, Scene 2

Evening in Beijing, the summer heat had not yet dissipated, and the red lanterns on both sides of Guijie Street had been lit up one by one.

Liu Yiyi skillfully parked the car in the alley behind a long-established hot pot restaurant.

When getting off the bus, Mo Yu naturally walked on the outside of the group, helping the girls block the occasional electric scooters passing by in the alley.

Upon entering the store, a wave of heat, accompanied by the rich aroma of sesame paste, hits you.

This is the busiest time of day, and once inside the store, it was bustling with noise, with several waiters working non-stop.

The group asked for a window seat, and the four beautiful girls from the Beijing Dance Academy immediately attracted the attention of many people at the next table.

As the host, Liu Yiyi handed the menu to Mo Yu first.

Mo Yu took the menu, but instead of ordering or handing it to Miler immediately, she pushed it between Liu Yiyi and Zhao Man: "Sister Yiyi, you're the local expert. We have to listen to you about which type of meat is the most authentic in this restaurant."

However, I heard from Lele that your school has a large-scale performance in a while, so your training will definitely have to be intensified recently.

I just checked, and this restaurant uses Evian water for their clear broth hot pot. Let's order a few plates of hand-cut fresh lamb; it's low in fat, so we don't have to worry about our legs feeling heavy during tomorrow morning's workout.

Zhao Man looked up in surprise, a serious look appearing in her eyes for the first time: "Oh, little brother, you've done your homework quite well! You even know we're worried about our legs being heavy?"

Mo Yu smiled, skillfully unpacking the tableware on the table, rinsing them with hot water one by one, and handing them to Bai Xue, who was sitting at the farthest point. She replied, "At a school like Beijing Dance Academy, your teachers must be very strict about body shape. So I thought that since it's a gathering, everyone should eat to their heart's content without feeling guilty, so that the trip won't be in vain."

Bai Xue took the still-warm bowl and chopsticks I handed her, watching my smooth and effortless movements. She couldn't help but whisper to Mi Le beside her, "Little Lele, your junior is pretty good. He's neither humble nor arrogant, and more importantly, he has such good judgment. He's much better than those rich kids who only know how to show off their sports cars."

Miler blushed slightly, but couldn't help but smile, her eyes brimming with a hint of pride.

Just then, Liu Yiyi slapped the table and laughed heartily, "Alright, just for Mo Yu's thoughtfulness, I'll accept you as my younger brother and older sister."

Mo Yu ate very quickly, finishing two bowls of rice in just a few minutes. But despite her speed, her movements were efficient and orderly, without any of the disheveled feeling of someone starving to death. Seeing this, the girls exchanged glances discreetly.

Girls often observe boys by looking at small things or details; this is the origin of the saying "to see the big picture from small details".

After several plates of hand-cut fresh mutton were eaten, the atmosphere at the table became thoroughly lively.

Liu Yiyi brushed aside the stray hairs damp with steam from her forehead, rested her chin on her hand, and asked Mo Yu curiously, "Xiaoyu, tell me honestly, you really traveled all the way from half of China to the capital just to watch the flag-raising ceremony and climb the Great Wall?"

Zhao Man and Bai Xue also stopped eating, and all three pairs of eyes turned to them at once.

Miler was sipping her plum juice with her head down when she heard this. The straw made a "sizzling" sound at the bottom of the cup, and the tips of her ears visibly turned even redder.

Mo Yu put down her chopsticks, met their scrutinizing gazes, and said frankly, "I do want to see the scenery of the capital, after all, it is the capital."

He paused, turned to look at the girl beside him who was trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, and chuckled softly, "But more importantly, I want to take advantage of this summer vacation to see if I can find a girlfriend."

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a brief silence at the table, followed by Bai Xue's exclamation: "Wow! Are all the younger guys these days so direct when pursuing girls?"

Miler nearly bit off the straw in her hand. She suddenly looked up, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, and stomped on Mo Yu's foot under the table. The force wasn't great, but more like a flustered reminder: "You little brat! What... what nonsense are you talking about..."

Mo Yu did not dodge. Instead, she gently grasped the small, slightly cold hand under the table. The girl stiffened slightly but did not pull away.

Mo Yu was overjoyed; if a girl lets you hold her hand, it means she likes you.

Her palms were slightly damp under the table; it was hard to tell whether it was from nervousness or from Miler's shyness.

Her slender fingers curled slightly in Mo Yu's palm, her nails tracing the lines of her palm, sending a tingling sensation through her.

Mi Le lowered her head, stirring the sesame paste in the bowl with her free hand, her voice barely audible, "Just eat your meat, you talk too much..."

Although she was complaining, her body involuntarily leaned closer to Mo Yan.

Just as she was finishing her meal, Liu Yiyi received a phone call.

"Yes, we're still eating... What... you're already here? Okay then... we'll be right there..."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Yiyi turned her head, her high ponytail swinging back and forth as decisively as her bold and generous personality, "Sisters... don't sit there... let's go to the karaoke room..."

Pushing open the heavy soundproof door, a whiff of air mixed with the sweet smell of popcorn, eau de toilette, and the strawberry scent of e-cigarettes hit me.

Dazzling laser lights swept erratically across the dimly lit private room, while upbeat Western pop music played from the stereo.

Five young people, three men and two women, who appeared to be working adults, were already sitting on the sofa in the private room, playing dice around the marble coffee table.

Upon seeing Liu Yiyi lead the way in, a young man in his mid-twenties, dressed in a sharp suit and wearing an unidentified watch on his wrist, stood up first and casually turned down the volume.

"Oh my, Yiyi, you guys finally decided to move out of the hot pot restaurant? If you hadn't come soon, Zhang Yang would have devoured this fruit platter."

The short-haired girl sitting to one side laughed and teased, her gaze then falling on Mo Yu and Mi Le who were following at the back.

Mo Yu could sense that Mi Le, who was standing next to him, moved closer to him, seemingly not quite comfortable in such a noisy social setting.

Taking advantage of the moment, he grabbed her small hand again, and the warmth from his palm made her stiff back relax a little.

Liu Yiyi sat down in the middle of the sofa and pointed to Mo Yu: "Let me introduce you, this is Mo Yu, Lele's... um... family member."

"Little Fish... These are my brother's friends: Zhang Yang, Chen Shuo, Li Zhe, and those two beauties, Su Su and Xiao Mei."

As soon as Liu Yiyi spoke, all the boys turned to look at Mo Yu.

A boy with flaxen hair and a trendy T-shirt stared at Mo Yu for a few seconds before raising his glass with a smile: "Mi Le's family member, this is a rare guest."

Everyone at the Beijing Dance Academy knows Mi Le is a famously good student. To be able to bring her out of school, bro, you've got some serious skills.

As Mo Yu pulled Mi Le to sit down in a relatively quiet corner, she politely replied, "We were lucky; they just happened to appear when Lele was looking for a bodyguard."