48: Luck is also a part of strength

"Hello, how many in your party?"

The hostess at the entrance was originally staring blankly at the rain outside, bored, but when she saw the two of them approaching, her eyes instantly lit up, and she quickly stepped forward to pull back the wind curtain.

She had just watched that large SUV, which looked like an armored vehicle, pull up and stop.

Although she didn't know much about cars, its presence, its size, and that low engine rumble clearly indicated it was extremely valuable.

Looking again at the umbrella Jiang Yuan had folded up in his hand, she noticed the conspicuous "B" logo.

"(The car logo is a B... could it be an SUV made by Bentley?)"

The hostess muttered secretly to herself, and the smile on her face became even brighter and more sincere.

Furthermore, the man and woman had exceptional temperaments; the man was handsome and tall, exuding nobility even in casual wear; the woman was elegant and capable, and although dressed simply, her composure was clearly genuine.

Standing together, they looked exactly like a wealthy couple stepping out from an idol drama.

"Just the two of us."

Jiang Yuan folded his umbrella, elegantly leaned it against the drip rack by the door, and smiled, "Please find us a quiet table by the window."

"Certainly! This way, please!"

The hostess whispered into the walkie-talkie, "Two VIPs, Elegant Seat No. 03, requesting quiet, please take over."

Passing through the bustling lobby, the waiter led the two of them to a semi-partitioned elegant seat by the window.

"I have to say, the service at hotpot restaurants these days is truly intense."

Jiang Yuan sat down, took the hot towel offered by the waiter to wipe his hands, and casually commented, "It's almost catching up to Haidilao; this level of service is impeccable."

"It can't be helped, the catering industry is too competitive."

Gu Xinyu took off her jacket and draped it over the back of the chair, smiling as she replied, "If they don't compete on service, they'll just wait to be eliminated. But this place looks pretty good, and the hotpot seems authentic, so we shouldn't have hit a dud."

Outside the window was a misty drizzle and the gray-blue sea, with water droplets clinging to the glass.

Inside, there was a copper pot over charcoal fire, red oil bubbling, and fragrance overflowing.

This stark contrast gave them a feeling of stealing half a day of leisure even before the meal began.

Since they were having hotpot by the sea, the star of the meal naturally had to be seafood.

The Black Tiger Shrimp paste was plump and firm, the freshly sliced Spotted Coral Grouper was as thin as a cicada's wing, the thick King Crab leg meat was piled up like a small mountain, along with various tender fish slices they couldn't name.

Of course, as a carnivore, Jiang Yuan absolutely couldn't skip his favorite beef and lamb.

Hanging Tender, Blade, and freshly sliced Inner Mongolian lamb rolls, plates of red and white meat covered the tabletop.

Because they had ordered so much, the table couldn't hold it all, and the waiter had to bring over a dedicated stand to place the delicious food.

They chose a Yin-Yang pot base, with one side being rich tomato and the other being spicy beef tallow covered in red oil and Sichuan peppercorns.

However, the two had a silent understanding: neither touched the tomato pot. It sat there, bubbling alone, like a mascot existing purely for contrast.

Jiang Yuan didn't like the thick sesame paste when eating hotpot; he prepared an authentic oil dipping sauce.

Starting with sesame oil, he added chopped green onion, oyster sauce, cilantro, and crushed peanuts, which reduced the spiciness and enhanced the aroma.

Gu Xinyu, on the other hand, mixed a slightly sweet dipping sauce, pouring a ladleful of piping hot spicy broth over it to bring out the fragrance of the seasonings, which also looked very appetizing.

Jiang Yuan picked up a large piece of perfectly blanched beef, wrapped a spoonful of shrimp paste around it, rolled it in the oil dipping sauce, and coated it thoroughly with cilantro and crushed peanuts.

With one bite, the tenderness of the beef, the springiness of the shrimp paste, and the explosive fragrance of the red oil instantly burst open in his mouth.

That one bite nearly overwhelmed Jiang Yuan with flavor.

(I ate Chaoshan hotpot last night. It was five hundred yuan for two people. Although a bit expensive, I highly recommend trying it if you haven't. It was truly delicious!)

Compared to Jiang Yuan's bold and unrestrained way of eating, Gu Xinyu appeared much more refined.

She ate in small bites, but this didn't slow down her eating speed; her mouth and hands never stopped moving.

Steamed by the heat of the red oil, her usually fair and cool face was now flushed, and fine beads of sweat dotted the tip of her nose, making her look especially alluring.

At this point, neither of them had time for conversation.

Outside the window were the sounds of crackling rain and crashing waves; inside was the sound of the copper pot boiling over the charcoal fire.

The two of them sat facing each other, eating large mouthfuls of meat and enjoying this rare tranquility.

Just then, the waiter brought over the chilled craft beer.

Enticing droplets clung to the glass walls.

Jiang Yuan picked up his glass and, amidst the lingering spicy, fresh, and fragrant aftertaste, took a huge gulp of the ice-cold, throat-stinging craft beer.

It was a combination of ice and fire, the bubbles bursting on his tongue.

"Refreshing!"

Jiang Yuan put down the glass, let out a long breath, and couldn't help but exclaim.

Gu Xinyu across from him also took a large drink, nodded in deep agreement, her eyes curving into two crescent moons as she smiled.

The meal lasted for over an hour.

Only when the meat plates on the table were stacked up like small mountains did the two of them finally put down their chopsticks, feeling satisfied.

In fact, Jiang Yuan was the main eater, as his physique was much stronger than before.

Jiang Yuan leaned back in his chair, patted his slightly distended stomach, and turned to look out the window.

Something magical happened.

Just as he was about to call the waiter to pay the bill and leave, the wind and rain that had been raging outside the window suddenly diminished, as if receiving some kind of command, and then completely stopped at that very moment.

The dark clouds dispersed, and a bright, clear moon hung over the sea, illuminating the sparkling water.

"The rain stopped?"

Gu Xinyu looked out the window in surprise, "Isn't that too coincidental?"

A smile curled up the corner of Jiang Yuan's mouth.

Coincidence?

A Luck Stat as high as 6 points wasn't just for show; even the heavens had to give him some face, stopping the rain on command.

"Let's go. Since the weather is cooperating, we can take a slow stroll back to the car."

Jiang Yuan got up to pay the bill at the front desk.

Just as he reached the entrance, the hostess who had been staring at the brabus earlier enthusiastically greeted him.

"Handsome Guy, the rain just stopped, the ground is slippery, please be careful."

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Jiang Yuan, then secretly glanced at the imposing SUV. "This car is really handsome; it perfectly matches your temperament."

Jiang Yuan smiled.

"I'll take that blessing."

The air after the rain was exceptionally fresh, carrying the unique salty moisture of the sea and the fragrance of the earth.

Jiang Yuan opened the back door but didn't get in; instead, he stood next to the car and lit a cigarette.

"Xinyu."

He turned his head to look at the woman inside the car through the smoke.

"Hmm?"

Gu Xinyu was fastening her seatbelt. Hearing him, she looked up, her eyes hazy and gentle.

"Now that we're full and satisfied, shouldn't we go back and digest?"

Jiang Yuan's eyes held a trace of meaningful heat.

Gu Xinyu blushed, instantly understanding what he meant.

"Then... the usual routine?"

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Or... does Brother Jiang want to try something new?"

Jiang Yuan stubbed out the cigarette he had only taken two puffs of in the extinguishing slot on the top of the trash can, and pulled out his phone.

Since he had drunk alcohol, he definitely couldn't drive the car.

He placed an order on the platform, and less than two minutes later, a designated driver wearing a blue vest arrived in a rush on a folding electric bike.

"Hello, are you the owner of the vehicle ending in 1272... Holy crap?"

The designated driver had just finished reading the last four digits of the phone number when he looked up and saw the brabus, which looked like an armored vehicle, right in front of him, and the exclamation slipped out involuntarily.

He swallowed, and his normally practiced movements instantly became a bit stiff.

"B-boss, is this the car?"

"Yes."

Jiang Yuan handed him the car keys and simultaneously pressed the button to open the trunk.