Chapter 199: Destination, the Grasslands
Since returning to the capital, Yu Qian had been busy planning the trip to the grasslands. His own work was hectic, and he had to make sure everything on his plate was properly arranged. After finishing the special performance with Old Guo, he finally had a moment to rest. He quickly called his buddy Zhou You. Yu Qian was someone who loved to have fun, and those who could play were his friends. But these days, everyone was busy—how many could hang out every day? Finding someone like that wasn’t easy.
"Bro, I’m done with my stuff. The grasslands are all set on my end. How about you?" Yu Qian said, lounging on the sofa while playing with his little dog.
Zhou You saw Yu Qian’s call and picked up right away. He’d been waiting for this day and hadn’t wanted to rush him. "No problem, I can leave anytime," Zhou You replied cheerfully.
"Great. You guys come to the capital, and we’ll drive two cars over. It’ll be more flexible." Yu Qian planned to road-trip it. Driving from the capital to the grasslands took just over five hours—easy enough.
"Alright, I’ll head over tomorrow," Zhou You said excitedly. Going out to play was pure joy.
He turned to Li Houliang and said, "Liang Ge, let’s go to the capital tomorrow, then hit the grasslands for a few days. Bring Xiao Si along too."
"Got it, I’ll arrange it now." Li Houliang was a man of few words.
Zhou You thought for a moment and then called Agula: "I’m heading to the grasslands tomorrow. Got time?"
Agula was training at the Sanda club and answered right away: "No problem, I’ve already talked it over at home. I’ll ask for leave now."
Agula was a sports recruit, so he didn’t have many classes. A quick word with his advisor and teachers was enough—a week was plenty.
They packed a few essentials, and Zhou You decided to buy some supplies in the capital since they were heading to the grasslands. The terrain was vast, so being well-prepared couldn’t hurt. He’d bring several drones, the latest models—way better than the first generation. Out on the endless grasslands, having an eye in the sky would make everyone feel safer.
Xiao Si, upon learning he was going with Zhou You, was so thrilled he did a backflip. Everyone knew that going out with Zhou You meant no losses—good food, fun, and even profit. The first batch of colleagues who went to Thailand came back beaming, with blissful expressions plastered on their faces, making the rest envious. The second batch was about to leave.
They teased Xiao Si: "You’re missing out on Thailand this time. Regret it?"
Xiao Si shot them a glance: "I know you’re jealous. Too bad—I was the first one You Ge beat up, so I left an impression. We’ve got a bond. Thailand’s nothing. Stick with You Ge on more trips, and I’ll get to go everywhere."
"Damn, being the first to lose, and you’re proud of that?" The group was speechless at Xiao Si’s shamelessness. Though they said that, they were still envious. Xiao Si was the one who contacted Zhou You the most and talked with him the most, so he was the second person Zhou You thought of. The first, of course, was Liang Ge.
When Wang Fangfang came back, she didn’t ask about Zhou You’s time in Thailand. That was the good thing about her—if you didn’t bring it up, she wouldn’t ask. After swimming, she’d still give massages. Softness overcomes hardness—that was the universal truth.
But Zhou You had to ask, or it’d seem too fake. She’d come back from a trip, and if he didn’t check in, it’d look suspicious. "Fangfang, how was the trip?"
"Mm, great. The service was amazing. Their boss personally received us," Wang Fangfang replied while giving a massage.
"The boss is right here, and the person you’re massaging is the big shot," Zhou You said, pretending to show off.
Wang Fangfang laughed then: "He Mei told me everything. We’re besties now."
Zhou You froze, his body tensing up. Wang Fangfang, still massaging, noticed his reaction and hugged him with both arms: "We’re both lucky to have met you. From now on, you have to keep treating us well, got it?"
What else could Zhou You say? He just held Wang Fangfang tightly. At times like this, words were useless—a tight embrace said it all.
"Come on, let’s go home and shower. I’m heading to the capital tomorrow, so I’ll cook for you tonight."
Wang Fangfang’s face flushed. Zhou You had picked up this habit from who knows where—always talking about cooking and stir-frying. The thing was, his cooking kept getting better, which was one reason Wang Fangfang was becoming more tolerant. If she couldn’t finish it alone, she’d just find more people to share it with. Otherwise, she’d be stuffed to death.
Before leaving, Zhou You registered Wang Fangfang’s fingerprint and gave her the password. He hadn’t moved in permanently yet. Wang Fangfang lived alone now—her roommate had moved out to rent a place with her boyfriend. Zhou You sometimes missed Huang Yu. Fishermen, after all, were friends as long as they didn’t steal his fishing spot.
People said the fishing community was the purest, with no hierarchy. Other circles were full of it—in off-roading, the more expensive, the more impressive, with mods making you a big shot. In photography, it was all about comparing lenses, with price equaling status. But fishing didn’t care about any of that. A few thousand bucks in gear couldn’t beat an 8-pound carp. Everything came down to luck and skill. And in fishing, every walk of life was represented—from high officials and elites to ordinary folks. The funniest part? Other groups might eventually devolve into adult chat rooms and get banned. But in fishing groups, it was always members showing off their catches...
Anyway, Zhou You’s mind was wandering because he had too much free time.
The next morning, the group gathered at the Wave Pavilion: Zhou You, Li Houliang, Xiao Si, and Agula, each with a bag. Wang Fangfang drove them to the airport. The last time they’d traveled together was to Shanghai. Now heading to the capital, it felt like they were hitting both mega-cities.
The flight was uneventful. People couldn’t help but glance at the burly guys, keeping their distance to avoid trouble. That alone saved them a lot of hassle.
After landing, Sun Li picked them up in her car. Yu Qian had planned to send someone, but Sun Li was free, so she came to greet them and introduce herself. Li Houliang and Xiao Si, having been through Shanghai, had already accepted the situation. Agula, oblivious, didn’t react—he just noticed that Teacher Zhou always had beautiful women around him, and the foreign teachers were constantly clinging to him. How could he not be envious?
Zhou You made the usual introductions and told them to find a nearby hotel to stay at.
Yu Qian came by in the afternoon: "The cars are ready—SUVs, better for the grasslands. We’ll set off tomorrow morning."
Zhou You thought for a moment and asked, "Anything else we need to prepare? Satellite phones?"
Yu Qian paused: "We’re not going somewhere without signal. Shouldn’t need them, right?"
"Better safe than sorry. Buy a few, different brands. Best if we don’t use them." Zhou You figured they’d stock up more carefully once they reached a grassland city and find a local guide. You only get one life—no room for getting cocky.