Tian Tian's appetite vanished in an instant. She put down her knife and fork and said, "Brother Kai, what's going on? I never heard Zhao Yuxin's family was that rich."
"They're just putting on a show..."
Zhao Kai's face was extremely unpleasant. He gritted his teeth and said, "Sweetie, don't be fooled. After this meal, they'll probably be buried in debt."
Even though he said this to comfort himself, Tian Tian instantly felt that everything had lost its flavor.
Zhao Kai quickly tried to curry favor, picking up a piece of lobster sashimi for her and saying, "Ignore them. Don't let them ruin our mood in such a romantic atmosphere."
"Okay!"
Tian Tian agreed verbally, but her mind was elsewhere, and she had completely lost her appetite.
Right now, she just wanted to know one thing: was Zhao Yuxin just putting on a false front, or could Chen Jiahao really afford this kind of bill?
Zhao Kai immediately picked up the wine list, pointed to a bottle of red wine priced at 800, and said, "The food is so delicious, let's have a drink to liven things up."
A man's intention in persuading a woman to drink needs no explanation.
Just then, the music playing in the restaurant stopped. In its place, a foreigner in a tailcoat appeared. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he looked every bit an artist.
He walked in slowly, playing a saxophone, followed by several formally dressed waiters who were carefully pushing a dining cart.
Both of their hearts pounded uncomfortably because this procession had drawn the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
And the direction they were heading was precisely toward Chen Jiahao and Zhao Yuxin.
On the cart, besides the commemorative bottle of Louis XIII, was the hotel's finest crystal glassware.
"So noisy!!!"
Zhao Kai's face was unpleasant as he called the waiter over again. "The music from before was just fine. Why did they suddenly start this?"
The waiter's face was full of envy as he looked over in that direction and said, "It's like this. Our boss has a treasured bottle of the commemorative Louis XIII, the crown jewel of our hotel."
"The wine has always been kept here, but no guest has ever opened it."
"Today, this bottle of Louis XIII was ordered by Mr. Chen for the lady across from him, Miss Zhao."
Tian Tian immediately flipped open the wine list. At the very end was the Louis XIII, incredibly exquisite, but with no price listed.
"What's so great about this wine, making it sound so amazing? How much could it possibly be worth?"
Zhao Kai said disdainfully, "Stop trying to fool me."
"Do I look like I've never had a drink before? Louis XIII isn't that expensive, okay?"
Tian Tian's face was also full of curiosity. The waiter, his face still full of envy, said, "That bottle of Louis XIII was originally not for sale, but Mr. Chen was very sincere, so our boss reluctantly parted with it at the cost price of three hundred thousand."
"This isn't the regular version. It's the limited edition Louis XIII LE JEROBOAM, 3-liter format. Our boss bought it at an auction ten years ago."
"It's said that if this bottle went to auction now, its value would be even higher."
After the waiter left, the two of them stood there as if struck by lightning.
Although they had heard of the name Louis XIII, Zhao Kai had indeed never seen this particular edition. Just looking at the bottle gave off an incredibly luxurious feeling.
Zhao Kai immediately gritted his teeth and said, "Sweetie, he must have bribed the waiters here to put on an act."
"That guy does all sorts of odd jobs, delivering food, slopping troughs in the school cafeteria. He's probably washed dishes here too."
"He must know all these waiters. They're all his plants, putting on a show for us."
"What limited edition Louis XIII. For all we know, it's just a bottle of some domestic foreign liquor filled with iced tea to scare us."
Tian Tian glanced over and said with a hint of resentment, "And all that food, don't you tell me it's all just props for display."
That didn't add up... She watched as the manager attentively poured wine for the two of them, feeling utterly miserable.
Zhao Kai quickly forced himself to say, "They're definitely trying to fool you. They might not even be able to pay for their meal."
"Sweetie, just ignore them. How about we just drink this bottle? The atmosphere is so nice right now."
Tian Tian shook her head slowly and said, "No, I don't really feel like drinking anymore."
An 800 bottle of red wine versus a 300,000 Louis XIII was a stark contrast that had truly gotten to her. She desperately wanted to know the truth.
The lover's set meal before her suddenly tasted like wax. Even Zhao Kai's sour words were starting to make her feel a bit nauseous.
Seeing her distraction, Zhaoao Kai was so angry he gritted his teeth, knowing his chances for the night were gone. He immediately said resentfully, "When they pay the bill later, we'll go over and see how they keep up the act."
A thorn was also in Tian Tian's heart, and she immediately nodded, but she had completely lost her appetite now.
On the other side, however, the atmosphere was exceptionally good.
The manager served the Supreme Dried Abalone and then said attentively, "Mr. Chen, Ms. Zhao, although the Supreme Dried Abalone is made with a premium broth, its flavor might be a bit light for some."
"Some people like to add cilantro and aged vinegar. You can add them according to your own taste."
At this moment, Zhao Yuxin was so intoxicated she seemed almost drunk. A misty haze filled her eyes as she trembled, savoring the amber liquid from a stemmed glass.
She forgot what it even tasted like the moment it entered her mouth. All she could think in her head was, this wine is three hundred thousand... this wine is three hundred thousand...
It was opened especially for her. This was the first time anyone had ever opened such a precious wine at the Sky Garden. The satisfaction of her vanity made her feel drunk with delight.
"This taste... yeah, I really don't like it."
Chen Jiahao wasn't as elegant as her. He took a large gulp and immediately frowned.
For Chen Jiahao, who was used to high-proof baijiu, the alcohol content was a bit too low, and the oaky smell reminded him of paint.
This was the absolute definition of a cow chewing a peony. No matter how good the wine, it wasn't satisfying to drink. Chen Jiahao, in any case, couldn't taste what made it so expensive.
The manager smiled with flattery. "It seems Mr. Chen truly isn't a fan of this kind of brandy!!!"
To others' ears, Chen Jiahao's words sounded like disdain for a high-end wine worth three hundred thousand, which made him seem incredibly sophisticated.
Zhao Yuxin said in a coquettish tone, "Brother Hao, it's my fault. If I had known you didn't like it, I wouldn't have suggested it."
"It's alright. This wine was opened for you. The best food is what suits your palate."
Chen Jiahao said with a gentle smile, "It doesn't have to be some rare delicacy. As long as it's something you like, even a simple meal is a treasure."
Look at that level of sophistication. It was absolutely a return to simplicity. This was the upbringing of a true scion of a noble house, something that those vulgar upstarts and so-called rich people with their petty games could never compare to.
The waiter who had received a two-thousand tip and the manager who had received a ten-thousand tip now looked at them with eyes full of reverence.
The tenderness in Zhao Yuxin's eyes grew even deeper. Seeing that Chen Jiahao really liked the plate of snowflake beef, she immediately forked a piece. Chen Jiahao, thinking she was going to put it in her bowl, subconsciously held his bowl out to her.
But Zhao Yuxin stood up and brought the beef directly to Chen Jiahao's lips.
*****