I checked my watch, but it was too late, so I suggested looking at the apartment another time, as we had plans to meet someone for dinner.
After leaving the real estate agency, the three of us drove to Milan Western Cuisine. By five-thirty, they were already there, parked in the large lot outside with several cars of different license plates – I saw them using my qi sensing technique.
I went into the restaurant first. To my surprise, it was still as popular as ever, with a long queue. Since we had a large group, we couldn't afford to wait, so we left and went to the Honolulu barbecue restaurant next door. They had availability, and all private rooms were free. I booked two. Then I called Yaoyao.
Five minutes later, everyone started arriving at the restaurant. Although we hadn't seen each other for only a few days, it felt like years. Seeing Yaoyao and this group of enchantresses felt like seeing family; my eyes even welled up a little. Perhaps the more one experiences, the more prone one is to sentimentality.
I introduced everyone, and the introductions alone took a considerable amount of time.
Once seated, the fox demon had already moved the screen separating the two private rooms, allowing both groups to see each other. The weasel demon had also secretly gone to the kitchen and reported that the ingredients there were quite fresh and that they could eat them too – naturally, she was referring to the raw meat. Of course, everyone knew each other well, and behind closed doors, no one would find it strange for them to eat raw meat.
We ordered an enormous amount of meat, piled layer upon layer on the tables, which thoroughly confused the server. Worried we wouldn't finish it, Zheng Bingbing gave the server a thousand-yuan tip and instructed him to stand guard at the end of the hallway outside, ready for our summons. If we didn't call him, he was not to disturb us, as we were discussing business.
Discussing business, my foot! They were all making crude jokes and telling lewd anecdotes. Without my restraint and management, I noticed these guys had become noticeably more wild. However, there’s a psychological explanation for this phenomenon: when a group of males and one female are in proximity (the little ginseng boy didn't count; he was clueless and found the sisters too noisy, so he ate a little and went back to the car to sleep. The other, more simple-minded Xun, went with him. After they left, the demons became even more unrestrained and heedless), they are more likely to become sexually aroused.
I didn't participate, merely focusing on grilling meat, but I enjoyed myself nonetheless, because the male protagonists in the jokes were, for the most part, me.
Diana seemed like an outsider, perhaps because she couldn’t understand their chatter. She sat in a corner, smiling and watching everyone drink.
We ate, drank, and had fun until past nine o'clock. I got up to use the restroom and found the floor completely covered in bottles of various spirits and beers.
The fox demon’s tail had drunkenly slipped out of her pants, and I accidentally stepped on it. She yelped in pain and almost transformed to bite me!
“Alright, alright, that’s enough. We should go,” I slurred, thankfully they knew I couldn't hold my liquor and hadn’t forced me. I’d only had two bottles of beer, which was manageable.
There are many things that cannot be discussed in front of everyone, even if they are all considered family.
There are many things that cannot be done with a certain person in front of others, even if they are all considered family.
The crowd, or rather, the multitude of demons, dispersed with lingering reluctance. The fox demon was so drunk her tail wouldn't retract. Mengmeng helped her, wrapping her in a long down coat to cover her exposed tail as they staggered out.
Bingbing and I went to the first floor to settle the bill. It came to over four thousand yuan. Bingbing remarked that it was quite reasonable.
After leaving the restaurant, I had originally planned to take everyone to look at the apartment. Now, that was impossible. Worried the demons might cause trouble, I asked them to drive to a location not far from Zhe Jiang Tower and wait. Bingbing, who hadn't drunk anything, the slightly flushed Yaoyao, and I went to see the apartment with the manager.
On the 28th floor, after looking around, I'd say it was neither too high nor too low, neither good nor bad. As a place to live, it couldn't compare to a presidential suite, but it was more than adequate compared to an average economy hotel. The only drawback was that all rooms only had beds and mattresses, no sheets, duvets, or pillows.
This wasn’t a major issue. I asked the manager what time the mall closed, as we wanted to move in tonight and needed to buy some bedding.
At this point, Yaoyao's alcohol began to take hold. She wrapped her arms around my neck and rubbed her thigh against me, saying, “What bedding do we need? Aren't I your bedding…”
With outsiders present, Bingbing quickly came over, pulled Yaoyao off me, and whispered, “Sister, hold on, just a little longer, okay!”