Chapter 19 Proposal

After parking his car, Jiang Xia quickly went upstairs according to the address given by General Manager Wu.

He went straight up from the basement level and waited for the elevator.

This restaurant is known for its high-end luxury, and it seems like it's usually difficult to get a reservation; he didn't know much about it.

He was frugal from a young age and did not have the habit of being extravagant in terms of food.

During junior high school, he could eat steamed buns and mantou all day long at the school's second canteen, along with some chopped chili sauce.

It's a pity that Duliang, being in the south, has a looser, less dense dough, and the filling effect isn't as strong as that of traditional steamed buns.

Drink more water if you are hungry.

However, the painful days did not last long. In the second year of junior high school, Wu Ming appeared in his life.

He would snatch his own food and stuff his delicious bento box into his own hands.

Young people always have a dream of saving others, and Wu Ming's is even more so.

Wu Ming vaguely sensed the turmoil in the Wu family, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. He could only continue living the life of a wealthy young master, afraid that if others found out and asked, his adolescent pride would be crushed.

At that time, he and Jiang Xia huddled together for warmth.

Jiang Xia averted his gaze and looked at his reflection in the elevator door.

The young man in the mirror wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses without lenses as an accessory.

He maintained his formal attire for work, without changing his gray shirt, suit pants, and leather shoes, and without removing his tie. He only changed his suit jacket into a more casual brown mid-length coat.

His outfit wasn't exactly designer, but it still cost him close to 20,000 yuan. Standing in the opulent restaurant, he became a part of the bustling city.

The restaurant air-freights fresh vegetables daily, and five-star chefs prepare the dishes, making adjustments to the existing menu based on customer preferences by having chefs from different cuisines work on the fly.

The same dish can have several flavors.

Last time, Wu Ming said he would bring him over to eat when he had time.

He couldn't remember when the last time was, maybe ten days ago, maybe twenty days ago.

Wu Ming made many promises, sometimes to take her out to eat, sometimes to invite her to an art exhibition, and sometimes to go bungee jumping together. But he had so many friends, and his friends would also invite him out to play.

Plans are always subject to disruption.

Jiangxia had experienced being completely prepared, checking travel guides, only to be stood up at the last minute.

So he learned to discern and to accept disappointment as normal.

Jiang Xia looked at the electronic menu and never expected that he would be having dinner here with President Wu.

Wu Zhou...

Jiang Xia sighed and rubbed his temples. He was quite hungry, but after walking just a few steps, he felt like he was overeating—he wasn't hungry anymore.

Thinking about what Wu Zhou might say later, his appetite waned even more, and he even considered backing out.

He took out his phone, wondering whether he should say that he was stuck in traffic and couldn't make it at the last minute.

Upon checking, I saw a message from Zhan Lintian: "What are your plans for tonight?"

Jiang Xia wanted to tell the truth, but when he thought that President Zhan would say something about Wu Zhou liking him, he only replied with three words: "Something came up."

Zhan Lintian: "To thank you for helping me in the Fog Kingdom, I have a few meetings that require a reliable simultaneous interpreter. Do you have time to take on the role? I can recommend someone for you."

"I watched the video of you as a translator at the Economic Conference last time. You have a good image and good spoken English. I have a lot of confidence in you."

Jiang Xia's eyebrows lifted in delight: "Thank you, President Zhan, for the opportunity."

Although simultaneous interpreting is a high-pressure job, it is also short-term and highly rewarding. The industry is very competitive, and many companies have their own translators and do not hire translators from outside the industry.

Jiang Xia had only participated in a few government-organized events where the other party needed a translator in a less common language. Fortunately, he had taken the course in college and hadn't used it for a long time. However, the meeting didn't involve too many technical terms, and he spent most of the time introducing products to the clients.

He only got that opportunity because the editor-in-chief recommended him on behalf of the company.

Montreal is so vibrant; this place, where every inch of land is incredibly valuable, attracts top talent from all industries.

Jiang Xia felt guilty and somewhat embarrassed when he thought about how Zhan Lintian had come to help him, yet he was still wary of him.

The elevator is going up.

Zhan Lintian suddenly asked, "At the Jin Ying Dongfang Restaurant?"

Jiang Xia was taken aback.

"I heard this in the background music. I ate there a while ago, and it was pretty good."

Jiang Xia braced himself against the wall with one hand, lowered his head, and was too embarrassed to speak.

"Yes..." he instinctively wanted to say.

But Zhan Lintian interrupted, "Enjoy your meal, you won't be disappointed. Let's talk again tonight."

Zhan Lintian leaned back on the sofa, looking at his phone. He didn't reveal that Jin Ying Dongfang was a members-only restaurant, and the membership requirement was a single top-up of 100,000 yuan, with no upper limit.

Jiang Xia doesn't seem like the type to spend so much money on a meal.

Zhan Lintian twirled his phone with one hand. Come to think of it, Wu Zhou seemed to have decided to hold Wu Ming's engagement banquet here, which would be enough to entertain some relatives and friends.

That was Wu Zhou inviting him to dinner.

It seems Wu Zhou has really fallen for her; it's strange that he didn't let any news of it slip beforehand.

Zhan Lintian spun his phone faster and faster, squinted, and suddenly smiled. Perhaps he could go and inquire about it.

Will Jiang Xia fall in love with Wu Zhou?

Perhaps, he recalled Jiang Xia's face. She had no experience in love and might really be helpless when faced with a domineering pursuer.

While he was lost in thought, Wenwen ran over, threw herself onto his knees, and whispered, "Uncle, why are you unhappy?"

Zhan Lintian picked her up: "No, Uncle is thinking about something. Is Wenwen unhappy?"

"Wenwen wants to play with Uncle Jiang from last time," the little girl said in her childish voice. "He smells so nice."

Zhan Lintian said, "Last time you were sick, he fed you candy, and you wanted to eat candy, right?"

She puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest: "No way."

Zhan Lintian coaxed, "Okay, your uncle will take you to visit him tomorrow."

"Why can't you come to our house?"

"Because he's too busy, we come to his home so he won't be so tired."

Just then, Jiang Xia, who had just entered the elevator, suddenly sneezed. There was an elevator attendant pressing the button inside.

"Excuse me, I'll go to the fifth floor, thank you."

I asked casually, "The elevator took a long time to arrive."

The waiter apologized: "I'm sorry, we were moving heart-shaped rose bouquets just now, and loading and unloading took a lot of time."

Jiang Xia didn't wait long before casually asking, "Is someone proposing marriage?"

As he was still muttering to himself, his phone vibrated, interrupting his thoughts.

As the time they had agreed upon approached, Mr. Wu called. When they answered, a deep, husky voice came through the phone.

Where are you? I'll come pick you up.

Jiang Xia took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in his heart, and pretended to be calm: "The elevator is almost at the door, estimated to be in about a minute."

His tense and uneasy figure was reflected in the elevator wall.

He took a deep breath, smiled, and tried to appear calm.

He asked, "Mr. Wu, which private room is it? I'm coming right now."

"Need not."

Jiang Xia glanced sideways in confusion, instinctively looking at the phone beside her ear: "Should I give you your name?"

Before the words were finished, ding—the elevator doors opened, and outside, a man stood waiting at the door with his phone in hand.

The two looked into each other's eyes, and Jiang Xia blinked, momentarily doubting whether he was seeing things.

Wu Zhou looked into the depths of his eyes and said softly, "I've come to pick you up."

Jiang Xia froze, then followed him blankly, finding a spot against the wall. The hall was high-ceilinged and divided into two levels. In the center of the first floor, there were different performances, and at that moment, someone was playing the violin.

Jiangxia sat on the second floor, near the edge, so he could easily see down to the first floor.

Once the food was served, Jiang Xia first drank a few sips of tea. He was so hungry that he wanted to fill his stomach a little so he wouldn't eat in an unseemly or embarrassing way.

As the dishes were served one after another, Jiang Xia took a bite and looked at General Manager Wu with surprise.

It has no noticeable sweetness!

Wu Zhou looked at his face: "I had them adjust it according to the taste of people in your hometown who don't eat sugar."

Jiang Xia blushed and said thank you.

Wu Zhou looked at the young man in front of him and thought about the look in his eyes just now. He rarely saw him show such an expression.

Halfway through the meal, the music downstairs suddenly changed. Jiang Xia looked up curiously; it sounded like a song often used for proposals or weddings.

He looked downstairs and his pupils trembled.

Wu Ming was holding a large bouquet of roses, while staff members used a small cart to move heart-shaped roses to the piano, adding a romantic touch to the beautiful scene.

Xie Xingzhang, wearing a pink fishtail dress, looked at Wu Ming with surprise, covered her mouth with her hands, and exclaimed to each other with her sisters.

Someone is filming a vlog.

Amidst the applause, Jiang Xia saw Wu Ming cough, seemingly somewhat embarrassed, and slowly kneel down on one knee, presenting Xie Xingzhang with the prepared ring.

"Sweetheart, will you marry me?"

There was another round of applause, but no one spoke or made a fuss.

Jiang Xia stared intently down below, slowly raising his hand to clap, but as his palm touched the ground, Wu Zhou suddenly grabbed his right wrist.

His fingers gripped his wrist like steel, and his burning body heat radiated through him.

Jiang Xia pulled backward, and Wu Zhou exerted force with his palm, causing the veins on the back of his hand to bulge.

His gaze was like that of a hawk, and Jiang Xia felt a sudden panic, fear rushing to his head.

Wu Zhou said, word by word, "If you're unhappy, you don't have to applaud."

A note from the author:

This story will be available for purchase next Wednesday.

During this period, I will update daily as usual, and release the VIP chapters as free chapters. I will then switch to VIP status later. Until then, all chapters can be viewed for free.

There's also good news: Rabbit finally got his laptop fixed, so he can now take a break at work during lunch break to write instead of constantly tapping on his phone.