Seeing the manager’s troubled and apologetic expression, Xu Ze understood that the manager wasn’t lying. He was an easygoing person himself and knew that Baorui was a very popular restaurant. Without a reservation, there were basically no private rooms available. The fact that the manager was offering to clear out half a room was already quite considerate, especially since there were other guests inside. The hotel had its own challenges to deal with.
So he nodded and said with a smile, “Alright, that works. Sorry for the trouble. It’s still better than sitting in the main hall.”
Seeing Xu Ze agree, the manager breathed a sigh of relief. This was a guest he needed to take good care of and try his best not to disappoint. So he politely led Xu Ze and the others upstairs to a private room.
The room was actually quite nice. It had two entrances, and once the middle was partitioned off with a screen, the only downside was that the noise from both sides could interfere with each other. Otherwise, there were no major issues.
But as soon as Xu Ze entered, he overheard the manager carefully explaining something to the people on the other side. A few voices from that table grumbled for a moment, but after the manager mentioned that the other side was just a group of young girls and promised a twenty percent discount, the people at that table were finally appeased.
Xu Ze led the girls to sit down on their side. The manager came over from the other side, smiled apologetically, and then personally took the menu from the server, asking, “Mr. Xu, would you like to order now?”
Xu Ze nodded with a smile and said casually, “Yes. How about you help me pick a few of your signature dishes? I can’t be bothered to choose myself.”
“Certainly,” the manager replied with a warm smile. Then he asked, “Would you like me to arrange some red wine or soft drinks?”
Hearing the manager’s question, Xu Ze turned to the girls and asked with a smile, “What would everyone like to drink?”
The girls exchanged glances. The bold one from earlier spoke up, “How about some red wine?”
“Red wine?” Xu Ze was a bit surprised but then smiled. He looked at the others and asked, “What do you all think?”
The girls looked at one another. They seemed to think that since they were dining here, maybe red wine would be a better choice. After all, red wine probably wouldn’t get them too drunk, right? So they all nodded in agreement.
Seeing that no one objected, Xu Ze had no choice but to agree. “Alright, let’s get a bottle of red wine then.”
A bottle of red wine divided among everyone wouldn’t be too much. It should be fine.
“How about a 1993 Bordeaux?” the manager asked thoughtfully. The price of this wine wasn’t too high, and it offered excellent value for money.
Xu Ze nodded and then smiled, saying, “Sure. And please tell the kitchen to be quick. I’m hungry!”
“Of course, please wait just a moment. The food will be ready soon.” After confirming the order, the manager left one server behind and went off to make the arrangements.
As the manager left, the server carefully poured tea for everyone and then stepped back to the side.
Lin Yumeng took a sip of tea, curiously glanced around the room, and then blinked her big, beautiful eyes at Xu Ze. “Xu Ze, do you come here often? Why is he so polite to you?”
“I’ve been here a few times. I helped them out with something a while back, so they’re very polite to me,” Xu Ze said with a faint smile, brushing off the question lightly. Then he smiled at Lin Yumeng. “You still haven’t introduced me to your classmates.”
“Oh!” Lin Yumeng suddenly remembered that she hadn’t introduced her friends to Xu Ze yet. She pouted her lips in an adorable, slightly embarrassed way and began, “This is Luo Yue… this is Mangmang… this is Li Li…”
After finishing the introductions, Lin Yumeng looked at the girls with a hint of little pride and said with a laugh, “Xu Ze is a very busy person. He’s juggling work at the hospital and school right now. It’s not easy to have a meal with him.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard from senior students at the medical school that even though Xu Ze is still an intern, he’s more skilled than a lot of regular doctors. They say the head of the First Affiliated Hospital often asks for Xu Ze’s opinion,” said one of the girls, a charming student named Mangmang, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Xu Ze with sheer admiration.
“Really? Xu Ze, you’re that amazing?” The group of young girls’ eyes also lit up one by one. The way they looked at Xu Ze grew even more admiring, and they chattered away excitedly.
Meanwhile, the table on the other side of the screen gradually grew quieter. A middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and a square face, dressed in an Armani suit, furrowed his brow. “Who are those people? Why are they so noisy? What did the manager say?” He was about to call for the manager.
But the young man beside him, who looked to be in his early twenties, paused for a moment after listening to the voices from the other side. A bit surprised, he said, “They sound like… they might be my classmates. The voices feel familiar.”
“Your classmates?” The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow, then suddenly said, “Alright, go take a look. See if they are. If not, tell them to keep it down a bit.”
The young man nodded and then walked over to the screen. He poked his head around to look at the other side. The first people he saw were Mangmang and another familiar, graceful figure. A smile of delight appeared on his face, and he walked over, saying, “I thought those voices sounded familiar. So it really is you all.”
Everyone looked at the young man, and many of them smiled. Seeing him, Mangmang broke into a joyful smile and said, “Senior Luo Ba, what are you doing here?”
“Yeah, I’m here having dinner with my dad and a few uncles,” Luo Ba said, glancing at Mangmang with a smile. Then he looked at Lin Yumeng. “Yumeng, you’re here too.”
Lin Yumeng gave Luo Ba a slight smile and said, “Hello, Senior Luo.”
Noticing that Lin Yumeng’s smile wasn’t particularly warm, a flicker of disappointment passed through Luo Ba’s eyes. Then he turned his attention to the only young man at the table. Since everyone at this table was from school, this guy probably was too. He was curious and a little jealous—what kind of person could invite Lin Yumeng, who rarely paid attention to boys, and so many other girls out to dinner together?
When his gaze landed on that very familiar face with its light smile, he was briefly stunned before realization dawned on him. So it was him.
Though jealous, he didn’t dare show any disrespect. He smiled and nodded. “Hello, Senior Xu Ze. So you’re here too.”
Xu Ze recognized Luo Ba. He was a sophomore, the vice minister of the school’s External Relations Department, and reportedly a student leader the student council was actively grooming. He was practically an acquaintance, so Xu Ze nodded with a smile and said, “Hello, Luo Ba.”
Just as Luo Ba was about to say something, the middle-aged man’s voice came from behind him. “Luo Ba, since they’re your classmates, they’re not strangers. Tell the server to take down the screen. It’s pretty uncomfortable having it here.”
Hearing his father’s words, a hint of confusion flickered across Luo Ba’s face. Still, he said to the server beside him, “They’re all my classmates. We’re together. Go ahead and take down the screen.”
Xu Ze raised an eyebrow at Luo Ba’s words. He had only wanted to have a simple meal with Lin Yumeng’s classmates and wasn’t keen on interacting with strangers. But since the elder had spoken and seemed to mean well, it would be awkward to refuse. So he didn’t say anything.
Seeing that no one objected, the server stepped forward and put the screen away.
With the screen gone, the room indeed felt more spacious, and both tables could now see each other clearly.
Although Xu Ze had his back to the other table, he could clearly see what was behind him through the images displayed on his glasses. There weren’t many people at that table—including Luo Ba, only five people—and they hadn’t been served yet, as if they were waiting for someone.
Besides the three middle-aged men, there was also a woman who looked like a young matron. All four of them were now sizing up the group at Xu Ze’s table.
The square-faced middle-aged man glanced over at Xu Ze’s table and, noticing that most of them were pretty young girls, a pleased expression appeared on his face. He then laughed and said, “Luo Ba, since they’re your classmates, I’ll treat them today. Their table is pretty crowded. Invite two of your classmates to come sit over here.”
Hearing his father’s words, Luo Ba was once again confused. But after seeing his father’s expression, he nodded. He glanced at the girls, hesitated for a moment, and then looked hopefully at Lin Yumeng. “Yumeng, your table is a bit crowded. Why don’t you and Mangmang come sit with us?”
At Luo Ba’s words, Lin Yumeng’s slender, elegant eyebrows furrowed slightly. Then she smiled faintly and said, “Senior Luo, we’re all classmates having dinner together. It’s fine as we are, no need to be so polite. Besides, Senior Xu Ze is treating us today. Please thank your father for his kind offer.”
Hearing Lin Yumeng’s response, Xu Ze, who had been quietly observing from the side, broke into a slight smile. He hadn’t expected that despite Lin Yumeng’s young age—she was only a freshman—she could handle the situation so gracefully.
Lin Yumeng’s refusal didn’t surprise Luo Ba. After all, she rarely engaged with people. Undeterred, he turned to Mangmang, who had always shown him some favor, and said, “Mangmang, how about you and Li Yue come sit with us?”
When even Mangmang refused, Luo Ba’s expression soured. Just as he was about to say something, his father, Old Luo, walked over, looked at the group, and said with a hearty laugh, “You’re all classmates, no need to be so formal. Come on, come on, a couple of you come sit on this side.”
After saying this, he glanced at Lin Yumeng, gave her a warm smile, and said, “Come on, you must be Yumeng, right? Come sit by your uncle here.”
Seeing that the man was a senior relative of their classmate and was being so warm and inviting, Lin Yumeng’s lovely face showed a hint of embarrassment. Just as she was about to stand up and politely decline to Old Luo, Xu Ze gently patted her shoulder, turned his head, and looked calmly at Old Luo. “Thank you for your kind offer. But today, I’m just treating a few classmates to a simple get-together—just a casual meal among friends. I’d rather not impose on Mr. Luo. Please don’t go to any trouble on our account.”
