Jiang Cheng picked up his phone and shot Wang Jian a message telling the guys to start without him.
Wang Jian instantly replied that the kitchen here was notoriously slow, so Jiang Cheng shouldn't rush.
"Big Brother Jiang Cheng, I want foie gras…"
"Big Brother Jiang Cheng, I want something to drink…"
"…"
Seeing the two adults stay silent, Anni rolled her eyes and, quick as a flash, tugged Jiang Cheng's arm for feeding duty.
"Anni, let Mummy feed you, all right?"
"No, I want Big Brother Jiang Cheng," she said, clutching his hand and swinging it side to side in a cutesy plea.
"Fine, fine, little ancestor." Helpless, Jiang Cheng picked up her child-size fork and speared a perfectly plated piece of foie gras.
An Xin watched them with a grin, then asked Jiang Cheng, "By the way, which university are you at?"
"Modu University of Economics and Trade," Jiang Cheng answered.
An Xin nodded. "Good school. If I remember right, it ranks within the national top two-hundred—pretty solid."
Jiang Cheng shrugged. "The campus is nice, but none of the majors excited me, so I just picked the common one—finance."
An Xin nodded again. "I know the president there; if you ever need anything, just say the word."
Jiang Cheng didn't refuse. "Great—thanks, Sister An."
The moment he said it, An Xin's hand, lifting her red wine, paused mid-air.
Setting the glass down, she touched her smooth cheek and asked, a little gloomily, "Jiang Cheng, do you think I'm old?"
Jiang Cheng sensed the shift in her mood and blinked. "Why ask that? You're gorgeous, not old at all—plenty of people your age are just starting out."
"Really? Then why do you keep calling me 'sister'?" An Xin frowned, clearly upset.
Her illogical question left Jiang Cheng speechless.
He knew An Xin was only twenty-five, but he couldn't exactly call her 'little sister,' could he?
Besides, he rarely used 'sister' with her.
Most of the time he just called her by name.
Women—always touchy about age-related titles.
Tonight An Xin felt different: more relaxed, more casual than usual.
In the past she'd carried herself with restraint; this coquettish questioning was new.
Jiang Cheng leaned closer and saw her cheeks flushed, her gaze hazy—tipsy.
Half the bottle of red on the table was gone; realization dawned on him.
"You're drunk. Don't drink any more."
An Xin ignored him and murmured, "Don't call me 'sister' again. I like hearing my name from you."
Jiang Cheng chuckled. "Whatever you like."
Anni kept eavesdropping quietly, never letting go of Jiang Cheng's hand, playing with his fingers the whole time.
She amused herself with his hand.
When it was time, Jiang Cheng told An Xin, "I need to meet my roommates; keeping them waiting too long would be rude."