Chapter 49: Drinking and eating meat

Her waterfall of golden hair cascaded languidly over her shoulders.

The fringe on her forehead, perfectly aligned, swayed gently with the breeze.

Compared to Lin Shiyue’s beauty, which hinted at maturity, Gu Xiya’s current attire exuded an air of profound sophistication.

“What a coincidence, Gu Xiya,” Su Cheng greeted with a polite smile, patting her chest to calm her racing heart.

Gu Xiya’s face held a half-smile, her gaze flitting between Su Cheng and Lin Shiyue before settling on Su Cheng’s small face, which was etched with a ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ expression.

“Are you surprised to see me, Su Cheng?” Gu Xiya tilted her head slightly, a playful curve gracing her red lips.

“Well… a little, actually,” Su Cheng stammered, her tongue feeling tied.

Cutting straight to the chase, Gu Xiya proposed, “If you don’t mind, we could share a private room. It would be cheaper for everyone.”

“I’m fine with it; it depends on the others,” Su Cheng replied, turning to look at the other five.

Lin Shiyue was the first to speak, “I have no objections. Otherwise, we won’t have any barbecue to eat.”

“Hehe, Lin Shiyue certainly speaks the truth,” Gu Xiya chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.

Naturally, the four others offered no opposition, and the group of nine proceeded to their private room.

Located on the second floor, the room boasted a much better ambiance than the noisy main hall.

It was spacious and well-insulated, allowing only faint echoes of the lively chatter downstairs to filter through.

Inside the private room, everyone gathered around the circular grill, found their respective seats, and began to barbecue.

Su Cheng’s seating arrangement was peculiar: Lin Shiyue sat to her left, and Gu Xiya to her right.

Su Cheng secretly sighed, realizing she had indeed been targeted by these two.

Outside the window, the rain pattered softly, drumming against the glass.

Inside, the aroma of charcoal smoke mingled with the scent of food, creating an intoxicating blend.

The air was thick with the lingering, intense fragrances of chili powder, cumin, and sizzling meat fat fiercely intertwining over the hot coals.

“Su Cheng,” Gu Xiya suddenly spoke, her voice soft but clear, carrying a hint of sweetness, “have a piece of grilled meat.”

Turning her head to the right, Su Cheng looked at Gu Xiya, who held a skewer of sizzling, oil-dripping barbecue.

The meat, seventy percent golden-brown and thirty percent charred, was interwoven with perfect texture and color, its savory aroma perfectly blended with the scent of roasted spices.

Just smelling it made Su Cheng’s mouth water.

“Thank you! Don’t mind if I do,” Su Cheng accepted the skewer, eagerly taking a bite.

Rich, savory juices burst in her mouth, filling her palate with the distinct flavor of perfectly grilled meat.

Neither dry nor tough, the meat was cooked to perfection, and Su Cheng’s face immediately broke into an uncontrollable smile after just one bite.

Watching Su Cheng’s satisfied smile, Gu Xiya smugly glanced at Lin Shiyue, who was observing them both.

Lin Shiyue remained composed, her gaze quickly shifting to the grill, where the skewers in her hand were nearing completion.

She needed to concentrate fully at this moment.

Lin Shiyue was grilling beef skewers, and if overcooked, missing the optimal doneness, the beef would lose its tender texture.

At this point, the beef slices were nearing a medium-rare state, their deep red color almost entirely vanished, turning to a grayish-brown.

“Now!” Lin Shiyue murmured deeply, her eyes sharp as a hawk’s.

The instant the deep red of the beef slices disappeared, Lin Shiyue swiftly lifted the skewers from the grill, sprinkled them with sauce and cumin powder, and then quickly seared them over the fire for a few seconds to fully release the flavors of the seasonings before finally taking them off.

“Phew, all done! Here, Chengcheng, have some.”

Lin Shiyue let out a long breath, smiling as she offered Su Cheng two steaming beef skewers.

“Oh, they look so delicious! Shiyue, you’re amazing at this.”

Just as Su Cheng finished the barbecue in her hand, she smoothly took the beef from Lin Shiyue, coincidentally catching Gu Xiya’s slightly displeased gaze.

Lin Shiyue chuckled happily, “Eat quickly, they won’t taste as good when they’re cold.”

Su Cheng quietly savored the beef skewers Lin Shiyue had grilled.

The moment the tender, juicy beef touched her tongue, her eyes widened in stunned delight.

Her mouth was flooded with the fresh, savory taste of beef, the juices exploding like a series of fragrant bombs, continuously detonating in her mouth.

It was even more fragrant and mellow than Gu Xiya’s barbecue.

Beyond its deliciousness, her grilled beef also contained an indescribable quality.

In short, it was simply exquisite.

Su Cheng gave Lin Shiyue a thumbs-up, her eyes brimming with satisfaction.

“Wow, this is truly amazing! Shiyue, you definitely deserve praise for this!” Su Cheng kept wiggling her thumb, as if giving Lin Shiyue a continuous stream of likes.

Lin Shiyue beamed, unable to stop smiling, as she tasted her own barbecue while flipping the large shrimp still on the grill.

“Actually, this is my first time grilling. I’ve only watched videos before.”

“Oh, Shiyue, don’t be so modest! I know you often cook at home, so a little barbecue is no challenge for you.”

Su Cheng continued to praise Lin Shiyue, and her unintentional words first startled Lin Shiyue, then made her smile along.

‘It felt as if Su Cheng knew her better than she knew herself, but how did she know Lin Shiyue often cooked at home?’

‘The current Su Cheng had never mentioned it to her before.’

‘There was only one answer.’

“Beer and drinks are here!”

Chen Xi and Sun Xiaochen entered the private room, carrying beer and other beverages.

Su Cheng, who had just been wondering what to drink, suddenly had beer delivered to her.

“I want beer! One can!” Su Cheng waved to them.

Chen Xi handed Su Cheng a can of beer. “Chengcheng, you drink beer? Not your happy water?”

“Of course, you have to drink beer with barbecue to truly enjoy it!” Su Cheng declared, pulling the tab on her beer can and taking two satisfying gulps.

“Are you auditioning to be a barbecue spokesperson?” Sun Xiaochen teased.

“Heck yeah, absolutely! Ah, this is the life, sis!”

Su Cheng looked around, noting that few people were drinking with her.

Lin Shiyue, seated beside her, stood up, grabbed a can of beer, opened it, and took a couple of sips to wet her throat.

“Chengcheng, I’ll join you! Come on, let’s have one.”

Su Cheng smiled brightly at Lin Shiyue, raising her beer can to lightly clink with Lin Shiyue’s.

“Cheers!”

Both took a sip of beer simultaneously, the slightly bitter taste perfectly cutting through the greasiness in their mouths.

“Burp! Delicious,” Lin Shiyue burped, her eyes momentarily wavering before she returned to grilling her large shrimp.

In this scene, Su Cheng recalled her past with Lin Shiyue, when they would go for barbecue every two weeks.

Each time they ate barbecue, they would drink and eat meat just like this.

Whenever Lin Shiyue’s eyes grew hazy from drink, nearing intoxication, Su Cheng’s face would only turn slightly flushed.

Back then, after finishing barbecue, Su Cheng not only had to pay the bill but also had to carry Lin Shiyue back to their school dormitory.

Looking back, it was truly a beautiful memory of youth.

Watching the two of them drink so happily, Gu Xiya, who had never touched alcohol before, mustered her courage.

She opened a can of beer and joined Su Cheng and Lin Shiyue.

Gu Xiya nudged Su Cheng’s arm, drawing her attention.

“I’m drinking too! Let’s clink.”

Su Cheng met Gu Xiya’s beer can, lightly clinked it, and patted Gu Xiya’s shoulder.

“Xiya is drinking too? Be careful not to get drunk.”

“It’s fine,” Gu Xiya shook her head, nervously eyeing the amber beer in her can, an unease stemming from the unknown.

“Oh, come on, drink up! Why aren’t you drinking? Or maybe you should just stick to soft drinks,” Su Cheng said, a hint of urging in her voice, yet also considering that this was Gu Xiya’s first encounter with beer.

Gu Xiya held her breath and took a full gulp of the bitter liquid in one go.

The intense sensation made the young woman tightly close her eyes, her eyelids fluttering uncontrollably.

“Haha, Xiya, slow down!”

Witnessing Gu Xiya’s first beer experience firsthand, Su Cheng found her reaction quite amusing.

Just from that single gulp, Gu Xiya’s cheeks had already flushed with a tipsy redness.

“Come on, let’s keep drinking!”

Su Cheng raised her can again for a clink.

Lin Shiyue remained at ease, while Gu Xiya was clearly struggling a bit.

Yet, with the atmosphere so lively, Gu Xiya pushed through, determined to drink.

Only the three of them were drinking in the private room, and they were also the ones having the most fun.

The atmosphere slowly became more vibrant, driven by Su Cheng.

The group in the private room ate, drank, and laughed heartily, enjoying themselves immensely.