Chapter 26: Fighting Magic with Magic

As the main group rounded a small bend, an agritainment restaurant with a sign appeared. Conveniently located on the left side of the cycling path, it promised a beautiful lake view for anyone dining there.

"Hey! This place looks great. Let's stop here and take a break!" Zhang Qidong immediately announced in a loud voice.

Pan Yun retorted, "Mr. Zhang, don't be ridiculous. We don't have much money left. You can tell just by looking that this is a commercial establishment. If you and Brother Hui go in there, you’ll definitely end up ordering a feast!"

Yu Hui pointed at the sign: "They have lake shrimp! I really want to try it. Come on, Sister Yun, don't be such a buzzkill. How much can a plate of shrimp cost? At worst, we just won't eat tomorrow. What’s wrong with being hungry for a day?"

Lin Xiaoxian chimed in, "Let's just go. Xu Shujian and the others are already unhappy; are we really going to avoid them just to grab a meal?"

Chen Linye, who had a camera slung across his chest, pointed toward the restaurant entrance: "It looks like Shujian and the others are here too!"

Zhang Qidong didn't care about the others. Ignoring those behind him, he turned straight into the restaurant. A small courtyard greeted them, and they immediately spotted the production crew.

Zhang Qidong looked back at his group: "Come on, follow me! Some people have already started enjoying themselves!"

After parking his bike, he strode toward the dining area. "Well, well! Look at this, I’ve caught you! Three dishes and a soup—goodness, you’ve finished it all?"

As the others filed in, someone from the production team approached the restaurant owner to coordinate. The remaining guest groups quickly gathered around Xu Shujian’s table. Some were swallowing hard, while others, like Pan Yun, frowned.

Pan Yun gestured at the dishes on the table: "My dear, three dishes and a soup for two people—how much did that cost? We only have a thousand yuan total; we can't afford to burn through it like this."

Zhang Qidong raised his hand: "I'm not against spending, I just object to eating alone."

Without a word, Yu Hui plucked a pair of chopsticks from a bamboo holder on the table and began picking at the leftovers: "What are you waiting for? Order! My brother Xu is feeling unwell, can’t we spend a little to treat him?"

Pan Yun shook her head like a rattle: "No way! Miaomiao, Xiaoxian, control your husbands! Are we trying to survive or not?"

Chen Linye tugged at Pan Yun: "It’s fine. Let’s see what everyone thinks. It’s supposed to be communal money anyway, we’re filming a show."

Yu Hui immediately added, "Brother Ye is right. Sometimes you can't be too rigid. Let me tell you, life loses a lot of its fun that way. We still have two more full meals left, right? We can just eat instant noodles tonight. But the fish and shrimp from Qionghai Lake—don't you want to try them?"

Xu Shujian glanced at Yu Hui and Zhang Qidong. Yu Hui was already drinking the leftover soup from the table, and Zhang Qidong had even started browsing the menu.

Xu Shujian, who had originally intended to sit back and watch the drama, found he couldn't stay still. He reached over, grabbed his backpack from a nearby chair, and began taking out the food he had previously stored.

"I think Sister Yun is right. You guys just don't understand her good intentions. Brother Ye, I really envy you for having Sister Yun running the household. A thousand yuan isn't much, and Sister Yun wants to save it to balance our living expenses for the next two days—what’s wrong with that? Brother Hui, Brother Dong, we have to admit her professionalism on this point. I firmly support Sister Yun."

The room went silent, everyone stunned by Xu Shujian's words.

Zhang Qidong looked at him, utterly bewildered. *Wait, buddy, I wasn't even being hard on you about your spending, and now you're lecturing me? I was planning to mediate so we could all eat together and move past this. I thought I was the only one with this level of maturity.*

Yu Hui stared, mouth agape in disbelief. He had been on Xu Shujian’s side since they entered, even going so far as to scavenge the leftovers. He was hungry, sure, but not to that extent. He felt guilty about the earlier delay—it was his, Zhang’s, and Pan’s fault for sleeping in. On the road, he hadn’t defended Pan Yun, and he knew it. He had thought that by joking around, he could smooth things over, and if they all sat down to eat together, he’d earn Brother Xu’s respect.

*Instead, Xu Shujian is siding with Pan Yun? What is going on, brother?*

Ignoring the confused stares, Xu Shujian placed his instant noodles and self-heating hot pot in front of Pan Yun: "Sister Yun, I truly understand you. That’s why we earned some money on the way here. Did you see the old man selling fruit? I put in a lot of effort to convince him to let us help him sell his fruit to earn a bit of extra cash. Then we happened upon this shop, and my wife was starving, so I thought we’d come in and take a look."

"The owner was very enthusiastic, introducing many dishes and insisting we sit down. It was hard to refuse, so we indulged a little. Look, we saved these rations, and I’m handing them to you for safekeeping. With you watching over our funds, I’m sure the next two days will go smoothly. If Brother Hui or I held the money, I wouldn't even dare to imagine the outcome—Brother Hui is impulsive, and I’m too soft-hearted. If you wanted to buy something, I’d never be able to say no."

Beside him, Song Yue lowered her head, her hand unconsciously gripping Xu Shujian’s thigh, squeezing hard. She was desperate to laugh and was trying her best to hold it in.

"Really, Sister Yun, don't take what happened at noon to heart. I’m an impatient person; it's an old habit. I owe you an apology. Please don't dwell on it. I was indeed a bit of a buzzkill, and if that affected everyone, I apologize—especially to you, Sister Yun. Please, let it go."

Xu Shujian’s words were a mix of truth and strategy, delivered with profound sincerity.

At first, Pan Yun had suspected Xu Shujian of being passive-aggressive. But from a different perspective, since they woke up that morning, everyone had more or less disagreed with her spending habits. Even Chen Linye had complained about it on the first day—a slight Pan Yun hadn't truly moved past, even if she hadn't shown it.

Now, Xu Shujian was the first person to speak up in support of her views on consumption—the very thing she took the most pride in. She began to feel that Xu Shujian was actually quite sincere.

Once he apologized, the events of the morning became clearer in her mind. She waved her hands dismissively: "No, no, why are you apologizing? I reflected on it on the road—it was my problem. It’s fine, really. Oh, it’s fate that we’re all together. I understand everyone has different personalities. I was actually planning to apologize to you when we met up. You’re making me feel embarrassed now."

*Clatter...* The spoon Yu Hui was using to drink the soup fell into the large porcelain bowl. He was dumbfounded.

Zhang Qidong’s hand, still clutching the menu, froze in mid-air. He stared at Xu Shujian, stunned. *How... how did this guy steal my lines?*

*Wasn't I supposed to be the one to mediate these conflicts? And just like that... we’re shaking hands and making peace?*

Chen Linye looked from his wife to Xu Shujian, a look of genuine admiration on his face. He even inched closer to Xu Shujian, as if ready to learn a few things.

Lin Xiaoxian’s voice cut through the silence: "You can do that? President Song, did you really earn money yourselves?"

Song Yue looked up: "Ah? Oh, yes. Old Xu just had a sudden whim, and I didn't expect the old man to actually agree."