C13 You Reap What You Sow

"What did you say!" Fong Mucheng snapped.

"Come on, let's not start with an argument," Pei Qiuyu soothed. "Mucheng, how about this? When you're back, dinner's on me as a welcome treat."

Fong Mucheng shot Lin Xuan a withering look before turning to Pei Qiuyu with a smile. "Actually, I insist on treating. Let's head to the Sofya Hotel. Anything less than five stars just doesn't sit right with me."

"Miss Pei, after you," Wu Chengguo said, feigning chivalry.

Pei Qiuyu was about to step into the car when Fong Mucheng let out an exaggerated gasp. "Yikes! Qiuyu, are you still driving that old thing?"

She pointed at Pei Qiuyu's car as if it were some sort of beast. Pei Qiuyu just chuckled. "It's fine, really. It gets me where I need to go."

"Oh dear," Fong Mucheng sighed, shaking her head. "Tsk tsk, 'running' and 'Mercedes' are only one character apart, but they're worlds different."

"With that loser, what decent car could you possibly drive?" she scoffed. "Not like our Ah Guo here, who bought me a Mercedes-Benz the moment I got back. It's just maddening to make comparisons."

Pei Qiuyu remained unfazed. "I like my car. It's familiar."

"Qiuyu, no offense, but you were the campus queen back in the day. How did things come to this?"

"That's enough!" Pei Qiuyu cut her off. "Keep it up, and I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Fine, fine, consider my lips sealed," Fong Mucheng conceded, casting another disdainful glance at Lin Xuan.

Before they parted ways, Lin Xuan discreetly pulled out his phone and texted: Find out everything about Wu Chengguo. Also, have someone keep an eye on the Sofya Hotel.

Upon reaching the Sofya Hotel, they chose a roomy spot by the window to settle down. Fong Mucheng, oozing arrogance, remarked, "The Sofya Hotel is a five-star establishment, you know. Make sure you don't embarrass yourselves when ordering."

At that moment, Wu Chengguo nodded in agreement, "The Sophia Hotel is a quintessential French-style restaurant—both upscale and sophisticated."

"The prices here are pretty steep, starting at ten thousand yuan."

"What? That expensive?"

Pei Qiuyu stood up, ready to leave.

"Hey, Miss Pei, there's no need to panic."

Wu Chengguo gestured reassuringly, "Today, I'll cover all your expenses here. I'm a VIP guest at this establishment."

Lin Xuan chimed in, "To be honest, French cuisine doesn't really have much flavor."

"I much prefer Chinese food myself."

Fong Mucheng shot him a glare and retorted, "You country bumpkin, what do you know? Have you ever even tried Western food? Do you even know what French macaroni looks like?"

"You could probably get ecstatic over a bowl of fried bean paste noodles, couldn't you? Stop putting on airs around me!"

Wu Chengguo gave Lin Xuan a nonchalant glance, then turned to Pei Qiuyu with a smile, "Miss Pei, you haven't been to such a posh restaurant before, have you? Feel free to order anything you'd like. Don't hold back."

He then snapped his fingers and summoned the waiter, "Witt, bring us a bottle of Southern Rhône red wine."

Wu Chengguo continued, addressing Pei Qiuyu with animated gestures, "This is the only type of red wine I enjoy. I can't quite get used to the others.

"I relish the sensation of being enveloped in the Mediterranean's sunshine and sea breeze."

Fong Mucheng chuckled, "Qiuyu, I insist we have some red wine to celebrate my return, no matter what!"

Pei Qiuyu dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand, "No thanks, I'll stick to a soft drink."

At that point, Wu Chengguo purposefully handed a French-filled menu to Lin Xuan, saying, "Hey, you're the guest, why don't you order first?"

From the side, Fong Mucheng looked on with smug satisfaction.

Wu Chengguo was intentionally trying to put Lin Xuan on the spot.

He typically only ordered items like foie gras and caviar, or heeded the waiter's recommendations.

Thus, Lin Xuan was all the more baffled by the French menu.

It was clear Wu Chengguo wanted to make Lin Xuan look foolish in front of everyone.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xuan didn't even glance at the menu before he began ordering in fluent French to the waiter's surprise.

Everyone there, Pei Qiuyu included, was dumbfounded.

When had Lin Xuan learned to speak French?

Unbeknownst to them, Lin Xuan wasn't just conversant in French; he was also adept in Portuguese, Italian, German, Japanese, Russian, and several other languages.

Moreover, at the Sky Dragon Palace's grand dining hall, these so-called exotic dishes from France, Italy, Germany, and beyond were simply everyday fare.

Japanese cuisine was often relegated to dog food.

In Lin Xuan's cellar, the collection of top-tier wines was too extensive to count.

He had tens of thousands of barrels of just Romanee-Conti, Petus, and Lafite Castle red wines.

The finest Bordeaux wines were casually used as mouthwash.

Wu Chengguo's eyes bulged as he turned to the waiter and asked, "Is he pulling our leg? What's all this gibberish?"

Fong Mucheng chimed in, "Exactly! What kind of French is that? He's just spouting nonsense!"

The waiter, however, respectfully listed off Lin Xuan's order: "Smoked mackerel, French cream of mushroom soup, escargot, apple boudin noir."

"That's your order, correct?"

... "!!"

Wu Chengguo stared incredulously at Lin Xuan, then back at the waiter, and asked, "He's speaking French?"

The waiter nodded, "Perfectly standard French."

"This..."

Then Lin Xuan spoke up again, "Bring us another bottle of Montrachet, please."

This left Wu Chengguo and the others even more astounded.

Lin Xuan elaborated, "To complement the sweetness of the food, one should opt for a white wine that is equally sweet or sweeter. The sweeter the dish, the sweeter the wine should be."

"A full-bodied white wine often trumps many of the lighter reds.

With that, Lin Xuan pointed at Wu Chengguo and continued, "Rich, flavorful food calls for a wine with a full alcohol content."

"A sumptuous meal paired with a robust red wine will have its enticing aroma overwhelmed by the wine."

It was a clear jab at Wu Chengguo, who, despite his pretenses, was nothing but a country bumpkin clueless about the subtleties of French dining.

Wu Chengguo and Fong Mucheng locked eyes, each one waiting for the other to blink first.

His attempt at deception not only backfired, but it also gave Lin Xuan the spotlight, leaving himself trampled in the process...

Pei Qiuyu leaned in and whispered to Lin Xuan, "How did you come by all this information?"

Lin Xuan whispered back, "I pick things up here and there, watching TV when I'm free at home."

With a smile, Pei Qiuyu stealthily stretched her hand under the table to give Lin Xuan a thumbs-up.

Once the food and drinks were on the table, Fong Mucheng lifted her glass and proposed, "Here's to us, Qiuyu. Let's drink to that."

Just then, Lin Xuan's phone buzzed with a new message: Hall Master, investigation complete. The hotel is in league with these two. They've slipped a hallucinogenic drug into Miss Qiuyu's cup, which I've since switched into the red wine.

Lin Xuan swiftly replied with a "Understood."

He then turned to Fong Mucheng and Wu Chengguo, his smile wide with amusement.

It's true what they say—if you don't court disaster, it won't come. But since you've chosen to target Qiuyu, be prepared to face severe consequences.