Chapter 20 of 40

Chapter 20

11 min read2,659 words

As the sky just began to brighten, Zhen Fan's phone rang. He hung up and tried to go back to sleep. However, the phone kept ringing persistently, eventually leaving him wide awake.

"Speak, Sarah!"

Zhen Fan yawned, stretching his head out from under the thin blanket. His eyes were still blurry as he looked out the window. There were few people outside; this small town was far from the hustle and bustle of a big city like Los Angeles.

"Sorry to bother you so early!" Sarah's voice on the other end sounded slightly apologetic.

"Oh, since you feel like you're bothering me, I'll hang up!" After saying this, Zhen Fan really did hang up and buried his head back under the thin blanket, pretending to be an ostrich.

The phone rang again.

Zhen Fan grumbled in dissatisfaction, pressed the answer button, and heard an angry voice: "Damn bastard, can't you talk properly..."

"Oh, so I was the one bothering you. Sorry, I'll hang up!" Zhen Fan hung up again, turned off his phone, and covered his head, trying to fall back asleep.

Zhen Fan was still a bit drowsy when he had breakfast. Thirty thousand dollars, not in RMB, and all he did was stick a few silver needles into someone's head. Was there anything that made money faster? Of course, this was a one-off, but the fact that thirty thousand dollars was already in his hands couldn't be changed.

In the end, Zhen Fan concluded that being an actor, especially a famous Hollywood actor, was a much more promising career than being a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, but it had nothing to do with him, or so he thought!

Thinking this way, his mood calmed down a lot.

Before he finished breakfast, there was a hurried knock on the door!

"Who is it? If you don't tell me your name, I'll call the police!" Zhen Fan had already seen Sarah, who was fuming outside, through the peephole, and couldn't help but joke!

"Damn it, it's me, Sarah. Zhen, open the door, or I'll get a search warrant!"

Zhen Fan opened the door, and Sarah rushed in like a gust of wind. She plopped down on the sofa, glared at Zhen Fan, then stood up and took a can of drink from Zhen Fan's fridge without asking.

With a "click," she pulled the tab on the can and plopped back down on the sofa, her body relaxed and sprawled out, letting out a long, contented sigh.

She was really not acting like a guest at all.

Zhen Fan was speechless and had to sit down, keeping some distance from Sarah.

"Why didn't you answer my calls?" Sarah demanded, but her anger had lessened after drinking the can of soda.

"I was sleeping!" Zhen Fan said seriously to Sarah, "We Chinese have a saying: you can't do two things at once. If you're focused on sleeping, you can't answer the phone! Sorry!"

Seeing Zhen Fan's serious face, Sarah couldn't help but laugh, and the soda sprayed onto Zhen Fan's chest.

"Sorry!"

Sarah tried to get up to wipe it off for him.

"Is this Chinese humor?"

Zhen Fan shrugged and spread his hands, "I guess so, but I'm telling the truth!"

"I believe you... damn!" Sarah cursed again, "I came to tell you that we've arrested the owner of the coffee shop. His name is Gale Clatter. You were right; we found something valuable among his wife's belongings!"

"Then... congratulations!" Zhen Fan extended his hand and shook Sarah's.

"Of course, you were involved in this, so this time..."

"There's no need to thank me; I'm your consultant, right?"

Zhen Fan acted very generously and gracefully.

"I came to ask you if the woman yesterday was Kristen Stewart herself. How did she get in touch with you? Oh, I mean, how did you meet her?"

Clearly, Zhen Fan had misunderstood again and awkwardly pulled back his extended hand, rubbing his nose.

"It was a coincidence. Celebrities these days are much more approachable. You might even run into the president in my room one day, of course, if I invite him!"

"Is this Chinese humor?"

This time, Sarah didn't find it funny, just snorted, indicating she couldn't understand.

"If you're here for an autograph, I can get it for you. I need to prepare lunch now!"

By Zhen Fan's Chinese way of thinking, "I'm going to cook now, you should go home!"

But clearly, Zhen Fan had overlooked the American context. Sarah nodded excitedly and said to Zhen Fan, "Your Chinese food is delicious. Do you need help? What are we having today?"

Speechless! Zhen Fan was stunned. It seemed that the Chinese context didn't fit the American context. In the future, he should be more direct; being too polite could lead to misunderstandings.

"Dumplings!"

"Dumplings? I like them!"

Sarah had never actually eaten dumplings, though they were available in Chinese restaurants, she never ordered them. But this time was different; Zhen Fan's cooking skills were excellent, as attested by the little girl Claire, Annie, and Thomas, and more recently, Kristen.

"Come help!"

Zhen Fan couldn't bear to see Sarah sitting idle and pulled her over.

Mixing the dough, rolling the wrappers, chopping the meat, and making the dumplings, Sarah was excitedly involved throughout the process and even made two exquisite dumplings with flower edges, or more accurately, spiky flour balls filled with meat.

"Zhen, I didn't expect your dumplings to be so beautiful!"

Sarah, wearing plastic gloves, held up a dumpling Zhen Fan had made and praised it enviously.

"Ring!" The doorbell rang. Zhen Fan went over, opened the door, and saw Kristen at the door. She excitedly called out and hugged Zhen Fan, her high heels tapping.

"Zhen, thank you so much, God, you know? I slept so well last night, all thanks to you, thank you so much!" Kristen screamed, trying to leave another mark on Zhen Fan's face.

"It's Kristen!" Zhen Fan quickly stopped her and called out to the kitchen. Then he let Kristen in, "This is Sarah, whom you met yesterday, from the California Special Investigation Bureau. I'm her consultant! Colleague!"

Kristen blushed, fortunately, she hadn't kissed him, which would have been very awkward. She calmed down and became a perfect lady.

"Is it Kristen? Sorry, I'm making dumplings, Zhen is teaching me!" Sarah deliberately raised her plastic-gloved hands and smiled at Kristen, indicating she was busy.

"Dumplings? I've had them at Chinese restaurants, they're good. I didn't know you could make them!"

Kristen's interest was piqued, and she stood up from the sofa, eager to try.

"Don't go over there, don't get involved with her. She's not making dumplings; she's making meat-filled rice balls!" Zhen Fan quickly stopped her, "I'll give you acupuncture. Do you want to do it on the sofa or in the room? I mean, during the process, you might fall asleep, and here... it's too messy!"

His eyes glanced at Sarah.

"Right here!" Kristen smiled, glared at Zhen Fan, and then leaned back on the sofa in a comfortable position. Zhen Fan took out the silver needles from his study and began to treat her.

"Hey, Zhen, what are you doing? Acupuncture?"

"You know acupuncture?" Zhen Fan couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, it's not that rare. I've had acupuncture before, but to be honest, it wasn't as magical as they say!"

"You're wrong. It's more magical than they say. It cured my insomnia!" Kristen couldn't stand Sarah's negative comments about acupuncture, as she was a beneficiary and couldn't tolerate others criticizing it.

Sarah was taken aback, then got angry and was about to retort.

"Alright, Sarah, go make dumplings, I'll be over in a bit!" Zhen Fan said to her.

"Are you a doctor?"

Sarah ignored him and glared at him.

"What does it matter? I am a doctor!"

"Bullshit, you can't be a doctor. How long have you been in America? You can't have a medical license, you're practicing illegally!"

"Who told you I'm not a doctor? In China, I'm a very professional doctor!"

"This is America!" Sarah's face turned sour, glancing at the now angry Kristen.

"Enough, Sarah!" Zhen Fan couldn't hold back, "Go make your dumplings!"

Sarah's face turned sour; Zhen Fan had never spoken to her so harshly, indicating he was really angry. She sullenly took off her plastic gloves.

"Zhen, I'm done, goodbye!" Sarah angrily went to open the door, and after opening it, turned to Kristen and said, "Goodbye, truly stupid!"

"Bang!" The door closed, and the sound of a car starting could be heard outside.

"You should go after her!" Kristen looked at Zhen Fan with some sympathy.

"Why?"

Zhen Fan looked at Kristen, puzzled.

"Can't you see? This woman likes you!"

Zhen Fan suddenly smiled and shook his head. Kristen only saw the surface; how could that be?

"What about the dumplings?" Kristen looked up at Zhen Fan.

"Don't move, or the needles won't work properly!" Zhen Fan said, inserted the last needle, and patted his hands. "Sit here and rest. You might feel very sleepy. If you do, just sleep. When you wake up, we'll have dumplings to eat, if you want them!"

"Of course I want them!"

Kristen smiled, yawned widely, and was about to say something when she felt a bit drowsy and her head grew heavy. By the time Zhen Fan put on his plastic gloves, she was already breathing heavily, deeply asleep.

When she woke up, it was already 11 a.m., and she had slept for two hours. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she got up, went to the bathroom to wash her hands and face, and returned to the living room.

"Everything's ready, are you?"

Zhen Fan smiled and brought out a large plate of steaming dumplings, along with a small dish of sauce and chopsticks.

"Do you need help?"

"Sure, come help eat the dumplings!"

"Ha—You really are—"

Kristen couldn't help but laugh, pointed at Zhen Fan, sat down, and struggled to pick up a dumpling and put it in her mouth.

"Delicious, better than—"

"Stop, don't say that. Eat the dumplings. In China, we don't talk while eating or sleep while eating; it's our tradition!" Zhen Fan blocked her mouth, which was about to start talking.

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