Chapter 49

After finishing their meal, Ye Fang sent Qin Yi back to the hotel. He still had to think about the restaurant, so he didn’t stay long. Before leaving, Qin Yi gave him two bottles of fruit wine from his backpack, “This is the wine I brewed, bring it back and try it.”

Ye Fang casually took them, not really paying attention, “Is this your first time brewing wine? Can it even be drunk? I hope it’s not vinegar!”

Qin Yi smiled without a word, which made Ye Fang a bit puzzled. Could this guy really have brewed good wine?

Waving goodbye, Ye Fang hurriedly went home. It was still a month or two before the vegetables would be ready for market. If it was just buying a restaurant, there would be no need to rush, but after taking over, he would need to renovate it. Since he wanted to make it unique, he had to have some style and features. He aimed to make a big splash on the first day of opening, so the time wasn’t long.

Qin Yi returned to the hotel and asked the front desk to book an early morning flight for the next day. He decided to return to the ranch the next day. After dealing with the troublesome matters, it was time to return to his carefree life. In the room, he entered the space to feed the chicks and puppies, then lay on the sofa to watch TV. It was only 8:30, a bit early to sleep.

“Ding... ding...”

The phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was from Susa. Qin Yi smiled, thinking it probably wasn’t Susa but rather the little girl, Angel. Without hesitation, he answered immediately.

“Hello, is this Uncle Yi? This is Angel.” Indeed, Angel’s little voice came from the other end.

“Hello, Angel, this is Uncle Yi.” Qin Yi responded as if talking to an adult.

Sure enough, Angel giggled happily, feeling like a grown-up, “Uncle Yi, Angel misses you. Mom said that when I wake up, Uncle Yi will be back. I want to know if Uncle Yi has come back. Can I go to Uncle Yi’s house to play?”

Angel’s voice was full of longing, clearly wanting to play with Uncle Yi.

“Uncle also misses Angel, but Uncle will only be home tomorrow. Can Uncle come to pick you up to play at home tomorrow?”

Hearing that Uncle Yi wasn’t home yet, Angel felt a bit disappointed, but hearing that Uncle Yi would come to pick her up to play at his house the next day, she immediately became happy and a bit excited, “Okay, Uncle Yi, you must come to pick me up!”

“Angel, Uncle Yi is very busy, and he needs to sleep. Don’t disturb Uncle Yi’s rest.”

Susa’s voice came from the other end, knowing it was night there but not sure if Qin Yi was already resting, worried that Angel might disturb him.

“But, Mom, I just woke up. Why is Uncle Yi still sleeping?” Angel was curious, wondering if Uncle Yi was a big lazybones. Mom always said she was a little lazybones, so if Uncle Yi was older, he must be a big lazybones. Angel nodded, feeling her guess was correct.

Qin Yi listened to Angel’s innocent words, smiling.

Susa found it hard to answer her daughter’s question, as explaining it would be too complicated and Angel wouldn’t understand, “You’ll understand when you grow up, Angel. Uncle Yi needs to rest!”

“Okay, okay, you always say that! But, Mom, how long will it take for me to grow up?” Angel knew her mom was just dodging her question, feeling a bit unsatisfied but quickly shifting her attention. Mom always talked about growing up, but how big is big enough? As big as Mom?

Angel scratched her little head, unable to figure it out.

Qin Yi listened to Angel’s endless questions, laughing, “Angel, is Mom there?”

Angel, hearing Qin Yi’s voice, remembered she was still on the phone with Uncle Yi, “Yes, Uncle Yi, Mom is here.” She handed the phone to her mom, her big eyes twinkling, “Mom, do you want to talk to Uncle Yi?”

Susa smiled and gently tapped Angel’s little face, taking the phone, her voice a mix of happiness and apology, “Yi, did I disturb your rest?”

“Of course not, it’s just 9 PM, I haven’t rested yet.” Qin Yi smiled, adjusting to a more comfortable position, not knowing what to say. People like him, with low emotional intelligence, often struggle to find topics to talk about with girls, easily leading to awkward silences.

“Do you need me to pick you up at the airport tomorrow?”

“No need, Susa. It’s inconvenient with Angel, and my car is still at Augusta Airport.”

They chatted a bit more, and with Angel’s reminder to “remember to pick me up tomorrow, Uncle Yi,” they hung up. But just as he hung up, the phone rang again. It was Ye Fang, “Third Brother, are you home?”

“Finally got through!” Ye Fang’s voice was a bit urgent, “Is this wine really brewed by you? I know you’re good at cooking, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can brew good wine!”

“Hmph, have you ever heard of a genius? That’s me.” Qin Yi deliberately used a teasing tone, speaking slowly, “How is the wine I brewed?”

Ye Fang was a bit excited, shouting, “This isn’t just good; I think even 82 Château Lafite Rothschild is nothing compared to this!”

For someone from Ye Fang’s background, they wouldn’t be superstitious about Lafite. Only Lafite from the 1980s to the 1990s could meet their standards.

Now in China, Lafite has become a tool for showing off, with people pursuing it more for status than for its taste or quality. Moreover, Lafite only has two official labels: Grand Cru and Second Wine. Any other labels with prefixes or suffixes are not genuine Lafite.

“That wine is just elegant, with floral and mineral aromas, a smooth and layered taste, but how can it compare to this exquisite wine that captures the vitality of spring? Even in terms of aroma and taste, it far surpasses Lafite! Do you have any more? The two bottles I got were taken by Grandpa...”

Thinking about this, Ye Fang felt like crying. He had only tasted half a glass, reluctant to drink it, but still sent a bottle to Grandpa. After Grandpa tasted it, he took the opened bottle, saying that young people should focus on their careers and not waste time drinking!

Isn’t this unfair? Sacrificing two bottles of exquisite wine and not even getting a good word for it!

“Haha,” Qin Yi laughed without a care, “Now you know our wine is good!”

“I know, I know, Brother Yi, you’re absolutely a genius. Your brewing skills are far beyond those of world-renowned winemakers!” Ye Fang smiled, saying all the good things he could think of, “Brother Yi, Master Qin! Do you have any more? Can you give me one more bottle?”

Qin Yi still spoke in his slow, smug tone, “Oh, you know, it’s hard to bring wine back from abroad.”

Ye Fang’s heart sank at these words. Gone? Does he have to fly back to the U.S. to bring a few bottles? But if he has to, he will! Fortunately, Qin Yi’s next words gave him a sense of “a bright future after a dark path.”

“I only brought four bottles back. I drank one at home, gave you two, and I only have one left. Isn’t that generous enough?”

“Very generous, absolutely very generous. From now on, I’ll call you Brother. You’re my real brother. Whatever you ask me to do, I’ll do it without hesitation. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be worthy of those two bottles of wine!”

Ye Fang looked solemn, thumping his chest, making a grand promise, but then he started to think about the remaining bottle with a grin.

“Hehe, Brother Yi, about that last bottle, just give it to me. You’ll have trouble bringing it back to the U.S. tomorrow, and you have plenty at the ranch, unlike me, who barely got two bottles and had them taken by Grandpa...” He deliberately elongated his voice, even adding a sob, making it sound incredibly tragic!

Qin Yi felt goosebumps and quickly interrupted him, “Okay, okay, I can’t take it anymore. Come quickly, or I’ll drink it myself.”

Ye Fang, hearing this, jumped up, “Brother, don’t drink it! I’m coming right away!” He hung up, quickly got in his car, and headed straight to the hotel. Although he knew his brother was playing with him, he had to hold the good wine in his hands to feel at ease!

Qin Yi shook his head, put the phone aside, and continued watching TV.

Ten minutes later, a faint door opening sound came from outside. Qin Yi was surprised. Ye Fang came? But why didn’t he knock and just opened the door? He didn’t have a key...

A thief! Qin Yi’s spirit was roused, thinking of this possibility.

How dare someone steal in a five-star hotel! Don’t they know there are cameras in the hallway? Did they damage the cameras? Otherwise, who would be so stupid to break in under surveillance!

Qin Yi stood up, walked quietly to the door, took two steps, then turned back to get his phone, turned on the recording function, and held it with the camera facing forward, arm naturally hanging down, ready to secretly film!

Daring to steal from his place, not beating him up would be a waste of his skills. Besides, the video would be evidence if he reported it to the police.

After checking everything was in order, he walked to the door.

As he approached, the thief, unable to open the lock, tried to break in, kicking the door a couple of times. Qin Yi was even more impressed by this fool’s audacity, not worried about disturbing the neighbors...

Qin Yi suddenly opened the door and saw a black shoe kick towards him. Instinctively, he kicked back, but not knowing the situation, he didn’t use much force, just making the person stumble. Then he saw a man in his thirties, wearing a blue-black casual suit and a white shirt, holding a fashionably dressed, drunk girl. It didn’t seem like a thief; clearly, they had met at a bar and were coming to the hotel for a date!

Seeing them showing off their affection, Qin Yi was a bit annoyed, “Hey, if you want to date, do it somewhere else. Why kick my door? I thought it was a terrorist attack!”

The man stumbled a few steps, steadying the almost unconscious girl, and opened his mouth to curse, but seeing the figure at the door, who seemed stronger than him, he hesitated. Besides, he was there to have fun, not to cause trouble.

The man took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to curse, and then realized something. Why was there someone in his room? He looked at the room number, his face turning black. 2016, he had the wrong room, no wonder the key card didn’t work...

Cursing himself for being too nervous, the man turned and, without a word, dragged the almost unconscious girl into the room across the hall. Qin Yi saw it was room 2019, shook his head, and didn’t bother with the fool, turning back to his room.

Sitting on the sofa, Qin Yi rubbed his face, thinking it was a thief but ended up watching a bizarre scene. At least he had a line, even if it was a minor role!

His phone had been recording, but now it seemed useless. He picked it up and, sure enough, the video was clear, even showing the faces and dialogue. A few thousand dollars for a smartphone, and it was really good.

What’s the point of keeping it? Just as he was about to delete it, the doorbell rang. It must be Ye Fang. Qin Yi got up to open the door.

“Haha, I’m not late, right? Where’s the wine? Where’s the wine?” It was Ye Fang, looking around as soon as he entered, completely ignoring the “Master Qin” he had just been praising...

PS: Thanks for the recommendations and support from Newbie Cat, Stupid Sky, and Iceberg Corner. Thanks for your support!

Page AD starts

Page AD ends