Read Chapter 7072 of the novel Charismatic Charlie Wade free online.
Chapter 7072
Takehiko saw Charlie and immediately greeted him happily.
He found Charlie pleasing to the eye, no matter how hard he tried to look at him,
And now that he knew Charlie’s wife had run away,
He felt even more comfortable looking at him,
Seeing him more and more as if he were the Ito family’s son-in-law.
So he patted Charlie on the shoulder and said with a smile,
“Long time no see, Mr. Wade.”
Charlie smiled and said, “How have you been, Mr. Ito?”
“Very good, very good!”
Takehiko said cheerfully, “The new house is much more spacious and comfortable.”
“I’ve been working on my yard lately, and I plan to transplant some of the precious tree species I have planted in Japan to Nanjing.”
“If you have any favorite varieties, just let me know.”
“And I’ll definitely find the best one to bring over for you!”
Charlie thanked him, “Thank you.”
“Mr. Ito, but I might not have the energy to take care of the plants.”
Nanako chimed in, “Dad, Charlie is usually very busy.”
“Unlike you, he doesn’t have time to tend to trees and flowers.”
Takehiko laughed and nodded, “That’s true.”
“I don’t worry about any work matters anymore.”
“I just enjoy my retirement every day.”
“Lately, I’ve taken to going to the market.”
“I walk around every day…”
“Going to the market to buy some fresh ingredients and then walking back feels wonderful.”
Charlie asked him, “Mr. Ito, are you adapting well to life in Aurous Hill?”
Takehiko smiled and said, “I’m adapting very well.”
“My appearance when I go out is quite different from before.”
“I’ve shaved my beard and dyed my hair black.”
“Every day, I walk through the busiest places in Aurous Hill, and everyone treats me like an ordinary middle-aged man.”
“No one recognizes my true identity,”
“So I don’t have to worry about being seen as having recovered from my leg injury.”
“I feel very relaxed.”
Takehiko truly enjoys life in Aurous Hill.
It’s a level of ease and comfort he’s never experienced in his life.
While the young people in this city are busy and work very hard every day,
The middle-aged and elderly people with a certain level of financial means live a truly leisurely life.
At this moment, Nanako’s aunt,
Ito Emi came out of the kitchen and respectfully said,
“Onii-chan, Mr. Wade, Nanako, dinner is ready, please enjoy.”
Takehiko smiled and said, “Mr. Wade, Nanako brought back a lot of top-quality ingredients from Japan, including Kyoto’s most famous Uji matcha.”
“She said she wanted to wait for you to come so we could enjoy it together.”
“So I’ve been thinking about inviting you to my home for dinner.”
Charlie knew Nanako’s feelings for him, and upon hearing Takehiko’s words,
He subconsciously looked at Nanako, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Nanako, both shy and excited, quickly said,
“Charlie, please move to the dining room!”
In the dining room, many dishes were already laid out on the table.
The Japanese value ritual, so the plating and decoration of each dish were very meticulous, making it a truly pleasing sight.
Charlie wasn’t particularly interested in Japanese cuisine.
It was relatively bland, and the seasonings were rather limited.
The country’s culinary scene felt like a large chain restaurant, mostly consisting of combinations of soy sauce, wasabi, miso, and citrus vinegar.
However, since he was a guest, Charlie didn’t want to reveal this.
So, when Nanako enthusiastically introduced the various ingredients and cooking methods, Charlie readily complimented her.
At the dinner table, Takehiko kept wanting to gossip about Charlie’s wife’s sudden departure,
But he refrained from mentioning it for fear of saying the wrong thing.
Finally, when they were almost finished eating, he managed to ask,
“Mr. Wade, did those ninjas who came from Japan to help you recently provide any real assistance?”
“If you think they’re not up to par,”
“I’ll contact them and send another batch from Japan.”
This question was quite sophisticated.
Instead of directly asking about the progress, he inquired whether the ninjas had provided any substantial assistance.
Although both questions concerned the same matter,
The motivations and perceptions were vastly different.
Asking directly would inevitably seem abrupt and gossipy,
This approach was much gentler and more natural.
If they had helped, it meant there was progress.
If they hadn’t, it meant the matter was still unresolved.
Charlie, being honest, didn’t suspect Takehiko’s subtle intentions and truthfully replied,
“Thank you for your help, Mr. Ito.”
“These ninjas are currently working under Inspector Duncan’s command,
But I’m not entirely clear on the specific progress.”
Takehiko nodded, inwardly relieved.
Having been a boss for so many years, he understood his subordinates’ basic logic very well.
If they proactively reported progress,
It meant they were performing well; if they didn’t, it was definitely a mess.
He thought this was fine.
Charlie couldn’t find Claire, and sooner or later, he would lose faith in her.
The next step after losing faith would be giving up,
And the next step after giving up would naturally be replacing her.
In high spirits, he showed no sign of his true feelings and said very earnestly,
“Mr. Wade, if there is anything the Ito family can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“The Ito family will do its utmost!”
Charlie casually thanked him, but his expression betrayed his melancholy.
Takehiko was a smart man; he had already gotten the answer he wanted from Charlie’s expression,
So he didn’t mention it again for the rest of the meal.
Because his thoughts were all on Maria,
Charlie bid farewell to the Ito father and daughter as soon as he finished eating.
Leaving Shanheyue, he drove to Zijin Villa while sending a message to Maria:
“Miss Lin, is it convenient?”
“I have some new discoveries I’d like to discuss with you in person.”
Maria quickly replied, “Young Master Wade, you can come anytime.”
“I’m always at the villa on the mountaintop.”
Charlie replied: “Okay, see you later.”
As Charlie drove to Zijin Villa, Maria sent a WeChat message to Margaret:
“Xiao Xiao is coming to see me, saying she has some new discoveries.”
Margaret replied: “It probably has nothing to do with the stray cat army or Black Forest King, but most likely it’s related to me.”
Maria sent a tongue-out emoji: “I think so too.”
Margaret asked her, “Did you buy Zhen Xiao Xiao?”
Maria replied: “Zhen Xiao Xiao is right beside me, but I didn’t buy her, I adopted her.”
After clicking send, she reached out and touched a few-month-old calico kitten lying next to her.
The kitten rolled over with a look of enjoyment,
Its four paws flailing around as if swimming in the air.
Margaret replied, “Then let’s talk again after Xiaoxiao leaves.”
“Okay.”
The Xiaoxiao that Maria and Margaret mentioned was Charlie’s nickname.
Charlie, however, was completely unaware of all this.
He arrived at Maria’s mountaintop villa and immediately noticed something different from before:
The calico cat is beside Maria.
He asked in surprise, “Miss Lin, where did this kitten come from?”
Maria smiled sweetly at him and said,
“Young master, this kitten is one I just adopted.”
“It used to live with other stray cats on the mountain,”
“But it was always bullied by them, so I brought it home to raise.”
Charlie thought the calico cat was quite beautiful,
Its eyes scan everywhere, seemingly very intelligent.
So he went up to it, stroked its head, and asked Maria,
“What’s this little guy’s name?”
Maria replied sweetly, “Young master, I call it Xiaoxiao.”