Su Ziqing rambled enthusiastically and without a single pause about volatile chemical reactions, unstable data points, failed computer simulations, and the overwhelming, soul-crushing frustration caused by their repeated experimental failures.

The poor, unfortunate souls trapped inside the claustrophobic confines of her car could only nod along helplessly, wearing stiff, strained smiles while occasionally pretending to actually understand the complex, rapid-fire scientific jargon pouring endlessly from her mouth. The only absolute reason Su Ziqing finally stopped talking was that they had already safely arrived, manoeuvred through the lot, and parked at the restaurant.

The moment the entire group finally converged and entered the grand, brightly lit foyer of the establishment, a neatly dressed and highly professional waiter quickly approached them, wearing a welcoming smile to greet the large party.

"Good evening. Do you happen to have a private room available that is large enough to accommodate all of us comfortably tonight?" Yu Qi asked, her voice carrying its usual calm, polite, and effortless grace.

"Of course we do. Welcome to our establishment." The waiter nodded respectfully, his posture immaculate and thoroughly professional. "May I know the exact number of guests in your party?"

"There are nine of us in total." Yu Qi answered smoothly.

"Certainly. Right this way, please follow me." The waiter said politely, gesturing with a gloved hand toward the main dining hall.

The group then followed the waiter deeper into the beautifully decorated, multi-level restaurant. Along the way, their senses were immediately assaulted by the rich, mouth-watering aromas of grilled premium meats, simmering savoury broths, and fragrant spices drifting lazily through the air. The delicious scents instantly caused several of the exhausted, ravenous scientists’ stomachs to growl in loud, synchronised anticipation.

After leading them up a flight of elegant wooden stairs and away from the bustling, noisy main floor, the waiter finally stopped in front of a spacious and beautifully appointed private dining suite. He respectfully opened the heavy double doors before stepping aside, gesturing for them to enter.

The moment they stepped into the hallway, they were greeted by the warm, comforting scent of simmering bone broth, spicy chilli oil, and aromatic medicinal herbs lingering in the air.

"You may use this private suite for the evening. I hope you enjoy your dinner." The waiter stated courteously before handing them the digital menus and allowing them the privacy to settle in comfortably.

Everyone soon took their respective seats around the large circular dining table, which proudly featured two enormous, bubbling, split-flavour hotpot basins placed directly at the centre.

"Order whatever you want." Yu Qi said with a faint, indulgent smile as she calmly took her seat at the head of the table.

Granted total freedom by their benefactor, the group immediately began ordering dishes without holding back in the slightest. Not long afterward, the entire surface of the table became completely buried beneath a mountain of food. Thin ribbons of heavily marbled wagyu beef, fresh seafood platters, handmade specialty meatballs, silken tofu, exotic mushrooms, and crisp rows of leafy vegetables surrounded the steaming hotpot basins.

Mo Huizhong and Hu Tingfeng immediately took charge of the cooking duties, expertly dropping ingredients into both the boiling spicy broth and the rich bone-broth soup with the strict precision, timing, and intense concentration of seasoned laboratory technicians conducting a high-stakes experiment.

"Hmm... This is absolute bliss. I am genuinely glad that I am still alive right now just to enjoy something this remarkably delicious." Dian Yi Qihan sighed contentedly, a look of pure euphoria washing over his face.

He picked up a perfectly cooked, tender slice of beef with his chopsticks before dipping it into his meticulously customised sauce mixture.

"Yeah... If only the stubborn cellular structures I study every day behaved as predictably as this sliced meat does." Su Ziqing sighed dramatically, resting her chin on her hand.

"If they did, you would probably be out of a job and begging for scraps on the street, Ziqing." Teng Li pointed out dryly, his face deadpan as he poured a steaming cup of traditional herbal tea for Yu Qi before pouring one for himself as well.

"By the way, Miss Tang, why do you not call Neko-chan to join us for dinner too? We really want to meet her face-to-face at least once instead of always talking through a screen." Zhao Yongzhung suddenly asked, his curiosity piqued.

"There is no need." Yu Qi responded calmly, her expression perfectly unbothered. "She does not really enjoy large social gatherings like this. She is actually a little shy in person."

The people at the table who had worked closely together with Neko-chan on various digital projects immediately exchanged deeply strange, bewildered looks with one another.

Shy?

That Neko-chan?

Was this a joke?

It felt entirely impossible. To them, that digital entity was practically a chaotic social butterfly. Whenever she became bored or lonely, she would casually wander over to their workstations via their network, mess around with their code, disrupt their active experiments, and enthusiastically share gossip about whatever trashy television series she had recently been binge-watching.

Clearly, there had to be another, far more classified reason why Neko-chan could not physically show up tonight. However, none of them thought too deeply about it, assuming it was a corporate security protocol, and naturally shifted the conversation toward another topic.

As the dinner continued, the initial noisy, chaotic energy of starving scientists gradually settled into a warm, comfortable atmosphere filled with easy camaraderie. The researchers chatted casually about everything from recent global scientific breakthroughs to ridiculous workplace gossip and hilarious failed experiments from their university days.

Yu Qi quietly listened to their overlapping conversations, a soft smile on her face as she thoroughly enjoyed the rare, peaceful moment of utter normalcy.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***