Finally, someone has brought this issue up to the table.

A netizen asked: why is it so hard to invite a girl out for a meal these days?

The top comment summarized it like this:
When a man invites a woman to dinner, if she doesn’t eat, it means she’s not giving face.
If he says, “You can eat—my cold and aloof guy fish, you eat,”
then it’s a “gold-digger” type of girl.
She eats and then just leaves to come back and mooch another meal.
After she eats, she wants to leave.
After she eats, let’s watch something together.
Brothers, one meal and it’s done.
After she eats—she still doesn’t end up together.