"It's you?" Li Lu said, somewhat surprised.
He had just been thinking about this young man, and now here he was, right in front of him.
"Uncle Li, my name is Cheng Zongyang. I apologize for the intrusion." Cheng Zongyang was very polite, offering a slight, familiar-looking bow with cupped hands.
"Come in, have a seat."
As the saying goes, you don't hit a smiling face. Seeing how courteous Cheng Zongyang was, Li Lu, despite his suspicions about the purpose of the visit, smiled and invited him inside.
After Cheng Zongyang entered, Li Lu closed the door and followed him into the main hall.
"Sit," Li Lu gestured, then sat down himself.
Only after Li Lu had taken his seat did Cheng Zongyang follow suit.
Li Lu got straight to the point. "People don't visit without a purpose. Why have you come here at this hour?"
It was dinnertime, after all. A stranger visiting one's home at this hour wasn't here for casual chatter, so there was no need for idle pleasantries.
