Zero, "…"
He felt like this hotpot suddenly wasn't tasty anymore.
He was just an ordinary desk worker, forget about some long-sleeved, smooth-talking rich woman…
A shut-in and a social butterfly just don't get along.
Jing Yuan immediately added, "Although you don't understand romance, I think you still can be salvaged a little."
Baiheng and Jing Yuan were full of enthusiasm, looking like they wanted to help Zero speed-run a confession-to-dating pipeline, as if they couldn't wait for him and Baizhu to get married on the spot.
Zero, "…Enough, stop, it's impossible between us."
'What's with you E-types? Are we I-types destined to be your toys?'
He got angry again, and decided to huddle with a fellow I-type for warmth. Turning his head, he helped the silent Swordmaster next to him scoop some meat.
Jingliu stayed silent for a moment, then softly thanked him. She bit her lower lip unconsciously, both hands clenched tightly on her lap, knuckles for some reason turning a little pale.
"You two stop it, hurry up and eat, I don't get along with that kind of person."
Zero held the ladle, his movements fast. He scooped up food, stuffing good eats into their mouths.
"Fine, I won't matchmake, but you have to give me a divination!" Baiheng squinted with a smile.
"I've heard about it from Jing Yuan since morning, quick quick quick, give me one!"
Zero never thought he'd have to keep working even after work. Coldly he said, "No divinations outside of work hours, come back next workday."
Afraid they'd pull some stunt behind his back again, he repeatedly emphasized, "It's impossible between me and her. Food are about to overcook, hurry and eat."
Baiheng and Jing Yuan exchanged a look, then sighed in fake regret, and each went back to eating with their bowls.
Zero contentedly kept putting food down and eating.
The timing of cooking hotpot vegetables had been carved into his DNA. While keeping his eyes on the spicy pot, he also watched the tomato pot.
Not only for himself, but he also casually helped scoop tomato pot ingredients for Jingliu and Baiheng. After repeating this a few times, the two girls were the first to lay down their chopsticks. Following that, Yingxing and Dan Feng across the table also stopped eating.
"Full? Want some dessert?" Zero asked.
He always thought it was amazing. Before, when drinking with them, they'd claim they couldn't drink anymore, but after stepping out of the tavern, they'd always stop at street stalls or dessert shops.
As soon as they smelled something good, forget experienced aviators, even the taciturn Swordmaster couldn't move on.
Back then Zero couldn't help but question, "You call this 'can't drink anymore'?"
Baiheng swore up and down, "Alcohol is alcohol, snacks are snacks!"
Jingliu nodded in full agreement.
Girls don't just have one stomach, they also have a second one.
This stomach, besides snacks, can't take anything else.
Baiheng thought for a moment, "I heard the mousse cake here is good, let's get one. Jingliu?"
Jingliu slowly blinked once, then turned her head to ask Zero, "Any good wine?"
Zero fell silent.
He had once given the hotpot shop's chubby boss some suggestions, but… the creative soup bases, dishes, and alcohol here… were all made by the genius who came up with bean juice broth.
"Their drinks are all… very special," Zero said with difficulty. "Like bean juice beer, fish-mint coffee liquor, cilantro rice wine…"
Yingxing couldn't believe it, "What did you just say? Bean juice flavored beer?"
Jing Yuan's pupils quaked, "Fish-mint… coffee… liquor?"
Dan Feng suddenly found the cilantro in his bowl impossible to swallow, and quietly set down his chopsticks.
Baiheng's worldview collapsed, stammering, "T-this kind of thing, people actually order it?"
"They do. In fact, these are the shop's best-selling drinks." Zero said helplessly.
"Everyone wants to know just how bad they taste… The only normal drink here is the berry wine, but the alcohol content is too high, it makes you drunk easily…"
For some reason, today Jingliu was dead-set on it. She insisted on drinking something from the hotpot shop, and ordered the highest-proof berry wine.
Zero wanted to say something, held back, wanted again, and held back again, while scooping hotpot food for the still-hungry Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan looked at the mountain of untouched ingredients piling up on his plate higher than the glass cup, and protested, "…Are you treating me like a trash bin?"
Zero, "Eat."
Just Jing Yuan left. Once he was full, they could all go home and lie down.
Zero kept scooping until his shoulder suddenly sank.
It was Jingliu.
She frowned, holding her forehead. For a moment, her head leaned on Zero's shoulder, but she immediately sat upright, as if avoiding some deadly beast.
Zero didn't pay attention.
After all, he and Jingliu weren't that close.
If it were him, he too would immediately pull away.
He didn't notice the flushed tips of her ears. Looking at the glass with nothing left but a trace of wine, he was stunned.
'She actually drank the whole batch of people under the table, alone? This wine is too strong.'
Zero then looked at Baiheng, whose tolerance was just slightly below Jingliu's.
The fox girl had just taken a cup from Dan Feng, downed it in one gulp, closed her eyes smoothly, and toppled sideways in a faint.
Jing Yuan, seeing this, was itching to try a sip too, but was sternly stopped by Yingxing and Dan Feng.
The reason, Jing Yuan was still young. He had to wait until he becomes twenty to drink.
Zero, who had just wanted to drink with him, "…"
Jing Yuan gave up and was sent off to pay the bill by Dan Feng.
"I've got a membership, let's put it together."
Zero took off his apron and followed Jing Yuan.
He never liked owing favors, not even for a meal.
Dividends might make him feel guilty, but since he brought Baizhu profits, that was enough for him to eat free here for life.
He decided to shamelessly eat this meal for free.
But before Jing Yuan and Zero could report their jade-sign numbers, the waiter told them there was no need to pay.
Baizhu had already left instructions for Baiheng.
"In the end, still piggybacking off Baiheng's childhood friend…" Jing Yuan sighed in regret, then asked gossipingly, "Zero, she and you..."
From his friend's expression, Zero already knew what he wanted to say. He cut him off cleanly, "Impossible, drop it."
Zero was numb.
Looks like from now on, no more hotpot, and he'd need to find a way to pay those dividends back.
———
Inside the shop, only a few tables of people remained.
Seeing Jing Yuan and Zero leave, Dan Feng looked at Jingliu meaningfully.
Jingliu felt the vein on her forehead bulge, holding back her temper as she asked, "What nonsense were you spouting just now?"
Yingxing was dumbfounded when he saw Jingliu angry, and didn't reply.
Dan Feng didn't care about her fury. Unmoved, he slowly extended his hand and gave a big thumbs-up.
"I underestimated the Swordmaster. Don't worry." He sighed, then turned to Yingxing, "Yingxing, later let's send Baiheng home together with Jing Yuan."
Jingliu's instincts screamed something was off. Narrowing her eyes, she locked her gaze on Dan Feng's face, but found no flaws. In the end, she could only snort coldly.
Yingxing saw that Jingliu was sober, not drunk, looking like she might explode and smash Dan Feng's dragon head the next second, so he simply answered with a crisp "Oh."
Baiheng, half-dead, suddenly sat up, shaking her head as she struggled upright. Weakly she said, "This wine… the after-kick is too strong!"
The next second, the fox girl fell again.
Jingliu, helpless, reached to grab Baiheng's arm. Before she could pull the drunk up, Dan Feng had already taken her over.
The Dragon Lord moved swiftly, and together with Yingxing, they each took one side and held Baiheng up firmly.
Before Jingliu could speak, Zero and Jing Yuan returned.
Zero held a pack of mint candies, ready to hand them out, when Dan Feng spoke.
"Zero, Jingliu is drunk… we need…" The Dragon Lord paused. Sitting in such a high position, he rarely asked favors.
After thinking a while, he finally found suitable words. "Could I trouble you to take her home?"
Zero, "???"
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