Chapter 9: Having Breakfast
1656 Words
Throughout the journey to breakfast, Anlan didn't dare to lift her eyes and look at him again.
She had originally thought that he would casually buy a few steamed stuffed buns from a street vendor, but she never expected that he would lead her into Huafu Capital, the most prestigious district in Yunjing City.
Huafu Capital, a palace that integrates high-end services, renowned for its magnificent classical decoration style and classic dishes, has stood out among the numerous five-star luxury hotels in Yunjing City in just four years. Its unparalleled signature dish, the self-created Yunjing City morning tea, has become the breakfast of choice for the wealthy in Yunjing.
However, the luxury behind all this naturally comes with a hefty price tag, with a breakfast often costing tens of thousands of yuan.
As the car slowly pulled up in front of Huafu Capital, Anlan clutched the seatbelt nervously, hesitant to get out.
Peeking out at the glittering facade, she asked softly, "Won't it be too expensive to eat here?"
In fact, what she really wanted to say was, I'm broke, can you take me to eat those street snacks instead?
Ling Yu turned off the engine, pulled out the car key, and stepped out of the car.
Anlan suddenly turned around and saw that he had already taken a step away, so she quickly followed him.
Ling Yu didn't even glance at her and walked straight into the restaurant.
Anlan's steps were small and hurried as she had to jog to keep up with him.
As they stepped into the hotel lobby, a waiter immediately approached with a smile and a respectful demeanor.
Ling Yu announced their reservation's table number, and the waiter nodded gently, gesturing for them to follow. He led them to a window seat on the third floor.
The waiter attentively pulled out a chair for An Lan and politely said, "Here you are, sir and madam."
An Lan smiled in gratitude and sat gracefully.
Once seated, she couldn't help but be captivated by her surroundings, her gaze involuntarily scanning the area.
The private room was spacious and elegant, capable of accommodating more than ten tables. Each table was cleverly separated by classical screens, creating intimate and cozy dining spaces.
The interior design featured a predominantly wooden aesthetic, exuding a rich classical charm. The walls were adorned with exquisite paintings, while the ceiling hung with soft lanterns depicting maidens, fostering a warm and refined ambiance. On a small stage in the front, a woman dressed in ancient attire gently stroked a zither, producing melodious tunes that seemed to linger for days.
Ling Yu sat across from An Lan, his body slightly reclined with his legs casually crossed.
The waiter offered the menu to Ling Yu, but he merely nodded, gesturing for the waiter to present it to An Lan instead.
The waiter understood and handed the menu to An Lan, politely asking, "Madam, here's our menu. What would you like to order?"
An Lan withdrew her gaze, smiling and thanking the waiter, but she didn't immediately take the menu.
Ling Yu discerned her thoughts and explained calmly, "Zou Jin just called me, saying he wanted to treat you to dinner today."
"Zou Jin?" An Lan looked slightly surprised.
"He mentioned the incident last night where he forced you to drink. He's here to apologize specifically for that," Ling Yu continued.
"How could I let him do that!" An Lan protested, waving her hands. "Last night, I spilled his drink, so it's my fault in the first place. Although he asked me to drink with him, he didn't force me. It's just that... my alcohol tolerance is low, and I got drunk quickly. But we're even now. He doesn't need to apologize specifically for that."
Furthermore, An Lan knew full well what had actually happened.
Zou Jin personally came to apologize solely because of Ling Yu's influence. Ling Yu had publicly acknowledged his sibling relationship with her in front of those rich kids, which spared An Lan from any harassment.
An Lan's heart became heavy as she surreptitiously glanced at Ling Yu, only to find that he was staring back at her.
Feeling like a thief caught red-handed, she hastily shifted her gaze and lowered her head.
Among the crowd, he was always the most dazzling presence, even in this circle of wealthy youngsters, he stood out, making others willingly submit to him.
And she, with just a sliver of his radiance, could easily resolve all her difficulties.
Ling Yu gazed at her silently, without saying a word.
After a moment, he let out a light snort, tinged with frustration and sarcasm, "Bullied and yet still counting money for them."
An Lan was momentarily speechless, unable to find a reply.
Just then, Ling Yu's phone rang on the table. He answered it, and it was an unfamiliar number.
"Is that you, Yu Ye? This is Manager Zhang..." came the voice of Manager Zhang from the other end.
Whatever the other party said, Ling Yu quickly responded, "Alright, you can bring it over. We're in the private room on the third floor of Huafu. Thank you for your trouble." With that, he hung up.
Delivering something? Could it be her phone and bag? An Lan's heart fluttered, and she was about to ask when she noticed Ling Yu's gaze suddenly shift to her.
"..." She didn't know how to start, so she could only silently await his next words.
Anlan quickly glanced around, deliberately creating the illusion of being busy.
Ling Yu stared at her, with strands of hair falling gently across his forehead, partially concealing his brow bone. His eyes were filled with an unspeakable mix of emotions.
Though Anlan didn't directly meet his gaze, she was still acutely aware of the playful teasing emanating from his eyes.
The silence between them was palpable, and Anlan felt uneasy, silently praying for Zou Jin to appear and ease the tension.
However, as the minutes ticked by, Zou Jin remained nowhere in sight.
Anlan began to subtly shift her chair, preparing to make an excuse to flee this awkward atmosphere and seek refuge in the bathroom.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out, "Hey, Anlan!"
She turned to find Manager Zhang approaching with a backpack in hand, quickly walking towards her and respectfully offering it to her with both hands gripping the straps.
"Anlan, you left this on the yacht. I specially came to bring it to you today."
Anlan was both surprised and grateful, hastily accepting the backpack. "Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it. It was our oversight last night to let you drink so much." Manager Zhang glanced at Ling Yu. "I'm sorry, we didn't know you were Yumang's sister beforehand... Anyway, here's your stuff. I have other things to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
"Manager Zhang, what about my work today?" Anlan asked with some concern.
"I've already arranged for you to take a day off. Xiao Zhang will cover your shift today, so it won't affect the work. You can rest assured and take it easy."
Anlan smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
"Don't hesitate to ask." Manager Zhang greeted Ling Yu briefly before hurrying away.
After sitting down, An Lan hurriedly opened her backpack to check and make sure nothing was missing, including her phone, which was intact.
Suddenly, her expression changed slightly, as if she had realized something.
The reason why Manager Zhang was so polite to her was entirely because of Ling Yu's connection.
She slowly lifted her head, and her gaze couldn't help but fall on Ling Yu, who was bending over playing with his phone. When he sensed her gaze, he looked up slightly and met her eyes.
An Lan quickly averted her gaze and made up an excuse, "Uh... I, I need to go to the bathroom."
Without waiting for his response, she grabbed her bag and hurriedly left her seat.
After coming out of the bathroom, An Lan didn't immediately return but first called her mother, Bai Wei, to let her know she was safe.
The phone was quickly answered, and Bai Wei's anxious voice came through, "An Lan, why are you calling so late? I was worried sick."
Feeling guilty for forgetting to call her mother last night, An Lan said, "Sorry, Mom. I left my phone at work last night, so I didn't get a chance to call you. I'm fine, don't worry."
"As long as you're okay, that's all that matters," Bai Wei sighed in relief. "I kept calling you last night, but you didn't answer. I was so worried. Then I remembered that Ling Yu goes to the same school as you, so I asked your Uncle Ling to contact him to see where you were. He told me you were fine and doing a part-time job, and that's when I felt better."
Bai Wei continued, "Even though Ling Yu is a bit cold towards me, he's really a kind-hearted kid. He even came to pick you up for enrollment at the beginning of the semester and sent you home last night."
An Lan was taken aback by this revelation.
So Ling Yu's intervention on her behalf and even sending her home last night were all arranged by Uncle Ling.
"An Lan, you have to thank Ling Yu properly," Bai Wei urged.
"Yes, I know," An Lan replied.
"Ling Yu is good to you, so you should listen to him more. Now that you're at the same school, you can take care of each other if anything happens. I'm not by your side, so you have to learn to take care of yourself," Bai Wei said with concern.
"I will, Mom," An Lan promised.
Finally, Bai Wei gave her a few more instructions before hanging up the phone.
After putting away her phone, An Lan turned and left the bathroom.
- Writer
