Gao Yan didn't buy much food, just enough to test the taste of his Super Hot Pot Base.
So, in less than five minutes.
The two of them fought over a box of beef, a box of lamb, a box of tripe, including potatoes and cabbage hearts, leaving nothing behind.
"Is that all?"
Lin Moer looked at Gao Yan, asking with a hint of lingering desire. She rarely ate spicy food, especially hotpot, because she was worried about getting pimples.
But after tasting Gao Yan's hotpot today, she felt it was worth getting a couple of pimples.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't prepare enough ingredients."
Gao Yan spread his hands helplessly.
"Alright."
Lin Moer was a bit disappointed and decided to ask her mom to take her out for hotpot that evening.
"What's your name, big brother?"
"I'm Gao Yan, and you?"
"I'm Lin Moer, just call me Moer."
Attracted by the aroma of Gao Yan's hotpot earlier, Lin Moer hadn't noticed her attire was inappropriate. Only now did she realize she had run to a stranger's house in her pajamas. Although he was a tenant, she still felt a bit embarrassed and unnatural.
"Gao Yan, I'll head back now. Thanks for the treat!"
Before Gao Yan could respond, Lin Moer dashed out of the room.
Hearing the door close, Gao Yan couldn't help but smile, "What an interesting little girl."
If there were a scoring system for beauty, with 100 being the highest.
Lin Moer could easily score at least 92.
However, he had no improper thoughts about Lin Moer.
Firstly, she was too young.
Secondly, Lin Moer's mother, Sister Lin, who was also the landlord, seemed to have an extraordinary background.
Judging by her attire, she was undoubtedly an elite, and her car was a Maserati Quattroporte.
Pulling himself back to reality, Gao Yan quickly tidied up.
He poured himself a glass of water and sat on the sofa, pondering how to approach Yang Yue to sell his Super Hot Pot Base to her family's hotpot restaurant.
Invite her over for a homemade hotpot meal?
Not likely.
In the past two years, many guys had pursued Yang Yue.
Among them were second-generation wealthy kids, but none had succeeded.
So inviting Yang Yue to his place for hotpot was out of the question.
Or perhaps ask Yang Yue to introduce him to her family?
Whether it worked or not, he had to give it a try.
Gao Yan was studying business management at the School of Business at Nandu University.
Though it wasn't a Project 211 or Ivy League school.
It was still a decent undergraduate institution.
That evening, Lin Xiumin returned home, first changing into a loose-fitting home outfit. Smiling, she pushed open her daughter's door and saw her daughter engrossed in her studies, feeling quite gratified, "Sweetie, what would you like to eat tonight? Mom will make it for you."
Lin Moer stood up from her seat, hugged Lin Xiumin's arm, and coquettishly said, "Mom, I want to eat hotpot."
The hotpot from that morning still lingered in her mind.
Even while studying, she kept recalling the taste of that hotpot.
A look of surprise flashed in Lin Xiumin's eyes.
She knew her daughter's taste well; why did she suddenly want hotpot today?
But her daughter was always well-behaved and rarely made requests, so she nodded, "If you want hotpot, I'll call and reserve a table."
At seven in the evening.
Lin Xiumin drove her daughter, Lin Moer, to Shangshi Manor, the most upscale seafood hotpot restaurant in Nandu City.
The cost here wasn't low, with an average of over 500 yuan per person.
But for Lin Xiumin, it was nothing.
After all, her company earned over ten million annually.
They got a small private room and ordered a mandarin duck pot base.
Lin Moer's face was full of anticipation.
Soon, the pot base was ready.
Lin Moer eagerly dipped a slice of beef into the pot and put it in her mouth.
But immediately, her brows furrowed.
"What's wrong, sweetie? Not to your taste?"
Seeing her daughter frown, Lin Xiumin quickly asked.
"No, it's quite good."
Lin Moer shook her head. She knew her mom was already tired from running the company every day. Although the hotpot at Shangshi Manor wasn't as good as Gao Yan's next door, it was still quite tasty.
If she said it wasn't good, her mom would definitely try to satisfy her.
To avoid troubling her mom, she pretended to be happy and ate quite a bit.
Yet, it made her miss Gao Yan's hotpot even more.
The next day, Monday.
Gao Yan arrived at the classroom. As soon as he sat down, the chubby Cheng Hao leaned over, "You okay, man?"
"I'm fine, there's no problem a drink can't solve. If there is, just have another one!"
Gao Yan chuckled. It was just a failed confession, not his first time failing. Besides, what interested him most now was making money.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Cheng Hao asked again.
"Your dad's fine."
Gao Yan rolled his eyes at Cheng Hao, but inside, he felt warm. Among the dorm mates, he was closest to Cheng Hao.
As for why he rented a place outside, it was mainly because he had a major conflict with his dorm mate Zhou Yuchao. They couldn't stand each other. Plus, he worked part-time outside, and it was more convenient to live off-campus since he came back late.
"Looks like you're really okay, but you should be prepared. I have something to tell you!"
Cheng Hao lowered his voice.
"Go ahead."
Gao Yan said nonchalantly.
"Bai Wei and Zhou Yuchao are hooking up!"
Cheng Hao watched Gao Yan's expression as he spoke.
Hearing this, Gao Yan's face stiffened slightly, a shadow crossed his eyes. He took a deep breath, suppressing his inner anger, "Alright, I got it."
Bai Wei was the girl he confessed to two days ago.
Whether Zhou Yuchao was sincere or not, Gao Yan didn't know, but he was sure Zhou Yuchao was doing it to provoke him.
Look, the woman you can't have is now with me.
Seeing Gao Yan manage to suppress his anger, Cheng Hao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Bai Wei isn't a good person either. I didn't say anything before, but now that she's with Zhou Yuchao, I have nothing to hold back. She's dated several rich kids at our school, her private life is quite messy, and she's a typical gold-digger. Just wait, it won't be long before she kicks that guy to the curb!"
Although Zhou Yuchao had some money, he might satisfy Bai Wei's appetite for a short time.
But in the long run, he wouldn't be able to keep up.
Didn't you see all the branded stuff she wore and carried?
"Chubby, thanks for the heads up, I get it!"
Gao Yan patted Cheng Hao's shoulder.
A quick look at will leave you more fulfilled.
Just then, Yang Yue, who carried her own aura, walked into the classroom. The previously noisy classroom suddenly quieted for a few seconds. Once Yang Yue sat down, it returned to normal.
"What, got your eyes on Yang Yue?"
Noticing Gao Yan's gaze, Cheng Hao asked with a grin.
"No, I know my limits."
Gao Yan shook his head.
As the bell rang, the associate professor announced the end of class.
Gao Yan stood up and followed Yang Yue.
"Yang Yue, can we talk?"
He called out to her from three steps behind.
Yang Yue turned her head, looking at Gao Yan with a hint of curiosity, "I have something to do, but we can talk while walking."
"Thank you!"
Gao Yan said gratefully, then took a deep breath to calm his slight nervousness, smiling as he spoke, "Yang Yue, sorry to bother you, I hope you don't mind."
"It's fine."
Yang Yue replied indifferently. She didn't have a strong impression of Gao Yan, just an ordinary guy, and her knowledge of him was limited to his name.
"I have a recipe for a hot pot base. I heard your family owns a chain of hotpot restaurants, so I wanted to sell this recipe to your family's restaurant. Believe me, with this recipe..."
Hearing this, Yang Yue suddenly stopped, looking at him with an inexplicable gaze.
Under Yang Yue's gaze, Gao Yan's words faltered, his face slightly flushed. He also noticed Yang Yue's expression, still calm, but her eyes carried a hint of disdain and mockery.
Sensing the meaning in her eyes, Gao Yan felt a lump in his throat, as if something was stuck in his chest.
"Gao Yan!"
Yang Yue slowly spoke, "I understand what you're saying, but I'm still a student, and my priority is my studies. The family business is managed by professionals, and I can't get involved, so I can't help you. I hope you understand, I have to go now."
Watching Yang Yue's beautiful figure walk away, Gao Yan couldn't help but show a bitter smile.
Throughout, Yang Yue remained polite, but the distance in her courtesy made Gao Yan realize they were from completely different worlds.
"That was impulsive!" Gao Yan sighed inwardly.
But he wasn't too discouraged or angry.
He had already anticipated this wouldn't work out.
He was just an ordinary student; why would Yang Yue pay him any mind?
Besides, he had great confidence in the Super Hot Pot Base given by the system. If Yang Yue didn't want to help introduce him to her family's hotpot restaurant, it wasn't his loss, but theirs.
Thinking of this, Gao Yan decided to approach other hotpot restaurants.
"Did you get hit on the head? What's up, trying to make a move on Yang Yue?"
At this moment, Cheng Hao caught up, looking at him with a mischievous expression.