"Damn it, it's wood ear, don't you get it?" Zhang Duopan was furious at Bai Weituo. Seeing that everyone was looking his way, he threw caution to the wind and bellowed.

"Wood ear? Abalone is wood ear?" Bai Weituo stared at Zhang Duopan in utter bewilderment. "Zhang Duopan, are you sick or something? Since when is your family's abalone wood ear?"

"Bai Weituo, did your old man do that on purpose?" Zhang Duopan refused to believe Bai Weituo couldn't even understand the word "wood ear"—unless the term had never appeared on the campus BBS. But it clearly had been posted there before, so how could he possibly not have seen it?

So Bai Weituo was obviously playing dumb on purpose, and that was what made Zhang Duopan so furious.

"Huh? On purpose?" Bai Weituo froze for a moment, then a look of sudden enlightenment spread across his face. "So that's what you meant by abalone and wood ear! What a vulgar mind you have, saying things like that in a restaurant—why don't you go say them at a nightclub!"

Zhang Duopan was so angry he could have spat blood. But seeing Bai Weituo's innocent expression, he couldn't well explode at him, and then there were the girls' looks of disdain—Zhang Duopan cursed his luck inwardly. He didn't much care what other people thought of him, but He Meiyue was another matter. Surely she didn't think he was some vulgar lowlife?

"Damn, don't get so smug. If you've got the guts, you pay for the meal!" Zhang Duopan sneered.

"I'll foot the bill..." Bai Weituo had meant to say, fine, I'll foot the bill, but then the price of this meal hit him all at once and he deflated. If he spent a hundred thousand or more treating everyone, his grandfather would skin him alive when he got home.

"If you don't want to pay, then you can get lost right now. I'll cover this meal." Wei Zhao glanced at Zhang Duopan and spoke.

"You..." Hearing Wei Zhao's words, Zhang Duopan suddenly realized he had shamelessly tagged along. If he stopped paying, Wei Zhao certainly wouldn't keep him around. And if he simply left now, he might save a hundred thousand or so, but how would He Meiyue see him then?

At that thought, Zhang Duopan managed to squeeze out a faint smile. "Ha, I was just joking with Bai Weituo!"

"Joking? No one's joking with you. Today is the last meal you'll ever treat Meiyue to. I reckon once the results of the school arts festival are out tomorrow, you'll lose this chance forever, so you'd better treasure it." Bai Weituo shot Wei Zhao a grateful look, then needled Zhang Duopan.

"And why is that? So what if the results come out?" Zhang Duopan shrugged indifferently.

"What? Zhang Duopan, are you trying to welch on the bet? Last time at the karaoke place, we already made a wager: at this freshman gala, whoever's act ranks higher wins the right to pursue He Meiyue, and the loser must give her up. Don't tell me Student Zhang has a poor memory? Shall I refresh it for you?" Bai Weituo said with a cold smile at Zhang Duopan.

"Oh, that. Sure, you might take first place, but that's not your doing—it's that big star Xu Shilan's doing. What does that have to do with any of you?" Zhang Duopan smiled faintly and said, "So that doesn't count."

"Doesn't count? Weren't you the ones who broke the rules first by bringing in Cheng Yiyi?" Bai Weituo was taken aback, then retorted angrily.

"We did break the rules, so even if we win, we won't count it. But I never told you to copy us. You broke the rules yourselves, so who's to blame?" Zhang Duopan spread his hands with a look of what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it.

"You... didn't you say at the time that each side would put up one act, and anyone involved in planning it counted? You never said we couldn't invite a star!" Bai Weituo was beside himself. He hadn't expected Zhang Duopan to be so shameless.

"Freshman gala, freshman gala—don't you know what a freshman gala is? It's a gala for freshmen. If everyone onstage is a freshman, that's a freshman gala. Inviting a star makes it a concert!" Zhang Duopan said. "You're bringing in outside help, so it's not purely freshmen anymore, and of course it doesn't count!"

Bai Weituo was furious at Zhang Duopan's words but could not refute them. The man was splitting hairs, insisting on the word "freshman," and there was nothing Bai Weituo could do about it—after all, he really had brought in an outsider.

"Haha, Brother Zhang is right. This is all just joking around. We and Meiyue are all classmates—we can't cut ties over a little bet!" Fan Ganhe chimed in, echoing him.

Wei Zhao sneered inwardly. As expected, even if they lost outright, they still had an excuse ready.

But this was Bai Weituo's business, and Wei Zhao had no wish to get involved—there was no reason to. If Wang Xinyan were involved, though, he naturally wouldn't let it slide.

Soon the drinks and dishes were brought to the table one after another, and Zhang Duopan raised his glass smugly. "First of all, thank you, Yiyi and Shihan, for gracing my humble dinner with your presence. Meiyue and I are both your fans—it's truly an honor beyond words to dine with you!"

Bai Weituo rolled his eyes in contempt. Xu Shilan was clearly invited by Wei Zhao, yet from Zhang Duopan's mouth it sounded as though he had brought her himself.

"Wow, this shrimp is really delicious! Arrow-Brand Bro, you try some!" Shen Yushu picked up a big shrimp and placed it on Wei Zhao's plate, not sparing Zhang Duopan a single glance—leaving him standing there, unable to either keep talking or sit down.

"Yeah, Brother Lin, the food here is really something. If it weren't for a big spender treating us, I'd never get to eat here!" Bai Weituo nodded and said, "Brother Lin, let Sister-in-law have a taste too!"

"What?" Wei Zhao shot Bai Weituo a glare, thinking, can't this kid read the room? Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu both seemed less than fond of Wang Xinyan, and here he was calling Wang Xinyan "Sister-in-law"?

"Bai Weituo, don't go shouting nonsense... There's nothing between Wei Zhao and me..." Wang Xinyan, mortified at being talked about like that by Bai Weituo in front of so many people, hurriedly waved her hand.

"He was calling me and Sister Yao, wasn't he? Who was calling you? Such a flatterer!" Shen Yushu glanced at Wang Xinyan and said.

"I... I'm flattering myself?" Wang Xinyan pointed at herself, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. But she had never been one for quarrels, so she just shook her head and said nothing more.

Seeing the trouble he'd caused, Bai Weituo quickly shut his mouth and dared not make another sound—but Zhang Duopan looked as though he had discovered a new continent!

.RT

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