Chapter 93: Yang’s Dinner
Chapter Ninety-Four: Xia Yang’s Dinner
After the election ended, it was time for Xia Yang to fulfill his promise. This summer was destined to be special for Xia Yang. Qing Tian met Ji Xiangyu and Xia Yang this summer, and her previously ordinary life became complicated.
Today was the weekend, and Xia Yang invited Qing Tian to the Barcelona Restaurant for lunch, saying he wanted to thank her for everything she had done for him. Qing Tian initially wanted to refuse, but she couldn’t think of a reason to do so.
Qing Tian had never been to the Barcelona Restaurant before. She had heard that everything inside was very expensive, so she specially wore a slightly formal dress and paired it with small leather shoes. She looked very presentable no matter how you looked at it.
Xia Yang was driving a jeep today, and it looked very new. Qing Tian didn’t understand why Xia Yang’s material life was so abundant. Living alone outside should be very difficult, but Xia Yang was not like that.
Qing Tian really couldn’t figure it out, but there was nothing to think about!
Xia Yang was very happy to see Qing Tian’s careful dressing. He whistled at Qing Tian and asked gallantly, “Yo, such a beautiful princess, dressed so beautifully and movingly, who are you meeting?”
Qing Tian smiled and replied, “I’m meeting a Ruffian Young Master who is known to be miserable, and then I’m going to fleece him thoroughly, leaving his wallet empty!”
Xia Yang habitually put his arm around Qing Tian’s shoulder and said with a smile, “From what I know, that person known as the Ruffian Young Master doesn’t seem to have money in his wallet, only bank cards that can’t be spent!”
Qing Tian patted Xia Yang’s hand away and said, “Stop it…”
Then the two happily set off for dinner!
The moment Qing Tian stepped into the Barcelona Western Restaurant, she was a bit stunned. It was truly magnificent and luxurious, making her feel like Liu Grandma visiting the Grand View Garden.
Qing Tian tugged at her dress. Fortunately, she had the foresight to wear a dress that wasn’t too revealing today, otherwise she would have lost face!
Qing Tian watched Xia Yang flip through the menu with ease, and immediately felt like a bumpkin. She was truly an uncultured country bumpkin!
“What do you want to eat?” Xia Yang asked Qing Tian while looking through the menu.
Qing Tian casually glanced at the menu, and her eyes, when no one was looking, involuntarily scanned the prices behind each dish. It was better not to look, but once she saw the prices, she was immediately full!
This place was truly frighteningly expensive. A cup of milk tea cost hundreds. This was too, too expensive! It wasn’t something ordinary people could afford. A few hundred yuan could buy several hearty meals of pickled fish!
Qing Tian looked at the menu with some difficulty, genuinely not knowing what to eat. Everything was prohibitively expensive!
So Qing Tian smiled awkwardly and said, “Uh, you can just order whatever you want, I’m not picky!”
Xia Yang looked at Qing Tian with a knowing “oh” and then said to the waiter, “For the main course, we’ll have a sirloin steak with Spanish sauce, cooked medium-rare. A bowl of American clam chowder, foie gras, French bread, salad, mango pudding, and mocha. For our pre-dinner wine, we’ll have a 1787 Lafite. Two servings of each!”
Xia Yang spoke the dish names slowly and unhurriedly. Qing Tian felt dizzy listening to him. Why were there so many things involved in eating Western food? A meal required ordering so many dishes. No wonder they said Western food was expensive; that was the reason!
Qing Tian gained a new understanding of Xia Yang. It turned out that Xia Yang also possessed an aristocratic aura deep down, but he was usually quite low-key!
After the waiter left, Qing Tian curiously asked, “Xia Yang, how do you know so much? You’re amazing!!!”
Xia Yang explained calmly, “I learned Western dining etiquette before, when I was at that big house!”
Qing Tian understood. The big house Xia Yang mentioned was the Ji Family Home. It seemed that the Ji Family had very high expectations for their descendants. No wonder Xia Yang also knew how to play musical instruments. In that family, it would be difficult to be liked by elders if one didn’t know anything. But now Xia Yang had been away from the Ji Family for so many years.
While lost in thought, the waiter brought the red wine and began to open it for them. This series of attentive service made Qing Tian a little uncomfortable. She didn’t know why, but she always felt like a bumpkin in a noble place.
Xia Yang raised his wine glass, rhythmically swirling the red wine in his wrist, and said, “This is great, it won’t make you drunk!”
Qing Tian also imitated Xia Yang’s movements, but she didn’t know how to exert force and almost spilled all the red wine. That was close, just a little bit.
Qing Tian looked at Xia Yang in embarrassment, speechless for a moment!
Xia Yang smiled and said, “The Old Man’s birthday party involves this kind of table etiquette, and there will also be a family banquet. I want you to come with me then, so I brought you here today to experience this restrictive table etiquette!”
Qing Tian’s jaw dropped in surprise. She asked in disbelief, “A family banquet? Are you kidding? Will Ji Xiangyu and Ji Weiwei both be there then?”
Xia Yang took a sip of wine and added, “More than that, Ji Xiangyu’s parents will be there too. Do you know what this means? I will be entering the Ji Family again as an illegitimate child. Although I’m very reluctant, seeing how enthusiastic you are, I’ll have to go!”
Qing Tian quickly explained, “Can you not bring me? It’s really inappropriate for me to go!”
Xia Yang smiled slightly and then said firmly, “It’s too late. You have to face this with me!”
Qing Tian rolled her eyes and drank the wine in one gulp. She drank too quickly and choked, her face turning red.
When the waiter brought out the exquisite dishes one by one, she had no appetite to taste them.
Attending the Ji Family’s banquet, how spectacular would that be? The Ji Family was so large, and she would have to meet Ji Xiangyu’s parents. This was even more nerve-wracking!
What should I do? Who can tell me what to do?
While she was lost in thought, the sound of a violin echoed from above. Qing Tian looked up and asked in surprise, “What’s going on?”
Xia Yang smiled faintly, “This melody is for you!”
Qing Tian felt a little overwhelmed and scolded herself for being so easily swayed. But Xia Yang had really arranged everything so thoughtfully. To prevent her from making a fool of herself, he had arranged all this. The cost must have been very high. A place where even a beverage cost hundreds, and there was live music, must have been a considerable expense!
For a moment, Qing Tian became the center of attention in the entire restaurant. She grinned foolishly at Xia Yang. At this moment, all she could do was laugh, or cry. It was too grand!
Qing Tian said to Xia Yang, “Thank you for arranging everything for me!”
“Let me show you a magic trick,” Xia Yang said, standing up with a “whoosh.”
Magic… magic? Qing Tian looked at Xia Yang in surprise as he extended his hand, waved it thoughtfully, and then grabbed with elegant posture. He really looked the part, just like in the magic shows she had seen on television!
“Watch closely!” Xia Yang nodded at me and smiled mysteriously.
Qing Tian nodded vigorously, widening her eyes. She saw Jiang Youchen tightly clench his fist and turn it around, then mysteriously bring his fist to his mouth, gently, gently blow on it, and then he produced a large gift box from behind him.
Qing Tian asked in surprise, “How did you do that? It’s so magical!”
Xia Yang handed the gift box to Qing Tian, “Beautiful Princess, accept it. It belongs to you!”
Qing Tian smiled and took the box. She opened it curiously. Inside was a purple organza dress and a pair of matching high heels.
Qing Tian looked at Xia Yang, moved to tears, and couldn’t speak. The feeling was truly, deeply moving, yet also heartbreaking. The heartbreak came from the fact that not long ago, the dress Ji Xiangyu had given her was ruined by Ji Weiwei’s prank, just like her relationship with him had become stiff!
Xia Yang noticed Qing Tian’s subtle mood and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
Qing Tian composed herself and smiled at Xia Yang, “I like it very much. It’s just a bit sudden, but I’m very happy!”
Xia Yang said, “As long as you like it!”
Then the meal continued very pleasantly!
After dinner, Xia Yang drove Qing Tian to the seaside they had visited before. Qing Tian remembered that the last time she came here at night was with Ji Xiangyu. They were very harmonious then. The scene of him holding her to avoid the water replayed in her mind as if it were happening again. Qing Tian uncontrollably missed every moment with Ji Xiangyu, and that forgotten beer bottle!
Their respective messages were written on it. I wonder if it’s still there?
After so much time has passed, could it have been washed away by the sea?
Qing Tian pulled Xia Yang to their previous spot and pointed at the sand, “I buried two beer bottles here last time, but I can’t remember the exact location. It seems to be around here. Can you help me find them?”
Xia Yang nodded in confusion and asked, “What kind of beer bottles? Green?”
Qing Tian nodded, and then the two of them began to dig frantically in the sand!
They dug up half the beach but couldn’t find the beer bottles Qing Tian mentioned. Qing Tian said with disappointment, “Maybe the typhoon washed them away!”
Xia Yang patted Qing Tian’s shoulder and gently comforted her, “No matter what was written inside, since it was washed into the sea, it means it will definitely come true!”
Qing Tian could only sigh and agree, “Then so be it. Although I really wanted to find them, I hope the sea takes them away, to a faraway place!”
Xia Yang put his arm around Qing Tian’s shoulder and said with a grin, “That’s the right way to think about it. A smile can overcome anything!”
Qing Tian turned her head to look at Xia Yang’s profile, “That line is from Chen Xiaoshi, how can you plagiarize it!”
Xia Yang shrugged, “Who said it doesn’t matter, okay?”
Qing Tian said helplessly, “Fine!!!”
When they returned home and were saying goodbye downstairs, Xia Yang said to Qing Tian, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow!”
Qing Tian nodded. Since she had promised Xia Yang to face hardships together, it was only natural for her to accompany him to the Ji Family Home. She had come to terms with it. She was going to die anyway, so why not die with a clear conscience?
Qing Tian returned home and changed into the dress Xia Yang had given her. She looked at herself in the mirror and felt it was unreal.
This dress should belong to a princess, but she would always be a commoner, worlds apart from the young ladies of high society. Especially Situ Jingyi, would she be there tomorrow?
If she was, what would her identity be?
She dared not think too much, fearing that the more she thought, the more disappointed she would become!
