Chapter 573: Black Card?
"It smells so good, so delicious!"
"As expected from your recommendation, An'yu, it's really tasty. The color, aroma, and taste are all perfect. I'm from Hangzhou and I never knew a century-old restaurant like YUHE Pavilion opened in the Taishan Scenic Area, and the food is so good, it's super amazing."
Ji Xiaolin's cherry-like mouth was wide open as she ate the soup dumplings, praising them endlessly. They were just ordinary soup dumplings, but they were incredibly delicious. The soup, slurp, was a hundred times better than any she had eaten in her twenty years.
At the same time, she was a bit curious. She was a local of Hangzhou and had never heard of such a century-old restaurant, YUHE Pavilion.
"YUHE Pavilion was not openly operating before; only some high-ranking officials and nobles were qualified to enter," Shen Anyu explained with a smile, his voice calm and unhurried as if he were discussing the weather. He watched her eat with a fond expression, finding her unrestrained joy genuinely charming.
"Oh, so that's how it is. An'yu, you know more than I do, and I'm a local of Hangzhou," Ji Xiaolin said, a look of sudden realization dawning on her face. It made perfect sense now. A place this exclusive wouldn't be on any public food blogs or city guides. It was a hidden world for the true elite.
Shen Anyu merely smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes, but offered no further words. Of course, he understood. No one in the world understood the inner workings of this place better than he did.
This YUHE Pavilion was, in fact, one of the many properties under the vast umbrella of the Shen Corporation. It was less a restaurant and more of a private vacation villa for the Shen Family when they visited Hangzhou. For decades, its doors had remained closed to the public, its kitchens serving only the palates of the Shen Family's direct lineage and their most distinguished, hand-picked guests. The chefs were masters of their craft, their skills honed to perfection for a clientele that demanded nothing less.
It was only upon Shen Anyu's direct order that YUHE Pavilion had opened its doors to the "public" for the very first time today.
Otherwise, gaining entry would be an impossible dream for most. For a restaurant of this supposed caliber, a failure to make reservations ten to fifteen days in advance would be considered a social faux pas. But for a venue that wasn't even public, one couldn't simply buy their way in. It required an invitation, a symbol of status that money alone couldn't purchase.
And the "public" here today? Aside from Shen Anyu, Ji Xiaolin, and the simmering Zhang Zhiyun, every other guest in the elegantly decorated hall was a paid actor, hand-selected for their convincing portrayals of quiet affluence and refined taste. They were part of the stage, a backdrop designed specifically for the drama about to unfold.
At the adjacent table, Zhang Zhiyun sat stiffly, the exquisite delicacies before him turning to ash in his mouth. He couldn't taste the sublime flavors or appreciate the masterful presentation. His entire focus, his entire being, was fixated on Ji Xiaolin. He watched her eyes curve into beautiful crescents as she smiled, her every expression radiating a charm and endearment that captivated him completely. But that beauty, that warmth, was not for him—her supposed fiancé. It was directed solely at the man sitting across from her.
The more he chewed, the more bitter the food became. With every bite, Zhang Zhiyun felt a suffocating green haze descend upon him, coloring his vision. It was the color of envy, the color of a man watching his territory being invaded.
His eyes fell upon the plate of green qingtuan—sweet, glutinous rice dumplings, their vibrant emerald hue mocking him. The sight of them, so innocently green, ignited an ugly, nameless fire in the pit of his stomach. It felt like a personal insult, a symbol of his current humiliation.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Zhang Zhiyun, is experiencing severe mental instability. Plundering 9999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Zhang Zhiyun, is overcome with irritation. Plundering 9999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Zhang Zhiyun, is being consumed by jealousy. Plundering 9999 Destiny Points!]
Shen Anyu, feeling the pleasant influx of points, decided he didn't mind twisting the knife. A faint smirk played on his lips as he casually picked up a jade-green qingtuan with a pair of elegant wooden chopsticks and placed it gently onto Ji Xiaolin's plate. "If you like it, have some more."
"Mm-hm." Ji Xiaolin's eyes crinkled in a genuine, happy smile. She nodded enthusiastically and, without a second thought, popped the entire dumpling into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out, making her resemble an adorable little hamster hoarding its favorite treat.
Bang!
The sharp, explosive sound shattered the serene atmosphere. Zhang Zhiyun, no longer able to contain the inferno raging within him, had slammed his palm flat against the solid wood of his table.
"Gulp..." Ji Xiaolin managed to swallow the large dumpling, her cheeks still slightly flushed. She turned her head, her previously joyful expression replaced by a flash of anger. "Zhang Zhiyun, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Have you no manners at all?"
She had been doing her best to ignore him, to pretend he wasn't even there. But slamming the table in a place like this? It was utterly classless.
The surrounding guests—the actors—played their parts to perfection. They turned as one, their gazes converging on Zhang Zhiyun. Their expressions were a masterclass in subtle disgust and condescension, their silent judgment screaming, 'How could such an uncultured brute be allowed inside the hallowed halls of YUHE Pavilion?'
A wave of profound grievance washed over Zhang Zhiyun. He was the victim here! He was forced to watch his own fiancée share an intimate breakfast with another man, her every glance and smile a dagger in his heart. The contrast between her sweet affection for Shen Anyu and the icy disdain she showed him was a chasm he couldn't bridge. His jealousy was a physical force, choking him.
The judgmental stares from the crowd, and especially the faint, unreadable expression on Shen Anyu's face, felt like gasoline being poured onto the flames of his rage.
However…
Who was to blame but himself? He had fallen for Ji Xiaolin at first sight, a hopeless, all-consuming infatuation.
Seeing the genuine annoyance in her eyes, a flicker of fear cut through his anger. He couldn't afford to leave an even worse impression on her. Defeated, Zhang Zhiyun lowered his head, his voice coming out as a meek mumble, "I was… I was just asking the waiter to bring the bill."
"You need to slam the table to get the bill?" Ji Xiaolin snorted, her disdain clear. She had no more patience for her ill-mannered fiancé. Turning her back on him, she lowered her head to continue eating the qingtuan Shen Anyu had given her.
"Eat slowly," Shen Anyu said, his voice a low, pleasant murmur. He watched the scene unfold with an amused smile, calmly reaching over to refill Ji Xiaolin's glass with freshly squeezed mango juice. The gesture was simple, yet profoundly intimate.
Zhang Zhiyun watched, and his eyes practically blazed with fire.
Just then, the waiter approached his table, moving with silent, practiced efficiency. He bowed slightly and addressed Zhang Zhiyun with impeccable politeness.
"Sir, thank you for your patronage. Your total is eight thousand, eight hundred and forty-eight yuan!"
Ji Xiaolin, at the next table, couldn't help but perk up her ears. Her eyes darted over to Zhang Zhiyun's table, then widened in absolute astonishment.
"Just for that little bit? 8848?!"
She was utterly floored.
Her father, Zhang Tianen, worked himself to the bone delivering packages day and night, and his monthly income was only around that amount. And he was considered a hard worker. For a typical office worker, that kind of monthly salary was a distant dream; most would never see it.
Ji Xiaolin's gaze swept across Zhang Zhiyun's table. There were only seven or eight small breakfast items: a few soup dumplings, a small bowl of wontons, some pan-fried buns, a serving of mixed noodles, the infamous Longjing qingtuan, and a glass of juice. For that, he was being charged nearly nine thousand yuan?
Were these dishes made of solid gold? Was the soup brewed with silver?
If their table, which was laden with food, was billed, would it cost tens of thousands? Was this breakfast or was he eating bullion? This was Hangzhou, a beautiful city, but it wasn't the hyper-inflated market of Shanghai.
The waiter maintained his polite, practiced smile, presenting the itemized bill as if it were a royal decree.
"Esteemed guest, our YUHE Pavilion offers excellent value for the quality provided. We only hope our guests enjoy their meal to the fullest."
Ji Xiaolin leaned slightly to peek at the bill: a steamer of soup dumplings, 1288. Pan-fried buns, 998. Fresh bamboo shoot wontons, 1588. Longjing qingtuan, 1988. A single glass of freshly squeezed watermelon juice, 688… and on top of it all, an 888 service charge.
As her eyes scanned the numbers, Ji Xiaolin's mouth began to twitch. Freshly squeezed watermelon juice for 688 was beyond excessive. Was the rind gilded?
At that moment, Ji Xiaolin finally understood what Shen Anyu meant when he said the restaurant only entertained high-ranking officials and nobles. At these prices, an ordinary person's entire monthly salary wouldn't even cover a single breakfast. And the portions were minuscule! A steamer of soup dumplings contained only four pieces for over a thousand yuan. What was on Zhang Zhiyun's table wouldn't even be enough to fill his stomach.
Shen Anyu chuckled softly to himself. 'In reality,' he thought, 'even ordinary high-ranking officials and nobles wouldn't get past the front door.' This place was reserved exclusively for Shen Family members and their most valued VIPs. If not for his explicit instructions, neither Zhang Zhiyun nor Ji Xiaolin would have ever set foot inside.
But at this moment, Ji Xiaolin's visible shock had an unintended effect. It invigorated Zhang Zhiyun, breathing life back into his deflated ego. A nonchalant smile spread across his face as he postured.
"Xiao Lin, the breakfast at YUHE Pavilion is indeed excellent. It's worth the price. You can't be afraid of the cost when it comes to quality."
He then turned to the waiter, his voice booming with forced confidence.
"Waiter, I'll be paying for my table and the adjacent one."
The waiter bowed again. "Thank you for your patronage. The grand total for both tables comes to 39,886 yuan."
"Card."
Zhang Zhiyun calmly retrieved his wallet and produced his Supreme Black Card, holding it between two fingers. He presented it with a flourish, fully expecting gasps of awe from the waiter and the surrounding patrons. He shot a smug, triumphant look toward Shen Anyu and Ji Xiaolin.
This was his moment. He could finally win back some face. It was just money, wasn't it? With his Supreme Black Card, such a sum was trivial.
Shen Anyu met his gaze with that same infuriating, placid smile. He then turned to Ji Xiaolin, his tone light and conversational.
"Xiao Lin, your fiancé is inviting us to a meal. He's quite a kind person, isn't he?"
Ji Xiaolin pressed a hand to her ruby-red lips, her shoulders shaking as she desperately tried to suppress a laugh. She shot a playful, scolding glare at Shen Anyu, her eyes sparkling with mirth, silently calling him a troublemaker.
Zhang Zhiyun: "..."
The smug expression on his face froze, then cracked. A horrifying realization dawned on him. He wasn't the magnanimous hero of this story. He was the fool.
'Wait…' he thought, the blood draining from his face. 'My fiancée and another man are sharing an intimate breakfast at one table... and I'm sitting alone at another table, paying for both of them?' What kind of pathetic, cuckolded behavior was this?
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Zhang Zhiyun, feels heartbroken. Plundering +8848 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Zhang Zhiyun, is extremely displeased. Plundering +8848 Destiny Points!]
...
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