Business at the shop is still booming, but without Rachel Lan, I'm struggling to keep up on my own. Thankfully, Yin Choujian comes by after work to help.
Many of our regulars came in as soon as they heard I was back. It's evening now—the busiest time for the barbecue shop. I've been working myself dizzy, and it's already been over ten days since I returned.
Tonight, Yin Choujian came particularly late. Isabelle Han didn't come back with us—she plans to head to the Unreal to reclaim her missing instincts.
Red Mao and Ji Yun'er left in a hurry as soon as they got back, heading out to look for the others. In District Thirteen, it's just me and Yin Choujian now.
Earlier, I went to see my cousin and Old Cat. They didn't seem much changed. My cousin and Li Susu seem to be doing well together, though there's a strange feeling I can't quite put into words.
Finally, from a distance, I saw Yin Choujian coming over, greeting lots of familiar faces along the way. As soon as he arrived, he rolled up his sleeves and started helping me wash dishes.
I never expected this—Yin Choujian actually doing such rough work.
"What's up, brother? You seem pretty relaxed these days."
I hurriedly kept working on the food. After a busy night, things finally wound down. I started cleaning up, and Yin Choujian had already left—planning to buy some Morning Dew Wine from Bo Ziran and the others, so we could have a drink together.
Nearly every night, we drink together, and it's always the next day before Yin Choujian finally heads home.
After we returned, even the Replicator had vanished without a trace. We once went up the mountain across from District Thirteen, broke through the stone gate, and found the same scene as always—nothing inside, not even the faintest hint of life.
"Brother, let's head over to the Pillar tonight and see what we can find."
I nodded. It was already late. I set out a big table of dishes, and we started drinking. The fresh Morning Dew Wine was indeed delicious, but we had to drink quickly—otherwise, the flavor would slowly fade.
"What are those Dark Banquet bastards up to, anyway?"
I gave a helpless, bitter smile. Yin Choujian shook his head, then spoke again.
"Maybe they've already been convinced by Xu Fu's decoded text."
I smiled faintly.
"Are they really that easy to fool?"
"Of course. They must have sensed that the Founding Emperors have awakened. If they don't push their plans forward now, they'll lose their chance. Whenever something important is about to happen, anyone would get anxious—and once they're anxious, problems are bound to follow."
I stood up, grabbed the last bottle of Morning Dew Wine, and downed it in one go. I walked out of the shop, Yin Choujian following behind. We were both a little drunk, and the street was cold and deserted, not a soul in sight.