If you're treating, I'm definitely going.

Half an hour later, the group bought some local snacks from a street near the hotel to munch on.

Meng Qianyu clamored to try the "Love Tofu Pudding," and Su Yang bought it for her, but after one bite, she refused to eat any more.

In the end, Su Yang, unfazed, finished the half-eaten tofu pudding himself.

By the time Liu Bo and Ji Bo arrived, the ten of them followed their phone navigation toward Big Beard Sour Soup Beef Hotpot Restaurant.

At 5:30 PM, the city was in the throes of evening rush hour, and the streets were clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Fortunately, the restaurant Su Yang had chosen was only a few hundred meters from the hotel.

They quickly walked to the building where the restaurant was located—a second-floor spot above a street-side shop.

The group climbed up a narrow staircase nearby.

Su Yang led the way, pushing open the door, and the moment it swung open, a rich, tangy aroma of sour soup wafted into their noses.

"Wow, that smells amazing!"

"Mmm, just the scent alone tells me it’s gonna be good. Su Yang, did you pick this place?" Liu Bo asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Great choice!"

Su Yang smiled faintly. "Originally, I booked another famous sour soup beef spot in Lincheng, but the hotel staff recommended this place as even better. Plus, it was close, so I went with it."

"Nice, nice. Let’s head in."

The ten of them walked into the bustling restaurant with bright smiles. The modestly sized space was already packed, nearly every table occupied.

On each table, a metal pot emitted translucent steam, filling the room with a lively, smoky atmosphere.

Su Yang showed a QR code at the front desk, and a server guided them through a maze of tables into a private room.

They settled around a large round table. Su Yang had pre-ordered a set meal online, but worried it might not be enough, he added five plates of marbled beef, five plates of beef with skin, and some side dishes.

Once the server left, the conversation flowed freely.

Liu Bo leaned back in his chair and asked Su Yang, "So, what’s the plan after dinner?"

"No idea. I’m not too familiar with Lincheng."

"Hey, we’ve been driving all day—my back’s killing me. How about hitting a bathhouse or massage parlor later?"

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds perfect," Ji Bo chimed in. "Ever heard this saying?"

Su Yang and the others turned to him. "What saying?"

"If you want to understand a city, start with its bathhouses."

"Huh?" The group blinked in confusion.

Su Yang raised an eyebrow. "Is that even a real saying? Or did you just make it up because you want to go?"

"No, no, I swear I’ve heard it somewhere. Maybe not exactly like that, but the gist is right."

"Wait, isn’t the bathhouse culture more of a Northeast thing? We’re in the Southwest now—is that even a local specialty here?" Meng Wenzhou chuckled.

Ji Bo scratched his head. "Uh... I dunno. Just popped into my head after Liu Bo mentioned it. Anyway, are we going or not?"

"Does that mean you’re treating?"

Ji Bo paused, then thumped his chest dramatically. "Fine, my treat! This trip’s all about sharing. Tang Ziyun already covered the hotel—I can spring for a massage, no big deal."

Meng Wenzhou nodded with a smile. "Sounds good. If you're treating, of course we’ll go~"

"Heh, alright, it's settled then. I’ll pick a place now~" Ji Bo said as he opened the Tuan Tuan app to browse.

The group exchanged amused glances before Liu Bo chimed in again, "But a bath and massage won’t take that long. What should we do after?"

"Go back to the hotel and rest, obviously. What else do you want to do? Didn’t you get enough exhaustion today?" Meng Wenzhou grabbed a bottle of water and twisted it open.

"I am a bit tired, but after a massage, we’ll be refreshed. Wouldn’t it be boring to just sleep the whole night away?"

Meng Wenzhou took a sip of water and grinned. "Just say what you want to do."

"I don’t know either. That’s why I’m asking everyone to brainstorm~"

Chu Qiunan tilted his head thoughtfully and suggested, "How about we go drinking? Check out the local bar scene in this new city."

"More drinking?" Meng Qianyu pouted, clearly reluctant.

"I also think drinking isn’t that fun. We’ve been doing it the past two days—I’m kind of over it," Tang Ziyun added.

"Then what do you guys want to do?"

The girls exchanged glances and quickly reached a consensus. Meng Qianyu spoke for them, "Go back to the hotel and sleep~"

"Then you girls head back. Us guys will go have some fun, okay?" Chu Qiunan turned to the other boys and winked.

Liu Bo pretended to hesitate. "But we came on this trip together. Wouldn’t it be bad if we went off without the girls?"

Pan Ning cut in, "Stop pretending. If you want to go, just go. You do your thing; we’ll rest at the hotel."

"Uh..." Liu Bo scratched his head and grinned. "Alright then. Since my sister gave the green light, let’s go unwind. The girls must be tired anyway. After the massage, we’ll escort them back to the hotel first, then find a nearby bar for a few drinks~"

Chu Qiunan and Zhang Ziming turned to Liu Bo and nodded approvingly.

Su Yang sat quietly in his chair without joining the discussion. He thought to himself, I don’t really feel like going, but for the sake of completing the system mission, I should tag along. I need to get out more if I want to finish those side quests.

Even if there’s no penalty for failing, the rewards are pretty good. Yeah, I should go.

After chatting for a while, the private dining room door opened, and two servers wheeled in carts.

One carried a pot of vibrant orange-red sour soup beef hotpot broth, while the other cart was loaded with an assortment of side dishes.

After setting everything up, the servers briefly explained the ideal cooking times for the different cuts of beef before leaving the room.

The group went to prepare their dipping sauces and returned to find the fragrant hotpot already bubbling.

"It smells amazing! Can we eat now?" Meng Qianyu was clearly a foodie at heart, her chopsticks poised as she stared intently at the spread.

Su Yang chuckled and started adding beef slices to the pot. "Just wait a bit for the meat to cook. Try the brown sugar glutinous rice cakes first—I heard they’re delicious."

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and took a bite of the sticky rice cakes dusted with roasted soybean flour and drizzled with brown sugar.

"Wow?? These are so good~"

"Right? I think so too~"

"Mhm, sis, you should try one."

Meng Wenzhou chuckled at the group’s awestruck expressions and said, “No offense, but this stuff is pretty common in Haicheng’s hot pot restaurants. Haven’t you guys tried it before?”

“No, no, it’s different! Their version is especially good—super soft and chewy. Here, Meng, try it first before judging,” Liu Bo said, picking up a piece and placing it in Meng Wenzhou’s bowl.

Meng Wenzhou took a bite and grinned. “Tastes about the same to me. I don’t get why you’re making such a big deal out of it. I thought it’d be way more amazing.”

“Guess you just don’t have good taste,” Liu Bo teased, popping another piece into his mouth.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stick to the beef then.”

Su Yang glanced at the plate of glutinous rice cakes, now empty, and turned to call a waiter to order two more servings.

“Oh, right! Yang, you haven’t even had any yet!” Ji Bo said with an awkward laugh.

Su Yang shrugged. “I just ordered more because you guys seem to love it. Personally, I’m more into the meat.”

Meng Wenzhou nodded. “Same here. Come on, try this beef—it’s seriously good!”

“You got it!”