Han Lie sipped a small mouthful of tea. The sweet taste refreshed his mouth and lips, prompting a satisfied sigh.
Old Pan’s eyes danced with delight, his mood uplifted.
"Right? This Duyun Maojian King—its yearly production doesn’t even reach one kilogram. You can trust my taste in tea..."
Han Lie nodded obediently, his expression full of admiration, like a fawning underling before a powerful figure.
Pan Ge, spotting this from afar, instantly clenched her teeth.
After they had drunk a couple of infusions of tea and chatted for a while, Zhao Anni announced that the meal was ready.
So, Old Pan waved his hand grandly. "Come on, kids, let’s eat!"
Meanwhile, Zhao Anni was already chatting merrily with Xi Luting. Although their topics were rather shallow, they had effectively bridged the distance between them.
Once her husband spoke, she warmly took both girls by the hand and headed to the dining room, one girl in each hand, without a hint of favoritism.
The Pan family’s dining area was also quite large; in fact, they had two dining rooms. One was a window-side room specifically for Chinese meals, and the other was an open-style Western dining room with a long dining table.
Today, they were having Chinese cuisine.
Upon entering the room, Han Lie was stunned by the array of dishes on the table. Ordinary families serving Chinese food usually make home-style dishes and don’t fuss over presentation. This family, however, was different; their dishes were incredibly formal. Not only was the plating exquisite, but even the plates themselves were of various, specific designs.
Good heavens, talk about a wealthy family with exquisite taste...
Looking over the full spread, Han Lie could only recognize two items—lobster prepared decoratively and hairy crabs. Beyond that, he hadn’t even seen the type of stir-fried greens on the table before.
Seated around a dining table that could accommodate at least ten people, Han Lie and Xi Luting both felt a bit reserved.
However, Han Lie still managed to remain calm and didn’t feel inferior.
Xi Luting, on the other hand, shifted closer to Pan Ge. She felt a bit uneasy.
Coincidentally, Han Lie was seated to Pan Ge’s left. Pan Ge, still sulking about that jerk, scooted a bit to her right.
Thus, the two girls ended up sitting closest to each other, closer even than Old Pan and his wife.
They exchanged glances and both smiled.
BIU! Old Pan’s blood pressure shot up instantly.
After coughing twice, Old Pan suddenly found himself at a loss for words and silently sighed inwardly.
"Come on, let’s dig in while it’s hot!"
Pan Ge’s parents didn’t bother with the formalities of an official banquet and simply picked up their chopsticks.
Zhao Anni made a point of saying to Xi Luting, "Ting Ting, don’t be shy. You and Pan Ge are good friends. Make yourself at home here and eat whatever you like!"
Han Lie chuckled inwardly. If Xi Luting really started coming over all the time, you’d probably lose your mind, wouldn’t you?
Xi Luting wasn’t overthinking things and cheerfully began to eat.
Out of politeness, she deliberately picked up a crab from the platter to her front right—closer to her and farther from Pan Ge—and placed it on Pan Ge’s plate.
"Pan Pan, your favorite crab, here you go!"
Pan Ge smiled sweetly, then picked up a sculpted, fragrant small yellow croaker from her front left and offered it to Xi Luting. The most update n0vels are published on NoveIＦire.net
"Try this fish; it’s steamed with yellow wine."
This girl never failed to do the right thing when it mattered!
At this, both Old Pan and Zhao Anni’s faces turned green.
However, the two reacted quite differently. Old Pan went straight for Han Lie, bellowing, "Little Han, can you hold your liquor?"
He really needs a drink... Han Lie was almost laughing himself silly and quickly nodded. "Of course, I’ll join you for a bit."
Zhao Anni, however, calmly poured Pan Ge a full glass of cola. With a knowing smile, she said, "You ordered it. Drink up!"
Pan Ge’s delicate face immediately soured.
"Don’t like it?" Zhao Anni chuckled mischievously. "Then how about beer or red wine? Pick one."
Pan Ge unconsciously glanced towards Xi Luting.
When had Queen Ting ever backed down from a challenge?
Eagerly, Xi Luting asked, "How about we join Auntie for some red wine?"
Oh, alright then... Pan Ge figured that since she was in her own home, she could reluctantly agree.
A short while later, everyone had a drink in their glass. Old Pan, his spirits lifted, took the initiative to make a toast.
"Today is an ordinary day, but it’s also a day worth celebrating. Our Pan Ge has always been rather quiet and introverted, rarely inviting friends over for dinner. Today’s gathering signifies that our daughter has made two more good friends. Her mother and I find this deeply gratifying! Little Han, Ting Ting, thank you for coming, and I hope you’ll come often. Let’s all raise our glasses to celebrate tonight!"
This was a seasoned veteran of drinking parties, especially skilled at finding meaning in an occasion and elevating the theme. In reality, it was just an excuse to get everyone to drink.
Han Lie didn’t mind. He already had a good tolerance for alcohol, and after the upgrades to his Constitution and Health, he feared it even less.
"Great! Drink as you please, sir. I’ll drain my glass!"
He was the first to cheer, then drank boldly, emptying a glass of Wuliangye in one go.
Old Pan laughed and chided, "You think I wouldn’t match that?"
Following suit, he too downed his drink.
Pan Ge and Xi Luting were startled, both glancing towards Zhao Anni.
Turns out she was quite the drinker herself, downing a third of her glass of red wine in one go. Then, with a grin, she added, "The first drink is too important; Auntie has to commit!"
Hearing this, the two girls felt it made sense. Alright, drink it is!
So, they all drained their glasses.
Shortly after, Zhao Anni initiated another round.
It was clear to Han Lie now: this pair, Old Pan and his wife, were a double act, determined to get everyone plastered today.
Feeling he couldn’t possibly outdrink his prospective father-in-law, Han Lie held back a little. He downed the second glass but sipped slowly thereafter.