, which is why my parents want me to be independent as soon as possible, so they can take better care of her," Gu Fan said, and suddenly realized he hasn’t seen his family for over a year, only communicating through phone calls and messages.

The last time Gu Fan’s family went on an adventure, his parents and sister came back once but missed him, resulting in a missed family reunion. Who knows when the next one will be?

After Uncle Zhang prepared Gu Fan’s favorite food, Gu Fan quickly packed it up and left. Although he enjoyed his conversation with Luo Jingrong, he noticed that Luo Jingrong and Uncle Zhang exchanged meaningful glances, making him increasingly uncomfortable.

"I hope I’m just overthinking it," thought Gu Fan as he glanced back before hurrying home.

Once Gu Fan was out of sight and no one else was around, Luo Jingrong asked Old Zhang, "You’ve run this store for many years without moving. Apart from the Gus and me, none of the other families have ever shown up."

"Yes, the others have never appeared. I worry about them..." Uncle Zhang’s expression was melancholic. He didn’t finish his sentence, but his message was clear.

"Let’s leave it to fate. If they are still alive, they will find you. We have this store and that old house to bring together the scattered families," said Luo Jingrong, sighing heavily.

Uncle Zhang raised an eyebrow, "Today, you seem to have a high opinion of Gu Fan. Don’t tell me you think he is the one best suited to inherit that old house."

To this, Luo Jingrong shook his head. "Not necessarily. You haven’t seen Gu Fan’s sister. She’s a quirky, mischievous girl, but she’s definitely more suited to inherit. She has enormous potential."

Uncle Zhang became intrigued, "Oh, so did the Gus send their daughter abroad for training for this reason..."

"Exactly. It’s a good disguise. She is the real target for grooming." After saying this, Luo Jingrong gave a meaningful smile. "The current generation of the Gus is very talented. Indeed, each generation of the Gu family outperforms the rest of our families. No wonder we moved out and they stayed."

Uncle Zhang couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh, "Some things are just inborn, unreachable with envy. We can only hope our children bring us pride."

"Hopefully so." Luo Jingrong seemed lost in thought for a while, then, looking at his empty bowl, he felt satisfied, with enough reminiscing for the day. He smiled, said goodbye to Uncle Zhang, and left.

Due to the attack last time, Luo Jingrong brought eight bodyguards and three cars this time, causing confusion for anyone with malicious intentions. This reduced the risk of being targeted again.

Yet, Luo Jingrong didn’t head directly home but took a detour and stopped on the road near Gu Fan’s old house. He looked at the old building and reminisced about his childhood memories there, giving a sigh.

After looking for a while, without any lingering sentiment, Luo Jingrong instructed his driver to leave.

Meanwhile, Gu Fan, who was standing by the window, saw all of this and was surprised. If he wasn’t mistaken, the car parked outside Uncle Zhang’s diner was Luo Jingrong’s. He unexpectedly came to take a look at the house. Could it be that he harbored feelings for the old house?

Gu Fan was in a guessing game, wondering if Luo Jingrong was looking for a place to live and was considering buying the house. Though Gu Fan didn’t have the authority to make any decisions, he truly did not want his parents to sell the meaningful old house. It felt great living there.

While contemplating this, Gu Fan suddenly received a message. His sister had got herself into trouble again and was afraid to tell their parents. She asked Gu Fan, her older brother, to lend her some money. Not only had this happened before, but it had also become quite a frequent occurrence, which drove Gu Fan crazy.

Once Gu Fan promised to transfer the money to Gu Ling as soon as possible, Gu Ling quickly sent back a smiley face emoji. She called Gu Fan the best brother in the world, and asked him to keep it a secret.

"This little rascal," Gu Fan couldn’t help but smile.