Do More Ideological Work

The group of young men had somehow grown much quieter, especially after Ye Chuan finished grilling skewers and started chopping ingredients with a large kitchen knife. The rhythmic thuds of the blade against the cutting board seemed to reverberate deep in their hearts.

After taking turns sharing a slice of pork belly, some chives, and a sip of beer, they quickly settled the bill and hurried off.

"See you," Ye Chuan said indifferently as he saw them out, then returned to grilling.

A presence beside him caught his attention—Luo Xi had appeared at his side. "Put the ruined beer can on my tab," he said.

"Chuanchuan, were you doing that on purpose just now?" Luo Xi asked, hands clasped behind her back as she hopped closer playfully, her high ponytail bouncing with each movement.

"Don’t know what you mean," Ye Chuan replied lazily, only for Luo Xi to grab his hand. Her fingers gently kneaded his palm, checking for any cuts. Finding none, she tilted her head curiously.

"You’re so strong—what’s the trick?"

In Luo Xi’s mind, crushing a beer can with pure brute force was impossible. There had to be some technique involved.

Though, maybe someone with a particularly pointy head could manage it.

"Technique? I met a rich woman who cultivates immortality, and she gave me a 'Rich Woman System.' The starter pack included a Divine Strength Pill," Ye Chuan said with complete seriousness. "Once I start cultivating, I’ll take you with me."

"You should write a book," Luo Xi huffed, crossing her arms in mock annoyance. "So stingy."

Ye Chuan chuckled.

The flow of customers had dwindled, but the lively atmosphere of the food street showed no signs of fading. Later, another wave of patrons—mostly night-shift workers from nearby—would arrive for late-night snacks.

"Meow." A sound drew Ye Chuan and Luo Xi’s attention.

A stray white cat had wandered onto the grill stall’s territory, its fur stained with grime, making it look like it had just returned from a coal mine. It sniffed at the discarded skewers littering the ground, pawing at any with traces of meat, trying to scavenge a bite. But no matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t manage to eat anything.

"Come here, Hachimi~" Luo Xi called softly, then scooped some meat scraps into a plastic bag and placed it on the ground.

The cat eyed her warily but, sensing no malice, cautiously approached and began eating. Luo Xi longed to pet it but, mindful of hygiene, kept her distance and simply crouched to watch.

Stray animals were common in the food street. Since they could occasionally beg scraps from customers, they lingered—unlike most urban stragglers, who rarely found steady food sources and seldom lived beyond two years.

Birth in spring, death by winter—such was the norm. The number of strays in this steel jungle maintained a fragile equilibrium. Even if some kind soul fattened them up, others would poison them out of sheer cruelty.

"Hachimi~ Hachimi~" Luo Xi hummed cheerfully.

"'Hachimi' doesn’t actually mean 'cat,' you know," Ye Chuan remarked.

"Then why is 'Kun' a chicken?"

"Ugh." Ye Chuan had no rebuttal. For a moment, his brain spiraled into contemplating the laws of the universe.

No answers came.

"Words take on new meanings when enough people use them that way—sometimes even making it into dictionaries," Luo Xi said, standing and dusting her hands. "Chuanchuan, what does 'poverty-stricken couples suffer in all things' mean?"

"Testing me now?" Ye Chuan mused. "Couples with no money find everything goes wrong?"

"Actually, that line was written by Yuan Zhen to mourn his late wife. It describes the agony of parting for couples who’ve weathered hardships together—far worse than ordinary grief—not a complaint about marriage," Luo Xi explained. "But most people think it just means poor couples are miserable in every way."

"Now, many accept that interpretation, even if it’s not the original intent."

"Times change. Words and poems alike get repurposed."

"Whether it’s 'Hachimi' or 'Kun.'"

Ye Chuan nodded. "Like how I’m also your dad—just not in the traditional sense."

"You just love taking advantage," Luo Xi grumbled, smacking his arm repeatedly with her tiny hand.

"You two seem to be having fun," a voice chimed in from the stall’s front.

Ye Chuan and Luo Xi turned to see a bob-haired girl in a black hoodie, hands in pockets and a lollipop dangling from her lips.

"An Shiyu? What are you doing here?" Ye Chuan was surprised. An Shiyu lived downtown—quite a distance away. If she wanted barbecue, she’d have plenty of options closer to home.

"We felt like grilled skewers. Why let outsiders profit when we can support you?" An Shiyu said.

We?

Only then did Ye Chuan and Luo Xi notice the four others behind her—five in total.

"Hi," the leader greeted with a smile. "I’m from Class B. We’ve seen you around."

"I recognize you—you’re the top student in our department," Luo Xi said, turning to Ye Chuan. "Chuanchuan, he’s amazing. He was first in his class all through high school too."

Ye Chuan: "Oh."

"Luo often ranks right behind me, though this is our first time meeting," the boy said, his gaze lingering on Luo Xi before shifting to Ye Chuan. "You must be Ye Chuan. Shiyu mentions you a lot."

"Why?" Ye Chuan shot An Shiyu a look.

"Just calling you a sneaky old six. Did you expect me to praise your looks?" An Shiyu deadpanned. "If you studied half as hard as Luo Xi, I’d have nicer things to say."

Luo Xi was the perpetual runner-up—diligent, yet never surpassing the undisputed top student.

"Since we’re all classmates, I’ll give you a discount," Ye Chuan said, waving them toward seats. "Take a seat."

"Thanks."

"Big spenders, huh?" Ye Chuan eyed the heaping red basket of skewers. They’d taken a lot—especially the quiet, long-haired girl who’d nearly emptied the beef skewers from the fridge. Whether she could actually eat that much or had just grabbed them impulsively was unclear.

Surveying the mountain of skewers, Ye Chuan glanced at Luo Xi. "Go ask if they can finish all that. They can eat some first, then grill the rest later."

Luo Xi, also worried about waste, went over.

She returned moments later, clutching a stack of red bills.

"Chuanchuan, one girl said money’s no issue. They’ll take leftovers home."

Ye Chuan: "..."

If only he could be that carefree with cash.

But then he remembered—waking up to 2,000 yuan every day wasn’t bad.

Hmm. Maybe he should go back and have another "chat" with Bai Qianshuang.