Feng Xuanxiang slowly made his way upstairs with a bottle of red wine and a case of beer. As soon as he knocked, he found the door already ajar. "Is anyone heading out?" Feng Xuanxiang wondered if it was just his luck that someone was leaving just as he arrived.

Han Tao stepped forward to lend a hand, hauling the beer inside. The dining table was already laden with food, everything prepared. Of course, everyone was already seated around it, sipping tea or coffee, and though they chatted, their gazes kept drifting back to the feast on the table.

Dai Lijun kept patting his stomach. Since learning about tonight's dinner, he’d only had a small bowl of noodles at noon—barely enough to tide over the famously hungry Dai Lijun. He hadn't expected Feng Xuanxiang to be this late, but he couldn't suggest they start without him; someone’s girlfriend would surely jump in and call him unreasonable. Finally spotting Feng Xuanxiang’s arrival, Dai Lijun cheered happily, "Dinner time, dinner time!"

It wasn't just Dai Lijun who was famished; Shi Man was too. She’d only managed some hasty noodles at lunch, and after spending the afternoon running errands with the real estate agent and buying/prepping vegetables, her stomach had been rumbling for ages. Yet, not a single person at the table suggested eating first. As someone’s girlfriend, Shi Man certainly couldn’t be the one to suggest they stop waiting. "Why are you so late?" Shi Man complained, unable to hold back. So many people were waiting for him alone. She wished he’d just sent word that he’d be late so they could have had a bite, but this guy had just shown up silently. To Shi Man, sitting before such an aromatic spread and being unable to touch a single morsel felt like the greatest transgression.

Feng Xuanxiang knew he was late; truthfully, he hadn't expected to be either. "The supervisor called a last-minute meeting."

Since he had offered an explanation, what more could they say? Besides, now that the guest of honor was here, the reason for his tardiness was irrelevant. "Let's eat! Everyone must be starving," Zhu Lina announced as the hostess.

This was the cue everyone had been waiting for. Given their familiarity and comfort with each other, there was no need for pretense. Before Han Tao could even pour the beer in front of the guys, chopsticks were already diving towards their favorite dishes. This frantic pace nearly stopped Han Tao mid-pour. "Hey, slow down a bit, you guys! At least leave something for me!"

When faced with food, how could Dai Lijun yield? He chomped down on a braised chicken wing, mumbling indistinctly, "Why should I yield to you? Besides, getting good food isn't hard for you." Pfft, everyone knew these dishes were made by Qiqi. As Qiqi’s boyfriend, wasn't it easy for him to get his girlfriend's home cooking? Of course, Dai Lijun knew Qiqi didn't often feel inspired to cook, and when she did, it was usually to share with everyone. As Qiqi's official boyfriend, he actually didn't get to eat that much of her cooking.

Han Tao could only shake his head silently at Dai Lijun’s shameless declaration. Gong Junyu and the others didn’t speak, not because they didn't want to, but because their mouths were stuffed full, and more food was already poised on their chopsticks. Though they couldn't speak, they nodded incessantly in agreement with Dai Lijun.

Seeing Han Tao’s crestfallen look, Shi Man let out a snort of laughter. "Brother-in-law, just bear with it. Don't you usually eat plenty of your sister's cooking?" If they weren't at the dinner table, Shi Man would have loved to put her hands on her hips and mock him loudly for a while.

Han Tao quickly finished pouring the drinks, grabbed a chicken wing and popped it into his mouth, then reached for another. He wasn't foolish enough to argue back—that would only delay his eating. However, when he watched the last remaining chicken wing snatched away from under Shi Man’s chopsticks by Dai Lijun, he chuckled triumphantly. Hahaha, take that for bullying people and jumping the queue! See how it feels when someone snatches food right from you.

Shi Man shot Dai Lijun a dissatisfied glare, but what could she do? Dai Lijun wouldn't surrender food once it was in his grasp. He lifted the chicken wing with his chopsticks, waggled it toward Shi Man, and under her displeased gaze, popped it into his mouth, chewing contentedly. "Qiqi’s chicken wings are just delicious," he mumbled between bites.

Wang Qiqi knew her limits. Compared to her peers, she was a decent cook, but compared to the mothers of Dai Lijun and the others, she didn't think she had much of an edge. The food tasted good mainly because everyone was usually stuck with cafeteria meals or fast food; by comparison, her cooking was naturally better. There was another, more important reason: when many people ate together, they tended to snatch the food.

Shi Man understood this was Dai Lijun’s retaliation for her jab about the coffee incident earlier. She seethed internally—how dare he get his point across so quickly! "Hmph, fine. Eat up, eat a lot. I can just ask Qiqi to make more later anyway." She wouldn't give him the pleasure of eating it now, and Shi Man planned to bring a few chicken wings over herself the next time she visited just to needle him a bit.

Dai Lijun mentally dismissed that as a problem for future Shi Man. Yes, she was Qiqi’s roommate, but he was Qiqi’s boyfriend. Qiqi wouldn't go too far.

Dai Lijun and Shi Man waged a silent war with their eyes over a few pieces of food, while the rest watched with great interest, secretly amused. However, their hands never slowed down. Now that the two main forces were fighting for face, it was the perfect opportunity for everyone else to eat heartily; wasting this chance would be foolish.

Shi Man felt her eyes burning and realized she hadn't gained much ground. She decided to retreat from the fight. Before withdrawing, Shi Man couldn't resist letting out a final harrumph at Dai Lijun. When she finally ceased her attack and prepared to truly feast, she noticed that her once-full plate had significantly diminished. She exclaimed in shock, "Heavens, you guys are too much! This is taking advantage of someone’s distraction!" So while she and Dai Lijun were feuding, the others were watching and eating just as much?

Dai Lijun found the chicken wings gone, and even the small drumsticks were depleted; only a few chicken feet remained. He was stunned. "Ahhh, Manman, they’re so mean..." Just as Dai Lijun was about to team up with Shi Man to scold these disloyal friends, he noticed Shi Man’s empty bowl contained two small drumsticks and a chicken foot. He was speechless. "It’s great having a boyfriend, after all." At least someone was serving her food. Dai Lijun said sourly, "Aren't they just deliberately provoking us single folks?"

Zhu Lina looked at the girl smugly eating the food her dear boyfriend had placed in her bowl. "If you’re envious, you can find a boyfriend too." Sighing, she glanced at Han Tao and Feng Xuanxiang, and suddenly yearned for her own romance. But it was just yearning. She knew that the man she eventually ended up with would come with all sorts of family demands, and the wealth held by her own family would be a massive obstacle. How many capable men would be interested in her for herself? And of those capable men, how many would actually be willing to marry her? Even if they managed to develop their family businesses well, outsiders would always attribute it to a 'good foundation.' Zhu Lina felt a pang of bitterness, but she didn't forget to needle Dai Lijun again, remembering how skillfully he’d managed to intercept dishes right from under her chopsticks several times at the table.

As soon as Zhu Lina spoke, the lively atmosphere instantly quieted down. Apart from the sounds of chewing, there was absolute silence. However, soon after, a burst of loud laughter erupted in the room, especially from Gong Junyu, who was roaring with delight. "So Dai Lijun is looking for a boyfriend now? That might be tricky, but don’t worry. Tell us your requirements, and a few of us can help you look for a suitable candidate."

"That will indeed be difficult, given it’s the same sex," Ni Guangxin pushed his glasses up, stating it with utmost seriousness.

Shi Zhengwei, sitting right next to Dai Lijun, subtly shifted his chair, creating a bit more space between them. "No matter how hard it is, we have to find one for our buddy. Whether it's the same sex or not, Daizi is still our brother. But Daizi, we’re just brothers, so don't get any other ideas," he declared with a look of exaggerated caution, as if worried his friend might pounce at any moment and do something indecent.

Huang Junze suddenly turned to the quiet Han Tao, who was peacefully eating, and quipped, "Taozi, I’m telling you, you need to be constantly alert when you sleep from now on. Don't sleep too soundly, or one day you might wake up to find you’ve been assaulted, and you won't even have a place to cry."

Following this barrage of attacks, Shi Man delivered the final verdict. "I always said it’s absolutely safe being around Daizi; you never have to worry about him doing anything indecent. However, when it comes to certain same-sex individuals, he might still pull some dastardly tricks. Han Tao, you need to be careful from now on. You’re supposed to have a girlfriend, after all."

Han Tao kept nodding along, slightly increasing the distance between himself and Dai Lijun. "Daizi, don't worry. Whether you like the same sex or the opposite, we’re good buddies. We won’t discriminate against you..."

Dai Lijun was utterly bewildered. He had only made a couple of vague complaints, hoping to unite everyone against the two public displays of affection. He never expected things to spiral into this. He suddenly jumped up and walked to the window. "Heavens above, I feel like my life has no meaning; I might as well just jump!"

The others showed absolutely no reaction to Dai Lijun’s sudden dramatic outburst, except for Shi Man, who responded, "After you finish washing the dishes, you can jump out of the kitchen window. Don't think saying you want to die gets you out of dish duty. Am I right?"

Everyone present nodded in agreement, criticizing Dai Lijun’s behavior and insisting he follow Shi Man’s directive. Dai Lijun was speechless and could only obediently return to his seat to continue eating. If he had to wash so many dishes, wasn't he losing out if he didn't eat more now? (To be continued)