Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 200 In the Bar

The bar's interior was more spacious than I had imagined. The overall style was a blend of Chinese Zen aesthetics and modern minimalism, dominated by natural wood tones, accented with greenery and natural stone. Behind the bar was a wall-to-wall wine rack filled with various bottles. Several comfortable sofa booths were scattered throughout the space; at the moment, only two or three tables were occupied by customers conversing quietly, with soft guqin music playing in the background.

There was a stage in the middle, with microphones, drum kits and such, but it was empty now, and there was no resident singer.

"The environment is nice." Lin Xiaoman looked around, slightly surprised.

Feng Xiaolu excitedly rushed straight to the bar.

The bartender was a young man in his thirties, wearing a plain linen shirt and with his hair tied in a small bun. Seeing the customers arrive, he smiled and said, "Good evening, gentlemen. Welcome to Yunyin Bar. What would you like to drink?"

"Any recommendations?" Feng Xiaolu's eyes swept over the wine rack, which was filled with a dazzling array of products.

"We have specially blended drinks called 'Lingxi' and 'Yuehua,' both made with base spirits infused with local herbs," the bartender explained gently. "'Lingxi' is refreshing with a hint of mint and lime, which can calm the mind; 'Yuehua' is richer, made with rum infused with longan and goji berries, which is warming and invigorating."

"They both sound good..." Feng Xiaolu stroked her chin, looking conflicted, then her eyes lit up. "How about we try both?"

Lin Xiaoman gently tugged at her sleeve: "We agreed to only drink one cup."

"Then let's have 'Moonlight'," Feng Xiaolu readily agreed. "It's getting dark, let's have something warm and soothing."

The bartender smiled and agreed, turning to fetch the barware. Feng Xiaolu, leaning on the bar counter, watched curiously as he deftly fetched ice and swirled the pitcher, casually asking, "Are you new here? I've never seen you before."

"Yes, I just started working here three days ago. My name is Yin Xiaohao," the bartender replied while shaking the jug. "Manager Zhao said that we need someone who understands 'atmosphere' here, and I happen to have worked as a bartender elsewhere for a few years before, and I also like quiet places."

"That's great, that's great," Feng Xiaolu nodded. "We'll be a regular customer from now on!"

Lin Xiaoman sat down on the high stool next to her, glanced around at the sparse customers in the bar, and said softly, "It's the first day of opening, so it's too early to tell anything."

"Take it slow," Feng Xiaolu said optimistically. "In places like this, it's all about regulars bringing in more customers; word of mouth will spread."

Unbeknownst to them, both the bar and the internet cafe were merely hobby projects. Zhao Mengmeng had never intended to make money from them; they were simply preparations for the sect members, or more precisely, to cater to Feng Xiaolu's tastes.

So whether business is good or not, Zhao Mengmeng doesn't care at all. As long as Feng Xiaolu and the others like it, she will keep investing in it.

As they were talking, Yin Xiaohao pushed two light amber-colored cocktails in front of them. Fine droplets of water clung to the sides of the glasses, and a few tiny golden osmanthus blossoms floated in the liquid, emitting a delicate and slightly sweet aroma.

Feng Xiaolu couldn't wait to take a sip, her eyes immediately narrowing: "Delicious! It's a little sweet, but not cloying, and there's a warm feeling spreading up from my stomach... Not bad, not bad!"

Lin Xiaoman also tried it and nodded in agreement: "It is indeed smooth, the taste of alcohol is very light, just right."

Feng Xiaolu swirled her wine glass with satisfaction, the amber liquid rippling gently, scattering tiny osmanthus petals. She turned to Lin Xiaoman, lowering her voice with a hint of smugness, "How is it? Much better than those artificially flavored drinks down the mountain, right? Our wine here even has a touch of magic!"

Lin Xiaoman took a small sip, feeling the warm, smooth sensation slide down her throat, and softly hummed in agreement. Her gaze, however, fell on Yin Xiaohao, who was carefully wiping the glasses behind the bar. Remembering Feng Xiaolu's conversation with him earlier, she casually asked, "Is Chef Yin a local?"

Hearing this, Yin Xiaohao looked up, his hands still moving, and smiled. "Not exactly local, from a neighboring province. I used to work in a bar in the city, but I heard there's a new resort here, nice and quiet, so I came to give it a try." He hung the cleaned glasses back on the shelf, his tone relaxed. "Actually, before I came, I was quite curious. I heard this resort focuses on 'spiritual cultivation culture' and 'spiritual energy experience'...it sounds pretty mystical."

Feng Xiaolu perked up at the mention of this, leaning forward with sparkling eyes: "Mysterious? What's so mysterious about it? Let me tell you, it's true! The Cloud Hidden Sect is a legitimate cultivation sect, and the spiritual energy in these mountains..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yin Xiaohao smiled and shook his head. "The guest is joking." He said casually, tidying up the tools under the bar, "What cultivation, spiritual energy, those are all things in stories and movies. In our real world, we still have to believe in science."

He paused, and seeing that Feng Xiaolu seemed about to object, he added with a smile, "It's very creative for resorts to have this kind of theme. Tourists like it, find it novel, and have a great experience, which is excellent. But to say there's really any flying, immortality, or cultivation... that's just superstition. Look how advanced technology is now—medicine, physics, aerospace—aren't they all based on solid scientific principles?"

Feng Xiaolu was taken aback by these words, her eyes widening and her cheeks puffing out slightly. She opened her mouth, but for a moment, she didn't know where to begin. She couldn't very well conjure a fireball or conjure an object and circle around on the spot, could she?

Moreover, Su Wan had already instructed them to keep a low profile in front of outsiders.

Lin Xiaoman pressed Feng Xiaolu's hand, signaling her to calm down, then looked at Yin Xiaohao and said calmly, "The science that Master Yin mentioned is naturally an important way to explain the world. However, the world is vast and there are many unknowns, and science is still constantly developing and improving. Some phenomena may not be fully explained by existing scientific theories for the time being, so there is no need to rush to deny them entirely."

Her voice was gentle, without any hint of confrontation, more like a peaceful discussion.

Yin Xiaohao paused in wiping the cups, looking at Lin Xiaoman with a more serious expression, but still smiling: "What this guest said makes sense. The unknown does exist. But what I mean is, when we live our lives and do things, we always need a reliable basis. When you're sick, you go to the hospital; when you build a house, you study mechanics; when you farm, you follow the seasons... these have all been verified over thousands of years. Those mystical claims are fine to listen to stories, but if you take them seriously, it's easy to run into problems." He shrugged. "I used to see a lot of self-proclaimed 'masters' and 'experts' in city bars, selling talismanic water and giving lectures. To put it bluntly, weren't they just selling the same old empty stuff? Quite a few of them were just swindling money and exploiting emotions."

Feng Xiaolu poked at the ice cubes in her glass, a little annoyed, and muttered under her breath, "We're not liars..."