169: Chapter 169 Qin Yi's Three Brothers Have a Dinner Together, Ye Ziming Meets Shen Jianan Again (Part 2)

Although it was almost mealtime, because most of the people who came to this BBQ shop were students from the surrounding universities, and it was currently summer break, there weren't many customers in the shop.

Qin Yi and Wang Tengfei walked into the shop. In the huge restaurant, there were only two or three tables of customers eating skewers and drinking. They looked like nearby students, chatting and laughing in a lively atmosphere. However, the owner of the BBQ shop was nowhere to be seen; it seemed he was busy in the back kitchen.

Wang Tengfei's gaze swept across the shop, a sly smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He intentionally raised his voice and shouted loudly toward the back kitchen, "Boss! We have guests! Hurry up and come out to receive us!" After speaking, he didn't forget to wink at Qin Yi beside him, his face full of playfulness.

Looking at Wang Tengfei's antics, Qin Yi shook his head and smiled helplessly, then also looked toward the back kitchen.

In the dining hall, the customers who were eating heard Wang Tengfei's shout and focused their attention on him, curiously sizing up this loud-mouthed man who had suddenly burst in.

Perhaps it was because of Wang Tengfei's physique—black suit pants paired with a short-sleeved shirt, with muscles faintly visible beneath the fabric—he looked quite like the tough-guy Korean star 'Ma Dong-seok'. No one dared to be rude, though there was a hint of strangeness in their eyes.

At one of the tables, the attention of three girls only stayed on the knock-off 'Ma Dong-seok' for a few seconds before being drawn away by Qin Yi, who was standing next to Wang Tengfei.

Qin Yi's handsome appearance and his expensive outfit immediately caught their attention, and they couldn't help but have hearts in their eyes as they looked at him.

"Oh my god, the guy next to him is explosively handsome!" one girl whispered excitedly to her companion, her eyes full of amazement and delight.

"Exactly, exactly! I saw him too! He looks just like a male lead who walked straight out of a manga!" another girl chimed in excitedly, her gaze locked firmly on Qin Yi.

"Don't just look at his face," the third girl reminded them in a low voice. "Didn't you see the watch on his wrist? That's a Rolex Rainbow Daytona! Market price is at least this much!" As she spoke, she held up two fingers to the girls beside her.

"Two hundred thousand?" The first girl's eyes widened as she asked in surprise. Actually, she had originally wanted to say twenty thousand, but thinking it was a Rolex, she instinctively multiplied it by ten.

"Pah," the girl spat lightly, looking quite speechless as she continued, "What two hundred thousand? Two million!"

"Two million?!" The first girl's eyes widened even further as she asked in disbelief, "Then why did he come here to eat? Is he some super rich second-generation from our school?"

"Maybe~" The second girl blinked and said mysteriously, "Maybe he's just here to experience life? After all, we don't understand the world of the wealthy. Or maybe he's a rich Young Master here to pick up schoolgirls?"

Hearing this, the first girl sat up a bit straighter, puffing out her not-so-endowed chest. Seeing this, the other two girls looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

Just then, a slightly gruff voice came from the back kitchen, sounding a bit displeased: "Who is it? Can't you speak properly? 'Receive guests, receive guests'—where do you think this is? Find a seat yourselves!"

As soon as the words fell, the curtain to the back kitchen was suddenly pulled open, and a middle-aged man with a beard and a shaved head strode out.

Seeing this, Wang Tengfei immediately broke into a playful smile and shouted at the middle-aged man, "Uncle Jin, your temper hasn't changed a bit!"

This bald middle-aged man was the owner of this 'Backstreet BBQ Shop'. His full name was unknown; they only knew his surname was Jin. Since his age was similar to Qin Yi's parents, Qin Yi and the others always called him Uncle Jin.

Uncle Jin was originally scowling, but when he saw Wang Tengfei, his expression instantly turned to one of surprise: "Oh, Fatty! It's you!" Saying this, his gaze immediately shifted to Qin Yi standing next to Wang Tengfei, and his face showed even more disbelief: "Qin Yi! You brat, when did you get back? I heard from Fatty before that you took a leave of absence to go back to your hometown to recover. How are you now? Are you better?"

Qin Yi glanced at Wang Tengfei with confusion, who scratched his head with a sheepish grin. Seeing this, Qin Yi could guess most of what had happened. So, Qin Yi shifted his gaze back to Uncle Jin and replied with a smile, "Yeah, I'm much better. Thanks for your concern, Uncle Jin. I just got back this Monday. I missed your BBQ, so I asked Fatty to come over today."

"Haha, welcome, welcome. Sit, sit," Uncle Jin greeted them warmly, leading them to a familiar table. He pulled out chairs, gesturing for them to sit, and then asked, "Why is it just the two of you today? The other two boys from your dorm didn't come along?"

While taking two bottles of chilled Dayao soda from the freezer, Wang Tengfei replied, "Those two are both busy. Second brother Chao Zi went back to his hometown to work at a bank, so he's not in Modu. Third brother Yuaner is on a business trip today, so he's not here either. So, the only idle people left are the two of us." As he spoke, he skillfully used a bottle opener to pop the caps, handed one bottle to Qin Yi, and then sat down comfortably after taking two large gulps.

Uncle Jin looked at the two of them, his eyes full of emotion: "Yeah, four years have passed in the blink of an eye. You've all graduated and started getting busy. My small shop sees so many students coming and going every year, but to be honest, you few are the only ones I can really remember."

Hearing this, Qin Yi teased, "Uncle Jin, are you implying that everyone in our dorm is a foodie?" As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Tengfei couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Uncle Jin also shook his head with a smile: "Eh, the word 'foodie' isn't enough to describe the capabilities of you four." Saying this, he pulled over a chair and sat down broadly, his eyes sparkling with the light of memory as he continued, "I still remember when you guys were freshmen. Right after military training finished, it happened to be the National Day holiday, and you guys ate here for four days straight. Every night as soon as I opened, you'd come trotting over and wouldn't leave until I was about to close. Cases of beer one after another—if I hadn't seen that you were all Modu University students, I would have suspected you were hired by a competitor to cause trouble."

Wang Tengfei scratched his head and smiled sheepishly: "Hahaha, Uncle Jin, you can't blame us for that. Who told you to have a National Day special where you gave away unlimited beer with skewers? The four of us agreed to take turns treating each other, so naturally, your place was the first choice."

Uncle Jin widened his eyes, putting on a look of realization, "Oh, I didn't expect that. Even though you're all college students, your alcohol tolerance was so high... But then again, you guys brought me quite a bit of business." Saying this, he looked at Qin Yi with a meaningful smile, "Especially Qin Yi! I remember back then, many young girls came here just for you."

Qin Yi felt a bit embarrassed. Just as he was about to speak, Uncle Jin seemed to remember something and curiously followed up: "Oh, right, Qin Yi, I remember your girlfriend was also from our Modu University, right? Why didn't she come with you? You've graduated now, when do you plan to get married?"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Hearing Uncle Jin bring up the topic of Su Mo, Wang Tengfei immediately let out a few light coughs, interrupting Uncle Jin and drawing his attention to himself.

"What's wrong, Fatty? Choking?" Uncle Jin didn't catch on and asked curiously.

Wang Tengfei gave Uncle Jin a look, then rubbed his stomach and changed the subject: "Uncle Jin, let's catch up later. We've been sitting here for ages, and our stomachs are starting to growl. How about some peanuts and edamame first?"

Seeing this, Uncle Jin suddenly understood what was going on. He sheepishly patted his head and stood up apologetically, smiling, "Cough, look at my memory, I was so busy reminiscing that I forgot the main business! I'll go get some food ready for you right now. The usual?"

"Yeah, the usual." Wang Tengfei teased, "Is the beer still free?"

"Yes! Since it's you guys, it must be free!" Uncle Jin laughed heartily, "The beer is still in the same old place, help yourselves. I'll go grill the skewers for you first." With that, he turned and walked toward the back kitchen.

Wang Tengfei also stood up and moved two cases of beer to the table himself. He looked at Qin Yi with a slight sheepish smile and explained, "Old Fourth, Uncle Jin doesn't know about your situation yet. Before graduation, the three of us came here for a meal. Uncle Jin asked when he saw you weren't there, and we only said you took a leave of absence because you weren't feeling well. As for the thing between you and Su Mo, Uncle Jin doesn't know. Don't mind it."

Hearing this, Qin Yi waved his hand dismissively, a calm smile on his face: "Why would I mind? Uncle Jin is busy with the shop's business every day; how would he know about the gossip in our school? On the other hand, after not seeing you for so long, you've become quite thoughtful. You wouldn't have considered things so thoroughly before."

"Sigh," Wang Tengfei sighed, a look of deep reflection appearing on his face: "People change. After entering the workplace, you can't be as careless and reckless as you were in school. You have to learn to keep things in mind now, otherwise, it's easy to offend people."

Qin Yi looked at Wang Tengfei, a flash of appreciation in his eyes: "You're right, Fatty. This change of yours is truly 'refined within the rough.' It seems you have the potential to do great things."

"Hehe, to get the affirmation of my new boss, this new employee is truly overwhelmed by the favor." Wang Tengfei smiled, picked up the Dayao soda, and lightly clinked it against Qin Yi's bottle, making a crisp sound.

...

While they were talking, Uncle Jin came out of the back kitchen carrying a full plate of mixed peanuts and edamame. He placed the plate on their table, his face beaming with a warm smile: "The skewers are on the grill. Eat these first to pad your stomachs. If it's not enough, I'll get you more."

As soon as he finished speaking, another shout came from the shop entrance: "Boss, we want to order!" A few new customers walked in.

"Eh, alright! Find a seat anywhere, I'll be right there!" Uncle Jin replied.

"Uncle Jin, go ahead and get busy, don't mind us," Qin Yi said, gesturing for Uncle Jin to attend to the new customers.

"Alright then, you guys chat first. Once the skewers are done, I'll bring them over to you." Uncle Jin said, turning to grab a menu and walking toward the new table of customers.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Qin Yi and Wang Tengfei continued to enjoy their delicious peanuts and edamame, chatting about some things that had happened at school after Qin Yi took a leave of absence.

Meanwhile, Ye Ziming drove that rolls-royce cullinan and slowly pulled into the guesthouse of the Modu Police Department.

It took exactly twenty minutes, not a minute more or less.

At this moment, Ye Qingcheng was already waiting at the entrance of the guesthouse. Although she was dressed in casual clothes, there was still an air of heroism between her brows, giving people the first impression that this woman was not easy to get along with.

Ye Ziming parked the car and, not daring to delay for a moment, pushed open the door. He stepped out and waved at Ye Qingcheng. As he approached, his face was filled with an enthusiastic smile, and he opened his arms, making a gesture to give Ye Qingcheng a warm hug.

Unexpectedly, Ye Qingcheng directly raised her hand to block him.

The smile on Ye Ziming's face stiffened slightly. He saw his sister frown slightly, her gaze sweeping over the rolls-royce cullinan behind him before returning to him.

There was a hint of doubt and inquiry in Ye Qingcheng's eyes as she looked at Ye Ziming and asked in a low voice, "Is this car yours?"

"Uh," Ye Ziming sheepishly lowered his arms and explained, "How could it be? I borrowed this from Brother Kun. Since you came to Modu, I had to drive a car with some presence to pick you up, right?"

Ye Qingcheng did not easily believe his explanation; instead, a series of questions came out of her mouth, "Brother Kun? What does he do? Why would he lend you such an expensive car? How do you know him?"

Facing his sister's barrage of questions, Ye Ziming was having trouble holding his own. He rubbed his nose and smiled awkwardly, "Oh, Sis, just relax. Brother Kun and I are friends. Brother Kun runs a car dealership; he has plenty of cars there that are more expensive than this one." As he spoke, he quickly opened the back door, made a gesture of invitation, and said respectfully, "Sis, get in the car. Don't keep them waiting."

Ye Qingcheng glared at him before sitting in the back seat. Ye Ziming carefully closed the door, afraid that a slightly larger movement would provoke his sister's dissatisfaction.

After getting in the car, Ye Ziming observed Ye Qingcheng's expression through the rearview mirror and asked proactively, "Sis, why did you come to Modu? Is it for a mission, or did you come specifically to find me?"

"Find you? You really know how to flatter yourself." Ye Qingcheng sat in the back with her legs crossed and looked at Ye Ziming, who was driving, with a hint of curiosity on her face, "You look quite steady in this outfit today. It seems that in the half year I've been away, you've really changed quite a bit."

Ye Ziming silently breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had changed out of his usual outfit that afternoon; otherwise, he wouldn't have received his sister's praise.

"Hehe, that's a must." As he spoke, Ye Ziming feigned ignorance and asked, "By the way, Sis, whose house are we visiting today?"

"The home of the current director of the Modu Police Department, Shen Zhendong. He was a soldier our grandfather led back in the army. By the way, I asked you to buy gifts; you were busy all afternoon, what did you buy?" Ye Qingcheng asked with some curiosity.

Ye Ziming smiled triumphantly, gestured towards the trunk, and then narrated, "I bought top-quality cigarettes, alcohol, tea, sea cucumber, and two especially beautiful necklaces. It's absolutely grand!" When he mentioned the necklaces, a trace of cunning flashed in his eyes.

"Necklaces? Why did you buy two?" Ye Qingcheng raised her eyebrows slightly and asked with some confusion.

"Well, one is for Director Shen's wife. I heard that Director Shen also has a daughter, so I thought I'd just get one for each; more gifts never hurt," Ye Ziming explained logically.

Ye Qingcheng nodded at first, but then she seemed to notice something. She frowned slightly, stared at Ye Ziming, and her tone revealed a hint of scrutiny, "Something is wrong. How did you know we were going to Director Shen's house today? And that he has a wife and daughter? I never mentioned any of this to you."

Ye Ziming's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a calm smile on his face, "That's a coincidence. Brother Kun, whom I mentioned to you before, has a great relationship with Director Shen; he calls Director Shen 'Uncle' directly. When you called me, I happened to be with him. As soon as he saw the address you sent, he told me immediately that it was Director Shen's house."

"Oh? Is that so?" A hint of inquiry flashed in Ye Qingcheng's eyes, "Since he is so familiar with Director Shen, he should be a trustworthy person, right? What is his full name? I'll have someone check his background later."

Upon hearing this, Ye Ziming became somewhat unhappy, "Oh, Sis, I don't think there's any need for that, right? Brother Kun runs a legitimate business. Every time I make a friend, you want to check the background of their ancestors for eighteen generations. If this continues, who will dare to hang out with me?" He muttered, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

"Enough nonsense." Ye Qingcheng glared at him, "If he is truly an innocent person, what is he afraid of being checked for? Tell me quickly, what is Brother Kun's full name, and what is the name of that car dealership? Don't force me to take action!" Her tone revealed an unquestionable firmness.

"Fine, fine, fine, I'm really afraid of you." Ye Ziming shrugged helplessly, "Don't bother checking; I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Brother Kun's name is Xing Zhenkun, a native of Xishan Province. His father is Xing Guoqiang, the chairman of Xishan's Qiangsheng Group, and the car dealership is called Wanhao Car Dealership." He said it all in one breath, then looked at Ye Qingcheng through the rearview mirror, looking as if he were asking, "Is there anything else you want to know? I've confessed everything to you..."

"Qiangsheng Group, the coal enterprise in Xishan? Your friend has quite a background; he's a second-generation coal tycoon. Why didn't he think about inheriting his father's business properly, but instead ran to Modu to open a car dealership?" Ye Qingcheng had gone to Xishan for training when she was serving in the army, and she had naturally heard of the name Qiangsheng Group. At this moment, she looked at Ye Ziming with curiosity on her face.

Feeling his sister's probing gaze, Ye Ziming's heart tightened, but he immediately relaxed and smiled, explaining, "He thinks inheriting the family business is boring. He studied abroad, and just like me, he is particularly interested in cars, so he opened a car dealership. Oh right, he also founded a supercar club called the Flying Dragon Supercar Club. Sis, if you have time, you can go take a look. The club just started, and it's actually quite well run."

"Oh, so you mean when I called you, you were at his Flying Dragon Supercar Club, right?" Ye Qingcheng looked at Ye Ziming with a knowing smile, "And you still want to lie to me and say you didn't get on the racetrack?"

Ye Ziming's heart skipped a beat, and he cursed himself for having a loose tongue. He swallowed and smiled sheepishly, "Sis, you misunderstood. I was just watching from the sidelines; I really didn't get on the racetrack."

"Alright, alright, don't explain anymore. You're grown up now, and I can't keep an eye on you all the time. But you need to know your limits and not do anything out of line." Ye Qingcheng waved her hand, a hint of helplessness on her face.

The siblings chatted like this, during which Ye Ziming asked, "Sis, did you go back to see Grandfather before coming to Modu?"

"Yes, I did." Ye Qingcheng nodded, "I asked the doctor, and Grandfather's health is fine, but recently he often mentions things from his youth. Maybe he's getting older, and his memory is fading." Speaking of this, she couldn't help but show a trace of worry on her face.

"Yeah, in the half year you were abroad, Grandfather was always talking about you, worried about your safety abroad. You're not going out again after this return, are you?" Ye Ziming looked at Ye Qingcheng through the rearview mirror, his eyes filled with a hint of expectation.

"I shouldn't be going out for the time being. But it's hard to say; it depends on the leadership's arrangements." Ye Qingcheng raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and uncertainty.

"Oh right, Sis, do you have a mission while in Modu this time? Why didn't you go to the military guesthouse, but instead stayed at the police guesthouse?" Ye Ziming asked curiously.

"Oh, I haven't told you yet, I'm not in the army anymore," Ye Qingcheng said indifferently, "I've been seconded to National Security."

"National Security?!" Ye Ziming was shocked, "Sis, you've transferred from the foreign front to the domestic front! You didn't make some mistake while performing a mission abroad and get transferred back, did you?" He said half-jokingly.

"Pah, if you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth apart!" Ye Qingcheng glared at Ye Ziming and threatened.

Ye Ziming saw Ye Qingcheng's cold gaze through the rearview mirror, his heart tightened, and he quickly shut his mouth and said no more. His sister's temper was not to be trifled with, and if he really provoked her, it would be troublesome. Therefore, he obediently drove the car without speaking, and the car fell into a brief silence.

It was currently the evening rush hour, and the traffic was like a weave, stop-and-go.

After nearly twenty minutes of slow driving, Ye Ziming finally arrived at the residential complex. Although the complex was a bit old and the exterior looked slightly aged, it exuded a steady atmosphere.

Ye Ziming gently lowered the car window, smiled and greeted the old security guard at the gate, and explained his purpose. After hearing this, the old man nodded, a kind smile on his face, and then picked up a pen to make a record in the registration book. As the security guard waved him in, Ye Ziming drove slowly into the complex.

However, just after Ye Ziming's car entered the complex, the Jeep off-road vehicle driven by Shen Jianan followed closely behind. Shen Jianan noticed the vehicle in front at a glance, and the familiar license plate number made her heart skip a beat—wasn't this Xing Zhenkun's car?

Shen Jianan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and an inexplicable doubt welled up in her heart. She muttered to herself, "Why would Xing Zhenkun be here? Could the guest tonight be him?"

Thinking this, Shen Jianan also recalled that Xing Zhenkun had previously mentioned to her that her father had entrusted him with helping her find a partner, and a strange, indescribable emotion immediately welled up in her heart.

She subconsciously stepped on the accelerator, and the Jeep off-road vehicle suddenly accelerated, quickly chasing from the oncoming lane. The car soon bypassed Xing Zhenkun's car, and after putting some distance between them, she slammed on the brakes, stopping steadily in front of the cullinan.