Starting from Taohuawu, kilometers away

As night falls, the lights in the villa's living room are warm and bustling.

The moonlight outside the window shines on the quiet courtyard, and the shadows of the trees are swaying.

Inside, laughter and cheers rang out one after another, and the new and old residents of Taohuawu were enjoying a rare moment of relaxation.

Next to the sofa, several tired colleagues leaned against the cushions, closed their eyes and rested, with satisfied smiles on their faces.

In another corner, several team members sat in a circle, their eyes fixed on the game consoles in their hands, their fingers operating them quickly. The sound effects of the game and their shouting were intertwined, and the atmosphere was tense and exciting.

In the middle of the living room, there is a large table piled with various midnight snacks and drinks.

Several foodies kept walking around, holding food in their hands and recommending their favorites to each other.

The aroma is so fragrant that it makes you salivate.

On the terrace of the villa, a couple of villagers were talking quietly. The starry sky in the distance set off the smiles on their faces. The relaxed and cheerful atmosphere made people feel relaxed and happy.

Occasionally, their attention would be attracted by the lively scene indoors, and a knowing smile would appear on their faces.

As the night deepened, the lights in the room seemed to become softer, people's laughter gradually became lower, and the whole villa was surrounded by a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

The tranquility and laughter after the party made this night particularly unforgettable.

Li Cheng seemed to be in a hazy dream, and everything around him was shrouded in a soft halo.

His breathing was even and deep, and he seemed to be immersed in the boundless tranquility.

However, in this silence, a soft voice penetrated the mist and gently called his name.

That was Wang Hedi's voice, like willow catkins in the breeze, delicate yet powerful.

There was an indescribable tenderness in his words, as if they could directly touch the depths of Li Cheng's soul.

As the voice lingered, Li Cheng's brows trembled slightly, as if something was quietly brushing through his consciousness.

There was a faint fragrance in the air, which was the scent of Wang Hedi, fresh and slightly woody.

Li Cheng felt a warm current surging in his heart. His eyelids began to become heavy, but that tenderness did not allow him to escape.

Slowly, Li Cheng opened his eyes, his vision went from blurry to clear, and finally focused on Wang Hedi's concerned face.

The scene before me was completely different from the hotbed in my dream, but it was equally full of peace and tranquility.

There was a gleam of worry and tenderness in Wang Hedi's eyes, as if telling Li Cheng that he would always be here to protect him no matter when.

Li Cheng's consciousness awakened from his sleep, and that gentle call became his bridge back to the real world.

He responded to Wang Hedi softly, his voice carrying the laziness of just waking up, but also a hint of barely perceptible dependence.

Their eyes met in the air, as if at this moment, the world around them had stopped, leaving only the pure and deep emotions between them.

"Then I'll go down first, you clean up and come down."

Wang Hedi put on his slippers and prepared to go downstairs to taste the iron pot stew made by Xu Zhisheng and Wang Ziqi.

"it is good."

Li Cheng's voice was very hoarse. He had been hosting the show all night and had a long phone call with Xiaotian after coming back.

Li Cheng rubbed his sleepy eyes and slowly climbed out of the warm bed. His movements seemed to be an extension of the night, slow and rhythmic.

He put on a loose sweater, wore slippers, and walked down the stairs that looked a little old under the dim light, step by step.

He glanced at the time on his phone screen and saw that it was almost halfway through. He had only been in a daze for about an hour.

The light in the stairwell was dim and soft, and his footsteps echoed in the quiet house.

Xu Zhisheng's voice, with a hint of excitement and eagerness, came through the half-open door: "Brother, hurry up and try the iron pot stew I just made! I guarantee you've never tasted anything so delicious."

Li Cheng's brows wrinkled slightly, and a bad premonition surged in his heart.

But Xu Zhisheng's enthusiasm could not be refused, so he had to follow the voice and came to the restaurant.

The scene before him made his eyes focus—a black iron pot of stew was placed on the table, steaming and emitting a strange and strong aroma.

Xu Zhisheng's face was full of anticipation. He handed over the chopsticks and said eagerly, "Try it quickly. This is my secret recipe. I guarantee that you will want to eat it again after trying it once."

Li Cheng took the chopsticks, reached out to the iron pot hesitantly, and picked up a piece of unclear food.

His brows were furrowed, his expression full of confusion.

The other residents who were called over also gathered around, their expressions also full of surprise, as if they had no idea what the food in the pot was.

The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence for a moment. Xu Zhisheng's smile was a little stiff. He obviously did not expect such a reaction.

Li Cheng took a light bite. The strange texture and taste made him frown, but it also aroused his curiosity about this dish.

He took a deep breath and decided to give his friend a chance and make this iron pot stew a small legend between them.

When Sister Meng saw what was in the pot, she lost her appetite.

Shan Yichun on the side also had no desire to eat at all.

The two looked at Li Cheng who was still eating with a frown on his face, and asked cautiously, "Is it delicious?"

"Do you two want to hear true or false?"

Li Cheng threw the bone in his hand aside.

"Of course it's true. Now that Zhisheng is not here, he must have taken it seriously."

Sister Meng really didn’t want to eat at all. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

"I advise you two to eat now. When more people come, there will only be the bottom of the pot left. The top part is still edible."

Li Cheng really suggested eating it now, at least the top was not too mushy.

Ren Ke saw that Li Cheng was eating, but Meng Jie and Shan Yichun were not, so he said, "Come on, eat."

Sister Meng was a little moved when she heard Li Cheng's words. She rolled up her sleeves, reached out for the bowl and said, "I think it should be okay. Let's try it. Cheng Cheng has eaten it all." She turned to Shan Yichun and said, "Take a bowl and try it."

Just as Renke, Shan Yichun and Meng Jie joined the tasting team, Lamu Yangzi also came to the table, looked into the pot, and asked Xu Zhisheng who had returned in confusion: "Why is the meat so black?"

Xu Zhisheng took off his coat, quickly went to get a bowl and chopsticks and said, "Try it quickly, and don't talk yet."

"No, I really can't get into it. As an old Northeasterner, this is just a bunch of crap."

Lamu Yangzi really didn't want to eat a bite, and she saw that although Li Cheng and the others were eating, their brows were never relaxed, and they all seemed to have something on their mind.

The aroma of stewing in an iron pot is intertwined with the discordant smell of burning.

A group of friends sat around the dining table, their faces filled with embarrassment and endurance.

Their brows were furrowed, but they forced a polite smile on their lips. Their eyes met, and they both understood the helplessness in each other's hearts.

"This iron pot stew has a really unique flavor."

Li Cheng took several bites, trying to cover up the discomfort on his taste buds with words of appreciation.

Sister Meng quickly took over the conversation: "Yes, I haven't eaten such a unique stew for a long time."

Sister Meng looked at Li Cheng's calm expression and secretly spat the meat in her mouth back into the bowl.

Lamu Yangzi saw Sister Meng's actions, looked at Xu Zhisheng and said, "Look at what you gave Sister Meng to eat."

They picked up mushy chunks of meat and chewed them slowly, as if they were tasting a work of art rather than a failed stew.

Some drank water to cover it up, while others simply swallowed it in big gulps, but no matter what, they didn't want to spoil the host's fun.

Xu Zhisheng was watching from the side, his heart full of apologies, but he pretended to be indifferent on his face, and said with a smile: "I will pay attention next time. But this taste, hehe, is also unique."

Everyone nodded in agreement, exchanging looks that only the parties involved could understand.

This is a test of friendship, and everyone is trying hard to turn this meal into an unforgettable gathering, even if the iron pot stew in front of them is hard to eat.

Gina asked innocently, "What does it smell like?"

"bitter"

Sister Meng really couldn't stand it anymore. "Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"

The others laughed when they heard it.

Wang Ziqi, one of the protagonists, heard this and walked aside, looked into the pot and asked, "Why does it taste bitter?"

Lamu Yangzi picked up a piece of ribs and said, "Hey, let's talk about these ribs, black ribs!"

Shan Yichun picked up the corn she hadn't finished eating and said, "I think this corn is good, I can't comment on anything else."

Gina was also very curious about how bitter it was. She picked up a little bit of pickled cabbage and put it in her mouth. She chewed it slowly and felt it was okay. She said to Xu Zhisheng: "I think this pickled cabbage is okay."

Just when everyone thought it was a good review, Gina added: "It tastes bitter and is very good for cooling down."

Wang Ziqi's heart was broken at this moment, and he felt so miserable!
"Oh, brother, you really give face to your second brother."

Xu Zhisheng was so touched when he saw Li Cheng eating hard over there.

Li Cheng shook his head slightly and said, "It's really a relief to say it or not!"

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

When everyone was laughing, Xu Zhisheng and Wang Ziqi were petrified on the spot.

"Hey, I found that there might be a good person here."

Xu Zhisheng noticed that someone was eating without talking, so he pointed at this person and said, "Shen Yue!"

Shen Yue raised her head and looked at Xu Zhisheng.

"No one said a word. They ate so much, but no one said it was bitter, no one said it was salty, and no one said it was not cooked."

Lamu Yangzi was determined not to eat a single bite. Seeing Xu Zhisheng's confident look, she looked at her good sister and said, "You judge, Yue, let's tell the truth."

"Shen Yue! Shen Yue! I'll repost and comment on your vlog later."

Xu Zhisheng began to seduce.

“Is this sauerkraut?”

"Yes! Try it!"

Shen Yue picked up a chopstick and put it into her mouth, but her eyes widened instantly.

"No, don't act like you're eating something. Is that thing so unpalatable?"

Xu Zhisheng felt really miserable.

Lamu Yangzi continued to mock the output: "The eyes are full of determination."

Sister Meng asked curiously, "Is it bitter?"

Shen Yue shook her head with a smile.

Wang Ziqi was excited and said, "She is not bitter!"

Xu Zhisheng was so happy that he would repost and comment on Shen Yue’s vlog later!

"It's harder than my life!"

When Shen Yue said this, everyone burst into laughter.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

Lamu Yangzi handed Li Cheng a bottle of milk, looked at Xu Zhisheng and said, "You won by surprise. Everyone who tasted your stew today, remember to thank them."

“They are all my dearest ones!”

Xu Zhisheng didn't believe it. Since no one would eat what he made, he had to eat it with tears in his eyes.

“These ribs are the best, seriously!”

Renko immediately started to brag.

"Look, I ate it all."

Gina also gave a sweet date in return for a slap in the face.

"Elsa, a lifelong fan!"

Xu Zhisheng was so happy in his heart, it was really a show of respect.

"Xu Zhisheng, I did this!"

Sister Meng took a look at the ribs in the bowl that Li Cheng had picked for her, the only one that was cooked and not burnt.

"A lifelong fan!"

Xu Zhisheng was so happy.

Sister Meng finished eating the ribs, opened a bag of spicy chips, squeezed out a piece and put it in front of Li Cheng.

Li Cheng waved his hand and said, "I don't want to eat anymore."

"Come on~"

While others were chatting, Sister Meng secretly acted coquettishly with Li Cheng.

Seeing this, Li Cheng had no choice but to take out the spicy chip and put it in his mouth.

Sister Meng was so happy when she saw Li Cheng eating. The two of them had been avoiding each other these days, which was so embarrassing.

"From now on! Brother! Meng! Shan! Ren! Ji!"

When Xu Zhisheng pointed at Lamu Yangzi, the latter said, "I didn't eat it, hahahahahaha."

Xu Zhisheng was about to turn around when he heard Lamu Yangzi say, "Didn't I even point at you?"

He really had a clear distinction between love and hate, and he said to the people who had just eaten his iron pot stew: "If you have any problems in the future, just tell me, I will help you even if I jump from the fourth floor to the first floor! You are my friends who have risked their lives for me!"

Xu Zhisheng clasped his hands together and said to Gina, "I'll buy ten copies of your album when you release it! I'll help boost your sales!"

“I’ve released almost ten albums!”

When Renke heard that Gina had rushed in, he became excited and looked at Xu Zhisheng and said.

"Ten albums! I.I.Don't worry! If you release ten, I'll buy one!"

At this time, Xu Zhisheng ran away directly. It was so scary. There were really ten of them.

Renke straightened his clothes. He felt that Xu Zhisheng was so funny.

"Single, how many have you issued?"

Xu Zhisheng set his sights on Shan Yichun again.

"One piece."

After Shan Yichun finished speaking, Xu Zhisheng said excitedly: "One! I'll buy one!"

"Hahaha."

Shan Yichun didn't expect that Xu Zhisheng could fight ten people alone.

"There's also Lang Lang's concert! I'm going to go see it! I'm going to buy the tickets!"

Gina was speechless after hearing this.

Sister Meng pointed at Xu Zhisheng and said with a smile: "It also depends on me and Cheng Cheng's Nine-Layer Purple!"

"Don't worry, Jiuchong Zi! You and your brother are here! I have to watch it! I have to pay for my membership to watch it!"

Xu Zhisheng risked his life! Although he couldn't use up all his VIP cards, he spent a month on it.

Everyone was stunned when they saw how Xu Zhisheng spent money. This is too much? Spending money like this! (End of this chapter)