Going Home What Home

At nine o'clock in the evening, the streets of downtown Haicheng were brightly lit, bustling with traffic, the shimmering lights resembling a flowing golden ribbon. It was the liveliest time of the day in the city.

Su Yang drove with two companions to Haicheng’s most famous hotspot—Shangyuan Road.

This street was packed with countless trendy restaurants, bars, and entertainment spots, all stylishly decorated, making it a popular gathering place for fashionable young men and women.

After searching for a while, Su Yang finally found a parking spot and pulled in.

The trio then strolled leisurely into the crowd.

With their striking looks and charm, Su Yang and his two companions quickly drew the attention of passersby.

"Look over there, there’s a hottie!" a girl in a white miniskirt turned to whisper to her friend.

"Wow, he really is kinda handsome."

"I wanna go ask for his WeChat."

"Go for it! What’s the big deal?"

"But he’s with two girls—one of them might be his girlfriend."

"So what? They’re all out having fun. If he’s already with two girls, what’s one more?"

"That… actually makes sense. Should I go?"

"Go! Just try your luck."

"Alright!" The girl in the miniskirt mustered her courage and jogged toward Su Yang.

At that moment, Su Yang, Zhao Mengrou, and Gu Xiaoman were scanning the area for a bar when he suddenly felt a tap on his arm.

Turning, he saw a cute girl—about 165 cm tall, with twin ponytails, wearing a black cropped top and a white miniskirt—standing beside him.

Su Yang blinked in surprise. "Uh, yes?"

"Hey, can we… get to know each other?" the girl asked shyly.

Hearing this, Zhao Mengrou and Gu Xiaoman both turned to look at her.

Their expressions were amused, clearly waiting to see how Su Yang would handle the situation.

Su Yang smiled faintly and immediately called out in his mind:

—System, scan! Just tell me her rating.

[79]

—Got it.

After receiving the answer, Su Yang cleared his throat and politely declined, "Sorry, my girlfriend’s pretty strict—she doesn’t let me add random people on WeChat."

"Oh… okay." The girl’s face flushed, and she quickly turned and scurried away.

"Not bad, Su Yang. You actually resisted adding such a cute girl?" Zhao Mengrou teased with a smirk.

"I told you, I’m a simple, honest guy."

"Pfft, yeah right. If we weren’t here, I bet you’d have caved."

"Whether you’re here or not, I wouldn’t add her. I’m not that kind of guy."

The first part was true—after all, a 79 didn’t meet the system’s binding requirements. The second part, however, was pure nonsense.

Soon, the three settled on a craft beer bar called Hidden Nest.

Inside, the lighting was dim, the decor vintage, and a long-haired, artsy-looking guy sat on the central stage strumming a guitar and singing in a slow, mellow voice.

The combination of music and the hazy, intoxicating atmosphere of the bar enveloped everyone present.

The place was already filled with customers, all young and stylish, their long legs making Su Yang’s head spin.

A server guided them to a round table, where they took their seats.

Su Yang handed the menu to the girls. "You two order first. See what you’d like."

Gu Xiaoman took the menu and skimmed through it with practiced ease—clearly a bar regular.

"We’ll start with a pitcher of your signature IPA and some snacks to go with it."

"Got it. Just a moment." The server took the menu and left.

"Just one pitcher?" Su Yang thought it wouldn’t be enough.

Gu Xiaoman chuckled. "We can always order more. This pitcher’s huge—three liters."

"Alright, we’ll see."

Just then, Gu Xiaoman pulled a pack of slim cigarettes from her Chanel bag.

Su Yang raised an eyebrow. "You smoke?"

"Not often. Just when I’m drinking. Otherwise, I don’t touch them."

"Well, in that case, I’ll join you."

Soon, the beer and snacks arrived.

Su Yang poured drinks for the girls, then raised his glass with a grin. "Cheers! Thanks for celebrating with me tonight."

"Hold on," Zhao Mengrou interjected playfully. "This is your first time buying a place—shouldn’t you drink a solo toast first?"

"Fine, fine. First, a toast to you two." He downed his glass in one go.

"Not bad. This beer’s actually pretty smooth."

After refilling, the three clinked glasses, and Zhao Mengrou and Gu Xiaoman smiled. "Congrats on checking off a major life milestone."

"Thanks, ladies." Su Yang grinned back.

They all drained their glasses.

"Su Yang, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask," Gu Xiaoman said as she refilled her drink.

"Go ahead."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Su Yang smirked. "Nope. Only had one relationship in college, and it didn’t last long."

"And you never dated again? With your looks, that’s hard to believe. Girls were literally stopping you on the street for your WeChat. You expect me to buy that you’ve only had one girlfriend?"

‘Lady, I was broke back then! Never dressed up, just worked overtime every day. Who’d date me?’

Su Yang sighed and explained, "I swear! Just one. It’s not like I didn’t want to—love’s gotta be mutual, right?"

"So you never met anyone you liked since then?"

"Not yet." Su Yang shook his head.

After another drink, he turned the tables. "What about you two? Any boyfriends?"

"What do you think?" Zhao Mengrou rolled her eyes. "If we had boyfriends, would we be out drinking with you?"

"Heh, fair point."

"Are we just gonna drink like this?" Gu Xiaoman suddenly asked.

"Want to grab some cards or dice and make it a drinking game?"

"That’s exactly what I was thinking."

"Alright, dice it is." Su Yang turned and called to a server, "Hey, can we get three dice cups?"

"Coming right up!"

Soon, the cups arrived, and the trio launched into a classic drinking game.

"Four threes," Su Yang called first.

"Five threes," Gu Xiaoman countered.

Zhao Mengrou checked her dice and declared, "Five sixes."

"Open!" Su Yang flipped his cup without hesitation. "I’ve got none."

Gu Xiaoman revealed hers with a grin. "Just one here."

Zhao Mengrou only had three, making the total four sixes.

She pouted. "Ugh, fine. One drink, right?"

"Yep. One per round—no cheating."

"Please. Just watch how much I can handle." Zhao Mengrou downed her glass in one go.

“Now that's what I call refreshing!” Su Yang clapped his hands in approval.

Time flew by as they played the game, and so did the alcohol. Before they knew it, the trio had ordered two more rounds of craft beer.

By now, Zhao Mengrou and Gu Xiaoman's eyes were glazed over, especially Zhao Mengrou—her face was flushed red, and she swayed slightly in her seat.

Su Yang had played this dice game often with his roommates back in college, so his skills were decent. He’d only had about ten glasses so far.

Still, after not drinking for a while, even his head was starting to feel heavy.

He checked the time—12:30 AM.

"Ladies, you sure you want to keep going? You both look like you're about to tap out. Maybe we call it a night?"

"No way! Keep drinking!" Zhao Mengrou waved her hand dramatically.

"Seriously, you're wasted."

"Who says I'm wasted? Xiaoman, are you wasted?" Zhao Mengrou turned sluggishly toward Gu Xiaoman.

"I'm not! Su Yang's the one who's wasted!"

Su Yang rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure you two are the drunk ones here. Let’s stop before you pass out—how am I supposed to get you home then?"

"Home? What home?"