My Name is Ye Xiu; I’m a Substitute for Excellent Era

"Let's go, let's go. If we stay any longer, we might not be able to leave." Liu Hao stepped forward and took Chen Guo's hand. "Don't forget, you lost the bet earlier. You owe me dinner."

"You lazy bum! And now you're a foodie too," Chen Guo scolded playfully. She finally felt relieved. Although she knew Liu Hao was a professional player, she realized there was no real barrier between them. It was like a thin layer of paper, easily broken through.

"Have you decided where to treat me for dinner?" Liu Hao asked.

"Not yet. I don't come to Q City often. I looked up a bunch of restaurants on my phone, but none seem great. I think I might have decision paralysis." Chen Guo admitted.

"In that case, let me pick a place. I guarantee the environment is beautiful, and the food is top-notch," Liu Hao suggested.

...

Liu Hao took a dark grey mask from his pocket and put it on. Now that his identity was exposed, he risked being recognized even in the dim light. He had just checked his phone, and tags like "Handsome Liu Hao" were already trending in the top 20.

Liu Hao hailed a ride on DiDi and headed to an old, reputable restaurant in Q City with Chen Guo.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the restaurant. Liu Hao paid and got out of the car.

The simple grey signboard with the calligraphy "Robatayaki" and the oak door design added a touch of freshness.

"Is this the restaurant you mentioned? It looks kind of small," Chen Guo commented. "And what does Robatayaki mean?"

"It's a type of barbecue from Japan. The owner of this restaurant used to be a helper at Robatayaki restaurant in Japan. He opened this place after returning home, and it's been around for more than ten years," Liu Hao explained. "Robatayaki has a different flavor compared to traditional barbecue or Korean BBQ. I thought you might want to try it."

"Really?" Chen Guo was intrigued.

"This place was recommended by Ye Qiu. Whenever we came to Q City to play against Tyranny, if we won, we'd come here for a celebration dinner. The food is excellent. I heard Ye Qiu learned about this place from Han Wenqing," Liu Hao explained.

"Recommended by Ye Qiu? Then we have to try it!" Chen Guo was excited. Among the players of the Excellent Era, her favourite was Su Mucheng, followed by her long-time idol, Ye Qiu. Since it was a place recommended by Ye Qiu, she was eager to taste it.

Liu Hao followed Chen Guo into the restaurant.

Inside, the Robatayaki grill was lit in the middle, with bamboo skewers of Kobe beef, fresh seafood, and vegetables around it. The aroma of the food filled the air, and the place was kept cool by air conditioning, making it not too hot.

Liu Hao led Chen Guo to a corner where they wouldn't be noticed. Since Chen Guo didn't know how to order, Liu Hao took the menu and skillfully ordered a set meal.

Robatayaki is characterized by skewering food and grilling it over charcoal or wood. However, the owner had already prepared the skewers, so Liu Hao didn't have to do the tedious work of threading the meat.

Liu Hao placed the skewers on the grill, cooking them slowly over high heat. He controlled the flames skillfully, keeping the insides of the ingredients fresh while caramelizing the outside to a tempting brown, releasing a mouth-watering aroma.

His original self wasn't good at cooking, but Liu Hao had learned from his uncle, a well-known chef and food blogger. Under his uncle's influence, he had picked up several culinary skills.

Liu Hao sprinkled seasoning on the grilled meat and handed a skewer to Chen Guo.

Chen Guo took a bite and felt like her tongue was melting. She exclaimed, "Liu Hao, this is so delicious! No wonder Ye Qiu recommended this place."

Liu Hao's mouth twitched slightly. Sister, shouldn't you be praising my grilling skills? Why are you praising Ye Qiu? Ye Qiu didn't even know how to grill meat; Su Mucheng always did it.

Liu Hao felt a bit sour but didn't say anything.

At that moment, an untimely voice broke their cosy atmosphere.

"Hey, Liu Hao, I didn't expect to see you here."

Liu Hao and Chen Guo turned to see a man standing nearby, looking at them curiously.

Liu Hao recognized this guy—Ye Qiu. But Chen Guo didn't know him.

Chen Guo leaned over and whispered, "What now? Someone recognized you. Should we run?"

Liu Hao smiled and shook his head. "No need, no need. He's from Excellent Era…"

Liu Hao was about to explain when Ye Qiu suddenly coughed and interrupted, "Hi, I'm Ye Xiu, a substitute player for Excellent Era."

"A substitute for Excellent Era? Then why haven't I seen you before?" Chen Guo was sceptical. "Ye Xiu? Ye Qiu? Wait, could you be the legendary Ye Qiu?"

Congratulations, you hit the nail on the head… Liu Hao thought with a smile. He sat quietly, waiting to see how Ye Qiu would explain.

Ye Qiu, however, was prepared. He calmly took an ID card from his pocket and showed it to Chen Guo.

Chen Guo took a look and felt deflated, "So your name really is Ye Xiu. I thought I'd get to meet my idol today."

Ye Qiu smiled and, without asking if they minded, turned to Liu Hao and said, "Scoot over a bit. I don't have a place to sit."

"Hey, hey, hey, what's this about? Did I say you could join us?" Liu Hao complained.

"I can't grill meat. I just saw you grilling, and it looked pretty good. Better than what Su Mucheng grills." Ye Qiu said shamelessly.

Liu Hao was helpless. Ye Qiu was his captain, after all. He couldn't just kick him out, so he hurried over.

Chen Guo was a straightforward girl. Seeing Ye Xiu intentionally disrupting her date with Liu Hao, she was instantly unhappy. "Excuse me, Ye Xiu, you don't…"

"You're a fan of Ye Qiu, right? I have Ye Qiu's autograph. I can give you one," Ye Qiu said nonchalantly.

That shuts Chen Guo up. She was torn between the idea of a solo date with Liu Hao and the allure of her idol's autograph. It was a tough decision.

Chen Guo thought to herself, I'm already twenty-six and haven't been in a relationship yet. In a few years, I'll be an old woman... But Ye Qiu's autograph is so tempting...

Chen Guo looked at Liu Hao expectantly as if asking, "Do you have Ye Qiu's autograph?"

Liu Hao understood Chen Guo's implication. But how could he have any interest in collecting autographs of Ye Qiu, someone he had a grudge against?

Being the sharp person he was, Ye Qiu instantly saw that Chen Guo seemed interested in Liu Hao but was torn between a date and an autograph. He smiled and upped the ante, "I'll even throw in a signed photo of Su Mucheng."

"Come, come, Ye Xiu, try the grilled meat Liu Hao just made. It's really good." Chen Guo beamed.

Liu Hao chuckled helplessly. However, this atmosphere wasn't so bad. She might fall for him even more if he had a cosy dinner alone with Chen Guo.

Liu Hao could tell Chen Guo liked him, but although he had a good impression of her, he wasn't ready to face her feelings yet.

(End of this chapter)as well?

P.S. Apologies for the late update, btw I was curious about one thing, should I post advanced 20-ish chapters of this fic on my Patreon as well? I get kind of regular and do translations regularly simultaneously with my work when I get paid haha. Smh