I entered Huayu Entertainment in 2016.

Tian's mother sat quietly in the back row by the window.

Her gaze moved gently between Wang Zi'an and Zhou Ye.

Soon the car exited the airport expressway, made a few turns, and entered a secondary road lined with Chinese scholar trees on both sides.

The locust tree has grown very large, its canopy forming a green archway overhead. The afternoon sunlight filters through the leaves, casting shimmering patches of light on the windshield.

Wang Zian slowed down and, following the small red destination marker on the navigation, turned into the parking lot of a restaurant.

This is a Beijing-style Sichuan restaurant with a small storefront, made of gray bricks and tiles, with two strings of red lanterns hanging at the entrance.

Pushing open the door, the air was filled with the rich aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and fermented bean paste. A waiter carried a boiled fish through the aisle, the chili peppers still sizzling in the red oil.

Zhang Ruonan and Liu Haochun were already waiting at the entrance of the private room.

From a distance, Zhang Ruonan spotted the girl with pigtails following behind Wang Zian. She had round, almond-shaped eyes, and her hair bounced on her shoulders as she walked, radiating a carefree and energetic vibe.

A hint of amazement flashed in her eyes, and a slight smile curved her lips as she went to meet him.

Liu Haochun followed beside her, his gaze lingering on the unfamiliar girl for a moment. He silently assessed her: she was completely different from the cold-faced woman in the car; this one seemed easy to get along with.

"Auntie, Xiaotian; let me introduce myself!"

Wang Zian turned to the side and first gestured to Zhang Ruonan, "This one looks just like an older sister, her name is Zhang Ruonan."

Xiaotian can call her Sister Nan from now on. She's our company's manager, in charge of operations and management.

Then, he looked at Liu Haochun.

"This is Liu Haochun. She came today, just like you. She's a student majoring in folk dance at the Beijing Dance Academy and is a newly admitted freshman this year."

"Sister Nan, Hao Chun~~!"

Xiaotian's smile was undeniably sweet, with deep dimples on her cheeks, and her voice was as clear and crisp as the first slice of iced watermelon broken open in summer.

"Nan-jie, Hao-chun, these two are Xiao-tian and her mother!"

"Xiaotian, hello Auntie." Zhang Ruonan smiled and nodded, her tone generous and appropriate.

Liu Haochun also softly said "Hello," her voice gentle, but her eyes sincere.

Hello everyone!

Mother Tian smiled and nodded at the two girls.

Looking at the group of children standing in front of her, all around the same age as her daughter, some still in college and others just graduated from high school, a sense of parental responsibility unconsciously welled up in her heart.

"Let's go inside! There are too many people chatting at the door."

···

Upon entering the private room, everyone took their seats.

Upon entering the private room, everyone took their seats.

Wang Zian sat near the door, next to Tian's mother on his left, followed by Tian Xiwei, then Zhang Ruonan, Liu Haochun, and finally Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye happened to be sitting to his right, with a space just wide enough for one hand to fit between their chairs.

After being seated, Tian's mother looked around the restaurant's decor and said with a smile, "Zi'an, you're so thoughtful! You even chose Sichuan cuisine."

"Of course," Wang Zian replied, picking up the teapot and pouring tea into the cup in front of Aunt Tian. "This is a very famous Beijing-style Sichuan restaurant. The head chef's surname is He, and I heard he is a descendant of the Tan family cuisine, and has been cooking here for decades."

"This was specially found by Sister Nan!" Wang Zian looked at Sister Nan, "Their family has a very good reputation among Sichuan restaurants in Beijing."

"Really? That must be great!" Mrs. Tian picked up her teacup, took a sip, and nodded in satisfaction.

Zhang Ruonan sat next to Liu Haochun, looking very relaxed.

She picked up her teacup and gestured slightly toward Aunt Tian. "I've been hearing about this restaurant for a while now; today, Wang Zi'an told me that you and Xiao Tian are from Sichuan and Chongqing, so I thought of coming here."

"People from Sichuan and Chongqing have the most discerning palates when it comes to Sichuan cuisine. Auntie, in a bit, will help us determine if this restaurant is truly authentic."

That's very true to how Sister Nan conducts herself!

Wang Zian secretly gave Nan Jie a thumbs up.

"I've heard of this place too!" Xiao Tian interjected with a smile. "I heard a taxi driver mention it when I came to Beijing before, but I was too rushed that time to come. I never thought I'd actually get to eat here this time."

"We're all pretty much the same; we've only heard about it before." Wang Zian put the teapot back on the table and glanced at the people present. "Try it out later and see if Master He's skills live up to his reputation."

The atmosphere in the private room was lively, with no awkward silences whatsoever.

The main reason was that only Tian's mother was present, and she happened to be from Sichuan and Chongqing. She had a natural straightforwardness and talkativeness, and was completely unlike some parents who might be reserved in unfamiliar situations.

Xiaotian is an extroverted action-oriented person, and Nanjie is a clever and quick-witted person.

The two of them kept talking, making it impossible for the table to quiet down.

On the contrary, Wang Zian, Liu Haochun, and Zhou Ye spoke less; Wang Zian habitually gave others space to talk, Liu Haochun was naturally quiet, and Zhou Ye had not yet found his rhythm to interject.

The dishes were served quickly.

The waiters brought dishes to the table one after another, and with each dish they placed, several suppressed gasps of surprise would rise from around the table.

When the fish-fragrant shredded pork was served, the sweet and sour aroma mixed with the spicy and sour taste of pickled peppers filled the air. The shredded pork was coated with a glistening sauce and served with shredded black fungus and bamboo shoots, creating a distinct color combination.

The twice-cooked pork features slices of pork belly with slightly charred edges, vibrant green garlic sprouts, and the red oil from the fermented bean paste seeping into the texture of each slice of meat.

The Mapo Tofu was still bubbling away, with Sichuan peppercorn powder sprinkled on top, and the tender white tofu cubes swaying gently in the red oil.

There were also abalone slices with oyster sauce, braised sea cucumber, Kung Pao chicken, sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce, boiled fish in chili oil, and so on, the aroma filling the entire private room with an overwhelming fragrance.

"Wow!" The girls exclaimed in unison.

"This dish looks delicious!" Xiaotian's eyes lit up.

As a native of Sichuan and Chongqing, Xiaotian rarely sees dishes like this.

She held her chopsticks in her hand, her eyes scanning the dishes on the table, unsure which one to pick up first.

Zhou Ye nodded vigorously beside him.

"That's right—that boiled fish smells so spicy and appetizing."

She sniffed, the spicy aroma hitting her head.

Liu Haochun couldn't help but swallow.

She usually eats very lightly to control her weight, but the spiciness and aroma of Sichuan cuisine are just so unreasonable. Just smelling it makes her stomach rumble.

As Mrs. Tian watched the little girls' eyes light up with envy at the table full of food, she suddenly felt a warm feeling in her heart.

Food is the best way to bring people closer together.

She picked up her chopsticks and announced like a matriarch, "Let's start eating."

"Let's eat!" Xiaotian shouted happily, her chopsticks immediately reaching for the pot of boiled fish.

I enjoyed the meal very much.

Sichuan cuisine is undeniably delicious with rice.

Everyone's rice bowl was refilled at least once; Zhou Ye refilled it three times, and Xiao Tian refilled it four times.

Xiaotian is someone who can eat even more than Zhou Ye.

During the meal, everyone ate and chatted, their chopsticks moving quickly between the plates and their mouths, and the conversation never stopped.