Chapter 299 - 177: Racing Against Time! Nine Heavens Dragon Dance

Chapter 299: Chapter 177: Racing Against Time! Nine Heavens Dragon Dance

’How could someone Liu Zhengming holds in high regard possibly be a social-climbing sycophant?’

Before she could say anything, Fang Xiaoxi suddenly sneered. "Not a single man is any good. Take the rich second-generation kids—every last one of them relies on their family. Same goes for the pretty boys. What’s the use of being handsome? They just end up depending on women."

Liu Yu was instantly exasperated.

’She knew what Fang Xiaoxi was thinking.’

She glanced in the direction Wan Ze and his friends had gone, and suddenly, the thrill of the New Year’s celebration seemed to vanish.

The parade floats were still rolling by outside the window and the music was still playing, but she just couldn’t muster any enthusiasm.

Just then, Liu Xi spoke up. His voice was low, but his tone dripped with a feigned, casual disdain. "Honestly, Sun Fan’s family is nothing special. Her dad used to work for a government agency before he retired, so they have a bit of a nest egg. But in a place like Holy City, that only puts them at an upper-middle level. I heard her brother has been flailing around overseas—starting companies, making investments, winning some and losing some, but he’s never made a real name for himself. The family had such high hopes for him back in the day, thought he’d really make it big. What a shame... Now he’s just, you know, average."

He paused, darting a glance in the direction Wan Ze had gone before looking away, his tone becoming even more nonchalant. "Wan Ze’s family is just average. To put it bluntly, for someone from a family like that, just getting into the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall is a blessing from the heavens."

A few of the girls exchanged glances. Some nodded in agreement; others remained silent.

"I thought Wan Ze’s dad got a promotion?" Song Wanqing asked, a trace of confusion in her voice.

Liu Xi scoffed. "A deputy workshop director... What the hell is that? At the factory, that’s basically a team leader, managing a dozen or so people. Even if his salary doubled, it’s nothing to write home about. A position like that? You could pick anyone from our class, and whose family doesn’t have a few connections? It’s only impressive to ordinary people."

Liu Yu frowned. She was starting to dislike this guy.

She turned to look at Liu Xi, her tone soft but direct. "Liu Xi, don’t you think that’s inappropriate? What does their family situation have to do with you?"

Seeing her reaction, Liu Xi didn’t get angry. Instead, he just smiled and held up his hands. "Class President, I’m just speaking the truth. I never said anything bad about them, just stating the facts."

Liu Yu didn’t say anything more, but her expression soured.

She turned to look out the window, her tone icy. "I’m hungry."

And just like that, the conversation was cut short.

Liu Xi didn’t press the issue. He picked up his drink and took another sip, though his gaze lingered on Song Wanqing for a moment before shifting away.

Cloud Meal was on the fourth floor of the plaza. It was an old restaurant that had been around for over a decade. The decor wasn’t trendy, but it was spotlessly clean and brightly lit.

Sun Fan had called ahead to reserve a table by the window, which would offer a perfect view of the fireworks later.

By the time the four of them arrived, the restaurant was already mostly full.

The air was thick with the mingling aromas of all sorts of food.

Servers in matching red vests bustled between the tables, trays in hand, calling out, "Excuse me, coming through!"

The window table was large, with more than enough room for the four of them.

Xiaoyu immediately claimed the spot by the window, leaning on the sill to look down at the scene below, oohing and aahing without end.

A massive crowd had already gathered in the square below. Parade floats wound their way slowly through the sea of people, their colorful lights twinkling like a flowing river of stars.

Sun Fan took the menu from the server, flipped through a couple of pages, and looked up at Wan Ze. "Do you guys have any dietary restrictions?"

"Nope, order whatever you like," Wan Ze said.

"I don’t eat cilantro!" Zhou Xianchuan announced, raising his hand.

"Me neither," Xiaoyu chimed in, turning away from the window.

Sun Fan smiled and nodded, ticked a few items on the menu, and then began to describe the dishes. "They specialize in the regional cuisine of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. This one is a sour soup fish, made in the style of Gui Province. The fish is prepared fresh to order, and the broth is simmered for over four hours. It’s sour and spicy—perfect for whetting your appetite."

Her finger tapped a spot on the menu as she continued, "This is Xuanwei stir-fried pork, a Yunnan dish. It’s made with thinly sliced pork belly that’s stir-fried until it’s perfectly cooked, served with garlic shoots and dried chilies. It’s amazing with rice. And then there’s the rice noodles with soft tofu. That’s also from the Yunnan-Sichuan region. The noodles are silky, the tofu is tender, and it’s topped with minced pork and crushed peanuts. You mix it all together, and one bite fills your whole mouth with flavor."

She described everything so expertly; it was clear this wasn’t her first visit.

Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled as she listened. She propped her chin on her hands, leaning over the table, practically drooling. "Sister Fan, you’re amazing! You know everything!"

A little embarrassed by the praise, Sun Fan smiled. "I’m just a foodie, so I tend to look into these things a bit more."

Xiaoyu was once again overcome with starry-eyed admiration.

The dishes arrived quickly.

The pot of sour soup fish was still bubbling vigorously when it was set on the table, and the piquant, spicy aroma that washed over them was enough to make one’s mouth water.

The spicy chicken came in a large porcelain bowl, buried in a mountain of chili peppers; you had to rummage around with your chopsticks to find the diced meat.

The Xuanwei stir-fried pork was the last to arrive. The slices of pork were paper-thin, the garlic shoots a vibrant green, and the dried chilies a deep red. The combination of colors was gorgeous.

Xiaoyu popped a piece of the stir-fried pork into her mouth. After just two chews, her eyes lit up, and her chopsticks were already reaching for another piece. "This is so good!"

Sun Fan beamed, then placed a piece of fish belly in Xiaoyu’s bowl, carefully picking out all the bones first. "In the summer, they also have this amazing ice cream. It’s rose-flavored, made with edible roses from the Yunnan-Sichuan region. Eating it fills your whole mouth with a floral fragrance. I’ll bring you here to try it when summer comes."