Chapter 460: Uninvited Guest
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the face of Maddie’s sudden confession once again, Zhang Lisheng chose to be silent. When the girl whispered and told him her innermost feelings, she cleverly shouted at her family as though nothing had happened. “Hey, hey, can you guys please stop quarreling. I’m starving already! Don’t tell me that all of you just want to fill your stomachs with spats?”
When the girl’s words left her mouth, Melinda immediately withdrew from this quarrel that took place out of the blue and kissed her husband, “Did you hear your daughter, Bob? Let’s stop arguing. I’ll bring the other dishes out, and we can tuck in right away.”
“Of course, dear, you know that I never want to quarrel with you,” Bob, who was as strong as a polar bear, showed his gentle side and replied loudly.
“Ha, it’s always like this every time! It’s always what Maddie says! She’s your only dearest daughter, isn’t she?” Upon hearing the conversation between their parents, the girl by the side who looked similar to Maddie chimed in sourly.
“You’re right, Demi,” Melinda was stunned for a while before pointing at her other angry daughter, “Maddie is your dad and my favorite daughter. You wanna know why? It’s because she has always been obedient since she was a child and she immediately went to look for a good proper job after university. Since four years ago, she has been working part-time while studying to share the family’s financial burden. And you? You had always been roaming around before you graduated your high school and even dropped out of school. You’re only a year younger than her, but until now, you still ask for money from me to buy jeans. It’s because of this that she is our good daughter, and you’re not, understood?”
Upon hearing her mother’s ruthless reprimand, Demi stood up in annoyance. She then strode back to her room before slamming the door loudly with a ‘bang.’
“Linda, you know, I don’t think you should say this at the dinner table,” When Bob saw that their daughter was so angry that she did not even want to have dinner anymore, he opened his hands wide and said.
“But I can no longer stand it, dear. Demi is getting worse every day, and she’s still together with that Brighton. We have already bailed her out from the police station three times this month. I’m worried that if this continues, then she would make a huge mistake one day.” Melinda answered and began to choke up on her tears.
Upon seeing his wife’s tears, Bob hurriedly changed his stance and comforted him, “Oh my dear, I was wrong. That girl should indeed be taught a lesson. Don’t cry, alright? Maddie’s colleague is here today, too, so let’s not embarrass our daughter. Let’s go, I’ll help you to serve all those Chinese dishes. Let us tuck in immediately.”
He stood up and put his arm over his wife’s shoulders before walking into the kitchen together.
“A big happy family, huh?” When the host and hostess left, the dining room grew silent. A few seconds later, a thick-browed, big-eyed, tall, young man sitting opposite of Zhang Lisheng Zhang Lisheng suddenly smiled at him and shrugged and remarked, self-mockingly.
“Hey, I have two elder brothers, a sister, and a pair of younger twin brother and sister after I turned 16, so I’m no stranger to such ‘big happy family.’ Of course, this is the first time I’m enjoying such a level of ‘happiness,’” Zhang Lisheng smiled.
“Oh, I’m glad the first male friend my sister brought home is actually a funny Asian man. I’m Hubert Josente, you can call me Hubert.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Hubert, I’m Zhang Lisheng. You can call me Lisheng.”
“Maddie, this friend you brought home is indeed more polite than the one Demi brought home.” The tall young man shrugged at Maddie and turned his attention back onto Zhang Lisheng. “Mr. Lisheng, you’re my sister’s colleague, so does that mean you’re working as a secretary as well?”
“I, no, I’m, erm, handling the management,” Zhang Lisheng stood stunned for a while before replying, “I guess I’m handling the management work.”
“As far as I know, the company that Maddie works for is huge. Which department of management do you do?” The tall young man asked again. The instant his words left his mouth, Maddie, who was sitting beside Zhang Lisheng, immediately pointed at her elder brother and beat them all to it. “Hubert, Lisheng is here to have dinner in our house, not at a police station for inquiries.”
“Oh, I’m just curious, Maddie. Isn’t your company’s big boss called Zhang Lisheng and he’s Asian too?”
“Since when have you become so concerned in my job?” Maddie’s expression changed right away as she asked in a frown. When she spoke, her parents just so happen to come out of the kitchen with fragrant Chinese dishes. Right at this moment, a sharp wind howling sound suddenly resonated from outside the window.
“Oh sh*t! The wind outside sounds really huge! Fortunately, I’m not on duty tonight. I hope tomorrow the weather will be good or otherwise…” Bob cursed while serving the delicious dishes onto the table.
“That is definitely not the sound of a wind…” Zhang Lisheng, who was sitting by the side, suddenly stiffened. He muttered and interrupted Maddie’s father’s words while jumping out from the wooden chair like a spring. In just a blink of an eye, he came to stand in front of the only window in the dining room and pulled open the curtains forcefully so he could observe.
He looked at the street and found that everything was the same as usual. He looked up to the sky. He then saw that other than the moon in the grey sky that was shining through the sand fog, there were several round, shuttle-shaped, transparent, sparkling, strange objects hovering in the air.
The young man looked up to the sky for a long time and said nothing. Without warning, a familiar girl’s voice resonated in his ears, “W-What is that, Lisheng?”
“I’d like to say that we’re looking at a strange and rare astronomical phenomenon. Either that or the military is experimenting with a new type of aircraft. However, my rationally tells me that those are spacecraft that have invaded New York from the foreign world’s civilization,” Zhang Lisheng snapped back to reality. A bloodcurdling brilliance slowly gleamed in his eyes as he answered softly.
“No matter who they are, they have not taken the initiative to attack, haven’t they?” Maddie could tell that something was going on with him. The eccentric, immature 21-year-old young man who could not even face his personal issue properly was turning into a terrifying hunter who could kill the most ferocious prey in the cemented urban jungle. Thus, she could not help but whisper, “Lisheng, we’re in New York. There are military bases in the suburbs, so you don’t have to be so anxious.”
“Hey, I just returned from the Shrimp World No. 2, so I’ve gotten used to solving all the troubles myself, which is why I can be a little impulsive. You’re right, Maddie. We’re in New York, so the US government should be the one handling the fight should any problem arises.” Zhang Lisheng regained his calmness and returned to the table.
After a while, this long-delayed dinner finally started slowly. Maddie’s family seemed to be worried about the sudden appearance of the spacecraft in the sky and had turned much quieter. Even Melinda, who was enthusiastic in greeting the guest just now, had become silent and stopped talking.
Such display made Zhang Lisheng felt much more comfortable instead as he pondered while chowing down on the food equally silent as well.
As time went by, the table full of dishes gradually became emptied. By the time the young man put down his table knife, wiped his mouth with tissues, and remarked, “This is a really wonderful meal. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Josente,” he found that other than Maddie, everybody was looking at him in astonishment.
Zhang Lisheng had thought that he had not wiped his mouth clean. When he was about to take another paper towel, he suddenly heard Melinda sudden comments. “Oh young man, you’re so thin, yet you really can eat. You really live up to your saying as a big eater.”
“Mom, hasn’t Lisheng mentioned that he’s a martial artist? Of course, his workout and food intake amount cannot be judged based on an average person’s physique,” Maddie explained.
“Martial artist? Ever since the foreign worlds appear, the number of martial artists in New York is even more than artists now. Who is not a martial artist now?” Melinda finally realized that the guest that her daughter brought was indeed a little different. “Oh, but his action of going to the window just now was indeed swift that we didn’t even know what was going on…”
“That’s why Lisheng is a true martial artist. I have even personally witnessed him knocking out a yak with one punch before.”
“Knocking out a yak with one punch?” When Jess, who was by the side, heard his sister’s words, he pursed his lips and said, “That is too much of an exaggeration, sis. You might as well say that your boyfriend can knock down an elephant with a punch and that he’s actually the Hulk who has disguised himself as an Asian.”
“This is not an exaggeration, Jess. Lisheng practices the wonderful Chinese Kung Fu…” Maddie stared at her brother and said solemnly. At this moment, Zhang Lisheng had finished his dinner. He had his mind laden with anxiety. He no longer wanted to delay his time by listening to the Josente’s siblings’ arguments. Standing up, he said with a smile, “Maddie, actually the Chinese Kung Fu is just a method of martial arts, so there’s nothing wonderful about it. It’s already late now, and I should say goodbye. Thank you again for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Josente.”
“You’re too polite, Lisheng. I merely cooked a few home dishes, and you brought most of the food here. Please come again next time. I’ll prepare a table full of delicacies for you!” Melinda smiled at Zhang Lisheng and glared at her indifferent husband beside her, “Bob, our guest is leaving soon. Don’t you have anything to say?”
“I only have one thing to say. Bye, martial artist,” Bob said sarcastically as he waved his hand. Until the very last minute, his unfriendly attitude towards Zhang Lisheng did not change at all.
However, this kind of unfriendly attitude was the common problem that a father who had a young and beautiful daughter would have when it came to treating their male friend. Thus, Zhang Lisheng could only act like everything was fine and said, “Goodbye, Mr. Josente.”
Then, he turned and walked out of the door.
Before he got to the car, he heard Maddie shouting in haste behind him, “Wait a minute, Lisheng. Where are you going? Let me send you.”
“It’s alright, Maddie. It’s too late now. I’ll leave by taxi.”
“Let me send you, Lisheng. You’re not familiar with the road here, so it’s alright…” The girl insisted. Before she could finish her words, her father had already interrupted her fiercely. “Of course it’s not alright, I won’t feel at ease having a girl like you leaving at this time. Leave and turn left, then head straight. There’s a taxi waiting by the street after you pass through the block. Your colleague will not get lost.”
“Yes, dear, it’s too late now. We won’t feel at ease to let you out,” This time Melinda also stood on her husband’s side, making Maddie felt helpless, so she could only say, “I’ll call you tomorrow then, Lisheng.”
“Alright, only if those foreign world’s spacecraft in the sky didn’t destroy New York tonight.” Zhang Lisheng turned his head and smiled before striding out of the door.
