“I’m so sorry, Xinxin. It wasn’t my intention to bring you into trouble.” Zhao Xi apologized once Lu Xinyi explained why she suddenly asked her to leave Starlight Collection earlier. Had she been paying attention to where they were going, Lu Xinyi wouldn’t dare to step inside that store.
“It’s fine, Zhao Xi. I wasn’t paying attention, too. It was also my fault.”
Lu Xinyi squirmed in her seat. For some reason, she felt like someone was staring at her. She looked around, thinking that a stalker might be following her again. Shen Yi assured her that she had a bodyguard tailing after her to make sure no one could harass her in his absence. If those eyes didn’t belong to the stalker, perhaps it was her bodyguard.
“By the way, have you met Xiao Lan? I’m sure Shen Yi has mentioned her by now.” Zhao Xi asked.
“Yep, I did. She’s such a sweetheart. Xiao Lan is really a nice person.” Lu Xinyi never thought she could make some new friends after Meng Jiao’s betrayal. She was glad that after breaking ties with her ex-best friend, she was able to meet people whom she could trust wholeheartedly.
“Order whatever you like, Xinxin. It’s on my tab so don’t worry. Shen Yi will kill me if he finds out I’m starving you and forcing you to become my chaperone,” Zhao Xi said with a laugh.
Lu Xinyi laughed awkwardly and rubbed her nose. Her husband’s friends were surely something, but she was glad to know that Shen Yi wasn’t building all those walls to confine himself from other people.
She poked the food on her plate with a fork in her hand, mixing her meal absentmindedly. As hungry as she was, she couldn’t eat the dish presented to her by the waitress. Zhao Xi brought her to a fancy restaurant, but the dishes weren’t to her liking. She was half-tempted to ask Zhao Xi to leave the place and eat somewhere else.
The VIP quarters were all fully booked so the two of them had no choice but to dine in the main room with the other guests.
Zhao Xi waited for her steak to be served while the waitress poured them some wine. Lu Xinyi checked the time on her wristwatch and noticed they were out for nearly five hours.
Another waitress came in and served Zhao Xi’s steak. As soon as the steak was placed at their table, Lu Xinyi made a slight sniff in the air and wrinkled her nose. She then gave the dish a good look, examining its quality.
Zhao Xi lifted her silverware, excited to have a taste of her meal, when Lu Xinyi abruptly stopped her midway.
“Don’t eat it. Order something else, Zhao Xi. Just don’t eat that steak.” Lu Xinyi insisted.
“But why?” Zhao Xi asked. She trusted Lu Xinyi’s judgment, but she needed to know what was going on.
“Just don’t if you don’t want to have an upset stomach later.” Lu Xinyi replied.
“What could be the problem here? Is the steak not to your liking?” The manager of the restaurant overheard their discussion and decided to step up, her eyes glaring at Lu Xinyi’s direction. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
There was a moment of confusion, but her eyes suddenly lit up once she recognized Lu Xinyi.
“You are that woman! The woman who seduced President Shen!” the manager exclaimed, taking the attention of other patrons who were eating at the other booths. They all looked at Lu Xinyi’s direction and start murmuring with each other.
Lu Xinyi didn’t bother to hide her irritation and rolled her eyes. Could this woman be louder than she already was? She felt a pounding in her forehead. It was kinda obvious, but there wasn’t a need to tell people that she was Shen Yi’s lover.
“So what if I am? We’re here to eat and spend money, but you disappoint me by serving us these low-quality dishes. Are you really up for business, or you just want to rip off monies from our pockets?”
The manager stared at her menacingly and scoffed, dismissing Lu Xinyi’s words. “What rubbish are you talking about?” She laughed. “As if someone like you can discern what’s good and what’s not on our menu and our restaurant.”
This wasn’t the first time Lu Xinyi experienced to be treated like this. She suppressed the simmering anger in her heart. Instead, she smiled so sweetly and beautifully that made Zhao Xi felt a shiver and had goosebumps on her skin. Something about Lu Xinyi’s smile triggered her alarm.
“I can’t?” Lu Xinyi challenged. “The decor of your restaurant was inspired by the Qin dynasty. While the furniture is made to give comfort to your guests, your decor ruined the mood and the natural scenery that your restaurant offers. Aside from that, your serving time is very slow, making the dishes lose some of their flavors and the customers—their appetite.”
Lu Xinyi paused and took the complimentary tea that was served to them earlier. She moved with such well-practiced movements that made the people unable to look away from her. Once she put her teacup back on the table, she turned her attention back to the manager.
“If this is my restaurant, I will not serve an inedible steak like this. You disgust me.”
The manager was stunned by Lu Xinyi’s words. Her face turned bright red in rage and looked down on Lu Xinyi.
“What did you say?!” she exclaimed back.
“Your steak had oxidized already. How long has it been refrigerated? Three days? Five days? You still dare to serve this kind of meat to your customers even though you know you shouldn’t.” Lu Xinyi countered.
“Shut your mouth, b*tch!” The manager then took Zhao Xi’s wine glass and poured the content on Lu Xinyi’s head. Lu Xinyi’s eyes widened in disbelief while those who witnessed the scene gasped at the manager’s audacity.
“This is for seducing President Shen!”
