Chapter 45

A pleasant and familiar voice reached Liu Ziqiang's ears. He stiffly turned his head and saw Ji Xiaoxiao, Cheng Ling, and Sun Bin. He greeted them, saying, "Haha, hello, it's been a long time. Xiaoxiao, you've become even more beautiful than before!"

"Sun Bin hasn't changed at all! Still so handsome."

"Hey, Cheng Ling, did you get plastic surgery?"

"You! What are you talking about! You're the one who got plastic surgery!" Cheng Ling immediately flared up when she heard Liu Ziqiang's teasing.

"Ah, Cheng Ling! You still get angry so easily. I was just complimenting you! Because you've become so beautiful, my brain couldn't react quickly enough, so I blurted out the most sincere praise I could think of," Liu Ziqiang said sincerely.

"Oh, oh! Is that so! Then I forgive you!" Cheng Ling was immediately convinced by Liu Ziqiang's flimsy excuse.

Everyone looked at Liu Ziqiang as he fooled Cheng Ling, unable to bear to watch.

"Come, come, come, take a seat and have something to drink first!" Liu Ziqiang invited the three to sit down.

"Where's Lin Fei? Didn't you say he was coming too?" Cheng Ling asked casually after taking a sip of juice.

"He should be here soon! You know him, he's always on time, he'll definitely be here before eleven," Liu Ziqiang said calmly, glancing at Ji Xiaoxiao.

Although Liu Ziqiang's earlier explanation had been caught by the person involved, he now acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to reminisce about their high school days as if he hadn't said those things at all.

"Liu Ziqiang, you're still the same! Adding so much to your stories, are you trying to make everyone think you were incredibly charming back then?" A familiar voice came from behind Liu Ziqiang.

"Haha, not at all, I've always been charming, okay?" Liu Ziqiang laughed and said to Lin Fei, "You're the last one to arrive, so as punishment, you'll be responsible for the barbecue later."

"Lin Fei, it's been a long time! You still have the same flavor as before!" Cheng Ling said.

Everyone looked at Cheng Ling curiously, intrigued by her statement.

Lin Fei smelled himself and said, "I don't smell anything! I took a shower before coming."

"The flavor I'm talking about isn't the kind you're thinking of. I mean the otaku smell," Cheng Ling said firmly.

"An otaku, huh? I guess I do have a bit of that smell, but I've been really busy lately, so I spend less time at home than before," Lin Fei thought to himself.

Seeing that Lin Fei didn't deny it, everyone just laughed.

"You're telling the truth! If Lin Fei didn't like staying at home, he wouldn't be Lin Fei. Being an otaku and a couch potato has always been our goal, to live a carefree and happy life doing what we like," Liu Ziqiang supported Lin Fei's lifestyle.

"Hmph," Cheng Ling ignored Liu Ziqiang.

"Waiter, bring over the prepared items!" Liu Ziqiang instructed the waiter waiting nearby.

"Sure, please wait a moment, the ingredients will be brought to you right away." The young girl, who seemed to have just started working, couldn't hide her smile.

"Those who like fishing can go to the shore, or you can choose a small boat and row around here. There are also some board games, so if you like, you can play those. Lin Fei and I will be in charge of the barbecue, and anyone who likes to grill can join us," Liu Ziqiang said to everyone.

"That's a lot of work for you and Lin Fei. I'll go rowing with Xiaoli," a girl with a ponytail said, pulling her friend towards the boats by the shore.

"Let's go fishing!" Zhu Biao pulled Hu Zhi and some male classmates towards the fishing spots by the shore.

Most of the boys went fishing, while the girls chose to go rowing.

Most people had dispersed, leaving only Ji Xiaoxiao, Cheng Ling, and Sun Bin sitting in the chairs under the tree.

Liu Ziqiang was busy with the ingredients the waiter had brought, and Lin Fei looked at the three sitting under the tree and said with a smile, "Why don't you go play with them?"

Ji Xiaoxiao looked at Lin Fei quietly without saying a word.

Sun Bin looked at Ji Xiaoxiao, then at Lin Fei, and remained silent.

"I've been training non-stop at the academy every day, and I'm already very tired. It's rare to have a day off to relax, so I just want to sit still," Cheng Ling said, stretching her body.

"I heard from the group chat that all three of you were accepted into the Cultivator Academy. We were all shocked. There are only 3000 spots, and with the large number of applicants, the acceptance rate is very low. But our class produced three accepted students, you guys are really amazing," Lin Fei said proudly.

"It's nothing, just good luck!" Cheng Ling waved her hand modestly.

"I'll go help Liu Ziqiang with the barbecue. If he's left alone, many people will go hungry later," Lin Fei said, seeing Liu Ziqiang struggling with the cooking, and decided to get up to help him, otherwise, his lunch would be in trouble.

"I'll help you too!" Ji Xiaoxiao, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.

Lin Fei turned and looked at Ji Xiaoxiao, who had a calm expression, and said, "Sure!"

"I'll come too!" Sun Bin said with a complex expression.

"Since the two of you are going to help with the barbecue, I'll just stay here and enjoy myself. Remember to let me know when the food is ready!" Cheng Ling said, leaning back in her chair with a smile.

...

"You finally came, come and give me a hand." Liu Ziqiang said to Lin Fei.

"I just wanted to let you show off your skills and admire your amazing technique," Lin Fei said with a smile.

"Are you two going to help with the barbecue too?" Liu Ziqiang asked, looking at the two people behind Lin Fei.

"Um." Ji Xiaoxiao nodded.

"You two can handle the two whole roasted lambs, and Lin Fei and I will take care of the rest," Liu Ziqiang assigned the tasks.

Time passed, and after more than an hour, all the ingredients were grilled, and the enticing aroma filled the air, making everyone's mouths water.

"I'll go call them over to eat, you guys start drinking first." Liu Ziqiang said and ran towards the shore.

...

"How have these years been?" Ji Xiaoxiao suddenly asked Lin Fei, who rarely spoke.

"The same, nothing much has changed," Lin Fei said with a smile.

"Um!" Ji Xiaoxiao fell silent again.

"Lin Fei, I'm really sorry about what happened back then!" Sun Bin suddenly said.

"It's okay, everyone has their moments of impulsiveness when they're young. And I wasn't really affected by it," Lin Fei said nonchalantly to Sun Bin.

...