After finishing, Yan Xun mysteriously leaned close to Meng Zi’s ear and whispered, “I am telling you, there is a trick to freeloading meals.”
Meng Zi held back his smile. “Oh?”
Yan Xun said proudly, “This brother of yours has no other special skills, but when it comes to freeloading food, I have done quite a bit of research.”
“In a moment, follow my lead when picking things up. We will grab the expensive items first, then the staples, and finish with drinks.”
“The main rule is: however much our stomachs can hold, that is how much we eat!”
The more Meng Zi listened, the more interesting it got. He smiled and chimed in cooperatively, “Mm, then I will follow your lead.”
Yan Xun nodded. “You are a fast learner. Since we have been through thick and thin together, I am telling you the truth. If it were anyone else, I would not tell them this secret.”
Meng Zi gave a half-smile. “Then, thank you.”
Yan Xun waved a hand dismissively. “Hey, do not mention it. We are brothers.”
Hearing this, the smile at the corner of Meng Zi’s mouth gradually widened. Sure enough, he slowly followed right behind Yan Xun, grabbing whatever food Yan Xun grabbed.
In just a short while, both of their plates were piled up like a small mountain.
Yan Xun glanced around, and his eyes landed on an empty table in the corner.
“Let us sit over there. There are fewer people, and it is less conspicuous.”
He smiled honestly. “Since we are here to freeload, it is better to keep a low profile, right?”
“Mm, that makes a lot of sense.” Meng Zi smiled and followed along.
In the distance, Bai Yang, who was busy socializing, inadvertently glanced over at the dining area but did not see a trace of Yan Xun. His brow furrowed.
He gave Secretary Zhou a look. Secretary Zhou understood and got up to leave.
As soon as Yan Xun sat down, he began to feast voraciously, wishing he had an extra mouth.
Meng Zi kept staring at him, his gaze shifting from surprise to curiosity, and finally turning into a deep sense of intrigue.
Unable to help himself, he asked softly, “Is it really that good?”
From Meng Zi’s perspective, the prawns here were not fresh enough, the crabs were not big enough, the varieties were poor, and the seasoning tasted crude and shoddy. It was honestly hard to swallow.
Asked like this, Yan Xun paused in his actions, only to realize that after all this time, Meng Zi had not even touched his fork.
Yan Xun: “It is good! Have you never had this before?”
The corners of Meng Zi’s mouth twitched. “Uh…”
Yan Xun: “It does not matter if you have not. After all, people like us would not normally be willing to spend a fortune to eat here.”
With a sympathetic look, he took the initiative to pick up the fork beside Meng Zi’s hand, speared a piece of meat whose name he did not know, and brought it right to Meng Zi’s mouth.
“It is good, hurry up and try it.”
With the food pushed right against his lips, Meng Zi froze. On a whim, he opened his mouth.
Yan Xun deftly popped it in and immediately laughed. “Do not carry any psychological burden. Even though we are freeloading, we should eat and drink our fill. Getting full is what matters most, do not be shy.”
He assumed Meng Zi had not touched his food because he was too embarrassed about freeloading.
Meng Zi chewed. Whether it was just psychological or not, the food in his mouth was not nearly as difficult to swallow as he had imagined.
“It is quite good.”
To Yan Xun, Meng Zi’s evaluation felt like validation, and he nodded with great satisfaction.
“Of course, it is made by five-star hotel chefs after all.”
Hearing this, Meng Zi tentatively asked, “Who did you come in with?”
Yan Xun replied casually, “My buddy. He came here for a meeting, so I just tagged along for a free meal. Hey, none of that matters, just eat. Do not spend all your time talking.”
Meng Zi acknowledged this, playing with the knife and fork in his hands, and muttered softly, “So, they are just buddies.”
When Yan Xun entered the banquet hall earlier, he had walked in alongside Bai Yang.
So, Bai Yang had not succeeded in making his move yet?
Thinking of this, the smile on Meng Zi’s face carried a more profound meaning.
When Secretary Zhou came looking for them, he saw Yan Xun chatting happily with a handsome stranger.
Secretary Zhou instantly felt a headache coming on. Thank goodness it was him who came over. If President Bai had seen this scene, it probably would not end well.
Sometimes, Secretary Zhou really admired Yan Xun for his fearless ignorance. He truly had no idea what kind of fate awaited anyone who provoked President Bai.
Secretary Zhou walked up to Yan Xun and said with a smile, “Xiao Yan, so this is where you are. President Bai was worried you might have gotten lost.”
Yan Xun found it funny. “I am a grown man, could I really get lost?”
After a pause, he asked, “Brother, is President Bai done with his work?”
Secretary Zhou’s gaze swept across Meng Zi, his smile unchanged. “President Bai is still busy. It is just that he did not see you and was worried, so he sent me over to check.”
“Oh, right. President Bai forgets to eat whenever he gets busy. I have tried persuading him several times, but he will not listen. Why don’t you go make him something to eat?”
Yan Xun looked blank. “If even your advice does not work, what good will it do if I go?”
Secretary Zhou: “That is different. I am a subordinate, I have to listen to him. You are his brother, you have a different status.”
Yan Xun pondered this. Bai Yang had helped him out several times already, so he really ought to show more care and return the favor.
How could he not eat just because he was busy?
With this in mind, Yan Xun picked up his plate, stood up, and apologetically said to Meng Zi, “Um, I have to go first. Catch you later.”
Meng Zi did not speak, his gaze turning slightly dim.
Yan Xun walked toward Bai Yang’s direction, but Secretary Zhou did not rush off.
He stopped beside Meng Zi and tapped his fingers on the table.
Meng Zi raised his head, locking eyes with Secretary Zhou.
Secretary Zhou’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You must be the younger son who was just recently brought back by the Meng family, right?”
Meng Zi’s pupils constricted. “As expected of President Bai’s special assistant. Secretary Zhou has a good memory.”
In this upper-class circle, there were only a handful of top-tier families. Whenever a major event happened in any of them, it could not be kept hidden from insiders.
Secretary Zhou smiled faintly. “You know me? That makes things easier. Young Master Meng, Xiao Yan is President Bai’s person. You should weigh your options carefully.”
Some things only needed a hint; a smart person would naturally understand.
After saying that, Secretary Zhou turned and left.
Meng Zi stared at Secretary Zhou’s retreating figure and let out a cold laugh, the hand holding the knife and fork growing so tense that the veins stood out.
He lowered his head, his bangs shielding the gloom in his eyes.
A moment later, he let out a low laugh.
“Interesting, very interesting. People in this country are all quite interesting. It looks like playing the role of the Meng family’s illegitimate son is going to be a lot more fun than expected.”
The main table of the banquet hall was seated entirely with influential bigwigs.
When Yan Xun walked over carrying his plate, he still felt a bit hesitant.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bai Yang saw him and naturally patted the seat beside him. “Sit next to me.”
Everyone at the table tacitly kept quiet and did not show any unusual expressions.
Only then did Yan Xun sit down in the chair beside Bai Yang. Still, he felt something was slightly off.
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he had an epiphany.
He quietly tugged on Bai Yang’s sleeve under the table and whispered into his ear, “Brother, is it a bit inappropriate for me to sit here?”
Everyone else’s bigwigs had female companions sitting next to them, while Bai Yang had him sitting beside him?
How strange!