There were six people in the private dining room now, but only five chairs.
The only empty seat happened to be right beside Young Master Zhai.
Luo Feixuan looked frosty, as though she might turn around and leave at any moment.
Tongtong hurried to apologize.
"Xuanxuan, you didn't say you were bringing a friend. That's my fault."
Then she quickly called a server over.
"Quick, another chair and a set of tableware!"
Luo Feixuan looked at her without saying a word.
Tongtong coaxed and pleaded, doing her best to soothe Luo Feixuan.
"Xuanxuan, have a seat first. The server will bring the chair right over," Young Master Zhai said with a smile, pulling out the chair beside him.
Luo Feixuan looked disgusted and had no intention of acknowledging him.
Just then, the server pushed the door open. Yu Bu'e reached out to take the chair and placed it beside Tongtong.
"Xuanxuan, sit here. You and your friend can catch up."
With that, he smoothly took the seat to Zhai Zhili's right.
Zhai Zhili's expression darkened, and he made no attempt to hide the hostility in his eyes as he looked at Yu Bu'e.
Luo Feixuan chuckled and sat down as well.
Noticing the awkward atmosphere in the room, Tongtong placed the menu on the table and rotated it around to Yu Bu'e.
"Handsome, order whatever you like!"
Then she gently nudged Luo Feixuan with her shoulder, teasing her. "Xuanxuan, where did you find such a handsome guy? Is he a relative?"
The other three looked equally curious.
"He's not a relative. He's a classmate, and a good friend."
Tongtong looked a little surprised. "A good... friend?"
"Mm." Luo Feixuan was perfectly casual.
The others at the table exchanged glances, clearly taken aback.
Recovering, Tongtong smiled. "Then let's have him introduce himself. Oh, hello! I'm Song Tong, Xuanxuan's best friend!"
As Yu Bu'e flipped through the menu, he was silently marveling at the price beside every picture.
What kind of cola cost fifty a glass?
What kind of seafood fried rice cost a hundred and fifty a bowl?
Hearing Tongtong, he put the menu back and smiled. "Hi, everyone. I'm Yu Bu'e."
After a brief silence, the buzz-cut man sitting opposite him suddenly spoke.
"That's it?"
Yu Bu'e looked at him in confusion.
The buzz-cut man chuckled and waved a hand.
"I'm Lin Yuan. My family is in medical equipment. This is my girlfriend, Bai Shiya. Her family owns three private hospitals."
Yu Bu'e gave them a thumbs-up. "That's impressive. You two make a great couple."
Lin Yuan gave him an ambiguous smile. "The man beside you is Young Master Zhai, Zhai Zhili. You've heard of the Shanmao Group, right?"
"Um... sorry, I haven't," Yu Bu'e said, a little sheepishly. "But it sounds really impressive."
Lin Yuan was speechless.
He felt that this guy named Yu Bu'e was polite, but also not quite polite. Something about him just felt strange...
Zhai Zhili chuckled and poured red wine into the empty glass in front of Yu Bu'e.
"Yu Bu'e, what hobbies do you usually enjoy? Horseback riding, modifying cars, skiing, or perhaps red wine?
"Take this 2006 Conti dry red we're drinking today. Personally, I love its rich layers of flavor, which also showcase the characteristics of Burgundy Pinot Noir..."
Yu Bu'e listened attentively, nodding now and then.
"Why don't you give it a taste?" Zhai Zhili asked with a smile.
Looking displeased, Luo Feixuan tapped lightly on the table.
"Zhai Zhili, it's only been a few years since the Zhai family took you in, and you've already learned so much. Looks like they treat their illegitimate son pretty well."
Zhai Zhili's gaze instantly turned cold, and Tongtong and the others' expressions changed too.
Being an illegitimate son was an absolute sore spot for Zhai Zhili. The others didn't even dare mention it.
By bringing it up at the dinner table, Luo Feixuan had truly spared him no dignity whatsoever.
Yu Bu'e understood.
Luo Feixuan had said that to make her stance clear and send him a message.
He could do whatever he wanted. He didn't need to cater to these people, and Luo Feixuan didn't care in the slightest whether they took offense.
So he picked up his wineglass, took a sip, shook his head, and set it back down.
"Tastes bad..." Just then, the server came in, and he immediately raised a hand. "Hi, could you bring me a bottle of Dayao?"
"..." The server's expression stiffened. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't carry Dayao. Would cola be all right?"
Remembering the price on the menu, Yu Bu'e asked curiously, "That cola you charge fifty a glass for-how big is the glass? Is there anything different about it?"
"It's the same kind you can buy outside for two-fifty a can," the server said politely.
Yu Bu'e was speechless.
That blunt, huh?
Luo Feixuan took the menu and added two dishes, while Yu Bu'e added an order of Xian Du Xian.
He just wanted to find out exactly what kind of meat they used in a serving of Xian Du Xian that cost eight hundred and eighty-eight!
Chopsticks in hand, Yu Bu'e picked up food and tucked into his meal.
Luo Feixuan and Song Tong really were close. The two girls chatted and laughed, looking very happy.
Lin Yuan and Bai Shiya also seemed to be an affectionate couple, putting food on each other's plates.
Zhai Zhili's expression remained gloomy. Every so often, he glanced at Yu Bu'e with a trace of contempt in his eyes.
"Yu Bu'e, slow down. If it isn't enough, you can take some home afterward."
"Oh... Young Master Zhai, you're actually pretty nice!" Yu Bu'e replied with a smile, taking a sip of cola.
Then he carried on with his meal, completely unaffected.
Just then, Tongtong stood up.
"Xuanxuan, come to the restroom with me."
Luo Feixuan hesitated, then nodded and looked at Yu Bu'e, who gave her a reassuring look.
Once the two girls had left the room, Lin Yuan shot Bai Shiya a glance.
She understood immediately. Resting her chin on her hand, she looked at Yu Bu'e and asked with a smile, "What does your family do, Yu Bu'e? Perhaps we'll have a chance to work together someday."
Yu Bu'e looked up at her. "My parents are gone. But my mother was a doctor. If she were still here, we might really have had a chance to work together."
Just then, the Xian Du Xian arrived. Yu Bu'e's eyes lit up, and he readied his bowl, chopsticks, and spoon, waiting for the dish to rotate around to him.
Zhai Zhili couldn't help chuckling. He reached out and patted Yu Bu'e on the shoulder.
"So both your parents are gone! Honestly, I'm pretty envious. No dad, no mom-you can do whatever you want. Free as a bird. How great is that?"
Yu Bu'e kept his eyes on the Xian Du Xian, his tone calm.
"Is that so? If you're envious, Young Master Zhai, then I wish your parents an early death. That would make your wish come true, right?"
Lin Yuan and Bai Shiya's expressions changed drastically. Zhai Zhili slammed his palm onto the table and sprang to his feet, glaring furiously.
"What the fuck... did you say?"
"See? You said you were envious, but now you're upset because I wished your dream would come true." As the Xian Du Xian rotated in front of him, Yu Bu'e picked up the spoon and served himself a bowl.
Zhai Zhili stared fixedly at the unruffled Yu Bu'e, his chest heaving. Suddenly, he laughed in fury and sat back down.
"Yu Bu'e, I'm just trying to tell you not to force your way into a circle where you don't belong.
"As far as I'm concerned, you're just some pretty boy Luo Feixuan picked up on a whim because she had nothing to do. A pet to relieve her boredom, that's all."
Yu Bu'e said nothing. He took a sip of soup and smacked his lips twice.
Getting no response, Zhai Zhili said venomously, "You really have no manners at all. Didn't your parents ever tell you not to make noise when you drink soup?
"Oh... sorry, I forgot. Your parents are both dead, so of course there was no one to..."
While he was still speaking, Yu Bu'e raised his left hand mid-sip and suddenly grabbed him by the hair.
Then he yanked hard, smashing Zhai Zhili's head into the dishes. A sharp bone pierced his face.
A scream of agony sent Bai Shiya and Lin Yuan scrambling to their feet.
"What... what are you doing!"
Yu Bu'e kept Zhai Zhili's head firmly pinned down with one hand. With the other, he lifted his bowl and drained the soup, then let out a burp and smiled in satisfaction.
"Eight hundred and eighty-eight. It really is good."
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