Chapter 121: The Goddess and the Simp

Chapter 121: Chapter 121: The Goddess and the Simp

Seeing that quite a few people had signed up, Zhang Meili’s already sour mood worsened.

Xia Wanqing was actually coming to the gathering! If she came, what was the point of Zhang Meili even being there? If Xia Wanqing hadn’t joined, Zhang Meili would have been the belle of the ball. With her there, Zhang Meili was relegated to a mere backdrop.

On top of that, her wallet was aching! Usually, their group only took up a small table. Tonight, they would probably need two. Even though the bill would be split three ways among the organizers, it was still a bit much... all because of the two "new members" joining them.

And so, a large crowd of people pushed their bicycles, heading in a grand procession toward the famous Happiness Teppanyaki. This restaurant was renowned in Rongcheng for its delicious food, which was why, even at this late hour, there were still many diners sitting around the entrance.

The arrival of the group caught quite a bit of attention. The pretty female cyclists, in particular, had many male diners turning their heads. Yet, no one dared to approach them. After all, any guy out for a late-night snack at this hour without a date was probably just a lonely bachelor with nothing better to do.

It was obvious that Zhang Meili was a regular. Upon finding the boss, she sweetly ordered a whole table full of food, then turned to ask the group, "Does anyone need to replenish their fluids?"

"I’ll have a bottle!"

"I’m definitely exhausted from riding tonight!"

"I’ll have some too!"

Hearing this, Zhang Meili called out to the waiter, "Bring us a case of ice-cold Snow beer!"

"Coming right up!"

The waiter eagerly trotted over with a case of beer. Acting as the designated bartender, Zhang Meili began passing out the drinks to everyone. Su Yunzhou took a bottle and glanced at Xia Wanqing, but she shook her head in refusal.

Once everyone had poured a glass, it was time for the group admin’s routine speech. However, it was clear that the admin was somewhat listless tonight. After he dryly muttered a couple of sentences, the teppanyaki was served, and everyone began to dig in.

Su Yunzhou took a bite. The taste was indeed quite good. He really liked this authentic, old-school Rongcheng flavor, which suddenly reminded him of a certain foodie buddy of his who was a connoisseur of such things but had a terrible personality.

Having not eaten a late-night snack in a long time, Xia Wanqing’s beautiful eyes sparkled with little stars. An occasional indulgence felt absolutely amazing. "Wow! This is so delicious!"

Su Yunzhou asked curiously, "Have you never eaten here before? I thought you guys came out to eat after every ride!"

Xia Wanqing shook her head. "I don’t have the habit of eating late-night snacks. I usually just go straight home."

"Oh?" Su Yunzhou’s face held a trace of a smile. He raised his glass and said, "Then thank you, partner, for doing me the honor."

"Hehe!" Xia Wanqing giggled. "Here’s to a happy collaboration!"

Xia Wanqing picked up her soda water and clinked glasses with him. Figuring the timing was right, she lowered her voice and asked some of the more sensitive questions regarding investment and shareholding.

"Uh..."

Truth be told, Su Yunzhou didn’t really understand these business practices. He had always thought that investing and taking dry shares was as simple as it looked in the movies. In reality, there were so many intricate details to hash out. However, Su Yunzhou trusted Tong’s judgment. Moreover, after their brief interaction, he believed that Xia Wanqing was a principled woman, so he kicked the ball back to her.

"What percentage do you think is appropriate for me to take?"

This tactic of retreating to advance sent Xia Wanqing into deep thought. Meanwhile, the sight of the two of them whispering intimately had the rest of the group at the table seething with envy.

Since someone else was footing the bill anyway, they decided to drink a few more glasses. Liquid courage worked wonders, and soon, the chatter grew lively. Since it was a cycling group, and with women present, the conversation naturally steered toward bikes. As they talked, the topic eventually landed on their wealthy fellow group member.

A lively young man asked, "Mr. Moneybags, what series is that road bike of yours? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before!"

"It’s just an unremarkable minor series under Trek," Su Yunzhou said with a faint smile.

"Whoa! As expected of our local tycoon, riding a Trek!"

The group bantered for a bit longer, though their main objective was still just to drink. A few drinks later, a girl with plain features but an outstanding figure suddenly became a bit emotional. After the group offered some words of comfort, they learned it was over her long-distance relationship.

Some girls were just like this after a few drinks—throwing mild tantrums, hoping someone would coddle them. And sometimes, that coddling would end up going straight to the bedroom.

Everyone had different views on long-distance relationships. Some believed that as long as there was love, distance wasn’t an issue. Others argued that distance didn’t just make the heart grow fonder; it also made the travel expenses grow larger.

At this moment, Xia Wanqing asked softly, "What do you think?"

Su Yunzhou paused for a moment before replying, "I think long-distance relationships are like spring and autumn."

Xia Wanqing frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Su Yunzhou said flatly, "Either your partner explores greener pastures, or the whole thing just withers away..."

"Hehe..." Xia Wanqing’s brow relaxed, and unable to hold it in, she let out an untimely burst of laughter. Seeing the stares from the rest of the group, her pretty face flushed red. "Sorry! I just..."

Sometimes, you just had to admit that beautiful women truly received preferential treatment in society. Before Xia Wanqing could even finish her explanation, everyone had already forgiven her.

The dinner continued, and the lively atmosphere was restored. Meanwhile, the group admin, Yu Xiao, ate as if he were chewing on wax. Tonight’s gathering was simply too heartbreaking for him. He felt his life was like the discount shopping app Pinduoduo: every day he was either begging people for a deal or wanting to slash someone with a knife.

But he could only think about it... After being completely crushed by Su Yunzhou, all he wanted was to end this boring get-together early. Yet, bound by his role as the organizer, he couldn’t just up and leave immediately.

Seeing that it was getting late, he raised his glass and said, "Everyone, I have some things to handle at the shop tomorrow, so I’ll be heading out first. Enjoy the food and drinks."

The group offered some half-hearted protests before letting him go. Everyone understood the bitterness in his heart.

Fully fed and watered, Su Yunzhou planned to head back and get some sleep. Hearing this, Xia Wanqing yawned and said, "Let’s go then! I happen to be heading the same way as you!"

The two of them stood up and bid their farewells. Under the envious, jealous, and resentful gazes of the crowd, they left the "Happiness Teppanyaki"—a place that had brought no happiness to anyone else dining there tonight.

Once they were far away, the atmosphere at the table drastically shifted.

One guy joked, "Sigh! My heart is shattered into a million pieces!"

"Do you believe I can shatter it even more?" another replied.

"Huh?"

"Just now, the goddess was the one who practically begged to walk him home."

"Argh!" The first guy clutched his chest dramatically. "Boss, bring us another case of Snow!"

Everyone teased him for being too melodramatic. Zhang Meili popped open a bottle and handed it to the young man who was usually very lively but had been unusually quiet tonight. "What’s wrong with you today? You’re never this low-key..."

The young man let out a melancholic sigh, staring in the direction where their wealthy groupmate had vanished. "Sigh... This is reality!" he lamented. "The goddess in our eyes is nothing but a simp in the eyes of someone else."

"Huh?" Zhang Meili, who hadn’t gotten a chance to shine all night, was somewhat speechless. "Why are you suddenly spouting such strange nonsense?"

The young man answered a question that wasn’t asked. "That’s why making money is the only way. With money, you live happily ever after. Without money, you just stand by and watch in misery."

A guy next to him said in annoyance, "Old Iron, what exactly is wrong with you? You’ve been acting super depressed for a while now."

The young man sighed again, held up his phone, and showed it to the group. "Earlier, I took a picture and looked up Mr. Moneybags’ road bike..."

"Holy shit! Are you serious?"

The group huddled around and took a closer look.

"Damn! It really is the exact same model! I was just saying that the lines on his road bike looked so unique, but who would have thought it would cost..."

"Sigh... Old Iron, I understand your sorrow now. Come on, let’s drink, let’s drink!"

And right while they were lamenting over their shared misery, the goddess in question was currently blushing furiously at a question posed by Su Yunzhou.

She had no idea how to answer.