Ten minutes later, the car turned onto a tree-lined road, with towering plane trees on both sides.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground.
"We're here." Lin Mo pulled over at the roadside.
Shen Weiwei looked up and saw a Private Kitchen Restaurant. Its storefront was small, but the decor was elegant.
Gray bricks, tiled roofs, wooden doors with bronze ring handles, and clusters of verdant bamboo planted by the entrance.
"This is..." She was a little surprised.
Lin Mo pushed open the door and got out. "A friend recommended it. Said the food was good and the place was quiet."
The two entered the restaurant. A server led them down a long corridor to a private room by the window.
The room was small, but tastefully arranged.
There was a rosewood round table, two chairs, and a pot of orchids by the window.
Outside was a small courtyard, complete with rockeries, flowing water, and several koi swimming lazily in the pond.
Shen Weiwei sat by the window, admiring the courtyard scenery. "This place is really nice."
Lin Mo sat across from her and slid the menu over. "Order whatever you want."
Shen Weiwei opened the menu and glanced at the prices, sharply drawing in a breath.
"So expensive? One dish costs half a month's salary for me."
"I'm treating. Order whatever you want."
Shen Weiwei hesitated, ordered two dishes, and pushed the menu back.
Lin Mo added several more dishes before handing the menu to the server.
The dishes arrived one after another.
Cherry foie gras, braised soft-shelled turtle with black truffles, aged Huadiao lobster, poached rice fish in sour broth, lily bulb snowflake beef, braised shark fin, broccoli with minced garlic, and a bowl of matsutake chicken soup.
"Why do you