Is It Worth It It Is

The campsite provided barbecue charcoal.

However, Jiang Chengshan had also prepared his own.

There was actually a bit of a science to charcoal. For instance, food stalls commonly used machine-made charcoal.

That is, charcoal made by compressing wood chips with machines.

This type of charcoal provided an even and long-lasting heat, produced little smoke, and had a mild charcoal flavor. Most importantly, it was cheap, making it the top choice for barbecue stalls.

However, it was slow to ignite, and left behind a lot of white ash that was hard to clean up.

Naturally, the campsite didn't provide this kind of charcoal.

They provided fruitwood charcoal.

Fruitwood charcoal burned quickly, albeit for a shorter time, and produced little ash, making it easy to clean. This was why campsites preferred it.

After all, a barbecue could easily last three or four hours, meaning guests would have to buy more charcoal.

As for what Jiang Chengshan prepared, it was bamboo charcoal.

Although bamboo charcoal was expensive, it produced little smoke and had a faint charcoal smell, making it excellent for barbecuing.

After all, being expensive wasn't its flaw, but rather...

Lin Mo stacked the pieces of bamboo charcoal neatly. His movements were unhurried, carrying a strange sense of rhythm.

He placed a lit alcohol block in the center of the grill's bottom layer, letting the heat radiate steadily outwards.

It wouldn't be long before this wave of heat ignited all the bamboo charcoal in the stove.

He didn't use a single trace of spiritual energy during the entire process; it was purely the joy of starting a fire through physical means.

Jiang Yunlu sat to the side, holding a small palm-leaf fan.

She fanned the grill once to make the sparks dance more merrily.

Then she fanned Lin Mo, as if to drive away the fine beads of sweat that hadn't even appeared on his forehead.

Her gaze hardly left Lin Mo, terrified that he would be stifled by the heat of the charcoal fire.

Not far away on the silver ground, Zhou Nianqian quietly stared at Lin Mo and Jiang Yunlu, his brows unconsciously knitting into a knot.

The light flowed before his eyes but failed to illuminate the trace of gloom deep within them.

Old Zhou, let it go. A lazy voice came from the side. Ye Minghui stood with one hand in his pocket, idly swirling a wine glass with the other.

With the way they are, you won't be able to wedge yourself in. There are plenty of fish in the sea, why get hung up on just one?

Ye Qiaolin didn't say a word, but her beautiful eyes revealed a hint of agreement.

She had to admit that the girl named Jiang Yunlu slightly overshadowed her, both in looks and in that unique temperament.

More importantly, the way that boy looked at her contained a focus and gentleness that she herself hadn't received just moments ago.

Zhou Nianqian remained silent, his gaze glued to the girl, completely unmoving.

Just then, Ye Qiaolin's phone vibrated slightly.

She looked down and unlocked it. The light from the screen reflected on her face, and her initially bored expression was instantly replaced by a flash of surprise.

Found it!

She kept her voice low, but it was laced with excitement. I got it. Tianyun Century Group, it's a massive company. The founder is Jiang Chengshan, the man sitting in the chair over there, and the girl is Jiang Yunlu, his daughter.

The information had come quickly.

For ordinary people, the personal information of a big shot's relatives was like looking at flowers through a fog.

But within similar circles, this information was mostly transparent. After all, no one wanted an accidental friendly-fire incident.

Hearing the words Tianyun Century Group, Zhou Nianqian's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had seen a ray of light in the darkness.

Tianyun Century?

He pondered, a hint of amusement in his tone. If I remember correctly, they can't be considered a top-tier wealthy family.

Yeah, they're still a step behind your family and mine, Ye Qiaolin said, swiping on her phone screen. But to be fair, he's a first-generation founder who built it from scratch. Reaching this level is already quite remarkable.

As she spoke, she handed the phone over.

On the screen was Jiang Yunlu's brief profile, containing only information available through public channels, such as the school she attended and the awards she had won.

If they wanted anything more detailed, they would have to hire someone to investigate.

Zhou Nianqian's eyes quickly scanned the screen, eventually pausing on a single line of text.

Oh? Guangba Middle School? Going into G2. In that case...

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as a bold idea rapidly formed in his mind.

Ye Minghui leaned over to take a look and immediately guessed his intentions, staring at him as if looking at a madman.

You're not thinking about transferring, are you? We're already in G3 and graduating next year. What's the point of transferring?

Not just transferring, transferring and repeating a year.

Zhou Nianqian's voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like a thunderclap in their ears.

Ye Minghui's mouth instantly formed an O shape, staying open for a long while. Damn! Seriously? Wasting a whole year just to pick up a girl? Do you have to be so extreme?

It's worth it.

Zhou Nianqian revealed a gentle smile, but his eyes shone with an unquestionable stubbornness.

To us, a diploma is nothing but a piece of paper. Being able to get what I want with my own hands—that process is what matters most.

Ye Minghui was stunned for a moment before breaking into a grin and giving Zhou Nianqian a thumbs-up, looking like a partner-in-crime who had finally found his crew.

Alright, you're crazy! He turned to look at Ye Qiaolin beside him, winking and asking, Sis, what about me? Should I tag along for the fun?

Ye Qiaolin rolled her eyes at him in exasperation and shrugged indifferently. Go ahead. As if you wouldn't go just because I said no? The legs are yours, who could stop you.

Hehe!

Having received permission, Ye Minghui excitedly hooked his arm around Zhou Nianqian's shoulders and shook him vigorously. Old Zhou, hear that? Your bro is going to join you in your madness! When we get to Guangba Middle School, the two of us will rule the place!

Zhou Nianqian patted the back of his hand, his smile becoming a bit more genuine.

Good brother.

He once again cast his gaze toward Jiang Yunlu in the distance. His look was no longer one of pure appreciation, but mixed with a determination that he was bound to get what he wanted.

He, Zhou Nianqian, had never failed to obtain something he set his sights on.

Guangba Middle School, was it?

Wait for me.

As for Lin Mo's side, he wasn't paying attention to the situation over there. Although his divine sense could cover a hundred miles, there was no need to take in every piece of information; he automatically filtered out things like casual conversations.

Naturally, he had no idea about the secret plotting of those three.

In his eyes, the barbecue was clearly much more important right now.

While the bamboo charcoal was catching fire, Lin Mo began to set up the tent, focusing on doing it quickly and perfectly.

Although Jiang Chengshan didn't speak, he kept a dead stare fixed on the two of them.

Since he couldn't stop his daughter from associating with Lin Mo, he was going to stop any messy business from happening between them.

He was just like a security camera.

So no matter what, he absolutely had to make Yunlu sleep in the RV tonight.

He absolutely could not let them sleep in the tent.

At this moment, the three people in the distance took the initiative to walk toward Jiang Chengshan.

Obviously, Zhou Nianqian had chosen a flanking tactic.