Chapter 18

Zhou Ying was also stunned, and she and Zhou Liu spoke in unison: "You know each other too?" Well, what a small world, we've come full circle, surrounded by familiar faces.

Zhou Liu's gaze shifted back and forth between Yoda and Zhou Ying, but then he nodded and muttered to himself, "It's normal for the three of us to know each other since we all went to the same university."

Now it was Yoda's turn to be shocked: "We're from the same university." Having worked with Zhou Liu every day, Yoda had never actually asked him what school he went to.

On the one hand, Yoda was exhausted from working every day and no longer had the enthusiasm to make friends and introduce herself to everyone she met. On the other hand, Zhou Liu's outgoing personality meant that the two worked together seamlessly from the start, inexplicably skipping detailed self-introductions.

Of course, that wasn't the point. Zhou Liu nodded, "Yes." Then he pointed to himself and Zhou Ying, "She and I are alumni." He then pointed to Yoda, "You and I are alumni, so the three of us are alumni, right?"

Yoda looked at Zhou Ying, who nodded. Only after confirming this did Yoda realize, "Your surname is Zhou and his surname is Zhou! You're siblings?"

Zhou Ying stuck out her tongue: "Actually, we're from the same village."

No wonder the two were so familiar with each other. Although Yoda knew they both shared the surname Zhou, people with the same surname in Yoda's sphere of influence didn't necessarily know each other, so he hadn't made any connection.

Zhou Ying chimed in, "Of course. In the city, you're surrounded by people from all over the place. Even if you've lived here all your life, you might have moved here from somewhere else. So even if you have the same surname, you might come from different places. But in my hometown, it's just a small village, and everyone has the same surname."

Zhou Ying pointed to herself and Zhou Liu, her expression a little disgusted: "However, although we are from the same village, we are not actually related. We just happen to have the same surname."

Zhou Liu rolled her eyes: "Fine, fine, your family is the main branch, we are from out of town and changed our surname. You're amazing, esteemed Miss Zhou, can we start eating now? If you keep talking, the soup will burn away."

Immediately, all three were drawn to the steaming hot pot. Without further ado, they began to eat. Infected by the other two hungry people, Yoda, who wasn't particularly hungry to begin with, also found his mouth watering.

This isn't Yoda's fault. Ever since she fell ill, her parents have always felt she wasn't healthy and have been strictly controlling her diet. Compared to before when she had a hearty appetite, she now lives a very bland and unhealthy life every day.

In the past, Yoda would have always tried to get her parents to give her special treatment. But now that her younger brothers are at home, she's a big sister now and has to act like one, so she's been holding back.

Three pairs of chopsticks reached in simultaneously, each with its own purpose. Although Yoda longed to recapture the feeling of enjoying hot pot as before, she still wanted to be responsible for herself and her family, so she ordered a divided pot in advance.

I can't help but laugh when I think of the awkward expression on the owner's face. As a staunch supporter of traditional hot pot, the owner served up a half-and-half pot while saying that half-and-half pots are not authentic hot pots. Authentic hot pots start with mild spice and don't have a clear broth at all.

Zhou Liu said, "If you can cater to local tastes, it's hard for this business not to be booming." The boss thought about it and agreed, his eyes changing from bitter and resentful to full of hope. Yoda watched as Zhou Liu coaxed the boss into a smile, step by step.

Zhou Liu: "Eat quickly, eat quickly, I've been running around all day and I'm starving. After this meal, I still need to write a review for someone."

He kept talking, his eyes fixed on Zhou Ying: "I can't help with this. You know, I really struggle with these kinds of written things."

Zhou Ying didn't stop eating: "No problem, since you let me eat here, I'll take care of this little thing."

She glanced at Zhou Liu, her eyes narrowed slightly with a hint of wariness, and then asked Yoda, "Has your boyfriend still come to pick you up lately?"

Yoda didn't understand why the topic had jumped so quickly, but he still nodded honestly. Everyone says that the first step into society is learning to lie, but Yoda felt he couldn't possibly take that step. Up until now, he'd just say whatever people asked; there was no need to hide anything, and he didn't want to. So be it.

Yoda kept glancing at the spicy broth, swallowing hard, but she still focused on eating the clear soup by herself. She was naturally good at handling spicy food; if it weren't for her health condition, she would have been battling it out in the spicy broth with them long ago.

As Zhou Ying spoke, she picked up a piece of beef tripe and rinsed it a few times in the bowl of water: "Here, this is crispy, you eat it. This doesn't taste good when boiled in plain water, it has to be boiled in chili oil. I've already rinsed it for you, it's okay to eat a little bit."

Yoda quickly took it, took a bite, and sure enough, it tasted just like before. Zhou Ying, for some reason, said in an exaggerated tone, "I'm so envious! You two are childhood sweethearts, your relationship is so good, no one can get in between you."

Yoda finished his meal in a few bites. Considering his stomach's preference for bland food since waking up, he dared not eat anything spicy. He could only eat plain bok choy while recalling the taste of the previous meal.

This isn't a clear broth hot pot, this isn't a clear broth hot pot, this is a transparent red oil hot pot. He simply nodded without thinking at Zhou Ying's words.

Zhou Ying continued smugly, "You two have such a good relationship. If I had a boyfriend like that who never leaves me, I would be so happy."

Zhou Liu, busy making the duck intestines bob around, stared at the boiling pot, scoffed, and without even glancing at Zhou Ying, said, "You're kidding me. With you spending all your time in the library or study room, you still want to find a boyfriend? Go back to your boyfriend on the chair or bench."

Zhou Ying: "Shut up."

Zhou Liu picked up a piece of blanched duck intestine: "No way, I still need to open my mouth." As he spoke, he put the duck intestine into his mouth, his face full of a smug grin. At least Yoda saw a punchable expression on Zhou Ying's face.

Zhou Ying glared at Zhou Liu and then, as if she had just thought of something, continued, "Your boyfriend's design firm is doing very well. When you become a designer, the two of you can work together. It would be a perfect match, a match made in heaven."

Yoda said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm still just an intern right now, and I don't know when I'll be able to create my own designs."

Zhou Liu took a sip of chilled plum juice, which was a perfect match for hot pot. "You can definitely do it. Every time we go out, your notebook is filled with notes. Becoming a designer is just a matter of time. It's going to be tough for me."

Zhou Ying was exasperated, watching Zhou Liu eat with his head down, ignoring her. "Of course it's difficult if you don't put your heart into it. Humph."

She turned her head, wanting to continue talking about Yoda and Shixing, but she wasn't usually a gossipy person. After finishing what she had said before, she ran out of material. She wanted to say something but had nothing to say. In the moment she was distracted, Zhou Liu picked a piece of beef out of her chopsticks.

"You!?" Zhou Ying came to her senses and her first reaction was to snatch it back, but when she saw Yoda staring at her and Zhou Liu out of the corner of her eye, she controlled herself and quietly sat back down, pretending nothing had happened.

Yoda already sensed something was off. Zhou Ying wasn't usually this talkative, so why was she talking so much today? It was mainly because Zhou Ying had embellished her story with Shi Xing, making it sound more and more like an idol drama.

Yoda tried several times to interrupt Zhou Ying's "fabrication." Although she and Shi Xing were childhood sweethearts and had tried to have a romance like in an idol drama during her teenage years, it turned out that the two of them couldn't handle a dramatic relationship and it was better to stick to a simple and peaceful one.

However, seeing the two bickering, he suddenly understood and revealed a mysterious smile.

Zhou Ying felt uneasy under that strange smile, while Zhou Liu, who had been busy eating, suddenly realized something and glanced at Zhou Ying sideways: "Why are you talking about other people when there are three of us sitting here? Why do I feel like you're calling me out?"

Zhou Ying looked like she didn't know anything, but her eyes clearly said, "I'm talking about you."

Zhou Liu was furious: "What do you mean? Do you think I'm some kind of lecherous devil? Why are you so wary of me?" He was so angry that he lost his appetite for the fried rice in his hand. He turned to look at Yoda: "Tell me, how have I treated you? Haven't I been completely loyal and honest, without any ulterior motives?"

Yoda nodded and said to Zhou Ying, "Yes, everything between us has been normal since we met. There's not a trace of romantic feelings between us. I guarantee he has no other intentions. Zhou Ying, are you being so guarded because you've misunderstood something?"

Zhou Ying glared at Zhou Liu: "Speak. I misunderstood you. I've seen you so many times at school, and nine times out of ten you were surrounded by girls."

Zhou Liu cried out in protest, "Good heavens, what does it prove that I'm around girls? What kind of society is this? Am I only allowed to be around boys? Does being around boys make me innocent?"

Zhou Ying: "Others can't explain anything, but you can explain something in a special way."

Zhou Liu: "Don't you know me? At first, yes, I did have a lot of contact with girls, but that's because they were my customers. Besides, you still have food left over from my business, don't you? How can you accuse me like this?"

Zhou Ying: "Times have changed. Although I ate some products that were close to their expiration date, I cannot let myself be corrupted by you like this."

Zhou Liu: "How have I corrupted you? I have a heart full of sincerity towards you. How can you say such a thing about me?"

Zhou Ying: "Then tell me why I see you running around the classroom in broad daylight. Can you even do business in a classroom? Can you sell food in a classroom?"

Zhou Liu was so angry that he stammered, "I, I, I."

Zhou Ying: "See? You can't explain this now. I couldn't control you before, but you can't use that on Yoda now."

Zhou Liu cried out that he was wronged: "I didn't do that!"

Zhou Ying: "That's good. Anyway, you need to take this seriously."

Yoda found it amusing to watch the two bickering; they were just kids.

"By the way, what kind of business are you talking about?"