The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 103: Jiang Luoluo's Ambition is Exposed

Stepping out of the airport, Chu Mingcheng felt a complex mix of emotions.
There was the unfamiliarity of a new city, but also anticipation and curiosity—a desire to discover what this place was really like.
From what he'd seen online, he only knew it was a beautiful city, perfect for vacations.
As a special economic zone, Xiamen's urban development was certainly a cut above Wenshi's.
After all, one was the beloved child of a wealthy family, the other a neglected stepchild—there was no comparison.
He glanced around, noting the excellent landscaping and wide, spacious roads.
Chu Mingcheng found a shady spot, sat down on his suitcase, and made a video call to Jiang Luoluo.
—--
In a clean, tidy, yet distinctly feminine room, the sudden ringing of a video call shattered the silence.
A lump under the covers on the bed shifted restlessly, rolling toward the bedside table.
Then a fair, slender arm emerged from the blankets and fumbled for the noisy phone.
"Hello~!"
The voice that answered, groggy with sleep, was filled with charming, drowsy innocence.
Chu Mingcheng's eyebrow shot up. That voice was enough to make one's heart race.
Wait a minute—Jiang Luoluo was still sleeping in?
And hadn't he made a video call?
Chu Mingcheng paused for a second, then silently pressed the end call button. He wasn't that kind of person!
Well, in truth, the room was too dark; he couldn't have seen anything even if he'd wanted to.
Jiang Luoluo's brain, still in standby mode, seemed to be slowly booting up. The lack of response made her groggily open her eyes to check the screen.
When she saw the call was from Chu Mingcheng, she instantly became more alert.
Figuring he must have called for a reason, she quickly called back.
She sat up and flicked on the light, forgetting she'd started a video call.
Thus, the moment Chu Mingcheng answered, he caught a glimpse of Jiang Luoluo's generous curves. Which even her pajamas couldn't conceal.
"Ah~!"
Jiang Luoluo shrieked and quickly ended the video call, finally noticing her appearance on screen.
But her cry wasn't because her well-endowed figure had been exposed—it was because she'd seen her own disheveled, just-woken-up face!
Chu Mingcheng stared speechlessly at the disconnected call and the subsequent message telling him to wait. He put his phone in his pocket and waited patiently.
He figured Jiang Luoluo would need at least ten minutes to prepare—a quick face wash and tying up her messy hair would take about that long.
As for being seen without makeup, she didn't care about that; it wasn't like he hadn't seen her bare-faced before.
In the bathroom, Jiang Luoluo was, as Chu Mingcheng had predicted, washing her face.
She dried the water droplets from her rosy cheeks, took a few deep breaths in front of the mirror, and calmed the fluster and slight annoyance she felt.
After combing and tying up her hair, Jiang Luoluo returned to her room, picked up her phone, and called again.
Answering the call once more, Chu Mingcheng looked at the makeup-free yet still beautiful Jiang Luoluo in the video and gave a mischievous grin. "I'm in Xiamen, on my way to your place right now!"
"Huh?!!"
Jiang Luoluo had been about to ask why he was calling, but this news completely short-circuited her brain, leaving her stunned.
Seeing her small mouth slightly agape and her face a mask of bewilderment, Chu Mingcheng finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Only then did Jiang Luoluo realize she'd been tricked. "What on earth did you call me so early for?" she asked, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance in her voice.
"Take a look at where I am," Chu Mingcheng said, no longer teasing her. He panned the camera around to show her his surroundings.
Jiang Luoluo went to the airport several times a year. Recently, she had been there twice. How could she not recognize the area around the airport?
Her face filled with astonishment. "You really came to Xiamen!"
"I did. I'm at the airport right now!"
"Wait there, I'm coming right away!"
"No need to pick me up. I'll wait for you at the museum near your place."
"Alright then. It's almost noon anyway. I'll take you to lunch when I get there."
Jiang Luoluo hung up and immediately ran to her closet to start rummaging through her clothes.
She hadn't expected Chu Mingcheng to come. She felt a mix of surprise and joy, a feeling she couldn't quite identify, but she was incredibly happy.
Meanwhile, at the airport, Chu Mingcheng hailed a taxi and headed for the city.
Telling Jiang Luoluo he was at the airport was also a way to give her time to prepare. It wasn't appropriate for a man to show up unannounced near a girl's house for the first time.
Sitting in the car with nothing to do, he started looking up rental listings in Siming District.
Jiang Luoluo lived nearby. The area had many attractions, including Xiamen University and Gulangyu Island, making it perfect for her to film videos.
Therefore, he had no reason to rent in another district. Although the rent here might be high, with his earning ability, he could afford it.
After searching online, Chu Mingcheng found that starting rent here was at least 1,500 yuan, whether it was a single room in a high-rise or a two-bedroom in an old complex.
But the renovations and environments of the rooms all looked quite good. He would have to see them in person to know for sure.
Arriving near the museum, Chu Mingcheng got out of the car and looked around. Just then, he heard Jiang Luoluo's voice call out from behind him.
"Ah Cheng, over here!"
He turned around, and his eyes instantly lit up.
The weather in Xiamen was also very hot. He'd heard that it was summer for nine months of the year, and today's temperature was still suitable for short sleeves.
Today, Jiang Luoluo had her hair in two braids in front, and she wore a baseball cap.
She was wearing a white cartoon T-shirt and denim shorts, her long, straight, fair legs exposed to the air.
On her feet were white sneakers, making her look both youthful and beautiful.
It was the first time Chu Mingcheng had seen her in this style. She looked barely eighteen, making him feel like an old man by comparison.
But at his age, being called an uncle was normal.
Jiang Luoluo had seen his reaction and was secretly pleased, very satisfied with her outfit today.
"Let's go, I'll take you to eat!"
"By the way, are you staying at a hotel or at my place?"
Chu Mingcheng was stunned. Was there such a good offer?
“Well, hotels are expensive. I could save that money to treat you to better food instead!”
Jiang Luoluo nodded repeatedly, as if agreeing with him, but the next second, a troubled look appeared on her face. "Oh, I just remembered—my place only has one bedroom. The other one I converted into a dance studio."
"Looks like you'll have to stay at a hotel after all. Sorry about that, looks like we can't save that money."
Chu Mingcheng said with a straight face, "It's okay, one bedroom is fine. We can draw a line down the middle!"
"Get lost!"
"I can sleep on the sofa too!"
"Pfft~!" Jiang Luoluo finally couldn't hold back her laughter. She playfully slapped Chu Mingcheng's shoulder and said coquettishly, "You wish. Go stay in your hotel!"
Chu Mingcheng wasn't bothered by the rejection; they were just joking around.
Then he followed Jiang Luoluo to a Q3. The car probably cost around 300,000 yuan, depending on the configuration.
It seemed she was living quite well—much better than he was.
"Come on, I'll take you to eat one of Xiamen's must-try specialties: shacha noodles!"
"Shacha noodles?" Chu Mingcheng's eyebrow shot up. What was that—a combination of tea and noodles?
How could you eat those two together?
Jiang Luoluo knew he was confused. She smiled without explaining and drove to Hubin Si Li, where there was a shop with exceptionally delicious noodles.
Arriving at their destination and parking the car, they walked into a noodle shop that was doing brisk business.
As soon as he walked in, Chu Mingcheng saw a row of golden certificates on the wall.
Things like "Famous Fujian Snack," "Fujian Gold Medal Old Brand," and "Famous Xiamen Restaurant."
Chu Mingcheng was immediately impressed. This shop looked very legitimate.
For shacha noodles, you chose your own ingredients. There were pork liver, pork kidney, duck blood, shrimp, squid, pork intestines, and more—a dozen or so options in total.
They each chose their ingredients and found an empty table to sit at, facing each other.
To Chu Mingcheng's surprise, their noodles were ready just two minutes after they sat down. It was that fast.
Jiang Luoluo looked at him and smiled. "Try it. See if you like the taste."
Chu Mingcheng used his chopsticks to stir the noodles and found there were lots of ingredients inside. The soup was bright red. He took a spoonful of the broth.
He smacked his lips. The soup was complex—salty, fresh, fragrant, and spicy all at once.
"Mm, not bad—very delicious!"
"I'm glad you like it!" Seeing he was satisfied, Jiang Luoluo smiled sweetly and started eating her own noodles.
Chu Mingcheng quickly finished his bowl. There were still lots of ingredients left, so he ordered another portion of noodles and was finally full.
After eating, on the way back, Jiang Luoluo drove and planned where to go next.
"Ah Cheng, how many days are you staying in Xiamen? I need to plan how to show you around."
"I'm staying until the end of the year, then going home!"
"Huh?" Jiang Luoluo was stunned. Staying until the end of the year meant at least two more months!
Chu Mingcheng found her dazed look a little cute, but he still told her the truth, no longer teasing her.
"I've discussed it with my family. I plan to develop my career in Xiamen from now on. My new boat will also be launched here, so I'm planning to rent a place near you. We'll be neighbors from now on!"
"Neighbors!" After processing this, the corners of Jiang Luoluo's mouth curved up, clearly in a very good mood.
She didn't know if Chu Mingcheng had other reasons for choosing Xiamen to develop his career. She didn't want to be presumptuous and assume it had anything to do with her, but she couldn't help wondering if it did.
After all, Qiongzhou's Deer City was close to the islands, and the fish resources there seemed better than in Xiamen.
It was hard for her not to read into Chu Mingcheng's choice of Xiamen.
After a long while, she finally pushed those wild thoughts to the back of her mind.
"So you mean you want to rent a place near my house?"
"You're the only friend I have here. I have to cling to your long legs, don't I?"
Jiang Luoluo looked down at her long legs and thought Chu Mingcheng was right.
"Alright then. You just got back from Xisha—you must be tired. You should rest this afternoon. I don't have much to do this afternoon, so I'll help you look for a place. By the way, how big of a place do you want to rent, and what's your budget?"
Chu Mingcheng thought about the prices he had seen online. "A one-bedroom, one-living room with a kitchen, preferably well-renovated. The price should be around 3,000 yuan a month!"
"Oh, and the most important thing is that it's quiet. I'm a very light sleeper."