Chapter 159: I’m No Good Person
The restaurant Wang Heng booked was a paper barbecue place.
Dishes were served one plate at a time, condiment dishes placed in front of each person, a layer of special white paper laid on the electric grill, oil brushed on the paper, and meat placed on it.
Tender beef, pork belly, chicken wings, shrimp… Besides these meat dishes, there were also vegetable dishes like enoki mushrooms, potatoes, lotus root slices, shiitake mushrooms. As per Wang Heng’s preference, in a place like this, one should eat more meat and less vegetables, but when ordering, Lu Qi and Han Yixuan reached a consensus, so in the end, the vegetable dishes on the table were as plentiful as the meat.
The waiter turned on the grill switch, pointed out the switch location again, then turned and left.
Wang Heng picked up the small brush, spread oil on the already heated paper, then used the serving chopsticks to place slices of meat and vegetables one by one on the paper.
The “sizzle sizzle” sound immediately rang out densely, and soon the aroma of grilling meat filled the air, making Wang Heng involuntarily swallow his saliva.
Suddenly, Lu Qi said, “The temptation of the Maillard reaction is really hard to resist.”
Wang Heng nodded involuntarily: “Exactly!”
Han Yixuan silently pulled out her mobile phone and used Qian Du to search what “Maillard reaction” meant—Wang Heng having more common topics with other women while she couldn’t participate was not a good sign.
The Qian Du search page told her that the so-called Maillard reaction seemed to be a very complex chemical process. For example, when meat is grilled and its color deepens… But before Han Yixuan could fully understand it, she heard Lu Qi speaking to her.
“Xiao Xuan classmate, what major are you studying?”
The girl looked up: “Finance.”
“Studying finance at Finance University?” Lu Qi clapped lightly, “That’s really a bright future. After graduation, is there any industry you want to work in?”
Wanting to earn money, enough to support someone—Han Yixuan thought to herself, but what she said was: “Haven’t fully thought it through yet.”
Lu Qi pondered for a moment, then said calmly: “In a few years, I might resign from Penguin and start my own business. By then, I’ll definitely need talent in finance. If you’re interested, Xiao Xuan, you could perhaps work at my company in the future.”
“Resign to start a business?” Han Yixuan couldn’t help asking, “Sister Lu, are you unhappy with your current job?”
Lu Qi’s lips curved slightly, and she smiled: “If it was just for happiness, no need to resign or work overtime. Drifting through days is the happiest, but I’m not content with that. I want to go from being a pawn on the chessboard to the one playing the game. Otherwise, even an annual salary of one million is just working for others.”
Han Yixuan: “Do you already have an annual salary of one million now?”
Lu Qi: “Including the year-end bonus, it can exceed that amount.”
Looking at the older sister type across the table with her calm and composed expression, Han Yixuan secretly gritted her teeth.
No wonder Wang Heng could earn hundreds of thousands just by helping her with investments; she was so wealthy, able to provide so much principal… Wait, that BMW car seen at the martial arts hall doorway that day—could it be hers?
Han Yixuan probed: “Sister Lu is so wealthy, do you drive a million-yuan luxury car?”
Lu Qi shook her head: “I’m not interested in cars; as long as it gets me around, it’s fine.”
Han Yixuan: “Even cars for getting around have differences. Does Sister Lu drive a big Mercedes or a BMW?”
Lu Qi didn’t think much of it and casually replied: “BMW.”
As expected, the blue BMW was hers—Han Yixuan was basically certain.
She still had that car’s license plate number saved in her mobile phone.
Han Yixuan looked down at the already grilled beef; her sense of crisis grew stronger. Fortunately, Wang Heng had already earned quite a bit of money, so he shouldn’t lose his integrity over money. But a young, beautiful rich woman like this posed too great a threat…
At that moment, Lu Qi received a phone call from a subordinate asking about work. The barbecue shop was a bit noisy, not suitable for calls, so she went to the shop doorway to discuss work matters with her subordinate.
And on the grill, the beef was perfectly done.
Wang Heng had grilled six slices of beef first, just right for two pieces each, clipped into their respective condiment dishes.
Having cleared the beef from the grill, as he was about to add potato slices and shiitake mushrooms, he heard the girl beside him say softly: “You said before that because your family was in poor economic condition, you didn’t dare to date. So… now?”
Wang Heng paused his chopsticks and met the girl’s eyes for a few seconds.
Obviously, the reason of “too poor to date” was hard to maintain now. Without exposing the real reason, what excuse could he find?
Wait, did the real reason really have to stay hidden?
Even if he couldn’t reveal rebirth, worldline, cleaver, and such, what about from another angle?
There was one thing he had known since the first playthrough. Not to mention the various coincidences and helplessness of the second playthrough, the reason the asura field of the first playthrough developed that way was because…
“Because I’m a scumbag.”
Saying this, Wang Heng sighed deeply.
Han Yixuan was stunned.
What was this situation? Someone actually splashing dirty water on themselves like this?
Wang Heng glanced at the older sister type standing at the doorway on the phone, then stared at the girl in front of him and said, “Maybe it’s because I grew up in a single-parent family. I yearn for dating a girl, but I’m also a bit… timid about it. Thinking about spending a long time with a girl in the future makes me worried, even anxious.”
Han Yixuan quickly said: “Then just date once first; even if it lasts only two months and breaks up, that’s fine!”
That would be even more dangerous!
Wang Heng’s mind was clear: starting a normal romantic relationship would mean greatly increasing intimacy with one girl while decreasing it with the others. What did that mean? It meant the corruption levels of three girls could all skyrocket!
“But I don’t know who I should date. You can’t imagine that besides Lu Qi and Pei Ningle, I know another very cute girl. If I really confirm a relationship with Lu Qi or Pei Ningle, that would mean…”
Halfway through, Wang Heng noticed Han Yixuan’s arms crossed over her chest, slowly shaking her head, seemingly quite emotional.
The girl sighed: “What you’re saying is really scummy…”
Wang Heng nodded immediately: “Right? So that’s why I said, half a year ago when we didn’t start anything, that was really a good thing for you.”
But Han Yixuan just gave a teasing smile.
Of course she knew there was another girl; she could even tell him now that she had long known the girl named Ye Xun. But Wang Heng so candidly telling her this instead surprised her a bit.
Han Yixuan shook her head: “It’s fine; you just talk a bit like a scumbag, but your actions aren’t. If you were really a scumbag, you’d already be two-timing several boats, not like now, not daring to step out with even one foot. Not stepping out means you’re not a scumbag; you just haven’t figured out your own intentions and are still hesitating.”
Wang Heng stared at her, feeling an urge to shout out loud—He really was a scumbag; no action was just fear of death! Girl, don’t misunderstand; I’m not a good person at all!
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