After a hearty meal, the four rumbling stomachs were finally filled with the fragrant, greasy food. The sense of fullness they hadn't experienced in a long time left them feeling a bit lightheaded.
Their eating habits also left the onlookers feeling a sense of wonder.
"Task of 1000 skewers completed!" Yang Lingxue, dressed in a white shirt, spoke with a clear and melodious voice. No one would have guessed that such a petite and delicate beauty possessed such an astonishing appetite.
Even more unimaginable was that this exaggerated appetite, coupled with her exceptionally beautiful appearance, had attracted the local live-streaming media.
"Miss, are you interested in becoming a food streamer?" A slightly lewd-looking uncle, struggling to hold his DSLR camera, pressed the shutter button with a click, taking a photo of the group without any consent.
"Sir, isn't what you're doing a bit of an infringement on portrait rights?" Ren Yuanhao abruptly stood up from his seat, an aura of quiet authority instantly spreading from him.
The lewd uncle then smiled, took out a business card from his pocket, and handed it to them. He chuckled and said, "My apologies, I just couldn't help myself and took the photo. It's a professional habit. This beautiful lady fits the image of our company's 'food streamer' perfectly."
"Yuanhao, don't interrupt. So, for the food streamer task, can we taste all sorts of delicacies every day and just eat our way through the day?"
Yang Lingxue's amber-like eyes glinted with the unique light of a true gourmand, and she pushed Ren Yuanhao aside.
The lewd uncle nodded vigorously.
"That would be great~ Mmmph!"
Yang Lingxue was about to agree, but thankfully, Ren Yuanhao pulled her back to her seat.
"Damn it, Miss Yang, have you forgotten we're being targeted by a scummy group? If you show your face online all day, any idiot will know where we are!"
Ren Yuanhao chided her in a low voice, making the lewd uncle believe he was instructing Yang Lingxue on how to bargain for the highest offer. He immediately declared in a loud voice, "You two don't need to discuss it. Ten thousand monthly salary plus bonuses, and we'll handle the promotion and publicity. I guarantee you'll become famous overnight."
"Holy crap, this bald old man, did you hear that? 'Famous overnight.' Don't you get it yet, you silly girl?"
Ren Yuanhao looked at Yang Lingxue with the discerning eye of an experienced man. Yang Lingxue, in turn, looked at the bald old man, or rather, the lewd uncle, her face suddenly glowing with a radiance as bright as the morning clouds. Her red lips moved, and she whispered, "Watch my performance."
Yang Lingxue's smile made the lewd uncle feel the dawn of victory beckoning him. His mind was already filled with stimulating games like tearing stockings and restraint. The onlookers sighed, believing their goddess had fallen into the depths.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Yang Lingxue approached the lewd uncle, she swiftly snatched his DSLR camera. With practiced ease, she retrieved the high-speed memory card from the side of the main unit and tossed it directly into the charcoal grill used by the skewer vendor. It instantly melted into a charred powder amidst the leaping flames.
"You, you~ Are you an idiot! With such high pay, if you don't do it, countless others will!"
The lewd man suddenly erupted in fury, as if someone had killed his parents, and frantically picked up a wire to rummage through the charcoal for his high-speed card. However, the heat of the charcoal only took minutes to melt such a small item. After a fruitless search, he became utterly hysterical.
"You cherish that card so much; it must contain many unspeakable and precious photos, right?"
Ren Yuanhao stood up and shielded Yang Lingxue. Being new to the area, he didn't want to cause too much trouble and was about to lead Yang Lingxue back to their seats when the lewd man, clutching his heavy DSLR, swung it towards Ren Yuanhao's head!
The situation escalated abruptly. The onlookers screamed, anticipating a bloody scene where blood would splatter five steps away, and instinctively covered their eyes.
In the blink of an eye, Ren Yuanhao's agility was not to be trifled with. A flash of inspiration struck him, and with lightning speed, he unleashed a perfect spinning kick. The lewd man, along with his equipment, was sent flying backward three to four meters, creating a spectacular stunt effect straight out of an action movie!
"Holy crap! Is this a movie shoot? This skill is like Bruce Lee possessed!"
"This change is too sudden. Should we call an ambulance for that lewd uncle?"
"No need to call an ambulance for that kind of guy. He always carries his self-important professional equipment, calling it finding naturally beautiful streamers, just to trick naive beauties into falling for it. He feasts on them and then discards them. People like him deserve a good lesson!"
The onlookers chattered amongst themselves. When they came to their senses, the six people who had been eating skewers were already paying and leaving.
...
The six of them ran as fast as they could, laughing until they were breathless.
"I've always heard from my uncle that Brother Ren is skilled in martial arts. That kick just now really opened my eyes. I'd love to ask for some pointers on self-defense from you, Brother, when I have the chance."
After the skewer feast, Chen Tao had also bonded with Ren Yuanhao and the others. Ren Yuanhao, however, waved his hand and said, "I learned this move from someone else. If you want to learn self-defense, it's better to ask her."
"Does Sister-in-law's martial arts surpass yours, Brother?" Chen Tao's quiet mumbling was heard by everyone. Ren Yuanhao neither confirmed nor denied it. Chen Tao, being a salesman by profession, immediately understood and sheepishly said, "Oh, I see. Even if she can defeat you, you'll pretend not to be defeated. Brother, few men in this world can resist such fortune."
Ren Yuanhao felt the misunderstanding was profound. Just as he was about to explain, he saw that the three women seemed unbothered, as if the titles of sister-in-law and brother's wife were natural.
To alleviate the post-meal lethargy, the six of them slowly strolled into a park filled with autumn chrysanthemums. The sea of flowers surged and rippled with the wind, a vast expanse of golden yellow as far as the eye could see.
This expanse of golden yellow reminded Ren Yuanhao, who grew up in the countryside, of the golden waves of wheat stretching from behind his backyard to the opposite hillside. He thought that by now, even the rice would have been harvested, and his parents would be feeding the first bowl of new rice to Da Huang.
However, he suddenly remembered that Da Huang's bones had likely already rotted away in the moist soil. Those departed things could never be recovered. On such a clear and crisp day, having beautiful companions by his side was the greatest fortune in life. Even if they were on the run, he would accept it with joy.
After walking for a while, the six of them seemed immersed in the fragrance of the flowers, each contemplating their past and future. After a long pause, they found some chairs and sat down. Chen Tao then slowly said, "Brother, what are your plans next?"
"Plans? Of course, to rent an apartment or something and settle down." Ren Yuanhao's heart was set on finding someone. Without finding that person, his mind was constantly occupied with a place called Linxian Tower in a certain sect, a place that held a deadly loneliness.