Chapter Seventy-Two: The Night of Hot Pot

Lin Zi glanced once more at the sign.

Strictly speaking, there were indeed safety concerns. If a naïve little bunny were to be lured inside by a big bad wolf, especially one who didn’t quite know how to refuse, what then? Or, say, someone came with a group and was the only one left outside, it would inevitably make them feel out of place.

One thing leads to another, and safety risks arise.

After all, who hasn’t made a poor choice in friends at some point?

Whether the little bunny is a boy or a girl, potential hazards like these are never a good thing.

Craving liveliness is one thing; skirting the edge of propriety is another.

Wouldn’t it be better to foster wholesome friendships?

“All right, Xiao Lin, what theme do you think we should have tonight?”

“Tonight… how about hotpot?” Lin Ze answered almost without thinking.

Just that morning, Su Zitan had mentioned she missed the Sichuan-style hotpot she hadn’t had in a while since coming back.

“What’s so special about hotpot? Are we going to cook it out in the courtyard?” Su Zitan pinched Lin Ze’s arm. “The show is what matters, isn’t it?”

“It’s fine,” Lin Ze said, counting on his fingers. “We could do Sichuan hotpot, a clear broth copper pot for sliced meat, coconut chicken, and even a Hong Kong-style hotpot base…”

Originally, when he’d suggested hotpot, Pei Xue and Zhao Funing seemed a bit uninterested, but with all these options, both of them perked up.

“Hotpot, though? The theme has always been drinks before. Will switching to hotpot be a problem?”

“It shouldn’t matter…” Lin Ze stroked his chin and peered into the camera. “Anyone in Night City? We’re at Maple Leaf Inn. We’re having hotpot tonight—anyone want to join?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone shouted from above.

“Yes! Lin, count me in!”

Lin Ze looked up and saw someone leaning out of a window, waving down at him.

He hadn’t expected to find his own fans inside the inn.

With that first shout, more people began to poke their heads out from other rooms.

“Yes, yes, me too!”

“I want some as well!”

Most of the bottom floor rooms were hostel-style dormitories. At this hour, many were still out exploring, but with so many already responding, Lin Ze’s idea definitely seemed doable.

“All right, then it’s settled! There’s a charge—fifty per person, limited meat but unlimited vegetables, just pay at the door. Drinks aren’t included.”

“Fifty? Is that enough to cover costs?” Zhao Funing whispered.

“It’s fine, we’ll use small bowls, just one serving per person,” Lin Ze whispered back.

“There’s another issue: we might not have enough hotpots, and our funds are limited—only three thousand. Whatever we earn from selling alcohol and coffee, we have to subtract the cost first—only what remains counts as our actual takings,” Pei Xue said, her words speeding up as the businesswoman in her took over.

“I’m not dealing with the money—Zitan’s in charge of that. I can’t manage it,” Lin Ze handed over the boss’s responsibilities to Su Zitan.

Su Zitan pouted. “Fine, fine.”

The two businesswomen quickly sorted things out, clarifying their current situation.

“We can probably rent some pots from nearby restaurants or inns, save some money that way.”

With the plan in place, Lin Ze and Su Zitan headed out to try their luck borrowing pots from neighboring inns.

This week, they hadn’t collected their phones, since spoilers weren’t a concern.

There were two electric scooters at the inn. Lin Ze and Su Zitan took one, and the other went to Xiao Qian for filming.

Before setting off, Su Zitan sprayed sunblock on Lin Ze; photographers like Xiao Qian always kept some handy as well.

Lin Ze took the driver’s seat, and Su Zitan climbed on behind, both of them donning helmets.

A crowd of fans, all young people, had already gathered at the entrance.

“Lin! Lin, ahhhh!”

“Sis-in-law is so beautiful! Look over here!”

“It’s really Lin, in the flesh!”

The staff from the production team did their best to maintain order.

“Everyone, please make some space. If you want to join us for hotpot tonight, come early, but we’ll give priority to our own guests at Maple Leaf Inn.”

Lin Ze and Su Zitan waved to the crowd.

On the scooter’s back seat, Su Zitan hugged Lin Ze’s waist, prompting a chorus of heartbroken sighs.

They rode along the coastal road, the wind by the lake loosening Su Zitan’s hair, which billowed behind her. Xiao Qian filmed from behind; from the camera’s angle, it was a beautiful sight.

It was just after one in the afternoon. The sun shimmered across the surface of Erhai Lake, dazzling in its beauty.

To be with someone you love and let your mind drift into emptiness—

This was the scent of freedom.

In the afternoon, Ji Chen and Lin Chunshui, Chen Weiguo and Bai Qiong also arrived.

Time slipped by, and soon it was around four o’clock.

Lin Ze and Su Zitan finally returned, carrying four round hotpots and two copper pots for lamb slices.

“Everyone’s here—hotpot for dinner tonight!”

The trip hadn’t been so smooth; they’d struggled to find shops run by young people, and even then, most didn’t have large hotpots.

“You actually borrowed the pots?”

“Yes, it was tough, but we finally got two. The rest came from a hotpot restaurant we found.”

Lin Ze displayed the pots, each still bearing the restaurant’s logo.

“As it happens, the owner is one of our fans.”

“Right, halfway there, the owner stopped us and took us straight to the shop,” Su Zitan said, tidying her windblown hair.

“Now, not only do we have enough pots, but the restaurant is supplying all the hotpot ingredients at cost.”

Just then, a van pulled up. Two people got out, opened the trunk, and began delivering the ingredients inside.

“We’re still missing coconuts for the coconut chicken, but otherwise, we’ve got everything,” Lin Ze said with some regret.

There weren’t any fruit shops nearby.

[I know one! I’ll bring coconuts for you, Lin! Wait for me!]

[Is this for real? Lin’s become so popular now—even opening a shop wouldn’t be hard.]

[Haha, I’m the hotpot restaurant owner from earlier. Everyone’s welcome to come to my place for the same hotpot Lin’s having!]

With the restaurant delivering vegetables and meat already prepped, all Lin Ze needed to do was plate them.

He grinned, “It’s great to be popular. Next time I’m caught without toilet paper in a public restroom, I hope someone will bring me some.”

[???]

[If you bring Lin toilet paper, he might not remember you, but if you kick down the door for him, he’ll never forget you.]