When Ruan Xingzhuo came back, he couldn’t find Ruan Xingyao and You Huan where they had been sitting.
After looking around in confusion for a while, he finally spotted Chen Yu standing near the front of the line.
He strode over and asked in puzzlement, “Did this place flip tables that fast?”
You Huan pointed at Chen Yu and said, “Money power.”
Ruan Xingzhuo didn’t ask further and just shook the milk tea in his hand. “Then let’s have some milk tea first.”
Soon, a waiter called their number, and Ruan Xingyao’s group entered the hotpot restaurant.
The spicy aroma hit them right in the face, making Ruan Xingyao’s mouth water.
They were lucky — the just-vacated seats were by the window, offering a beautiful view of the river outside.
But Ruan Xingyao couldn’t care less about the scenery.
She took the tablet the waiter handed over and immediately started ordering dishes eagerly.
Already hungry, and with her taste buds fully awakened by the restaurant’s mouthwatering scent, she wanted to order everything.
So, in the end, her order looked like this: the soup base was the restaurant’s recommended one — moderately spicy beef tallow — and every single dish on the menu, one of each.
The waiter was startled for a moment by the size of their order but quickly understood.
Smiling, she asked, “Are you food streamers? Our restaurant’s ingredients are guaranteed to be top-quality. Could you give us some promotion on your stream?”
Ruan Xingyao replied cheerfully, “No problem, as long as your food’s good!”
The waitress laughed. “Of course, we never do false advertising here.”
Soon, the soup base arrived first, followed by dish after dish being brought to their table.
Ruan Xingyao’s mouth watered as she stared fixedly at the bubbling pot, her head swaying unconsciously from excitement.
“You can start cooking now, Xingxing. What do you want to eat first?” Chen Yu asked.
Only then did Ruan Xingyao reluctantly tear her gaze away from the pot and glance quickly over the rack of ingredients.
“Beef brisket fat! I want to eat that first!” she exclaimed.
Ever since she’d tried it once by chance, she could never forget the taste.
Just thinking about it made her mouth water.
Seeing this, Chen Yu simply dumped the entire plate of beef brisket fat into the pot.
It didn’t take long — soon, he picked up a piece with his chopsticks and placed it into Ruan Xingyao’s bowl.
Without hesitation, Ruan Xingyao started digging in enthusiastically.
Ruan Xingzhuo and You Huan exchanged a look but said nothing.
They all started tossing ingredients into the pot nonstop, scooping them out the moment they were cooked and placing them in front of Ruan Xingyao.
So, at that table with a stunning riverside view, the three of them kept cooking and serving, all to satisfy Ruan Xingyao’s appetite.
Only after making sure she had enough to eat did they finally start grabbing food for themselves in between.
The waitress came by several times to refill their broth, occasionally bringing over fruit and drinks to help them cleanse their palates.
At first, she really thought Ruan Xingyao’s group were food streamers doing a restaurant review — that ordering everything on the menu was just a gimmick to attract views.
But to her astonishment, none of the four ever took out a single filming device, and that massive amount of food — enough to shock anyone — was actually eaten up before her very eyes.
It was unbelievable.
What shocked her even more was that they even ordered several dishes again midway through.
Finally, when every last plate was cleared, Ruan Xingyao leaned back and rubbed her belly in satisfaction.
“That was amazing!” she exclaimed.
Her lips were swollen and red from the spice, looking even plumper and rosier than usual.
Across from her, Chen Yu was wiping his hands with a wet towel, unconsciously applying more pressure than necessary — as if only that could scrub away the distracting thoughts in his mind.
Ruan Xingyao licked her lips, still staring longingly at the now-turned-off hotpot.
Then, as if struck by a sudden idea, she smiled and said, “If I ever stop being so busy, I could start a global food-hunting tour.”
Just thinking about it made her feel delighted inside.
Chen Yu put down the wet towel and reluctantly poured a bucket of cold water over her enthusiasm.
“Xingxing,” he said, “I don’t want to kill your mood, but… you’re about to get busy again.”
Ruan Xingyao’s smile froze, her cheeks puffing up like an inflated pufferfish.
She said, “Alright, tell me — what’s wrong with Haichen this time?”
Chen Yu took out his phone and sent her a document.
Though clearly reluctant, Ruan Xingyao still opened it.
By the time she finished reading, her expression had turned grave.
“So,” she asked quietly, “you’re saying I have to go bring the kid back?”
Chen Yu looked at her apologetically for several seconds before answering, “Yes.”
Ruan Xingyao let out a short “Oh,” then asked, “When do we leave?”
Chen Yu replied, “The day after tomorrow at the latest. You can use tomorrow to prepare.”
Ruan Xingyao nodded. “Alright then, no point wasting time. Let’s go.”
She stood up and strode out.
Ruan Xingzhuo and You Huan immediately got up to follow, worry written all over their faces.
They didn’t know exactly what Ruan Xingyao had just seen, but judging by her expression, it was clear that the situation was serious.
Chen Yu sighed silently and hurried after her.
By the time he caught up, Ruan Xingyao had already paid the bill and walked out of the hotpot restaurant first.
“Xingxing.”
“Sis.”
You Huan and Ruan Xingzhuo quickly caught up, flanking her on both sides, their eyes full of concern.
Ruan Xingyao looked up at the two of them, a little amused by their anxious expressions.
She said, “What’s wrong? Why are you both looking at me like that?”
You Huan asked softly, “Xingxing, did they give you a hard time again?”
Ruan Xingyao chuckled. “Oh, come on. This is just part of my job — there’s nothing hard about it. You two don’t have to be so tense!”
“But…” You Huan started to say more, but Ruan Xingzhuo stopped her.
He said, “Sis, I’m about to start school, so I can’t go with you this time. Please be careful and don’t push yourself too hard.”
Ruan Xingyao reached out and ruffled his hair.
“Alright, alright. You worry too much. Your sister’s amazing — what’s there to be afraid of?”
Seeing her relaxed expression only made Ruan Xingzhuo feel heavier inside.
That emotion made it hard for him not to vent his frustration at Chen Yu.
When Chen Yu walked up, Ruan Xingzhuo glared at him like a little wolf cub ready to bite.
Chen Yu could only sigh helplessly and quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ll stay right by Xingxing’s side — I won’t leave her for a second.”
But instead of easing Ruan Xingzhuo’s worry, his words only made the younger man glare at him even more fiercely.
— The end of the Chapter–
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