It's true that different people have different fates. Mingxue's feelings were complicated, but she didn't show it. She still had a gentle smile on her face. "Alright, I'll go out now. It'll be my turn to act soon."
At 7 p.m., Lin Taozi took a car to a Chinese restaurant. The prices there were quite reasonable, which was really inconsistent with Bai Junbai's status and temperament. Why would he invite her to such a common place to eat?
Just as she was wondering what was going on, she heard someone call out to her, "Peach, you're here! Come on over, we've been waiting for you for a while."
Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw Li Honglian waving at her from not far away, along with her two children. What a coincidence that she ran into them here!
No, she said she was waiting for her?
"Sister Honglian, what are you doing here? Are you inviting me to dinner?" Lin Taozi asked, voicing her doubts.
"Yes, I want to thank you and Mr. Bai. Um, there are a lot of people here, let's go inside and talk." Li Honglian smiled awkwardly, then took the two children's hands and walked ahead.
Lin Taozi turned around and looked around for a moment, but didn't see the person she was looking for, so she had no choice but to go inside first.
The restaurant was doing very well, with many customers and a lively atmosphere. Everyone was talking loudly. Lin Taozi felt a little dazed, as if she had returned to a restaurant in Changhe County, where it was noisy and people were playing drinking games, eating and drinking without any regard for their image. As long as they were having fun, they felt comfortable.
Seeing that her face looked a little stiff, Li Honglian smiled and said, "Don't worry, I booked a private room. It won't be that noisy inside. The soundproofing is quite good."
She had come to Beijing twice before with Zhang Yu. She had been in Beijing for six or seven years, but she spent most of her time working in her small restaurant and rarely went out to have fun. The few times she did have fun, she would go out with Zhang Yu to meet with fellow villagers.
Her restaurant was too small and catered mainly to factory workers, so it wasn't very upscale. For more formal occasions, she would book outside. Li Honglian wasn't familiar with the capital, so after looking around, she ended up choosing this place.
Perhaps she still wanted to see Zhang Yu again. This man used to be so good, so loyal, and kind to everyone. She really didn't expect him to suddenly turn out like this. Although she hated him to death, she hadn't completely let go of him.
Lin Taozi was unaware of Li Honglian's complicated thoughts. After entering the private room, she found that the soundproofing was really good. Once the door was closed, all the noise and commotion outside was shut out, which made her feel relieved.
Sigh, her older sisters are getting better and better off, and they all spoil her and make her pampered.
"I've also invited Mr. Bai. Should we wait for him to arrive before ordering, or should we order a few dishes first?" Li Honglian asked for her opinion.
“…I think we should order what we like to eat first, so the children won’t go hungry.” Lin Taozi smiled and took the menu to order. Actually, she thought Bai Junbo wouldn’t come. This restaurant was too low-end for him, and he would probably turn around and leave as soon as he got to the door.
However, she couldn't say this directly to Li Honglian. After they had almost finished eating, she pretended to call Bai Junbai and said that he had something to do and couldn't come. This way, she wouldn't embarrass Li Honglian too much.
It's really frustrating to treat someone to a meal out of kindness, only to have them look down on you.
Li Honglian was never very assertive, and she wasn't familiar with Bai Junbai, so she didn't know his preferences. If she hadn't felt bad about it, she wouldn't have invited him. After all, in the few times they had met, Bai Junbai hadn't even looked at her properly, let alone said a word to her.
She was treated like she was invisible the whole time, which was quite embarrassing for her, but they did help her, so she shouldn't complain.
The dishes were served quickly, and the group started eating. To be honest, the food here tasted pretty good, which delighted Lin Taozi. She was a foodie herself, and although she didn't have the same appetite as her older sisters, she still loved good food.
"I didn't expect the chef here to be so good. How come I never discovered such a great place before? It's delicious." She tried every dish and confirmed that this place was indeed very good.
"Although I've only been here twice, I already think the food here is delicious." Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen this place. Actually, for someone as frugal as her, the prices here are a bit high.
The small restaurant that Li Honglian runs costs at most five or six hundred yuan for a large table. The minimum charge here is two hundred yuan, and the minimum charge for a private room is five hundred yuan. They just ordered a lot of good dishes, so the meal will probably cost over a thousand yuan.
Halfway through the meal, Lin Taozi's phone rang. She saw that it was Bai Junbo calling. She answered the phone calmly, "Hello."
Bai Junbai frowned slightly. When did Lin Taozi become so polite to him? But he didn't dwell on it. "Where are you? I'm outside the restaurant."
He went in briefly, but quickly came back out. It was too chaotic inside, like a market, which made him very uncomfortable.
"...You're here! Oh, wait a moment, I'll come out to meet you right away." Lin Taozi was surprised. Bai Junbo had come to keep their appointment and was waiting outside.
"You guys eat first, Mr. Bai is here, I'll go bring him in." Lin Taozi grabbed her bag and ran out the door.
When Lin Taozi ran out of the restaurant, she saw Bai Junbo standing among the bustling crowd. It wasn't far from the pedestrian street, where there was a night market, so there were many people around.
Among a group of simply dressed office workers, Bai Junbai stood out from the crowd with his noble and aloof demeanor, truly out of place with everything around him, and passersby couldn't help but glance at him.
He had a cold face and lowered his eyes, as if he couldn't see anyone else, nor could he hear the surrounding noise.
"Bai Junbai, over here, come here quickly." Lin Taozi waved to him with a bright smile. He seemed different from before today. Lin Taozi felt her face flush and her heart race for no reason, but she didn't know why.
Bai Junbo looked up and then strode over with his long legs. "Where is this place? Why are we eating here?"
Seeing his disgusted and disapproving expression, Lin Taozi's smile froze slightly. She choked for a moment, then said helplessly, "If you don't want to go in, you can go back first. We're eating right now."
"I've been starving all night, and you're telling me to go back on an empty stomach? You've already started eating?" Bai Junbai's voice was low and cold, his stern face revealing his displeasure.
"...Come on, come on, come and eat with us. Don't say I didn't let you eat." Lin Taozi grabbed his hand and left, not bothering to say anything more to him. She had figured it out; this man was hard to please. No matter what she said, he would always find something to shut her up with.
Bai Junbai glanced at their clasped hands, pursed his thin lips, said nothing, and silently followed her into the private room.
"Mr. Bai, you're here! What would you like to eat? The food here is quite delicious. Please sit down. I'll have someone clear these away." They were almost full, and there was only some leftover soup and scraps on the table, which looked rather unappetizing and felt impolite.
The table was quickly cleared away, and the waiter brought over the menu. Bai Junbai casually ordered a few of the most expensive items and handed the menu to Lin Taozi.
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