After returning home to feed the tabby cat some fish, Zhang Wei was very surprised to see this cat.
"Ah Cheng, what's with this cat?"
"Ah, this cat had stolen my fish before, and now it has become my cat. Since I live here now, having a cat does provide some company."
"Hey, that's kind of interesting."
Zhang Wei was about to pet the cat when Chu Mingcheng suddenly stopped him.
"This is a stray cat, I haven't taken it to the hospital for a check-up yet, aren't you afraid it might bite you!"
Zhang Wei gave a sheepish smile and withdrew: "I just didn't think it through for a moment!"
So, he grabbed a crucian carp to tease the cat and watch it eat.
Chu Mingcheng didn't mind him and went to take a shower first.
...
The place Jiang Luoluo had booked was a mid-range Japanese restaurant. He wondered why these girls liked Japanese cuisine so much. Was it because the portions were small, making it seem like they didn't eat much?
But since someone else was treating, Chu Mingcheng naturally wouldn't complain.
Following the waiter's lead, they took off their shoes and walked into a private room.
By then, Jiang Luoluo and her two friends were already sitting inside, having changed back into casual clothes.
They wore traditional clothes earlier because they had to shoot a video, making their makeup a bit heavier. It looked great on video, but in reality, it seemed as though they were wearing masks.
Now, seeing Jiang Luoluo in light makeup, he felt her charm was even more enhanced.
Zhou Jiayi was also very beautiful, but she fell slightly short compared to Jiang Luoluo.
The slight difference wasn't in their features, but in the contrast of their skin tones.
Jiang Luoluo was incredibly fair, currently wearing a white T-shirt that nearly matched her skin tone.
Up close, her skin was exceptionally smooth, possibly due to some skincare products.
Zhou Jiayi was just a little bit darker, which made her seem slightly less attractive.
However, both beauties had their own qualities, and many men preferred Zhou Jiayi's type, as she was definitely a sweet girl with big eyes.
Although Chu Mingcheng looked over both women, in reality, he had just walked in, greeted Jiang Luoluo and her friends, introduced Zhang Wei, and then sat down opposite them.
While Zhang Wei often acted foolishly around him, at that moment, he behaved very naturally and did not drool over the beauties he saw.
Seeing Jiang Luoluo looking quite familiar with Chu Mingcheng, he took the initiative to talk to Zhou Jiayi, who was quieter, and soon they hit it off.
After all, how simple can a man who can repair a juicer be?
As for the photographer, Zhang Ruomei, she was always very good at being invisible.
Chu Mingcheng: "Didn't expect you to be quite the rich girl, choosing this Japanese restaurant."
Jiang Luoluo: "I saw good reviews online and picked this place. Why, is it expensive here?"
"For the five of us to eat, it'll probably cost around two thousand yuan!"
"Hmm, the dishes I just ordered are about that price, but it's fine to splurge once in a while." Jiang Luoluo had chosen this place, so she was naturally aware of the prices.
With her income, splurging a few thousand on a meal occasionally didn't hurt.
"By the way, besides Yanshan, are there any other fun places around here?"
"As for famous sites, Yanshan is pretty much it. If you're looking for fun, maybe you could try sea foraging. You could catch seafood during the day and make a feast with your catch in the evening. Trying it once in a while should be quite interesting."
At this dinner today, neither Chu Mingcheng nor Zhang Wei would secretly play the gentleman but actually be a simp by secretly paying the bill.
However, interactions between people require give and take to continue, so he deliberately steered the topic toward gleaning the sea.
If Jiang Luoluo was interested in his proposal, he would naturally prepare a seafood feast to entertain her, so she wouldn't have eaten this Japanese meal for nothing.
Jiang Luoluo didn't grow up by the sea. Although she had visited the beach before, she had never experienced sea gleaning, and she became interested immediately after Chu Mingcheng mentioned it.
However, she wasn't alone on this trip, so she first asked her companions for their opinions.
"Jiayi, Sister Mei, do you want to go gleaning the sea?"
Zhang Ruomei shrugged, "I'm down for it!"
Zhou Jiayi, on the other hand, was somewhat interested and nodded in agreement, "Sure, I have never tried gleaning the sea before either!"
Seeing that they all agreed, Jiang Luoluo then coyly smiled at Chu Mingcheng and said, "Then we'll rely on you tomorrow!"
"No problem! But since you guys want to go gleaning the sea, let's switch where you'll stay tonight! My family actually lives on the island, and you can glean the sea there. There is a sea-crossing bridge that allows direct driving to the island, and you can stay at a hotel there at night."
"Okay, then we'll go back to pack our bags after dinner, and when it's time, please wait for us and then take us there."
The Japanese food was just so-so, but they still had a great time chatting.
After the meal, they went down to the hotel lobby to wait.
Once they came down with their luggage, the two men took the initiative to help load the luggage into the car, after all, they had enjoyed a big meal.
The night was driven by Zhang Wei while Chu Mingcheng, after a busy day and having used his life conversion ability a couple of times, was rather tired.
"Ah Wei, I saw you chatting quite well with Zhou Jiayi just now, got an eye on her?"
Zhang Wei smiled and shook his head, "What use is there in liking her or not, she's not my type?"
Chu Mingcheng looked surprised, "Even with that looks? And her figure isn't bad either!"
"That's not what I mean, she's quite innocent, and I haven't considered getting into a relationship leading to marriage. Better not to harm others. Also, such a beautiful girl surely has plenty of wealthy suitors, she might not fancy someone like me."
"I see! I thought you didn't like her because you thought she was pretentious."
"Pretentious? Why would you say that?" Zhang Wei recalled their interaction, thinking Zhou Jiayi seemed quite nice. She was simply quiet and a bit shy.
"Don't you think the way she talks is a bit feigned-cute?"
"Isn't that common among Treasure Island people?"
"Uh... she's a Treasure Island person?"
"What else?"
"Well, my mistake then, my bad. No wonder her accent sounded a bit funny; that explains it."
Chu Mingcheng didn't watch Treasure Island movies or shows and hadn't interacted with Treasure Island people either, so he initially didn't recognize that Zhou Jiayi was from Treasure Island.
People from there often have a melodious tone, making it seem like they are trying to be cute when they speak.
"So what about you, did you have something going on since Jiang Luoluo treated you to a two thousand yuan meal?"
"Do you think a girl would fancy someone in my current unemployed bum status? Besides, I'm only focused on making money right now, letting everything else take its course."
Chu Mingcheng, like Zhang Wei, was very clear-headed.
They would not fall into one of life's three major illusions just because a girl showed some initiative.
However, no one would refuse to have high-quality friends of the opposite sex around, which was his reason for planning to take them sea gleaning and arranging a seafood feast for them tomorrow — to return the favor for today's meal.
After settling Jiang Luoluo and her group in a hotel on Yanmen Island, he said goodnight. Chu Mingcheng then went home to take the sea earthworms he caught today to the noodle shop to sell.
But he didn't sell all, saving half a pound for tomorrow's treat.