It was time for everyone to pack up and head home. Everyone then headed their own separate ways back home. Since it was Friday night, Xiao Yan, Jie Lu, and Meng Shao decided to head over to the nearby bar to have drinks.

"If you're drunk this time, I won't piggyback you again." Xiao Yan said to Jie Lu. Then she rebutted, "Who gave you permission to piggyback me the other night?! It's okay, and Meng Shao is here to escort me home if I'm drunk tonight."

It appeared that two weeks ago, Xiao Yan and Jie Lu had some drinks after work. It turned out that Jie Lu was a horrible drinker, and she was drunk in just two small cups of beer. Then Xiao Yan didn't have a choice but to piggyback her all the way home after they got off the cab.

"You should be thankful to me for escorting you back home! You're not allowed to drink tonight then. Only soft drinks for you!" Xiao Yan exclaimed. Jie Lu then replied, "You're not the boss of me, so I won't listen to you."

At this moment, Feng Jiu came out from the exhibition and bumped into the three of them. She started laughing at how Xiao Yan and Jie Lu were bickering again. Then she said to Meng Shao, "These two 'lovebirds' would definitely end up together."

Xiao Yan then overheard what she said and replied without thinking, "No way! Nobody likes this boorish girl!" Jie Lu then immediately felt a little hurt, but she didn't understand why she was feeling that way. Then she walked away silently.

Feng Jiu then said to Xiao Yan, "Hey, don't say that to a sweet girl like Jie Lu. Maybe you still don't realize her good points, but someday, you'll realize it and regret not treating her well. Open your eyes to see and open your heart to feel."

Xiao Yan pondered for a while, "Maybe I'm just afraid to admit that I'm starting to fall for her. That's why I kept saying nasty things to deny my feelings. But for as far as I remember, I have only loved Ji Heng, and I don't know what my true feelings towards Jie Lu are." Then he replied softly, "Thank you, Feng Jiu. I'll go and apologize to her now." Then he ran after Jie Lu.

Meng Shao also started to follow them, but before he left, he asked Feng Jiu, "Hey, we are going to the bar nearby to have some drinks tonight. You wanna come with us?"

"No. She needs to rest, and I'll be sending her home now." Dong Hua interrupted before Feng Jiu could answer. Then she added on, "Yeah, I still need to prepare some food ingredients for tomorrow. I'll be meeting my friends for a potluck dinner."

Meng Shao then greeted Dong Hua and replied to Feng Jiu, "No worries. Have a good rest! I'll go find them now. See you on Monday." He smiled and swiftly left the building.

"Come, let's go." Dong Hua said coldly. Feng Jiu followed him, but she was having a hard time catching up with him because she needed to take two to three extra steps for every step that Dong Hua took. Feng Jiu also noticed that Dong Hua seemed a little colder than usual, but she figured that he was just tired.

Feng Jiu happily sat on to Dong Hua's car, and she forgot to put on her seatbelt again. Dong Hua stared at her as usual and shook his head. Without saying a word, he leaned over to put the seatbelt on for her.

She giggled and replied without thinking, "What would I do without you? I always forget to put on my seatbelt! Si Ming and Lian Song always have to remind me as well."

Dong Hua immediately thought to himself, "Oh? Am I that important to her?" Then he said with a hint of jealousy in his voice, "Yeah, what would you do without me? But you still have Cang Yi anyway."

Feng Jiu thought to herself, "Why is he mentioning Cang Yi? Wait, he must be trying to tease me again! Stupid Dong Hua! I won't give him any chance to tease me then!" Then she replied, "But I don't sit on Cang Yi's car. We aren't that close anyway."

Dong Hua then smiled at himself and felt better instantly. Then he replied, "You're better off sitting in my car. I'm a safe driver too."

"True! And you have snacks in your car too, so that makes it even better!"

Feng Jiu then turned behind, trying to see if there were more snacks. She noticed a bag filled with groceries.

"What did you buy?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing much. Just some ingredients for my sweet and sour fish."

"Oh." Feng Jiu then tried to hold back her laughter. Dong Hua then noticed her smiling, and he asked, "What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing. I just imagined you trying to cook."

"Oh? Is it that funny? So you think I'm a good or bad cook?"

Feng Jiu couldn't hold back her laughter anymore, and she blurted out, "I'm sure you're a bad cook."

Dong Hua replied with an amused face, "And how would you know that?"

"I don't know how, but I just know." And she started smiling to herself upon the thought of Dong Hua cooking sweet and sour fish.

"Should I cook for you then?"

"NO!" Feng Jiu exclaimed.

"Oh? They said it's an honour to be able to eat my signature dish, though." He continued to tease her.

"Uhh..uhh, I don't eat fish."

"Oh. You don't eat fish, but you wanted to extort an expensive seafood food from me. Hmm..."

"I mean, I don't eat sweet and sour fish."

"Oh, that's sad. I thought I had the chance to cook it for you."

Feng Jiu then felt a little guilty for rejecting Dong Hua, so she said, "But... I guess I'll eat a little if you really want to cook for me..."

Dong Hua then felt touched knowing that Feng Jiu would try his fish even though it was rumoured to be inedible. Then he replied calmly, "It's fine, I don't really like cooking anyway. It's true that I can't cook."

Feng Jiu then breath a sigh of relief, and then she started giggling. She looked over to Dong Hua and said, "You're good at everything except cooking and taking selfies! And those are the things that I'm good at! I wonder what else are you bad at."

"Hmm... I'm bad at words and expressing myself, I guess."

Feng Jiu smiled and replied, "That's true. But it's okay! I can teach you those things, like cooking as well. I'm really good at cooking!"

"Oh? Guess we are a good match."

Feng Jiu immediately thought to herself, "Match?! What? Oh wait, Dong Hua just said that he's bad at words and expressing himself, so he probably doesn't mean it that way."

"Yes, yes, we are good friends now." Feng Jiu smiled sweetly at Dong Hua. Then he replied sarcastically, "Oh? We upgraded from friends to good friends now? That was fast."

"If you think that's fast, we can just go back to being an acquaintance." Feng Jiu pouted.

"No. Close friends is good." Then he smiled and thought to himself, "We became one step closer. I have to learn from Cang Yi's mistake and not confess my feelings to her so fast. If not, she would probably avoid me. This is good for now."

Feng Jiu then smiled when she saw Dong Hua smiling too. "Dong Hua is smiling more nowadays, and it's nice to see that. I'm actually glad to have such a nice friendship with him now. Sometimes friendship lasts longer than a relationship."

Then she started yawning, and Dong Hua told her to rest her eyes until they arrive at her apartment building.

After 30 minutes, they finally arrived. Dong Hua then turned over to see Feng Jiu sleeping soundly. He gazed lovingly at her beautiful sleeping face, and he gently swept her fringe away from her face.

Then he sat in the car, waiting for her to wake up as he didn't want to wake her up.

After about 15 minutes, Feng Jiu slowly wakes up, and she rubbed her eyes while saying, "We are here already? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You just looked so tired, so I didn't want to wake you up." He replied.

"Alright. Thanks for sending me back home, have a good weekend! I'll see you on Monday, and I'll make sure to bring you your coffee too." She waved goodbye.

Dong Hua replied, "You can take a break from making coffee for a few days as I'll be away for a business trip. But I'll be back before Saturday, so don't think that you can go back on your promise and not cook for me."

"Oh, a few days? So I still get free meals starting from Monday onwards, right?! And don't worry, I will definitely remember to keep my promise!"

Dong Hua felt a little sad that Feng Jiu won't be missing him when he's gone, but she only cared about the free food.

"Yes, you'll still have free food even when I'm gone. I'll get Chong Lin to settle it on my behalf. Don't think you can slack at work, just because I'm gone. I'll instantly know if you're peeping at guys again."

"You're not god, and you won't know that! But anyway, be safe on your trip. Don't worry; I'll wait for you to come back and then make coffee for you."

Dong Hua felt a little better after hearing that. "Good. I'll see you soon." Then he gestured for her to head upstairs. And as usual, he made sure that she walked into the lift lobby before he drove off.

"Hopefully, she won't have more men in her harem when I'm back." He thought to himself.

----------------------------------------

Saturday arrived. Feng Jiu was up by 10 AM, and she began to prepare to cook her fish. She then spent the whole afternoon preparing and cooking.

After she finished cooking, she took a quick shower and changed into comfortable clothing before heading out. She then halted a cab downstairs and headed towards Yu Xi's place.

After a brief 20 minutes car ride, she arrived at the place. She then made her way up, and it seems like she was the first one to reach. Lian Song was still on his way, after picking Cheng Yu up from her place.

Yu Xi excitedly ran towards the door and introduced herself. "Hi, Feng Jiu! I had heard so much about you from Si Ming. I'm so excited to meet you finally. Come in!"

Feng Jiu took off her shoes and entered the apartment. Then she put down the fish on the table and said to Yu Xi, "Si Ming also told us some stuff about you and your current situation. Don't worry about it and let me know if you need help. Also, let me know if Si Ming bullies you, and I'll help you take 'revenge'."

Yu Xi then smiled sweetly and replied shyly, "Actually Si Ming has been treating me really well. I'm so lucky to have him around. I don't know what I would do without him." Feng Jiu immediately noticed her eyes lit up the same way as Si Ming when she was talking about him. Feng Jiu guessed that Yu Xi also had feelings for him.

She also noticed that Yu Xi's eyes were fixed on Si Ming wherever he goes, and she would sometimes smile to herself too. Feng Jiu then confirmed her suspicions that they had feelings for each other. At the same time, she wanted to try to matchmake them.

Right at this moment, Lian Song and Cheng Yu arrived, bickering as usual.

"See. We are always late because you drive so slowly!" Cheng Yu nagged, and Lian Song replied, "Slow but steady, just like our relationship." He smirked.

"Who said that we were in a relationship?" Cheng Yu replied angrily. "I didn't say we were, you just said it." Lian Song snickered. Cheng Yu then rolled her eyes and replied, "Can you be more serious?" Then she walked in and put the food down on the table. Cheng Yu and Lian Song bought a few side dishes at a famous Chinese restaurant.

Si Ming then popped his head out from the kitchen and said, "It's almost ready, my signature Braised Pork Belly." Yu Xi then ran into the kitchen to help him out.

"They are already acting like a married couple." Lian Song teased, and then he turned to Cheng Yu, "When will it be our turn?" Then she immediately replied. "Never. Not even in our next life."

Lian Song gave a fake frown and replied, "Why do you have to break my heart like that?" Cheng Yu then smirked and said, "Because you deserve it."

Feng Jiu was silently thinking to herself, "This kinda reminds me of the time where we had the hotpot dinner at my place. I missed that. Me and Dong Hua were just like Yu Xi and Si Ming. And at that time, Qingti was also with us." Then she sighed, and Cheng Yu noticed it.

"Hey, are you feeling okay? Tell me what's wrong." Cheng Yu asked concernedly. Feng Jiu then replied, "I'm fine. It just brings back memories. Anyway, this is a happy occasion, so I don't want to talk about it. Oh, I also have a secret to tell you. I think Yu Xi likes Si Ming, and I know for sure that he likes her."

"Really?! I was so busy bickering with Lian Song that I failed to notice that. Hey, we should matchmake them then! Somebody needs to help push them, right?"

"Good idea! That's what I thought too. Alright, so what should we do?" They winked at each other.

It turned out that Feng Jiu, Cheng Yu and Cha Cha were also a group of gossip girls, and they were exactly like the gossip duo. If they join hands, they could probably set up a successful matchmakers' company. 

"Okay. We will start plan A over dinner. Plan A is to say nice things about Si Ming and test Yu Xi's reaction."

At this point, you can already see why Lian Song and Cheng Yu were meant to be with each other. They were like two peas in a pod.

"Sounds good. I'll follow your plan, and if plan A fails, we will meet up at the kitchen. Do you still remember our secret code?"

"Of course I do. It's 'washing hands.'"

Yu Xi and Si Ming then came walking out from the kitchen. "You go ahead first, Yu Xi. I don't want you to get scalded by the stew pot, as it's piping hot." Si Ming said while holding on to the stew pot, and he walked slowly over to the dining table.

Yu Xi then made way for Si Ming to walk, but she also kept looking at Si Ming, making sure that he was safe too. Then they made some space on the table and laid it in the middle. Si Ming then opened up the pot cover to reveal a mouth-watering Braised Pork Belly, and an aromatic smell instantly filled the room.

"Oh, wow. That smells delicious!" Feng Jiu exclaimed. Everyone also nodded their head in agreement, and Si Ming replied, "Come, let's start eating. I'm sure everyone is hungry."

Cheng Yu immediately winked to Feng Jiu, signalling her to start Plan A. She also said, "Oh, wow. Si Ming is such a good cook. His future wife would be so lucky." Then they both stared at Yu Xi's reaction, and she was smiling sweetly.

Feng Jiu also winked back at Cheng Yu with a slight smirk, hinting her"Test 1: Positive."
Then she replied, "Yeah, I wonder who's the lucky girl." Yu Xi and Si Ming then nervously avoided eye-contact, but they were smiling to themselves.

"Test 2: Positive" Cheng Yu did two light taps on the table, using her chopsticks.

They had actually invented their own "Secret Morse Codes" back in school.

One tap means "Negative/No."
Two taps mean "Positive/Yes."
Tapping a few times means "Instruction unclear, Time to 'wash hands.'

Si Ming then took some meat and put it in Yu Xi's bowl, and she smiled sweetly to him. Upon seeing that, Lian Song also put a piece of fish on Cheng Yu's bowl, but she rolled eyes at him.

"Why is the treatment so different? Yu Xi smiled so sweetly to Si Ming when he did that. But I get an eye-rolling treatment." Lian Song whined.

"Well. That's because Si Ming is a nice guy, unlike you. You're just a playboy." Cheng Yu replied coldly. Then Lian Song said, "I may be a sweet-talker, but my heart is faithful to you."

Cheng Yu then replied coldly, "You missed your chance." And she walked to the kitchen. She was actually thinking back on her past memories with Lian Song. Feng Jiu then noticed Cheng Yu was standing in the kitchen in a daze, so she went in to check on her.

"You're thinking about the past again, right?" She asked concernedly. Cheng Yu then gave a faint smile, "You know me too well."

"You still can't get over it? I mean, people do change, and maybe you should give him another chance."

"If only he was more serious and not always joking around. Then maybe I'll be able to trust him and believe that he's real towards me."

"I mean, everyone could see how much he likes you. I know he could be a joker at times, but I'm sure he cares about you a lot."

"We will see."

At this moment, Yu Xi walked in and heard them talking. "I'm so sorry, and I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to get some rice."

"It's okay, Yu Xi. We are not talking about anything serious anyway." Cheng Yu said. Then Yu Xi noticed that Cheng Yu looked a little upset, and she concernedly asked, "Sorry if I'm asking too much, but are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I was feeling a little upset, but I'm fine now because I talked to Feng Jiu about it. Don't worry about me, and thanks for asking!" Cheng Yu replied cheerfully.

Then Yu Xi gave a faint smile and said, "It's nice to have friends to talk to about everything. I never had that my whole life. People always said I'm lucky to be born in a rich family, but they really don't know how it's like to have a lack of freedom to do anything. Even the friends I made had to be "approved" by my dad."

"Hey, we are your friends now. You can talk to us about anything. Is there something troubling you?" Feng Jiu said, and she gently patted Yu Xi's shoulder.

"Are you sure it's fine for me to talk to both of you about it? I really don't want to trouble you girls." Yu Xi frowned.

"Don't worry about it! We are here for you." Feng Jiu replied and Cheng Yu nodded her head in agreement.

Yu Xi then looked out of the kitchen, making sure that nobody else could hear them. Lian Song and Si Ming seem to be engrossed in their conversation as well.

"Okay... Please keep it a secret. I actually have feelings for Si Ming!" Then she bowed her head, and she felt shy.

Feng Jiu and Cheng Yu then smiled at each other, and Feng Jiu replied, "We already knew that. And let me tell you a secret, he actually likes you too."

It seems like Plan C wasn't even necessary.

"Wait! He does?! But it's like every time I tried to get closer to him; he would be even more distant towards me. I don't know what to do."

"Well... Si Ming actually feels like he wasn't good enough for you. It's mainly because you're from a rich family, and you already have a fiancé." Feng Jiu replied.

"But... I would give up everything for him. I don't know how my parents would react, and they would most likely find trouble with Si Ming if they found out about him. And this is why I'm determined to stay hidden and be independent. I just want to lead a simple life with him." Yu Xi smiled.

"I'm so glad that you think that way. Si Ming is one of the nicest people I've ever met, and he truly deserves a good girl like you." Feng Jiu smiled warmly back at Yu Xi.

"Thank you, Feng Jiu. Now that I know his feelings for me, I'll try even harder to chase him. He will be the only man that I'll marry. But I still need to find a way to call off the engagement with my fiancé. That would be tough because the merger would fall through, and I'm afraid our families would be on bad terms. What's more, their family owns the second largest company in China, behind Tai Chen Group."

"Wait. The second-largest company, West Sea Group?! Who is your fiancé?" Feng Jiu widened her eyes with shock.

"His name is Su Moye, and he is the only heir of West Sea Group. He's the second-born son of the Su family, but his older brother already has his own company.

"I heard he's a womanizer, and it's no wonder why you didn't like him. Also, it would be hard for your family to call off the engagement." Feng Jiu then folded her arms and started to think of solutions. Cheng Yu also tried to come up with some ideas.

"Yeah, I know that. The only best way is to get Su Moye to call it off. But I don't even know him that well, and I'm afraid to go meet him too."

Feng Jiu then immediately replied, "I'll go with you. It might be risky as you might get caught by your dad, but I think it's worth a risk. I'll be around to help you escape, and I'll lure them away if needed."

"You're so nice, Feng Jiu. I'm so glad to have you as my friend. Cheng Yu as well. I have never felt this happy before in my whole life. Thank you." She smiled brightly, and it looked like she was about to be moved to tears as well. Feng Jiu and Cheng Yu then gave her a group hug. "Cheers to our friendship!" Cheng Yu said.

Yu Xi then asked Cheng Yu, "By the way, I saw that Lian Song seems to like you. What's up between you and him? Sorry if I'm asking too much, I just wanted to make sure that you're okay since I noticed that you looked upset."

"Well. It's a long history between him and me. He had been chasing me for the past few years, but... I don't want to bore with you those details." Cheng Yu said

"I promise I won't be bored, and I have all the time in the world. So please tell me about it!" Yu Xi said. Feng Jiu then opened the fridge and got a drink for all three of them.

"Okay, where should I start? Oh, I know. So... back when we were in high school, he was our senior. Back then, he was pretty popular as well because he was always a sweet-talker. One day when I was walking back home, I met Lian Song with his group of friends. They tried to ask for my number, and I just flipped them the finger! I guess it was at that point where Lian Song started to notice me because he would often follow me around in school. He asked for my number, but I wouldn't give it to him. Until one day, I fell sick, and I couldn't come to school for three days because I had a high fever. I don't know how Lian Song found out my address, but he came to visit me. And let me tell you, this man cannot cook for the sake of his life! He actually went to make me some porridge, but it was purely awful. I mean, it's still edible, but it was just totally plain, no salt or seasoning!"

Feng Jiu and Yu Xi then laughed, and Yu Xi replied, "I guess it's the thoughts that count?"

"Yeah. So let me continue... My parents were also on a business trip, so Lian Song insisted on cooking porridge for me until I recover fully. Even though the porridge was awful, I didn't tell him about it because I didn't want to hurt his feelings. I mean, I also appreciate him coming over to take care of me. I was actually starting to see him differently. Yeah, but guess what happens next?"

Yu Xi excitedly replied, "What?! What?!" Feng Jiu then sipped her drink, preparing for the 'drama' to unfold.

"When I came back to school, everyone was spreading rumours about Lian Song and me. In a bad way too! So his friends found out that he went to my house and they were teasing him about his feelings for me and that he was henpecked. I confronted his friends, but Lian Song didn't back me up at all. He even laughed along with them and said that he was just playing around with me. I was extremely hurt after hearing what he said. From then on, I kept my distance from him."

"That's horrible! How could he play with your feelings like that? I would never have imagined that because he looks like he really likes you now." Yu Xi exclaimed.

Feng Jiu then replied, "Well. So he did apologize to Cheng Yu months later. He actually had true feelings towards her, but at that time, he was just being stupid and embarrassed. You know, guys with peer pressure issues. But I also have to agree with Yu Xi, and he's different now. He was young back then, and he has been trying to correct his mistake for the past few years."

"Yeah. I just can't trust his words anymore. He spews nonsense more than the rice he eats. I can't take him seriously at all. If that incident didn't happen, I probably would have accepted him. But it's too late, and he missed his only chance."

"Maybe you can try to open up your heart and try to feel his love this time. Let him prove it to you with actions. You never know if you never try. This is why I have decided, I'm going to confess to Si Ming!" Yu Xi said.

"Wow! You're a fighter in love, huh? But I'm so happy for the both of you. I hope it goes well! Oh, by the way, we should discuss about our plans to meet Su Moye." Feng Jiu said.

Then Yu Xi and Feng Jiu came up with a plan to try to meet him somewhere next Sunday. And then they will convince him to call it off. Feng Jiu thinks it might work because he's a womanizer anyway, and he probably doesn't even like Yu Xi.

----------------------------------------

On the other side, Si Ming and Lian Song were discussing how to get Cheng Yu to soften up.

"Every time we talk, we ended up bickering." Lian Song said.

"That's because you're always spewing nonsense." Si Ming replied calmly.

"Wait. So you think Cheng Yu will like a serious man instead?"

"Of course. Which girl wouldn't like that? A serious and stable man to rely on. That would definitely work."

"Made sense. But I don't know if I could change my joker personality."

Si Ming then nodded his head and replied, "Yeah, it's literally 'Mission Impossible' for you. You're the joke itself."

"Hey! At least I'm funny! Maybe Yu Xi likes a funny guy instead of a serious guy like you?"

"Wait. I never thought of that. Hmm... I really want to know how she feels about me, though."

"How about we try to 'switch personalities'? You became the joker, and I'll become the poker (face). Then we will turn 'Mission Impossible' to 'Mission Possible'."

"Good plan. We will execute 'Mission Impossible' immediately when they get back."

"Yes, Sir!" Lian Song saluted Si Ming, and they both looked towards the kitchen.

Right at this moment, they noticed the three of them walking out, and they were laughing and talking as well.

Lian Song then whispered to Si Ming, "Mission Impossible Round One." Then they both did a low-five under the table.

Lian Song sat up straight and said, "You girls took so long in the kitchen." Then he reminded himself constantly in his mind, "I'm a man of few words. Man of few words."

Si Ming then replied, "It's because they are smokin' hot. You know, because it's smokin' hot in the kitchen." Then he winked at them. Lian Song immediately mentally puked a few times, "Gosh. That cold joke was so horrible. It's even colder than Dong Hua."

The three girls then awkwardly looked at each other, and they all thought to themselves at the same time, "Did Si Ming eat the wrong medicine?"

吃错药 (Eat wrong medicine) is a Mandarin Idiom, and it means "acting strange."

Then they all sat down and continued eating. Lian Song then tried to act serious and manly. He picked up a piece of meat and put it on Cheng Yu's plate again. Then he said coldly, "Have some meat. But it's a little tough to bite. Just like me."

His face remains emotionless and continued eating. Then he turned over to Si Ming and said thoughtfully, "Good dish, and I like it a lot. Thank you, I'm sure it must be tedious to cook this dish."

Si Ming then replied with a flirty tone, "It's tedious because I had to stew it for a long time to allow the pork to have a smooth texture, and it would melt in your mouth. Smooth, just like me. And I'll also melt people's hearts." Then he winked and raised his eyebrows at Lian Song, like how Lian Song always does it to him.

Then the gossip duo continued to keep up their act for a good whole 5 minutes. Lian Song spoke lesser but with a serious tone, and Si Ming kept making more bad cold jokes.

The three girls were extremely confused, and they looked at each other with a puzzled look. Then they went to the kitchen to 'wash their hands.'

"Did the both of them took the wrong medicine?"