Black Gold

And so, Xia Lin easily recovered her energetic appearance.

This made Xia Lin herself feel quite amazed. How should she put it... this kind of absurd method that usually only appears in jokes actually worked?

Before Xia Lin could finish marveling, Su Bai was about to massage her ankle again.

Earlier, when Xia Lin first sprained her ankle, Su Bai had only sprayed some aerosol on it as a simple emergency treatment.

Now that the tent was set up, Su Bai prepared to use his skill, Causality Physiotherapy (Master Level), to fix Xia Lin's ankle.

Spraining an ankle was indeed quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, Xia Lin's injury was relatively minor. Plus, she worked out regularly, so her ligaments and joints were strong enough. As long as she was careful during physical activities, she wasn't easily injured.

"You really are a man of many talents..." Xia Lin couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"Of course. I have a lot of free time anyway, so I take the opportunity to develop more hobbies." Su Bai gently handled Xia Lin's foot, which was clad in a pale yellow cotton sock, making it look especially delicate and exquisite. "Not bad."

What was not bad?

Xia Lin was a bit confused. She noticed Su Bai staring earnestly at her foot and suddenly realized—was this guy praising it for being... pretty?

Because Su Bai's expression was so sincere, it didn't seem creepy at all.

A faint smile touched the corners of her mouth, her eyes bright. The two of them sat quietly in the newly pitched tent on the soft floor mat, enjoying the bright winter sunlight filtering through the fabric.

The spot Su Bai had chosen for the tent was on the edge of the area designated by the outdoor association. The others consciously kept their distance from him. After all, Su Bai had driven his own car and teamed up with Xia Lin without anyone else in their group. This made it clear that they were just here to enjoy the trip on their own and didn't want to join the crowd.

Moreover, Su Bai's tent itself had an aloof vibe that kept people at a distance.

It was a Hilleberg Nammatj 2 GT, featuring fortress-level protection, top-tier wind and snow resistance, and polar expedition-grade materials and craftsmanship.

This was a tent that cost tens of thousands even for the standard model.

Compared to the hundred-yuan entry-level tents most people were using, it was entirely in a different league.

Those successful upperclassmen who had bought entry-level affordable luxury tents stared at the luxurious yet understated space-gray high-tech fabric of Su Bai's tent from afar, secretly feeling a bit embarrassed.

That was close. Thank goodness they hadn't tried to show off their gear earlier; otherwise, it would have been incredibly awkward now.

Fortunately, Su Bai had brought his own female companion and was doing his own thing, which meant he wasn't going to steal their thunder.

Today was still a matchmaking event for these successful men.

The only gearhead who loved to show off and didn't feel embarrassed was probably Xue Tao.

After all, as Su Bai's roommate, Xue Tao was already used to the feeling of being completely crushed by him. He could shamelessly continue to show off. How should one put it? Su Bai was simply on a different level and didn't participate in the petty squabbles of small fry like them.

Xue Tao was busy pitching his tent, but his hands were a bit sweaty, and he couldn't get it right for a long time. Huang Ran, pretending to be a beginner making a casual attempt, helped him finally get the tent set up.

In reality, she knew how to do it, but she didn't want to appear too capable. This was the self-cultivation of a green tea—knowing how to make a man feel a sense of accomplishment.

It wasn't just green teas; anyone who had been in sales and knew how to coax clients understood this routine. In short, it was all about making people happy.

"Huh, Senior, aren't you... aren't you sharing a tent with Liu Yuanyuan?"

Seeing the vice president pull over an unfamiliar guy—seemingly another buddy from the outdoor association—and skillfully setting up a tent together, Xue Tao couldn't help but ask.

He had assumed the vice president would definitely share with Liu Yuanyuan, considering they had already hooked up.

"Haha, my good bro and I need to discuss some serious matters at the last minute. Besides, junior Yuanyuan... she probably prefers to hang out more with the girls."

"Oh, oh, I see."

Xue Tao was a bit confused, but it didn't matter. Regardless, he was going to make things clear with her tonight.

Along the way, Huang Ran had pampered him so much he practically reverted to an embryo. This made Xue Tao even more certain that his decision to break up with Liu Yuanyuan was the right one.

As for why the senior had suddenly cast Liu Yuanyuan aside, he had no idea.

...

The afternoon was designated for free exploration in the nearby area.

But before that, they needed to have a proper lunch.

Su Bai had brought a complete set of camping cookware. Because it was a lightweight combo, it wasn't tiring to carry.

The visual effect was just a bit magical; after all, the cookware still had some bulk. When Su Bai had come up carrying two large bags while carrying Xia on his back, he had truly shocked quite a few people.

"I get to taste your cooking today." Xia Lin looked full of anticipation. "What ingredients did you prepare?"

"A bit of everything. There are quite a few side ingredients, but the main one is this."

Su Bai opened the cooler box and took out something pitch black.

Xia Lin instantly recognized it: "Ah, it's a black abalone. I used to be so scared of this thing."

"What's there to be scared of?"

"When I was little, I hated eating black things. According to my mom, when I was around four, I had some really awful squid ink pasta, and it left me with psychological trauma..."

"Fortunately, I'm... not black."

"?"

Xia Lin was amused by Su Bai's sudden cheekiness. She couldn't help but pull his head into her arms and rub it.

She really liked rubbing Su Bai's head. His hair had a great texture, which was a sign of good health. Good health meant that the children they would have in the future would be very healthy... Ahhhh, what am I thinking...

Xia Lin couldn't help but laugh at her own wild thoughts.

Perhaps because so many sweet moments had already occurred between them, she had begun to fantasize about their future life together.

After all, Xia Lin held very traditional views. Since she had met a man she liked, she wanted to have children, and more than just one.

Black abalone, native to New Zealand, is part of the traditional big three delicacies alongside bird's nest and shark fin. Its main characteristic is actually its color, which comes from the dark membrane formed by adhering to volcanic rocks.

Compared to domestic abalone, its flavor is also slightly different.

The meat is firmer and more chewy, and its sweet, rich flavor is much more pronounced.

It grows extremely slowly, taking 8 to 10 years to reach the legal harvesting size, and must be hand-harvested by divers under strict regulations.

Due to being wild-caught, subject to fishing quotas, and incurring high airfreight costs, it is extremely rare and expensive.

Depending on the size, a single one can cost anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand yuan.

Because of its large size and the differences in its parts, it is popular to prepare it in multiple ways, known as one abalone, multiple dishes.

Su Bai had brought this thing precisely because it required a bit of effort to prepare, yet wasn't overly complicated. It was perfect for camp cooking as a leisurely pastime.

He had simply contacted a familiar supplier and asked for a high-quality one, which was enough to make a lunch for him and Xia.

Preparing ingredients from scratch was indeed quite fulfilling. Moreover, high-quality, expensive ingredients weren't difficult to handle; they only required simple cooking to yield excellent results.