Chapter 110: Barbecue
The barbecue grill was set up, the charcoal lit. Dai Wenqian, with a professional air, oiled the grill, enthusiastically taking charge of all the tasks, declaring that she wanted to properly showcase her culinary skills. Although Yu Linna offered to help, she was declined.
After all, the image of a sweet, petite girl barbecuing felt somewhat incongruous, so Dai Wenqian decided to handle it herself.
Today was their last day at the villa. They would be returning after tonight. Tang Yumeng had joined them purely as a guest; her arrival, though unexpected, brought laughter. Everyone seemed to enjoy this older sister’s presence. Tang Yumeng was only a year or two older than them, but she was remarkably mature and gentle. Even Dai Wenqian, the usual troublemaker, was somewhat subdued in her presence.
“Alright, come and eat! There’s tons of food, don’t be shy.”
Dai Wenqian had fully transformed into a head chef, handling all the ingredients. This troublemaker, though fond of stirring things up, was surprisingly skilled in the kitchen. According to Ye Zhiyun, she had taken professional cooking classes while attending a prestigious school, so she was quite adept at preparing food.
Despite lacking any semblance of a spoiled young lady, when it came to cooking, she was rather particular.
“Unexpectedly, Wenqian, someone as lively as you is no less skilled at delicate work. At least I couldn’t create this kind of flavour.”
Enjoying the barbecue she had prepared, Tang Yumeng couldn’t help but offer praise. Dai Wenqian scratched her head, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she gave a few embarrassed laughs.
“It’s just from practice.”
Tang Yumeng was quite capable, managing to make even this troublemaker shy. Ye Zhiyun’s admiration for this senior grew.
“Not bad, even better than the barbecue we had on the street last time…”
Yu Linna was enjoying herself the most, both hands holding skewers. For her, where there was food, there she was; she wouldn’t miss any opportunity to eat.
Strangely, despite her love for food, and having access to delicious meals during her stay at Ye Zhiyun’s house, her physique hadn’t changed at all. She remained frail and thin, a puzzling fact. Yu Linna simply attributed it to possibly being too undernourished in the past, unable to recover now.
“Wenqian, although a bit hyper, is a good cook. Her hotpot last night didn’t really showcase her skills, but the barbecue definitely reveals her talent.”
Ye Zhiyun wasn’t usually one for compliments, but considering how delicious the barbecue was, she made an exception.
“It’s rare for you, the aloof ice queen, to praise me. Here, Zhiyun, have some corn.”
“What do you mean, aloof ice queen? Watch your mouth. Give me another skewer of leeks.”
The open-air courtyard, lit by lamps, filled with smoke and a cheerful atmosphere. Dai Wenqian sang as she grilled, clearly enjoying herself.
Although she had originally planned to invite her juniors from her club, they were all unfortunately unavailable, leaving her no choice but to join Zhiyun and the others. Fortunately, Tang Yumeng joined midway, injecting the group with more energy, something Dai Wenqian, who loved lively gatherings, appreciated.
“Senior Yumeng, try my ‘heart-connected-to-bone’ skewers. After eating my heart, remember to take care of me~”
“Haha, alright, alright, of course. Your heart is already piercing my bones.”
Tang Yumeng joked as she ate, accepting the offered skewer. She had thought yesterday evening was rather unlucky, but she didn’t expect today to be so enjoyable. Meeting these lovely juniors here felt like a blessing.
Her previous misfortunes no longer mattered; she was relishing the present joy.
Tang Yumeng’s career wasn’t going smoothly. She had failed to secure good roles several times and had even been replaced on multiple occasions. Some directors had even attempted to pressure her into inappropriate relationships, but she had endured these difficulties and persevered.
She felt immense pressure. If she couldn’t make a name for herself in the entertainment industry, her family wouldn’t allow her to continue pursuing this path.
Meeting these girls seemed to lift the weight from her shoulders, allowing her to completely relax. All her difficulties and sorrows seemed to vanish. She simply wanted to savor this moment of warmth.
“I can’t eat anymore…”
After about an hour, Yu Linna clutched her stomach, sitting in a chair placed in the courtyard, completely immobile. Her stomach was slightly distended, and her face was flushed from overeating. It was a rare sight for this glutton to be defeated by food. Fang Jiangning found her appearance so amusing that she couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures to keep.
“No way, little Linna, you can’t live up to the title of ‘glutton’ like this. Look at me, I can still go!”
Dai Wenqian, biting into a skewer, declared she could still eat, despite her flushed face.
“Alright, Wenqian, don’t push yourself. You’ll have an upset stomach tomorrow!”
“Let me go, I can still eat…Ugh!”
“Oh my god, don’t throw up in the courtyard!”
Tang Yumeng chuckled at their comical scene. Simply watching them brought her a sense of happiness.
She lit a cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke. This day was probably the most relaxing one she’d had in months. All her previous unhappiness had vanished without a trace.
However, she hadn’t forgotten her aspirations. She was still the young woman striving for her dreams, and she needed to continue working hard to achieve them.
“Alright, is everyone full? Let’s clean up. Those who haven’t showered can do so in half an hour.”
Tang Yumeng stubbed out her cigarette and called out. At this moment, she truly played the role of the elder. Being the oldest here, her words carried weight, and everyone listened.
Fang Jiangning and Yu Linna were the first to move, removing the barbecue grill and setting aside the leftover food. Ye Zhiyun joined them a few minutes later. As for Dai Wenqian, having overeaten and thrown up, she needed some digestive medicine to recover.
Dai Wenqian had brought this upon herself.
After cleaning up, everyone retreated to the living room. With nothing to do, Dai Wenqian suggested playing mahjong, but since few were interested, she became quite dejected.
After watching some TV and chatting, an hour passed. Seeing that it was getting late, Ye Zhiyun suggested they shower, a proposal met with no objections. Each room in the villa had a private bathroom, so there was no need to crowd into one; this wasn’t some steamy scene from an anime, and there was no possibility of communal bathing.
“Next time, let’s go to a hot spring. I know a really good one.”
Dai Wenqian, seemingly struck by another fun idea, declared triumphantly, hands on her hips.
They had enjoyed their time at the villa, though they hadn’t done much, mostly staying indoors since the surrounding area was all forest with little to explore. Someone had suggested a test of courage, but it was vetoed due to the small number of people.
Therefore, Dai Wenqian wanted to take them somewhere else, preferably somewhere they could explore.
“You’re always thinking about having fun. Not everyone has so much free time.”
Ye Zhiyun flicked her forehead.
“You’re right about that. Not everyone is as busy as you. Blegh.”
“Looking for a beating?”
Their relationship is really good, Yu Linna thought.
After some playful banter, they each went to their respective bathrooms. The villa was so large that it was easy to get lost when they first arrived, but after a few walks around, they became familiar with the layout. Yu Linna’s room was in a corner on the second floor, requiring her to navigate at least three turns to find it. Initially, it was inconvenient, like staying in a hotel, but she had grown accustomed to it.
Entering the bathroom, Yu Linna locked the door, removing her clothes one by one and tossing them into the basket. Stripped down to her underwear, she examined her body. Her fair skin was flawless, the soft flesh on her calves felt like jelly, and her complexion was whiter than most girls’. The white undergarments, a bra and panties, revealed underdeveloped breasts, but her overall figure was attractive enough to compensate.
However, Yu Linna sometimes wished she had a bit more padding upfront.
She sighed, removing her underwear and, taking a towel, stepped into the shower. Turning on the showerhead, the warm water cascaded down, washing away the day’s fatigue.
She opened her small, pink hands, pressing them against her chest, her eyes obscured by the mist.
“I’m used to it now…”
Having lived in this world for so long, she had grown accustomed to her female identity. Her memories of being male in her previous life were fading, and the time spent as a girl now exceeded her time as a boy. Thus, she identified more strongly with her female self, though certain habits remained.
Since she was born as a girl, would she marry a man or pursue a relationship with a woman in this life? It was a question worth pondering.
But, why worry about it? She was still young; there was no need to overthink things.
Lathering herself with shower gel, Yu Linna hummed a tune. Half an hour later, she finally emerged, towel-drying her hair, slipping into a sky-blue nightgown, buttoning it up, and picking up the hairdryer.
Her hair billowed in the warm air as she held it down, preventing it from flying about, enjoying the sensation. The warm breeze felt so comfortable.
Knock, knock.
The door was knocked twice. Yu Linna put down the hairdryer and, with her hair still damp, opened the door.
“Coming, who… Zhiyun? What’s up?”
It was Ye Zhiyun. Her presence here at this late hour was puzzling, but even stranger was the fact that she hadn’t changed her clothes; she was still wearing the same outfit she had on in the living room half an hour ago. Moreover, she was holding a few garments in her arms, looking like she was about to shower.
“The showerhead in my bathroom is broken. Mind if I use yours?”
Tonight was a beautiful night.
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