Chapter 676: Let’s Be Friends
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Yu Chu was dumbfounded, but that was not the case for Wu Hai.
Still carrying his bowl, Wu Hai did not return to his own seat even after warned by Jiang Changxi. Rather, he directly spoke to Sister Wan who was beside him.
“Sister Wan, let’s change seats,” Wu Hai whispered to him.
“What’s going on?” Sister Wan was slightly stunned before she asked.
“Nothing. I just feel like you have a nice seat,” said Wu Hai while carrying his bowl and stroking his mustache. He did not seem to feel any sense of shame.
While he spoke, he stole a glance at Sister Wan’s bowl.
Um, sure enough, there’s not a single Tangyuan left. I have no chance, Wu Hai muttered inwardly.
n.o.body could be as shameless as Wu Hai.
When Sister Wan was in a good mood, she would eat quickly. Since she was in a good mood, she had naturally finished her food quickly.
“Ok,” Sister Wan answered with a smile after sizing up Wu Hai and Jiang Changxi.
“Thank you.” Wu Hai immediately placed his bowl and chopsticks on Sister Wan’s table. He moved in an extremely deleterious manner.
After all, this seat was quite far from Jiang Changxi, also quite far from Ling Hong and Yu Chu who he had just s.n.a.t.c.hed Tangyuans from.
He had to first move to a safe distance. After all, Yu Chu had started to eat his Tangyuan now.
At Yu Chu’s side, he was stunned after his first bite at the Tangyuan. He only regained his mind after the scalding outer layer of the Tangyuan hurt his mouth.
“Hiss, so hot,” Yu Chu cried out.
However, the Tangyuan was already in his mouth. Naturally, Yu Chu couldn’t bear to spit it out. Therefore, he started quickly chewing it.
The moment he started chewing, something even more intense happened. The green outer layer of the Tangyuan had some green vegetables added to it by Yuan Zhou. Therefore, the outer layer had a faint fragrance of vegetables emanating out of it. Within the Tangyuan was pure minced meat and also a copious amount of gravy. The moment Yu Chu chewed on it, the gravy spread everywhere within his mouth.
The minced pork meat stuffed within the Tangyuan did not have the usual offensive smell. Rather, since it had been wrapped tightly within the Tangyuan, a savory fragrance erupted in his mouth the moment he chewed on it.
Although the pork stuffing had been diced into mincemeat, it was surprisingly very chewy. Savory gravy kept leaking out of the cracks of the mincemeat and exploded within his mouth.
‘The meat will probably feel quite greasy.’ Just as Yu Chu thought about this, the tiny leaves mixed with the outer layer were finally torn by his chewing and unleashed a fresh fragrance of vegetables, creating a balanced flavor of meat that was somewhat bland in his mouth.
Gulp. Yu Chu swallowed everything in his mouth in one go.
Immediately, a complicated expression appeared on his face and he started frowning as he looked at the half Tangyuan left in his spoon.
The bite mark on the remaining Tangyuan looked incredibly orderly, proving that Yu Chu’s teeth were very neat.
Of course, the slowly flowing out glossy gravy from the bite mark on the Tangyuan was incredibly seductive. It brought along a savory aroma that rushed straight into Yu Chu’s nostrils.
Even if one wanted to move one’s attention from the Tangyuan, one wouldn’t be able to.
The fresh-looking exterior of the Tangyuan, the tender pork meat stuffing within, and the slowly flowing out gravy that was filling up within the white spoon, was a sight that could immediately serve as a promotional picture of this Tangyuan.
Not only did it look good, but the fragrance was a.s.saulting his nose. Immediately, Yu Chu’s brain started screaming to him to eat the remaining Tangyuan as well.
Yu Chu was never one to make himself suffer. That was also the case when it came to food.
“Um, I won’t make myself suffer,” Yu Chu muttered to himself and swallowed the remaining half Tangyuan.
There was half a Tangyuan left. Therefore, when he chewed on it, he was a.s.saulted by an intense sense of satisfaction.
After all, the pork meat stuffing had a copious amount of gravy in it that immediately filled his mouth while chewing. At the same time, a refres.h.i.+ng flavor of vegetables would also erupt, producing a magnificent new flavor.
The first thing he did after finis.h.i.+ng this Tangyuan was to lower his head and look at his bowl.
Within the white bowl, only the clear and limpid soup was left. Let alone Tangyuan, not even the skin of the Tangyuan was left in it.
Yu Chu fell into a daze and started rubbing his chin, thinking about something with a frown.
“Boss, one more bowl of Tangyuan,” Yu Chu said to Yuan Zhou who was sitting in the kitchen.
Food was only to allay one’s hunger?
He did not care what food he ate? No, all of this was nowhere to be seen.
“You already had the portion allocated for you,” Yuan Zhou answered frankly.
“Ah?” Yu Chu was stunned. Holy sh*t, it’s over just like that?
“How’s the taste of the Tangyuan?” Jiang Changxi’s mocking voice sounded.
Yu Chu did not feel like replying her question. He abruptly turned his head and looked at Wu Hai with a sharp gaze.
“Hold on. Don’t eat. The Tangyuans in your bowl are mine.”
“Those Tangyuans are the proof of our friends.h.i.+p. In any case, I have already finished it,” Wu Hai earnestly said after swallowing the final bit of Tangyuan in his mouth.
“No, no, no, I regret my decision. We are not close after all,” Yu Chu said with his eyes locked on Wu Hai, obviously not believing what he was saying.
He had the urge of slamming his size 43 shoe on this fellow’s face that was about equivalent to size 33 shoe.
“Look.” Wu Hai lifted his bowl and turned it upside down. Let alone Tangyuan, not even a drop of the soup was left.
Yu Chu had never seen someone who could finish a soup so cleanly before.
Not every drop of milk was of the finest quality.
And not every customer could finish their food as cleanly as this.
“If a bowl licker is a profession, it will definitely be perfect for you.” Yu Chu was panting with rage, “Someone must be incredibly unlucky to have a friend like you.”
Wu Hai stood up and bowed down solemnly, “Sorry for troubling you.”
Yu Chu was at a loss of what to say.
“Wu Hai, since you claim to be his friend, what about drawing a portrait for your friend?” Chen Wei said.
One ought to know that Wu Hai had previously claimed to be the most expensive painter among the youth painters of the country. He was not lying when he said that. He did not create a lot of paintings, but each of them was extremely expensive. Even the cheapest one of them was priced at 32,000 RMB.
If he drew a portrait for someone specific, the value of the painting would be even higher.
Chen Wei had suggested that since he couldn’t stand Wu Hai being so smug here. Alas, Wu Hai’s reply caused him to be dumbstruck.
“No problem. I will start drawing tomorrow,” Wu Hai directly agreed.
“Don’t forget you still owe me a painting as well, mustache guy,” Ling Hong reminded.
“Yeah, yeah. I will start drawing tomorrow. One portrait and one painting.” Wu Hai nodded.
Mr. Wei couldn’t hold himself back anymore, “Are you serious?”
“Of course.” Wu Hai nodded.
“There is no need for that, right? Two paintings for a meal of Tangyuan?” Mr. Wei said.
They had personally witnessed many scenes of people coming to Yuan Zhou’s restaurant and begged for a painting from Wu Hai, offering high prices. However, Wu Hai still ignored them all and would reject all requests.
Everyone in the painting industry now knew that if one wanted to look for Wu Hai, one could come to Yuan Zhou’s restaurant. Because of Wu Hai, Yuan Zhou’s restaurant enjoyed a high reputation within the painting industry as well.
“No. You are wrong. I can always make more paintings but Boss Yuan’s Tangyuan will be gone after I eat them. There is no comparing the two,” Wu Hai said.
Mr. Wei felt like what Wu Hai said made a lot of sense. He did not know what he could say to that.
Ling Hong had an urge to call Wu Hai a ret*rded b*stard.
“Mustache guy, you are so generous,” even Jiang Changxi couldn’t help but reply in lamentation. Wu Hai was truly making her speechless.
“That’s nothing. We are friends. When gifting paintings to friends, money should never be mentioned,” Wu Hai said with a wave of his hand, appearing indifferent.
“p.i.s.s off, I don’t make ugly friends,” Ling Hong said ruthlessly.
This caused Wu Hai to be speechless.
Yu Chu really did not know what he could say. He was still somewhat angry, yet for some reason, he couldn’t unleash his temper. His chest felt stuffy, and his head started hurting. Although he did not know how much a painting of Wu Hai would cost, looking at Jiang Changxi’s reaction, he knew that the painting would definitely worth a lot.
Getting a bunch of money and a friend with a couple of Tangyuans felt too easy?
Wu Hai countered, “I never give presents to rich guys.”
“Heh, look, he’s not even trustworthy anymore. If this spreads out, it won’t be good for your reputation,” Ling Hong leisurely replied.
“Trust doesn’t matter in this restaurant.” Wu Hai did not seem to care.
Ling Hong was dumbfounded.
There would always be a place that would cause someone to no longer be trustworthy, to no longer abide by the rules, to give up all pretenses, to stop being wise and virtuous, and to lose all sense of loyalty.
Ling Hong finally understood why when he felt empty within, he would unknowingly arrive here. This was a place he could give up all pretenses.