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Everyone chatted while eating, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere in the courtyard. In the past, Su Yang would have struggled to get a word in, but now his personality had undergone a significant transformation. He could easily contribute to any topic without overstepping, coming across as open and likable—a demeanor that endeared him to the elders.

The meal lasted a full hour and a half, yet the dishes on the table remained largely untouched. Su Yang had eaten the most among them, but there was simply too much food. By then, the group had opened their second bottle of Maotai, and both Lu Huai'an and Lu Huaide were slightly flushed.

Li Xiurong and Wang Xueying barely drank, having only sipped two small cups at the start before stopping. Lu Yun was the same, having just two or three cups. The rest of the drinking was left to Su Yang and the two older men.

But Su Yang remained unfazed. Even without his "Alcohol God" skill, this amount wouldn’t faze him—at most, he’d feel a slight dizziness.

Lu Huai'an looked at Su Yang approvingly. "You’ve got quite the tolerance, Xiao Su. You’ve had at least three or four taels, haven’t you? And you don’t even look tipsy."

Su Yang smiled modestly. "I’ve built up a decent tolerance from drinking often in the past."

"No wonder. Still, it’s best to keep it in check. Drink for enjoyment, not excess. Too much is bad for your health and just leaves you feeling miserable—no point in that."

Su Yang nodded. "Exactly. Alcohol’s just for fun—no need to overdo it. There’s still most of this bottle left, but let’s stop here. I can see you’re both getting a bit red."

Lu Huaide leaned back in his chair with a chuckle. "I’ve definitely had enough. If anyone else wants to keep going, be my guest."

Lu Huai'an let out a satisfied burp and grinned. "Same here. I’m starting to feel a little lightheaded."

Su Yang laughed. "Then let’s call it. No need to force it."

"Sounds good. Anyone still eating? If not, let’s head inside for some tea."

Everyone shook their heads, signaling they were full.

Li Xiurong stood up with a smile. "You all go upstairs and relax. Yunyun and I will take care of the cleanup."

"Thanks, Auntie."

"Don’t mention it, Xiao Su. Go on inside."

"Wenwen, help out a bit," Lu Huaide instructed his daughter.

Lu Wenwen nodded, but Li Xiurong quickly interjected, "Oh, no need! Wenwen, go inside and sit. I’ll handle this."

Wang Xueying chimed in with a laugh, "Let her help. She hardly ever does chores at home. Have her tidy up and wash the dishes later."

"That’s not right! You’re our guests—we can’t have guests doing the dishes."

For once, Lu Wenwen spoke up. "I’ll help clean up."

"Alright, alright."

By now, the sky had darkened completely. Li Xiurong, Lu Yun, and Lu Wenwen finished tidying the courtyard before joining the others in the second-floor living room.

Su Yang was already seated on the sofa with the two older men, sipping tea and chatting.

Then Lu Huaide’s phone rang. He stepped out to take the call and returned, whispering something to Wang Xueying.

Lu Huai'an noticed and asked, "What’s up? Something wrong?"

"Ah, I wasn’t planning to leave tonight, but a friend in Yangcheng has an emergency. I’ll have to head out."

"You’re leaving this late?"

"Yeah, it’s urgent." Lu Huaide downed the last of his tea and stood. "I’ll be off. Next time I’m back will probably be for New Year’s."

Lu Huai'an also rose to his feet. "You’re rushing off right after arriving? I was hoping you’d stay a few days."

"I’d love to, but duty calls."

Li Xiurong frowned. "You’ve all been drinking—how are you driving?"

"It’s fine. Wenwen can drive. I’ll just tell her to take it slow."

"Good. Never drive after drinking."

"Don’t worry—I value my life too much!" Lu Huaide laughed, then walked over to Su Yang.

"Xiao Su, let’s exchange contacts. If you’re ever in Hangzhou, give me a call!"

Su Yang stood and pulled out his phone. "Sure thing, Uncle Lu. I’ll definitely look you up for a drink if I’m in town."

"Hah! Perfect!" After adding each other on WeChat, Lu Huaide turned to Lu Wenwen.

"Wenwen, you should add Xiao Su too. You’re both young—no harm in staying in touch."

Lu Wenwen hesitated, cheeks tinged pink, before stepping forward.

Su Yang hadn’t expected Lu Huaide to suggest this. Noticing her shyness, he took the initiative, pulling up his QR code with a smile. "Here, Wenwen. Add me. If you ever visit Haicheng and need anything, just reach out."

"Mm... okay."

Seizing the moment, Su Yang silently prompted his system:

—System, scan Lu Wenwen’s info.

[Lu Wenwen, Age: 23]

[Height: 166cm]

[Weight: 54kg]

[Appearance: 80]

[Figure: 85]

[Relationships: 1, currently single]

[Body Count: 1]

The system’s response made Su Yang pause.

—Wait, what’s "Body Count"? Since when was that a thing?

[System update: Added scanning function for more detailed target information.]

—Nice! This is exactly what I wanted before. Dating doesn’t always mean intimacy, but now with this, it’s perfect!

They quickly finished adding each other, and Lu Huaide, Wang Xueying, and Lu Wenwen soon left.

Su Yang and the others saw them off at the gate.

After they left, the four returned to the living room—only for Lu Huai'an’s phone to ring next.

He answered, spoke briefly, then turned to Li Xiurong with a grim expression. "Well, that’s strange."

Li Xiurong sat up. "What’s wrong?"

"You know Chen Guohua from town, right?"

"Of course. We were middle school classmates. What about him?"

"Word is he’s gone."

"What?!" Li Xiurong’s brow furrowed. "How? He’s our age—it can’t be an illness, can it?"

Lu Huai'an shook his head. "Apparently not. He was drunk, riding his motorcycle, and hit the back of his head. Didn’t make it at the hospital."

"Oh no... Should we go?"

Lu Huai'an nodded. "We should. We’ve kept in touch, and we were on good terms. Plus, they’ve already called—it’d be rude not to."

"Then..." Li Xiurong glanced at Su Yang and Lu Yun. "Xiao Su, Yunyun, you two stay and rest. We’ll head to town. And Xiao Su, since you’ve been drinking, don’t even think about leaving tonight!"

Su Yang nodded. "Got it. But you’ve both been drinking too—how are you getting to town?"

Lu Huai'an stood up and said, "The person who just called is coming to pick us up now. Ah, I'm really sorry about this, Su Yang. I was hoping to have some tea and a proper chat with you, but then this call came out of nowhere."

Su Yang smiled casually and replied, "No worries, Uncle Lu. You go ahead and take care of your business. Don’t mind me—I’m pretty easygoing."

Lu Huai'an gave Su Yang an apologetic look. "Sorry to have you make do here for the night. Yunyun, later, take Su Yang to the room on the third floor. Make sure to change all the bedsheets and covers—they might be a bit damp from sitting too long."

Lu Yun nodded. "Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll handle it."

"Alright, we’ll head out now. You two chat."

"Got it, Uncle Lu. Drive safe, and send Lu Yun a message when you arrive."

"Will do. See you." The two hurried downstairs.

Su Yang stood by the window and watched as a white sedan pulled up at the gate, whisking them away.

......