Chapter 15: Lu Qixing

Chapter 15: Lu Qixing

"An Ran, why are you here?"

Yu Mingze quickened his pace and walked over.

Zheng An Ran looked as if she had been waiting in the cold wind for a long time, her lips slightly chilled.

She raised her delicate face and smiled at Yu Mingze. "Mingze, I told you I would wait for you. You were still busy, so I came to find you!"

Yu Mingze was both surprised and filled with heartache. "Weren't you waiting for me when you called earlier? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

He quickly took off his suit jacket and draped it over her.

Zheng An Ran clutched the warm jacket and shook her head. "It hasn't been that long. I'm willing to wait for you."

As she had expected, Yu Mingze felt a deep pang of heartache.

"Foolish girl, if you're going to wait for me, wait inside. Why are you out here in the cold wind?"

"Mingze, I didn't want others to misunderstand you, so I didn't go in. I was afraid that people might find out about us..."

If they were officially together, she would have gone straight to his office. Why would she need to stand out here in the cold wind for a few minutes, putting on a show?

The truth was, Zheng An Ran hadn't been waiting in the cold wind for over an hour. She wasn't stupid; she knew exactly what to do and when to make a man feel sorry for her.

After her call, she had been sitting in the café across from the company, waiting until she saw the lights in Yu Mingze's office go off. Only then did she step out to endure a bit of cold wind, just for show.

Zheng An Ran was in a hurry and eager to hear the news of Yu Mingze's divorce tomorrow.

However, hearing her words, Yu Mingze couldn't help but think of Song Qingyu's pregnancy again. His eyes dodged, and he simply said to Zheng An Ran, "Next time, don't wait for me like a fool. It's freezing out here."

"Don't worry about that now. You must be hungry. Come on, get in the car. Let's go eat!"

Seeing that Yu Mingze hadn't made any promises about the divorce like before, Zheng An Ran felt dissatisfied but still maintained her usual smile.

"Mingze, you're so thoughtful!"

Yu Mingze drove his sports car and took Zheng An Ran to a restaurant she had been longing to visit.

This restaurant specializes in private cuisine, with ingredients flown in fresh every day. Every bite guests take is still growing in the soil in the morning and is cooked and served to them by evening, highlighting freshness.

It was said that a chef whose family has honed culinary skills for eight generations left a lasting impression on every diner, thanks to the combination of his skills and the fresh ingredients.

Unfortunately, the restaurant only serves a few tables each day, and the prices are high, making it hard to secure a table. Reservations are booked several weeks in advance.

Even so, Yu Mingze was able to bring someone over without a reservation. Partly because of his family name, Yu, and partly because the restaurant is owned by his best friend, Lu Qixing.

The Lu family had been in politics for generations, but Lu Qixing had a sudden desire to open a restaurant, refusing to follow the path his parents laid out for him.

Since Lu Qixing had older siblings to rely on, the youngest child wouldn't harm the family's reputation even if he didn't enter politics.

He was allowed to pursue his passion for restaurants, and by now, he has already achieved success.

"Young Master, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you!"

Lu Qixing laughed heartily, opening his arms wide and walking briskly toward Yu Mingze, who also smiled in return.

The two gave each other a warm hug.

"Long time no see, how have you been recently?"

"Well, pretty good."

"You haven't been to our get-togethers in a while. Make sure to join us next time!"

"Sure thing!"

Lu Qixing, still unmarried, often teased Yu Mingze in front of their friends that marrying early would tie him down and limit his freedom. He had no plans to let that happen.

Yu Mingze's wedding was a simple ceremony, only inviting close friends and family. As the best man, Lu Qixing had met Yu Mingze’s wife.

When Lu Qixing first received Yu Mingze’s message, he thought Yu Mingze would bring his wife for dinner, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

Who is the woman standing next to Mingze?

Lu Qixing found her somewhat familiar.

"Oh, who’s this?"

Yu Mingze introduced her with a gesture, "This is An Ran, you've met her before."

Mentioning Yu Mingze’s marriage stung Zheng Anran a bit. Hiding her discomfort, she greeted him with a smile, "Hello!"

"Ah, it’s An Ran! You’ve gotten even more beautiful; I didn’t recognize you!"

Lu Qixing wondered how the two, who had broken up long ago, ended up dining together.

As longtime friends, Yu Mingze could guess what Lu Qixing was thinking and explained, "An Ran has just returned from abroad. I brought her here to try out your new restaurant."

"Sure, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Come on in!"

Putting his doubts aside, Lu Qixing led them inside with a smile.

The restaurant’s interior was quintessentially Chinese, with wooden beams overhead, latticed windows, and bamboo branches lining the aisles, along with a small bridge over a stream in the hall, all creating a refreshing atmosphere.

Zheng Anran followed closely beside Yu Mingze, not daring to show any fear.

She noticed the melodious music around her was being played by three or four cheongsam-clad beauties behind a carved screen in the hall.

Indeed, everything exuded a taste of luxury.

No wonder one of her friends, who had tasted the delicacies here, bragged in front of her group about how wonderful and unforgettable this place was, that money couldn’t buy a seat.

Zheng Anran proudly withdrew her gaze that had been scanning the surroundings.

She thought it wasn't as exaggerated as her friend had described. It was just that her friend hadn’t seen much of the world.

Later, she would take a photo to show them what it was really like!

Soon, Lu Qixing led them to a clean wooden table, surrounded by screens, with other diners nearby.

After sitting down, the waiter quickly brought them tea.

Lu Qixing handed them the menu and said with a grand gesture, "Order whatever you like, don't be shy!"

"You said it, don't back out now!"

Yu Mingze wasn't about to be polite. He handed the menu directly to Zheng Anran, leaving it to her to choose their dinner.

Although Zheng Anran had mentally prepared herself, she was genuinely surprised when she opened the menu and saw the prices listed.

Seriously, a simple stir-fried green vegetable costs several hundred dollars. Were these greens plated in gold or silver?

Yu Mingze noticed Zheng Anran’s discomfort and said kindly, "An Ran, pick whatever you want to eat. Don’t worry about the cost. There’s someone who can give us a discount."

As he said that, he glanced at Lu Qixing, hinting at him.

Lu Qixing immediately adopted a pained expression and said with feigned generosity, "Yes, yes, I'll give you a discount. I’ll make sure you get the best deal, okay?"

However, he knew that Yu Mingze wasn’t the type to worry about money. He could afford anything, no matter how expensive. It was just that Zheng Anran...