"But I'm a man... a husband to my wife... a father to my child..."

"Is it really possible between men and men..."

"So strange... I seem to have fallen in love with this feeling, sorry... wife... watashi... really a proper man..."

Bai Bufan's voice, tinged with decadence, restraint, and sadness, drifted quietly from behind Lin Li at this moment.

Lin Li: "?"

Another master?

"No, Bai Bufan, are you out of your mind? I was acting in a Japanese drama, and behind me, you're doing Sichuan opera. Who can stand this?"

Lin Li couldn't hold it any longer, swearing as he broke free from Bai Bufan's hands.

Once everyone quieted down, seeing Ding Sihan also laughing across from him, Lin Li touched his chin, raised his eyebrows slightly, and made a reasonable guess:

"Dingzi, so you often appreciate... hmm?"

"Don't give me that!" Ding Sihan's face turned slightly red with the teasing tone and immediately denied it:

"It's a meme that's been pretty popular online recently. I just remembered the lines after seeing it last night. I don't normally watch this kind of thing. Who's as gross as you!"

"No need to be so harsh..."

Bai Bufan quietly stood up for his good friend.

—Of course, the "good friend" Bai Bufan was referring to was the "this kind of thing" in Ding Sihan's words.

As for Lin Li, indeed gross, no problem, well deserved.

The scolded Lin Li just chuckled, not intending to delve into the topic with the girls, knowing when to stop, so he kept quiet.

But to be honest, Lin Li thought having a Japanese girlfriend comes with too many precautions:

You can't bring friends, colleagues, or bosses home; don't let her order takeout or take out the trash alone; when the father gets old, he must be sent to the countryside; repair anything broken at home yourself; avoid letting her be a nurse, teacher, or secretary; accompany her for shopping, beauty treatments, massages, hospital visits, gym sessions, taking buses, subways, trains, and elevators; don't owe anyone money; never get drunk; never tell her about difficulties; after having kids, you must attend parent meetings and home visits; strictly prohibit bringing male classmates home...

Sigh, when you think about it, it's really not easy.

"Are there any dishes that haven't been served yet?" Lin Li pulled back his thoughts, looked around the table, and asked.

"Let me check," Qu Wanqiu, who was closest to the bill, picked it up, compared it with the dishes already served, nodded: "There's also the sashimi platter, sesame octopus, eel rice..."

As she spoke, a waiter came over carrying a tray and placed another dish.

"Hello, waiter, do you have water?" Lin Li asked casually.

"Yes, sir, over there is the self-service area, offering barley tea, plain water, and miso soup for free. Miso soup is only hot, while the other two can be hot or cold, your choice."

The waiter was busy, so he didn't have time to help Lin Li, thus pointed the direction.

Lin Li didn't plan to trouble anyone, nodded to show understanding, and, before getting up, noticed the girls also had empty cups, so he asked the "three-person squad":

"I'm going to get a few cups of water, what would you like to drink?"

"We don't need any, there are two drinks included with the meal, and the three of us are sharing." Ding Sihan waved her hand to indicate it wasn't necessary.

—The ordering method was a combo + à la carte, not for five, so there weren't five drinks.

Lin Li and Bai Bufan didn't mind the two drinks being taken by the girls. It was, in fact, a sign of their good relationship.

"How about you?" Lin Li turned to Bai Bufan.

"Barley tea, please."

"Hot or cold?"

"I'm on my period recently." Bai Bufan might have been speaking human language, but Bai Bufan speaking human language can't be true.

"Got it." Lin Li naturally understood Bai Bufan's meaning and stood up to leave.

Ding Sihan also got the hint, and after Lin Li left, she rummaged through her bag and silently handed over a pack of sanitary pads to Bai Bufan. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Bai Bufan: "…?"

Seeing Bai Bufan not moving, ignoring the laughter from Chen Yu Ying and Qu Wanqiu on either side, Ding Sihan kept a straight face, tapped the pack of pads with her fingertips, and gestured with her chin, clearly urging—take it quickly.

"..."

"Damn."

"Thanks, sister, but no thanks, I brought my own." Bai Bufan's mouth twitched slightly, in the end, biting his teeth and waving his hand.

"Okay." Ding Sihan finally gave up, satisfied as she pulled back her hand.

Bai Bufan covered his forehead with his left hand, and after a long time, looked up at Ding Sihan, sincerely suggesting:

"Ding Sihan, I suggest you hang out less with Lin Li and me. It's not doing you any good."

"Hah," Ding Sihan chuckled, then gradually her smile disappeared, replaced by a melancholy and sadness as she looked up at the ceiling: "I seem, to be unable to go back..."

Bai Bufan: "..."

Damn!

This reaction is just like Lin Li's!

Really shouldn't hang out with him anymore!

It was a while before Lin Li came back with two cups.

"Why did it take so long? Did you stop by the bathroom? You didn't pee in my cup, did you?" Bai Bufan asked casually.

Lin Li didn't answer; he handed the steaming hot cup in his left hand to Bai Bufan.

Bai Bufan took it, leaned close to the cup, looked, and sniffed: "Is this barley tea? It doesn't seem like it."

Barley tea shouldn't be this red, and it didn't smell right either.

Though it didn't smell like pee, Bai Bufan was still somewhat hesitant to drink it.