Chapter 30: Chapter 27 Zhou Wang’s Gift (Two-in-One)_2
Lu Jin’s face darkened.
“Aren’t face-saving and respect mutual? You’ve already mocked others for not being manly.”
Li Cheng hadn’t said anything yet, but someone muttered a sentence. The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but just enough for Lu Jin to hear.
Lu Jin frowned and looked up; it was the girl named Fang Lu.
If it had just been Fang Lu’s dissatisfaction, Lu Jin typically wouldn’t have paid her any attention. However, coincidentally, at this moment, Miao Xiaoling, next to Fang Lu, also muttered a sentence:
“Such a big shot, but didn’t even get Chef Luo to come, right?”
...
Miao Xiaoling was somewhat discontented with Lu Jin’s pressure on Li Cheng, and she blurted it out without much thought.
Yet this sentence undoubtedly struck Lu Jin’s embarrassment, making his expression change instantly.
“What did you say!”
“You heard it.”
Miao Xiaoling felt a bit guilty but still countered with a sentence.
Bang!
Already irritated by Xiao He and the others’ mockery and a series of frustrations today, Lu Jin, who had been forcibly suppressing his emotions under the influence of alcohol, finally lost control and smashed his glass, standing up.
This act immediately silenced the private room; even those at the main table looked over in shock.
Seeing everyone’s eyes focused on him, Lu Jin didn’t restrain himself. He wasn’t someone with a good temper, merely pretending around Ding Yi.
Given his family background, he usually didn’t need to humble himself.
Anyway, he knew Ding Yi already had a poor impression of him, so what was there to worry about?
“You bitch, dare to say it again!”
Lu Jin sneered, “If it weren’t for me, you would’ve never had the chance to eat five-star food in your life, right?”
“You…”
Seeing Lu Jin’s somewhat ferocious look as if he wanted to hit someone, Miao Xiaoling’s eyes turned red.
“Are you stupid or what, shouting at a girl!”
“Damn, you wanna fight or something!”
Li Cheng and another boy at the table angrily stood up.
“Lu Jin, what are you doing!”
At this time, Ding Yi walked over quickly, coldly staring at Lu Jin, speaking each word clearly: “Apologize to Miao Xiaoling immediately!”
“Why should I?”
Lu Jin, who had given up on restraining himself, said with disdain: “Did I say anything wrong? If it weren’t for my generosity, these poor bastards wouldn’t have a chance to be here in this lifetime or drink the damn Rabbit Year Maotai?”
Ding Yi stared blankly at Lu Jin, unable to react, as if she hadn’t expected a person who usually seemed so gentle and refined to have such a side.
“Lu Jin, you’ve had too much to drink, say less!”
Those at the main table also walked over; a young man with the surname Zhang frowned and stared at Lu Jin.
“I’m not drunk, I’m clearer than ever!”
Lu Jin seemed oblivious to the offered olive branch, instead smiling at Ding Yi, “I’ve done so much for you, and I haven’t even held your hand yet. Is it because I couldn’t get Chef Luo that you have an issue with me?”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“Lu Jin, how can you say that? Which eye of yours saw Ding Yi having an issue with you?”
Xiao He said indignantly, “Ding Yi is such a kind person, do you know she was just advising us, saying Chef Luo had something urgent and it wasn’t your fault, she even asked us not to say harsh… ”
“Forget it, Xiao He, don’t say anymore.”
Ding Yi sniffed, pulling Xiao He aside. She turned and forced a smile to everyone, “Everyone, how about we head straight to karaoke instead? Let’s skip the meal; I’ll order some barbecue for everyone at the KTV, so let’s make do with that…”
“Come on, continue, why stop her from speaking?”
Maybe because he saw Ding Yi ignoring him again, Lu Jin, whose face had turned completely red, became even more confrontational. Somehow, he just wanted to see Ding Yi break down.
“Xiao He, you say Ding Yi is kind? Ha, indeed, she loves to act optimistic and kind, pretending to be a naive, spirited girl until she lures someone in and then says she doesn’t want a relationship…”
Lu Jin sneered and suddenly looked at Li Cheng beside him, “Oh, just now I heard you guys talking about Zhou Wang, Ding Yi, is that your ‘moonlight’? Is the reason you keep rejecting me really because of him?”
“Hahaha, did you ever think maybe he’s never been into you?”
“To tell you the truth, this guy’s been pretending to be poor around you; he’s deliberately keeping his distance from you!”
“I ran into him earlier; guess what his image is like at this hotel?”
“Decked out in the latest LV, with the personal butler of the presidential suite following him, Chef Luo, who I couldn’t even invite, serving him personally, right in the room next door. If you don’t believe me, you can go see for yourself…”
Lu Jin’s words left everyone dumbfounded.
“Zhou Wang?”
“Did he just say Zhou Wang? Is Zhou Wang here too…”
Fang Lu and a few other classmates were very surprised.
While Ding Yi stood frozen, “You said Zhou Wang… is next door?”
“Yeah, even so, he doesn’t want to see you… tut tut, maybe he’s doing it on purpose, knowing it’s your birthday today, deliberately using this method to humiliate you, now you know the real reason Chef Luo wouldn’t come, haha!”
Lu Jin continued to laugh, and though he had said it intentionally, he felt his logic wasn’t flawed; perhaps this really was the truth…
Ding Yi’s face visibly whitened, and for a moment she didn’t know how to react.
“Damn…”
At this moment, Li Cheng, after a moment of shock, quickly took out his phone. After looking at a photo again, he fell into a deeper stupor.
Yu Peipei, standing by, also reacted. She quickly shouted, “Xiao Ding…”
But she had just called Ding Yi’s name when the private room door suddenly opened. A middle-aged man in a chef’s uniform, accompanied by two waiters pushing food carts, walked in with a broad smile.
Most people recognized him instantly at the sight of his face.
Wasn’t this the hotel’s executive chef, the famed culinary god Luo Wenle?
Lu Jin, who had been cursing freely, suddenly stopped speaking. His first thought was, could he have guessed wrong and Manager Liu actually managed to bring the chef?
Wouldn’t his earlier outburst have been a complete mistake?
As Lu Jin’s expression changed several times, contemplating whether to seize the opportunity to make amends, Luo Wenle, who had walked in, although unclear why everyone was staring at him strangely, still asked with a cheerful smile,
“May I ask who is Miss Ding Yi?”
“I am…”
Ding Yi took a deep breath, quickly adjusting her mood, and stepped forward.
“Miss Ding, hello there, let me introduce myself first. I’m the hotel’s executive chef, Luo Wenle. First, I must apologize to you, because of some unforeseen circumstances, I wasn’t able to prepare your birthday dinner as promised, though I wasn’t informed in advance.”
“No, no, Chef Luo, you’re too polite…”
Though she still had some doubts, her innate manners quickly prompted Ding Yi to respond.
“As long as you don’t mind, it’s okay. I just wonder if my last-minute effort will still work?”
Luo Wenle smiled while ushering the waiters behind him to push the food carts forward, “These are a few dishes I’ve just prepared. If you don’t mind, you can start eating them now, and I’ll go prepare the subsequent dishes.”
Seeing the six extraordinary dishes on the food cart, even though they had eaten some appetizers earlier, everyone subconsciously swallowed a gulp of saliva, even more thrilled knowing Luo Wenle would continue cooking.
“Wouldn’t it be too much trouble for you?”
With things taking such a pleasant turn, Ding Yi also displayed a smile; this way, the guilt she felt towards everyone would be minimized.
“If I must say, it is slightly inconvenient because technically I’m off duty now.”
Luo Wenle started with a joke, then said, “But of course, since Mr. Zhou specifically requested my assistance, I naturally couldn’t refuse.”
“Mr. Zhou?”
Recalling Zhou Wang’s name mentioned just moments ago, Ding Yi quickly realized something.
“Yes, Mr. Zhou… I believe you’re acquainted. Moreover, Mr. Zhou also prepared a separate gift for Miss Ding, which is in the room next door. You can go over to collect it anytime at your convenience.”