You're the One Who Gets Me

About an hour later, the three cars entered downtown Qingxi.

Qingxi was a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Tianhai Province, the third-largest city in the province after Haicheng and Yangcheng.

The roads in the city were wide, with well-maintained urban greenery and towering skyscrapers. The streets were bustling with pedestrians, creating a lively atmosphere.

Su Yang followed the GPS to a restaurant called Qingxi Black Goat Mutton House.

According to Pan Ning, this place served exceptionally good food—she made it a point to stop by for an authentic mutton hotpot every time she visited Qingxi.

The three cars found parking spots along the roadside one after another before everyone leisurely walked into the restaurant.

The eatery wasn’t large, just an unassuming roadside spot that most people wouldn’t go out of their way to visit unless recommended.

As they pushed open the glass door, a rich aroma of mutton immediately greeted them.

It was around 4 p.m., still early for dinner, so the restaurant wasn’t crowded—only two tables were occupied.

"Smells good," Su Yang remarked with a smile as he stepped inside.

A young waitress in an apron hurried over. "Welcome! How many in your party, handsome and beautiful guests?"

"Eleven. Do you have a private room? I don’t see a table big enough here."

The waitress beamed. "We do have a private room upstairs. Please follow me."

"Alright."

Su Yang nodded, and the group trailed behind her past the cashier, ascending a steep, narrow staircase.

Bringing up the rear, Meng Wenzhou glanced around and muttered, "Haven’t been to a place like this in ages."

Ji Bo chuckled beside him. "First time for me. Can a small place like this really be good? I’m pretty picky about food."

Liu Bo rolled his eyes. "You spoiled rich kids wouldn’t know—these hole-in-the-wall joints are where the real flavors are."

Ji Bo grinned. "Come on, Bro Liu, don’t exaggerate. I’m just from an average family."

"Oh yeah? Living in a mansion, driving luxury cars—totally average. I heard from Brother Meng your dad’s company pulls in at least a small target a year."

"Eh, it’s nothing compared to Brother Meng or Brother Yang."

"Ugh, stop humble-bragging. Can’t stand you."

"You’re not exactly broke either," Ji Bo shot back.

"Me?" Liu Bo pointed at himself.

"Yeah, you."

"I just got lucky meeting Brother Meng. Otherwise, I’d still be a regular wage slave."

"Luck’s part of skill, man."

"Enough, you two," Meng Wenzhou cut in impatiently.

Soon, the eleven of them reached the second floor, navigating a narrow hallway before entering a modest private room.

The room was simple—just a small round table and an old mahjong machine, nothing else.

"Please take a seat. Here are the menus," the waitress said, handing two menus to Su Yang and Meng Qianyu.

Su Yang skimmed through his. "What’s the most popular hotpot here, miss?"

Flustered at being called "miss," the girl shyly stepped closer and pointed at the menu. "Our clear broth hotpot is the crowd favorite."

"Clear broth it is," Su Yang said, glancing at the others for confirmation. "Everyone good with that?"

"Sure, you order."

"Great. Miss, we’ll take a large pot and ten extra servings of mutton."

"T-ten servings?" The waitress blinked.

"What’s wrong?"

"Um, I’m just worried you might not finish. Our portions are generous—five servings should be enough for eleven people."

"No worries, we can handle it. Just bring it out," Su Yang replied with a smile, passing his menu to Pan Ning.

"Here, see if you want to add anything else."

Five minutes later, after ordering side dishes, the waitress finally left with their menu.

"Sis Pan, is their mutton really that good?"

"You’ll see soon enough. Would I bring you here if it wasn’t?"

"Heh, fair. Just never tried a place like this before."

"Wait till you taste it. You won’t find this flavor back in Haicheng."

Su Yang looked around. "What’s everyone drinking?"

Liu Bo grinned. "Gotta pair mutton with alcohol!"

"You driving later?"

"Ji Bo can take the wheel."

"I’d like a drink too, though."

Su Yang shook his head. "Let’s hold off. We’ll drink tonight after parking at the hotel."

"Fine."

"Just grab a couple of large Cokes, then."

"Got it."

Twenty minutes later, the waitress returned with a middle-aged man.

She carried an induction cooker, setting it up on the table first.

The man then placed a large pot filled with mutton on top.

"Once the broth boils, it’s ready to eat. Rice, side dishes, and dipping sauces will be right out."

"Thanks. Oh, and two large Cokes, please."

"Ah, sorry, sir. We only have Pepsi. Is that okay?"

Su Yang frowned slightly. "Fine. Make sure they’re cold."

"Of course!"

"Wow, smells amazing," Lu Yun said, waving the rising steam toward her nose.

"Looks great too—packed to the brim. How much for this pot, Brother Yang?"

Su Yang smiled. "285."

"That cheap?!" Ji Bo exclaimed.

"Pretty standard. These places don’t charge per head—the large pot is fixed-price. But with the extra mutton, it adds up. Liu Bo alone could probably polish off three or four servings."

Liu Bo scratched his head sheepishly. "Heh, Brother Yang, you know me too well."