Chapter 26: Paying Your Own Bill (Part 1)

Upon entering the second floor of Delin Western Restaurant, Ling Chen found that Su Lin had already reserved seats. Although Su Lin mentioned she would arrange a separate seat for him, the spot was right next to her and Qin Yang, with only a meter’s distance.

Ling Chen didn’t understand. "You two being all lovey-dovey, why put me so close? What am I, a third wheel?"

The Delin Western Restaurant was of high class, with luxurious decoration primarily in European style. In the center of the hall, there was a white piano, with a blonde, blue-eyed man in a tailcoat gently touching the keys with both hands, playing a beautiful melody—very romantic.

Not long after sitting down, a female waiter quickly came over, politely handing over the menu.

"Sir, what would you like?"

Looking at the exquisite menu, Ling Chen replied, "Do you have fried rice with egg, the large portion?"

The waitress paused, then explained, "Sir, I’m sorry, but this is a Western restaurant."

"Linlin, where did you find this driver? He comes to a Western restaurant and orders fried rice with egg. Others will think it’s a country bumpkin’s first time in the city. Waitress, arrange a different seat for him; don’t let him stay here and embarrass me."

Qin Yang had an expression of displeasure and disdain, as if being associated with Ling Chen was beneath him.

"I’m very sorry, sir, but we’re fully booked."

"Qin Yang, he’s obviously a rough man; why bother arguing with him about these things?"

After Su Lin’s words, Qin Yang chose to stay quiet and carelessly ordered a couple of items.

Looking at the menu, Ling Chen had no appetite. During those years abroad, he had Western food every day, and now he was tired of it. Plus, the portions were too small, and being a practical man, all he cared about was whether he could get full or not.

How good fried rice with egg is—economical and satisfying. One bowl, and you’re not hungry for half a day.

"Then get me two portions of filet mignon steak."

"Do you need any wine, sir?"

"Bring a bottle of Bolante's red dry wine."

"Alright, it’ll be right up."

After the waitress left, Su Lin looked at Ling Chen in surprise. This country bumpkin actually knows to pair steak with red wine. Wonder where he picked up this kind of sophistication.

Before long, a steak and a glass of red wine were served.

Watching Ling Chen devouring his food, Qin Yang withdrew his gaze in disgust. A country bumpkin is a country bumpkin; nobody eats steak like that. Western dining is all about being graceful, a display of one’s temperament. This guy sticks out like a sore thumb in this environment. Su Lin really must have her reasons to keep such a person around.

"Qin Yang, was it tough being abroad for the past month?"

Su Lin seemed to forget Ling Chen’s presence, casually chatting with Qin Yang.

"Of course, it was tough. I went there to push myself; I have to face some hardships."

"Nowadays, fewer and fewer people have ambition like you. Not like some people, who know nothing but brute force, not willing to learn at a young age, only fit to be a security guard."

The more Ling Chen listened, the more it tasted off. That "some people" seemed to refer to him. Although he knew Su Lin was talking about him, since the other party didn’t name names, there was no need for him to join the conversation uninvited, pretending he heard nothing, and continued eating his steak.

Seeing Ling Chen not picking up the conversation, Su Lin couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. She had planned to use this opportunity to strike at him. But since Ling Chen didn’t play along, she had no way to proceed, so she reluctantly swallowed the words she had been brewing.

"Qin Yang, what activities were included in the amateur military training expansion you did abroad?"

"There were a mix of activities. Apart from the daily specified basic training, we also had to survive in the wilderness, eat raw snake meat and insects. The first few days had me vomiting so much that my stomach acid came up. Fortunately, I have strong adaptability. Out of all the members who participated in the wilderness survival training, I was the only one who persisted to the end."

"I knew you were the best." Su Lin looked smugly at Ling Chen, as if to tell him, see, my boyfriend is no worse than you.

Ling Chen just shrugged his shoulders, pretending not to notice the look she gave him.

"Linlin, the scenery on that island is so beautiful, especially the sunsets there. You would definitely fall in love with the place if you saw it. Every evening I would watch the sunset, thinking about our future. If we get married in the future, I will definitely build a villa there, spend every day watching the tide come and go, the setting sun, and grow old together."

Qin Yang spoke with passion and emotion, and Su Lin was intoxicated by the beautiful scenery he described, her face beaming with happiness.

Ling Chen sipped his red wine and sighed to himself, another woman dazed by love.

Ideals are plump, reality is skinny; sooner or later, they will learn this firsthand. But on second thought, considering the backgrounds of Su Lin and Qin Yang, they indeed have the means to turn their ideals into reality.

"Linlin, when I was doing diving training over there, I found a shell with a pearl inside. It’s not something precious, but it was something I salvaged from the ocean floor with my own hands. I plan to make it into a pendant for you, to represent our pure relationship, and I hope you will like it."

Su Lin said sweetly, "As long as it’s from you, I’ll like it."

Listening to the two exchanging sweet nothings, Ling Chen was getting restless. It’s just dinner; was there a need to flaunt their affection in front of me? At the very least, they should consider the feelings of a single guy like me.

"Miss Su, I have finished eating. I’ll go back to the car first."

"Go ahead, just don’t forget to pay the bill."

"Pay the bill?"

Ling Chen was stunned and pointed at his nose, saying, "Miss Su, are you kidding me? You’re asking me to pay?"

"Is there a problem? Of course, you should pay for what you ate. Why should I pay for you? I said I would help you reserve a spot, but I never offered to pay for you."

"Miss Su, I am currently working for you; arranging a meal for me is only natural. How could you have me pay for it?"

Ling Chen tried to reason with this young lady.

"You’re not an employee I hired; you’re just someone I’m temporarily using. If you want reimbursement for the meal, you can go to Wanqing. Don’t come to me."

At this point, it was clear to any observer that Su Lin was deliberately making things difficult for Ling Chen.

Though Qin Yang did not know where Ling Chen had offended Su Lin, he would not miss this opportunity to showcase himself. He proactively called over the waiter and pointed at Ling Chen: "Settle this gentleman’s bill."

"Sir, your total consumption is three thousand eight hundred yuan; would you like to pay by card or cash?"

"Three thousand eight?"

Ling Chen’s eyes widened. He had assumed that Su Lin would cover the cost, so he hadn’t paid attention to the price. Little did he know the meal was outrageously expensive. He only had a few hundred yuan in his pocket, nowhere near enough to cover the bill.

"Sir, two steaks for one thousand three hundred yuan, one bottle of red wine for two thousand five hundred yuan, a total of three thousand eight hundred yuan; there’s no mistake with the amount."

Ling Chen was speechless. He could pay three hundred eighty, but three thousand eight hundred... Even if stripped bare, he wouldn’t have that much money. This young lady was ruthless, using such a mean trick against him.