Genius Club-Chapter 217 - 49 Friends

"Hehe, Senior Lin Xian!"

The sound was light and bell-like; Lin Xian and Ji Lin, who were busy at their desks, simultaneously looked up to see Chu Anqing leaning in the doorway and waving her hand.

"An Qing?"

Lin Xian blinked his eyes:

"What brings you here?"

This was the Xu Yun Case Special Investigation Team at the Donghai City Public Security Bureau, a highly confidential place, certainly not somewhere outsiders could just wander into...

But then,

he immediately understood.

After all, she was Chu Shanhe’s daughter. If Chu Shanhe had access to so many of the bureau’s confidential reports, it indicated he had a very good relationship with the police chiefs here. So for Chu Anqing, acting as his "business card," wasn’t it easy for her to come and go as she pleased?

In the whole of Donghai City, the places Chu Anqing couldn’t enter were probably very few and far between.

"Dad said you all have been working hard and staying late, and haven’t eaten yet. I’ve brought some dinner for you guys, make sure to eat on time!"

As she spoke, Chu Anqing hopped into the room, and then took out one neatly stacked meal box after another, placing the exquisite meals prepared by Su Xiuying box by box in front of Lin Xian.

"I’m so jealous..."

Ji Lin commented as he looked at the meal that was in front of Lin Xian.

"There’s your portion too~"

Chu Anqing neatly placed another identical set in front of Ji Lin.

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"Here." She handed over a pair of chopsticks to each of them, one in each hand.

"I’m so grateful."

Ji Lin was genuinely surprised; he did not expect that he would have a portion as well.

After all, he wasn’t familiar with Chu Anqing, being nothing more than acquaintances from a New Year’s Eve dinner, yet she had taken the initiative to bring him a dinner exactly like Lin Xian’s.

But he did not say anything more; he simply accepted the chopsticks and started eating quietly.

Lin Xian didn’t rush to eat.

Instead, he stood up, took a disposable cup, and poured Chu Anqing a cup of hot water:

"It’s so late, how did you get here?"

"I had the chauffeur drive me here." Chu Anqing smiled slightly:

"Senior Lin Xian, you should eat soon too, it won’t taste as good once it cools down!"

Lin Xian nodded his head, took up his chopsticks, and started eating along with Ji Lin.

The taste was still the familiar one.

It was definitely Su Xiuying’s handiwork.

She really knew how to cook rice, neither dry nor sticky, with an amazing texture, and it seemed the rice used in the Chu Shanhe household was different from what was commonly available... It was Lin Xian’s first time tasting such a pure flavor of rice in a long time.

It was a hard-to-describe taste, not like the "fast-produced" kind you get from three-season or four-season rice with a sort of "perfunctory" texture. This fuller-bodied rice seemed like it enjoyed all seasons of sunshine, growing slowly in an unhurried environment without anyone rushing it, full of vigor and with a lingering aftertaste.

"Delicious."

After swallowing a big bite, Ji Lin sincerely praised:

"Did you make this? Your cooking skills are really good; you’ll definitely be a virtuous wife and loving mother in the future."

"Hehe, really? I made it with my mom!" Chu Anqing was very happy.

"So which part were you responsible for?" Ji Lin asked earnestly.

"Washing vegetables and serving bowls!"

"Hmm..." Ji Lin ate a few bites of rice and, after swallowing, slowly said:

"Those are also two crucial steps."

Pfft—

Lin Xian couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

After so many days of getting to know Ji Lin, he had come to greatly respect Ji Lin’s intelligence, with quick and sharp thinking, able to come up with solutions almost immediately without the need for deliberation.

But unexpectedly...

Some things are just destined to meet their match, and Chu Anqing’s answer left even the clever Ji Lin at a loss for words, forcing him to tactically focus on eating to buy time for thinking.

"I, I am slowly learning." Noticing Lin Xian’s laughter, Chu Anqing’s cheeks flushed with a tinge of shyness:

"Then! Next time you come to my house for a meal, I’ll cook a few dishes for you myself, how’s that?"

As she spoke, Chu Anqing happily said:

"What about on the birthday party a few days from now? My birthday is on March 28th! I invited a few close classmates to come eat and have fun together. Senior Lin Xian, you should come too!"

"A birthday, huh..."

Lin Xian hadn’t celebrated a birthday in a very long time.

Mainly because as he got older, he didn’t have much interest in it anymore; his birthday this year on March 20th was no different from any other ordinary day, apart from some congratulatory text messages from the bank.

Even Gao Yang simply lamented in a WeChat message, "You’re already 24," and left it at that.

After reaching adulthood, guys rarely celebrate their birthdays; it’s not really that interesting.

But for Chu Anqing, the jewel in Chu Shanhe’s palm, her birthday parties must be quite lively, right?

"Don’t you usually spend your birthday with your family every year?"

Chu Anqing shook her head:

"Before I turned 18, I always spent my birthdays with my family—my parents, my aunt, and other relatives would all come. But my dad said that after turning 18, I should start to have my own social circle. So they have completely let go of managing my birthday after I turned 18~ letting me organize it myself, to entertain my friends!"

Talking about having a birthday she could plan herself, Chu Anqing was still very excited:

"Actually, I was planning to extend an invitation to you these few days... My parents gave me a villa to host my birthday party and entertain friends. Senior Lin Xian, come join the fun! There won’t be any other adults there, just classmates from school, and your juniors. They are all looking forward to you coming!"

"Can I go too?" Before Lin Xian could reply, Ji Lin eagerly chimed in.

"Of course!"

Chu Anqing’s eyes curved into shallow crescents:

"The more friends, the merrier!"