"We often hear Xiao Yi mention you at our place, but we've never had a chance to meet. It's not easy to finally sit down for a meal together today!"
Irene Xu covered her mouth and laughed cheerfully, and didn't forget to give Stella Huang beside her a gentle pat with her other hand.
"That's right. Last time, Xiao Yi was just drinking the soup Irene made when you called him away, so we've really been wanting to meet you." Stella Huang chimed in supportively from the side.
Hearing the two of them call Evan 'Xiao Yi' so intimately, Lynn Chen couldn't help but glare fiercely at an innocent-looking Evan Lin, who had been silent this whole time.
But Lynn quickly found her footing and went for the jugular: "Evan mentioned you two before as well. Honestly, I've been looking forward to having a meal with both of you sisters."
"Besides, when Evan lived at my house for several years, he never got close to any girls. I was pretty surprised to hear that his roommates are both women now. But honestly, he has a lot of bad living habits—sorry for all the trouble he's caused you."
Lynn Chen met them head-on, refusing to back down even a bit.
Normally, when facing Evan alone, she might be a little reserved, but now all her restraint was thrown out the window.
"Sisters?"
The moment Lynn called them 'sisters,' Irene Xu's expression was the first to change.
Of everyone at the table, Irene Xu was the oldest. She was beautiful, but her actual age was still a hard fact—an obvious weakness.
If Irene were closer in age to Evan Lin, she probably wouldn't hesitate to put her pride aside and chase after him. But the age gap really troubled her—it was her biggest stumbling block.
Lynn Chen's pointed remark stung Irene Xu a little, even if she didn't show it.
Before Irene could respond, Stella Huang—firmly on Irene's side—took a slow sip of tea and finally spoke up: "Xiao Yi lived at your house for years? We really didn't know that."
"He does have some quirky habits, like forgetting to knock before going to the bathroom. When he first moved in, Irene was showering, and he just opened the door—she didn't even have time to put on her clothes."
Stella Huang spoke with complete seriousness.
The moment she said it, Evan Lin—who'd been sitting quietly, just waiting for the food—felt a jolt inside.
It was true, but back then Evan hadn't even realized there were other people sharing the apartment.
Irene Xu, hearing Stella speak, thought she was about to get a chance to fire back at Lynn Chen—only to realize Stella had just thrown her under the bus, using her as a weapon to smack Lynn right on the head.
Irene's smile stiffened a little. She kept grinning on the surface, cursing inside, but had no choice but to act magnanimous and suddenly straightened her posture.
Across the table, Lynn Chen was stunned, eyes wide in disbelief. Her mind raced, then—without hesitation—she lifted her foot and gave Evan Lin a solid kick under the table.
As her foot landed, Evan Lin shifted in his seat, pretending it hurt even though he barely felt a thing—he had to let Lynn have her little victory.
Not that Lynn cared what Evan did. After hearing Stella's story, she glanced at Irene Xu's proud figure, then at her own pitiful little 'hills,' feeling discouraged. But soon enough, she found a way to fight back.
"It's true. Last time my best friend showered at my house, she forgot her underwear, and Evan saw it. Plus, he even brought that thing to school the next day. That habit really needs work."
Lynn Chen nodded, calm and ready for battle.
Best friend showering?
Saw the underwear?
Brought it to school?
As Lynn spoke, both Stella Huang and Irene Xu instantly focused their gaze on Evan Lin, eyes filled with a strange look.
The battlefield shifted.
The fire was now aimed squarely at Evan Lin.
Evan Lin sighed—just as the waiter arrived with their dishes.
"Let's eat first, everyone. I'm starving," Evan said.
Picking up his chopsticks, Evan added, "This is the dish Lynn especially ordered when she got here."
Hearing this, Lynn Chen was secretly pleased.
But to her surprise, the dish was Dongpo pork.
The moment the glossy Dongpo pork was served, Irene Xu drew back her chopsticks and smiled, "Oh, so you like Dongpo pork, huh?"
"I used to love it too, but later I realized that even if it doesn't taste greasy, it always adds a little extra weight. But you're still young, and don't have much meat on you—you should eat more."
Irene Xu looked quite pleased with herself.
Lynn Chen ground her teeth, unable to admit Evan had ordered the Dongpo pork. She furiously stomped on Evan's foot under the table.
But she hadn't realized Evan had just shifted in his seat, moving his foot, so her stomp hit the floor instead, sending a jolt up her leg that nearly made her yelp.
Irene Xu and Lynn Chen kept going back and forth.
Stella Huang, in her black hoodie, stayed a bit detached and calmly elegant.
She didn't bother getting involved. Even if she harbored a tiny crush on Evan Lin, Stella knew such fantasies were never meant to be taken seriously.
Evan Lin just ate happily, stuffing his face.
With two women at each other's throats, Evan couldn't exactly stand up and slap both of them to shut them up.
Dealing with noisy guys was easy, but noisy women were a whole different headache.
Luckily, Evan barely cared about the situation at all.
Stella Huang just kept eating, occasionally chiming in to back up Irene Xu, leaving Lynn Chen fighting alone and losing ground.
After all, older ginger is spicier.
"Sister's advice: You really don't need to worry about this at your age. You're still young, so drink more papaya milk—eventually you'll grow up."
Irene Xu flashed a knowing smile, her words full of implication.
"What's the point of being that big? Walking gets tiring, and honestly, smaller looks better in clothes."
Lynn Chen pretended not to care, stubborn as ever.
At the neighboring tables, the men listening in were practically burning up inside, wishing they could yank Evan Lin out of his seat and take his place.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Stella Huang said after a sip of juice, sighing as she stood up.
Evan Lin glanced at Lynn Chen and Irene Xu, still locked in their duel, and asked, "Aren't you two hungry? Maybe eat something before you keep going?"
"Shut up!"
They shouted in unison, each shooting Evan Lin a glare.
End of Chapter 956: Women's War (Third Update)