How did having a meal get you worked up?

And why did you suddenly start pointing at the eel rice and saying things with heartfelt sincerity that humans can't understand?

Things like "The army can be deprived of its commanding general, but raw meat can't be deprived of its beef ambition," "As the heaven's movements are vigorous, so should a gentleman strive unceasingly with cooked meat slices," "An old steed in the stable, with ambitions of a thousand miles; no translation, mother sells criticism"...

Well, it's just these two, even if "three people" now see Lin Li and Bai Bufan suddenly deciding to swear allegiance to eel meat, they wouldn't be surprised, they'd merely distance themselves and act like they don't know the two.

Eat if you want.

The girls shook their heads, exchanged a helpless glance, then lowered their heads to chat among themselves, ignoring the two.

…

With the barley tea in his cup running out, Lin Li got up, ready to refill.

"Wait, get me a cup too," Bai Bufan quickly drank the remaining brown sugar water in his cup upon seeing this and handed it to Lin Li:

"The sugar water is sticky and doesn't quench thirst at all. This time let's get the free, serious barley tea from this place, cold, thanks, dad."

Having given clear instructions, Lin Li's code had to run normally, and soon, he came back with two cups of drinks.

"Cheers..."

Lin Li smacked his lips, looked disdainfully at the miso soup in front of him.

"What's up, doesn't it taste good?" Bai Bufan asked upon noticing Lin Li's expression.

"Yeah, not quite right," Lin Li stated bluntly, "It tastes like overly salty dishwater, feels like I need something to pair with it to swallow."

Anyway, whether it was this restaurant's miso soup or not, Lin Li drank it and couldn't sincerely say 'five ants' and 'oh yish.'

"Then let it sit for a while, maybe it'll taste good," Bai Bufan suggested.

"Have you had it before? Does it get better when it's cool?" Lin Li was somewhat curious at Bai Bufan's serious suggestion.

Bai Bufan: "No, but I heard time dilutes everything. Weren't you saying it's overly salty? Wait for time to dilute it, maybe it'll taste a lot better."

Lin Li: "..."

Your mom.

That time is too powerful.

Upon seeing Lin Li's middle finger, Bai Bufan was like someone who found the perfect snack while drinking, sipping his iced barley tea, satisfied and shaking his head: "Tea is still best."

Lin Li heard this, glanced sideways at him, a mocking smile curling at his lips.

"Any comments?" Bai Bufan squinted his eyes, seeing it was too obvious.

"Nothing." Lin Li waved his hand with a smile, but his eyes were full of pity and disdain, "Just experiencing the pathetic thick wall between me, as an adult, and you kids."

"Really?" Bai Bufan frowned, "I just said five words, right? I can understand if you sensed my homesickness, but how could you pick up on the thick wall?"

"Only kids like you talk about drinking tea," Lin Li retorted indifferently.

"Oh—? Now I'm curious, how do you adults say it?" Bai Bufan laughed, dragging his tone.

Lin Li: "Adult goods."

"..."

"..."

"Never heard of it?" Lin Li pursued. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"..."

In the silence, the temperature in the restaurant seemed to drop several degrees.

"Your mom, it's so cold..." Bai Bufan shivered, wrapped his coat closer, glanced at Lin Li, then shook his head, unable to bring himself to watch and looked away.

Is this Lin Li's revenge against his own time? Ha ha.

"Stop with the cold jokes," Chen Yu Ying, with a faint smile, had already meticulously wiped her mouth with a napkin, raised her eyes at the two boys, chin slightly lifted: "I'll leave the rest to you guys."

The girls were just about full.

"OK." Lin Li and Bai Bufan nodded, then switched into Bao Wei mode, starting to eat like a bottomless pit.

"..."

"Click."

Hearing Lin Li and Bai Bufan place their chopsticks on the porcelain plate, Ding Sihan, who was looking at her phone, lifted her head. The two were already wiping their mouths, she confirmed: "Done?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Full."

The two nodded.

"Alright, Wanqiu, give me the bill, I'll go settle it." Ding Sihan reached out for the billing slip by Qu Wanqiu.

"Wait—"

Lin Li elegantly grasped the napkin with two fingers, slowly dabbed his lips twice more, then flicked his wrist, the napkin floating precisely in front of Bai Bufan.

Lin Li maintained the two-finger pose, leisurely reached into his pocket and pulled out a bank card.

With a flick of the wrist, the card landed with a snap on the table in front of Ding Sihan.

Upon noticing Ding Sihan's gaze, Lin Li's eyes held a third coolness, a third mocking, and four parts nonchalance, lazily tapping the table, his tone arrogant yet playful:

"How could sorting out the bill exclude me? Dingzi, six zeros, go ahead and swipe."

Ding Sihan laughed coldly: "Ha, fooling a fool? Banks don't let you set a password with six zeros, at least pretend before trying to deceive me!"

But Lin Li's expression changed to pure innocence, his tone normal in an instant:

"I didn't say the password was six zeros, I meant the balance is six zeros."

Ding Sihan: "?"

"What I mean by giving you this card is—"

Lin Li pressed his palms together, his voice ingratiating:

"Sister Ding, I'm so broke I can't cook anymore, after you pay, note the card number and send me some money, no matter how much, a hundred or two hundred would be appreciated, even a dime or two would be considered love, just think of the money as feeding a dog, I'm begging you, Sister Ding."

From an arrogant boss to a bootlicking pup, Lin Li needs just three seconds.

Ding Sihan: "(;☉_☉)?"

"Crazy! Begging has come to me now!"