"Holy crap, he found a girlfriend this beautiful? That's just unfair!"
Zhang Peng's eyes were wide with disbelief as he whispered to himself.
As soon as he spoke, a sharp gaze was fixed on him.
Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan also looked at him with playful smiles.
"Ahem!"
Zhang Peng cleared his throat, skillfully putting on a fawning smile. "Jiajia, she's pretty, but definitely not as pretty as you, right? What I mean is, Hao Ge isn't good enough for her!"
"Why isn't he good enough? They look so well-matched. You just talk too much."
Tian Jiajia rolled her eyes at him exasperatedly.
Zhang Peng chuckled dryly and said no more.
"Hao Ge!"
As the couple approached, Qin Tian called out, raising his arm.
Seeing him, Xu Hao grinned and quickly walked over with his girlfriend.
"You guys are already here. Sorry, sorry, I was picking up my girlfriend from work, so I'm a little late."
After apologizing, Xu Hao first introduced his girlfriend, then introduced Qin Tian and the other three one by one.
His girlfriend was named Li Hui, an elementary school Chinese teacher, currently working at a primary school in Yucheng.
After getting acquainted, they all sat down.
The waiter brought the menu, and they passed it to Li Hui to order.
"Hao Ge, tell us, how did you two meet?"
Qin Tian nudged his chin, smiling as he asked for everyone.
Zhang Peng remained unconvinced, still wearing a look of disbelief.
Xia Nuannuan and Tian Jiajia, on the other hand, looked at Xu Hao with curiosity and sparkling eyes.
Li Hui smiled gently at Xu Hao, not rushing to speak, and began selecting dishes on the menu.
"I told you during Lunar New Year, didn't I? My family arranged a blind date, and I couldn't refuse, so I went to meet her."
Xu Hao said, scratching his head with a smile.
Zhang Peng's lips twitched slightly. He glanced at Li Hui, then at Xu Hao, feeling a bit dejected.
Originally, the four of them were paired up, and they could have teased Xu Hao, the single dog.
But now, Xu Hao had unexpectedly delivered such a huge surprise without a word.
"Then, then what?"
Xia Nuannuan chimed in, asking like a curious baby.
"Then, unexpectedly, we hit it off really well. Don't let her appearance fool you, she's a teacher but also plays League of Legends, and plays quite well. Later, I occasionally invited her to play games together, and we'd meet up for meals and chats. That's how we got together."
As Xu Hao spoke, a happy smile appeared on his face.
Xia Nuannuan and Tian Jiajia looked at Li Hui with similar smiles.
"Sister-in-law, what made you fall for him?"
Zhang Peng suddenly interjected.
"Zhang Peng!"
Tian Jiajia frowned and scolded him.
"It's okay, it's okay."
Li Hui waved her hand with a smile, gently pushed the menu to Tian Jiajia, and said, "It was probably our first meeting. I just felt he was a good person. He might seem a bit carefree, but he's very sincere and interesting in how he treats people."
"As teachers, we don't easily judge a student's character based on their appearance. We're used to seeing the essence behind the phenomenon. Xu Hao is a really good person."
"Heh heh..."
Hearing this, Xu Hao chuckled foolishly.
"Alas, it makes no sense!"
Zhang Peng couldn't help but mumble quietly again.
"Zhang Peng, what did you say?"
Xu Hao hadn't heard clearly and asked with a confused expression.
"Nothing."
Zhang Peng's expression turned serious, and he decisively pretended to be oblivious.
"He just saw you guys and said that sister-in-law is very beautiful, and Hao Ge isn't good enough for her."
Qin Tian slyly "stabbed" Zhang Peng with a smile.
"Zhang Peng, you scoundrel!!"
Xu Hao glared at him angrily.
Zhang Peng picked up his cup, lowered his head to drink tea, and feigned not hearing.
"Hao Ge, don't listen to his nonsense. You two are very well-matched."
Tian Jiajia quickly spoke up to defend them.
Xu Hao glanced at her, pouted, and said, "Forget it. For your sake, sister-in-law, I can't be bothered to argue with this guy."
Tian Jiajia breathed a sigh of relief, glared irritably at Zhang Peng, and warned him with her eyes to shut up.
At this moment, Xu Hao changed the subject:
"However, Zhang Peng, what you said, although unpleasant, isn't entirely wrong. I also feel like I'm not good enough for Hui Hui. After all, I didn't even finish university. She's a graduate of a top-tier university, and she's a teacher..."
"Xu Hao, why are you saying this again?"
Li Hui frowned slightly at Xu Hao and interrupted him.
"Okay, okay, I won't say it anymore. My mistake."
Xu Hao immediately apologized with a smile.
Qin Tian and the other three watched this scene and felt even happier for the couple.
Even Zhang Peng, despite his joking remark, genuinely wished them well.
Soon, everyone had ordered. They chose two pots of crayfish with different flavors, various grilled skewers, and some beer and soft drinks.
After the waiter took the order and left, the group continued to chat.
As a pot of crayfish and drinks were delivered, Xu Hao unexpectedly dropped another bombshell.
He announced that he and Li Hui were planning to get married by the end of the year.
This news stunned Qin Tian and the other three. They were all speechless, staring at the couple in astonishment.
"There's no need to be so surprised. I'm already twenty-five, and my family is urging me. Since I've found the right person, getting married is the right thing to do, isn't it?"
Xu Hao said with a smile.
Li Hui, sitting beside him, didn't say anything, but her face radiated happiness.
"No more words, let's all clink glasses. Congratulations to Hao Ge and sister-in-law!"
Qin Tian immediately picked up a bottle of beer and looked around at everyone with a smile.
"Congratulations, congratulations."
Xia Nuannuan raised a glass of juice and offered her blessings with a bright smile.
"Congratulations Hao Ge, congratulations sister-in-law! You must invite us to the wedding!"
Tian Jiajia said with a smile, raising her glass.
"Of course! You all must come. I won't accept it if you don't."
Xu Hao laughed heartily.
"My goodness, Hao Ge, your progress is too rapid! The surprise came too suddenly, my brain can't keep up."
Zhang Peng wore a look of speechlessness.
"Less nonsense, come on, let's drink!"
Xu Hao shouted.
Beer, barbecue, crayfish, air conditioning, cool mats, and big watermelons – these are the must-have simple joys of a southern summer.
Combined with the surprise Xu Hao brought, the group had a very enjoyable dinner.
They ate from nearly half-past five until eight in the evening, by which time it was completely dark.
Zhang Peng and Xu Hao, who had had a bit too much to drink, argued about who would pay. Qin Tian and the others didn't interfere, sitting there and watching the two perform their comedic routine.
In the end, Zhang Peng secured the privilege of paying for the meal. He pulled out some bills from his pocket and handed them to the owner to settle the bill, generously waving his hand and saying they didn't need any change.
As a result, he received a death stare from Tian Jiajia, chiding him for spending money so carelessly.
The owner, being perceptive, discreetly handed the change to Tian Jiajia.