Chapter 48: Gift (4) The young nobles of Wuling, east of the Golden Market, rode their white horses with silver saddles through the spring breeze.
About fifteen minutes later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of a hotel in the city that appeared fairly upscale. Qin Lu timidly pointed at the sign, “Fang Yu, are you planning to eat here? It looks like it won’t be cheap.” Her family was well-off enough; if it were with her parents, dining at a restaurant of this caliber would not be unusual. But here in Xianjiang, everyone lived on their monthly allowance sent from home. Kind-hearted Qin Lu didn’t want to see him spending the rest of the month subsisting on instant noodles and steamed buns.
“It’s only once a year, nothing to worry about. Come on, I’m starving,” Fang Yu said with a grin, striding ahead.
The attendant at the door looked at the group of youths with curiosity—young people rarely patronized this establishment.
“Good evening, sir. How many in your party?” The attendant offered the menu with a warm smile.
“Eight. Let me see… this one, please. ‘Fortune and longevity’—since it’s a birthday, let’s go for some good luck.” With a cheerful chuckle, he pointed at a sea fish dish on the menu.
He then handed the menu to Qin Lu, “Order whatever you like, I don’t know if anyone has any preferences.”
Qin Lu, unaccustomed to such worldly etiquette, quickly waved her hands, “You order, it’s fine. We’re not picky.”
Under Fang Yu’s insistence, the girls nervously ordered a few homestyle dishes—clearly, the other three came from modest backgrounds as well.
“That won’t be enough. Let’s add a few more…” After finishing the order, Fang Yu cleared his throat, and Cheng Chen instantly understood, handing over the bags he was carrying.
“Ladies, here’s the thing. My dear Lu is a bit shy, and in the next four years, she’ll need your care. Today’s her birthday, so I’ve prepared a small token for each of you, just a gesture of appreciation.”
The four girls were momentarily stunned; who had ever seen someone giving gifts to others on their own birthday? But Fang Yu, seasoned with thirty-five years of experience, knew well how these things worked.
The tallest girl received Cheng Chen’s bag first, exclaiming, “Wow, Lu Lu, your boyfriend is generous! These skincare products are expensive!”
He had specially selected three sets of branded skincare products at the cultural mall that afternoon—not overly pricey, but impressive enough.
Qin Lu was a little dazed too, as the girls teased her, making her giggle uncontrollably. “Alright, alright, stop it. Fang Yu, you really went out of your way for us, buying so many things.”
“Hey, handsome, didn’t you prepare a birthday gift for Lu Lu?” The tall girl, Cao Coco, gazed at the three bags on the table.
“Of course I did.” He smoothly pulled out the watch he had bought earlier from another bag, a hint of anticipation in his voice. “Lu Lu, happy birthday.”
Qin Lu’s eyes sparkled with surprise and expectation, though she was a little shy. “Is this a watch? It looks expensive.”
“It’s alright. It’s a matching pair with mine.” Fang Yu purposely shook his wrist.
With the girls’ playful teasing, Qin Lu, cheeks flushed, put on the Tissot watch. Fang Yu, pleased, returned to his seat—in his mind, receiving this gift marked the beginning of their relationship.
As the attendants came in with the dishes, the birthday banquet officially began. None of them were particularly cultured, so their table manners were nothing to boast about.
“This white-cut chicken is good. The breast meat is delicious,” Lu Zhen happily dipped her piece in the sauce.
“No one’s fighting you for it, it’s all yours.” Who knew why she liked chicken breast so much and turned her nose up at drumsticks?
The meal was filled with laughter and chatter, and after they enjoyed the longevity noodles from the hotel, Fang Yu looked apologetically at Qin Lu. “Lu Lu, I’m sorry, I was pressed for time today and couldn’t buy you a cake.”
Qin Lu hurriedly waved her hands, “No, I should be the one apologizing—making you spend so much and giving me such a nice gift.”
Cheng Chen knew it was his cue to step in, so he stood up. “I’m stuffed. Let’s go for a walk—it’s still early anyway.”
Fang Yu took out his wallet and settled the bill—fortunately, four hundred for the meal was still manageable.
“Let’s stroll through the pedestrian street up ahead. You all do as you please,” Cheng Chen said, slapping his shoulder with a cheeky grin.
Handsome guys always had their way—the three girls were instantly drawn to Cheng Chen’s sharp features, leaving Fang Yu and Qin Lu trailing behind, lost in their own world.
“Fang Yu, thank you for celebrating my birthday,” Qin Lu suddenly stopped, gathering her courage to look up at him.
“No need for thanks. Besides, haven’t you figured out what I mean yet?” He half-joked, meeting her gaze.
She didn’t dare look at him again, her blushing face said it all—but as a girl, a hint of reserve was only natural.
Fang Yu wasn’t in a hurry; he’d been reborn at eighteen—how could he fail to win his beloved?
“By the way, has Hua Chen bothered you again?” he suddenly remembered, since he couldn’t be by Qin Lu’s side all the time.
“Hehe, no. Senior Siying said since the welcome tournament ended, Hua Chen has been focusing on basketball, claiming he’ll crush you in next year’s tournament.” Talking about this, Qin Lu’s smile grew.
“Hmph, anyone can brag. As long as he doesn’t bother you, or else I’ll have to show up at your school every day.”
Qin Lu hesitated, embarrassed, and paused, “Actually, a few other boys asked for my contact info and even came to my classroom, but I ignored them.”
He scratched his head and sighed. The girl he liked was just too popular; with the gender imbalance at the teachers’ college, who could resist such a sweet and pretty girl?
The two walked along the road to the pedestrian street. Fang Yu suddenly stopped, surveying the surroundings.
“Hm, this place is nice. If you rented a shop here, the revenue could be two or three times that of the snack street.”
“What are you looking at, Fang Yu?” Qin Lu didn’t understand.
“I’m checking out shopfronts. This would be a great spot for a branch.”
“A branch of what?” She still didn’t know he was in business.
Fang Yu realized he’d slipped, but didn’t want to lie. He forced a smile. “Nothing. I opened a milk tea shop near campus—the business is going well, so I thought about expanding.”
“Really? You opened a shop right after starting college? Wait, you went to Haizhou recently because of the shop?”
“Yeah, I went there to stock up. The shop’s been open for half a month now.”
“What about your studies? Isn’t running a shop exhausting?”
Fang Yu switched to his usual carefree grin, “You know I’m no genius in school. Even if I graduate, what decent job could I find? Better to give it a shot in college and get ahead early.”