140: I was mistaken for cutting in line at the sour soup hotpot restaurant!

"Honey, is the place where we're eating far from here?"

Gaoyuan Yuan, sitting in the passenger seat, said softly.

"Not far, just five kilometers. We'll be there in a bit. Are you tired?"

"A little. I've been busy handling things lately and haven't really had a chance to rest properly."

"We'll head back right after we eat. It won't take long. You can close your eyes and nap for a bit, and I'll wake you when we arrive."

"Okay, then I'll nap for a bit."

"Mhm."

After saying this, Gaoyuan Yuan closed her eyes and began to rest.

She had indeed been very busy lately, first handling various matters following her divorce, then dealing with work-related issues, and attending quite a few events. Fortunately, all of those things had come to an end, and she could finally get some good rest during this period.

Perhaps because she was finally relaxed, Gaoyuan Yuan fell asleep shortly after closing her eyes. It wasn't until Wang Yifan drove to their destination that he gently shook her awake.

"Wifey, wake up, we're here!"

He reached out and placed his hand on Gaoyuan Yuan's shoulder, gently shaking her.

Gaoyuan Yuan opened her eyes groggily.

"Honey, are we here?"

"Yeah. How about you wait in the car, and we can just get takeout to take home?"

Hearing this, Gaoyuan Yuan shook her head.

"Forget it. I won't feel like cleaning up when we get back. Since we're already at the restaurant, let's just eat here before heading back."

"Alright, let's get out then."

"Okay."

After saying that, he and Gaoyuan Yuan got out of the car. As soon as she stepped out, Gaoyuan Yuan saw a long line of people. She was stunned. The storefront didn't look like much, yet so many people were queuing up; it was obvious they were waiting to eat.

"Honey, there are so many people. Should we try somewhere else?"

"No need. I've already reserved a table in advance, so we can just go straight in."

"Oh, okay!"

Gaoyuan Yuan hadn't expected him to be so thorough with the arrangements; he had even considered this. Otherwise, they probably would have had to find another place or wait in line. This little man of hers was actually quite reliable!

Gaoyuan Yuan looked at Wang Yifan, who was holding her hand with their fingers interlaced, and smiled.

She followed Wang Yifan, bypassing the crowd, and arrived at the waiter standing at the entrance. "Hello, I reserved a private room in advance. My surname is Wang."

The waiter replied directly to Wang Yifan, "Hello, Mr. Wang. Please come with me; the private room is reserved for you."

With that, the waitress led Wang Yifan and Gaoyuan Yuan inside. The people who had been sitting outside waiting instantly became unhappy. Why had they been waiting for so long without getting in, while those two walked right in as soon as they arrived?

"Hey, what's going on with your Yang City hot pot Restaurant? We've been waiting for so long, why can those two just walk in? Why!"

"Exactly, we've been in line for over an hour. Why should they get to go in the moment they arrive?"

"I'm telling you, if you don't give us an explanation, don't bother running this restaurant!"

"What kind of place is this!"

"That's right!"

They were already annoyed from waiting in line, and seeing someone 'cut' the line made them feel even worse. At that moment, Wang Yifan and Gaoyuan Yuan hadn't fully entered the restaurant yet, so they naturally heard what the people outside were saying. However, they didn't mind; after all, if it were them, they would probably be unhappy too.

"Mr. Wang, please wait a moment while I go explain."

Wang Yifan nodded, and the waitress went out to explain to them.

"Everyone, please settle down. Our Yang City hot pot Restaurant has private rooms, and these rooms can be reserved in advance. If guests have a need for a private room, they can book one ahead of time. This gentleman and lady booked a private room in advance, which is why they were able to go in as soon as they arrived!"

After the waitress's explanation, the people who had been unhappy immediately quieted down. So, they had made a reservation! If they had known, they would have booked one too. Now, it was just awkward.

"Oh, so that's it!"

"Sorry about that. We thought they were cutting in line."

"It's fine, it's fine. If anyone wants to book a private room, you can give us a call!"

"Okay, got it!"

After the brief explanation, the waitress returned to the restaurant and continued leading Wang Yifan and Gaoyuan Yuan to their private room.

The food Wang Yifan brought Gaoyuan Yuan to eat was also a specialty of Guizhou Province: Guizhou Province sour soup hot pot. If you find an authentic one, this hot pot is truly delicious; if you can't find an authentic one, it has no flavor at all. The most authentic ones are still these fly restaurants! The taste is genuine!

"Mr. Wang, please wait a moment. We will serve your food immediately."

"Mhm, thank you for your hard work."

After the waiter left, only he and Gaoyuan Yuan remained in the private room. Gaoyuan Yuan sat across from him, just looking at him as if he were some rare treasure.

Wang Yifan also looked at her and smiled slightly.

"Wifey, you can rest now, right?"

"Mhm, I won't be too busy in the future. I'll just occasionally attend events, do studio shoots, or street snaps. If there's a suitable role, I'll take it; if not, I'll just rest."

"Mhm, that's good. How much money is ever enough? It's better to be more relaxed in the future; your health is what matters most."

"What's this? Are you feeling sorry for me?" Gaoyuan Yuan said, looking at him with a smile.

"What do you think? You're my wife, if I don't care about you, who would I care about?"

"Your mouth is so sweet!"

"Hehe!"

Before long, the dishes he had pre-ordered were brought out. First was the soup base. The sour soup base was a vibrant red with tomatoes floating on top; this was the authentic tomato soup base. Those pale, white soup bases out there are hardly sour soup hot pot! They are clearly just plain water hot pot, not even qualifying as clear broth hot pot!

"Wifey, I'm going to make the dipping sauce. You sit here and wait for me."

"I'll go with you!"

"Alright!"

Afterward, the two went out together to prepare their dipping sauce. Wang Yifan prepared his dipping sauce entirely to his own taste: millet chili, chopped green onion, MSG, soy sauce, chicken essence, fish mint, sesame oil, and so on. Gaoyuan Yuan also prepared her dipping sauce according to her preferred taste.

After returning to the private room, the two sat down and began to eat dinner.

"Wifey, let me tell you, this sour soup is absolutely amazing when you soak rice in it. You'll definitely love it!"

"Really?"

"Really, I think it's especially delicious."

As he said this, he picked up some beef from the table, dipped it into the hot pot base for ten seconds, and then placed it into Gaoyuan Yuan's bowl.

Gaoyuan Yuan smiled and picked up the beef from the dipping sauce dish and began to eat.

With one bite, her eyes instantly lit up. This beef was definitely fresh; it was very tender. Plus, having been cooked for only ten seconds, it wasn't tough at all, and it had absorbed the tomato soup base. It was simply fantastic!

"Wow, it's really delicious. The beef is very fresh, and it has a bit of the tomato's sourness along with the savory flavor of the beef. Delicious!"

Seeing Gaoyuan Yuan's expression, the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously. He also picked up some beef to cook and began to eat himself.