An Enjoyable Meal

While he didn’t have any idea what the two girls had talked about back in the van, he could tell that it wasn’t a pleasant conversation.

Otherwise, that girl wouldn’t have been booted from the vehicle and left in the middle of the road.

If he remembered correctly, none of them had offered to take the girl with them. It was she who had insisted on coming.

This led Ma Chao to the presumption that Young Master Cheng didn’t like this girl at all.

Since he had managed to secure an advantageous deal with his project, he thought it was only right that he repaid the favor. This was simply his style of doing things.

Ma Chao knew that the highway would still be teeming with passing cars at this hour.

In contrast, this particular road was deserted. If that girl wanted to reach the highway, she would have to walk for several hours.

It was better this way—she would be too preoccupied to cause any more trouble to Young Master Cheng and the others.

Ma Chao couldn’t help but grin, pleased with himself.

Good deeds such as this are better off as a secret. It was enough that he alone knew about it.

Meanwhile, by the time Yao Ran snapped back to her senses, the car was already a good distance away. She desperately sprinted after it.

But how can a mere slip of a girl, with an injured leg at that, catch up to a speeding vehicle?

The car was out of sight in a matter of seconds.

Exasperated, Yao Ran yelled out a string of curses. She slumped on the ground, panting and not caring whether she was a lady or not.

“It’s all that damn Yao Tang’s fault. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

She raised her head and surveyed the tall trees around her and the path that led to God knows where.

She looked around but saw no one, sending her spiraling deeper into despair.

Yao Ran made up her mind there and then—the next time she laid eyes on Yao Tang, she would definitely take revenge for today.

On the other side, Yao Tang and the others entered the restaurant.

Inside, the furnishings were very novel, yet chic at the same time. The design was mostly in traditional Chinese style, but with a subtle modern flair.

Ma Chao wasn’t lying about the vibe, either—the establishment was very cozy. Even if they hadn’t tasted the dishes yet, they could feel just how much the restaurant valued its patrons.

A waiter greeted them and led them to a private room on the second floor. Warm tea was already served on the table.

The scent of top-grade tea leaves wafted in the air.

The waiter walked to the other side of the room and pushed the windows open, revealing a pool of lotus flowers outside.

They were in full bloom, and as the breeze danced around, it carried the flowers’ unique scent into the room.

It was quite a refreshing experience.

Even the scenery here was better than the ones the Chunlai Hotel offered, and the service was phenomenal, too.

But everyone was starving, so they couldn’t really be bothered to taste the tea or enjoy the lotus flowers outside.

They settled into their seats, and the waiters began to arrive and fill their table with the restaurant’s specialty dishes.

The tempting aroma of food took over everything else. The dishes were all pretty basic, but they were presented in a very appetizing manner.

The group made quick work of washing their hands and started to dig in.

Sure enough, everything was delicious.

“This is really good!” Meng Yang exclaimed as he gobbled up another bite. “I’m sure the food here is far better than the ones served at that blasted Chunlai Hotel.”

Beside him, Lin Xin nodded her head in earnest. She took a particular liking to the Yuxiang shredded pork. She couldn’t get enough of it.

They also had a plate of braised eggplant. Although it was a regular home-cooked dish, it had a unique taste that could fuel anyone’s craving.

In the middle of the table was a huge plate of braised fish, which was even more appetizing than the rest.

Lin Xin filled up her bowl and ate bite after bite without missing a beat. She was so focused on eating that she paid no attention to the others at the table.

Qin Jing, too, found the food scrumptious, but she wasn’t as engrossed as Lin Xin and Meng Yang.

She glanced at the couple next to her with a wry look on her face.

Cheng Yan was fussing over Yao Tang as she ate, passing her pieces of tissue every so often. If he wasn’t doing that, he was picking out bones from a piece of fish before putting it in Yao Tang’s bowl.

“Not bad indeed,” Qin Jing muttered with a smile.

She looked away and plucked a piece of fish for herself.

Qin Rui grinned at his sister. “Right? You should come to Beijing every summer. I’ll book a private room in this restaurant whenever you’re in town. And if the results of your college entrance exams are good, I’ll hire their chef to prepare a banquet in your honor.”

“Deal! You’d better keep your word, Brother. No take-backs.”

Qin Jing was in a good mood. She picked up another piece of prawn, thinking that the evening had turned out pretty well, after all.