After being busy until 6 PM, Tang Song stood up, stretched, and smiled, "Thanks for all your hard work, Accountant Gao. How about I treat you to a big dinner?"

Gao Mengting blinked and replied, "Sorry, I already have plans tonight. I'll take a rain check on that dinner."

"Oh? Is it with a guy or a girl?" Tang Song teased.

Gao Mengting froze for a moment, then awkwardly looked away, "It's with my schoolmate. She worked hard on our logo design, creating six versions in three days. The 1,500-yuan design fee was a bargain, so I want to treat her to dinner as a thank you."

Given her skill level, her design work usually started at 5,000 yuan at a design company. She would also handle various post-production size and format adjustments, so the 1,500 yuan was indeed a super friendship price.

"Okay," Tang Song smiled handsomely, "Don't forget to get an invoice. Any company expenses can be reimbursed."

"You're so generous, President Tang!" Gao Mengting laughed lightly, covering her mouth.

Just then, Gao Mengting's phone rang. Tang Song glanced at it and saw the caller ID read "Qiuqiu."

"Hello, Qiuqiu, I'm about to get off work. You can head out now."

"Mm-hmm, bye-bye~"

...

The sun gradually set in the west. Tang Song drove his black BMW 330 along the orange-lit streets, heading out of the southern second ring road. After a few turns, lush locust trees lined the sides of the road.

A familiar feeling washed over him. Various shops, colorful signs, snack bars, street vendors, bookstores, and accessory shops adorned the street. The passersby, mostly young men and women, exuded a vibrant energy. They walked in groups, laughing and playing, full of youthful vitality.

This was the commercial street outside Yan City University of Technology, where he had lived for four years. He hadn't returned since graduating and becoming busy with life.

Today, on his way home from work, he felt a sudden urge to revisit and taste some familiar foods.

Parking his car, Tang Song stood by the roadside for a while, then started walking. Fried chicken, grilled cold noodles, stinky tofu, candied hawthorn... Before he knew it, he had several bags in hand.

Finally, he entered a traditional beef noodle shop he used to frequent during university. Three years had passed, but the place remained unchanged.

Not worrying about whether he could finish it all, he ordered a large bowl of wide noodles with tofu skin, pork, meatballs, and eggs. Finding a seat by the window, he enjoyed the delicious food while observing the passing students. The sky outside darkened, and the streetlights illuminated the world in a warm yellow glow.

Tang Song paused eating as a wave of nostalgia hit him. It felt like a scene from yesterday, though it had been years.

...

On the bustling street, Li Shumin pouted, "I still want to eat snail noodles. What should I do?"

Zhang Jiahong grumbled, "You've had it two days in a row. Even your farts smell like it now!"

"You... you're talking nonsense as if your farts don't stink!"

They bickered for a bit before Li Shumin grabbed Yao Lingling's arm, "Lingling, you decide what we eat tonight. I'm starving."

Yao Lingling scanned the row of shops and pointed at one, "Let's have noodles. The portions are big, and we can add extra toppings."

"Alright, let's go."

"I want to add eggs and meatballs."

"Look at you, I'll add pork!"

The three girls chatted and laughed as they entered the shop. After a brief chat with the owner and ordering their food, they realized there were no empty tables left, so they had to share with someone else.

Li Shumin spotted a table in the corner, "There's a cute guy over there by himself. Let's sit with him!"

From their position, they could only see his side and back, but his figure, outfit, and profile suggested he was indeed good-looking. Having a meal while admiring a cute guy was always a plus.

The three girls exchanged smiles and headed over. In such small eateries, sharing tables wasn't a big deal.

Li Shumin and Zhang Jiahong sat opposite him, sneaking glances at his face. Yao Lingling, more straightforward, patted his shoulder and smiled, "Hey there. Mind if I sit here?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Tang Song, who was slurping noodles, looked up in surprise. The four of them froze for a moment.

After a brief silence, Yao Lingling's eyes widened, "April! No way, what a coincidence!"

Li Shumin and Zhang Jiahong exchanged dumbfounded looks. The online blogger they followed was right in front of them. It felt like an online-to-real-life moment. They had just video-chatted yesterday, and now they met in person. What a small world!

"It is a coincidence, isn't it? Yan City is huge, and yet we meet in a small shop like this," Tang Song said, moving to the inner seat and inviting, "Sit down, let's chat."

Yao Lingling quickly sat down. Tang Song greeted them with a smile, "Lingling, Minmin, and Little Red, good evening."

As he smiled, the three girls were momentarily dazzled, taking in his handsome features. Tang Song felt a bit uncomfortable under their intense gazes, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Yao Lingling resisted the urge to pinch his face, "April, you're even more handsome in person."

"Yeah, totally."

"Absolutely, this transformation is the best I've seen."

Li Shumin and Zhang Jiahong nodded vigorously. They had thought he was good-looking from the video, but seeing him in person exceeded their expectations. His red lips and white teeth, as well as his smile, were gentle and incredibly handsome.

Tang Song's face turned slightly red, "Stop calling me by my online name. Use my real name, Tang Song."

"Nice to officially meet you. I'm Yao Lingling." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI-Fire.ɴet

"I'm Li Shumin."

...

The four of them chatted briefly, reintroducing themselves. Tang Song placed the snacks he had bought on the table, smiling, "I bought too much food. Now we can share."

Seeing the variety of snacks, the three girls gulped.

"This isn't right..."

"It's fine. We're all friends, and I really can't finish it."

"Tang Song, you should know I'm a loyal fan so I won't be polite." Li Shumin licked her lips, grabbed a drumstick, and took a big bite, "This is from the crispy fried chicken shop at the corner, right? It's delicious!"

"The stinky tofu is also great."

Their noodles arrived, and the four chatted while eating. The three girls were lively, chatting about him and the food, making it hard for Tang Song to get a word in.

After a while, Yao Lingling explained, "We're all students from Yan City University of Technology, graduated last year. Since we're familiar with the area, we rented a place nearby and often eat around here. It's cheap and filling."

Tang Song was surprised, then smiled, "So, you're my juniors! I graduated in 2020. When you started, I was a junior. We might have seen each other on campus."