Dex Restaurant.
After texting Bianca to confirm her arrival time, Dexter calculated the prep time and got to work using the "Master-level Hui Cuisine" skill he had drawn earlier.
The Hui culinary repertoire was massive. Obviously, he couldn't make everything. If he did, he and Bianca would never finish it all.
He planned to pick a few signature dishes to cook up properly so he and Bianca could have a nice, hearty meal tonight.
After this, later in the night, he'd be taking Bianca and Carl to the Caribbean Sea.
Once they left, they wouldn't be back for a while. More importantly, in that pirate-infested world, the food options were going to be garbage.
So, tonight's meal was essentially a preemptive consolation prize.
Time flew by.
Unfamiliar, tantalizing aromas began to waft out of the kitchen.
Vivian, Veronica, and Mandy, who spent every day there, had developed keen noses. They immediately sniffed the air, sensing something unusual.
"That smells like a new dish. Why didn't the boss mention anything?" Veronica asked Vivian instinctively.
Vivian's bright eyes darted around for a second before the answer clicked. She giggled. "He probably wants to enjoy it with Bianca first."
"..." Veronica was rendered speechless. The air suddenly felt thick with the sickly-sweet stench of romance. It was suffocating.
Mandy, on the other hand, was green with envy. Her eyes shimmered with longing.
Such a sweet romance.
I want that so bad.
Mandy thought, her heart filled with yearning.
A short while later.
Dexter walked out of the kitchen carrying two covered dishes. He set them on an empty table, then turned and went back to the kitchen to keep working.
There were still some customers in the restaurant. Seeing this, they all craned their necks, dying to know what was under those lids.
"Should we take a peek?"
"Probably not a good idea."
"Just looking, not eating."
"..."
"Ahem," Vivian heard them and gave a loud, fake cough, smiling widely. "That is a special dinner made exclusively for the boss's lady. Don't even think about it, or the boss will get mad."
The customers: "..."
Envy, jealousy, and hate.
These days, the atmosphere in Dex Restaurant was generally very warm and welcoming. This was mostly because the clientele were regulars, and both the staff and the owner were easygoing.
7:00 PM.
Bianca walked into Dex Restaurant.
Vivian saw her and immediately chirped, ushering Bianca to the reserved table. "Bianca! The boss made a bunch of new dishes just for you. Open them up and let me see! I don't even know what they look like yet."
Hearing this, Bianca felt a surge of joy. She beamed, but being thin-skinned, she also blushed crimson. She didn't know what to say, so she just nodded softly. "Okay."
One by one, the lids were lifted.
Dishes that no one in the restaurant had ever seen before were revealed. Instantly, a mouth-watering aroma exploded into the air, practically assaulting everyone's senses.
To the side, Mandy took a deep, instinctive breath. She felt like Dexter was spoiling Bianca rotten.
Is this what a good relationship looks like?
Before seeing Dexter and Bianca up close, Mandy had never witnessed a healthy relationship. She hadn't even imagined love could look like this. She had always been the one humbly trying to please whatever guy was willing to be with her, never once daring to think she deserved to be spoiled or cherished...
Now?
Something in Mandy's brain was shifting.
Mandy wanted to be like Bianca. She wanted it so badly.
Environment really can change a person, can't it?
Just then, Dexter walked out carrying two bowls of rice. He smiled at Bianca. "I made all of this for you. You're responsible for finishing it."
Bianca's eyes crinkled with laughter. She shook her head firmly. "No way!"
---
Night had fallen.
Frank pushed Peggy in her wheelchair toward the Gallagher house.
Carl walked alongside them, happily munching on an ice cream cone he'd bought with his own money.
They arrived at the front steps.
"Carl, get the wheelchair up," Frank said, patiently helping Peggy stand up.
"Okay," Carl agreed. Chomp, chomp, chomp—he demolished the rest of the ice cream in three bites, then grabbed the wheelchair and hauled it up the stairs.
Moments later, the three of them entered the house.
Fiona, Lip, and Karen were sitting on the couch watching TV.
Naturally, Lip and Karen were cuddled up together, while Fiona sat a bit of a distance away.
The moment they saw Peggy, Fiona and Lip's faces twisted with distinct disgust.
Peggy, being an old fox, saw it immediately. She let out a dry chuckle. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just going to eat a little something. I'm paying for it."
Hearing that, Fiona and Lip gritted their teeth in anger.
Carl's eyes went wide. He was confused. His little brain couldn't process why Grandma had to pay to eat dinner in her own family's house.
Frank was actually quite sharp.
In fact, when it came to reading people, Frank was far superior to Lip. Frank just chose to be a shameless scumbag.
Frank immediately saw that Peggy was intentionally provoking Fiona and Lip, and that the kids were pissed. He thought for a second and decided to play peacemaker—mostly to score brownie points with Peggy.
"Fiona, Lip, what's with the faces?"
"She is your biological grandmother. Come on, don't just stand there. Let's eat. I'm starving..."
He didn't get to finish.
"Frank, shut up!" Lip barked, cutting him off aggressively.
Fiona couldn't stand seeing Frank and Lip go at each other's throats. Hearing the conflict, she put aside her disgust for Peggy and quickly stood up. "Alright, let's go to the kitchen."
Then, Fiona yelled up the stairs. "Ian! Dinner!"
Upstairs, Ian was sitting on the toilet in the bathroom. His eyes were red; he'd been crying for a while. Hearing the shout, he took a deep breath and called back, "Coming!"
He gritted his teeth, stood up, turned on the tap, splashed cold water on his face, and slowly walked downstairs.
Seeing his state, both Fiona and Lip could tell immediately that Ian had been crying.
"What's wrong?" Fiona asked with concern.
Ian shook his head. "Nothing. Let's eat."
Everyone in the Gallagher house had their own baggage. Since Ian didn't want to talk, Fiona didn't push it.
Lip didn't say anything either. He was still pissed at Ian and couldn't be bothered to deal with him.
And so.
Seven Gallaghers, plus Karen—who had basically brazenly invited herself to stay—sat around the table and started dinner.
For a while, no one spoke. They just ate in silence. The atmosphere was incredibly weird.
It didn't have a shred of the "family vibe" Fiona wanted.
It felt more like a group of strangers forced to share a meal at a shelter.
Fiona hated it. After thinking for a moment, she decided to force some conversation. "Ian, Carl, Lip and I are planning to visit Debbie tomorrow. You guys should come too."
"Nope," Carl refused without a second of hesitation.
Ian, whose lovesickness was practically terminal at this point, had zero energy for it. "I have things to do tomorrow. Can't make it."
Just then, Frank piped up, his mouth full of food. "Where did Debbie go?"
Fiona: "..."
Lip's forehead vein bulged. He snapped. "!!!!!"
Eat? My ass!
To hell with this dinner!