Midsummer

Li Yao glanced at the Late Night Tavern next door and found that it was also nearly deserted.

After thinking about it, he understood: during this season, not many people are willing to go out during the day, especially around three or four in the afternoon!

The sun at this hour, while not as scorching as it was at one or two o'clock, was still just as intense! This is the provincial capital...

In the summer it's unbearably hot, and in the winter it's so cold it could freeze your head.

This climate directly leads to people not wanting to go out during the day. Only after the sun sets and the heat subsides will men and women put on makeup, get ready, and sway their youthful bodies into the night, enjoying themselves even more than ghosts.

Li Yao took out the tavern key from his Space Ring, opened the door, and went inside.

The tavern was still quite clean.

After entrusting this matter to Cao Rui and Chen Tao, the two men were clearly dedicated, but they also had other business to attend to.

Since there's really no need to operate during the day during this period, the Lost Tavern simply stops operating during the day.

This can actually reduce some expenses.

The pub can pay less per hour, and the staff can have more time to rest, instead of having to endure the scorching sun in the pub.

But for Li Yao, this was no longer just a simple business.

Upon entering the tavern, Li Yao turned on the central air conditioning and went to check out the kitchen. Most of the kitchen utensils were purchased by Chen Xi. The place was decorated very warmly, with all kinds of kitchen utensils neatly arranged, and aprons hanging on the wall were printed with cute Pikachu images.

Once we arrived here,

Li Yao suddenly felt as if he could see Chen Xi busy in the kitchen back then.

Unfortunately, ever since Chen Xi left,

The kitchen gradually became a storage room.

Li Yao opened the double-door refrigerator and looked inside; there were only some commonly used fruits.

Lemon, lychee, pineapple, etc...

Those items were probably used by the bartender to mix drinks, while there were quite a few snacks stored in the cabinet under the kitchen counter.

In short, there's nothing that can be used for proper cooking.

However, judging from the amount of snacks, fruits, and drinks stocked up, it's safe to assume that Lost Tavern has been doing well recently.

After all, it's summer, and girls will be wearing very light and cool clothes!

After wandering around the kitchen for a while, Li Yao locked the door and went to the nearby shopping mall... That's the good thing about this place.

There's a small commercial area nearby, so the foot traffic is pretty good.

Many young men and women who work in the vicinity like to have a drink at the nearby bars after get off work.

Li Yao went to a nearby shopping mall to buy some fresh vegetables and braised dishes, then returned to the tavern and went into the kitchen to get busy.

He made a dish of salted fried peanuts.

After frying raw peanuts in Oil Pot until golden brown, remove them and let them cool completely. Once cooled, sprinkle with salt and they are ready to eat.

Besides that, he also made a dish of cucumber with minced garlic, a dish of tomatoes with sugar, and a cold dish of shredded pig's ears. After thinking about it, he also ordered a crayfish delivery – although it wasn't the season when crayfish were first available, it was still the perfect time to eat them! Thinking that these were all snacks to go with alcohol and not very healthy, Li Yao also stewed a beef bone soup on the gas stove.

This busy period took Li Yao quite a bit of time.

Even with his current physical condition, he felt somewhat fatigued.

Li Yao took off his apron and hung it on the kitchen wall, then took out some drinks from the bar and made himself a soft drink with ice...

Everything is ready, just waiting for the beef bone broth to be cooked!

Li Yao walked around the bar and out of the tavern.

I sat down in my usual spot, took a sip of my soft drink, and let out a long, satisfying sigh.

Ah! How carefree! It was getting late, the Osmanthus Tree in front of the door was lush and green, and the Ginkgo Tree was growing vigorously again, its top covered with a green ginkgo leaf.

The light of dusk filtered through the leaves, rustling softly in the breeze.

All of this made Li Yao feel very comfortable.

He grasped the cup beside the recliner, feeling its cool touch against his palm.

As Li Yao gently swirled the wine glass with his right hand, the ice cubes collided with the glass, producing a crisp and pleasant sound.

Peace and happiness in the world

However, in the height of summer, the white porcelain plum soup makes a clattering sound as the crushed ice hits the sides.

Li Yao lay on a recliner at the entrance of the tavern, dozing off, feeling the light and shadow flickering through the leaves on his eyelids, letting the cool breeze caress his skin, bringing a delicate touch; listening to the rustling of the leaves, swirling his wine glass to hear the soft clinking of ice, and the rich aroma wafting from the depths of the tavern lingering in his nostrils... This kind of summer doesn't seem so bad.

Not long after,

A Mercedes pulled up in front of the tavern, and Cao Rui's frivolous voice rang out. "Oh, what a rare guest!"

Li Yao continued to squint, like an old man nearing seventy enjoying his leisure time.

He said, "I made some dishes: cold shredded pig's ear, cucumber with minced garlic, tomatoes with sugar, peanuts with salt, and I also made some soup and ordered some crayfish. Let's have some drinks tonight. By the way, where's Chen Tao?"

Li Yao opened his eyes and scanned Cao Rui from the front and back.

Cao Rui chuckled and said, "Well, it's summer now, so Old Chen can't come over!"

Li Yao: "???"

What does coming to a pub have to do with summer? Cao Rui replied enthusiastically, "It's hot, so we wear cool clothes! Besides, I often throw champagne parties to liven things up! Let me tell you, it's so much fun spraying champagne and getting those thin clothes wet!"

Li Yao: "..."

"You, Young Master Cao, a real estate tycoon from the provincial capital, actually have this kind of hobby? What's wrong with you?" Li Yao thought for a moment and asked seriously, "Old Cao, tell me, are you gay? Don't worry, I won't discriminate against you!"

Cao Erha was confused. "How am I gay? My hobby is perfectly normal!"

Li Yao rolled his eyes. "Everyone else wants to eat pork, but you just love watching pigs wander around! What's wrong with you?"

Cao Erha: "..."

He didn't know how to refute it...

Li Yao asked suspiciously, "I'm not saying you're impotent, are you?"

Recalling this guy's past habit of spending the whole night watching TV dramas with girls in a hotel room— Li Yao seemed to have discovered some incredible truth! Cao Rui: "Get lost!"

He held his hips and said arrogantly, "Do you believe that with this one thrust I can penetrate to the depths of a girl's soul?"

Li Yao sneered, "That's not because you're tall, but because that's the shortest path to a girl's heart!"

Cao Rui: "???"

"Da Yao, you're driving a bit too fast!" Cao Erha decided not to trash talk with this guy anymore, patted his butt and went into the tavern. "I'll go get the 'Closed for the Day' sign, and also tell the staff to have the day off. Oh, and call Lao Chen, tell him to come over quickly, and if his girlfriend is worried, she can come with him."

Li Yao: "Okay."

He took out his phone and found Chen Tao's number.

Just as I was about to dial, I suddenly felt something and looked up at one end of Drum Tower Road...

This is the first update. This chapter is just a setup. I've thought of the next chapter, but I'm too tired to write it... I went on a long trip today and it took up the whole day. I'm exhausted. So you can guess what the next plot will be... Also, it's 520 (May 20th), I love you all~ but unfortunately, it has nothing to do with me! I'm spending 520 writing... I hope you enjoy reading.