Chapter 397: Chapter 317: Lin Lu’s Birthday Banquet, Peril at Every Turn

As the trio entered, the restaurant’s waiter began leading them to their table.

To this waiter, they appeared as a handsome guy, a slightly effeminate cute boy, and a glamorously dressed show-off dog.

The private room’s door was pushed open by a female server, and Lin Lu and Shen Qingning were sitting opposite the entrance.

The two ladies today really looked like princesses.

They both wore black dresses and had black cardigans draped over them.

It was probable that they would take off the outwear for group photos later.

Under the room’s lighting, Shen Qingning’s pale complexion was so fair it practically reflected light.

The black dress enhanced her cool and aloof aura even more.

The dress wasn’t exactly low-cut, but the neckline was slightly lower than regular clothes, revealing sexy collarbones and accentuating her slender neck.

Above the neckline of her dress, a little Q necklace studded with diamonds served as an adornment, complementing her glowing fair skin.

Shen Qingning had studied dance since she was young, giving her poise and grace, and she sat there like a noble black swan in the private room.

Lin Lu, as usual, was brimming with vitality today.

Her hair curls were tighter than normal, and her black dress was of a satin material that gleamed under the light.

Thanks to the slimming effect of the dress, her fuller curves were particularly noticeable.

Luckily, the neckline was also relatively high, otherwise, people might have glimpsed the captivating cleavage and the soft flesh beside it.

Lin Lu’s eyes were very expressive, and they sparkled with an extra zest when she saw Cheng Zhu, making her appear even more charming.

“Wow, you guys arrived together, huh?” she said to Cheng Zhu.

“I got here first and waited at the entrance for these two,” Cheng Zhu answered as he deliberately slowed his steps, falling half a step behind Shen Ming Lang.

Being naturally enthusiastic, he immediately walked over with the birthday gift he had prepared.

“Happy birthday, happy birthday!” he exclaimed.

“It’s not time yet; it will be after midnight,” Lin Lu responded with a smile, dimples forming on her cheeks.

She took the gift, and Shen Ming Lang naturally took a seat beside his sister.

Shen Qingning glanced at him but ultimately said nothing.

She turned her head, seemingly looking towards Jiang Wanzhou and Cheng Zhu, but in reality, her attention was all on Cheng Zhu.

Cheng Zhu nonchalantly kicked Jiang Wanzhou’s heel.

Jiang Wanzhou turned and gave him a helpless eye signal, then stepped forward with a smile, saying, “Sister Lu, this is a birthday gift Cheng Zhu and I picked out for you together.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Lu leaned on her hand and looked up at them playfully with a twinkle in her eyes.

Cheng Zhu hadn’t expected Jiang Wanzhou to say that and could only respond, “Come on, don’t you know how fake you sound when you lie?”

The energetic girl’s smile became even less restrained as she listened to him.

“Do I?” Jiang Wanzhou feigned shock.

“You’ve always been like this; just take a seat,” Shen Ming Lang said assertively, pulling Little President Jiang to a chair.

Clearing his throat, Cheng Zhu awkwardly said, “You didn’t tell me it was your birthday, so all I got was a safe-fruit apple.”

“That’s fine too, who says an apple can’t be a birthday gift, right?” Lin Lu said with indifference, still smiling.

Then, she quickly added, “But next time remember, I was born on Christmas.”

“Got it,” Cheng Zhu chuckled, handing over the apple gift box.

“Ah! How come you bought the same thing I did? Haha!” Lin Lu was immediately more animated and lightly patted Shen Qingning, adding, “Ningning got the same thing.”

“Huh?” Cheng Zhu paused, then handed the other gift box to Shen Qingning: “This one’s for you.”

Shen Qingning looked at her own gift for a while.

On the other hand, Shen Ming Lang commented with frustration, “Seriously, don’t stand there exchanging apples; they’re all the same, just take any, why make it so complicated?”

“What do you mean, how can they be the same!” Lin Lu immediately refuted.

Of course, Cheng Zhu’s were different!

After passing through his hands, they gained a different meaning!

Shen Qingning: +1.

So that’s how everyone ended up with two identical apple gift boxes.

Except that the apples from Cheng Zhu were a size larger than those from Shen Ming Lang and Jiang Wanzhou.

Both Lin Lu and Shen Qingning made mental notes of which apples Cheng Zhu had given them.

Interestingly, the table in the private room wasn’t very large, and an extra chair next to Jiang Wanzhou had been removed, creating a space that faced the room’s entrance, presumably to make it easier for the servers.

“Cheng Zhu, you can… sit next to me,” Lin Lu declared, assigning the coveted seat.

This certainly set off alarm bells for Cheng Zhu.

He was always aware of Little Lu’s straightforwardness, but her invitation to sit by her side in front of everyone today was rather blatant.

Jiang Wanzhou watched this unfold without surprise, but Shen Ming Lang was a bit confused; he glanced between Lin Lu and Cheng Zhu, feeling that something was off.

“Damn it! Don’t tell me my cousin and Lin Lu are actually already a thing? Crap!” he thought.

He had declared more than twice in front of Jiang Wanzhou: “If Cheng Zhu manages to score with Lin Lu, I’ll wash his underwear for a year!”

Please no! Please no!

I, Shen Ming Lang, always keep my word!

Only Shen Qingning felt a twinge of sadness upon hearing this, her air of aloofness intensifying momentarily.

Her index finger on the skirt couldn’t help but curl inward slightly.

But honestly, her relationship with Cheng Zhu was one of “lip friendship,” and they had kissed sober, he even left a hickey on her neck.

But if it was her birthday dinner today, could the proud girl openly invite Cheng Zhu to sit beside her with a smile, in front of everyone?

Shen Qingning was clear: I can’t do that.

Such was the difference in personalities.

…

…

Time moved forward, and Lin Lu’s high school friend Xu Ruoan arrived on time, accompanied by her boyfriend, He Chong.

They were both Lin Lu’s high school classmates, with Xu Ruoan sitting next to her in the second year, and He Chong sitting behind them.

During the second term of the second year, Xu Ruoan and He Chong started dating.

They later planned to study abroad together, both heading to England and getting into the same university.

In the eyes of their high school classmates, the couple seemed like a match made in heaven, and Xu Ruoan openly expressed more than once that she wanted to marry He Chong after graduating from university.

From school uniforms to wedding gowns, such a beautiful love story.

“Ah! Lu Lu! Happy birthday!” As soon as Xu Ruoan entered the private room, she hugged Lin Lu, clearly one of the lively kinds.

She wasn’t as close with Shen Qingning, although they had met and added each other on social media.

In terms of looks, Xu Ruoan wasn’t as pretty as Lin Lu, but she was still good-looking.

Her family was likely well-off; from head to toe, she was dressed in branded attire.

Most notably, she had a sexy style, persistent in wearing stockings despite the cold weather. The stockings resembled the style that Balenciaga would popularize a few years later.

She also wore a black dress, seemingly agreed upon in advance. The dress was a lower neckline style that showcased her own ‘airport runway.’

However, many girls actually find a smaller bust easier for fashion coordination.

While the male student beside her, He Chong, seemed pretty typical of the recent trend of study abroad students. He had his hair permed, wore a Givenchy dog head sweatshirt underneath, and carried a rectangular pouch that resembled a document bag.

This style of pouch had been fashionable for the past few years, often carried by celebrities.

They would grab one corner of the pouch and simply hold it while walking.

He Chong’s gaze lingered on Lin Lu and Shen Qingning for a while. Lin Lu had been beautiful since high school, but now she was even more so; the cool and ethereal girl sitting beside her made a profound impression on him.

This was the first time he had seen Shen Qingning.

Xu Ruoan then glanced at the guy sitting next to Lin Lu and suggested, “Lu Lu, introduce your new friend to me.”

Upon request, Lin Lu began with the introduction of Xu Ruoan and He Chong, then moved on to Shen Ming Lang.

When it came to Cheng Zhu, Xu Ruoan interrupted with an eager guess: “Wait, let me guess, ha!” She swirled her finger in the air and pointed at him, declaring, “Cheng Zhu, right?”

He’s quite handsome, isn’t he? With a unique charisma! Much more handsome than He Chong!

Cheng Zhu responded with a smile and a nod, guessing that Lin Lu must have mentioned him to her friends, although he didn’t know the extent of their conversations.

If they had delved deeper, this person would become tonight’s “troublemaking bomb”!

“Exactly as I suspected, tonight’s birthday scene is quite complex!” he remained vigilant in his mind.

— Jiang Wanzhou knows Lin Lu likes me, and she admitted it to him.

— Shen Ming Lang isn’t too sharp, likely to act spontaneously without realizing it.

— Shen Qingning has already had physical closeness, with the right to be jealous and start dramatic scenes.

— This Xu Ruoan looks straightforward, and her eyes have a measuring look at me.

Well, this seating arrangement and the apple gift boxes Lin Lu bought suggest that more people will probably come to the private room later.

Finally, Xu Ruoan didn’t gossip too much at the moment, only adding, “I went to buy Youu Tea a few days ago. Lu Lu told me it’s your business.”

“Oh? Is that so? Thanks for supporting the business,” Cheng Zhu politely replied.

“I got it from a scalper, cost a lot more!” Xu Ruoan was quite talkative.

Interestingly, she didn’t let her boyfriend sit beside Cheng Zhu. Instead, the fashionable student seated herself next to him.

…

(ps: First update, ask for monthly tickets!

Christmas Eve has arrived, don’t forget to eat apples~)