The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

An hour later, a small mountain of empty plates had piled up in front of Xu Nian.

He ate more than a dozen filet mignon steaks in a row. When he felt a bit greasy, he ate a few vegetable salads to cleanse his palate, and then devoured several servings of pasta.

The only thing that slowed him down was that extremely difficult-to-use knife and fork.

As a native-born Chinese, he simply couldn't get used to this thing that only foreigners would use.

So he called over a waiter, asked for a pair of gloves, and started eating with his hands, enjoying the meal even more.

Xu Xi, standing to the side, affectionately patted his head, smiled, and said nothing.

Finally, Xu Nian leaned back in her chair, rubbed her round belly with both hands, let out a comfortable burp, and her face was full of satisfaction.

"Are you full?" Xu Xi asked.

Xu Nian thought for a moment, then shook her head: "I'm tired of eating, let's rest for a while before eating again."

He looked up and caught sight of the waiters bustling back and forth in the private room, serving dishes and carrying plates. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he remembered something and looked at Xu Xi.

"By the way, Little Flame, you said that Zoro will be paying for everything in this private room tonight, right?"

"Yes," Xu Xi replied without hesitation.

Xu Nian thought for a moment, then gave a mischievous smile: "You say we've had a great time eating here, but Long Teng and the others are still upstairs starving. How about I call them down to eat with us?"

Xu Xi was amused by his idea, the coldness in his eyes completely disappeared, and the dimples on both sides of his cheeks became deeply sunken, soft and fluffy.

"You haven't had enough of taking advantage of others, are you? Now you want to be generous with other people's money?"

Xu Nian chuckled and nodded: "You said they've gone through all that trouble to help us protect us, we can't let them go hungry, can we? Don't you think so?"

"Besides, Zoro is treating anyway, so a few more people won't make a difference."

Xu Xi leaned back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips, his tone languid and indulgent: "Do as you please."

After receiving an affirmative answer, Xu Nian immediately stood up, ran out of the private room, and took the elevator upstairs.

Not long after, he walked in with Long Teng and a group of burly men.

Long Teng and his companions stared wide-eyed at the exquisite Western food spread across the table.

A few of them were so pathetic that they were drooling.

"Mr. Xu," Long Teng wiped his mouth, asking Xu Xi with some disbelief, "Can...can we really eat whatever we want?"

Although their wages are not low, no one is willing to squander the money they earned by risking their lives on food.

After all, given their physique and the intense training they undergo daily, their appetites are extremely large.

Western meals are typically served in very small portions, like rat meat. Even if they eat a dozen or more plates, it's barely enough to fill a tooth gap, making it very uneconomical.

Xu Xi gestured towards Xu Nian with his lip: "He is the real chairman of the group, President Xu. Ask him, don't ask me."

Long Teng and the others then turned their expectant gazes to Xu Nian.

"Eat whatever you want, eat until you're stuffed, treat it like a buffet." Xu Nian chuckled. "Eat until you can't walk anymore, until you really can't eat anymore, don't be shy at all."

"Wow, long live the boss!" Long Teng and his group cheered loudly, quickly took their seats, and began to feast.

These rough men ate even worse than Xu Nian; they would pick up their plates and bury their faces in them, skipping the step of eating with their hands.

Even as they enjoyed their meal, they did not forget their duties. Two people took turns standing guard at the entrance of the private room, vigilantly observing the surroundings and not daring to relax their vigilance for even a moment.

Waiters pushed food carts, delivering them one after another, and the kitchen was bustling with activity.

All the chefs had to stay behind to work overtime just to barely satisfy the appetites of these big eaters.

When they were enjoying their meal, the burly men opened a few bottles of foreign liquor, poured it into their glasses, and began to chatter as they raised their glasses.

They were surprised to find that Xu Nian, the high-ranking chairman, was not at all pretentious. He was kind and approachable, and spoke in a friendly manner, just like an ordinary person who had come from among them, without the slightest arrogance.

Having spent most of their lives in foreign lands, their nerves were always on edge, constantly on guard against danger. Now, being able to relax like this, chatting and laughing, their initial distance from Xu Nian gradually dissipated, replaced by a growing respect and closeness. They began to talk about everything, becoming like brothers, practically swearing an oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden.

Xu Xi sat on the sofa, looking at the scene before her with a look of astonishment on her face.

She may never understand how quickly men can go from strangers to brothers.

This meal lasted a full five hours.

It wasn't until after several rounds of drinks and dishes that the group put down their chopsticks, leaned back in their chairs, and comfortably burped, their faces full of satisfaction.

Before leaving, Xu Nian, adhering to the principle of taking advantage to the fullest, made sure to pack several portions of everyone's favorite dishes.

Long Teng's face was flushed from drinking. He put his arm around Xu Nian's shoulder and spoke with sincerity, tinged with a hint of drunkenness.

"Big...Big Brother, in my life, I, Long Teng, have never been truly convinced by anyone. Apart from my old squad leader, you are the only one left."

"You're so awesome, yet you don't look down on us brothers for being roughnecks, and you're still willing to eat and drink with us. I, Long, admire you from the bottom of my heart!"

Xu Nian laughed and helped the drunken Long Teng back to room 2004.

He felt an inexplicable sense of kinship with these rough, down-to-earth men.

They are not hypocritical or pretentious; they treat people sincerely, and they reciprocate sincerity to those who treat them sincerely.

Being with them brought back the feeling he had when he worked for Xu Hu and interacted with his fellow laborers—a feeling that was both comforting and warm.

After seeing Long Teng and the others off, Xu Nian turned around and went back to room 2003 next door.

Pushing open the door, he saw Xu Xi sitting cross-legged on the sofa, arms crossed, giving him a resentful look, looking just like a wronged little wife.

"You like Long Teng and the others that much? Why don't you go back with them? Why did you come back?" Xu Xi said irritably, his tone almost overflowing with sourness.

Xu Nian blushed, chuckled twice, quickly stepped forward, gently embraced the sulking girl, and showered her cheeks with kisses.

"They're here to protect us; they're in charge of our safety. Building a good relationship with them will also ensure your safety, won't it?"

He rubbed Xu Xiyou's resentful little nose and grinned.

Xu Xi gave a soft hum, then raised her soft little foot and stepped on the man's face, as if to say she had forgiven him.

"Have you eaten yet?"

Xu Nian rubbed her stomach and let out a burp: "I'm full, so full I can't be full anymore. I'd throw up if I ate another bite."

A sly glint flashed in Xu Xi's eyes. He gave a wicked smile, and with a sway of his body, he had already changed into the Empress's New Clothes.

She reached out and gently pushed the man down onto the sofa, then leaned over and pressed herself against him.

A warm breath brushed past his ear, and her voice carried a hint of allure.

"You're full, now it's my turn~"

......