Chapter 40

At this moment, it was already 8 PM, and Zhou and I were practically starving on this not-so-busy street. At this time, there weren't many people around, making it rather desolate.

We got out of the car, paid the fare, and Zhou kept muttering in my ear, "Lao San, do you think we can trick our way into a free dinner today?"

Indeed, Zhou has a bit of a cleanliness obsession. Unless absolutely necessary, he would even scoff at high-end restaurants outside. He prefers to cook himself, and his culinary skills are quite impressive, which is also why he looks down on those outside restaurants.

But there are always exceptions. Although Forest Bar is a bar, its owner, Amu, has a special talent. One is cooking; when she's in a good mood, she can make a dish so exquisite that the description of color, aroma, and taste falls short.

If she wanted to, she could open a private restaurant, and the business would be incredibly successful.

The second is her skill in mixology. The cocktails in this bar are very unique, with their own secret recipes and distinctive methods. When it comes to mixology, both she and the bar's second owner, Sang Sang, are top-notch. However, Sang Sang is more active, while Amu is less so. But if you had to compare, Amu's cocktails have a unique and mysterious charm.

These two exceptional skills make the bar unique and endearing, making it hard for the business not to thrive.

Zhou and I chatted casually as we stepped into the familiar bar. As soon as we entered, we felt the bustling atmosphere inside, with deafening cheers almost lifting the roof, a stark contrast to the desolate street outside.

"Brother San, Brother Zhou, you're here? Sister Nian has been waiting at your usual spot for a while," the quick-witted waiter at the door greeted us.

In comparison, Amu doesn't have many friends. Unlike the enthusiastic Sang Sang, Amu is a calm and composed woman. But if you talk about people whom both Amu and Sang Sang consider friends, our group of four would definitely be included.

The so-called group of four consists of me, Zhou Zheng, Chen Zhong, and Qin Hainian, who always tags along.

However, in the past two years, Chen has been away on work, in a distant border region for three years. Two years have already passed, and he's almost back. I must say, I miss him too.

As we navigated through the noisy bar, I couldn't help but ask the waiter in front of us, "Why are people so excited today?" The noise was twice as loud as usual. The young waitress smiled at me and said, "Because today is rare; Sister Mu is going to sing."

"Wow, that's rare," Zhou echoed, but his mood wasn't particularly high. Normally, Zhou would be a loyal listener to Amu, but with all the recent events, both Zhou and I have been quite preoccupied. It's normal for Zhou to lose interest.

The bar isn't very large, and it's decorated in an ancient style. However, the decoration is designed by Amu herself, and I can't quite understand the style. Amu once mentioned that the style is from the Song Dynasty, and only top-tier restaurants had such decorations. Amu also said that these top-tier restaurants were the earliest private clubs, open only to specific nobles. If possible, she would like to replicate them, but the bar has to be open to the public.

If it were completely transformed into a top-tier restaurant with only a dozen private rooms, it wouldn't be a bar anymore.

"Your skills are so good; why not just open a private restaurant? That would be better and fulfill your dream of decorating it like a top-tier restaurant," I said, somewhat puzzled at the time.

"Cooking requires one's mood. Do I have such a broad heart to share my mood with so many people? A bar is better," Amu said lazily.

"What's so good about a bar?" I sometimes don't like the noise.

"Alcohol is a catalyst. Here, you can see all the facets of human nature," Amu said and then went to greet the guests.

But I found it strange; what's so interesting about seeing all the facets of human nature? Is that the purpose of opening a bar? That would be interesting.

I also believe that Amu and Sang Sang's bar is profitable, but I wonder if the business, which has gradually become popular over the past two years, has earned back the cost of the decoration. But Amu and Sang Sang don't seem to care about this.

Is my previous guess correct? Are they really doing this to see all the facets of human nature? If so, does that further prove that they are cultivators? Seeing all the facets of human nature is also a form of mental training.

While lost in thought, we were led by the young waitress into a private room. This room is specially reserved by Amu and is simply named "Room No. 1." It's located on the second floor of the bar, which technically doesn't have a second floor. However, because the ceiling is high enough, Amu created a second floor. Compared to the bustling main hall, this second floor has only four private rooms.

Two are open to the public, and two are not. This "Room No. 1" is one of the non-public rooms and has almost become our group's fixed private room.

The room is decorated very comfortably, with a traditional Chinese style. Elegant calligraphy and paintings, occasional flowers, and ancient-style furniture create a refined atmosphere. The only luxurious touch is the incense burner, which emits a delicate fragrance.

As soon as we entered the room, the familiar incense made me relax. I really like the scent, which is light yet sweet and carries a distant, soothing aroma, making me feel as if I were in a field of flowers in the mountains.

It makes one think that in the face of such beautiful nature, what is there to worry about? This is the source of relaxation.

Once, I asked Amu for this incense, but she refused, saying it couldn't be given away casually. I couldn't do anything and asked her where to buy it. She cracked sunflower seeds and just smiled at me, saying, "If you take all my secrets and skills and open a bar across from mine, how will I make a living?"

This is definitely an excuse. When have Amu and Sang Sang ever cared about money? Initially, when the bar's business was so poor, these two sisters still had the leisure to discuss the differences and merits of cross-stitch and ancient embroidery in the bar, which shows their attitude.

I know Amu just doesn't want to say it.

Sitting down in the comfortable private room, Zhou and I both sighed with relief. Qin Hainian, who was feasting at the table, was ignored. The quick-witted young waitress had already brought us two cups of plum juice.

The plum juice is beautifully colored, a bright purple, with a fresh rose petal on top. The taste is naturally sweet and sour. The sweetness comes from rose sugar, and the sourness from the plum juice. This is Amu's private recipe and a famous appetizer and hangover cure here. You can't find the authentic version anywhere else.

Speaking of which, this is also a rule at Forest Bar: before drinking, you must have a hangover cure. It's a reminder that drinking too much and feeling uncomfortable is no fun. The slightly tipsy state is just right.

"This plum juice is good, but why do I feel hungrier the more I drink?" Zhou complained. Indeed, an appetizer and hangover cure would make a hungry person even hungrier.

At this moment, Qin Hainian finally looked up, his mouth full of something, and mumbled to Zhou, "Have some snacks."

In this world, if there's anything that can attract Qin Hainian more than Zhou, it's Amu's homemade snacks. Not just him, even I, a man not particularly interested in snacks, can't help but praise Amu's snacks, which are as good as her cooking skills.

Qin Hainian's suggestion was good, but when Zhou and I looked at the snacks, we immediately got angry. Zhou directly cursed, "Eat your sister, haven't you noticed that you, the pig, have eaten them all?"

Qin Hainian wanted to speak but was helpless with his mouth full of snacks. Without asking Zhou's opinion, he grabbed the plum juice in front of Zhou and took a big gulp, then patted his chest and said to Zhou, "Why are you so angry? I'm starving for you two. The snacks are from Sister Mu, not made by you. Why are you so angry?"

"Then is the plum juice you're drinking mine?" Zhou was amused by Qin Hainian and narrowed his eyes, asking him.

"I..." Qin Hainian was speechless, but at that moment, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Sang Sang stood at the door with a smile, saying, "Oh, I see, you're arguing over some snacks? Why didn't you call Sister Sang? I can bring you more until you're full."

It turned out Sang Sang had come over.

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