Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

As Zhang Bin saw it, this guy actually dared to have designs on Huang Yan—Yang Yongjin would have been kind to just kick him out. And yet he'd even given up his seat? But since Yang Cenbin himself was willing, what could the two of them say?

Yang Ce summoned the waiter and ordered anew. The waiter had just received Zhu Youhua's assurance, so he put the order directly under Zhu Youhua's name.

"Two orders of pan-seared foie gras, two orders of white asparagus steak," Yang Cenbin said, deliberately choosing the expensive items. When ordering earlier, Yang Ce had urged Zhang Bin and Wang Mei to pick some expensive dishes, but the two felt Yang Ce had already worked hard enough for them and were too embarrassed to let him spend more, and Wang Mei had volunteered to pay. So Yang Ce had had to choose some cheap things.

But now Yang Ce had no intention of saving that Zhu Youhua any money. The fellow wanted to put on airs and act the big shot—fine, let him. Yang Ce wasn't about to be so kind as to economize for him.

"And another bottle of—hmm, what vintages of red wine do you have here? Do you have any from '82?" Yang Yanchuan said.

"Sorry, sir, we don't have any from '82," the waiter said.

"Then what's the earliest year you have?" Yang Yanchuan asked.

"We have a '90 Lafite. Would that do?" the waiter asked.

"All right. How much is it?" Yang Yanchuan asked.

"Sixty-six thousand eight hundred," the waiter replied.

"Then bring a bottle," Yang Yanzhou said.

"Very good." The waiter broke into a sweat. This guy sure could order—even if someone else was treating, you couldn't carry on like this. But the more they spent, the bigger his commission, so he was too delighted to care, let alone meddle.

Still, afraid that Zhu Youhua might renege when it came time to pay, the waiter decided he'd better go have a word with Zhu Youhua.

"Sir, the gentleman over there just ordered these dishes. Would you like to look them over?" the waiter asked, coming up beside Zhu Youhua.

Zhu Youhua was busy asking Wang Mei about how Huang Yan had been lately and when she was next flying to Donghai, so that he could book the same flight. He had no time for the waiter, and said with some annoyance, "Do I even need to look? I've left my credit card with you—what are you still afraid of?"

"My apologies, sir." The waiter thought to himself, Damn it, I was only trying to be helpful, and you have to put on airs with me. Fine, then—don't come crying to me later. Aloud he offered a respectful apology and hurried away, though inwardly he was full of contempt.

Before long Huang Yan arrived. Today she wore a light blue padded jacket in the style of a qipao, which made her look especially lovely—like one of those porcelain dolls on television wishing everyone a happy New Year.

Though Zhu Youhua was talking with Wang Mei, the corner of his eye kept straying to the doorway of the room. When he saw Huang Yan appear, he was overjoyed. He stood up and waved to her. "Lele, over here!"

After Huang Yan came in, she naturally scanned the hall for Wang Mei as well. When she spotted the table where Wang Mei, Zhang Bin, and Zhu Youhua were sitting, she frowned slightly and thought, Why isn't Yang Ce here?

She had assumed that if Wang Mei invited her out to eat, Yang Juehuan would surely be there. But just as Huang Yan was puzzling over this, she suddenly caught sight of Yang Ce sitting at a two-person table not far from Wang Mei's.

Huang Yan's face broke into a delighted smile, and she walked quickly toward that table.

Seeing Huang Yan approach, Zhu Youhua rose very gallantly and pulled out the chair beside him, waiting for her to come over. He struck what he considered a very handsome pose and stood there awaiting the beauty's arrival.

But Huang Yan acted as though she had not seen him at all. As she passed by Zhu Youhua she did not pause for even an instant, but went straight past him to Yang Juehuan's table, pulled out the chair across from Yang Minlan, and sat down lightly.

"Ah—what's this?" For a moment Zhu Youhua felt his brain short-circuit. He had no idea what had just happened or what was going on, and could only stare dumbly at the scene unfolding before him.

To be continued

861. The Unlucky Sucker

861 The Unlucky Sucker "I thought you hadn't come," Huang Yan said once she was seated, speaking as though to no one in particular. "Why are you sitting here?"

"That guy told me to come over. Said if I moved here he'd treat me to something to eat." Yang Hengye said, "When there's a sucker picking up the tab, of course I have to go along with his wishes."

Huang Yan might have been naive, but she was not stupid. Hearing Yang Juehuan's words, she roughly understood what had happened. Wang Mei must have called her, and Zhu Youhua, wanting to sit with her, had shooed Yang Ce off to the side—though not without promising to buy him food as compensation. What Zhu Youhua had never imagined was that she would go and sit directly at Yang Cenbin's table instead.

"Lele, why are you sitting over there?" Zhu Youhua could not help but stand up and ask.

"He's my boyfriend. What's wrong with me sitting here?" Huang Yan said, perfectly justified.

"Your boyfriend?" Zhu Youhua was stunned. He had never imagined that Yang Ce and Huang Yan could have that kind of relationship, because in his eyes the gap between the two of them was simply too great.

"That's right." Huang Yan nodded indifferently.

"Since when do you have a boyfriend? How come I didn't know?" Zhu Youhua's expression immediately turned rather ugly.

"Then I couldn't tell you why you didn't know." Huang Yan's answer was simply too original. An ordinary person might have said, Do I have to inform you that I have a boyfriend? But she was not an ordinary person—she was Huang Yan, and her answers were always unexpected.

It might not have had the forcefulness of "Do I have to inform you that I have a boyfriend?", but it was every bit as exasperating. Zhu Youhua was rendered speechless. Indeed—she had no idea why she didn't know either. Zhu Youhua's expression shifted again. He hesitated, not knowing what to say. He also understood Huang Yan's temperament: this was simply how she talked. If she spoke any other way, she wouldn't be Huang Yan.

"Wang Mei, what on earth is going on here?" Zhu Youhua turned to Wang Mei and asked.

Wang Mei was somewhat embarrassed. No matter what, Zhu Youhua had helped her and Lele out of tight spots before, so she couldn't speak too absolutely. She thought over her wording before saying, "Boss Zhu, some things simply can't be forced. Sometimes when love comes, you can't refuse it even if you want to."

Wang Mei knew this from experience. Before she met Zhang Bin, she had not felt anything special, but after meeting him she had come to understand what love truly was.

"Love—but love also has to be built on a financial foundation, doesn't it?" Zhu Youhua frowned and said in a low voice, "It's not that I look down on Lele's boyfriend, but is he even capable of supporting her?"

Wang Mei found it amusing. Yang Ce unable to support her? The man could casually toss out tens of millions without a second thought—what couldn't he afford? If anything, it was you. You may have achieved some success in business, but compared with Yan, you're nothing at all.

But those words were rather hurtful and could not be spoken aloud, so Wang Mei only advised, "Boss Zhu, even if you can't be lovers, you can still be friends."

Zhu Youhua's expression was exceedingly grim. It shifted back and forth several times, as though he were about to make some decision. At last he stood up and walked toward the table where Yang Ce and Huang Yan sat.

Zhu Youhua had originally intended to declare war on Yang Ce, but when he got there, Huang Yan and Yan did not so much as glance at him, and his momentum faltered. He gave a dry cough twice, hoping to attract Yang Ce's and the others' attention.