After spending a few tense days at home, Shi Xiaolei finally relaxed once he confirmed the military wasn't monitoring him.
Since it was the weekend, he thought about going out to get some fresh air.
It was also a good opportunity to use the accumulated sign-in points he hadn't spent yet and find a quiet place to open another blind box.
While brushing his teeth and washing his face, Shi Xiaolei made up his mind.
As for where to go...
'I've heard there are some nice small farms in neighboring New Jersey that are perfect for taking kids to. The distance isn't far either; a weekend trip would be enough for a round trip.'
While pondering this, Shi Xiaolei took out his phone, intending to call the VIP service specialist at his bank to inquire about the details.
Before he could dial, his phone suddenly rang.
Startled, he almost dropped the phone.
Taking a closer look, he saw it was Stark calling.
"Hello? Tony, why are you calling so early? According to your sleep schedule, shouldn't you be waking up after noon?"
"Looks like you know me pretty well. Read about me in the newspapers, huh? Jealous? The life of a rich man is just that carefree."
Stark voice carried a hint of fatigue, along with some undisguised pride.
"Alright, enough small talk. Rock, are you free today? Come over to my place."
"I don't have any plans."
Shi Xiaolei asked curiously,
"What's up? You're not planning another party, are you?"
"It's your car."
Stark said impatiently.
"Consider yourself lucky—if it were anyone else, I wouldn't bother."
"Eh?!"
Understanding dawned on Shi Xiaolei, and he was very surprised.
"You fixed it? I thought it was just scrap metal by now."
"Fixed it."
Stark replied.
"That's what friends are for. Anyway, you'll see when you get here. I guarantee this car is going to exceed your expectations."
Just as Stark had said, if it were anyone else, he definitely wouldn't have helped with the repairs.
Given Stark wealth, he earned money by the second.
For a mere car worth twenty or thirty thousand dollars, if it held no special meaning, why would he waste time on it?
"Really? Alright, I'll be over shortly. It's the Long Island place, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
Stark confirmed.
"On your way, bring me some Chinese breakfast, you know, those buns with soup inside."
"No problem. Is it just you? Is Pepper there? Should I bring extra?"
"I almost forgot. Make it enough for three—one portion for Pepper, and two for me."
After hanging up, Shi Xiaolei went to 2B and Kanna room and knocked on the door.
Hearing a response from inside, he gently pushed the door open to see 2B helping the little girl get dressed.
"Good morning, Xiaolei~!"
Only half of Kanna head was visible, with her mouth and nose still hidden under her sweater. Her muffled greeting was adorably cute.
"Good morning, Kanna."
Shi Xiaolei said, leaning against the doorframe with a smile.
"Stark just called. We're going to his place today. How does that sound?"
"Yes, yes~!"
Kanna nodded her head excitedly, her fluffy hair swaying and catching on the horns on her head.
"I can play with Little Dummy again, that's wonderful~!"
Her enthusiasm heightened, and her efficiency in washing up improved considerably.
Within just ten minutes, the family had completed their preparations to go out.
Leaving their temporary apartment, they got into the second-hand car that hadn't been disposed of yet.
They took a detour to visit a steamed bun shop first.
At the little girl urging, the three didn't eat at the shop but instead packed up their meal along with Stark portion, intending to enjoy breakfast together after arriving at Stark's place.
It was the weekend and early morning, so there weren't many cars on the road.
The journey took less than twenty minutes before they arrived at their destination.
"Little Dummy~!"
After being allowed entry by JARVIS, the little girl immediately scampered on her short legs toward the underground laboratory.
She happened to collide head-on with Stark, who had come up to greet them after being notified by JARVIS.
The little girl fell on her bottom, her head spinning and slightly dazed.
But truthfully, Stark was the more unfortunate one—given their height difference, her forehead had hit him right in the abdomen.
Add to that the momentum of the little girl charge...
"Oww!"
With wide eyes and mouth agape, Stark clutched his stomach, involuntarily hunching over.
"Ouch"
As a fellow man, seeing this scene, Shi Xiaolei couldn't help but wince, feeling Stark pain.
Suppressing his amusement, he helped up the still-dazed little girl, then patted Stark on the back.
"Buddy, you okay?"
"Give me a moment, ugh"
Perhaps hearing the commotion, or maybe notified by JARVIS, Pepper also came down to the living room.
She glanced at Stark with concern, confirming he wasn't seriously hurt, then turned her attention to 2B who was holding the takeout bags, greeting her with a smile.
While the two women exchanged pleasantries, Stark recovered.
As the pain subsided, his sense of smell took over.
Catching the aroma of the soup dumplings, he eagerly approached the table and, without washing his hands or using chopsticks, directly picked up a glistening little bun with his fingers and hurriedly stuffed it into his mouth.
Although the takeout boxes had some insulation, the journey had taken some time.
The soup inside the buns wasn't as scalding as when freshly steamed, and the temperature was just right when eaten in one bite.
Feeling the burst of delicious flavor in his mouth, Stark blissfully narrowed his eyes.
"Mmm~, that's exactly the taste I wanted. Delicious."
"When it comes to good food, chinese food has the most variety."
Shi Xiaolei also picked up a bun for himself.
"Tony, when you get the chance, I'll take you to China for the authentic experience. I can't guarantee everything, but I promise you'll be amazed by the incredible variety."
"Really? How about this Christmas? I haven't made plans yet this year."
"Why not push it back a month and go during China Spring Festival? That's when the food is most abundant and the fun is at its peak."
"Hmm, that works too."
Stark nodded in agreement after some thought.
"I'm planning to have surgery around Thanksgiving anyway. Alright, January it is. That gives me an extra month to recover."
"Oh?"
Shi Xiaolei was somewhat surprised and couldn't help asking.
"You've decided?"
"It's decided. Not just the surgery time—I've also planned my schedule for the period leading up to it."
Stark said, accepting the chopsticks Pepper handed him and waving his hand somewhat restlessly.
"I'm planning a cross-country road trip, driving from New York all the way to Los Angeles. Oh, right, this idea came to me while fixing your car, so you're half responsible, and therefore..."
Moving closer to Shi Xiaolei and giving his arm a punch, Stark wore a "you know what I mean" expression.
"Buddy, you need to take responsibility and come with me on this trip."
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist?you can read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)