My System Forces Me to Live off Women

Chapter 279 242: Three Women, One Show

"Play poker? How about I play you instead?"

Wu Wenyue simply opened the room door, glaring at Li Peifeng.

Li thought to himself, if you want another four-player battle royale, that would be quite an entertaining distraction too.

"Manning, get dressed, let's go out for a meal."

Li Peifeng's suggestion to play poker was ignored. Wu Wenyue suggested getting some late-night snacks since she and Xu Manning hadn't had dinner due to overtime. Huang Tianxuan had eaten, but she also agreed.

Li Peifeng had no reason to object. He was more than happy for the three girls to sit together for a meal, hoping it would warm up their feelings, bringing his dream closer. Thus, Li Peifeng suggested going out for skewers and barbecue.

"Let's set off then."

There were quite a few restaurants near the neighborhood. The four did not drive but walked to a charcoal grill barbecue shop. The place wasn't large and was somewhat hard to find, but the interior was tastefully decorated.

Perhaps because it wasn't summer, there weren't many customers, and the big sister, who was both the owner and waitress, greeted them warmly.

"Please come in, please come in, we serve authentic Jinzhou barbecue here."

The four found a private room on the second floor, took their seats, and placed their orders. The seating was quite particular, with Wu Wenyue sitting in the middle, Huang Tianxuan and Xu Manning on either side of her. Li Peifeng sat alone opposite them.

The waitress asked if they needed anything to drink, and Li Peifeng immediately spoke up.

"Some fresh beer, is there fresh beer?"

"Yes, large glasses." The big sister indicated with her hands, explaining, "Equivalent to two bottles of beer."

Li Peifeng promptly said, "Bring me three large glasses."

Wu Wenyue furrowed her brows slightly, "You're drinking?"

"I haven't had any in a long time, just a little. If you don't drink, I'll have it myself."

This time, Li Peifeng had no ulterior motives; he simply wanted to drink. He'd been staying up working late for the past few days. Though his body didn't feel tired, he needed a little alcohol to ease his mental fatigue.

And Xu Manning, possibly also feeling the recent work pressure, nodded, "Get me a glass too."

Huang Tianxuan hesitated but eventually raised her hand, "Add a glass."

Li Peifeng unpacked the utensils and distributed them, "Yue, you're not drinking? Even Tianxuan, who drove, is having some."

Wu Wenyue pursed her lips, "Bring me a glass then."

"Six glasses of fresh beer? Got it!"

The big sister hurried away.

Li Peifeng looked forward to it. Although he dined earlier with Zhao Qingge, he digested fast, and it had been a while since he had barbecue. Plus, this time the company was different, so he was delighted. If Old Zhao could join them for barbecue and beer and they could chat away... that would be even better!

There's a saying, no problem can't be solved with a barbecue, and if there is, have two!

Sadly, the table atmosphere wasn't lively; it could be described as subtle. It seemed that this was the first time the three girls sat down for a meal after waking from a dream and discovering their individual relationships with Li Peifeng. They just looked at each other without saying much.

Perhaps it had something to do with him previously sowing division between Wu Wenyue and Xu Manning?

Li Peifeng wasn't sure, but it didn't stop him from trying to liven up the mood:

"Ask what one has? Skewers and beer. But I really crave the white beer brewed by the Nords using white rice and southern grains; that taste is unforgettable. There's also the Knowledgeable Bird from Frosty Snow Highlands, roasted after feathering. The aroma travels a kilometer, and once you have a bite, no other meat within three days will satisfy. The taste is unforgettable."

"..."

The atmosphere became even more subtle. The three girls just stared at him silently.

Li Peifeng paused his speech slightly, then sighed lightly, "Climbing snowy mountains, crossing grasslands, the wind howling, the rain drizzling. The Five Ridges undulated with tiny waves, the imposing Wumeng rolled like a mud ball. You all don't want to mention that dream, but I keep recalling it. Occasionally, fleeting images flash through my mind, filled with the scent of Narnia's earth and the sharpness of ice and snow. Back then, we were full of ambition, leading armies, changing the world in our dreams..."

Wu Wenyue suddenly interrupted, "Do you think that world still exists after we left?"

"Just a dream." Huang Tianxuan and Xu Manning were unwilling to elaborate.

"We remember it, so it exists, but only in our minds."

"..."

The three girls fell into wordless silence, seemingly lost in reminiscence.

Seeing this, Li Peifeng somewhat regretted not wearing perfume today. Next time, if there's such an opportunity, he could definitely wear some and once again enter the dreamworld with the girls, spending more time with them there. Maybe he could truly achieve the dream of uniting five into one.

"Your drinks."

"I'll take these two, thank you."

The big sister entered with the drinks and cold dishes, interrupting the nostalgic atmosphere. Li Peifeng said nothing, only raised his glass, "This meal is on me. I'll go first, cheers to everyone, and to... emotions."

No one clinked glasses with him, Wu Wenyue faintly replied, 'No need, I'll take care of it,' then picked up her chopsticks to start eating. Xu Manning took a small sip on her own, a layer of beer froth clung to her lips, while Huang Tianxuan played with the barbecue dip.

It was quite awkward!

But Li Peifeng didn't mind. As he prepared to drink alone, Huang Tianxuan looked up with a smile, clinking her glass with his, "It seems your emotions are in crisis."

"Without experiencing a few crises, emotions aren't genuine. They're made for breaking the heart."

Huang Tianxuan raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, well said."

Li Peifeng chuckled, "Does that deserve a drink?"

"I'll try my best."

Huang Tianxuan was earnest, taking up her glass and drinking a mouthful, draining a fifth of the beer, her cheeks gaining a sunset-like redness.

Li Peifeng gulped down a third, then hiccupped with satisfaction, "Great!"

Having said so, he reached for some food, eyeing a slice of cucumber. Just as he was about to secure it with his chopsticks, Xu Manning snatched it away.

Li Peifeng's movement paused slightly before he tried grabbing another piece, which Wu Wenyue then took.

Is this a joke?

Li Peifeng snorted quietly, decisively spinning the lazy Susan to move the cold dishes towards him, then scooped half onto his plate, calling out to the outside, "Boss, another plate of smashed cucumbers, extra vinegar. I love it sour."

Xu Manning sneered, "As expected from someone like you, always picking yellow things, your behavior is suggestive, and even your taste in food is based on yellow stuff. Do you like people whose names contain 'Huang'?"

Huang Tianxuan smiled without saying anything, and even Li Peifeng couldn't help laughing, "You already drank too much with just one sip? Where did this come from?"

"Drink up."

Even Wu Wenyue couldn't stand Xu Manning's sarcastic tone and raised her glass to clink with hers.

Bullying Li Peifeng was one thing, but with Huang Tianxuan present, saying things like 'Huang this, Huang that' was akin to pointing fingers. Moreover, after watching Li Peifeng's videos, she couldn't understand why Xu Manning was so upset.

Clearly, Miss Xu, you haven't been honest yourself; you're handsy with Huang Tianxuan, and now you have such a strong reaction over a plate of cucumbers. Are you angry because Li Peifeng has been flirting with Huang Tianxuan, or are you jealous of Huang Tianxuan's ambiguous relationship with Li Peifeng?

It's confusing!

Xu Manning didn't get why Wu Wenyue would look at her with a hint of reproach.

She was simply mocking Li Peifeng while dragging Huang Tianxuan into it; why did Wu Wenyue give her that look? But then again, she did snatch the cucumber Li Peifeng wanted. Clearly, her issue wasn't with what was said about Li Peifeng but rather her dissatisfaction with mentioning Huang Tianxuan?

"Perhaps Li Peifeng was right, maybe Wu Wenyue does have feelings for Huang Tianxuan!!"

Xu Manning didn't want to believe Li Peifeng's instigation, but recalling Wu Wenyue's actions, the laughter shared in the master bedroom, and their intimate relationship in the dream...

The more Xu Manning thought, the angrier she became. Holding her glass, she stood and went over to sit beside Li Peifeng, her voice neither loud nor soft, "Move closer to me, I'm cold."

"Cold? From drinking beer? It's room temperature though."

Li Peifeng was puzzled. Though it was late autumn, the room was air-conditioned. The moment they entered, the girls removed their coats. The indoor temperature was at least 25, 26 degrees, quite comfortable, not at all cold.

Seeing no response from him, Xu Manning directly scooted her chair over and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on Li Peifeng's shoulder. Looking at Wu Wenyue and Huang Tianxuan across from her, she whispered, "Just cold."