Chapter 44

Tang Mingxi secretly basked in satisfaction on the bed again. After looking at it for a while, he put the brooch into its velvet box.

Speaking of which, Ye Heng had invited him to dinner without saying whether it was lunch or dinner, so Tang Mingxi naturally assumed it was in the evening.

After all, didn't styling his hair and picking out clothes take time? :)

Even a refined rich second-generation heir had to look good if he went to the emergency room in the middle of the night, okay? :)

Tang Mingxi changed into a champagne-colored suit. After looking in the mirror, he was extremely satisfied.

How could someone as good-looking as him go unappreciated?

He took out his phone, snapped a picture, and casually sent it to Wang Min and Ye Heng.

His phone buzzed twice. Both replied quickly.

Wang Min: [Baby, what kind of heavenly beauty is this? I'm crying. If staring at handsome guys could extend your lifespan, I'd be immortal by now T_T]

A long string of emoji followed. Her rainbow compliments were as practiced as ever.

Tang Mingxi: [Cat rubbing against you GIF]

Ye Heng: [The collar is too low. You can button the top one.]

Tang Mingxi rolled his eyes. [Link: Fun fact: On February 12, 1912, the Qing Emperor issued an edict of abdication. The Qing dynasty subsequently fell, and it has now been more than a hundred years.]

Ye Heng: [?]

Tang Mingxi: [:)]

What a dog of a man.

Only his "sisters" in this world understood him. :)

Ye Heng: [The color suits you. Set off at eight tonight. I'll pick you up.]

WeChat mercilessly gave him a red exclamation mark, followed by a system prompt: You are not yet his friend. Please send a friend verification request first. You can chat after the other party accepts it.

On Ye Heng's birthday, Tang Mingxi wore the champagne-colored suit Ye Heng had picked out in advance for the first time ever. His tie clip was made of two snap-on emeralds, and a slender silver chain hung between his shirt collars, swaying gently as he walked.

Ye Heng had waited for him by the Maybach for half an hour. When Tang Mingxi appeared before him, he seemed to have "grown taller" by a few centimeters.

His gaze swept over Tang Mingxi's round-toed Louis leather shoes, then shifted away under Tang Mingxi's perfectly justified look that said, "So what if I put height insoles in them?"

Tang Mingxi was not actually short, but Ye Heng did not know why he cared so much about his height.

Ye Heng could never understand the erratic thought process of an expensive vase that cost a fortune to maintain.

He opened the car door, and Tang Mingxi bent down to get in.

His thousand-dollar shirt perfectly outlined his lean, elegant figure. The collar was buttoned all the way to the top.

Baiyang Private Kitchen was located on Huang Street, the bustling heart of the Cang River district. It was a private restaurant open only to members.

The membership fee alone cost one hundred thousand yuan per month. The restaurant's owner was Chen Jiaxin, the son of the American-Asian dining tycoon, whose English name was Jeffrey.

Chen Jiaxin had three older brothers and one older sister, as well as a younger sister. His mother was the second wife—or, less politely, a mistress.

However, Chen Jiaxin's father liked having a large family. As long as an outside woman gave birth to a son, she could bring the child home to acknowledge his ancestry.

His three older brothers fought bloody battles every day over the family inheritance. Chen Jiaxin was more laid-back. He sold off part of his shares, bought a large apartment by the Cang River, and converted it into a private club.

He used the connections in his circle to start a business.

He was quick-witted and sweet-talking, a famous social butterfly whose business was thriving.

Tang Mingxi was one of his major clients.

When Baiyang Private Kitchen opened, Chen Jiaxin had invited him to the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Tonight's table had also been reserved for Tang Mingxi well in advance: a viewing area beside an enormous floor-to-ceiling window, sectioned off by two mica screens worth millions and leaving a space of around ten square meters.

Outside the window, the Cang River flowed quietly. As the city lights came on, the river reflected a world of intoxicating luxury.

A violinist in a flowing black gown had been waiting for some time. The moment Ye Heng and Tang Mingxi sat down, a melodious violin tune began to play beside them.

When Chen Jiaxin heard Tang Mingxi had arrived, he made a special trip from his villa to exchange pleasantries with him.

Tang Mingxi smiled as he traded greetings with his plastic friend.

The topics were nothing more than stocks, market value, development projects, and companies. By the time Tang Mingxi was asked to the point of impatience, Chen Jiaxin noticed his expression and quickly claimed that he had matters to attend to before hurrying away.

Tang Mingxi got annoyed whenever he heard about stocks. Of all the bad luck involved in transmigrating, the only thing that was not quite so bad was becoming a rich second-generation heir who never had to worry about food or clothing.

Who still wanted to discuss wage-slave problems with wage slaves? :)

Saying even one more word was painful, okay? :)

Not long after the two sat down, the waiter brought out exquisitely arranged dishes.

Tang Mingxi's earlier impatience vanished at once. Just as Ye Heng was about to pick up his chopsticks, Tang Mingxi suddenly called out, "Stop."

Ye Heng looked at him, confused.

Tang Mingxi took out his phone and photographed every dish whose presentation he found beautiful. Only after setting the format to square did he sit down in satisfaction.

Ye Heng's voice was cool. "What are you doing?"

"Taking pictures." Tang Mingxi said it as if it were obvious.

At the same time, he inwardly mocked the male lead for having no sense of romance. Eating without taking pictures was the same as eating for nothing :d

Although he had been looking forward to Baiyang Private Kitchen, once the dishes were actually served, Tang Mingxi did not feel that strong an urge to eat.

He had eaten two cakes that afternoon and was not very hungry yet.

Besides, he was an extremely picky eater. He did not eat scallions, garlic, plant roots or stems, animal organs, stir-fried radish, cilantro, celery, steamed fish except for the belly and gills, cooked tomatoes, cabbage, or shredded potatoes—but diced potatoes were fine.

Thus, after picking through the entire table of dishes and taking a few bites, Tang Mingxi elegantly set down his chopsticks.

He began editing the pictures he had just taken.

Ye Heng was already used to his picky eating. Once the food was served, nearly all of it ended up in his own stomach.

When Tang Mingxi finished editing his photos and put down his phone, Ye Heng paused, then instinctively picked up his own phone and checked Moments.

Tang Mingxi had not posted anything.

"I'm going to the restroom to wash my hands."

Tang Mingxi gave him a heads-up and went to the restroom.

Ye Heng could only sit at the table and wait for Tang Er to return from freshening up.

It was dinner time, and the number of diners outside the mica screens gradually increased.

He Ling had returned to the country today. His former high school classmates had arranged a welcome dinner for him at Baiyang Private Kitchen.

The high school classmates he had once been close to were all doing fairly well in Ningcheng. They had also heard that He Ling was returning to parachute into Henglong's upper management, with limitless prospects ahead of him.

With their old school ties as a foundation, every classmate around He Ling wanted to build a relationship with him. They had barely walked a few steps after entering before they began flattering him at every turn.

At first, they talked about Henglong's performance in the A-share market. Somehow, though, the subject suddenly shifted to Tang Mingxi.

Behind the mica screen, Ye Heng leaned against the back of his chair, his eyes darkening slightly.

"Ling, do you still remember Tang Mingxi?"

He Ling's voice was gentle. "How could I not? We haven't seen each other in many years."

"Exactly. Who in Ningcheng hasn't heard of Tang Er's reputation?"

A burst of laughter followed. Someone said, "Does Tang Mingxi know you're back?"

"I still remember how furious Tang Mingxi was when you were leaving the country. He sat in your suitcase and refused to let you go."

"It's been so many years in the blink of an eye. He was only in middle school back then, wasn't he? He looked like a little girl."

"He wasn't just like a little girl. He followed Ling around all day, acting like a little wife. He was unbelievably obedient."

"Ling, Tang Mingxi is getting married. Did you know?"

The area behind the screen suddenly fell silent for a moment.

He Ling's gentle voice sounded. "I didn't know."

There was already unmistakable surprise and displeasure in his voice.

"It makes sense that you wouldn't know while you were abroad."