401. Fu Ge's Roommate
******
At the mention of hot pot, Qiao Nian's interest was piqued. Mumbling an ''Mm-hm,'' she put away her mobile phone and followed him.
''I'm going to drive over.'' Ye Wangchuan smirked.
He walked in front to lead the way. When passing by Wen Ziyu, he didn't even give him a glance from the corner of his eye and just passed by.
Qiao Nian did the same.
She wasn't rude or showing an attitude to Wen Ziyu, she simply forgot that someone like this had struck up an conversation with her before.
They walked past, leaving only Gu San and Wen Ziyu behind.
Compared to Ye Wangchuan, who didn't regard his 'opponent' as a human being, Gu San thought he was a bit more humane. When passing by Wen Ziyu, he stretched out his hand and patted his shoulder with a sympathetic expression. ''My condolences!''
Wen Ziyu: ''...''
Just then, his cell phone rang.
He watched the direction the three people were leaving and couldn't recover for a long while, then his phone rang impatiently. He lowered his head absent-mindedly and glanced at the called ID.
Fu Ge.
Frowning, he picked up and slowly put the phone to his ear.
''Hello? Yeah, I'm at university. Just now?''
He glanced again at the pillar that Qiao Nian had stood leaning on and recalled the gangsterish and ostentatious look on her face.
Feeling lost, he said, ''I just encountered something. It's Okay now. You guys eat first. Just send me the address and I'll come over right away.''
With that, he hung up.
After a while, a message popped in and sent him a location tag. It was fairly a high-end restaurant near the school.
Fu Ge sent him another message.
His message said something like 'my girlfriend has just finished taking the exam and is a little tired, so she doesn't want to eat at a place too far away. We have found a random place near the school to eat at. When I'm free next time, I will treat you to a high-end clubhouse for dinner.'
Wen Ziyu just looked at the message with his eyelashes down, without any expression on his little fair face. However, a trace of disdain seemed to pass through the depths of his eyes.
He casually replied, ''Ok.''
But he felt otherwise inside.
There were only a few top students in the Finance Faculty of Qing University, and there would be very few promising students in the future. Fu Ge was not bad; he was young, rather intelligent, and also had a decent family background. Furthermore, he was in the same dormitory as him. Their relationship was okay, and they could be regarded as friends.
Fu Ge was alright when he first came into contact with him, but he became a little indescribable after a while.
For example, the message he had sent just now.
It was too vain!
It was understandable if he wanted to bring his girlfriend along to treat his roommates and to introduce her to them on the way.
His girlfriend was rumored to have good grades and had come to take the independent admissions exam. Since she was their junior; they could help take care of her in the future.
However, he could have just invited them to a normal restaurant. After all, what kind of city was Beijing? Unlike Rao City, you could find wealthy gentlemen here at every turn.
The Fu family was considered pretty reputable in Rao City, but in Beijing, where crouching tigers and hidden dragons were everywhere, their family background was not enough.
At most, Fu Ge could spend money to book a fairly high-end restaurant to treat them. Every high-end clubhouse in Beijing only accepted reputable people. It was already difficult for himself to enter, but he wanted to treat everyone there? Wasn't he just tooting his own horn, insisting on safeguarding his pride?
Having come from the top circle himself, Wen Ziyu couldn't appreciate such fake behavior.
He glanced at the location address Fu Ge had sent him, deleted the message, put his phone in his pocket, and walked outside the school gate.
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402. Ye Wangchuan's 'Ordinary' Mongolian Hot Pot
*******
Qiao Nian didn't know that the person she had randomly met at the campus actually knew Fu Ge.
She had already arrived at the supposedly authentic Mongolian hot pot place.
''Miss Qiao, we're here.''
The car drove into a quaint alley and stopped outside. It was Saturday, and Ye Wangchuan seemed to have taken her to a tourist attraction, as the narrow alley was full of bustling tourists. All sorts of different accents could be heard, along with many small shops of 10 square meters on both sides of the road. These shops sold porcelain, antiques, ad beaded necklaces for 10 yuan.
She thought it would take a long time to get to the place he wanted to eat at. Who knew that after walking for a while, they stopped in front of a courtyard.
In the front street, the chatter of bustling tourists was very loud. A distance of one street away was a winding path, quiet and leisurely.
A big sweet-scented osmanthus tree was also planted in front of the door.
Osmanthus flowers were most fragrant in October, and its faint scent could be smelled all along the way.
Seemingly familiar with this place, Gu San said with a smile, ''Miss Qiao, this is the place. This restaurant's Mongolian hot pot soup is very delicious. It can be said to be the most authentic in Beijing. Usually, diners need to reserve a table half a year in advance, and most people can't eat it.''
Looking up at the eaves of green brick and green tiles in front of her, Qiao Nian said leisurely, ''Mm-hm, I can tell.''
Yuan Yongqin had bought her a courtyards house in Beijing.
It cost nine digits.
The location was not as good as this, and it was not as big either,
A Mongolian hot [ot store in such a place was basically a private kitchen.
As long as the word ''private house'' was affixed, it was not a place that diners could eat at casually.
The price was as authentic as the taste!
Ordinary people might not even have heard of this place, nor would it appear on review apps. After all, most people couldn't afford it, let alone comment on the taste.
''Let's go.'' Ye Wangchuan was familiar with this place and led Qiao Nian in.
Qiao Nian didn't care, she could afford it herself. But she couldn't reserve a place, so she followed him in very casually.
Only Gu San watched the two of them more casually. He thought about how excited he had been just now, rubbed the tip of nose, and followed them inside sheepishly.
The courtyard was as big as Qiao Nian thought, decorated in the style of the old Beijing city. The decoration was not exquisite, there were no set of pavilions as seen in the south, and it was more of the rugged atmosphere of northern buildings.
The boss here seemed to know Ye Wangchuan very well.
As soon as they entered, the boss greeted him. After seeing Ye Wangchuan, he couldn't help but smile widely. He frequently looked in her direction and seemed to say something to Ye Wangchuan.
Not caring, Qiao Nian looked around lazily with her dark eyes.
Soon, the boss found an empty room for them and brought the pot over.
There was also a red dipping saucer that was different from sesame sauce.
Ye Wangchuan picked up the dipping dish with his beautiful hand and placed it in front on her. Sitting cross-legged, she was playing with her phone. Glancing at her posture, he said in a low voice, ''It's a little spicy. Tell me if you can't handle it later, and I'll ask the boss to change it for you.''
Gu San almost fainted at the sight of the red oil dipping saucer. He exclaimed in his heart, it other guests saw this dipping saucer, their eyes would definitely almost fall out!
After all, those in Beijing who liked Mongolian hot pot all knew that this private kitchen had many rules. They didn't allow many things and were very strict.
If they didn't follow the boss's rules, they wouldn't be able to come back in the future.
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403. Two Classic Theories
******
Only Master Wang could get Miss Qiao a spicy dipping sauce in the private kitchen of an authentic Mongolian hot pot, and so confidently!
While replying to Nie Mi's messages, Qiao Nian looked up and glanced at the dipping dish in front of her, which did not have any millet pepper in the red oil, and said lazily, ''No, it's doesn't need to be changed.''
Understanding her meaning that it wasn't spicy enough, Ye Wangchuan's eyes twinkled.
''Let's just eat first.''
He moved with an outstanding demeanor, elegantly rolling up his sleeves, and revealing his strong wrist. His wrist bone line was smooth and full of tension, and his silver bracelet was worn with Buddha beads, looking very eye-catching.
''If you can't eat the sesame sauce, I'll have someone change a plate for you.''
''Mm.''
Qiao Nian had actually eaten sesame sauce before. Yuan Yongqin was from Beijing, and she used to take her to eat northern hot pot in Rao City. She had tried sesame sauce once and found the taste acceptable. It wasn't spicy, but it had peanuts and the scent of sesame. She could eat it, but not too much, or she would feel surfeited.
After a while, the thinly sliced mutton was brought up.
The private dishes in the courtyard house arranged the mutton beautifully, making it look very appetizing, and the smell of the hot pot soup prevaded the room.
Qiao Nian was a little hungry.
She never treated herself badly when it came to eating. Just after replying to Nie Mi's news, she picked up the chopsticks and started to eat.
This Mongolian hot pot was indeed authentic and traditional.
When she ate with Yuan Yongqin in Rao City before, the mutton smell had not been cleaned up, and the soup was tainted with that smell.
For those unfamiliar with it, the taste could be unappetizing.
But this restaurant's hot pot tasted much better. The mutton soup had a creamy white base and a rich fragrance. The key was that there was no mutton smell and the mutton was kept as fresh and delicious as possible.
She dipped the cooked mutton in sesame sauce, wrapped it in chopped green onion and coriander, and enjoyed the deliciously tender meat.
She couldn't help eating several servings, before finally putting down her chopsticks when she couldn't eat anymore. Leaning back on the chair, she half squinted her eyes lazily, completely satisfied.
Ye Wangchuan didn't eat much and only accompanied her. Seeing that she was full, he put down his chopsticks and wiped the corners of his mouth. He raised his eyes and asked casually, ''Where are you going in the afternoon? Do you want to go shopping in Beijing?"
''No, I don't want to walk.''
Qiao Nian had just eaten her fill and was a little sleepy. Her eyelids began to fight to stay open, and she sprawled on the chair.
Gu San realized for the first time that his appetite was extremely good. He was still eating when everyone was already full. Too embarrassed to continue eating, he put down his chopsticks and wondered aloud upon hearing that Miss Qiao didn't want to go shopping, ''Miss Qiao, you're already here. If you don't go for a stroll, wouldn't you have come here in vain?"
Qiao Nian supported her chin with one hand, closed her eyes halfway, and shook her head with a wild expression. ''Here again, the two domestic classic theories of 'already here, don't ruin such a festival'.''
''Huh?" Gu San's face was blank. He didn't get it.
Qiao Nian's pink lips touched, and she said precisely, ''I saw on the internet that everything in China can be solved with two sentences. The first sentence is 'already here,' and the second sentence is 'Don't ruin such a festival'... didn't you just say the first sentence? I suddenly remembered this slogan.''
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404. GIFT
******
Gu San choked.
He hand't thought of it this way until Qiao Nian said it, but it seemed like most things could indeed be solved with these two sentences.
He was lost in thought.
Qiao Nian glanced at the time on the phone and turned to looked at Ye Wangchuan. ''Is there a gift shop in the alley outside?"
Ye Wangchuan's eyebrows were relaxed and unbridled. Leaning back in the chair, leaving aside the foam in the teacup, his expression relaxed, and his voice sounded a little hoarse. ''There should be.''
He paused, then met Qiao Nian's eyes and raised his eyebrows, ''Are you going shopping?"
''Yeah," Qiao Nian sajd frankly without concealing her thoughts. ''I want to see if there are any toys that children like so that I can buy a present present Chen Chen.''
The little guy had persisted in sending messages to her every day for the past few days. At any rate, she was already out, so even I'd she didn't travel around, she could still bring a small gift home.
At the mention of Ye Qichen, her entire face softened, and the wild gansterish aura over her body was weakened drastically. She put her hands on the table one on the top of the other and said casually, ''What kind of toys does Chen Chen like?"
Gu San immediately wanted to answer when he heard this. ''Little Master likes the Steel....''
He almost blurted out the Steel Saints, BB Guns, etc..., but he suddenly remembered that Ye Qichen's usual age in front of Qiao Nian was obedient and cute. He didn't seem like a little overlord who loved to play with such tough guy toys!
He even wore kitten T-shirts!
He was just short of wearing kitten ears and being obedient in first of Qiao Nian!
Qiao Nian: ''Steel what?"
Gu San showed an indescribable expression and immediately shook his head, feeling put on the spot. ''No, nothing.''
Having graduated from a prestigious university and following Ye Wangchuan every day, he was not mindless. He reacted quickly and immediately changed his tune. ''I said that Young Master likes cats made of steel.'z
''....Cats made of steel?" Qiao Nian was stunned. She didn't expect such a toy to exist. She looked curious and her black eyes were constricted. ''Is it solid? How does one play with it?"
There was no way to play with it! Gu San replied like so in his heart, but his words still sounded justified and well-found. ''...It's not for playing, just for looking. Young Master likes those cute toys to look at, he likes to collect them.''
''Oh.'' Qiao Nian didn't think much and silently remembered this in her heart. She planned to wait and see if there was a shop selling such a toy outside.
Ye Wangchuan listened to them and then glanced at Gu San meaningfully. Gu San shrank his neck and closed his mouth helplessly.
He didn't want to talk nonsense in panic, but Young Master was like that in front of Miss Qiao, he couldn't expose him!
Qiao Nian was searching with her mobile phone, fearing that there was no such kind of solid steel cat toy outside. She wanted to see if there was any on the internet when she heard a low voice saying, ''Don't listen to Gu San's nonsense. Qichen likes BB guns and game consoles. Some are being sold outside, you can buy one for him. As long as it's a gift from you, he'll definitely like it.''
BB Guns and game consoles were more in line with the type of toys that a five-year-old boy liked. Qiao Nian was indeed afraid that she wouldn't find any strange cat sculptures, so she heaved a sigh of relief and immediately felt less worried. Her eyebrows relaxed and she looked up sharply. ''Then, I'll go down and look for it later.''
''Do you want me to accompany you?" Ye Wangchuan asked immediately.
Qiao Nian glanced at him and shook her head. ''No, bring the car back first. I'll go over to meet you after I buy it, it won't take long.''
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405. ALL BETTER THAN THE CHINESE MEDICINE FACULTY
*******
Gu San still wanted to hold on for a while and find an opportunity to ask Qiao Nian if she really planned to apply for the Chinese Medicine Faculty .
To be honest, before seeing her results, he thought that it would be problematic to enter this faculty, but now, he knew her results- the first place in Qing University!
Full marks!
She was the greatest genius ever!
It would be a waste for Qiao Nian to enter this faculty and not go to an ace faculty!
The Finance Department and Clinical Department were all better than the Chinese Medicine Faculty.
Why did Miss Qiao choose a major that had already fallen out of popularity?
Gu San felt like a bone was lodged in his throat, but Ye Wangchuan didn't notice his anxiety.
He watched as Master Wang agreed to Miss Qiao.
''Go on.''
Gu San was speechless.
...
Since she wanted to choose a gift for the little guy, Qiao Nian was more serious and patiently walked around the alley outside the courtyard.
The alleys extended in all directions and were interspersed with all kinds of courtyards. It was originally supposed to be a large courtyard residential area but had gradually developed into a tourist attraction. With more tourists, ordinary people outside had changed their own residences into shops and redecorated them. After a while, the outside area had become a tourist area.
Deep in the alley, for example, the courtyard where Ye Wangchuan had taken her to eat was still a residential area.
This also led to cars often coming in the narrow alleys, and out-of-towners who didn't know the license plate numbers might treat them as ordinary cars.
However, the locals understood the identity of the representative license plate numbers, such as Beijing 0869.
Qiao Nian watched a car with a Beijing license plate of 77999 driving past and remembered the HQ that Ye Wangchuan drove. The car was very low-key, but the license plate was arrogant.
888666.
This license plate didn't start with 0, but it was even more difficult to obtain.
It was exactly like his style.
It looked low-key and resteained and revealed an extraordinary identity everywhere.
It was too easy to find a toy store that sold children's favorites in tourist attractions, and Qiao Nian quickly found a store within a few steps.
She went in and chose a few toys that children would like. After paying for it, she came out of the store and sent a message to Ye Wangchuan, asking them to send her a location for her to find them.
Who knew that someone would stop her from behind.
''Qiao Nian?"
She wasn't familiar with this voice; at least, she didn't hear it often.
Looking behind her, she saw a group of young men and women walking together not far away. The one who called her was one of the girls. She was tall and wore a shirt and washed blue jeans. Because of her superior height and figure, the simple style gave her a generous temperament.
''You guys wait for me.''
Originally thinking she was mistaken, Jiang Xianrou had called out the person in front of her with uncertainty, but she didn't expect her to turn around and really show her a face she didn't want to see.
She talked to the few friends who had come out with her, then walked quickly to Qiao Nian with a sullen face. Her eyes were arrogant, the corners of her eyebrows were raised in disdain, and her hands were crossed over her chest. ''Why did you come to Beijing? Where's Jiang Li, didn't he come with you?"
Having said that, she thought of the figure she had seen outside the Imperial Mansion that day, the one that resembled Qiao Nian.
She had been uncertain because she thought Qiao Nian was studying in Rao City.
But now that she was standing in front of her, she couldn't help but think about it again.
Faint disgust could be seen on her face. She didn't want to introduce Qiao Nian to her friends or even let people know that she had an extra cousin.
''What are you doing in Beijing instead of studying in Rao City?"