Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In June 2014, a post regarding the legendary six yuan spicy hot pot online dating incident went viral on the Internet. Surely the vast majority of the netizens knew the story of the girl who flew thousands of miles for a date, only to be tormented thirteen times that night.
Spicy hot pot was a dish from Sichuan. It was popular throughout the country with its spicy flavor and affordability. Whether it be big cities or small towns, almost everyone had eaten spicy hot pot before. Moreover, in real life, practically everyone under the age of 30 had eaten this kind of spicy fast food.
Of course, there were some exceptions.
Xu Jiayun had never eaten spicy hot pot before. Firstly, her environment did not allow it. Secondly, she had spent her school years abroad, so she had never tried many of the famous dishes in the country.
However, today, after hearing the people around her talk about it so frequently, she was finally driven by curiosity and walked into a spicy hot pot restaurant. Then, she ordered a set meal of 16 yuan!
[I ordered a set meal of 16 yuan today. Is that okay?] Xu Jiayun sent a WeChat message to her best friend as she was seated at the Wan Ji Spicy Hot Pot Restaurant that was located opposite of Talent Market on the main street outside of Anding Gate, Beijing.
[Oh my God, Little Yunyun, can you finish a 16 yuan set meal? It’s so extravagant!] A kitten icon on WeChat flashed, looking extremely shocked and incredulous.
[Is it a lot? But it’s not very sanitary here. The walls are so dirty, and there are specks of dust in the corners…] Xu Jiayun chatted to pass time.
[You’re there for the food, not the walls. I’ll talk to you later, I’m going to take a bath. Come on, do you want to take a bath together?] A teasing kitten appeared.
[I’m not going to take a bath with you. You bathe for hours, I can’t stand it…]
[Alright, I’m leaving then.] After the message was sent, the profile picture dimmed and she went offline.
“Hey, pretty girl, is this seat taken?” Just as Xu Jiayun put away her phone, a big boy with a backpack stood in front of her.
That was right, it was a boy. He looked to be about twenty years old, and his accent was not from Beijing. However, he had a rough voice and a muscular body. At a glance, he was evidently a Beijing drifter who was looking for a job at the opposite Talent Market.
“Oh… No.” Xu Jiayun looked around and found that all the other tables were occupied. There was only one empty seat opposite her, so she nodded lightly. In fact, she did not like to eat with strangers, it was very awkward.
“Lady Boss, I’ll have a ten-yuan spicy hot pot,” Zhang Yi shouted at the lady boss who was counting money at the counter.
“Right away,” the lady boss replied.
Only then did Zhang Yi sit down with a smile. He took and lit up a cigarette before narrowing his eyes to look at the beauty who was seated across him.
She seemed to be in her twenties. Light makeup could be seen on her face and she was at least 1.7 meters tall. A faint fragrance was emitted from her body, which was noticed by Zhang Yi when he sat down. It was simple and pleasant, something that was of his liking.
Zhang Yi praised the number of beauties in Beijing. They were present even in a mere spicy hot pot restaurant.
‘And she’s very rich…’ Zhang Yi then spotted the car key next to the beauty’s hand. That key belonged to an Audi, and the newest models of Audi must be an A3 or A4, right?
Perhaps she had sensed the malicious gaze from the other side, Xu Jiayun abruptly raised her head and looked at Zhang Yi, as if trying to catch him in the act.
However, what she did not expect was that she had indeed caught him. The boy opposite her was indeed staring at her, and he was looking at her chest. Furthermore, though he had clearly been discovered by her, he did not hold back, but continued to look instead!
“What are you looking at?” Xu Jiayun lowered her voice and snorted angrily.
“Guess!” Zhang Yi suddenly winked at Xu Jiayun.
“Guess?” Xu Jiayun was almost driven mad by Zhang Yi’s words. What was there to guess? How could this man be so shameless?
“Here’s your 16 yuan set meal…” At this moment, the waiter placed a large pot of spicy hot pot in front of Xu Jiayun. It was filled to the brim.
Xu Jiayun was a little confused. So much for 16 yuan?
“Wow, you have a huge appetite.” Zhang Yi widened his eyes exaggeratedly. ‘This girl actually ordered the 16 yuan set meal? This is a two-person portion!’
“If you dare say another word, trust me when I say I’ll dump this spicy hot pot on your head!” Xu Jiayun said angrily.
“Alright, alright. I was just joking with you. Your…” Zhang Yi pointed at Xu Jiayun’s chest and said, “one of the buttons is open.”
“Ah…” Xu Jiayun immediately lowered her head and saw the third button of her shirt undone. Through the open button, he could see her undergarment, which looked extremely unsightly.
Xu Jiayun’s face turned red in embarrassment. After buttoning her shirt, she looked at the spicy hot pot on the table, but was devoid of any appetite.
“Alright, alright. I’m afraid you won’t be able to eat if I continue sitting here. I’m leaving.” Zhang Yi was afraid that this beautiful woman would go crazy and put a pot of spicy hot pot on his head, so he took the opportunity to leave when the guests behind him took their leave. He immediately turned around and occupied the table behind him, with his back facing Xu Jiayun!
Xu Jiayun’s complexion turned slightly better. She held the disposable chopsticks, intending to take two bites and leave.
However, after her two bites, she realized she still wanted to take the third or fourth bite.
She was not usually a very big eater, but this was her first time eating spicy hot pot. Moreover, the taste was numbing, spicy, and appetizing, so she could not put it down.
Zhang Yi’s spicy hot pot was also served, and he began eating it.
After about two to three minutes, Zhang Yi suddenly heard the woman call the waiter over.
“Wow, she wants to add more? What a big eater.” Zhang Yi was speechless. This beautiful woman was rather skinny, but she unexpectedly had a larger appetite than him.
“Well… I forgot to bring money…” A mosquito-like voice sounded. It was the beautiful woman, and she actually came out to eat without bringing any money!
“I’m sorry, we don’t do credit sales here.” The waitress was not very well-mannered. Her voice was even louder than Zhang Yi’s, as if she was deliberately being loud.
“What’s wrong, Juan’er?” the lady boss at the counter asked.
The waitress replied, “Third sister-in-law, she didn’t bring any money. She wants to buy on credit!”
The lady boss at the counter glanced at Xu Jiayun with a pair of dead eyes. She, too, said in a cold tone, “Get her to bet her phone if she didn’t bring any money.” The lady boss did not have a desirable appearance, perhaps due to her jealousy, she left no room for negotiation and directly asked Xu Jiayun to pay with her phone.
“Okay, my car is at the corner of the road. There’s cash in the car. I’ll go get it!” Xu Jiayun was so regretful that she swore to never come to such a place to eat again. She had been utterly embarrassed today. When she got out of the car earlier, the only thought on her mind was the taste of spicy hot pot. As a result, she grabbed her phone and car keys and left for the store, leaving her wallet behind.
“Why the need to bet on a phone? Who would want to owe you 16 yuan?” Zhang Yi finally could not help but stand up. The lady boss and the waiter here seemed spiteful. Wasn’t it just 16 yuan? Was there a need for such a beautiful woman to bet on her phone?
“Let me tell you, if you do business like this, you’ll have to close down sooner or later. Here, is 50 yuan enough?” Zhang Yi took out 50 yuan and slammed it hard on the table.
“What’s going on, why the commotion?” A chef walked out of the kitchen with a kitchen knife in hand. When Xu Jiayun saw that the person was carrying a kitchen knife, she, who had never experienced such an occasion before, was so scared that she almost collapsed to the ground.
“What’s wrong? You want to fight?” Zhang Yi suddenly raised his eyebrows and immediately stood up. He strode over to the chef with the kitchen knife as if he was going to fight!
“Nothing, nothing. Nothing is going on. Here’s your change, 24 yuan.” The lady boss was a woman after all. She was also a foreigner, so how could she dare to cause trouble? Therefore, after she aggressively pushed the chef back, she handed over 24 yuan with a smile on her face. She could tell that this young man had a bad temper.
“I’m done. I wanted to enjoy a meal but was filled with anger instead.” Zhang Yi kicked the chair hard, picked up his bag, and left. In actuality, he had already finished eating.
“Wait…” Xu Jiayun chased after him.
“No need to return it, and don’t succumb to others so easily next time. I gotta go, I’ve got a bus to catch.” Zhang Yi did not give Xu Jiayun a chance to speak. He ran across the street in a few steps and blended into the crowd.
Xu Jiayun did not know whether to laugh or cry. Today, she had really opened her eyes and seen the world. There were indeed all kinds of people in this marketplace.
“There are still so many good people.” After a long while, she glanced at the crowd in the distance and sighed softly. Although that boy was sloppy and a little lecherous, he was still a warm-hearted person.
When Xu Jiayun turned around and got into the car, her phone rang.
“President Xu, I saw your car. Why are you here at Talent Market?” The person who called was Section Chief Lin of the Human Resources Department, her subordinate who had been working for her over the past few months.
“I’m just passing by. How are things on your side?” Xu Jiayun’s voice immediately turned cold.
“All the vacancies have been filled. Do you need me to send their files to you?” Section Chief Lin asked softly.
“No need. You guys can discuss it yourselves.” Xu Jiayun hung up the phone right after she finished speaking. Today, her company’s Human Resources Department was recruiting staff from Talent Market.
Zhang Yi got on a bus with a contact number marked “Fengdu Group” in his hand. Before he ate the spicy hot pot, he had already applied to be a security guard of this Fengdu Group.. Tomorrow, he will start his new life in Beijing.