King of Kings, start with a perfect record and strive for the top spot.

Chapter 186 Mountain City Features

The weather in the mountain city was neither too hot nor too cold, with temperatures in the mid-twenties. Some girls wearing miniskirts, showing off their long, white legs, swayed past the two men like chopsticks.

Ye Lan glanced at the girl and, noticing that the girl wasn't looking at her, her gaze fell on the girl's legs.

Xu Zhiqiang, staring intently at Ye Lan, couldn't help but ask, "Brother Ye, aren't you supposed to be averse to women?"

"Nonsense! What cat doesn't steal fish? What man isn't lustful?"

Ye Lan straightened her chest and then reached out to hug Xu Zhiqiang's neck.

"Brother, let me tell you something. Girls wear these kinds of clothes not only to please themselves, but also to gain the approval of others."

"But you can't just rush up to someone and say, 'You look really good in this dress,' that's impolite."

Xu Zhiqiang rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "What kind of twisted logic is this?"

"So staring at someone's legs is considered polite?"

“I’m different from those men who are blinded by lust. I look at them with appreciation, while they all have lustful eyes.”

As she spoke, the girl seemed to notice that Ye Lan was looking at her.

He gave Ye Lan a sweet kiss.

Ye Lan made a heart shape with her hands, which made the three girls very happy.

Xu Zhiqiang watched in disbelief. He often saw girls dressed provocatively at school, but he didn't even have the courage to look them in the eye. He only dared to steal a glance when they passed by.

In contrast, Ye Lan exudes confidence and her words and actions are poised, graceful, and reasonable.

Compared to the other person, Xu Zhiqiang felt that his cautious way of peeping really resembled that of a voyeur.

"I wish I had half your confidence." Xu Zhiqiang hunched over, his face practically radiating envy.

"Oh dear, you're just too timid. You're afraid of this and that, which inevitably leads to a lack of confidence and hesitation."

"It's like when I was in school, I called you to sneak out to go online in the middle of the night, and you refused no matter what, but after I sneaked out, you fucking reported me to the teacher!"

"You tell me how despicable and disloyal you are. You have no sense of loyalty whatsoever."

Ye Lan punched Xu Zhiqiang, but the punch wasn't very forceful, and because Xu Zhiqiang was physically strong, the damage wasn't significant.

Xu Zhiqiang scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and said apologetically, "It's not entirely my fault. I was really panicked at the time, afraid that something might happen to you, so I reported it to the teacher on duty."

"That's the difference between you and me. Even a small mistake makes you feel like the sky is falling."

"After being arrested, all you have to do is write a self-criticism and call your parents. What's the big deal? Look at me now, I'm still as lively and energetic as ever!"

As Ye Lan spoke, she even jumped up and down a couple of times, looking quite smug.

"That's because your uncle is good to you. If it were my dad, believe it or not, I would be half-paralyzed and lying in bed by now."

"Do you remember when we were in junior high, I went with you to an internet cafe to play video games? Somehow, this got back to my dad."

"You know how hot-tempered my dad is. Plus, he works on construction sites and doesn't hold back. He broke my leg and I didn't go to school for a week afterward."

Ye Lan covered her forehead, feeling ashamed.

He only saw Xu Zhiqiang's timidity and cowardice, but never considered the other's upbringing.

A child's personality is closely related to their family environment.

Ye Lan's parents may not have provided much financial assistance, but from childhood to adulthood, they have always supported all of Ye Lan's choices.

But Xu Zhiqiang is different.

His family was even poorer than Ye Lan's.

Xu Zhiqiang's father was not well-educated and worked odd jobs on construction sites to support his family of three.

For this reason, he regarded the idea that reading can change one's destiny as sacred advice.

Therefore, he had high hopes for Xu Zhiqiang since he was a child, hoping that he could make a name for himself through studying and change the fate of his family.

Xu Zhiqiang lived up to expectations, scoring over 680 points in the college entrance examination and becoming the provincial top scorer.

But his final choice was completely unexpected.

Instead of attending a prestigious university, they traveled thousands of miles to a mountain city to study at a vocational college.

His father was so angry that he wanted to sever their father-son relationship.

Fortunately, the neighbors persuaded him, which barely calmed his anger. If Xu Zhiqiang hadn't recently made some money with Ye Lan, the relationship between father and son might never have improved.

Indeed, a family's harmony is somewhat related to its economic level.

"Did you regret challenging your dad and changing your application to this school?" Ye Lan asked softly.

He knew that Xu Zhiqiang came to this school for Huang Yuting, but unfortunately the two did not end up together.

Xu Zhiqiang smiled wryly and said, "I regret it a little, but I've come to realize that how can one live a life without regrets?"

"It's like when you're taking a test, you'll always encounter questions that make you hesitate and unsure of what to do. If you choose the wrong answer, you'll inevitably regret it later."

"But life goes on. I'll learn from my mistakes and make the right choice next time I encounter this problem."

Ye Lan hugged Xu Zhiqiang's arm and swayed it from side to side: "It seems that our son has really grown up. As his father, I am very pleased."

"So, what should we eat for lunch today? I didn't eat much on the plane."

"I knew you were coming today, so I made a reservation at the best Sichuan and Chongqing hot pot restaurant around the school to personally welcome you."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Let's go!"

The two strolled leisurely along the asphalt road, arm in arm, humming a tune.

Since the game activities were held at Shancheng Vocational and Technical College, Xu Zhiqiang kept everything simple, arranging for his meals and accommodations around the school.

Ye Lan didn't feel there was anything wrong with this.

Guys are very accepting when they're out and about; they're happy as long as they can take a hot shower and have a soft bed.

The environment doesn't need to be too clean, but it also can't be too dirty.

If it's a situation where rats and cockroaches are running rampant, then that's still a bit unacceptable.

The characteristic of this mountain city is its winding, meandering paths, much like climbing a mountain.

Even though the map navigation showed a distance of only one kilometer, the two of them stood still for half an hour.

"How about this first unique feature of the mountain town? Are you satisfied?"

Xu Zhiqiang clearly walks this route often; although beads of sweat slid down his cheeks, his breathing was calm and steady.

In contrast, Ye Lan was hunched over, her hands pressed against her knees, panting heavily.

As a game streamer, he spends all his time holed up in his room playing games, and his physical condition is no longer what it used to be.

"Damn it, you kissed me like that. I seriously suspect you did it on purpose."

Ye Lan opened her mouth wide and gasped for breath, fearing that she would die in a foreign land before she could catch her breath.

"No, we've arrived."

Following the direction Xu Zhiqiang pointed, a bright red copper pot-shaped building stood not far away, with a simple signboard bearing five large characters: Sichuan-Chongqing Hot Pot Restaurant.

Seeing victory within reach, Ye Lan took a difficult step and headed towards the hot pot restaurant.

"Let's go, I'm going to eat you out of house and home today!"