Chapter 43: Why do you look down on them?

*Rustle, rustle, rustle...*

Under the bright moonlight, a figure emerged from the bushes.

"Finally, I can relax a bit." Stepping onto the highway, Lin Li had reached the safety zone; his tense nerves could finally loosen up at this moment.

A silver van was parked under a roadside tree. Having been stationary all afternoon, some leaves blown down by the wind had settled on its roof.

*Click.*

*Thud.*

After opening the door and getting inside, Lin Li changed out of his camouflage fatigues.

Once changed, he started the engine, turned the van around, and drove toward the urban area.

There were no streetlights on the stretch of road from the wilderness to Chenghua Avenue; the surroundings were pitch black, without a single soul in sight.

During the day, it hadn't felt particularly bad, but now that night had fallen, driving alone on such a silent stretch of road made one's heart feel instinctively uneasy.

However, this unsettling atmosphere did not last long, as Lin Li's van soon reached Chenghua Avenue, where the subsequent stretch of road was lined with streetlights.

Normally, these streetlights were nothing to look at, but at this moment, the dim, yellowish glow actually seemed to have the power to dispel the unease in one's heart. Truly miraculous!

"No wonder those exotic beast hunters I saw being interviewed on TV used to say that being an exotic beast hunter isn't a profession for ordinary people.

Because they constantly move between the peril-filled wilderness and the stable, peaceful cities, the contrast is simply too great.

Many practitioners who have just become exotic beast hunters cannot get used to this contrast. They can't hold on for long and eventually lose the desire to go back to the wilderness, choosing instead to stay in the comfortable city to find an ordinary job."

...

7:10 PM.

*Click.*

*Thud.*

Opening the door, Lin Li returned home, turned on the lights, walked into the living room, and switched on the air conditioner.

"It's boiling. Today's temperature is several degrees higher than yesterday. It's only just the beginning of July and it's already this hot; looks like this summer is going to be much hotter than last year!"

Standing in front of the air conditioner, basking in the cool air being blown out, Lin Li grumbled to himself.

*Gurgle, gurgle...*

His stomach was protesting, signaling that he should eat dinner soon.

Although he had bought plenty of ingredients at the market this morning, after a hard afternoon in the wilderness, Lin Li truly didn't feel like cooking dinner.

Since he wasn't cooking, he had no choice but to order takeout.

While enjoying the refreshing cool air from the air conditioner, Lin Li pondered what to eat for dinner.

"It's been a while since I had 'KFC.' Let's have 'KFC' tonight!"

Opening the delivery app, he found the "KFC" shop and ordered three spicy chicken thigh burgers, an order of fries, two chicken wraps, an order of chicken popcorn, two fried chicken legs, and two pairs of fried chicken wings.

After placing the order and paying, he checked the delivery time; it would take about forty-five minutes. Lin Li then went back to the bedroom to grab some clothes and take a shower.

The weather was so hot today, and after running and jumping around in the wilderness, Lin Li had sweated quite a bit. If he didn't shower, he'd be mocked by the delivery guy when he went to pick up the food later; Lin Li couldn't afford such embarrassment.

*Splash...*

A moment later, the sound of a showerhead running echoed from the bathroom, accompanied by some tone-deaf singing drifting out from within.

Uh... besides his poor cooking skills, it seemed Lin Li's singing ability wasn't very high either!

...

Xingfu Garden Residential Community.

Having just finished her shower, Su Yue sat with her hair in a bun, wearing a pink, girlish silk camisole nightgown.

When she had bought this silk nightgown, she had specifically considered comfort and chosen a loose-fitting version.

However, her ample bosom had forced the loose silk to stretch tight, giving it a somewhat form-fitting effect.

To be honest, the mature, beautiful, and curvaceous Su Yue possessed a unique charm in this girlish-style silk nightgown, though there was no one around to appreciate it at this moment.

*Ring, ring, ring...*

Su Yue, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa watching TV, reached out and picked up her phone from the side.

A glance at the caller ID showed it was her mother.

"Hello?"

"What are you doing?"

"Watching TV! Mom, is there something you need?"

"Can't I call you just because?"

"..." Su Yue could hear a hint of dissatisfaction in her mother's voice.

She fell silent for a moment, then said to her mother with a grin, "Of course you can. You are my dear mother; you can call me whenever you want..."

"Alright, stop being cheeky with me... I'm calling to ask, why have you turned down Xiao Hao's invitations to go out time and time again?"

She knew her mother was calling about this... Facing her mother's interrogation, a look of helplessness appeared on Su Yue's beautiful face. She grumbled inwardly before explaining to her mother.

"Mom, haven't I been busy lately? I haven't had any free time, so I haven't been able to go out to dinner with Zhang Xiao Hao."

A mother knows her daughter best!

Su Yue's mother clearly understood her daughter very well. Hearing this explanation, she didn't believe it at all. "You're a primary school music teacher. The students are all on summer break now; what are you so busy with?"

"It's like this: one of Auntie Liu's employees had to go back to their hometown, so she asked me to go there and teach the children for a few days. I've been preparing lesson plans these past few days... I haven't had time for anything else!" Su Yue said, half-truthfully.

"..." Su Yue's mother fell silent.

The Auntie Liu her daughter mentioned was actually Liu Yanhong, her university classmate. She currently ran an interest training center in Rongcheng, mainly teaching children painting, singing, and dancing.

Since her daughter was skilled in all three areas, it made sense that her old classmate would ask for help.

"Mom, why did you stop talking? You're not doubting that I'm making things up, are you? If you don't believe me, you can call Auntie Liu right now to confirm if what I'm saying is true," Su Yue added, seeing her mother's silence.

"Xiao Yue, don't use Auntie Liu asking for help as a shield. What are you really thinking? Do you think I, as your mother, don't know?"

"Mom... how can you say that? I don't have any 'secret plans'!"

"Xiao Yue! That Zhang Xiao Hao is a top student who graduated from a prestigious university and studied abroad. Now he's back in the country working as an executive in a large company with limitless prospects.

A month ago, he came to your father's birthday banquet with his parents; it's not like you haven't seen what he looks like.

Zhang Xiao Hao is tall, handsome, has a sunny personality, and is impeccable in every aspect of how he treats people. Why can't you see his merit?"

...

(End of Chapter)