The Old Place BBQ Stall was where Lin Chu’s dream had begun, and it was also the spot where he and Wang Zhefei had crushed countless skewers.

What made it memorable was that back then, they were two broke nobodies fresh out of college who had just started working. When Lin Chu got his first-month’s salary, 5,800 yuan, he could finally afford a decent meal. He had called Wang Zhefei over, and they had eaten to their hearts’ content. The sense of satisfaction and accomplishment he felt then was no less than his first time eating at EnSue, maybe even greater.

After that, it became their regular spot.

The food was just okay, but the nostalgia factor was off the charts.

When the Lamborghini pulled up, Lin Chu opened the door and got out to see Wang Zhefei already eating. He had already finished two bottles of beer and was drenched in sweat in the midsummer evening.

As she got out of the car, Lin Xiwan was a little curious. ’A roadside stall?’

’What kind of friend is this? Or is this some kind of special hobby?’

She had almost never been to a place like this. Even for barbecue, she would have gone to a clean, hygienic, and delicious yakitori restaurant.

She frowned slightly but didn’t say anything. As she sat down, she wiped the stool several times. When it still wasn’t clean, she went to the convenience store next door, bought a pack of wet wipes, and wiped it two more times.

Lin Chu watched her actions, unfazed.

Wang Zhefei, however, raised his eyebrows.

Without a word being spoken, Lin Chu knew what he wanted to say—’You idiot! Where the hell did you dig this one up?’

Lin Chu jutted his chin in response—’Just tell me, isn’t she hot?’

Wang Zhefei was rendered speechless and looked away.

"So? Did you fix the bug?"

Lin Chu asked with a smile.

"Yup. All by myself, in seven days, I wrote 20,000 lines of code and solved a legacy mountain of shit..."

Wang Zhefei said with a proud grin.

Lin Chu reached out across the barbecue table and gave him a high-five. "Awesome!"

The two clinked their beer bottles and each chugged half of one down. GLUG GLUG GLUG.

The gesture was a bit childish.

A small smile touched the corner of Lin Xiwan’s lips as she watched.

"What about you? What have you been up to these past two days?"

Wang Zhefei asked casually, his eyes glancing toward the woman.

Lin Chu tossed him a cigarette. "Just having fun, what else? Here, let me introduce you. This is Lin Xiwan..."

She gave a friendly smile and a polite nod.

Wang Zhefei smiled and nodded back, then teased mischievously, "Miss, don’t hang out with him too much. He’s a player."

Lin Chu: ...

Lin Xiwan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She could tell they were truly best friends. Li Kai, for one, would never dare to tease Lin Chu like that.

"A player? How so? Tell me about it."

She said, joining in with a smile.

Wang Zhefei glanced at Lin Chu.

Lin Chu, however, acted nonchalant. ’Go ahead and talk, you bastard. Don’t expect me to beg you to shut up. I’m not backing down this time.’

Wang Zhefei gave his assessment: "He’s all about looks, gets dumb when he’s in love, cries when he gets dumped, and gets milked for cash when he’s dating. When he’s broke, he calls me ’daddy.’ He’s like a total moron."

Lin Xiwan looked over at Lin Chu, resting her head on her hand, a wide, amused smile on her face. ’Big Bro, you have embarrassing stories like this? I thought you were always so wild and fierce.’

Lin Chu waved his hand, laughing as he cursed, "Screw you! Go to hell! Why are you so annoying?"

’It’s all in the past.’

’It’s all in the past.’

’I’m a heartless "killer" now.’

Through the curling smoke, Lin Chu’s gaze seemed to deepen.

Wang Zhefei raised his beer bottle again, and the two of them clinked.

"I want a drink too. I’m applying to join."

Lin Xiwan suddenly raised her hand, smiling. Drinking required the right atmosphere, and she felt the atmosphere now was perfect, even having a bit of a "Roadside Picnic" vibe. No wonder Lin Chu valued this place so much.

Every adult knows just how precious a drinking session where you can speak your mind truly is.

Lin Chu glanced at her. "Suit yourself. If you want a drink, go get it yourself."

She replied, "I don’t drink beer, too many calories. Is hard liquor okay?"

Lin Chu jutted his chin. "Go buy some, then. There’s a shop over there. Get whatever you want."

"Deal."

She agreed readily, stood up, and headed toward the liquor store.

Once she was a good distance away...

Wang Zhefei said, "Damn, this girl’s something else. A real straight shooter."

Lin Chu replied, "Something else? Besides having a great body and a pretty face... She’s the goddess a buddy of mine has been chasing for seven or eight years, with no success. I couldn’t stand watching it, so I made a few moves and brought her out myself."

Wang Zhefei: ...

"Are you fucking insane? Isn’t that guy going to try and kill you?"

Lin Chu just shook his head and smiled. "He couldn’t get her, so I’m not allowed to make a move? What kind of logic is that? What’s that saying? The woman you can’t get over, I’ve already gotten into."

Wang Zhefei didn’t laugh. He sighed. "You bastard. All this money has really gone to your head."

Lin Chu said, "Hey, hey, hey, this isn’t me getting cocky. I’m helping him. His worldview... you can’t build a new one without shattering the old one. He needs to wake up. We’re not in the dark ages anymore."

Just as they finished their exchange, Lin Xiwan came back carrying a bottle of Feitian Moutai. She had even thoughtfully brought a set of serving utensils and clean cups.

She opened the bottle, poured three small glasses, slid one to each of them with a smile, and snapped her fingers. "Alright. To our first meeting, a toast to you both."

The three of them clinked glasses.

Lin Chu watched her with a grin. "You’re pretty impressive. How much can you drink?"

It was only then that Lin Xiwan truly felt at ease. The atmosphere had become comfortable, no longer so intense. Big Bro had shifted from "berserk mode" to "chill mode."

She held up a single finger.

’Damn...’

Lin Chu and Wang Zhefei exchanged a look and both burst out laughing.

’All night?’

’Fine, if she can drink, let her drink.’

And so, as the cups went back and forth, the three of them toasted each other again and again. They didn’t play any games, just chatted, their conversation flowing happily, as if they were three philosophers.

Lin Xiwan said, "Big Bro originally said he was taking me to a mountaintop to see the stars and the Moon. But after one phone call, he dropped me and rushed straight here. Wow, the bromance between you two is strong."

Wang Zhefei raised his eyebrows playfully. "Hahahaha, I told you, he’s just a dumbass. A total loser. Right?"

Lin Chu sighed with a smile. "They’re not the same. One is a meeting of minds, the other is a meeting of bodies. They exist on different dimensions."

Lin Xiwan asked, "Hmm? What, men and women can’t have a meeting of minds?"

Lin Chu replied, "Maybe at the very beginning. On day one, you can talk about anything from Wang Xiaobo to Dostoevsky, from the upheaval in Eastern Europe to the Black Panther Band. On day two, it’s, ’Hey babe, let me see your tits.’"

It was an old joke, but it was still funny.

Lin Xiwan laughed out loud again and raised her glass. "Alright, alright, it’s the same for us. You should know, if a girl lets you hit on her, it’s not because you’re so amazing. It’s because she’s willing to be hit on."

Wang Zhefei summarized, "It’s all just a game!"

The three of them laughed and clinked their glasses again.

Before they knew it, the bottle of Feitian was empty. Wang Zhefei was already passed out on the table. He was always like this—once he hit his limit, he was out. He never made a fuss when drunk, just slept peacefully.

Lin Xiwan’s alcohol tolerance was truly impressive; she wasn’t showing any effects at all. Lin Chu turned his head to look at her, and she looked back at him.

Their eyes met and held for a full half-minute.

The girl wasn’t the least bit shy.

"So, what’s the deal with you and Li Kai?"

Lin Chu blurted out with a smile.

She gave a faint smile. "I’m just not into him. There’s no primal urge. And hey, I never took a cent from him. Friends are friends, and men are men. It’s just like what guys say: ’One is your baby, and the other is just a babe.’ Same thing."

...

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