Lin Yuan and Qiu Yi rode side by side, chatting about the places they had visited and the local customs and culture.

The road ahead was a bit uneven, so Lin Yuan and Qiu Yi rode separately, one in front of the other. Wen Yan took this opportunity to tell Qiu Yi what Zhao Huanhuan had said to her the night before.

After listening, Qiu Yi remained silent for a while, seemingly understanding something in his heart.

If they're targeting me in any way, it's probably because they're after my position as captain.

"Senior, don't you believe what I'm saying?" Wen Yan asked, not hearing Qiu Yi speak after she finished speaking.

"Believe me, I've been thinking about some things. Thank you, junior. I understand. I'll be more careful in the future. If they're making any underhanded moves, they're probably after the captain's position." Qiu Yi glanced back at her and said.

"Huh? Is that so? Wasn't it because you went to high school that you were made the team leader? Why would they be jealous of you because of that?" Wenyan didn't understand.

Qiu Yi said, "They may not think that way. I once heard people say behind my back that I became the captain by giving him gifts. Originally, I thought they were just talking quietly and I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them, but it seems that's not the case."

Wenyan said "Oh," and then asked, "So what are you going to do?"

Qiu Yi was silent for a while. "Gu Yifeng has connections. He's just here to go through the motions. I heard he'll be sent back next spring. I guess he wants to be the team leader so he can be assigned work when he gets back."

At this moment, they were standing side by side with Lin Yuan again, and Lin Yuan and Zhao Huanhuan heard what they were saying.

When Zhao Huanhuan heard that Qiu Yi had guessed it, she breathed a sigh of relief. Qiu Yi was quite a smart person, so she was at ease. Now she just had to see what he would do next.

"Comrade Zhao, thank you for reminding Wenyan to tell me about this. Regardless of what others think, it's right for me to be careful. Perhaps your unintentional reminder saved me from a troublesome situation!" Qiu Yi said to Zhao Huanhuan with a smile.

Zhao Huanhuan thought to herself, "You guessed right. You really did escape a disaster this time."

However, she smiled and waved her hand, "Maybe Yan Yan and I are just being paranoid, but you are her senior, and we don't want you to encounter any danger."

"Thank you!" Qiu Yi said to Zhao Huanhuan, then looked back at Wen Yan sitting behind him. When he met her gaze, he smiled back at her. As he turned to pedal his bicycle again, he suddenly felt more energetic.

It feels pretty good to be cared for and remembered quietly.

Lin Yuan now fully understood what was going on, but he didn't ask Qiu Yi in front of him. He was curious about how Huanhuan had figured it out.

However, while one should not harbor malicious intentions, one must be wary of others; Qiu Yi's caution is justified.

Around 11:40, they arrived in Shanglin City, and Lin Yuan suggested that they go eat first.

They went directly to the state-run hotel. It was a little past twelve, which was lunchtime, and the hotel was already more than half full.

The four of them found a table for four and sat down. Lin Yuan asked Zhao Huanhuan and Wen Yan to go and see what the two of them liked to eat.

Zhao Huanhuan pulled Wen Yan to the counter to look at the cold dishes and stews on display. As expected of a state-run restaurant in the city, the food was quite plentiful.

"Huanhuan, which one do you want to eat?" Wenyan looked at the dishes with bright eyes. There were so many delicious dishes, but they looked very expensive.

Zhao Huanhuan remembered that Wen Yan was from the South, and asked, "Do you like spicy food?"

Wenyan nodded, "I love to eat it, but since I came here, it seems like the villagers don't eat spicy food much."

Zhao Huanhuan smiled and said, "Shall we order this stir-fried beef?" This stir-fried beef has red dried chili peppers in it, so it should taste good. It costs 80 cents a plate.

Wen Yan nodded and said in a low voice, "Sure, but isn't it a bit expensive?"

"It's okay, we'll just order another vegetarian dish and see what they want to eat when they come over." Zhao Huanhuan decided that this meal would be on her.

“Okay,” Wenyan replied.

"Then let's have another stir-fried cabbage." This one is also stir-fried with dried red chilies, and it costs 15 cents.

They ordered two dishes and went home.

After Lin Yuan asked them what they had ordered, she called Qiu Yi and the other two over to order. Soon, the two returned.

"What did you two order?" Zhao Huanhuan asked curiously.

Lin Yuan said with a smile, "I ordered a fish, a stewed bone dish, a stir-fried pork with celery, a cold dish, and for my main course, I ordered four steamed buns and two bowls of rice."

These two are from the south; they must love rice.

"Sure, you two don't drink?" Zhao Huanhuan nodded, quite thoughtful; men really do love meat.

Lin Yuan glanced at Zhao Huanhuan and shook her head. "Qiu Yi said he doesn't drink alcohol. Huanhuan, do you like spicy food?"

Zhao Huanhuan nodded, "It's alright, I like both spicy and non-spicy food."

When their food arrived, Wenyan was stunned when she saw the plate of pork ribs. "Such a big plate? How much does this cost?"

"Two yuan and fifty cents!" Qiu Yi said, glancing at Lin Yuan. He had ordered a fish for one yuan and one cent. The food at such a fancy restaurant was indeed quite expensive.

Lin Yuan just said he wanted to order this, and he asked if it was too big a plate. Lin Yuan smiled and said, "It's okay, Huanhuan loves stewed bones!"

Then he remembered that the two dishes Zhao Huanhuan and Wen Yan had ordered were both spicy, probably to cater to Wen Yan's taste!

He hadn't expected Lin Yuan to be so thoughtful, considering all this. He also ordered a fish dish, since Wen Yan had mentioned that she loved eating fish.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!