Wu Hao was already heartbroken, and his roommate was twisting the knife in his chest.
"If I'm not mistaken, that guy is your Goddess's Boyfriend. I heard the Waitress call him Boss, which means the money you spent on Hot Pot didn't go into your Goddess's pocket; it all went to her Boyfriend."
Wu Hao felt like spitting up blood.
He looked at the steaming Hot Pot that had just arrived, and his heart felt cold.
Wu Hao gritted his teeth: "The Hot Pot is here, can I still return it?"
His roommate looked at Wu Hao sympathetically: "Doesn't look like it."
Wu Hao took a bite and found that even the meat inside wasn't appetizing anymore.
Seeing Wu Hao's miserable expression, his roommate pulled the meat from his plate closer to himself.
"I told you earlier to switch places, but you wouldn't listen. Wouldn't it be better to find a small bar, drink some wine, and eat some small dishes?"
Wu Hao said through clenched teeth: "Then I won't eat it."
His roommate replied: "If you don't eat it, aren't you just sending more money to her Boyfriend?"
Wu Hao: "..."
"I, Wu Hao, swear that I will never come to this Hot Pot Restaurant to eat Hot Pot again!"
Gritting his teeth, Wu Hao swore to the heavens.
He had made up his mind: he would never let this restaurant earn a single cent from him again in this life.
His roommate nodded and patted his shoulder: "That's right, that's the spirit. A man must be able to pick up and put down. Let's drink and eat meat together. Who cares about girls?"
Wu Hao glanced at the meat in front of his roommate and snatched it.
"The meat is mine. I'm going to eat it all. I won't leave a single piece for them."
...The two lowered their heads and ate Hot Pot.
Wu Hao suddenly asked: "What do you think of the taste of this Hot Pot?"
"It's not good. If I didn't want to prevent them from saving money, I would have stopped eating long ago," the roommate insisted, blinking.
Wu Hao also nodded: "I don't think it's tasty either. The flavor is too greasy."
"We're not coming back."
"Right, absolutely not coming back."
The two of them finished the Hot Pot completely and left together... The next day, during dinner, Wu Hao walked into the Hot Pot Restaurant.
He still couldn't resist the temptation.
Both Xia Yingluo and the flavor of the Hot Pot attracted him.
Although he told himself he must stick to his oath, he was ultimately defeated by reality.
What was awkward was that he ran into his roommate at the Hot Pot Restaurant.
"Didn't you say the Hot Pot wasn't tasty?" Wu Hao asked.
"Didn't you also say you wouldn't let this restaurant earn a single cent from you?"
The roommate countered.
The two looked at each other.
"I just came out for a stroll, got a little hungry, was too lazy to go elsewhere, so I just grabbed a quick bite here."
Hmm!
Wu Hao didn't believe him at all.
There are so many restaurants nearby. Why did he only get hungry right outside the Hot Pot Restaurant?
"Fine, I'll be honest. I didn't actually come to eat Hot Pot; I came to see the Goddess."
The roommate said, looking at Xia Yingluo behind the ordering counter.
Wu Hao's expression darkened as he said: "Xia Yingluo clearly isn't here today."
...For several days in a row, Wu Hao frequently ran into his roommate at the Hot Pot Restaurant.
This time, neither of them brought up the past incident again.
They maintained a level of mutual respect.
The two stopped pretending and ate the Hot Pot.
"This Hot Pot tastes really good. This curry flavor is my favorite."
"Exactly! Eating Hot Pot while looking at the Goddess—this feeling is truly awesome."
"Yeah, I actually tried Hot Pot at other places, but the flavor simply can't compare to this one."
Wu Hao: "Didn't you say this Hot Pot was disgusting just the other day?"
Roommate: "Didn't you also say you wouldn't give a single cent to your love rival?"
"Forget it. Cheers!"
"Mm, to youth."
The two raised their drinks and clinked them.
As the drinks went down, the awkward topic seemed to vanish completely.
"Haven't you noticed that this restaurant's business is getting better and better?" Wu Hao suddenly asked.
"Yeah, a lot of students from our school really like the taste of this place."
Many days had passed since the photo incident, so the buzz should have died down.
Yet, the Hot Pot Restaurant still seemed to have many people.
Wu Hao nudged his roommate and said: "Hey, doesn't that person look familiar?"
"Holy cow, isn't that Jiang Tao? The commercial genius who came out of Jing University, the legendary senior of our Finance Department! I heard he's now the President of the Fortune 500 company, Tian Tou Group."
Wu Hao took a closer look and recognized him too.
Jiang Tao could be called the pride of Jing University.
After graduation, he joined MG Investment Company in Country M, became the Asia-Pacific Director in less than a year, resigned three years later, and started his own investment company.
Today, Jiang Tao is considered a big shot in the industry.
Even in a famous institution like Jing University, known for producing talent, Jiang Tao's name was highly respected.
It could be said that many students in Jing University's Finance Department regarded Jiang Tao as an idol.
The two had recently attended Jiang Tao's lecture, so seeing him made them very excited.
Jiang Tao, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, didn't quite fit the atmosphere of the Hot Pot Restaurant.
Furthermore, unlike the other customers, Jiang Tao wasn't focused on eating Hot Pot, but rather observing the customers entering the restaurant.
In fact, Wu Hao and his roommate weren't the only ones who noticed Jiang Tao; Professor Xia and Xiao He also recognized him.
"Old Xiao, isn't that Jiang Tao from the Finance Department? It looks like he's been coming here to eat Hot Pot every day for the past couple of days," Xiao He wondered.
"Yes, it's him. He used to be my student. Didn't this kid start an investment company? Is he that idle lately, coming here to eat Hot Pot every day?"
Old Xia only had eyes for his strange granddaughter and didn't care about anyone else.
Xiao He rolled his eyes at Old Xia: "You're also here eating Hot Pot every day when you have nothing else to do. But I heard Jiang Tao is different. His investment company often investigates promising businesses. Old Xia, I have a hunch that your future grandson-in-law's restaurant has caught his eye."
"When did I acknowledge him as my grandson-in-law? He's not qualified yet."
Xiao He rolled his eyes at Old Xia: "Do you get to decide if he's qualified?"
Old Xia: "..."
"Actually, Ye Chen is genuinely good. Not only is he handsome and talented, but he also has business acumen. To be honest, I think he's much stronger than you."
"Hmph, hasn't he still fallen for my granddaughter's charms?" Old Xia looked smug.
It was impossible to get him to admit that Ye Chen was outstanding... Jiang Tao had been observing the Hot Pot Restaurant for five days.
In fact, Jiang Tao's interest in this Hot Pot Restaurant was a coincidence.
He was a Jing University graduate and sometimes checked the Jing University forum.
Xia Yingluo's post was always pinned, so he was curious.
One time, he happened to pass by the Hot Pot Restaurant and decided to take a look.
However, upon entering the Hot Pot Restaurant, he was immediately drawn to its layout.
Instantly, he sensed a business opportunity, which is why he observed the Hot Pot Restaurant for several days.
Jiang Tao felt he had observed enough, stood up, and walked toward Ye Chen.