Fang Mingyuan wanted to cultivate his roommates into basketball fans.
Lin Baici arrived early, but Gu Qingxiang had gotten there even earlier.
She stood under a gingko tree by the east side of the school gate, carrying a small backpack.
Wearing an ankle-length skirt and long-sleeved top, there was nothing distinctive about her outfit.
Lin Baici couldn’t help but think of Ji Xinyan; the two really were polar opposites.
[I feel like raising them a bit before eating them would make the taste even better!]
Lin Baici called out, not knowing why he didn’t want to call her "Counselor Gu Qingxiang."
Gu Qingxiang didn’t mind the address: "What do you feel like eating tonight?"
Lin Baici was indifferent.
"If you’re okay with sushi and sashimi, how about Japanese cuisine?"
Gu Qingxiang suggested as she walked to the side of the road, getting ready to hail a taxi.
"Let’s not go too far, just find a nearby restaurant to settle down!"
Lin Baici had never tried Japanese food, but he had heard these kinds of restaurants were quite expensive, so he didn’t want Gu Qingxiang to spend too much.
That’s something most people could eat, without many dietary restrictions.
Lin Baici and Gu Qingxiang walked side by side along the road.
Although Gu Qingxiang was a counselor, she had clearly just graduated and hadn’t been working long. She looked much like a college student, while Lin Baici, tall and strong, having experienced two Divine Ruins and faced life and death, appeared somewhat more mature.
Walking together, they looked a bit like a couple.
Yang’s Spicy Broth, a popular Sichuan-style hotpot restaurant near Haijing Polytechnic, was so busy that Lin Baici and Gu Qingxiang had to wait for a table.
"This much trouble?" Lin Baici frowned. "Let’s go, let’s have barbecue at the roadside!"
"I’ll book a private room in advance next time!"
Gu Qingxiang felt embarrassed, as if she’d slighted Lin Baici.
"Next time, it’s on me."
Lin Baici took the opportunity to schedule their next meal together.
Even though it was early autumn, the barbecue stalls along the street were still bustling. Lin Baici chose the same Yang Er Barbecue he had eaten at before.
Gu Qingxiang held the menu with both hands and passed it to Lin Baici.
Lin Baici, not shy, took it and, after asking Gu Qingxiang if she had any dietary restrictions, swiftly ticked off a random selection of items.
"And two bottles of soda!"
Lin Baici did some mental math; the total wouldn’t exceed 150 yuan, which should be within Gu Qingxiang’s budget.
"Isn’t that a little too little, will it be enough?"
Gu Qingxiang felt Lin Baici, with his large build, could eat a lot.
Lin Baici stretched his legs out; the tables and stools for these low tables were too low, making it uncomfortable to sit.
"You can drink alcohol!"
Gu Qingxiang thought Lin Baici chose soda for her sake: "I could have a little drink with you too."
Lin Baici laughed, remembering the effects of the "Drinking Wine Amidst the Meat Forest" where eating meat and drinking booze was like fitness, delightfully satisfying.
The place was busy, and the food was slow to arrive, but Lin Baici wasn’t bored since Gu Qingxiang was very knowledgeable, especially about classical studies and history.
Before he knew it, Lin Baici was asking about any royal tombs in the Qinling area.
Gu Qingxiang knew them like the back of her hand.
The moon rises above the willow tips, and people stand in solitude, all encounter by fate, yet never by seeking.
Lin Baici hadn’t expected that after starting university, the first time he’d dine alone with a girl would be with a counselor.
"In ancient times, tomb construction couldn’t exceed the stipulated standard, so you can generally determine the status of the deceased by the size of the tomb and the accompanying burial goods. As a rule, the larger the tomb and the more chambers it has, the more prestigious the deceased."
Gu Qingxiang opened her delicate little mouth and bit off a piece of meat skewer, chewing quietly, pervaded with a scholarly air.
The sudden barking drew Gu Qingxiang’s attention immediately.
It was a somewhat dirty Border Collie, barking twice at a table of diners about ten meters away.
"It’s not a rabid dog!"
Gu Qingxiang breathed a sigh of relief; there had been several cases of rabid dogs harming students near the university recently.
The Border Collie couldn’t get any food and almost got hit by a beer bottle.
[Dog meat so succulent it makes even gods wobble after three bites. Want to try some?]
Lin Baici whistled twice, drawing the Border Collie’s attention before grabbing a handful of skewers and tossing them over.
The Border Collie glanced at Lin Baici and then sauntered over to eat the meat skewers off the ground.
A WeChat message came in.
Lin Baici opened it to find a message from Kim Myungjin, a fitness selfie of her in a blue yoga outfit.
Countess of Monte Cristo: Oppa, my home gym isn’t bad, right? Come to Hancheng when you’re free and work out with me?
Lin Baici wanted to ask, are your workouts even serious?
What a beautiful jasmine flower!
A ringtone played, and Lin Baici pulled out his phone to see it was the Goryeo girl.
"I need to take this call."
Lin Baici stood up and walked to the edge of the road.
"Oppa, you mentioned your phone broke a few days ago; was it just when you landed in the God’s ruins?"
Kim Myungjin was worried: "You’re not hurt, are you?"
Lin Baici considered the Goryeo girl a friend, so he didn’t hide anything.
Kim Myungjin was speechless. Lin Baici was really unlucky, wasn’t he? And his answer essentially confirmed that he had been in the Palm Harbor Divine Ruins.
"Oppa, if I may be so bold to ask, could you tell me about your experience exploring the Divine Ruins?"
Kim Myungjin explained: "My brother wants it; don’t worry, the reward will be double the normal rate in the circle."
For Jin Xian, money wasn’t the issue, but rather obtaining detailed firsthand information as soon as possible was important. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel~fire~net
Lin Baici laughed: "Tomorrow night, I’ll write up a document and sort it out to tell you!"
"No, no, the money must be given!"
Kim Myungjin knew Lin Baici refused the money out of consideration for her.