Chapter 146: Tao’s Little Thoughts

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Tao’s Little Thoughts

"Girlfriends?"

Su Yunzhou shook his head.

Using that word to define his relationship with them didn’t seem quite accurate. But... he couldn’t think of a better way to describe it at the moment.

Calling them "friends with benefits" felt too vulgar. Calling them "soulmates" didn’t feel appropriate, either. Describing them as "intimately intertwined companions" was probably the most fitting.

Tao wasn’t surprised by this answer. After all, ninety percent of men out looking for fun would claim they didn’t have a girlfriend. As for the remaining ten percent, they might genuinely not have a girlfriend—because they had a boyfriend instead.

Tao turned the steering wheel and asked tentatively, "Then what kind of girls do you like, handsome?"

"Oh?" A smile tugged at the corner of Su Yunzhou’s lips. "Are you trying to play matchmaker for me?"

Tao giggled. She nodded slightly, a trace of curiosity in her eyes. "I have a lot of high-quality, different types of friends around me. It just depends on whether they can meet your high standards!"

"Me?" Su Yunzhou thought about it carefully. He genuinely didn’t know what type he liked. With Tong’s help, the women he encountered now were all the kind others envied. So he joked, "I actually don’t have any requirements. As long as they aren’t a guy, it’s fine."

Tao burst into giggles. "Handsome, how come I didn’t realize you were so funny during the livestream earlier? Actually," she continued, "having no requirements is the strictest requirement of all."

The two chatted and laughed.

The Porsche 911 drove into Taikoo Li. After drawing plenty of envious gazes, the two emerged from the parking garage and walked toward the hot pot restaurant.

Five Miles Pass Hot Pot.

A famous, time-honored brand in Rongcheng. To secure such a massive storefront in the ultra-expensive Taikoo Li commercial district was proof enough of its power.

It was peak dinner time, and a long line of people waiting for a table had already formed at the entrance.

This place was extremely famous and supposedly delicious, but Su Yunzhou had never eaten here. The reason was simple: he didn’t want to line up. In his eyes, spending an hour or two waiting in line for good food wasn’t as good as finding a mediocre spot, finishing quickly, and going home early.

A wife, kids, and a warm hearth. Wasn’t it much more comfortable to go home and lie down?

Though he didn’t have a wife or kids yet. But going back to the hotel with a beautiful woman by his side, doing things they "loved" to do, playing some games, and being a seafood Hunter—what a blissful life that was.

Seeing Su Yunzhou frown, Tao considerately said, "Handsome, I’ve done a photoshoot at this restaurant before. I just called the boss and reserved a table!"

Hearing this, Su Yunzhou gave her a thumbs-up.

Tao made another call at the door, then led him inside.

The greeter at the door was a pretty young girl. This seemed to be an unspoken consensus among all successful restaurants. The face of the establishment had to have great looks, a great figure, a sweet smile, and a cute voice.

After the waitress asked a few questions in a sweet, soft voice and confirmed they were the VIP guests the boss had mentioned, she immediately said, "I’m sorry, we don’t have any private rooms left. Our boss saved a table for you on the second floor. Please follow me."

The waitress led the two of them inside.

The first-floor dining hall was packed to the brim with customers. Hot pots were boiling, and a myriad of delicious aromas drifted through the air. The simple, bustling warmth of everyday life was truly the greatest comfort to the mortal soul.

They went up the nearby stairs to the second floor, where the waitress brought them to a small booth by the window.

"Sir, Miss, please scan the QR code to order," she said. "I’ll get back to work now. If you need anything, just call for one of my colleagues!"

"Thank you."

Tao pulled out her phone, scanned the QR code, and blinked her big eyes. "Handsome, can you handle spicy food?"

"Medium spicy is fine!"

"Okay! Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"Nope! Just order whatever you like!"

A short while later, the hot pot was served.

The red chili oil base was even molded into the shape of Hello Kitty. Tao smiled happily and took some photos to post online.

A waiter brought over two bowls of dessert. "Handsome, try this! This little panda cold cake is handmade. It’s super delicious!"

"Oh?" Su Yunzhou picked up a spoon and took a bite. The cold cake melted in his mouth, the sweetness perfectly balanced. "Not bad!"

Watching his expression, Tao asked, "Handsome, do you want something to drink?"

Su Yunzhou asked in return, "Can you drink? Didn’t you drive?"

Tao smiled slightly. "I don’t usually drink, but when I meet the right person, I have to drink a little!"

Su Yunzhou returned her smile.

You just had to take the words of these beautiful internet celebrities with a grain of salt.

The right person! What did "right" mean? The right wallet? Or the right equipment?

And what about drinking a little? "A little" probably meant around thirty-something bottles.

Tao ordered half a dozen Franziskaner wheat beers, which the waiter quickly brought over. She popped open two bottles and filled a glass to the brim.

"Handsome, here’s to you. Thank you for your help today!"

CLINK. Their glasses gently met.

Su Yunzhou took a sip and said, "If anyone should be saying thank you, it’s me! You took me out to eat, drink, and have fun today."

Tao covered her mouth, giggling softly.

It wasn’t long before the hot pot began to boil. Looking at the bright red broth and smelling the mouth-watering aroma wafting over, Su Yunzhou swallowed hard. He was actually getting pretty hungry.

Tao was very considerate. She picked up the serving chopsticks and began cooking the ingredients. The boiling steam flushed her small face red. A couple of playful beads of sweat hung on her forehead before sliding down the bridge of her high nose, making her look even more radiant.

"Handsome, come try this. This beef tripe is absolutely amazing!"

Su Yunzhou smiled. "You don’t need to be so polite. I can serve myself!"

"You’re the one being polite, handsome!" Tao’s eyes narrowed into happy little crescents. "I’ll let you in on a secret: the livestream this afternoon did really well. I made a nice little payout today!"

Seeing her expectant "hurry up and praise me" expression, Su Yunzhou gave her a double thumbs-up. "That’s awesome!" He raised his glass again. "Then here’s to you making that nice little payout every single day."

Their conversation, coupled with their striking good looks, attracted the attention of quite a few customers. A young man in a plaid shirt at the neighboring table watched this harmonious scene with particular envy.

He couldn’t help but lament inwardly. They were both men, so why was the difference in treatment so drastic?

His internal lamentation hadn’t even finished when he heard his Little Fairy girlfriend pouting beside him.

"It’s overcooked! It’s overcooked! You overcooked the tripe!

"If you keep cooking it carelessly like this, I won’t eat with you next time!"

The plaid-shirted young man offered a bitter smile. "I’m sorry, babe. I’ll cook another piece for you!"

"Hmph!" The Little Fairy looked incredibly wronged.

Watching from the side, Su Yunzhou couldn’t help but shake his head. That young man wasn’t bad-looking—he was clean-cut with refined features. Why couldn’t he think straight and avoid getting together with a Little Fairy? Why was he willingly suffering like this at such a young age?

It was common sense to keep a respectful distance from the species known as the "Little Fairy." One moment they wanted to go east, the next moment west. One moment they were too hot, the next they were too cold. Their main defining trait was sheer unpredictability. They threw tantrums over every little thing. And when they finally pushed the guy to give up, they would blame him for having no patience. They would even emotionally blackmail him, before ultimately crying and throwing themselves into the arms of the next fish in their pond.

In Su Yunzhou’s opinion, when dealing with women, if you had no morals, you couldn’t be emotionally blackmailed. All you upstanding gentlemen out there would do well to ponder that carefully.

Amidst the steaming heat of the hot pot, the two ate joyfully, talking and laughing. Su Yunzhou had a great appetite and ate quite a bit. Tao said she needed to maintain her figure and didn’t eat much, but she specifically emphasized that she loved eating with people who had big appetites like him because it made the food seem more delicious.

Su Yunzhou smiled without a word and focused on devouring his food. When faced with Tao’s seemingly casual questions, he answered very nonchalantly.

By the time they finished their hot pot, it was almost nine o’clock at night.

"Waiter, the bill!" Su Yunzhou called the waiter over, only to be told that the bill had already been paid.

Tao smiled radiantly. "You can treat me next time, handsome!"

"Alright." Su Yunzhou nodded.

The two of them walked outside.

Not far away, the young man in the plaid shirt cast an envious glance their way. He thought that this bro was a true role model for their generation. That beauty was gorgeous, had a great figure, and even rushed to pay the bill. Unlike his own Little Fairy—when they came out to eat, if she spent two yuan scanning a rental power bank, she acted like she had broken the bank.

SIGH. He was practically dying of jealousy! He really wanted to ask how that guy had managed to get to this point. What was his secret?

The two left the hot pot restaurant. A gentle breeze blew past.

Tao’s face bore a slight flush of intoxication. Based on her earlier roundabout probing and her observation of the details, Brother Yunzhou was definitely someone who didn’t lack money. He was likely a low-key second-generation heir.

Having grasped this piece of information, she wondered what angle to take next so she could step-by-step enter his heart—and his bed. Should she use the "pretend to be drunk" tactic? Or the "accidentally trip and act cute" method? Or perhaps deploy some other routine?