121: Another day to be envied

Li Qinghe exchanged contact information with these older brothers and watched as the eager men discussed renting a few motorbikes to go hunting near the bar street.

He waved goodbye to the older brothers and, under their envious gazes, rode his motorbike to find Nguyen Thi Trinh, who was waiting under the shade of a tree ahead.

This was something they couldn't imitate—it was raw, additive-free, in sync, and you had to delve deep to truly taste it.

Li Qinghe called out to Nguyen Thi Trinh and took her to refuel first, which was something Li Qinghe didn't particularly like, but he could understand why.

After all, a single shop couldn't store too much gasoline; otherwise, any mishap could lead to a major problem.

Nguyen Thi Trinh rode her motorbike smoothly behind Li Qinghe.

Although her family wasn't wealthy, she certainly wasn't lacking in motorbike riding skills.

When Li Qinghe and Nguyen Thi Trinh returned home, Nguyen Thi Linh had already showered, changed, and was waiting for them.

Nguyen Thi Linh's current attire was becoming increasingly feminine, no longer possessing her former shyness.

An off-the-shoulder long-sleeved top revealed her alluring collarbone, a light-colored bodycon skirt showcased a pair of impossibly long legs, and white sneakers exuded a casual, sporty vibe.

Nguyen Thi Linh

"Brother, did you buy a motorbike for A Trinh?"

"Yes, I did. It's the same model as yours, but A Trinh chose a mint green one. It'll look great when you two go out together from now on."

Li Qinghe put his arm around Nguyen Thi Linh's waist and kissed her.

"Brother, me too!"

A Ying squeezed over, her eyes slightly narrowed, as radiant as a flower.

Li Qinghe also pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

With more people in the group, it's important to treat everyone equally; otherwise, the group will be difficult to manage.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Li Qinghe led the group downstairs to get into the car and depart.

But A Ying and Nguyen Thi Linh spent some time examining Nguyen Thi Trinh's small motorbike.

Three Honda motorbikes, each a different color, parked in a row, looked quite nice.

Watching the three chattering girls excitedly discussing the motorbikes, Li Qinghe had an idea: how beautiful it would be if they could collect a macaron-colored set.

He didn't disturb them, instead opening the rolling shutter door himself and quietly waiting in the car.

Seeing that Li Qinghe was already in the car, Nguyen Thi Linh and the others quickly ended their chat and got in.

Nguyen Thi Linh took the front passenger seat, while Nguyen Thi Trinh and A Ying sat in the back.

It seemed these girls had clearly defined their positions.

Nguyen Thi Trinh, naturally, was well-behaved and didn't compete or contend; in her simple mind, she only knew that by being with Nguyen Thi Linh and following her lead, there would be no problems.

Li Qinghe slowly drove the car out of the first floor, and Nguyen Thi Linh got out to lock the rolling shutter door.

"Brother, let's go!"

Nguyen Thi Linh, clearly in high spirits about going for hotpot, fastened her seatbelt and waved, sweetly commanding Li Qinghe to depart.

The once demure her was now becoming increasingly playful, but whenever Li Qinghe needed her, she would always be the obedient Nguyen Thi Linh.

Driving all the way to the shopping mall parking lot in Ba Dinh District, the four of them walking in a row into the mall was quite eye-catching, with the 1.85-meter-tall Li Qinghe being the most attention-grabbing.

His tall and robust figure drew many glances; in Vietnam, men of Li Qinghe's height were not unheard of, but their appearance was rare.

Although Nguyen Thi Linh and the others were dressed beautifully and charmingly, there were many Vietnamese girls who dressed even more daringly than them.

In such a high-end mall, one could see continuous stretches of fair skin everywhere.

If you didn't look at their faces, apart from A Ying, the petite figures of Nguyen Thi Linh and Nguyen Thi Trinh were still a little lacking in comparison.

Today, because Li Qinghe and his group arrived relatively early, they got a table without having to queue.

Li Qinghe sat down to order, while Nguyen Thi Linh and A Ying took Nguyen Thi Trinh to get dipping sauces.

Li Qinghe had already deployed an invisible sub-camera to follow them.

Nguyen Thi Trinh's first hotpot experience should be recorded.

When Li Qinghe ordered, he made sure to include everyone's favorite dishes. Nguyen Thi Linh liked beef tripe and omasum, and A Ying also liked duck intestine.

Nguyen Thi Trinh didn't yet know what she particularly liked, so he ordered a variety of dishes, and they would see what she preferred and order more later if needed.

Soon after, the three girls returned together. Nguyen Thi Linh, as usual, brought Li Qinghe a plate of his favorites.

Normally, if he were out for hotpot with A Ying, this task would fall to her.

"A Trinh, what seasoning did you make?"

Nguyen Thi Linh and A Ying sat on either side of Li Qinghe, so Nguyen Thi Trinh had to sit next to Nguyen Thi Linh.

"Fish sauce, lemon juice, oyster sauce, garlic water, and a little sesame."

Nguyen Thi Trinh carefully held up her dipping sauce dish for Li Qinghe to see.

She had filled it quite full and didn't dare to make too many movements. Her cautious, pursed-lip manner of holding it made Li Qinghe smile.

"A Trinh, you don't need to hold it up. Next time, you can put a little less; you can always go add more after you've eaten some. If it's too full, it's hard to dip things in."

Only Nguyen Thi Linh was between them; otherwise, Li Qinghe would have touched Nguyen Thi Trinh's head again.

It was Nguyen Thi Trinh's first time coming from a village in Vietnam to the capital of Vietnam, and this was the first time she had seen such a luxurious shopping mall.

She even had the illusion that she had arrived in another world.

Recalling the luxurious malls she had seen on TV before, Nguyen Thi Trinh finally knew what it felt like to be in one.

Fortunately, Nguyen Thi Linh and A Ying were very friendly; they carefully taught her some things to pay attention to, effectively dispelling Nguyen Thi Trinh's unease in the unfamiliar environment.

Today, Li Qinghe ordered a four-compartment hotpot, which included two hotpot bases that Vietnamese people generally accepted: tomato hotpot and tom yum goong hotpot. These were prepared for the girls.

The other two hotpot bases were coconut chicken hotpot and classic spicy hotpot. These two Li Qinghe prepared for himself.

Spicy hotpot for blanching vegetables, coconut chicken for drinking soup—a perfect match.

When the soups in the pots began to boil, Nguyen Thi Linh and A Ying orderly put different dishes into different hotpot bases.

Nguyen Thi Trinh also followed suit, putting in some meat rolls.

Li Qinghe sat in the middle and didn't have to lift a finger; Nguyen Thi Linh and A Ying continuously placed blanched dishes into his bowl, serving him meticulously.

Seeing that Nguyen Thi Linh and A Ying didn't neglect serving Li Qinghe even while eating, Nguyen Thi Trinh, after asking Nguyen Thi Linh if the meat was cooked, also picked up a large chopstick-full, intending to give it to Li Qinghe.

However, his plate was already nearly full, which made Nguyen Thi Trinh hesitate about whether to continue this act of vying for attention.

Fortunately, Li Qinghe noticed her predicament. With a swirl of his chopsticks in the dipping sauce, half a bowl of vegetables was stuffed into his mouth.

He looked at Nguyen Thi Trinh and extended his bowl forward.

Nguyen Thi Trinh quickly put the meat into his dipping sauce dish.

Nguyen Thi Trinh, relieved to have successfully delivered the meat, smiled. She felt Li Qinghe's care, and her heart felt warm, as did her lower abdomen.

"Oh my god, isn't that Qinghe? 1, 2, 3… Holy crap, this guy is with three women! The two beauties next to him are even higher quality than the one this afternoon."

"Those two are the first two beauties he filmed; they're two different styles, the kind many fans particularly love."

"I'm so envious! Now that's living a life of luxury. Three people serving him while he eats—it's just too much."

In the queue outside Haidilao, the three car-rental guys Li Qinghe met that afternoon were waiting with three rather worldly Misses.

From their angle, they could clearly see Li Qinghe's booth.

Comparing the beauties next to Li Qinghe with the 'public transport' women next to them, who even needed a translator to chat, these older brothers instantly felt that their companions were no longer appealing.