Four people sat around the dining table, enjoying the delectable food Rick prepared.

Jax was the one who relished the meal the most, "Rick's culinary skills are awe-inspiring. It's been a long time since I've had such a delicious meal. I make something simple or eat out, which often leaves me with an upset stomach. Today's meal felt like home. Rick, for this lavish feast, I toast to you."

At that moment, Jax was unconcerned about his appearance. He had removed his suit, wearing only a pink shirt with the top buttons undone, revealing his sharply defined collarbone, causing Lacey to drool.

Like the girl next door, Carol ate with particular restraint, well-behaved and considerate. She occasionally served food to Rick and Lacey, acting like the house hostess.

When she caught Lacey ogling Jax's neckline, Carol nudged her with an elbow and whispered, "Watch your image, especially in front of your crush. It's quite unbecoming to lose your composure."

Lacey smiled awkwardly and quickly stuffed a piece of crispy pork into her mouth.

"Thanks to Carol's help today, this meal tastes even better," Rick said, pointing to one of the dishes. "Look at how finely the vegetables are shredded and the meat is sliced; it's even better than my knife work. You should come over for dinner more often and continue to help me out." Rick looked at Carol earnestly.

"Not bad at all. Can I also come over often? Eating alone is just too boring," Jax chimed in.

"No problem. Let's set a rule: everyone comes to my house for dinner every Friday night. Do you all agree?" Rick looked around at everyone.

"Agreed!" Lacey and Jax said in unison.

Lacey thought to herself, 'Once you've eaten my brother's cooking, you won't be able to escape from my grasp. Hehe!'

Carol blushed and replied, "I'll follow my brother's lead." Lacey gave her a peculiar look as if to say, 'Playing innocent in front of my brother again'.

"Great, then it's settled," Rick raised his glass to celebrate the agreement, and everyone raised their drinks to toast and drank in unison.

Time flew by, and the table was nearly cleared by eight o'clock in the evening. In a hurry to return to his live broadcast, Rick didn't linger.

After Carol left, Rick busied himself with his work while Lacey returned to her room and opened the app on her phone. At that moment, Jax's live broadcast had already begun.

"Good evening, everyone; welcome to tonight's live broadcast. Let me first tell you what I did this evening," Jax started, captivating the fans joining the livestream.

"Tonight, the chairman of the Candy Group, Rick, invited me to his house for a family dinner. Rick's sweets are not only delectable, but his cooking is also fantastic. I had a full meal and even drank two glasses of white wine. If I say anything inappropriate tonight, it's surely the alcohol speaking; please forgive me." Though Jax's thoughts were clear, his words were somewhat slurred from the wine.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

On the chat screen: "Hubby, is that the boss of the company you endorse? His lollipops are amazing, and you can enjoy them while listening to music... Didn't you visit there before? Why again? I remember a planner called Lacey... Is this Lacey related to Rick's house? Hubby, are you seeing that little planner again?"

Oops! The topic was about to shift, and the mood was veering off course!

Jax, feeling a bit dizzy, suddenly became alert, his forehead breaking out in a sweat, tinged with the smell of alcohol. He needed to shift their attention quickly.

"Alright, friends! Next, I'll share a bit about my friend John's romantic experiences. I think the ladies will be interested. If you want to hear it, type 1; if not, type 2," he said, extending his index finger towards the camera, which immediately caused a frenzy among his female fans.

On the chat screen: "1...1...1... Such beautiful hands, I like them... Hubby's fingers are so long... Longer than my boyfriend's... Something's off... I'm licking the screen... Gross..."

Watching the chat, Lacey felt discomfort at the fan's agitated behaviour despite her heart subtly fluttering.

Seizing the opportunity, Jax began his story, "That year, John was a junior in college, and he fell for a junior girl. With his conditions, he knew winning the girl's heart was impossible. So, what should he do?"

His sly eyes

turned towards the camera, tossing the question to the online audience to see what ideas they would come up with.

Sure enough, the chat screen began to fill with bizarre fan suggestions: "Definitely send flowers! A bouquet every day to see if she's moved... To cliché, I'd leave a love letter on her desk daily... Even more cliché, I'd give her different snacks every day... Unoriginal, why not 'accidentally' bump into her, play the hero, show some vulnerability..."

Seeing the increasingly outlandish suggestions on the screen, he shook his head, "John swore not to be a lapdog, so he decided to take a more indirect approach, starting with becoming friends with the people around her. His first step was to befriend her."

On the chat screen: "I hadn't thought of that... Now I see why so many men dislike their women having male best friends... Oh my! My male best friend isn't someone like John, is he?... I still prefer a male best friend over a boyfriend; at least he genuinely adores me... Please, share your story..."

"Adding her as a friend wasn't difficult. He joined a group she was in and successfully added her on WeChat. He then engaged her in interesting conversations, helped her with her problems, shared her happiness and comforted her in her sadness, never mentioning his feelings."

On the chat screen: "So strategic... Isn't this just a secret crush?... I think it's perfect, I have such a male best friend... That's how he won me over..."

"The happy days passed quickly, and she eventually found a boyfriend, something John had anticipated. He continued to genuinely care for her genuinely, even helping her choose gifts for her boyfriend. Some might think he's despicable, but he believed in the motto 'To be the ultimate, one must be the most humble'."

On the chat screen: "Truly shameless... He's so good at enduring... A man who achieves great things doesn't sweat the small stuff... Isn't he just a lapdog?... No, it's different; lapdogs end up losers; John must have succeeded... I love being adored like that... Sorry, wrong chat room..."

Jax ignored the comments and continued, "If heaven has feelings, it too grows old; if a person harbours feelings, they eventually wane. After a heated romance, the boyfriend began to cool towards the girl. Distressed, she turned to John for comfort. He tactfully spoke on behalf of her boyfriend, citing reasons like being busy with exams and campus activities. In the end, he managed to cheer her up."

On the chat screen: "Such magnanimity... John has a great vision... A man like that is 'big' in every way... Be more specific about where he's 'big'... I have firsthand experience, but it's inconvenient to say..."