179: Food Wars

Ding Xinyang, with his wound bandaged, sat in a chair, watching Lu Chuan constantly scolding He Jingrui, his expression momentarily strange.

From his perspective at that moment, this was the scene before him:

The tall and muscular double-door refrigerator—no, the double-door man—was sitting obediently in a chair like a primary school student, showing neither impatience nor rebuttal, just occasionally scratching his head and chuckling foolishly.

Meanwhile, a head shorter than the man, a handsome and elegant young man stood with one hand on his hip, the other pointing at the man, frowning and lecturing non-stop, even occasionally threatening, "No late-night snacks for you."

It was so out of place... but he couldn't pinpoint why... Ding Xinyang stared blankly.

Until,

"I'm really sorry, I scared you! I apologize to you on his behalf!"

Lu Chuan walked up to Ding Xinyang and said with an apologetic expression.

Ding Xinyang snapped back to reality and quickly waved his hand.

"You're exaggerating, you're exaggerating. I fell by myself, it has nothing to do with him. In fact, I should thank you two for bandaging my wound!"

Seeing how easygoing the person in front of him was, Lu Chuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

When doing business outside, harmony is key to prosperity.

It's best not to get into disputes with others, after all, one more friend means one less enemy.

Just then, a rumbling sound like thunder from a stomach clearly echoed between the two.

Lu Chuan looked over in surprise and saw Ding Xinyang awkwardly covering his stomach.

He paused, then immediately reacted and chuckled:

"Perfect, we were just about to have some late-night snacks. If you don't mind, would you like to join us?"

Hearing this, Ding Xinyang instinctively wanted to decline, but the aroma of food wafting from the restaurant made it impossible for him to speak.

After all, if he opened his mouth, saliva would surely drip out.

Lu Chuan smiled, then told Ding Xinyang to wait a moment, and called He Jingrui to go inside and bring out the dishes.

Before long, the table was filled with a lavish spread of dishes, making Ding Xinyang's eyes widen.

"No, are your late-night snacks always this extravagant?"

A huge basin of garlic-flavored crayfish, glistening roasted chicken, crispy grilled fish covered with green and red peppers, dark brown steak slightly oozing reddish juice... The food presentation, comparable to a magazine cover, coupled with the exquisite plating surpassing a Michelin three-star restaurant, already made Ding Xinyang swallow his saliva frantically.

Not to mention the alluring aroma wafting into his nose in waves, which almost drove him crazy with hunger.

Having lived this long, Ding Xinyang shed tears for food for the first time.

As Lu Chuan just sat down, he saw Ding Xinyang covering his mouth, his eyes welling up with tears, and couldn't help but ask in surprise.

"Are you alright?"

Ding Xinyang's eyes were red, his gaze never leaving the food on the table.

Hearing Lu Chuan's question, he slowly shook his head and replied:

"N-no... no, boo hoo hoo, I'm fine... I'm just... just too touched!"

Lu Chuan's mouth couldn't help but twitch. He gently pushed the grilled fish closest to Ding Xinyang towards him.

"Uh... then eat more, don't be shy."

Although Ding Xinyang was eager to start eating immediately, he still felt a bit embarrassed, feeling like he was taking a huge advantage, so he said:

"Boss, how about I pay according to the restaurant's prices, otherwise I..."

Before he could finish, Lu Chuan waved his hand, interrupting him.

"It's fine, just adding an extra pair of chopsticks. Hurry and eat, the food won't be good if it gets cold. Besides, if you don't start quickly, be careful you won't get enough to eat later ~"

"Huh?"

Ding Xinyang didn't understand what Lu Chuan meant by the latter part of his sentence. Just as he was about to ask, he suddenly felt a murderous aura emanating from his left side, and his arm immediately broke out in goosebumps reflexively.

What's going on?

Ding Xinyang looked over in surprise and saw He Jingrui, who was sitting on his left, transform as if he were a different person after hearing Lu Chuan say "start eating." His eyes blazed with light, and a cold, majestic aura surged towards the food on the table.

And then, there was no 'then'.

The entire table of food was disappearing at a visible rate.

"!!!"

Ding Xinyang finally understood what Lu Chuan's words meant.

"No!!!"

He no longer cared about whether he was taking advantage or not. He anxiously picked up his chopsticks and reached for the grilled fish.

However, he grabbed nothing, the tip of his chopsticks making intimate contact with the smooth, bare porcelain plate.

"???"

Ding Xinyang watched helplessly as the tail of the grilled fish disappeared into He Jingrui's mouth.

Only then did he realize the seriousness of the situation. He immediately changed targets and reached for the roasted chicken.

Again, he grabbed nothing.

The oil stains from the roasted chicken dripped onto the plate in front of He Jingrui, as if telling Ding Xinyang that this was the last trace the roasted chicken left in this world.

"?! !!!"

No, buddy! Are you a glutton?!

Clatter. (Sound of chopsticks being dropped)

Two misses had already proven how useless chopsticks were in this high-stakes game.

Ding Xinyang no longer held back. His eyes, for the first time, were so resolute. He reached out and grabbed for the steak furthest from He Jingrui.

But... his vision blurred, and his nose seemed to catch the aroma of the steak flying through the air.

Was that the steak calling for his help?

No! This is too much!

Again and again, Ding Xinyang was furious!

From elementary school to middle school, then high school, and finally university, Ding Xinyang, who was always the first to appear in the cafeteria and had won the title of "unrivaled food grabber" multiple times, felt his dignity deeply trampled!

Since he couldn't compete in speed, he would change his strategy!

Grilled fish, roasted chicken, steak were all single targets; whoever grabbed them first, got them.

Therefore, he would launch a swift attack on the crayfish.

An entire large basin, I don't believe you can pour it all into your mouth at once!

Ding Xinyang's gaze was firm. He reached out and grabbed for the large basin of crayfish.

As long as he could grab one, he wouldn't be completely defeated in this food- 搶食 battle!

Just one!

Just one!!

Closer, closer! The tip of his longest middle finger could already feel the warmth of the crayfish!

Ding Xinyang's face couldn't help but break into a smile. Feeling confident of victory, he couldn't resist glancing at He Jingrui.

And it was this distracted glance that led to a major mistake.

He saw He Jingrui grab a steak with one hand and swallow it whole, while the other hand shot out with lightning speed, pulling the entire basin of crayfish in front of him, then lifting it above his head with a single hand.

Ah ~

His mouth opened wide, and one by one, the crayfish eagerly lined up and jumped in.

Unbelievable!!!

Ding Xinyang watched this scene, his eyes splitting with rage.

He was just 0.1 seconds away from grabbing the crayfish!

No, no, calm down, I need to calm down!

Ding Xinyang took a deep breath, forcing his reason, which had been swallowed by frustration and anger, to return.

Then, he looked at He Jingrui, who was busy eating crayfish, and suddenly his eyes lit up, realizing that his chance for revenge had come!