"If you ask me, you should just settle in and relax," Mr. Han said, filling Mr. Wang's glass with his drink. "Haohao has a stable job now, and Xiaofeng can take care of him too. It'll be good for us old buddies to have company."
Wang's mother hesitated: "But what about the house back home..."
"Rent it out!" Han's mother placed a piece of braised pork in her bowl. "These days, city people love renting those small houses with yards like ours; the prices are much higher than you think!"
Han Feng chimed in at the opportune moment: "Leave this to me. I guarantee I'll find a reliable tenant."
Wang Hao nodded vigorously: "My boss said I'll be in this position in Kyoto for at least three years!"
Amidst the back-and-forth banter of the two young people and the toasts of the four elders, the Wang family's decision to settle in Kyoto was made. Outside the window, the moonlight gradually brightened, and the streetlights in the villa area lit up one by one, bathing the small courtyard in a warm glow.
"What are you grinning about, Xiao Feng?" Wang's father, slightly drunk, put his arm around his shoulder. "Come on, come on, have a drink with your Uncle Wang!"
Han Feng raised his glass and lightly clinked it with Wang's father's, then tilted his head back and drank the baijiu in one gulp. The fiery liquor slid down his throat, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips—seeing the two families enjoying each other's company, his heart felt even sweeter than the finest vintage wine.
"Xiao Hao, have a drink with your Uncle Han!" Mr. Wang, beaming, patted his son's shoulder. "You're a grown man now, don't pretend you can't drink!"
With a bitter face, Wang Hao picked up his wine glass and, under his father's watchful gaze, took a sip as if drinking Chinese medicine, immediately choking and turning his face red.
"You need to practice, Haozi!" Han Feng said with a smile, handing his childhood friend a tissue. "You'll have a lot of social engagements coming up."
Mr. Wang looked at the two young people with satisfaction, then suddenly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Xiao Feng is quite something these days! I heard he has a pretty girlfriend?"
Han Feng abruptly stopped, his wine glass hovering over his lips, alarm bells ringing in his mind. Sure enough, his father, already slightly tipsy, chimed in, gesturing smugly: "More than just beautiful! This kid, I don't know who he takes after,' has dated three at once! Each one more stunning than the last!"
"Pfft—" Wang Hao spat out the tea he had just drunk.
Mr. and Mrs. Wang stared wide-eyed, forgetting to even put the food on their chopsticks into their mouths. Han Feng wished he could crawl under the table right then and there, digging his toes out of his shoes to create a three-bedroom apartment.
"Cough!" Han's mother kicked her husband hard under the table. "You're talking nonsense when you're drunk!"
Han's father then realized his mistake and scratched his head sheepishly: "Well... I meant Xiaofeng has quite a few female friends..."
To everyone's surprise, Mr. Wang slapped his thigh and gave Han Feng a thumbs-up: "This young man has potential!"
"Huh?" Han Feng was stunned.
"Unlike my good-for-nothing son!" Mr. Wang said, rubbing Wang Hao's head in exasperation. "Two years of university and not a single girlfriend in sight! I thought he had some kind of sexual orientation problem!"
Wang Hao let out a wail and buried his face in the bowl: "Dad! Why are you saying this?!"
Han's mother quickly tried to smooth things over: "Old Wang, don't listen to your husband's nonsense, Xiao Feng is just popular..." As she spoke, she winked at her husband.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Mr. Han quickly added, "Young people are like that nowadays, they have so many friends!"
Suddenly, Han's mother said thoughtfully to Han Feng, "But I think Mengran, Wanwan, and Wantang are all quite nice. If things really work out..."
"Mom!" This time it was Han Feng's turn to wail.
Mr. Wang poured himself another glass, his eyes glazed with drunkenness as he put his arm around Mr. Han's shoulder: "Old Han, if you ask me... hiccup... children and grandchildren have their own blessings! Let's... hiccup... drink!"
The two old buddies clinked glasses again, finally steer the conversation off course. Han Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
---This is the dividing line---
The living room was filled with the sounds of laughter from a variety show. Liu Mengran, Su Wanwan, and Dongfang Wantang were nestled on the sofa sharing a bag of potato chips. After several days of continuous cultivation in the Dongfang family's secret realm, they had finally broken through to the late stage of the Innate Realm, and the three women decided to give themselves a break.
"Wan Tang, you're cheating!" Su Wanwan suddenly yelled, "You promised you wouldn't use your true energy to steal snacks!"
Dongfang Wantang blinked innocently, the faint light swirling around her fingertips quietly dissipating: "It's just a conditioned reflex... I can't compete with those senior brothers and sisters in the secret realm..."
Liu Mengran smiled and shook her head, about to say something, when her phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID, the three women sat up straight simultaneously—it was Han Feng.
"Hello?" Liu Mengran answered the phone and pressed speakerphone.
Han Feng's muffled voice came from the other end of the phone: "Um... could you come to Villa No. 3 and help me out?" In the background, there were clinking cups and plates and indistinct snoring sounds.
The three women exchanged a glance and immediately stood up. Although Han Feng's words were mumbled, they could all tell that he was clearly drunk.
When they arrived at Villa No. 3, the sight before them stunned all three of them—
Mr. Han and Mr. Wang were slumped on the sofa, snoring. One was clutching an empty wine bottle, muttering, "One more glass," while the other stood on the coffee table as if commanding an army. Wang Hao was sprawled on the carpet, clutching half a watermelon as a pillow. The dining table was a mess, with leftover food and empty wine bottles mixed together.
Only Han's mother and Wang's mother remained conscious and were struggling to help Wang's father down from the coffee table.
"Auntie, let us help." Liu Mengran was the first to react and quickly stepped forward.
Su Wanwan squatted down next to Wang Hao and poked the watermelon in his arms with amusement: "This silly boy, is he using it as a pillow?"
Dongfang Wantang had already silently begun clearing the table, her movements so fast they left afterimages. Using her late-stage Innate Realm cultivation for cleaning dishes was an outrageously wasteful use of her talents.
"Xiao Feng is really something..." Han's mother pointed helplessly to the corner, "He insisted on helping, and ended up getting himself drunk too."
The three women then noticed Han Feng sitting against the wall, his eyes glazed but still trying to stay composed: "I'm not drunk...it's just that the floor is a little slippery..."
Liu Mengran and Su Wanwan lifted him up from either side, and frowned simultaneously upon smelling the strong odor of alcohol.
"How much did you drink?" Su Wanwan poked his forehead.
Han Feng held up three fingers, then bent one down: "Two...two cups, how about?"
After clearing the table, Dongfang Wantang came over to help. She glanced at the scene and asked, "What's the arrangement?"
Han's mother said, "Haozi's villa isn't ready yet, so we'll have to squeeze in here tonight..."
"Easy." Su Wanwan snapped her fingers. "Mengran and Wantang will carry Uncle Wang, I'll carry Haozi, and Han Feng, you... hey, stand up straight and don't slip off!"
After settling the three drunkards into the guest room, Han's mother held the three girls' hands and thanked them repeatedly: "Thanks to you all, otherwise the two of us really wouldn't know what to do."
Wang's mother looked at the three girls curiously: "You are... Xiaofeng's girlfriends?" Her eyes were full of inquiry.
Han Feng instantly sobered up considerably and hurriedly interjected, "Well, it's getting late, you should all go back and rest. We have to go tomorrow..."
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