338: Chapter 338: The Last Day

There were five days left until New Year's Eve.

The fifth stop was Chongqing.

Xiaoyu stood beneath the Liberation Monument, holding her phone up and spinning in a circle.

Skyscrapers towered on all sides, with neon signs densely packed across the exterior walls of every building—

Red, yellow, blue, and green; the multi-colored lights made the night sky glow.

People came and went, shoulder to shoulder. The aroma of hotpot wafted from every alleyway, a blend of numbing Sichuan peppercorns, rich beef tallow, and fiery chili that made Xiaoyu sneeze from time to time.

“This is Chongqing!” Xiaoyu shouted excitedly at the camera. “Brothers and sisters, my big brother and I are going to have hotpot today!”

The viewers' bullet comments flew by rapidly.

“Chongqing, my hometown!”

“Xiaoyu went to the Liberation Monument! I'm working overtime nearby, I'm rushing out right now!”

“Can J handle spicy food? Chongqing hotpot is seriously spicy!”

“Hope I run into them! Hope I run into them!”

“...”

Jiang Zhe stood behind Xiaoyu, carrying her bag in one hand and a sack of miscellaneous souvenirs she had bought slung over his shoulder.

His expression was as calm as ever. Wearing a thin black jacket with the collar slightly open, he stood amidst the crowd beneath the Liberation Monument; his ethereal aura caused men and women, young and old, to steal extra glances as they passed by.

They found an old hotpot restaurant hidden deep in an alley.

The alley was very narrow, its walls covered in moss and electrical wires, with crisscrossing clotheslines and air conditioning units overhead.

Even so, there was a long queue at the entrance. The air was thick with the rich scent of beef tallow, minced garlic, and sesame oil!!

Xiaoyu looked inside the shop and couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

“Big brother, how long do we have to wait for this place?”

Jiang Zhe glanced at the number display at the door, then at the bustling scene inside: “One hour.”

“Ah, I don't want to eat anymore!” Xiaoyu's excited puppy-like face instantly slumped.

A middle-aged fat man waiting nearby heard her. He turned to look at Jiang Zhe, then looked again, scanning him from head to toe. Finally, his eyes fixed on Jiang Zhe's chest, and his gaze suddenly changed.

“You... are you that J?”

Before Jiang Zhe could speak, Xiaoyu had already pointed her phone at him.

The man was so excited he sprang up from his plastic stool, nearly dropping his phone.

“Holy crap, it really is you! I watch every episode—I've been watching since the tui bei tu. That OOPArt you talked about, I specifically went to look up information on it. I stayed up all night researching!”

Though his voice was low, as soon as people heard 'J', many gazes from the vicinity immediately shifted toward them.

A young man in his early twenties, wearing a trendy brand hoodie, had been scrolling through his phone.

He snapped his head up upon hearing the letter J.

He looked at Jiang Zhe for two seconds, his eyes lighting up. However, he didn't make a fuss like the middle-aged man; he simply stood up and walked over slowly. His gaze swept from Jiang Zhe's face to his shoulders, from his shoulders to his waist, from his waist to his wrists, and finally back to his face, his lips curling slightly.

“Brother J, I'm a fan. I've been watching since the first episode.”

Jiang Zhe narrowed his eyes, immediately detecting an unusual look in the man's eyes.

Even so, he gave a slight nod and said, “Thank you.”

The feminine young man smiled. He didn't seem to have any intention of leaving, just standing nearby and glancing at Jiang Zhe from time to time.

That look wasn't the feverish gaze of a fan seeing an idol; it was more like the look of someone seeing prey.

Xiaoyu's sixth sense was sharp. Sensing something was wrong, she wordlessly moved half a step closer to Jiang Zhe. Her hand holding the phone was rock steady, and her gaze was fixed firmly on that male fan.

“Brother, wake up!”

“My big brother is a man you'll never get in this lifetime!”

“Is this a specialty of the Sichuan-Chongqing region?”

“Indeed, only the roads are straight in Sichuan and Chongqing.”

“Sorry to the person above, but the roads in Sichuan and Chongqing can be bent too. Only the chopsticks—only the chopsticks are straight!”

“...”

An hour later, their turn finally came.

Their table was on the second floor by the window. Outside was the alley, where they could see mottled graffiti on the opposite wall and the flickering lights of distant skyscrapers.

The red soup base was served, a pot full of red oil—chilies and Sichuan peppercorns tumbled in the boiling broth. The aroma hit them, causing Xiaoyu to sneeze two and a half times in a row.

Xiaoyu had ordered a split pot. The white soup side was a mushroom broth, clear enough to see the bottom.

Jiang Zhe sat opposite her, watching the red soup bubble, his thoughts unknown.

“Big brother, do you eat spicy food?”

“Yes.”

“Then why aren't you moving your chopsticks?”

Jiang Zhe picked up a piece of beef tripe, swished it in the red soup for seven seconds, and put it in his mouth without changing his expression.

Xiaoyu stared at Jiang Zhe for a long time: “Is it not spicy for you?”

“It's not.”

Xiaoyu, refusing to believe it, picked up a piece of meat from the red soup, blew on it repeatedly, and then carefully put it in her mouth.

Almost instantly, her entire face turned red down to her neck, and tears gushed out.

“Water water water water water!”

She fanned her open mouth, stuck out her little puppy tongue, and panted heavily.

The corner of Jiang Zhe's mouth curled slightly as he handed her a glass of ice water.

The guests at the next table saw this and burst out laughing.

It was a short-haired girl. Holding a glass of beer, she called out to Xiaoyu, “Little sister, you're not cut out for this! When you eat hotpot in Chongqing, you have to order 'micro-micro-micro' spicy!”

She turned to look at Jiang Zhe and raised her glass, her face full of admiration. “Brother J, you're really something. You can actually handle the spice.”

Jiang Zhe gave a slight nod in response.

The male friend beside the short-haired girl teased, “Have you taken a liking to him?”

The handsome short-haired girl in the black hoodie rolled her eyes at the man and said very bluntly, “I've taken a liking to his sister. This little sister is so cute!”

Xiaoyu, whose eyes were watering from the spice, was dumbfounded upon hearing this!

At this moment, the bullet comments went completely wild!

“Hahahahaha, a Chongqing girl has taken a liking to Xiaoyu!”

“I did not see this plot development coming.”

“Truly a Sichuan-Chongqing specialty. They really don't spare either men or women!”

“...”

After Xiaoyu recovered, she tried again. This time she only dipped a tiny bit into the red soup, but she was still gasping from the heat.

She gasped while saying, “Big brother, do you have no sense of taste?”

Jiang Zhe picked up a portion of duck intestines, swished them in the red soup, and put them in his mouth. After eating, there was still no sign of pain.

“Then why don't you find it spicy?”

“I'm used to it.”

“When did you get used to it?”

Jiang Zhe didn't answer, simply continuing to eat the hotpot.

Seeing this, Xiaoyu didn't press further.

After finishing the hotpot, they dropped their things off at the hotel and walked along the river.

Chongqing at night is very three-dimensional.

The lights of Hongyadong glowed from the foot of the mountain all the way to the peak, layer upon layer, like a palace suspended in mid-air.

Meanwhile, the Qiansimen Bridge spanned the Jialing River, with traffic flowing like a woven web and lights reflecting on the river's surface, shattering into a flowing field of gold.

When the river breeze blew, it carried moisture and the lingering scent of distant hotpot restaurants.

Xiaoyu held up her phone to film the night scenery. Feeling the cool breeze, she couldn't help but sigh, “It's so beautiful!”

Jiang Zhe stood beside her, hands in his pockets, looking at the river and then gazing into the distant night.

He also liked this feeling very much!

Young people passed by from time to time. One of the girls suddenly stopped, tugged on her companion's sleeve, and pointed at Jiang Zhe, whispering:

“Look at that person, is that J?”

Several people looked over in unison.

A boy pulled out his phone, entered Xiaoyu's stream ID, and compared it with the live broadcast. He gasped on the spot: “Holy shit, it really is J! Why did he come to Chongqing?”

They gathered around, but they were restrained. They didn't crowd him, maintaining a polite distance at all times.

The girl finally plucked up the courage to say, “Brother J, can we take a photo together?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhe nodded.

The five people were so excited they nearly jumped. They lined up to take photos one by one.

When it was the boy's turn, he stood next to Jiang Zhe and made a peace sign, but his eyes kept glancing toward Jiang Zhe, his face full of dreamy daze.

After the photos, the five of them left, full of gratitude.

After walking a dozen steps, the girl turned back and shouted, flashing a peace sign at Jiang Zhe: “Brother J, we'll be waiting for you on New Year's Eve!”

Jiang Zhe didn't turn around, only slightly raising his hand.

Seeing this scene, countless viewers in the stream couldn't help but feel like crying.

“So envious!”

“I can't make it in time, I'm stuck in traffic, damn it!”

“Can I go to his hotel to wait for him?”

“You dare?”

“Forget it, forget it. I'll just watch from afar. He's someone meant to be admired from a distance, not approached!”

“...”

Xiaoyu also recorded this moment and then teased, “Big brother, you're a celebrity now. There are fans all along the way; some are too scared to ask for a photo, while others are bold enough to come straight over.”

“I'm not.”

“How are you not? Big brother, look at how excited those people were when they recognized you.”

“It's not me they recognize. It's what they believe in!”

“This...”

Xiaoyu rolled her eyes at her brother. Her brother was definitely a master of philosophy sometimes!

...

There was one day left until New Year's Eve.

Xiaoyu and Jiang Zhe finally returned to Gusu.

A black Ferrari was parked in front of the villa.

Wang Shulin stood by the car, wearing a brand-new white down jacket. He held a set of keys, his palms drenched in sweat from nervousness.

“Brother Jiang.” Seeing Jiang Zhe get out of the taxi, he hurried forward with a face full of smiles.

Jiang Zhe looked at the car, then looked at him.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“It's nothing much.”

“That's not very helpful, Brother Wang.”

“It's just a small token of my appreciation!”

“Big brother, this is a promise.” Wang Shulin handed over the keys, saying respectfully, “I said it before: a Ferrari. I was going to find an excuse to give it to you through Xiaoyu, but then I realized you've known all along and were just playing along with Xiaoyu and me in our little drama of talent agent and actor...”

At this point, Wang Shulin was extremely embarrassed, to the point of wanting to dig a hole with his toes.

Xiaoyu's eyes widened beside them, somewhat in disbelief.

Jiang Zhe, however, gently shook his head. “There's no need.”

“Brother Jiang, this is my personal sentiment. No company, no contract, no strings attached.”

Wang Shulin's voice was a bit urgent.

“The things you talked about brought our platform to life.”

“It brought our team to life, and it brought me to life. This isn't payment; it's a gift of gratitude.”

Jiang Zhe studied Wang Shulin for a long time. Finally, he took the keys and nodded. “Thank you.”

Wang Shulin froze for a moment, then smiled. “You're welcome, Brother Jiang. You're very welcome. If you need anything tomorrow, just say the word!”

“Mm.”

Jiang Zhe nodded and watched Wang Shulin's car disappear from sight before handing the black Ferrari keys to Xiaoyu. “It's yours. Remember to get a driver's license!”

As she took the keys into her own hands, Xiaoyu was dumbfounded. “Huh? Me? Me? It's mine?”

“Why are you just standing there? You don't want it?”

“No, no, no, big brother, I want it! I'll go get my driver's license right after the New Year!”

Xiaoyu laughed excitedly. Although she had made a lot of money recently, she really couldn't bring herself to spend over three million on a black Ferrari for herself.

After watching her brother enter the villa, Xiaoyu pulled out her phone and triumphantly waved the black Ferrari keys in front of the camera.

“I, Steel Rain, am now a person who owns a sports car!”

Hundreds of thousands of envious bullet comments flooded the stream.

...