Chapter 22: Dinner

Ruan Xingwen inconspicuously rubbed his crimson ear. "Ah Yue..." Although Yu Yue was a bit thick-headed and didn’t quite understand why his usually detached cousin was so protective of Ruan Xingwen, his perceptiveness had been honed since childhood. The gentle gaze of Yu Xiaozhe suddenly transformed into sharp daggers directed toward him, prompting Yu Yue to wisely shut his mouth and refrain from making any teasing remarks. Yu Yue felt aggrieved—it wasn’t his fault. How was he supposed to know that the fiercely foot-kicking Ruan Xingwen was actually such a shy person? Besides, why was his brother so partial to Xingxing? Could it be... was he planning to have a more obedient little brother? As he pondered this, he pretended to sip water while secretly observing his brother and Ruan Xingwen out of the corner of his eye. And indeed, he detected a bit of an untold story. His brother, Yu Xiaozhe, was always "someone else’s child." Though their second uncle and aunt were unreliable, his brother perfectly inherited their excellent genes, standing out from an early age to become a much-lauded double-award-winning actor. While others were working diligently for finals, his brother was already participating in competitions like Math Olympiad and Physics. While others crammed late into the night for college entrance exams, his brother was already guaranteed admission to the top university in Jade City—Huaguo Science and Technology University. Everyone thought he would take over the Yu family business after graduation. Unexpectedly, Yu Xiaozhe, in his junior year, chose to enter the entertainment industry for unknown reasons. This might be due to the stirring genes from his second uncle and aunt, who had pursued their dreams and vanished from sight for years. Yu Yue’s mind raced, but his gossipy instincts weren’t delayed; he needed to covertly observe their actions. "Mr. Yu, thank you and Li Li just now, without you both..." Yu Xiaozhe waved his hand with an indifferent tone. "It was a small matter. It’s almost ten o’clock; how will you get back?" A lot happened today, and it was getting late, making it an inappropriate time to discuss endorsements. "Ah, it’s already this late. I’ll catch a cab back; there aren’t any buses at this hour." Ruan Xingwen hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed between the incident and the meal. "It’s difficult to catch a cab at this time here. Where do you live? We can give you a ride." Ruan Xingwen was tempted by Yu Xiaozhe’s suggestion. Though Xing Yue wasn’t far from his home, cab fares weren’t cheap, yet he was a bit embarrassed to trouble Mr. Yu, silently debating in his seat. "I live at Times Garden, not far." Upon hearing the name of the neighborhood, the two beside him exchanged a surprised glance. "Xingxing, you live at Times Garden? Or is it a rented place? Why aren’t you staying in Tianyu’s dorm? That place is quite remote," Yu Yue asked curiously. Ruan Xingwen replied honestly, finding nothing to hide. "My home is there. I don’t have many work engagements, and staying in a dorm feels like a bother, so I didn’t move. The company picks me up for events or I’ll catch a cab, which is quite convenient." A sentence glossed over the hardships of these years. Yu Xiaozhe decided the solution with one sentence, "Hmm, we’ll take you back, and coincidentally Xiao Yue and I want to visit someone there." At this point, Yu Yue became very enthusiastic too. "Yes, my grandfather also lives there, and we actually planned to visit him. I’ve had my fill too, let’s go!" Yu Xiaozhe ignored him and instead looked at Ruan Xingwen with a questioning gaze. "Then I’ll trouble you guys! I’ve been troubling you all night, hehe." Ruan Xingwen scratched his head with a silly smile, revealing two sharp little canine teeth, then stood up to leave. If the mole on Ruan Xingwen’s nose was the finishing touch, making his face lively, then his two little canine teeth could change his charm. When not showing his teeth, he looked utterly innocent. But once those two sharp little teeth were visible, he became lively and sly. No matter which, they were both endearing. He, who had already left his seat, returned to the table to take a sip of water. The two at the door saw his sudden action, puzzled, stopping to look at Yu Xiaozhe. Yu Xiaozhe had no intention of explaining, set his cup down, tidied his cuffs, and was the first to step out of the private room. The manager downstairs saw them coming down, respectfully escorted them out, and informed Ruan Xingwen that Li Li and the others had already settled the charge for repairing the private room, assuring him not to worry about that anymore. Ruan Xingwen acknowledged this, just as he was about to leave, the manager stopped him again. "Mr. Ruan, we apologize for the unpleasant incident during your dining experience at our restaurant this time." As he spoke, he pulled out a card from his sleeve and presented it to Ruan Xingwen with both hands. "Mr. Ruan, this is our restaurant’s Supreme VIP Card. With this card, you can dine at any outlet across Hua Country at a 40% discount. Please do accept it." "This is too generous; I can’t accept it," Ruan Xingwen waved his hands repeatedly, refusing. As the two engaged in a tug-of-war, Yu Xiaozhe’s phone rang. It was Ah Kai—Fang Wenkai, the owner of Xing Yue. "Hello." "Brother Ze, how about it? Did my gift for the meeting make a good impression? I hope it didn’t make you lose face!" Fang Wenkai’s voice came through the receiver, hinting with pride. Meanwhile, the car had arrived, the door opened, and the valet respectfully handed the keys to Yu Xiaozhe. Accepting the keys, he queried puzzledly, "...What are you talking about?" Yu Xiaozhe was confused. "Xiao Yue told me you have a friend dining at my place, a first meeting deserves a present that stands out, right? Since I’m not in Jade City, I couldn’t personally deliver it myself." Yu Xiaozhe grew even more perplexed, "Friend?" This time Fang Wenkai was also puzzled, "??? Isn’t that the case? But Xiao Yue told me so!" Yu Xiaozhe understood now; it was Yu Yue’s mischief at work, obviously needing some discipline at a later time. Yu Yue, leaning against the car, enjoying browsing his phone, suddenly felt a chill. He immediately glanced around warily, except for his brother’s chilling gaze, which spoke for itself... He quickly cut in, "Xingxing, just accept it. It’s nothing more than a membership card, saves money, nothing more. It’s getting late, we should go." Ruan Xingwen glanced at his wristwatch, already approaching eleven o’clock due to the delay. It was unlikely he’d dine at such places again; he might as well accept it as Fay suggested. "Then I’ll humbly accept rather than decline, thanks for your generosity." The manager waved his hands repeatedly, seeing both the second boss and Mr. Yu eager to leave, he courteously opened the car door for them, "Not at all, we should be ones to apologize. Safe journey, you all, see you next time, and travel safely."