At one in the morning, Su Yuan and Chen Nuoyi finished their shift.
"This is the first time I’ve seen the city at one in the morning. I usually go to bed by eleven."
The girl looked at the sparsely populated and quite desolate street, murmuring softly.
Su Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly realized that wandering outside with Chen Nuoyi in the middle of the night might cause unnecessary misunderstandings with her parents.
Even in a world where cultivation is mainstream, most families still require girls to be home by eight.
Moreover, Chen Nuoyi has a Dragon King dad.
"Class leader, umm... It’s so late, won’t your dad be mad if you don’t go back?"
Su Yuan asked cautiously.
Without hesitation, Chen Nuoyi replied:
"Him? He’s probably already so drunk he can’t tell what time it is. Why would he care whether I’m home or not?"
Heh, according to the traditional script, your seemingly decadent Dragon King dad is actually secretly watching and protecting you.
Art imitates life, so reality should reflect that too...right?
Chen Nuoyi: "Let’s not talk about him. Su Yuan, where are we going to eat? Is there really a restaurant cheaper than the school cafeteria?"
"Of course." Su Yuan extended his hand, "Give me your phone."
Chen Nuoyi: "???"
Ever since bankruptcy left her with only a phone to play with, she has become an absolute internet addict, naturally familiar with recent online memes.
So the moment Su Yuan said this, Chen Nuoyi felt a bit of PTSD.
Did Su Yuan mean that eating a full meal cheaply was through taking out a loan first?
Although this would indeed allow for a carefree meal, the loan had to be repaid!
For a while, Chen Nuoyi fell into a long hesitation, and after a moment, she cautiously said:
"Su Yuan, I’ve never done anything like that before. As high school students, doing such things—isn’t it a bit inappropriate?"
Su Yuan was slightly taken aback, then seemed to understand something, and said:
"That’s exactly why it’s so precious the first time because you’ve never done it before!"
Chen Nuoyi was shocked: "Could it be that you’ve done it many times already?"
Su Yuan chuckled: "Of course, I’ve done it so many times, that’s why we need to use your phone and account this time."
"Class leader, I know what you’re worried about, but don’t be afraid. It’s safe; no one will come after you for it."
Chen Nuoyi: "..."
She understood but was greatly shocked!
Who would have thought young Su Yuan already had such extensive experience with microloans?
But... but isn’t he afraid that if he can’t repay it once, the debt will snowball?
In the end, Chen Nuoyi decided to stick to her principles, firmly shaking her head:
"Su Yuan, I think microloans are something one should avoid. If you’re not careful, it could ruin your life."
Su Yuan: "???"
"Why are we suddenly talking about borrowing? I wanted to use your Kangaroo account to buy restaurant coupons?"
"Ah, buying coupons... I... I thought it was just about buying coupons, really. I just mentioned loans offhandedly, no other meaning. Here’s my phone, go ahead and use it."
With her face turning completely red, Chen Nuoyi quickly changed the subject, handing her phone to Su Yuan.
Oh, Chen Nuoyi, Chen Nuoyi, you were told not to watch those silly videos, and now you’ve caused a misunderstanding again!
Luckily it wasn’t discovered.
Su Yuan didn’t think much, opened the Kangaroo APP on Chen Nuoyi’s phone, and sure enough, the once-rich young lady had ordered takeout only a few times.
And she had never grabbed restaurant coupons from the Kangaroo app.
For such users, the Kangaroo platform usually offers better deals than for old users.
So, Miss Chen, I’ll accept your first... chance to buy coupons!
Sure enough, Su Yuan quickly found a nearby self-service restaurant with significant discounts, opened the same restaurant on his own Kangaroo app, and the cheapest coupons were thirty yuan more expensive than those in Chen Nuoyi’s account.
With all the discounts, it would only cost fifty yuan per person to enjoy the buffet at a restaurant usually priced at 168 yuan per person.
After consulting with Chen Nuoyi, Su Yuan bought two coupons.
Admittedly, eating at the cafeteria wouldn’t cost fifty yuan, but the cafeteria’s food quality surely wasn’t as high as that of the buffet.
When they get to the buffet, they can surely eat back the cost with Spirit Fruit and Spirit Meat.
It’s just that Su Yuan felt a little regret that the blue pill was gone.
If he had taken a blue pill before entering the buffet, he could have given the restaurant owner a tough time.
After buying the coupon, Su Yuan casually added himself to Chen Nuoyi’s friend list on her chat app, transferred the money for his coupon, and clicked receive.
He noticed that this former rich young lady had pathetically few friends, just three: one marked as "Jerk Dad," a manager of a toy store, and a policewoman from the Taihua City police department.
Not a single true friend.
So, did the Righteous Saintess’s first friend spot get taken by him, the Demon?
It was a bit overwhelming.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the 24-hour self-service barbecue restaurant.
"Su Yuan, why are you holding your phone and recording?"
Seeing Su Yuan looking like a professional photographer, Chen Nuoyi was puzzled.
Su Yuan explained calmly:
"You don’t get it. This is a divine technique that can greatly improve any store’s service attitude, known as the camera effect. Learn a bit; you might use it when dining out in the future."
"Oh, I see."
After scanning the code to enter the restaurant, Su Yuan advised again:
"Avoid those ready-made fried rice, instant noodles, and similar staples, which will make you feel full faster. When choosing barbecue, opt for those unseasoned meats with visible texture."
"And stay away from carbonated drinks."
Chen Nuoyi nodded repeatedly: "This is my first time at a buffet. I didn’t know there are so many tricks to it."
Su Yuan: "With me here, just follow what I pick for ingredients. Come this way."
Chen Nuoyi: "Su Yuan, a drink just suddenly came out of that machine. Did you see it? What kind of magical treasure is that?"
Su Yuan: "..."
She doesn’t even know an automatic drink machine? There’s a limit to ignorance, isn’t there?
After returning to the table with a lot of barbecue, Chen Nuoyi pointed curiously at the grill in the center, where heat was rolling off, and asked:
"Su Yuan, isn’t someone going to cook the meat for us later?"
Su Yuan: "... Sorry, our spending is not enough to cover that kind of service."
But then, Su Yuan confidently smiled and said:
"But don’t worry, I worked in an upscale barbecue restaurant for two months over the summer. Just wait and eat."
With that, he threw large pieces of meat onto the grill, turning the heat up high.
"Coach, you’re so reliable!"
Chen Nuoyi picked up her chopsticks, her bright eyes fixated on the meat cooking to perfection.