A little over a month later, Qiu Xi and the others welcomed Ni Xue.
"Little Xi, have you finalized your bridesmaids?" Ni Xue asked Qiu Xi as soon as she arrived.
"Yes, they're all set," Qiu Xi nodded. "It's you, Tang Tang, and Shen Yan and Song Daiyao from here."
"They're all people you know."
"As for the groomsmen, Nan Hua said it would be his three brothers, plus Yan Yan's boyfriend."
"It's good that it's settled," Ni Xue breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, they were all people she had met at least once.
"Oh, right. Tang Tang isn't too familiar with everyone. I told Nan Hua that we'll have an outdoor barbecue in a while so everyone can get together and get acquainted first."
"That sounds great!"
"Will it be at your place?"
"Yes, we have enough space, and my family will be here. It'll be lively with more people."
"That's wonderful!" Ni Xue smiled after hearing this.
"I haven't tasted your cooking in so long. I'll have to eat my fill then."
"Sure, I'll definitely satisfy you!"
"That's more like it."
"..."
As they talked, the two had already returned home.
"Little Snowflake!"
"We've been waiting for you!"
As soon as she entered, Hua Linglong rushed over.
"Me too, but I couldn't help it. I've had a lot of things to deal with since graduating!"
The current timing was something she had managed to squeeze out.
"It's alright, it's good that you're here."
"We're sleeping together tonight, we have so much to talk to you about!"
"Okay, no problem~"
...
Two weeks later, at the Qiu family home—
"Little Xi, are these ingredients enough?" Qiu Dad helped his daughter prepare the ingredients for the evening barbecue.
"I think they're enough. We just need to get some more drinks," Qiu Xi surveyed them carefully.
"Alright, I'll go get them."
"Dad, take Little Pigeon with you. Let him be your labor." Qiu Xi reminded him.
"Little Pigeon has been cooped up in his room since he got back a couple of times. It'll be good for you to take him out for a stroll."
Qiu Dad replied heartily after hearing this, "Alright, I'll take him with me."
"Okay."
After Qiu Dad left, Qiu Xi was organizing the sauces in the kitchen.
For a barbecue, besides good grilling skills, the sauce is also a crucial element that adds a lot of flavor.
"Little Xi, is there anything we can do?" Hua Linglong and the others couldn't sit still watching Qiu Xi go in and out.
"You can't help much with what I'm doing, but you can help with skewering the ingredients. You can handle the large basin placed outside," Qiu Xi pointed.
"We can do that!"
"Go ahead."
The family worked busily for most of the afternoon and finally prepared everything needed.
"Alright, let's rest a bit. We can eat tonight."
"Okay~" Hua Linglong, shaking her slightly sore arm, collapsed onto the sofa.
"I'll just sit here for a while, it's not much longer anyway."
"Mm."
At 7 PM, the Qiu residence truly came alive with excitement.
"Sister Xi, long time no see!" Zhao Huasheng, as usual, greeted them with a smile.
Yun Yi and Ling Shengyi, following behind, smiled and nodded gently.
"It has been a long time. Daiyao and the others are inside, you guys go join them," Qiu Xi replied with a smile, gesturing for them to head to the backyard. She was too busy to even turn around properly.
"Then Sister Xi, you go ahead and do your thing. We're going now," Zhao Huasheng also noticed her situation, so he immediately headed towards the back after speaking.
Nan Hua was the last to arrive. As soon as he entered, he saw Qiu Xi and took the items from her hands.
"I'll take them."
"Okay," Qiu Xi didn't refuse and let go of the items.
"How much more is there?"
"Everything else is in the back. When people need it, they can get it themselves," Qiu Xi pointed towards the kitchen nearby.
"Okay."
"Then shall we two go over as well?"
"Of course!"
"When Zhao Huasheng and the others arrived, I had already finished organizing. This is the last batch to take over, and you can start working on it as soon as you get there," Qiu Xi said.
"Then let's go."
"Mm."
...
"Hey, the two protagonists are here, come over quickly." Song Daiyao stood next to Zhao Huasheng and started to tease.
Qiu Xi smiled without a word and walked past Nan Hua.
"Song Daiyao, you're still the one who loves to stir things up!"
"I... I'm just so-so." Song Daiyao quickly conceded.
At this moment, Qiu Dad walked over from the area where the elders were gathered. "You kids can eat whatever you like. If you need anything, go get it from the back. If you don't know, just ask me..."
"Got it, thank you, Uncle Qiu!"
"Uncle Qiu, you've worked hard!"
"Uncle Qiu..."
"Hahahahaha~" The praise made Qiu Dad so happy he could only laugh heartily.
"It's my pleasure, my pleasure. You all enjoy your meal!"
"Okay..."
After Qiu Dad left, the younger people gradually relaxed and enthusiastically started working at the barbecue grill.
"Ah Hua, you watch this. I'll go over there to see," Qiu Xi pointed to where Qiu Dad and the others were.
"I'll watch, you go,"
"Okay." As she spoke, Qiu Xi walked over with two plates of grilled skewers she had made.
"Little Xi, why have you come over?"
"To bring you some food~" Qiu Xi smiled and lifted the plates in her hands.
"Here, Grandpa, Grandma, and Master, Granny Li, please eat these. I grilled them specially for you."
"Mom and Dad, you eat too."
"Alright, we elders are sitting here, do you think we'd lack food? You youngsters go have fun."
"Exactly, you're disturbing us old folks with your chatter."
Qiu Xi smiled upon hearing this, "Understood~ I'll leave now."
Clearly, they didn't want her to stay with them, fearing she would be bored...
Qiu Xi left after staying for a while.
"Little Xi, come try my skills!"
"And mine too!"
As soon as Qiu Xi returned, Song Daiyao and Hua Linglong each handed her a skewer of grilled food.
Qiu Xi took them dazed, "What are you doing?"
"It's nothing. We just want you to evaluate our skills."
"That's it?" Qiu Xi asked uncertainly.
The two nodded, "Yes! That's it!"
After hearing this, Qiu Xi looked at the skewers in her hands.
The one in her left hand, from Song Daiyao, looked good, with all the necessary components.
The one in her right hand, from Hua Linglong, was slightly charred, but there was no burnt smell.
"Then I'll try them."
"Mm!" The two watched Qiu Xi as she took a bite, their eyes wide open.
"..." The others nearby watched silently.
"This... it seems a little undercooked?" Qiu Xi looked at Song Daiyao.
After taking a sip of water, she then bit into Hua Linglong's skewer, "It's incredibly salty... and has a strange burnt taste..."
"......"
After swallowing, Qiu Xi looked at the two, "You two aren't trying to prank me, are you?"
"...Uh, Little Xi, we absolutely are not!"
"That's right, tell us, whose grilled skewer is tastier?"
"Neither is very good!" Qiu Xi put down the two skewers and shook her head.
She couldn't bring herself to take a second bite...
"If you have to compare, you two are equally bad."
The two were speechless...
They hadn't expected this outcome...
"What's with these two?" Qiu Xi casually picked up a nearby grilled skewer and turned to ask the sisters behind her.
"It's nothing."
"They're having a competition, saying whoever wins tonight gets to eat the other's grilled skewers..." Liang Yunfei explained to Qiu Xi, suppressing a smile.
Qiu Xi was speechless...
She felt that she had inadvertently helped them create a tie just now.
"No way!"
"This taste, they wouldn't have done it on purpose, would they?" Qiu Xi realized.
"Cough, cough, well... perhaps."
Remembering the scene of the two whispering and deliberately cooking disaster food, Liang Yunfei and the others couldn't help but giggle.
Qiu Xi was speechless...
"Song Daiyao! Hua Linglong!"
Qiu Xi, with a dark expression, walked over...
Then, bursts of laughter echoed from behind.
"Hahahahaha~"