Watching Jiang Xiaoyao's playful expression, Chen Yuzhe couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.

Fake it till you make it?

Pfft. Give me a break. Get lost.

Jiang Xiaoyao stared at Chen Yuzhe with keen interest, only to meet his slightly disdainful look. Disappointment flickered in her eyes.

"Tch." She pouted and rolled her eyes.

"You're so boring. Never fall for anything. Can't even take a joke."

Hmph. Want me to smile nonstop? ^^

"I'm starving. Can we just eat already?"

"Fine, fine. All you think about is food, pighead."

Jiang Xiaoyao stuck out her tongue and made a silly face at him.

Just as Jiang Xiaoyao said "fake it till you make it," Gu Chengjin noticed Xinyu's body tense up involuntarily.

He took a quiet sip of wine, then raised his glass with a smile.

"Senior, let me toast you."

Though a bit abrupt, dinner toasts were normal. No one sensed anything off.

Chen Yuzhe arched an eyebrow, smiling back. "Alright. Bottoms up."

They clinked glasses. Both downed their drinks.

After the first round, Han Cheng started to stand for a polite toast—but Gu Chengjin had already refilled his glass and lifted it again.

"Senior, another toast."

"Huh?" Han Cheng shot him a surprised glance.

Chen Yuzhe kept smiling. They clinked and drained their glasses once more.

This time, even the slowest at the table felt the tension shift.

Yang Wenjin's eyes widened slightly. Jiang Xiaoyao and Han Cheng exchanged uneasy looks. Xinyu peeked cautiously, glancing between their faces.

Gu Chengjin showed no sign of stopping. He poured more wine, movements firm and decisive.

Before he could speak, Chen Yuzhe cut in smoothly, swirling his glass. "Hey, junior. Just drinking straight is dull. How about a game?"

"A game? What kind?" Gu Chengjin's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Drinking games—Chinese dinner tradition. Oh, sorry!" Chen Yuzhe suddenly clapped a hand to his forehead. "Forgot you studied abroad. Never mind, you probably don't know them. Let's just—"

"No need." Gu Chengjin's voice stayed calm. "I'm Chinese. Never forgot my roots. We follow local rules here. I'd love to learn our drinking games."

"Good." Chen Yuzhe's grin widened. "Plenty of games, but most need groups and tipsy players. Simple ones like finger-guessing get too competitive. No props for dice or cards..." He leaned forward. "Pick one: Fifteen-Twenty or Number Trap. I'll explain."

Gu Chengjin hesitated, then chose the first.

"Rules: Both players show fingers with both hands—0, 5, or 10 per hand. Call out the sum: 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20. Correct caller wins. Loser drinks. Both right? Continue." Chen Yuzhe beamed. "Easy, right?"

Gu Chengjin nodded after a pause.

"Great. Han Cheng and I'll demo." Chen Yuzhe tossed Han Cheng a glass. "Fifteen-twenty—"

"Ten!" Han Cheng growled.

"Zero." Chen Yuzhe said flatly.

Both showed fists—sum zero. Chen Yuzhe won.

Han Cheng slumped, downed his drink, and grumbled, "Damn. Never win against this freak."

Chen Yuzhe turned to Gu Chengjin, smiling faintly. "Questions?"

"None."

"Good. Ready? Fifteen-twenty—"

"Five."

"Five."

Chen Yuzhe spoke first; Gu Chengjin followed. Both showed fists again. No winner. Continue.

"Fifteen-twenty—"

"Twenty."

"Twenty."

Both extended both hands—sum twenty. Both right. Continue.

"Huh?" Han Cheng murmured, expression turning odd.

"Fifteen-twenty—"

"Ten."

"Fifteen." Gu Chengjin spoke last.

Chen Yuzhe showed both hands; Gu Chengjin showed one.

Gu Chengjin won.