Aunt Jiang's words were somewhat colored by her personal experiences and perceptions.
Jiang Qiuran had heard similar things from her mother before.
But only now did she truly understand their real meaning.
Ah, she really was still too naive.
She had ruined the most precious friendship she had.
All she could do now was continue trying to please Su Bai.
Jiang Qiuran could sense that Su Bai seemed to enjoy having control over her.
This reminded her of when she was very young—she used to love following Su Bai around like a little shadow, clinging to him no matter what he was doing.
Sometimes, when Su Bai got annoyed and scolded her, she wouldn’t get angry. Instead, she felt a little... shiver
Could it be that she had the potential to become that kind of person since childhood?
After chatting with her mother for a bit, her mother had to attend to something, so Jiang Qiuran hung up and returned to the dining table.
By then, the server had already brought out the pre-meal drinks.
An oversized glass teapot, with a rugged, vintage feel, was filled with Eight Treasures Tea, packed with ingredients—it looked delicious at a glance.
"This teapot was actually 'borrowed' by our boss from his master when he went to the western regions to learn his craft years ago. The recipe for this tea is also unique to our establishment," the cheongsam-clad server explained.
"A secret recipe, huh? Wait, but since the teapot is transparent, doesn’t that mean we can see—" Wan Xinyan pointed out the obvious flaw.
"No need to worry. The key ingredients are wrapped in coarse gauze and steeped inside," the server replied with a casual smile. "Our guests here are all respectable people. As long as everyone agrees not to tamper with the tea bag, it’s fine."
"Of course we won’t. Heh."
Wan Xinyan couldn’t help but marvel inwardly—rich people’s social gatherings really were different. There was a sense of treating customers like close friends, a relaxed atmosphere that was perfect for bosses who were used to the cutthroat world of fame and fortune.
Of course, it also helped that it was a members-only place, keeping out those with poor manners or ulterior motives.
Chen Yusheng, deep in thought, asked from an unexpected angle: "But what if a guest has a sharp palate and can identify the ingredients just by tasting?"
"If that happens, it means the guest is exceptional. The boss said he’d be happy to make friends with them."
"Can’t tell," Su Bai took a sip and bluntly remarked. "Tastes good, that’s all that matters. I’m a simple man."
"This tea isn’t just delicious—it’s also highly nourishing. The boss specifically said the young gentleman should drink more."
The server gave Su Bai a teasing look before swaying away in her cheongsam.
The girls at the table burst into giggles.
Su Bai shook his head helplessly, brushing it off.
However, when two cold dishes were served later, Su Bai found himself even more amused and exasperated.
A colorful vegetable salad with jellyfish had a unique flavor, thanks to a meticulously crafted dressing. Upon asking, they learned it contained goji berry extract, giving it a sweetness reminiscent of carrot juice but fresher and more fragrant.
Then there was the meat jelly—a common cold dish in rural Jiangcheng banquets—except here, each slice was embedded with plump, vibrant goji berries.
"Wait, is this uncle seriously throwing me a goji berry banquet? Is every dish going to have goji berries?" Su Bai had a bad feeling.
The server covered her mouth with a laugh. "You guessed right, young man. The boss recently had a friend return from Ningxia with a haul of premium ingredients. He felt it was fate to meet you, so he decided to put them to good use."
"...What kind of fate is this? Is kidney deficiency considered fate now?"
Su Bai’s sarcasm only made the atmosphere at the table even livelier.
Even Jiang Qiuran couldn’t help but laugh.
Jokes aside, the goji berry-themed meal was quite unique, and it was clear that every dish was prepared with top-tier ingredients, knife skills, heat control, and seasoning.
No wonder Director Xia had said this was a private kitchen every wealthy person in Jiangcheng frequented.
Not every dish looked extravagant, but each one was undeniably delicious.
This level of quality was hard to find even in Michelin-starred restaurants.
In fact, the opposite was often true—many Michelin restaurants nowadays prioritized ambiance, presentation, and gimmicks over the food itself.
Every hot dish that followed had everyone eating with gusto.
Su Bai especially enjoyed the nourishing fish head soup, braised beef, and the goji leaf buns, devouring quite a bit.
These were flavors he didn’t get to experience often.
[Ding! Detected host indulging in luxury consumption—custom private banquet, spending 5,888 yuan. Triggered 4x cashback reward: +23,552 yuan.]
[Ding! Detected host relaxing and replenishing energy. Host’s risk of overheating has been nullified.]
After the meal, seeing the system notifications, Su Bai rubbed his stomach with a slightly troubled expression.
While the "overheating" issue had been taken care of, the nourishing effects had definitely been fully absorbed.
After dinner, Su Bai found himself sandwiched between Wan Xinyan and Chen Yusheng as they got into the car.
"Wow, Brother Su Bai, seems like that goji berry feast really worked. Looks like Sister Yusheng will have to help you out~" Wan Xinyan teased with a punchable grin.
Su Bai grabbed her and "disciplined" her for a while until she begged for mercy.
At least the mischievous girl had been subdued.
Not to be outdone, Chen Yusheng scoffed. "Hmph, as if you’re the only one with special moves."
"My legs are so tired from all the walking today," she said, stretching them and glancing at Su Bai.
"Want me to massage them for you? Or maybe step on your back too?"
"Step on my back? Pfft—save the CCb for the hotel."
Wan Xinyan didn’t get their inside joke.
...
Unconsciously, the Wan sisters and Chen Yusheng had grown quite close.
Though moments of jealousy still flared up occasionally, it never escalated into full-blown drama—overall, things were harmonious.
The main reason was Wan Xinyan’s social finesse.
Plus, her position wasn’t much of a threat anyway.
As for Jiang Qiuran—being the childhood friend with a knack for bold moves—Chen Yusheng remained wary of her.
Su Bai observed everything quietly, keeping his thoughts to himself.
Back at the lakeside villa, the Wan sisters both claimed they needed more rest.
Tonight, they wouldn’t be causing any trouble.
Which meant, on this Mid-Autumn night, Chen Yusheng alone would bear the full brunt of Su Bai’s "nourished" state.
Su Bai first made his usual call to Aunt Jiang to check in.
On the surface, his relationship with Aunt Jiang seemed distant.
After all, Su Bai was independent by nature and didn’t need much looking after.
Aside from occasionally asking for living expenses, he rarely gave her any reason to worry—quite the easygoing kid.
In fact, back in middle school, when Aunt Jiang worked late, it was Su Bai who cooked dinner.
He had learned to cook as early as seven or eight years old.
"By the way, Ranran said she made up with you. That’s good."
"Ahaha..."
"Honestly, you need to be firmer with her. The gentler you are, the more she takes advantage. Remember when you were kids? You couldn’t stand her, but the more you pushed her away, the more she clung to you..."
Auntie, ever considered that...
I might have taken the "firmness" into a whole new territory now?
Su Bai sighed inwardly as he listened to Aunt Jiang’s usual ramblings.
After exchanging greetings, Su Bai turned his gaze toward the master bedroom door of the lakeside villa.
Well, Yusheng would have a long night ahead...
esick Sect? Well, at least it's considered a respectable orthodox sect. Wait a minute— What kind of vibe are you all giving off? Shouldn’t this be a love-struck, romance-obsessed sect? Why does everyone here sound more like demonic cultivators? "Master, today he’s getting married. This disciple wishes to descend the mountain and crash the wedding, then toy with him to death right in front of his wife..." "Elder, I only got into your sect through connections, so why won’t you teach me anything?" "Because I also became an elder through connections." Thankfully, Su Ji was just an outer sect labor disciple. Surely, nothing too crazy would— "Junior Brother, you’ve broken through to Qi Refining. Once you sever your useless spiritual root, you can officially become an outer sect disciple." "The Great Dao is merciless. Don’t let a worthless spiritual root waste your essence and spirit, hindering your cultivation." Is this really the Lovesick Sect? ... Three years later, Su Ji sat in the seat of the Lovesick Sect’s sect master, sighing with emotion. His rise to this position all started when his junior sister adamantly insisted on preserving his "spiritual root." "Mmm... Senior Brother, what’s our relationship now?" "Stop talking. Keep going." "By the way, that newly promoted top-tier sect—didn’t they come to buy our Love Beans?" "One top-grade spirit stone per Love Bean—is that really so expensive?" "I suspect they’ve eaten too many Love Beans." "Now they’re lovesick." Well, this really is the Lovesick Sect after all.
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
