“Mr. Bian, you are so funny, hahahaha,” Sun Tianjiao chuckled awkwardly, reaching for his water glass. As he tilted his head back to drink, he stole a glance at Bian Shu from the corner of his eye.
Unable to gauge Bian Shu’s thoughts, he attempted to analyze Bian Shu’s facial expressions, but fearing detection, he quickly glanced away and lowered his eyelids.
To Bian Shu, this action was both amusing and adorable.
Over the years, Bian Shu had met many people, but few were as interesting as Sun Tianjiao.
Sun Tianjiao was extremely professional in his work, discussing prices and weighing pros and cons with utmost precision, which made him highly trustworthy. However, when Bian Shu tried to steer their relationship in another direction, his response was awkward and clumsy, making him easy to manipulate.
Bian Shu subtly curled his lips and looked down at the menu, lightly saying, “Manager Sun seems quite thirsty. How about another glass of lemon water?”
“Huh?” Sun Tianjiao was momentarily stunned, realizing his glass was already empty. His brain, like a calculator, quickly computed an unbearable price within milliseconds, invigorating his spirit. “N-no, I’m not thirsty at all!”
“Then I’ll have one,” Bian Shu said.
Sun Tianjiao: ” ….” Fifty knives.
Bian Shu: “Manager Sun, what would you like to eat?”
“Today, it’s my treat, so feel free to order whatever you want,” Sun Tianjiao replied.
Bian Shu nodded and signaled for the waiter, expertly pointing out the deep-sea lobster recommended by the restaurant’s chef.
“Where are the lobsters from?” Bian Shu inquired.
“They’re air-shipped from Boston, sir. Each lobster undergoes strict selection, and their weight and size are top-notch,” the waiter replied.
“Great, give me…” Bian Shu paused, looking at Sun Tianjiao, his expression natural and sincere. “Would you like to try some?”
Sun Tianjiao’s throat rolled as he swallowed silently, smiling innocently. “It’s quite a coincidence. Since childhood, I’ve never liked seafood. I prefer things from the land.”
“In that case, I’ll have a portion without garlic and lemongrass,” Bian Shu said.
Sun Tianjiao’s face bore a smile, but his heart bled, “Okay.” Six hundred cuts.
Bian Shu continued, “He prefers land-based dishes. What about your selection of beef and lamb?”
“We have both beef and lamb, sir. We have Japanese A5 Kobe beef, as well as Pol Mountain lamb from Cape Hope. There are three preparation methods available. Which one would you like?” the waiter explained.
Sun Tianjiao wanted to choose the Inner Mongolian option for its familiarity and homeliness, but it wasn’t available.
“Is beef okay?” Bian Shu asked.
Sun Tianjiao’s organs twisted into knots. He shouldn’t have said he liked land-based dishes earlier. He should have said he was about to convert to Buddhism and start fasting from today onwards.
“Anything is fine,” he replied.
“In that case, I’ll have the wagyu beef, medium-rare, with less salt,” Bian Shu said.
Sun Tianjiao: “Ying” Five hundred cuts.
Following that, Bian Shu ordered oysters, salmon, blueberry cheesecake, two small cups of yogurt ice cream, and two bottles of expensive fuelosophy.
Of course, he didn’t forget to order a glass of lemon water.
Sun Tianjiao’s mental calculator buzzed, finally spitting out a price that would suffocate him for half a month.
Sun Tianjiao breathed out delicately, “Mr. Bian, you take a look first. I’ll go to the restroom.”
He didn’t even have the mood to consider why two grown men dining together had to be so ambiguous.
Struggling to stand up, Sun Tianjiao dragged his heavy body and wandered unsteadily toward the restroom.
Bian Shu watched his slightly frail figure and couldn’t help but bend his eyes.
A little money-lover.
Love for money feels so genuine.
As Sun Tianjiao’s figure completely disappeared, Bian Shu put away his smile and called the waiter again, “Please bring me the bill. I’ll pay first.”
The waiter paused for a moment, seeming surprised by the proactive nature of this wealthy person, but nodded nonetheless. He went to the front desk to prepare the invoice, which he placed in a black hardcover folder and brought over to Bian Shu’s table.
Understanding the situation, the waiter quickly turned away. They weren’t allowed to see how much tip the customers left, but usually it ranged from 15% to 20%.
Bian Shu filled out the tip under the bill, placed his card inside, and waited for someone to come and collect it.
When the waiter returned, Bian Shu held onto the bill and instructed, “After we finish eating, tell the person across from me that today is Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthday. In commemoration, randomly select a guest for a free meal. He’s the one chosen, so this meal is on the house.”
The waiter was once again taken aback, clearly not accustomed to such requests.
Bian Shu briefly explained, “My wife is frugal and doesn’t allow me to spend too much.”
A subtle expression flickered in the waiter’s eyes, and he immediately nodded, “Certainly, sir.”
Holy crap!
Are these two both men? And they’re a couple!
The husband is so considerate, taking his wife out for a meal and still tending to her emotional needs.
After swiping the card, the waiter received a hefty tip. While Sun Tianjiao hadn’t returned yet, he quickly returned the check and card to Bian Shu.
Bian Shu calmly put them away, unscrewed the black cap of the fuelosophy bottle, and poured some for himself and Sun Tianjiao.
Sun Tianjiao washed his hands fragrantly, took a deep breath in front of the mirror, adjusted his almost collapsing mindset, and finally came out calmly.
Expensive it may be, as long as he maintained a good relationship with Bian Shu, he could earn the money back in the future!
As he came out, Sun Tianjiao noticed that the appetizer, salmon salad, had already been served, but Bian Shu hadn’t touched it, waiting for him.
That was a bit impolite.
Sun Tianjiao hurried back, rubbed his hands, and apologized, “Sorry for the wait.”
Bian Shu shook his head, then picked up his knife and fork, cutting a small piece of creamy white cheese emitting a rich milky aroma. He placed it on top of the marinated salmon slices and sesame leaves, wrapped it simply, and handed it to Sun Tianjiao’s plate.
“Try it. This cheese mixed with salmon and sesame leaves gives a taste of beef.”
Sun Tianjiao thought, why don’t I just eat beef directly?
But he still obediently took the salmon into his mouth and thanked Bian Shu repeatedly, “Thank you, Mr. Bian. You should eat too.”
After speaking, he took a bite, and the soft sweetness of the salmon combined with the rich aroma of the cheese, followed by a fresh scent of orchids, creating a subtle chain reaction of flavors that filled his mouth.
Sun Tianjiao raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Bian Shu had clearly been here many times before and was very knowledgeable about food, ordering the best dishes this restaurant had to offer. He also knew that Sun Tianjiao hadn’t tried it before, so he deliberately prepared it and handed it over.
Sun Tianjiao was once again pleasantly surprised, almost forgetting that he was supposed to pay for the meal.
“So delicious!”
He licked his lips reluctantly, his tongue quickly gliding over to lick away the spices that had fallen on them.
Bian Shu’s gaze shifted downward, pausing for a few seconds before he satisfiedly took a sip of red wine. “If it’s delicious, then that’s good.”
After a while, the deep-sea lobster was brought over.
Indeed, the lobsters were hefty, but even with their weight, after removing the lobster heads and peeling back the tails, there wasn’t much meat left.
Bian Shu said, “Although you don’t like seafood, the quality of the lobster here is very good. The stew won’t affect the original taste of the lobster, and it’s not fishy.”
Sun Tianjiao stole a glance at Bian Shu.
He wondered if Bian Shu realized that his dislike for seafood was just to save money?
But Bian Shu’s expression was too natural, as if he completely believed his words.
Under Bian Shu’s gentle gaze, Sun Tianjiao cautiously inserted a small piece of lobster meat into his mouth.
He had to admit, he had never eaten lobster this delicious before. There was a reason for the high price, and the experience of dining out with Bian Shu was indeed very pleasant.
But something just didn’t feel right.
Today was clearly his treat for Bian Shu, but since they entered the restaurant, it seemed like Bian Shu had been taking care of him the whole time.
However, because of this, he found that his discomfort with this restaurant was at its lowest. There was no awkwardness at all because anything he didn’t understand or couldn’t do, Bian Shu quietly took care of it for him.
Mr. Bian, the epitome of kindness.
Sun Tianjiao felt ashamed of himself as he thought.
Compared to the radiant Bian Shu, he felt incredibly dark and ugly.
He actually cared about money, actually hoped that Bian Shu would order something cheaper.
At least in today’s meal, Bian Shu’s position in his heart surpassed money by a dimension.
Next was Kobe Wagyu beef, the beef cut into small pieces, drizzled with lemon juice, with a layer of fresh red meat in the middle, delicate in texture, overflowing with juice. From taste to appearance, it was worth the price.
Bian Shu asked, “Can I taste a piece of your beef?”
Sun Tianjiao quickly nodded, wanting to push the plate of beef directly in front of Bian Shu.
Bian Shu said, “Just give me a piece.”
Sun Tianjiao hesitated for a moment, then picked up another fork and skewered the largest piece of beef, intending to pass it to Bian Shu’s plate.
But Bian Shu directly grabbed his wrist, exerted a little force, lifted his arm, then lowered his head and took a bite of the beef.
Sun Tianjiao’s wrist was still held by Bian Shu, his eyes widened suddenly, his mind went blank.
Mr. Bian’s way of eating was a bit bold, wasn’t it?
Bian Shu looked back at him, his deep brows and eyes seemed to be meticulously carved by the hands of God, exuding an indescribable tenderness with just one glance.
Even if Sun Tianjiao was a man, he couldn’t help but feel a little dazed.
Sun Tianjiao hurriedly comforted himself, it must be the suspension bridge effect.
Psychologically speaking, if a person walks on a swaying and dangerous suspension bridge, their heart rate accelerates, adrenaline surges. If they happen to encounter a man at this time, they will mistake this feeling of excitement as brought by that man, thus generating a false sense of love.
It must be the high price and delicious food that made him tremble, and then he mistakenly transferred this affection to Bian Shu.
Bian Shu slowly released Sun Tianjiao’s wrist, murmuring, “Very tender.”
Sun Tianjiao: “Huh?”
Bian Shu: “Very tender, you should try it.”
Sun Tianjiao pursed his dry lips, quickly withdrew his hand, and stuffed a piece of beef into his mouth, feeling completely unable to taste the sweetness of the beef this time. His mind was filled with the sensation of Bian Shu gripping his wrist, as if that touch lingered there and couldn’t be shaken off.
Damn it, when will this suspension bridge effect pass?
I can’t bear it if it continues like this!
Sun Tianjiao ate the meal in a daze, not fully present.
He comforted himself, not blaming his wandering mind. Who wouldn’t be attracted to someone like Bian Shu?
Rich, talented, handsome, considerate, refined, he almost had all the qualities a man could have.
He envied Bian Shu’s wife in his daily life.
After finishing the post-dinner ice cream, carefully storing away the sky-high priced fruit juice fuelosophy, Sun Tianjiao returned to reality, feeling bitter as he took out his bank card.
“Excuse me, the bill please.”
The waiter came over with a smile.
“Sir, don’t you know, today is the birthday of Emperor Napoleon!”
Sun Tianjiao: “…What does that have to do with me?”
The waiter’s face was full of joy, “To celebrate Napoleon’s birthday, our restaurant randomly rewards customers. You happen to be the lucky one, so all your dishes today are free. Thank you for your support.”
Sun Tianjiao was stunned.
In his whole life, from the age of five or six buying lottery tickets to the age of fifteen or sixteen buying welfare lottery tickets, he hadn’t even won a pack of potato chips, let alone a free meal worth tens of thousands.
Sun Tianjiao muttered, “What about the tip?”
The waiter smiled, “The price of the dishes is zero, so naturally there’s no tip.”
Sun Tianjiao: “So can I leave now?”
Waiter: “If you’re finished eating.”
Sun Tianjiao looked helplessly at Bian Shu, “He said it’s free?”
Bian Shu looked surprised, unexpectedly saying, “So there’s such an event.”
Sun Tianjiao’s face was already excited, “Is today really Napoleon’s birthday?”
Bian Shu: “Let me check.” He picked up his phone and after a moment, “Hmm, it really is.”
Sun Tianjiao was completely overjoyed, his eyes curved into an arc, the bright black eyes reflecting the soft halo of candlelight.
“Oh my god! I’m so lucky!”
Bian Shu couldn’t help but chuckle, “Yeah, luckily Ah Jiao, you invited me to dinner, or else we would have missed today’s event.”
Sun Tianjiao was completely oblivious to what Bian Shu had just called him. He was still immersed in unexpected joy. If he had wings on his back, he would be fluttering them by now.
Sun Tianjiao took a big sip of the fifty-dollar lemon water, “I love Napoleon! I’ll definitely burn some RMB for him when I have the chance!”
Bian Shu chuckled, “Alright.”
Thank you for reading!
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