Time slipped quietly away like fine sand held in a fist. No matter how tightly he gripped it, it still ran through his fingers. Ye Chen spent the whole afternoon training hard in the practice room. One moment he worked on Iron Sand Palm, the next on the Lightness Skill of Wall-Running, then on the Hard Qigong of Horizontal Training. Sweat poured off him, but he never let up. He liked to fool around and could get wild when he was having fun, but when it was time to be serious, he never slacked off.
By the time Ye Chen stopped, it was almost dinner. He took a quick cold shower and walked into the Restaurant with a spring in his step. His timing was perfect: Stone was bringing out the food. There were meat and vegetable dishes, wine and plenty to eat—takoyaki, bacon, omelets, vegetable salad, and more. A whole roasted squid sat in the center. Everything smelled delicious. Ye Chen breathed it in, snapped his fingers at Stone, and praised him. "Nice work, Stone. You really are a first-rate chef."
Stone gave a sheepish grin. "A few more dishes, and we can eat."
As usual, Ye Chen sat down beside Robin. Everyone knew about their relationship. Robin had changed into a long purple skirt and a vest that showed her navel. Her glossy black hair fell softly down her back. Sitting so close, Ye Chen could clearly catch its faint fragrance. He slipped an arm around her slender waist, gave her an affectionate smile, and settled into his seat.
"I'm in a bad mood, Captain. Tell me a joke to cheer me up." Monet glared at him, her eyes flickering as she watched him.
At noon, Ye Chen had embarrassed Monet so badly she had wanted to crawl