Chapter 3
Returning to her moments, Meng Jia also posted a nine-grid photo. She was wearing a beautiful dress, having dinner in a high altitude, holding a bouquet of flowers in her arms, leaning close to her mother, who had extremely well-maintained skin, expressing how good her mom was to her. She also took her to eat delicious food. Her father was from Hong Kong and worked there year-round.
Following that, Yu Xi also posted a moment about returning to Li City. After washing up, she revealed her fair face and made a peace sign.
For a moment, the moments section was bustling with activity.
At this time, Lu Hai sent a message to Ji Ting to chat.
Ji Ting opened it, read it, and chose to reply to him.
On Friday night, Lu Hai came to pick up Ji Ting. Ji Ting made a cup of mocha for him. Since there was no parking here, Ji Ting hurriedly got into the car at the intersection. She was wearing a short-sleeved top and an A-line dress
She fastened her seatbelt, while stray hair fell on her cheeks.
Lu Hai looked at her for a few seconds under the light, and Ji Ting smiled as she placed the coffee on his center console. Lu Hai glanced at it and said, “Thank you.”
He picked up a box of exquisitely packaged perfume and handed it to Ji Ting, “A gift for our meeting.”
Ji Ting paused, smiled, and reached out to accept it. “I just gave you coffee, and you’re giving me something so valuable in return.”
“It’s okay, as long as you like it. I don’t know much about it, my friends helped me choose,” Lu Hai said as he adjusted his clothes, and started the car.
Nowadays, blind dates are convenient, and photos are easy to come by, all in high definition. Ji Ting’s appearance in person was slightly plumper than her slightly beautified photos, but her features were even more attractive, and her eyes sparkled when she smiled, like a falling star.
Lu Hai’s heart was beating a bit faster.
Ji Ting placed the perfume gift box properly and asked, “Where are we going to eat?”
Lu Hai glanced at her hurriedly, then looked back at the road ahead, saying, “I recently found a restaurant that’s really nice, very stylish. I’ll take you there to try it out.”
“Sure.” Ji Ting nodded.
In the car, Lu Hai asked her if she had any dietary restrictions.
Ji Ting shook her head.
Lu Hai breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
The white sedan drove around the city center for a few times, following the navigation, and then slowly pulled up at a restaurant dominated by off-white and wheat color. The restaurant name was shining brightly on the prominent eaves.
[Another Restaurant]
Ji Ting was slightly stunned, and recognized that it was the fusion restaurant newly opened by Tan Yucheng. At this moment, there wasn’t an empty seat in sight through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“How about this place? Looks alright?” Lu Hai asked as he looked for a parking space nearby and looked at the restaurant.
Ji Ting smiled and nodded.
After the car turned around, they found a parking spot near the closed shop next door. After getting out of the car, Ji Ting followed Lu Hai up the steps, and Lu Hai reached out to open the door for her.
“Welcome.” A crisp male voice came from behind the long counter, it was one of the restaurant’s staff.
Inside, it was as bustling as it appeared from the outside, especially crowded with girls. The sizzle of fatty beef and other dishes on the iron plate filled the air, and there were also people enjoying Sukiyaki.
At first glance, almost every table was occupied. Lu Hai escorted her inside and said, “I made a reservation in advance. This place is more crowded from Friday to Sunday.”
Ji Ting nodded in acknowledgment.
Guided by the waiter, they took a seat at a two-person table in the middle. Ji Ting and Lu Hai sat facing each other. Lu Hai scanned the QR code and handed Ji Ting his phone to place the order. He had clearly done some research in advance, knowing what the restaurant specialized in, which dishes were popular, and how they were rated. Ji Ting looked through his phone, realizing that she had seen these dishes before Tan Yucheng opened his restaurant.
Some of the popular ones.
Seeing nearby girls choosing Sukiyaki, she decided to order the same.
She handed the phone back to Lu Hai, who looked at it and asked, “Do you want to add anything else?”
Ji Ting thought for a moment. “Let’s add a salad.”
“Sure.”
Lu Hai added a few other items for himself, then put down his phone. He looked up at Ji Ting and started chatting with her. Ji Ting leaned closer to the table to hear him better, as the noise from the restaurant, mixed with the fragrance of girls, made it difficult to hear clearly.
Her attentive demeanor made Lu Hai even more interested in the conversation, and he looked at her with appreciative eyes.
Suddenly, a man emerged from the kitchen, wearing a black T-shirt and long pants, holding a glass of water and taking a sip. With just one glance, he spotted Ji Ting sitting in the middle of the crowd, and Ji Ting also noticed Tan Yucheng.
Her eyes glanced over, and gestured slightly.
Tan Yucheng didn’t move, still sipping his water.
Lu Hai was still talking, and Ji Ting redirected her gaze to listen to him. Lu Hai didn’t talk much while looking at the photos, but in reality, he was quite talkative. He talked about his experience abroad, and asked about Ji Ting’s hobbies. He also gradually revealed that he had bought a house in Li City. Although he was still paying the mortgage, it wasn’t a problem because of the good benefits from his company.
Meanwhile, Tan Yucheng finished his water and turned his gaze to the man sitting opposite Ji Ting. After a quick glance, he looked away, walked towards the counter, and picked up a menu to read. After a while, he put down the menu, went behind the counter, and took a machine from there. The guy behind the counter made way for him, and Tan Yucheng personally made fruit drinks.
Ji Ting wasn’t worried about the conditions of the blind date arranged by her mother. Before coming to her, Qiu Dan must have already understood these things, so Ji Ting didn’t need to ask herself.
“Your expertise isn’t in this area, so how did you come up with the idea of opening a coffee shop?” Lu Hai asked with a smile.
Ji Ting pondered for a moment and replied, “Hobbies.”
Lu Hai nodded in agreement. “Indeed, hobbies can prolong passion.”
“Yes.”
As they were chatting, a figure approached their table, holding a pitcher of fruit drink. Ji Ting looked up, and saw that the person coming was none other than Tan Yucheng.
Their eyes met, he raised an eyebrow, then looked at Lu Hai, saying, “There’s a fruit drink promotion in the store today, and this drink is a complimentary. Give it a try.”
He took down two glasses and poured the drink.
Lu Hai was slightly surprised, and then he noticed that the girls around him were slightly stirred by the arrival of this man. He realized the strategy he had seen online, mentioning that the owner of this restaurant was a super handsome guy.
He asked, “Are you the owner of this restaurant?”
Tan Yucheng nodded, “Yes.”
Lu Hai’s looked convinced. He looked at Ji Ting, who smiled faintly. Tan Yucheng poured a glass of fruit drink for her. At the same time, their food arrived, and a waitress at the back called out for the boss. Tan Yucheng turned sideways, carrying the hot pot towards the table. The light was warm-toned and not too bright. His arm muscles were smooth, with faint veins visible.
Ji Ting unconsciously watched him.
There were whispers of girls nearby, and some of them turned their heads, evidently envious of their table.
Tan Yucheng casually placed the salad near Ji Ting’s hand, then set down the pitcher of fruit drink. He stood upright and said to them, “Enjoy your meal.”
Lu Hai also felt honored and said with a smile, “Thank you for the complimentary fruit drink.”
“Enjoy your meal.”
With that, he left the table, called over by people from other tables.
The girls were calling out for the boss, but Tan Yucheng didn’t go to each one of them, he patiently stayed on one table.
After he left, Ji Ting picked up the fruit drink and took a sip, feeling a bit dazed.
Lu Hai took her bowl and filled it with food, saying, “The boss of this restaurant seems quite popular.”
Ji Ting came back to her senses, put down the glass, and nodded.
After finishing their meal and taking a stroll outside, it was already half-past nine. Ji Ting didn’t go back to the restaurant, and only let Lu Hai drop her off at the apartment downstairs. Lu Hai felt a bit reluctant to leave. Although Ji Ting didn’t talk much, she smiled a lot and was indeed good-looking. Moreover, since the two of them have met, there hadn’t been any disagreements or differences in opinions on any topic.
Ji Ting was a very easygoing and beautiful woman.
He turned to her and said, “By the way, I heard you’re planning to open a branch. If you need any help, I can assist.”
Ji Ting unbuckled her seatbelt and turned her head to say, “Sure, I’ll get in touch with you later.”
Lu Hai felt relieved when he heard this, and instantly gained confidence. He said, “Then in a few days, I’ll invite you to watch a movie. When are you usually free?”
Ji Ting thought for a moment and replied, “I’m usually free during working hours.”
Lu Hai smiled, feeling a bit helpless. He said, “That means our schedules don’t match, but it’s okay, I can make time.”
Ji Ting smiled and said, “Let’s make another appointment.”
“Okay.”
Ji Ting opened the car door, got out of the car, and as the wind blew, she could smell the scent of iron on her, which was not pleasant. She walked into the building, and the car behind her drove away.
Ji Ting felt a bit relaxed. Lu Hai wasn’t difficult to get along with, and quite easy going. He was straightforward, which was rare.
Ji Ting entered the elevator and stared blankly inside, her mind wandering elsewhere.
Perhaps it was the sukiyaki, or perhaps it was the man drinking his beverage with his head down.
Later, after taking a shower, she came out and opened her notebook in the living room, flipping through today’s sales figures and the messages the store manager had sent her. The next night was Meng Jia’s birthday.
Yu Xi arrived at “Sunset” early in the morning while carrying her laptop. She was a hotel manager, and with such a long vacation, a lot of work had piled up. Yu Xi propped her face up as she looked at work reports.
She asked Ji Ting about her date with the blind date.
Ji Ting replied while wiping a glass, and Yu Xi relaxed her face, looked up and said, “So you went to Tan Yucheng’s restaurant?”
Ji Ting nodded.
“Tan Yucheng even prepared fruit drinks for you guys?”
Ji Ting confirmed.
“He’s quite nice then, definitely giving you a face. I’ve heard online reviews of his new restaurant saying the food is delicious, the owner is handsome, and worth a visit. If you could even charm the owner, that would be even better.”
Ji Ting paused briefly at Yu Xi’s words, and then smiled.
That evening, Ji Ting and Yu Xi set off from “Sunset” to the KTV club booked by Meng Jia. When they arrived, there were many cars parked downstairs. Meng Jia had a wide social circle, and they were all here to show their support.
Ji Ting and Yu Xi went upstairs. When they pushed open the door, Meng Jia was singing inside, her voice was sweet and sticky. She turned around, waved to Ji Ting and Yu Xi, and Ji Ting smiled back at her. Ji Ting casually placed the gift aside, scanning the room. Tan Yucheng hadn’t arrived yet. There were groups of guys and quite a few girls scattered around. Ji Ting and Yu Xi found a place to sit.
Yu Xi poured Ji Ting a large glass of wine, and Ji Ting took a sip.
Tan Yucheng then entered. He had just finished work, wearing a black shirt and trousers, with a suit jacket in hand. His tie was slightly loosened. As he walked in, the others greeted him, and Meng Jia stopped singing, just staring at him like that.
Tan Yucheng casually placed the gift he brought next to the one Ji Ting gave and said to Meng Jia, “Happy birthday.”
Meng Jia immediately looked at the gift and called out to one of her sisters, “Quick, separate his gift and put it aside for me.”