Chapter 81: The Atmosphere is Lit

Under the incandescent light, a group of eight sat around the dining table. The bright light illuminated everyone's faces clearly. Shen Yan fetched a bottle of beer each for Tang Song, Lin Yang, and Zhu Baoping.

Of course, Wu Yue'er could not be left out; Huniu drank alcohol just like she drank water.

Unexpectedly, Yu Youwei suddenly spoke up: "Shen Yan, get me a bottle too."

Shen Yan frowned slightly, saying that beer was very bitter and that a girl like her wouldn't like it. Yu Youwei smiled freely and said to try it, as she had never drunk alcohol before.

Seeing how stubborn she was, Shen Yan felt helpless and had no choice but to open another bottle and hand it over.

"Come, come, come, don't be polite. Eat to your heart's content and taste my cooking."

As the host, Shen Yan began to play the part.

Tang Song said: "Let's have a toast first to congratulate Old Shen on his housewarming."

"Yes, yes, yes! A toast first!"

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

Everyone raised their glasses; those drinking alcohol drank alcohol, and those drinking beverages drank beverages. Yu Youwei had just taken a sip when she began to cough violently.

Shen Yan said if she couldn't drink, she shouldn't force it, and that it would be better to drink some milk. Yu Youwei, however, was obstinate: "Just a taste; a bottle of beer won't make me drunk."

Seeing that she was acting as usual, Shen Yan didn't say anything more and began to eat on his own.

"You all start eating too. The dishes are relatively light in flavor; if you like spicy food, pour yourself a bowl of chili sauce."

Lin Yang picked up a piece of spare rib and put it in his mouth. After chewing it in big bites, he exclaimed: "Mm! Old Shen, these spare ribs are really well-made."

Yuan Mingqing remarked that the shrimp was even better, with a delicate texture and meat that was particularly fresh and tender.

Although everyone has their own preferences, everyone expressed high praise for Shen Yan's culinary skills; Brother Rice Noodle not only fried rice noodles well, but his home-cooked dishes were also top-notch.

The more Yu Youwei ate, the more conflicted she felt. She had never known Shen Yan's cooking was so exquisite, nor had she ever had such a treat. Now, she only felt that Shen Yan seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist, becoming increasingly unfamiliar.

It seemed she had never truly understood this best friend of hers.

At this moment, Lin Yang asked: "Old Shen, how did you pass your driving test? Is it hard? I'm planning to sign up here at school."

Shen Yan replied casually: "It's quite simple for students to take the driving test. I didn't really study for it back then; I just fiddled with it for a bit, and the instructor said, 'Benefactor, your bones are unique and you must have great talent,' so I just went straight to the exam."

Everyone was amused by Shen Yan's humorous way of speaking.

Wu Yue'er giggled on the side and said: "You guys don't know, Shen Yan is especially good at bullshitting. On the way to Cangnan during the National Day holiday, he received a scam call..."

Wu Yue'er began to pour out the story of how Shen Yan talked nonsense and tricked the scammer into a limp, and in the end, she didn't forget to mock: "It was my first time meeting such a stupid scammer."

"I reckon that scammer's mentality completely collapsed."

Through Wu Yue'er's vivid description, the scene involuntarily appeared in everyone's minds. They all laughed until they were swaying, and even a dignified girl like Chen Shanni was no exception, laughing until she was trembling like a flower and clutching her stomach.

Honestly, Chen Shanni really envied Shen Yan's sense of humor. It was so magical! A boy with an introverted personality had actually transformed to this extent.

Can reading books really cause such a big change in a person?

After finally catching her breath, Tang Song wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes and said with a smile: "That scammer must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to run into a big bullshitter like Old Shen."

"God damn, stewing a panda—how did you even come up with that?"

The others exclaimed that it was a pity they hadn't filmed a video, otherwise it would definitely have gone viral across the internet.

Yuan Mingqing suggested: "The school organizes a Welcome Gala every year; we could rehearse something, and it would definitely blow the audience away."

Shen Yan hurriedly refused. Just kidding! We aren't monkeys in a circus; why should we go and entertain irrelevant people?

Lin Yang said: "Old Shen, you have so much stuff in your belly, tell us some fun stories."

The others chimed in one after another.

Life is boring enough as it is; occasionally, it needs some seasoning to add color.

Shen Yan pursed his lips and said: "Speaking of learning to drive, I do recall an interesting story."

"A young brother and sister were watching TV at home when the sister received a QQ message from a man: 'Little sister, why haven't you come to practice driving lately?'

The brother asked: 'Who is it?'

The sister: 'An older brother who practices driving with me.'

The brother asked: 'Why, does he like you?'

The sister: 'Probably, I think he's interested in me.'

The brother: 'Ask him, ask him, see what's going on.'

The sister sent a message: 'What's up, do you miss me?'"

At the end, Shen Yan left them hanging and said: "Guess how the man replied."

Lin Yang: "He definitely said yes."

Tang Song: "You said it was an interesting story, how could it be that simple?"

Wu Yue'er: "Stop keeping us in suspense and hurry up and tell us how he replied."

Shen Yan coughed twice and said the man replied like this: "What are you talking about? Every time you don't come to practice, the instructor scolds only me."

Honk honk honk!

Everyone present laughed until they sounded like geese; they never would have guessed this twist even if they died.

Yu Youwei was laughing so hard she was rocking back and forth, and the gloom in her heart seemed to have been swept away.

Wu Yue'er said to tell two more, as it was hilarious.

"Alright, that's all I've got in my belly. I'll tell you more when there's a chance," Shen Yan said, waving his hand in refusal.

A small anecdote pushed the atmosphere to its climax, and everyone was eating and drinking, making for a lively scene. Several girls had started drinking beer one after another. Seeing Wu Yue'er had finished four bottles, Shen Yan said that was enough and to drink less.

Unexpectedly, Wu Yue'er's stubborn streak flared up again. She draped her arm over Shen Yan's shoulder and said this was nothing, adding that she wouldn't fall until the beer did, and that they wouldn't go home until they were drunk today.

A charming fragrance emanated from the young girl, fresh and elegant, like a flower blooming in spring, quietly blossoming in the air. Intertwined with this fragrance was a rich scent of alcohol that lingered at the tip of the nose, intoxicating to the senses.

This scent of alcohol was not unpleasant; instead, it added a unique charm.

Shen Yan's tolerance for alcohol was truly average, so of course, he couldn't shake the tree like an ant, so he let Lin Yang take over. Unexpectedly, Lin Yang was also a novice at drinking; after two bottles, his face was already flushed red. Only Zhu Baoping was a seasoned drinker, patting his chest and swearing to compete with Wu Yue'er to see who was better.

People from the Northeast really can drink like crazy.

Tang Song suggested right there: "Since no one wants to call it a night, how about we go to a KTV and sing to our hearts' content?"

Everyone responded in agreement.

Yu Youwei had some concerns: "It's already past 8 o'clock, and the dorms close at 11. It takes quite a bit of time to go back and forth, so maybe next time."

Lin Yang then said: "We can just stay out; the girls can stay at Chen Shanni's place, and the guys can stay at Shen Yan's place."

Neither of the two hosts had any objections, and with their worries resolved, the group set off toward the next battlefield.