Soon, Su Yang got the charcoal burning and placed it into the grill. He turned to Liu Bo and waved, calling out, "Hey, chubby, bring me the sliced meat."
"Got it! Finally, we can start grilling. I’m starving," Liu Bo replied.
Su Yang glanced at his watch and chuckled. "It’s almost nine. Of course you’re hungry. I’ll speed things up."
By then, Meng Qianyu and Pan Ning had finished prepping all the ingredients and walked over to sit beside Su Yang.
Meng Qianyu smiled at him. "Why are you the one grilling? I can handle it."
"Aren’t you supposed to stir-fry a few dishes? Go ahead, I’ll take care of the grill."
"Alright then. I’ll join you after I finish cooking."
"Sure~"
"Ji Bo, come on, let’s grab all the beer from the car," Zhang Ziming called out.
"On it~"
Before long, Meng Qianyu finished stir-frying a few simple dishes and sat down next to Su Yang. Together, they began placing skewered ingredients on the grill.
The others, having finished their tasks, gathered in a circle, chatting and laughing as they waited for the delicious barbecue to be ready.
Liu Bo stood up and headed toward the river. "You guys want fish? I’ll go catch a couple."
Su Yang, busy adjusting the skewers while dodging smoke, laughed. "No need. There’s already more than enough food. You’ll just end up soaked."
"Yeah, chubby, we’ve got plenty. No need," someone else chimed in.
Liu Bo watched the fish swimming by and grinned. "Fine, I’ll spare these little guys then."
Under Su Yang and Meng Qianyu’s teamwork, the grill soon emitted an irresistible aroma.
"Smells amazing~"
"Yeah, is it ready yet, Su Yang? I’m seriously hungry."
Su Yang picked up a skewer, examined it, and smiled. "Almost. Just needs a sprinkle of chili powder."
"Hurry up, man. Sitting next to you is torture—I’m drooling just from the smell."
Soon, the first batch of skewers was done. Su Yang piled them onto a metal plate.
"Chubby, take these over."
"Coming~" Liu Bo cheerfully carried the plate of perfectly grilled meat to the table.
The others quickly grabbed their stools and gathered around the table.
Su Yang and Meng Qianyu didn’t stop, immediately starting the next round of grilling. With eleven people and a small grill, they couldn’t cook everything at once.
"Don’t wait for us. Dig in while it’s hot."
"Really? You sure?"
"Absolutely. Cold barbecue is no good."
"Alright then. I’ll bring some over to feed you later."
Su Yang rolled his eyes at Liu Bo. "No need. Just eat your fill."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pan Ning walked over with a skewer of grilled beef and said coolly, "Open up."
"Huh?" Su Yang turned and instinctively opened his mouth, letting her feed him the meat.
Beside him, Meng Qianyu’s eyes widened in shock.
Liu Bo burst out laughing. "Oh, so when I offer, you refuse, but when Pan Ning feeds you, you’re all for it?"
Su Yang grinned. "Obviously. If a pretty girl feeds me, I’m not saying no. Same goes for any other lady... heh."
"Fine, fine. I see how it is. You’re a traitor, Su Yang."
Liu Bo chuckled and returned to the table to eat.
Once everyone had moved away, Meng Qianyu leaned closer and whispered, "Su Yang, what’s going on between you and my sister?"
"What do you mean?" Su Yang played dumb.
"Come on. I’ve never seen her feed a guy before."
"Uh... maybe she just thinks I’m working hard and wanted to reward me?"
Meng Qianyu frowned. "She doesn’t even feed me, and I’m grilling too."
"Want me to ask her to bring you some?" Su Yang started to call out.
Meng Qianyu grabbed his arm. "No, I was just joking."
As they talked, Lu Yun stood up from a few meters away and approached, holding two grilled shrimp skewers.
She held one out to Su Yang with a smile. "Here, Su Yang. You haven’t had time to eat."
"Uh... sure." Su Yang laughed and took a bite.
"Mmm, tastes great."
Meng Qianyu’s eyes widened again.
Before she could say anything, Lu Yun offered her the other skewer.
"Qianyu, open up."
"Oh—thanks, Lu Yun."
"No problem~" Lu Yun beamed.
"See? Lu Yun’s the best. My sister didn’t even think of me."
Su Yang just shook his head with a smile.
After Lu Yun left, Meng Qianyu turned to him again, puzzled. "So... what’s your deal with Lu Yun?"
"She’s my high school classmate. Why?"
"Classmate? So you’ve known each other for years?"
"Yeah, a long time."
"Hmm." Meng Qianyu nodded thoughtfully.
[Ding. Detected: Meng Qianyu’s favorability toward host has increased to 20. Reward: 5 million.]
—Huh? It’s already at 20? I didn’t even do anything.
—Looks like hitting 80 within the deadline might be possible.
Su Yang straightened up slightly, angling his face to show off his best side to Meng Qianyu.
Two minutes later, Tang Ziyun approached with a few lamb skewers.
Meng Qianyu thought, ‘Again? Seriously?’
Tang Ziyun bounced over and leaned down beside Su Yang.
"How’s the grilling going?"
"Second batch is almost done."
"Great. Here, have some lamb. You’ve been too busy to eat." She held out a skewer.
Su Yang feigned modesty. "You’re all too kind. I’ll eat later."
"I already brought it. Humor me?"
"Fine, fine." Though he acted reluctant, inwardly, he was thrilled.
[Ding. Host has received affectionate feeding from multiple targets. Mood: extremely pleased. Reward: 1 million.]
Meng Qianyu was utterly baffled now. Even though Tang Ziyun had fed her too, every girl had prioritized Su Yang first.
Once Tang Ziyun left, she grilled him again. "Are you some kind of ladies’ man? Why are they all feeding you?"
"No idea. Maybe they pity me for working hard?"
"I’m working hard too!!" Meng Qianyu pouted.
"Heh, you got fed too, didn’t you?"
"Yeah, but why do they always go to you first? Spill it—are you involved with all of them somehow?"
Su Yang froze. ‘Damn, she’s sharp.’
"Don’t make wild accusations. I’m just likable, okay? Guys and girls both. Didn’t you see Liu Bo trying to feed me earlier?"
Meng Qianyu rolled her eyes in thought—it did seem to be the case.
But now, she was beginning to feel a flicker of curiosity about the man beside her.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
