C12 What Is the Difference?

After stepping out of the office, a smile graced Ling Sixue's face. She couldn't help but acknowledge Ye Fan's impressive efficiency. His presence would undoubtedly make her life much easier.

As the workday neared its end, Ye Fan punctually made his way to the CEO's office on the 17th floor.

He knocked and entered.

"You've arrived. Have a seat," Su Yurou welcomed him as he stepped inside.

"Here's your car key. I've parked it in the company's lot downstairs," Ye Fan said, extending the key to Su Yurou.

Su Yurou paused before taking the key, offering him a glance and suggesting, "There's no rush to return it. If you need it, feel free to use it for a bit longer."

Ye Fan hadn't anticipated such generosity from Su Yurou but responded with a playful tone, "No, really, I insist. If I were to scratch it or dent it, I'd never be able to cover the cost, haha."

With a smile, Su Yurou accepted the key and then proposed, "What are you in the mood for lunch? It's on me."

Ye Fan was taken aback, realizing that she hadn't summoned him just to retrieve the key, but to invite him to lunch.

"Well... I'm easy to please. You pick," Ye Fan replied, not turning down the offer. Dining with such a stunning woman was too delightful an opportunity to pass up.

"Okay then," Su Yurou said, reaching for her phone to make a reservation.

Just then, the office door swung open.

A man in his mid-twenties entered, his appearance unremarkable but his attire impeccable—a fine suit that spoke of wealth and sophistication, likely the hallmark of a rich second-generation.

"Yurou, I came to see you. And this is..." he began, but his words trailed off as he noticed Ye Fan. Despite Ye Fan's youthful vigor and striking looks, there was an inexplicable charisma about him, even though his clothes were less than fashionable. Curiosity piqued, he inquired.

Su Yurou's brow furrowed slightly, perhaps irked by his abruptness, yet she introduced him, "His name is Ye Fan; he's a friend of mine."

Then she turned to Ye Fan and said, "This is Shi Mingyu, he's..."

Before Su Yurou could finish, Shi Mingyu cut in and approached Ye Fan, extending his hand, "Hello, my name is Shi Mingyu, CEO of Ungacy Clothing. I'm Yurou's college classmate and a very good friend of hers."

Ye Fan immediately sensed the hostility in Shi Mingyu's tone and realized that this man must be one of Su Yurou's suitors, likely seeing him as a romantic rival.

"Hello, I'm Ye Fan." Ye Fan shook hands with Shi Mingyu briefly.

"May I ask where Mr. Ye is employed?" Shi Mingyu inquired as they released their handshake.

"Iris International." Ye Fan replied, somewhat tersely.

"Ah, so you work for Iris International. They offer quite decent benefits, don't they? Keep up the good work," Shi Mingyu remarked, his voice laced with condescension.

He had quickly sized up Ye Fan, dismissing him as a nobody. How could an employee have any prospects? And how could someone like Su Yurou ever be interested in a nobody like him?

"By the way, Yurou, would you honor me with your company for lunch?" Shi Mingyu asked Su Yurou.

"Not today, I've already made plans to have lunch with Ye Fan," Su Yurou responded. She still had a reasonably good impression of Shi Mingyu from their university days, despite his occasional blunders, and their companies had collaborated on several projects.

Shi Mingyu was visibly taken aback by her response. What's the deal? Wasn't Ye Fan just an ordinary employee? Perhaps there was more to him than met the eye. He resolved to find out more.

With a smile, Shi Mingyu offered, "How about this, I'll host lunch today, and it'll be a great opportunity to get to know Mr. Ye."

He was determined to probe further into who Ye Fan really was.

Su Yurou glanced at Ye Fan, seeking his input. If Ye Fan preferred not to, she was ready to turn down Shi Mingyu's invitation, especially since she had already promised to take Ye Fan out for lunch.

When Ye Fan noticed Su Yurou glancing his way, he quickly grasped her intentions. He wasn't keen on having Shi Mingyu, the proverbial third wheel, tag along, and for reasons he couldn't quite put his finger on, he suspected Mingyu of harboring ulterior motives. Nevertheless, he was curious to see what Mingyu was up to.

So, Ye Fan spoke up, "Well, in that case, let's all go together. Thanks for the invite, Brother Shi."

Upon hearing this, Shi Mingyu's smile was all surface as he responded, "Haha, Brother Ye, you're such a straight shooter. You're clearly someone who values friendship."

But inwardly, he scoffed at the idea of Ye Fan being his equal, thinking, 'What makes him think he can call me brother?' He was already plotting to make Ye Fan look foolish in front of Su Yurou.

After Su Yurou quickly tidied up, the trio left the office together.

Shi Mingyu had chosen Bize, a French restaurant, for their meal. It was situated in the bustling heart of Blaland City, boasting opulent decor and an elegant Tusmelan architectural style. It was the crème de la crème of French dining in Blaland.

The parking lot was lined with luxury cars, a clear indication that this establishment catered to the wealthy.

They had arrived in Su Yurou's car, with Ye Fan behind the wheel. The fact that Ye Fan didn't even own a car only deepened Mingyu's disdain for him. He was determined to show Ye Fan the true meaning of disparity.

After parking, they approached the entrance of Bize Restaurant, where a tall, enchanting French hostess welcomed them and escorted them inside.

The clientele of Bize exuded an air of nobility and grace, with a fair number of foreigners mingling amongst them, hinting at the high society atmosphere.

The dining hall was expansive, bathed in soft, elegant lighting, feeling more like an upscale social club than a mere restaurant.

A spotlight illuminated a stage where a pianist was performing.

Ye Fan and his companions settled at their table, ready to peruse the menu.

Truth be told, Shi Mingyu wasn't particularly fond of Western cuisine. His choice of venue was more about making an impression than satisfying his palate. And he had been 'planning' this particular dinner for quite some time.

To improve his game with women, he had even gone so far as to study their vulnerabilities.

In such a high-end French restaurant, most girls who walked in were clueless about how to order, let alone the proper dining etiquette and sequence of courses.

This was when Shi Mingyu could step in, calmly and elegantly instructing the girls on dining customs, while casually discussing Western culture he had picked up from Baidu, thereby taking the lead in the conversation.

He even went to the trouble of learning a few simple phrases in French.

After Shi Mingyu sat down, he greeted a French waitress in her native tongue.

"Shi Mingyu, I didn't expect you to speak French," Su Yurou said with a light smile.

"It's nothing special, just something for the company's development. It's really not that impressive," Shi Mingyu replied, feeling a bit smug inside. He had shown off his French on purpose, hoping to impress Su Yurou.

"You're being modest," Su Yurou offered as a compliment.

As the CEO of Iris International, Su Yurou frequently attended fashion shows in France and was naturally somewhat familiar with the language.

She knew Shi Mingyu's French wasn't particularly good, but he was an old classmate and business partner, so she felt inclined to give him some credit.

Ye Fan chuckled to himself but remained silent. Thanks to his system, he had mastered French completely. In fact, of the three people there, he was by far the most fluent in French.

"Let's go ahead and order," Shi Mingyu suggested.

He then used his limited French to order French snails and a bottle of rum.

After placing his order, Shi Mingyu turned to Su Yurou: "Yurou, what would you like?"

"I'll have the egg yolk sauce prawns," Su Yurou responded in French.

"And what about you, Mr. Ye? What would you like?" Shi Mingyu asked, turning to Ye Fan.

As he spoke, Shi Mingyu was secretly anticipating Ye Fan's response, convinced that as an employee, Ye Fan had never experienced an authentic French meal and would be clueless about ordering. This, he thought, would surely make Ye Fan embarrass himself in front of Su Yurou.