Chapter 3 – A Treat for the Brothers (Continued)
The steam from the bubbling broth fogged my glasses, so I set them down beside the chopsticks. My vision cleared — sharper, brighter — and I could see the pure delight on my brothers' faces.
Chen Hao had already stacked a mountain of beef slices on his plate, while Wang Lei fanned his mouth after biting into a chili-laden piece of fish. Zhang Rui, the composed one, broke character just long enough to murmur, "Pass the mushrooms," with the urgency of a starving man.
I couldn't help it. I laughed. Really laughed. The kind that shook my shoulders and made my chest lighter.
"Eat slowly, brothers," I said, pouring them each a glass of soda. "There's enough for all of us."
"Enough?!" Chen Hao barked a laugh, his mouth full. "Wei, this is way more than enough! If we finish this, I'll personally run five laps around campus tomorrow butt naked."
"Don't you dare," Zhang Rui deadpanned, though a rare smile tugged at his lips.
"Ah, let him," Wang Lei giggled, waving his chopsticks. "I'll record it and sell the footage online. Might even make some money back from this meal."
The table erupted in laughter again.
For the first time in weeks — maybe months — I felt like the world wasn't pressing down on me. It wasn't just the food or the luxury of eating without counting every coin. It was the warmth of these three idiots around me. Brothers not by blood, but by the bond we'd built through sleepless nights, shared stress, and countless bowls of instant noodles.
I leaned back, chopsticks resting across my bowl, and simply watched them. The spicy broth bubbled, the fragrance hung thick in the air, and the rain outside tapped softly against the glass windows.
In this moment, everything felt… perfect.
The waiter returned with another tray of dishes — prawns glistening on ice, more beef, and fresh lotus root. He placed them neatly on the table, but as he turned to leave, his eyes flicked back toward me.
And froze.
I noticed the hesitation instantly. His gaze lingered — not on Chen Hao stuffing his face, not on the food piled high, but on me. Or rather, on me without my glasses.
"Excuse me…" The waiter's voice trembled slightly. "Are you… are you Li Wei?"
My chopsticks paused midair. "...Yes?"
Chen Hao glanced up, annoyed. "What, you two know each other?"
The waiter's eyes widened further, as if he couldn't believe it. "You really are Li Wei! I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses… You—you look completely different!"
Wang Lei tilted his head curiously. "Different how?"
The waiter flushed, fumbling with his tray. "Handsome. Too handsome. Like… like one of those actors on TV."
The three of my roommates whipped their heads toward me at once, eyes wide as saucers.
"Wait—what?" Chen Hao nearly dropped his beef slice into the broth.
"Hold on—are you serious?" Wang Lei squeaked.
Even Zhang Rui adjusted his glasses, scrutinizing me with suspicion.
I forced a small, awkward smile. "It's nothing. He's exaggerating."
But the waiter shook his head fervently. "No, I swear! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a celebrity walking in here. I—I almost asked for your autograph."
The three brothers stared at me like I'd just grown another head.
And in that moment, as the steam swirled between us, I realized something terrifying yet thrilling.
The money wasn't the only thing that would change my life.
The system… was only just beginning to reveal its power.