"You call my mom. Tell her you're bringing your classmate over for dinner tonight and ask her to make a couple of extra dishes."

"I'm not calling. You call."

"You call."

"Ugh, you call!"

"Beg me."

Chen Qingqing stood in front of him, blinked twice, took hold of his hand and put on her most pitiful voice. "Pleeease~"

Only then did Xu Ye pick up his phone and call Old Zhang.

"Hey, son."

"Mom, can you make a couple of extra dishes tonight? I'm craving braised pork ribs and steamed pork in rice flour."

Old Zhang went off right away. "Eat, eat, eat, that's all you ever think about! You flap your lips and whatever you want to eat, you get it. Who ever cooks for me? I must have owed you in a past life…"

She nagged on and on.

Xu Ye finally had to cut in. "It's not me who wants it. It's Qingqing."

"Why didn't you say so?!"

"Mom, so when I want something you nag me forever, and when Qingqing wants something you don't say a word? That really hurts. In other families the mom and the daughter-in-law fight. You can't be this nice to Qingqing, or I'll have no standing in this house later on."

"Get lost!"

Xu Ye laughed. "Qingqing's college classmate is coming over tonight too."

"Then I'll call your dad right now and have him go buy groceries."

"Great. I'll pick up some roast duck and braised beef on the way."

Xu Ye hung up, and before long he left the office and took Chen Qingqing home.

Just after five, Qin Zhiwei finally pulled up outside Xu Ye's building with Shen Xinyi. When Xu Ye came down and saw him holding a case of milk and some fruit, he scowled. "Are you out of your mind? You're bringing gifts to my house?"

Qin Zhiwei sighed. "I told her it was fine. Xinyi insisted. She said it's her first visit and she can't show up empty-handed."

"Xinyi, you're being way too formal. I've told you before, I watched Qin Zhiwei grow up."

"Damn,…