Chapter 465

Wang Yan's barbecue spice recipe wasn't a joke, and the three hundred skewers given away at noon weren't free for nothing—by evening, the barbecue shop was predictably packed. Not just inside, but outside too, people lined up, watching through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows as patrons clinked glasses and devoured skewers, partly eager to taste what made this new shop so wildly popular, partly hoping their stares would pressure those inside to hurry up and leave, and stop drinking already.

Drinking isn't about north or south; when three or five friends get drunk and boast, the joy is universal. The people of Jin Ling felt the same—those who could drink still stood on crates and chugged. And truthfully, southern street culture was even more developed. After all, the misty rain of Jiang Nan was far more interesting than the northern winds that withered all things.

Zhu Dajie, who should have been collecting money, was now running back and forth with the waiters, serving dishes, drenched in sweat, yet her smile never faded.

"See? I told you, wasn't there no problem? You just scared yourselves. With today's crowd spreading the word, this place will be packed every day from now on."

On a temporary table set up beside the cash register, Wang Yan grinned as he devoured a skewer and guzzled beer. Watching so many people eat, drink, and boast made him want to eat and drink too, so he disrupted the kitchen, grabbed a handful of assorted meat skewers, and sat with Shi Jie to feast.

Barbecue relies partly on seasonings, but the quality of ingredients and the mastery of heat are equally crucial. The grill master Zhu Dajie hired handled the heat well, elevating the flavor even further.

Shi Jie wasn't as bold as Wang Yan; with the shop so busy, she didn't help out—fine—but now she was sitting here eating and drinking? She felt embarrassed. She shook her head repeatedly at Wang Yan's invitation.

"Don't worry, Senior Shi, just eat in peace. My sister and the others have been working hard—they're all flustered now. If you, who've never worked here, go help, you'll only make things worse." Zhu Xiao Bei, sitting behind the cash register, happily sipped a Bei Bing Yang soda: "Seriously, thanks, Wang Yan. If this keeps up, we're going to get rich."

"Here we go again. What's there to thank me for? What did I say before?" Wang Yan sighed, shaking his head. "Think long-term, silly girl. Right now, I'm putting up the money and the recipe, but when we open more branches and grow bigger, I'll be making money while I sleep. If that day comes and you two sisters don't think I'm taking two shares for free, I'll burn incense to thank heaven."

"Wang Yan, my sister and I—"

Wang Yan waved his hand with a grin, cutting her off: "Only time will give us the answer."

Zhu Xiao Bei fell silent, nodded firmly, and dropped the subject. Her sister wasn't ungrateful, and neither was she. Let's wait and see. She asked: "It's only two weeks until break—did you buy your train ticket?"

"Still pretending?" Wang Yan chuckled, shaking his head. "My parents are both gone. I'm alone. What difference does it make if I go back or not?"

"You found out?" Zhu Xiao Bei awkwardly touched her hair, now grown out enough to lose its prickly texture.

"What? Your parents died?" Shi Jie stared blankly at her good junior.

"Why such a reaction?" Wang Yan didn't blush or gasp; he calmly explained how his parents died in a car crash, and how he later broke free from his inner prison, studied hard, and improved himself: "So going back or not—it's all the same. Why make the long trip? Might as well not go."

Shi Jie, being more sentimental, was already tearing up. Her good junior was so pitiful. He could joke about it like this—his heart must be in agony…

Wang Yan didn't care what she thought. After all, it earned him points—awakening a woman's compassion. Even if it cost his parents' memory, what could he do?

Zhu Xiao Bei had also lost both parents; better than Wang Yan, she had her sister to rely on. She felt Wang Yan suffered more, but she and Ruan Wan had already pitied him before, so now it didn't sting as much. She handed Shi Jie tissues, comforted her briefly, then asked Wang Yan: "How about you come celebrate the New Year with us? My sister and I aren't going home either."

"You want to keep the shop open during the New Year?" Seeing her nod, Wang Yan shook his head. "No need. I've celebrated New Year before—you know how it is. Everyone eats at home. Few eat out. Sure, our food's great, and few places are open, so business won't be bad. But even if you two want to work, what about the staff? Not all of them are from Jin Ling—they need to go home. Even the locals want family reunions."

"New Year's is for resting. Your sister's worn out from a whole year—you're not exactly relaxed either. Isn't New Year also a time to study? Besides, your family's old house is a flat, right? It's been empty for half a year—it's already going to ruin. You've got relatives to visit too. It's only once a year—how can you not go home? Go convince your sister. You waited two months already—you've seen the scene now. What's left to worry about? Don't rush. Listen to me: it's settled."

"What about you? Even though school lets us stay during break, those few days of New Year won't have the same convenience for food and drink. And you're alone—it'll be so boring."

"Haven't I always been alone these years? I can cook. Last month I bought a place near campus—already cleaned and set up. It's great."

"You bought a house? Why didn't you say something sooner? I could've helped you clean up."

"Yeah, you didn't even tell us about something this big."

Wang Yan grinned at Shi Jie: "Hey, stopped crying?"

"Annoying. Who was I crying for? Heartless." Shi Jie rolled her eyes, then noticed Zhu Xiao Bei's strange look—realizing her words sounded ambiguous, she corrected herself: "I was just… I mean…"

"Alright, alright, I know you care. But look—I've already adapted. I bought that house from an old teacher—top floor. He was too old to climb stairs every day, so he sold it to me and moved to a first-floor apartment with his son. The place was already clean. I added some furniture—workers carried it up. Other stuff I bought at the supermarket and paid to have delivered. Why would I need your help?"

Zhu Xiao Bei asked: "Where is it?"

"Not far from here—just… I'll take you to see it sometime. It's a nice place."

"Perfect—we've got nothing to do now, and we're just getting in the way. Take me to see it." Shi Jie sprang up instantly, slung her small bag over her shoulder, and moved to leave.

"You haven't eaten dinner yet—have something here first."

"Oh come on, look how busy it is! Your place has a kitchen, right? Let's buy some groceries—I'll cook for you. Try my food—I'm a great cook."

Wang Yan glanced helplessly at Zhu Xiao Bei, drained his beer, stood up, and said: "Alright, we're leaving. You head home too—it won't end till after midnight. Tomorrow's class, exams in a few days—don't flunk."

"I know, I'll leave soon. You two go ahead."

Wang Yan nodded, grabbed a handful of skewers, and strolled out with Shi Jie.

Outside, the waiting crowd was growing impatient. Though they sat on small stools and drank hot tea, waiting was still unbearable. Seeing Wang Yan sitting at a table inside, feasting and drinking, they assumed he was connected to the owner—or worse, the owner himself. They didn't care how, they just wanted to eat.

Someone immediately stopped him: "Young brother, how long till our table?"

Wang Yan smiled: "Sorry, sir, I don't know. But no table's turned over yet—you'll wait a long time. It's chilly out. Why not go home? Our hours are posted—if you really want to eat, come early tomorrow."

"You're eating inside with your own table—why not set up a few more for us?"

"Inside's too crowded, outside's too cold. I'm truly sorry. But if you really want to taste it, you can take away some—though the flavor won't be as good at home, at least you'll get a taste."

Wang Yan said a few more things, basically telling them not to wait unless they had to—no one knew when they'd get a table—then left with Shi Jie. Most of them had tried the free skewers earlier—the taste was truly good—but one skewer wasn't enough to savor, leaving them restless and stubborn.

Shi Jie didn't get to buy groceries and cook—instead, they found a restaurant, ordered a few dishes, ate another meal, then headed to Wang Yan's new house.

In the dark hallway, footsteps triggered the motion-sensor lights. The corridor was narrow and clearly old—not by thirty-year-later standards, but by the standards of the time: built in the mid-1960s, it was already thirty years old. Even the motion lights were Wang Yan's own purchase—the original ones had long since broken and no one cared to fix them.

"Senior Shi, you've got guts. It's so late, just the two of us, and you're still coming to a private room with me?"

Behind him, Shi Jie watched his back: "Still being a flirt, huh? Always spouting nonsense."

Wang Yan laughed: "How about some action then?"

"I'm leaving."

"Dream on. You're at the door now—I'm not letting you run."

"Pfft."

They climbed in silence. Sixth floor wasn't high—Wang Yan had no trouble. Even without the elevator, he could pull himself up with just his arms. Shi Jie struggled a bit; though she lived on the sixth floor too and climbed daily, she still panted slightly at the top.

Two apartments per stairwell. Wang Yan pulled out his key and opened the east door: "How's it look? No need to take off your shoes—just walk in."

While he spoke, Shi Jie had already stepped inside. She stared at the brown wooden floor, kicked off her shoes, grabbed a pair of large slippers from the rack, and began clacking around the apartment.

Wang Yan smiled, turned, shut the door, changed his shoes, and collapsed onto the living room sofa, watching Shi Jie wander.

The apartment faced north-south, with a dark central living room. On either side of the entrance: one side the bathroom, the other the kitchen. Almost all furniture was newly added—the previous owner had taken the rest, or Wang Yan sold it as scrap.

After a while, Shi Jie sat on the sofa, bounced a few times, praised its softness, and nodded: "Nice job. Clean and tidy."

"I haven't lived here once since buying it, but I've cleaned it several times—how could it not be clean?"

"Didn't expect you to be so neat. I thought it'd be a pigsty."

"You're underestimating me."

On the soft sofa, Shi Jie stretched her arms and legs, showcasing her curves: "Good, good. Now you've got a house and a partnership with Zhu Dajie—you're really settled in Jin Ling. After graduation, you're staying here, right?"

"Who knows what the future holds? Maybe I'll go to Shanghai, maybe to Jingcheng—step by step, that's all. This apartment isn't expensive; I could just buy one whenever I feel like it."

"Rich people really do talk differently—full of confidence," Shi Jie sneered. "Your apartment? I'd have to go without food or drink for two or three years to afford it."

"That's still good—many people won't be able to afford one even in half their lifetime."

"Nonsense. People still get housing allocated now—how could anyone not afford it?"

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile. He didn't bother explaining to her how housing prices would rise in the future. After a few idle chitchats, he asked, "Want to check out the rooftop? It's spacious, and the view's pretty good."

"Sure!" Shi Jie replied cheerfully, went back to the door to change shoes, and clattered up another floor.

Shi Jie blinked her big eyes, surveying the surroundings, sharing her feelings with her good junior.

The lights now, of course, weren't as dazzling or colorful as they'd be in the future—but still, they looked nice. Back then, buildings had extremely high occupancy rates, unlike later, when only a few apartments in a whole neighborhood were lit up.

The moon overhead was nearly full, its pale light spilling onto the rooftop. Far away, thousands of lights glowed. From within the compound, the clatter of cooking drifted through the air, and somewhere, a child wailed uncontrollably—parents arguing, no one to quiet them. The northwesterly wind, blowing from distant Siberia, tousled Shi Jie's long hair.

Watching Shi Jie chatter away, Wang Yan interrupted: "Senior?"

"Hm? What is it?"

Wang Yan stepped forward two paces, stood beside her, and naturally reached out to smooth her wind-tousled hair back, revealing her delicate face. His thumb and the hukou of his palm gripped her ear, his thumb rubbing gently: "You're beautiful."

Shi Jie froze, letting her good junior comb her hair, letting his warm palm caress her cheek. In the dim darkness, she stared straight at him—she couldn't make out his face, but she saw those eyes, deeper than night. Her mind went blank. Her body heated uncontrollably. Her cheeks burned. She was struck…

Wang Yan raised his other hand, cupped her burning face in both palms, and stared into her eyes. Slowly, he leaned in—until his lips touched that warmth.

"Mmm～～"

Shi Jie's pupils widened sharply. Instinctively, she tried to push him away—but when her hands touched his broad chest, her strength vanished. She sank into the deep passion of their kiss, her arms instinctively circling his neck, returning it.

On the old building's rooftop, beneath the hazy half-moon, bathed in the glow of lights, in the fiery warmth the northwesterly wind couldn't chill, Wang Yan finally released her—sensing her struggle—leaving between them a bridge of emotion stretched thin, then snapped.

Shi Jie gasped for breath, greedily filling her lungs with oxygen. Once she'd adjusted, once she felt again the cold of the northwesterly wind, she said: "It's late. I'm going back."

"I'll walk you."

"No, no need."

Shi Jie turned and ran—just as she was about to dash downstairs, her good junior's voice called from behind: "Don't forget your bag."

She spun around, rushed back inside, snatched the small bag from the sofa, and without a word, clattered down the stairs and fled.

Wang Yan lit a cigarette, one hand in his pocket, strolled to the edge of the rooftop, and stood there, smiling as he watched the retreating silhouette below…

"Xiao Bei?"

"Huh? You're still awake?" Zhu Xiao Bei stared at the brightly lit dorm. Ruan Wan was writing at her desk, Li Weijuan was reading beside her, Zheng Wei had a book on her lap but held a game controller in her hand. All three stared at her now.

Li Weijuan glared: "Look what time it is! Why are you only back now? We were even talking about calling the teacher and then the police if you didn't show up soon."

"Sorry," Zhu Xiao Bei scratched her head as usual, turned to shut the dorm door, took off her backpack, and sat down beside Ruan Wan's bed. "I knew you'd be worried—I brought you something good."

Zheng Wei dragged over a stool and pried at the backpack: "What's the good stuff?"

"Hey, don't mess around!" Zhu Xiao Bei slapped Zheng Wei's hand away, unzipped the backpack, and pulled out a bundle of skewers wrapped in several layers of plastic, then wrapped again in aluminum foil for warmth. The three girls gasped. Zheng Wei snatched them and placed them on the table. Then Zhu Xiao Bei pulled out two stir-fried dishes, a cold appetizer, and several bottles of beer: "How's that? Good stuff, right?"

She knew the dorm schedule well—whether studying or playing, none of them ever slept before midnight. It wasn't just their dorm; most students in the whole university did the same. That's why she'd brought back barbecue.

"Annoying—I'm trying to lose weight, you know. But since you went out of your way at midnight to bring this, we'll reluctantly eat a little." Li Weijuan protested but got up anyway to unwrap the plastic.

Ruan Wan said: "All this meat must've cost a lot. Do you have enough from your part-time job? Don't tell me you worked all day just for these skewers."

Zheng Wei nodded vigorously: "Yeah, Xiao Bei, this is way too extravagant."

Li Weijuan clicked her tongue: "Well, she brought it back—what can we do now? Just eat."

"Exactly, eat up. My boss at the part-time job is pretty nice—he used to give us some sometimes, right? Today's grand opening, so he gave me extra. Hurry up and eat—it's getting cold on the way back. If it's too cold, we can warm it with alcohol."

Zheng Wei checked the temperature: "It's still warm enough."

"Alright, you eat. I'm going to freshen up." Zhu Xiao Bei was truly sick of it—before the shop opened, her sister had tested every weird thing to grill, and Zhu Xiao Bei was always the first taste-tester. She'd had enough. It no longer tasted as delicious as that first time…

Soon, Zhu Xiao Bei returned from washing up, opened a can of beer, sat beside them, and smiled as she watched the three girls eat and drink.

"You know what? Xiao Bei's barbecue really is delicious—it's just always cold. If it were hot, it'd be even better. Just from this taste, this barbecue place will make a fortune." Li Weijuan, grease dripping from her lips, suggested: "It's not expensive, right? If it's good, let's go eat there next semester."

Zhu Xiao Bei grinned: "Not expensive at all—and since I work there, the boss gives us discounts."

After some laughter and chatter, Li Weijuan suddenly sighed: "Ah, talking about the New Year reminds me—what about Old Wang…?"

Ruan Wan mused: "It's been over three years—he's probably used to it by now."

"Used to it? Even if he's used to it, he's still not happy. Think about New Year's—everyone's with family, happy and together. What's he doing? Alone in his house, cold and empty. How could he possibly feel good?"

Zheng Wei scowled, silent, devouring her food. She felt wronged—she just didn't get it. Why was that Wang so petty? Why did he dislike her? Aside from that one "impertinent" moment and one "meddling" incident, they'd never even spoken directly. How could he treat her like this…?

Zhu Xiao Bei thought a moment and said: "He went to my part-time barbecue place today. I even asked if he'd bought his train ticket home."

Li Weijuan blurted: "What did he say?"

"He said he knows we all know his parents died. He said he bought a house near campus, that he can cook, and he'll spend New Year's alone there. He said it's just a few days—no big deal."

Zheng Wei's eyes widened guiltily: "What? He knows?"

"He bought a house near campus?" Li Weijuan also widened her eyes, disbelieving.

Ruan Wan lagged behind—both had already asked what she wanted to ask—so she asked instead: "Who did he go to the barbecue place with? Not alone, surely?"

The three spoke in near-unison, startling Zhu Xiao Bei into a shiver. She hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her three best friends. But then again, it made sense—Wang Yan was a celebrity on campus; they'd always paid attention to him…

She looked at Zheng Wei first: "Yes, he knows. Don't doubt it—it's exactly the kind of knowing you're thinking of. He said Xu Kaiyang asked his roommate, and his roommate told him. He figured it out right then—that you were trying to get back at him and Chen Xiaozheng by having Xu Kaiyang investigate. Buying a house? That's normal. You know he's rich—he bought a ten-thousand-yuan computer without blinking. A used apartment? I'd guess maybe twenty or thirty thousand yuan. Why are you so shocked? Besides, his parents were businessmen—they left him plenty after they passed."

She knew Wang Yan was impressive, so she'd had some sense of it—but not much. After all, he'd casually handed her twenty thousand yuan to co-found a shop, not even flinching. And she was just a classmate he'd known for a few months. She didn't know how others felt, but if she were Wang Yan, she'd never, ever hand over twenty thousand yuan to a pair of broke girls like them.

Li Weijuan rolled her eyes, said nothing. She thought: You're usually so stingy, but now you're talking about a house worth tens of thousands like it's nothing—as if you had it yourself.

She knew Wang Yan was rich—he'd bought his own computer during the computer-selling days. But a house in Jin Ling? That was a real, tangible standard.

In their hometowns, how many people dreamed of moving to the city? Men worked there hoping to settle, women dreamed of marrying into it, becoming city dwellers. Of course, she was technically a city dweller now—her household registration was with Southeast University's collective household. But she compared it to the village she knew. Now Wang Yan, quietly, casually, had bought a house.

And Xu Kaiyang, that rich playboy, was famous on campus for his wealth—but no one had heard of any extravagant spending. He'd even bought his computer on installment. Compared to Old Wang? He was nowhere near.

Zhu Xiao Bei then turned to Ruan Wan: "He went with a senior."

Before Ruan Wan could speak, Li Weijuan jumped in: "Senior? What year? Are they dating?"

"She graduated—she's from the 1990 class, Architecture. She's already graduated. Wang Yan met her when he sold computers. Her parents are professors here—three years older than Wang Yan. Whether they're dating? I don't know. I didn't ask."

For a moment there was silence as they processed the shocking news Zhu Xiao Bei had brought. After a while, Zheng Wei frowned and said, "Could it be that Wang Yan likes older women?"

Li Weijuan nodded, then shook her head: "Maybe. After all, Old Wang is a celebrity—not just girls from our school, but even girls from other universities have written him love letters. But we've gone half a semester already, and we haven't seen him with anyone, or heard any rumors. And Old Wang is so powerful—he takes courses in two majors, gets exemptions from exams, is brilliant at selling computers, rich, and has depth. He might not be interested in girls like us. Now suddenly an older sister from third year shows up—it's hard to say. Hey, Xiao Bei, is this woman pretty?"

"Pretty, long hair, slim waist…" Zhu Xiao Bei heaped praise on Shi Jie: "She's truly beautiful!"

"Ah, men…" Li Weijuan sighed upward to the sky.

Ruan Wan shook her head and smiled: "Look at you all, gossiping like this—you don't even know the facts yet, just guessing wildly. If you really want to know, just ask Old Wang when you see him. You know him—he'll tell you straight out."

Naturally, the four women started another little meeting about Wang Mou…