充饥

Famous in the idiom 画饼充饥 (huà bǐng chōng jī, 'drawing a cake to satisfy hunger') — meaning to comfort oneself with empty fantasies. Originates from the 三国志 (Sānguózhì, 'Records of the Three Kingdoms') where Cao Rui dismisses reputation as 'a drawn cake.'

usage

Implies temporary, just-enough eating — not a real meal. Often paired with 随便 (suíbiàn, 'casually') or 暂时 (zànshí, 'temporarily').