Chapter 9: The Price of Pride
When classes were about to end for the day, Liu Shang met Jiang Ruolin and her roommates at the school's side entrance.
As soon as they saw each other, Jiang Ruolin stepped forward with a smile and intimately took Liu Shang's hand.
"Have you been waiting long?"
Liu Shang smiled and shook his head. For some reason, feeling the tenderness and warmth of Jiang Ruolin's hand in his own made him feel incredibly content and happy.
"Whoa, Ruolin, look at you with the public displays of affection! Trying to make us singles jealous?" one of her friends teased.
"Totally! Look how happy and sweet she looks. I'm so envious!"
"Ruolin, aren't you going to introduce your man to us?"
Amidst their jokes, Jiang Ruolin, still holding Liu Shang's hand, made the introductions.
"Alright, alright. This is my boyfriend, Liu Shang."
"Liu Shang, these are the three beauties from my dorm: Dong Hong, Yang Dandan, and Song Sha."
"Shasha, what do you think? Should we go to Shuxiangju for hot pot tonight?"
The three girls in Jiang Ruolin's dorm were not from Fengcheng. Dong Hong and Yang Dandan were usually very talkative and easygoing. Song Sha, however, came from a very wealthy family that owned its own company and properties, and she had the typical air of a pampered young lady.
Song Sha was always impeccably dressed in the latest fashions, and being quite pretty herself, she was very popular among the freshmen. It was said that many boys had already pursued her in the few months since school started, but none had managed to catch her eye.
Unfortunately for her, being in the same dorm as Jiang Ruolin meant that she was still outshone by her in almost every respect. As a result, Song Sha, who had been the center of attention since she was a child, harbored a sense of rivalry toward Jiang Ruolin.
This time, when she heard that Jiang Ruolin had gotten a boyfriend so quickly—and that it was Liu Shang, a guy from an ordinary family with average prospects—Song Sha was secretly pleased. At last, she felt she was destined to outdo Jiang Ruolin in her choice of a partner.
Sure enough, after hearing Jiang Ruolin's suggestion, Dong Hong and Yang Dandan smiled and nodded in agreement. "Okay, hot pot sounds great!"
But Song Sha frowned slightly. "Huh? But I just had hot pot with some friends a few days ago."
"And I've eaten at Shuxiangju before. The taste is pretty mediocre..."
"I heard a new Western-style barbecue place opened near the school. It's called Annie's. Why don't we go there and try it?"
Hearing Song Sha's words, Dong Hong and Yang Dandan shared an embarrassed smile. They were used to the delicate dynamic between Song Sha and Jiang Ruolin.
As for Jiang Ruolin, while her expression didn't change, she couldn't help but frown inwardly. Liu Shang came from an ordinary family. A meal at Annie's Western barbecue would cost at least 400 yuan, which was far too expensive for a freshman.
Every time she was with Liu Shang, Jiang Ruolin tried to control their spending, all while carefully protecting his self-esteem. Besides, she had always believed that spending money given by your parents, no matter how much, was nothing to show off. Before the dinner, she had worried about Song Sha pulling something like this, which was why she'd taken Liu Shang's earlier suggestion and changed the venue from a small hot pot stall to the more respectable, yet still cost-effective, Shuxiangju.
Just as Jiang Ruolin's mind was racing, trying to figure out a way to handle the situation, Liu Shang smiled.
"Annie's BBQ Western Restaurant? I happened to pass by it a little while ago."
"Let's go there. It'll be quieter, too. I'm sure you girls don't like noisy environments."
Seeing that Liu Shang showed no sign of being uncomfortable, Jiang Ruolin let out a quiet sigh of relief. Dong Hong and Yang Dandan naturally smiled and happily went along with the new plan.
In her heart, however, Song Sha had already labeled Liu Shang as someone who was just pretending to be rich to save face. After meeting him today, she was even more baffled by Jiang Ruolin's choice. With Jiang Ruolin's family background and excellent qualities, what kind of boyfriend couldn't she find? A guy who was handsome, rich, and drove a luxury car should be the bare minimum, right? Yet she chose Liu Shang, a poor boy from an ordinary family who was average in every respect. It was truly unbelievable.
Upon entering the Western-style barbecue restaurant, they had to admit the decor was quite luxurious. The atmosphere was elegant, yet it still had a youthful energy that appealed to young people. At the entrance, a pure white cockatoo perched in a cage, and a pet lizard rested on a small rockery nearby.
After the waiter brought the menus, the girls ordered a few large plates of roast beef, some wings, and grilled vegetables. It was obvious from their choices that after seeing the prices, Dong Hong and Yang Dandan also felt it was a bit expensive. Song Sha, for her part, was mindful of Jiang Ruolin's feelings and didn't go overboard.
At this point, Liu Shang took a menu with a smile and added grilled prawns, black pepper sausage, honey-glazed plum pork, and a fruit salad. With a few additions, he instantly raised the price and quality of the meal.
Finally, Liu Shang didn't forget to ask, "It's Friday. Let's have a good meal and relax to welcome the wonderful weekend ahead."
"By the way, what does everyone want to drink?"
Dong Hong smiled. "I'll have an iced tea!"
Yang Dandan said, "Just a Coke for me. Liu Shang, this meal is going to cost you a fortune!"
At this, Song Sha gave Liu Shang a peculiar look. "Liu Shang, I have to say, the dishes you ordered are excellent choices."
"Since we're in this Western-style atmosphere, should we have some red wine?"
Song Sha paused intentionally, her eyes darting between Jiang Ruolin and Liu Shang, before adding with a smile, "Just kidding. I'll just have a bottle of Snow beer."
But she was a little disappointed. Neither Jiang Ruolin nor Liu Shang showed the reaction she had expected.
Although Jiang Ruolin was slightly displeased, a minor situation like this was hardly a challenge for her to handle. As for Liu Shang? That went without saying.
The next moment, Liu Shang smiled and waved to the waiter, then looked at Song Sha and the others.
"Even though it's a Western-style restaurant, the food is mainly Chinese-style barbecue, which doesn't really go well with red wine."
"Besides, I doubt you'd find any authentic red wine here anyway."
"Let's stick to beer. Budweiser or Heineken? Which do you prefer?"
"Dong Hong, Yang Dandan, it's the weekend and no classes tomorrow, so you two should have a little beer as well, right?"