Hiss... Jiang Hai sat in the car, stretching his arms, but his whole body ached.
It was his own fault, really. How could his body not be sore after sleeping on the sofa all night? Even if he had four times the usual stamina.
"You insisted on doing it yourself. You refused to sleep on the bed and chose the sofa instead, and you even wanted me to sleep on the bed alone," Qi Li said, slapping him lightly with a smile as she saw Jiang Hai's miserable grin. Her tone was both amused and a little exasperated.
"Are you not afraid you won't be able to control yourself?" Jiang Hai rolled his eyes at her unhappily.
Qi Li's lips twitched into a smirk at his words. Hearing him say that, she couldn't help but feel a bit pleased. If he was worried about losing control, it meant he liked her, was interested in her body — otherwise, he wouldn't have to worry at all.
Jiang Hai shot her a sour look. She was clearly gloating!
"Alright, we're almost at your place!" Qi Li said, glancing over at him as he leaned his head against the window.
Qi Li was driving her family's car — nothing fancy, but not bad either. It was a knockoff Infiniti QX50 SUV. The top model sold for less than 500,000 yuan. For Qi Li, this car was just for casual use, not meant for rough terrain or serious outdoor trips. It was what they called a "city SUV."
Such cars didn't sell well in the United States, where MPVs and sedans dominated city streets. SUVs were mostly for trips out of town, so they weren't common in urban areas.
But in China, city SUVs were still quite popular — many preferred driving them around in the city.
"Okay." Jiang Hai pulled out his phone and called Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen.
After the call, Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen hurried to catch up. When Qi Li parked downstairs at Jiang Hai's place, the two girls were already waiting.
As the car door opened, both women shivered slightly in the chilly October air of Bingcheng. It was the coldest time of the year — mornings and evenings dipped below ten degrees Celsius.
Though afternoons could warm up to around twenty degrees, the mornings and nights hovered near five or six degrees. Bingcheng lacked central heating, unlike cities south of the Yangtze River, so early October and late April were the coldest months.
Despite their good physical condition — thanks in part to Jiang Hai's nourishing beef dishes — the two girls struggled with the cold.
Moreover, as models, they usually wore lighter clothes. After standing outside for less than three minutes, they were already freezing, rubbing their hands and shaking their legs inside the car to warm up.
"It's so cold, we might as well stay home. Why go to an amusement park?" Feng Yunchen complained, looking at Jiang Hai and Qi Li with a hint of displeasure. Honestly, such weather was perfect for staying in and doing nothing.
"That's Jiang Hai's idea, ask him," Qi Li shrugged from the front seat, clearly washing her hands of responsibility. Chinese women often liked to follow men's plans — with some exceptions.
"We've never been to an amusement park together," Jiang Hai explained, turning around to face the two girls. "It's a good chance to go for a ride."
The two girls rolled their eyes at him immediately.
"We've been there before. Several times in junior high," Feng Yunchen said as Jiang Hai spoke.
"Oh... okay..." Jiang Hai hesitated. He did recall going on school trips there.
"If she's been with you, then I have to come too!" Qi Li chimed in quickly, not wanting to miss out.
"Yeah, I want to go too!" Ai Xiaoxi added from the back seat.
Feng Yunchen gave them a cold look but could do nothing against the three votes. She wasn't really against going anyway.
"Alright, let's go to the amusement park!" Jiang Hai smiled, patting the dashboard. Qi Li pressed the accelerator and headed toward their destination.
Bingcheng was not a particularly developed city economically. That year, it ranked 27th in national GDP — far from China's first-tier cities. So amusement parks common elsewhere, like Happy Valley, didn't have branches here.
Bingcheng only had one amusement park — an old one that barely attracted many visitors. But with few options, locals made do.
The amusement park was located near three landmarks: Jile Temple, Bingcheng's largest temple; Ship Mooring Electronic World, the biggest computer assembly center in the city; and behind them, the amusement park itself.
When they arrived, Jiang Hai and his friends bought package tickets and entered. The weather was warming up slightly, and since it was the National Day holiday, the park was busy with families and kids enjoying themselves.
Qi Li, Feng Yunchen, and Ai Xiaoxi — all beautiful — drew quite a bit of attention as they walked. Qi Li had the aura of a cold, beautiful CEO; Feng Yunchen was the perfect caring older sister type; and Ai Xiaoxi was young and charming.
Most people kept their distance, intimidated by Jiang Hai's towering height of over 1.9 meters and strong build. Those bold enough to approach were quickly ignored, leaving them embarrassed.
Though the girls had been reluctant at first, they soon had a blast riding roller coasters, bumper cars, rapids-like rides, and the haunted house.
Jiang Hai joined in the fun. Though he'd been to Auckland's massive Disneyland before, domestic parks like this felt more down-to-earth.
Before they knew it, it was about 1:00 p.m., and the women were getting hungry. Jiang Hai had almost finished exploring all the rides. Seeing there was nothing left to do, he waved his hand and said, "Let's eat."
After leaving the park, Jiang Hai took charge of lunch plans.
He might be average in many areas — clueless about where to shop for clothes or find nightclubs — but when it came to food, he was the go-to guy.
After asking the girls what they wanted, he decided on Central Street for steamed buns.
The steamed buns he mentioned were from Kaifeng Steamed Buns, originally a state-owned restaurant. Such places were known for their excellent food but indifferent waitstaff, much like government offices. The environment was modest, with flies buzzing around steamers outside in summer. But the buns were delicious enough to make people queue for a table.
In Bingcheng, there were two top steamed bun spots: this one, and Goubuli Steamed Buns in Daowai. Some said Goubuli wasn't tasty — which was true if you didn't separate the fillings. But their fresh shrimp filling was excellent, and the soup dumplings were good too. Importantly, Goubuli had since been privatized and improved its hygiene.
They parked, paid the fee, and entered the now-private Kaifeng Steamed Bun restaurant.
No more shared tables. The place now served stir-fried dishes alongside buns, making it feel more like a proper restaurant.
Once seated, they ordered four trays of buns and some dishes. Jiang Hai insisted on the pot-fried pork — a must-have.
It was around 2 p.m., and the restaurant was nearly empty, so the food came quickly. When the buns arrived, the girls eagerly reached for them — only to have the thin-skinned buns break apart and leak soup.
They stared at Jiang Hai in confusion.
"The buns here have very thin skin," he explained, smiling at their puzzled faces. "You have to pinch the fold at the top when you pick them up. Put them in your bowl, let them cool a bit, then suck out the soup before eating the bun. Otherwise, you'll burn yourself."
Demonstrating, Jiang Hai picked up a bun, placed it in his saucer, blew on it, and sucked the soup out. Then he took a bite.
Immediately, he nodded approvingly. Delicious!