“With so much company business to handle, you still have time to manage these?” Wen Ran had barely finished speaking when the dishes arrived.
She asked the waiter, “We haven’t ordered yet.”
Xu Shi’an said, “I arranged it in advance. Taking you for some good food so you won’t have to endure coarse meals with Si Yan.”
Wen Ran chuckled inwardly. Did he have to exaggerate so much? The original host suffered mental torment in the Si family, but materially, she certainly lacked nothing.
Still, she knew better than to spoil the moment and immediately praised Xu Shi’an, “An’an is still the best, always thinking of me.”
Xu Shi’an, who had been drinking from his wine glass, nearly choked when he heard Wen Ran suddenly call him by that name.
“Cough… cough…” He ended up choking after all.
Seeing this, Wen Ran immediately stood up to pat his back. “What’s wrong?”
After coughing for a while, Xu Shi’an waved his hand and gulped down a large mouthful of water. He looked at Wen Ran and said, “You’re not acting right.”
“Huh?” Wen Ran remembered that the original host used to love calling Xu Shi’an by that nickname.
Xu Shi’an said to her seriously, “Don’t call me by that mushy name! It sounds awful!”
How old was he now? As the CEO of a major company, did he not care about his dignity at all?
Wen Ran pouted. “Fine.”
“This place was originally just a hobby for me. I never intended to make a profit from it.” Xu Shi’an explained his management approach to the venue, which also answered her earlier question.
“After it gained some recognition, I replaced all the service staff and turned it into an exclusive venue—members only.” Xu Shi’an added, “There are requirements for membership too. Asset verification is necessary.”
Wen Ran listened quietly, realizing that in Xu Shi’an’s presence, her words were never ignored.
She smiled faintly. “No wonder Dad always said you had a talent for business and that I didn’t take after him at all.”
“What’s so special about that?” Xu Shi’an put a piece of food in his mouth. “With enough money, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.”
The restaurant’s menu prices were high, but the profits were negligible in his eyes.
Wen Ran also tried a few bites. The taste was decent, though not particularly impressive. She agreed with Xu Shi’an’s earlier statement—the resources available to the wealthy were so vast that even their casual endeavors were beyond the reach of ordinary people.
“Ah Yan, I’ve been looking forward to this restaurant for so long. I’m finally here with you.”
Halfway through the meal, Wen Ran heard a familiar voice. What a small world, she thought, but didn’t turn to look.
Xu Shi’an, however, was sharp-eyed. He had noticed Si Yan the moment they appeared.
Not only was he observant, but he also loved stirring up trouble. Xu Shi’an called out to Si Yan, “Brother-in-law, long time no see.”
When Si Yan saw Xu Shi’an, he frowned. If there was anyone he disliked as much as Si Huaiyu, it was this man.
Ruan Tang also noticed Xu Shi’an. She still had a vivid impression of him.
Si Yan completely ignored him, pretending not to hear, and led Ruan Tang to another table.
“Ah Yan, was that man calling you?” Ruan Tang asked, her eyes still fixed on Xu Shi’an.
Si Yan replied, “Just ignore him.”
Seeing that they were paying him no attention, Xu Shi’an found it unacceptable. He stood up and walked straight to their table.”Ran Ran, what is he trying to do?” Zha Zha didn’t understand why Xu Shi’an insisted on provoking Si Yan and the others.
“Just being a jerk!” Taking advantage of Xu Shi’an’s absence as he went to Si Yan’s table, Wen Ran quickly took a few more bites of food. She knew she wouldn’t get to eat much later.
………
Xu Shi’an walked up to Si Yan’s table and plopped directly into the chair beside Ruan Tang.
“Oh, brother-in-law, are you having some hearing problems?” he said in a mocking tone.
Si Yan shot him a cold glance and asked icily, “President Xu seems quite free. It appears Wen Corporation hasn’t been busy lately.”
Xu Shi’an naturally caught the implication that he had nothing better to do. He retorted, “How could I be idler than you, brother-in-law? You even have time to take your secretary out for meals.”
As he spoke, he let his gaze drift over Ruan Tang. “Secretary Ruan, you’re dressed quite beautifully today. Almost like you’re going on a date.”
Normally, Ruan Tang wore professional attire at the company, but she had researched this restaurant for a long time—knowing it would be perfect for photos—and had deliberately dressed up in a chic Chanel-style suit.
Before Ruan Tang could respond, Si Yan stood up and said, “I just remembered I have some matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving first.”
Xu Shi’an had rarely ever called him brother-in-law before, and Si Yan had no idea what had gotten into him today. He signaled Ruan Tang with his eyes to follow him—he didn’t want to spend another second with Xu Shi’an.
But Ruan Tang remained seated. She didn’t want to leave; it had been hard enough to get a reservation here. “Ah—” she started, about to call Si Yan by his name, but then, noticing Xu Shi’an nearby, she thought better of it and changed her address. “President Si, since we’re all acquainted with President Xu, why don’t we have a meal together?”
Si Yan’s expression darkened further. Ruan Tang had rarely contradicted his decisions before. First, it was because of Si Huaiyu a few days ago, and now it was because of Xu Shi’an, whom she barely knew?
“Secretary Ruan’s suggestion is a good one. Coincidentally, I have someone else at my table whom you both know,” Xu Shi’an said. “Why don’t we all move to my table and eat together?”
With that, he directly grabbed Ruan Tang’s arm and pulled her toward Wen Ran’s table. Si Yan followed, wanting to pull Ruan Tang back, but he froze when he caught sight of the familiar figure.
He hadn’t expected Wen Ran to be there. Si Yan’s heart fluttered nervously. Just last night, they had lain in the same bed like an ordinary married couple, and today he was out in public with another woman.
But Ruan Tang had already been pulled over by Xu Shi’an and made to sit down. Her face was slightly flushed; she had been standing very close to Xu Shi’an and found his scent quite appealing, unconsciously wanting to lean closer.
Seeing the situation, Si Yan had no choice but to follow. As he approached, Xu Shi’an said, “Brother-in-law, you don’t mind if I sit with Secretary Ruan, do you?”
Si Yan didn’t respond and took a seat beside Wen Ran.
Only then did Ruan Tang notice that the woman sitting diagonally across from her was actually Wen Ran. She immediately looked at Si Yan, but the man was secretly glancing at someone else.
Si Yan was cautiously observing Wen Ran, trying to read from her expression whether she was angry. He didn’t understand why he felt so unsettled. Before, when he and Ruan Tang had appeared openly in front of Wen Ran, he hadn’t felt the least bit shaken.
It seemed he wasn’t as indifferent to his wife as he had imagined? At the very least, right now he wanted to know what lay beneath Wen Ran’s calm demeanor.
Xu Shi’an called the waiter to bring another round of dishes. It was then that Wen Ran spoke up.
She said, “I’m full. There’s no need to order for me. Let’s not waste food.”Xu Shi’an raised an eyebrow and nodded, wanting to laugh. Of course—she was already full of anger, how could she still eat?
Wen Ran sat opposite him, and every subtle expression on Xu Shi’an’s face was caught by her. Probably, he was the only one at the entire table who was the happiest.
As the instigator, how could Xu Shi’an not stir things up a bit?
He poured a glass of red wine for Ruan Tang and said, “Secretary Ruan, this wine is a special reserve edition. Give it a try.”