The clueless Xiao Wang and the others naturally didn’t dare slack off and quickly followed suit.
After all, there was quite a crowd gathered over there, and since it was near the Bulgari Hotel, many passing pedestrians were taking pictures. It didn’t look like a safe environment by any means.
Zhou Wang didn’t bother with Xiao Wang and the others behind him. He only slowed down when he got nearby.
"Hello, young man! The Comicup Magic City Fan Fest is about to hit, wanna check it out?"
Before Zhou Wang could dive into the crowd, a girl dressed like a Fox-tailed Lady saw him and her eyes lit up. She approached him first and handed him a flyer.
"The location is at the Magic City New International Exhibition Center. Besides tons of fan works, there are original exhibits too..."
"There are a lot of cosplays too—Genshin Impact, League of Legends, Naruto, Zelda, and more!"
"Hey handsome, can we take a picture together? I want to post it on Weibo~"
The Fox-tailed Lady was just the beginning. Before Zhou Wang could react, he was surrounded by enthusiastic Jinxes, Hinata Hyugas, Thunder Generals, and more.
Feeling the clicking of cameras around him, Zhou Wang felt a bit helpless.
If he had come alone, it wouldn’t have been much of a problem, but behind him, Xiao Wang and the others in black suits were looking around. In addition, Zhou Wang’s obviously luxurious attire and handsome appearance made him look like a live-action boss from a manga in the eyes of these girls, who were already filled with romantic fantasies—it was impossible to keep a low profile.
After finally breaking free from these chatty girls, Zhou Wang took a few steps forward, scanning each Coser, but found nothing more.
It felt like the momentary glimpse he had earlier was just an illusion.
Under the curious gazes of the girls, Zhou Wang stood silently, lost in thought.
"Mr. Zhou, are you okay?"
Xiao Wang really didn’t know what Zhou Wang was trying to do. Seeing Zhou Wang standing there like a statue, allowing those clearly excited girls to take pictures, he couldn’t help but ask quietly.
... Could it be that Zhou Wang had some kind of exhibitionist kink?
"I’m fine... Let’s go."
Zhou Wang snapped back to reality, scanned his surroundings one last time, and, confirming there was nothing to see, turned and headed towards the Bao Li Xuan restaurant.
Xiao Wang and the others followed suit. Once they were away from the fountain area, the surrounding girls couldn’t help but start chattering again.
"This guy is really handsome, definitely not an ordinary person. Those bodyguards were intimidating, or else I’d really want his WeChat..."
"I remember I followed him on short video platforms before; seems he’s a billionaire!"
"Nini, didn’t you take a picture with him just now? Send me one later!"
While the girls were chatting, no one noticed a short girl with a bun and a round face, standing cautiously behind a trash can by the fountain. She blinked her long-lashed eyes, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Phew~ Was that telepathy? Just one look, and I almost got caught..."
The girl muttered and couldn’t help but glance at the distance. Only after confirming the young man’s figure had disappeared at the restaurant door did she dare to step out completely.
"Duoduo, where did you run off to just now? Come on, we still need to shoot a video as required by the promoters!"
Before the girl could indulge in more sentimental thoughts, a call came from beside her.
"Coming, coming!"
The girl flashed a bright smile again and quickly ran over.
...
When Zhou Wang returned to the Bao Li Xuan restaurant, Qi Jiayi and the others were already seated, taking up two four-seater round tables, which perfectly accommodated them.
The location was by the window, offering a faint view of the Suzhou River, supposedly the best dining spot on the third floor.
Zhou Wang sat with the Qi Jiayi sisters and Xu Wenqian at one table, while Miao Ying, Yun Rou, Yun Lan, and Gao Xing sat at another. The hotel butler stood to the side, personally taking on the role of the waiter.
Bao Li Xuan naturally has private rooms. Given Zhou Wang’s status, he didn’t need an actual reservation, but he chose the main hall... mainly to cater to the girls’ desire for photos.
Dining in a place filled with historical and cultural ambiance, hiding in a private room would just be pointless.
"Mr. Zhou, why did it take you so long to come in? Did something happen?"
Finally, when Zhou Wang took his seat, Qi Jiayi curiously asked.
"Nothing happened, just ran into an acquaintance and exchanged a few words..."
Zhou Wang nodded to the butler, indicating that he could start serving the food.
Without needing Zhou Wang and the others to order, the butler had everything arranged in advance. In fact, when Zhou Wang and the others stepped into the restaurant, the kitchen had already begun working. They had just been waiting for Zhou Wang earlier, and with the butler’s communication with the kitchen, dishes began to be served within just a few minutes.
This scene, however, drew dissatisfaction from another table nearby. Probably because they had arrived earlier but had been waiting a long time, they couldn’t understand why Zhou Wang and the others could start eating shortly after sitting down.
Because their voices were a bit loud, as Zhou Wang subconsciously frowned, the restaurant manager quickly stepped forward.
"Excuse me, everyone, but that is a reserved dining spot for our hotel’s presidential suite guests. They have exclusive chef service, so their dishes are served more quickly... Additionally, we hope you can control your volume so as not to disturb other guests. Otherwise, per policy, we have the right to ask you to leave the restaurant."