Chapter 378 - 244: Incredibly Satisfying, A Total Blast
She was keenly aware of her own figure and appearance. Ordinarily, she’d have no chance of breaking into the social circles of a star at Li Wei’s level, so she treasured every single opportunity Gao Ping gave her.
It was thanks to this chubby young man that she had been able to meet a major celebrity on multiple occasions.
"Um... thank you for joining us for dinner," Emily said suddenly. "I just noticed there aren’t any other empty tables."
"Oh... right, thanks, Brother Li Wei," Gao Ping added, looking up sheepishly. "I still feel bad that the mountain drive wasn’t much fun last time."
"Don’t worry about it. I had something to do that day." It was a trivial matter, and Li Wei hadn’t given it a second thought.
Emily, watching Li Wei from her seat diagonally across from him, suddenly stood up to reach for the pepper shaker near his hand.
She was wearing a wide, off-the-shoulder top that amply showcased her chest. As she stood and leaned toward Li Wei, her top hung low, revealing at least half of her small, round breasts.
Jin Heon, who was already at her wit’s end over car maintenance costs, felt her gaze turn cold in an instant.
She shot out her hand, snatching the pepper shaker with lightning speed, and handed it to Emily with a smile.
The moment their eyes met, the smile vanished from Jin Heon’s face for a split second. She shot Emily a cold, warning glare.
Startled by Jin Heon’s sudden move, Emily swallowed hard, awkwardly accepted the pepper shaker, and meekly retreated to Gao Ping’s side.
Everyone was lost in their own thoughts throughout the meal. The only one talking was Gao Ping, who complained that college life wasn’t as great as he’d imagined and lamented about how many days his old man had chewed him out after he bought his car.
After the meal, Li Wei raised his hand to signal the waiter for the check.
However, the waiter who should have brought the bill ran over, his face flushed with excitement, waving his hands frantically. "Mr. Li Wei, our head chef said this meal is on the house! It’s an honor to have you at Lupa! Our entire kitchen staff are die-hard New York Giants fans!"
Li Wei was taken aback. He pulled out his wallet, intending to leave a few hundred USD in cash as a tip, but the waiter adamantly refused to accept it.
"If I take your money, the head chef will smash my head in with a frying pan!" the waiter pleaded, half-joking, half-serious. "If you really want to show your appreciation, the head chef was hoping he could get a picture with you in the kitchen. Would that be okay?"
It was an offer too kind to refuse. Li Wei had no choice but to stand. "Alright, lead the way."
Li Wei followed the waiter toward the kitchen, leaving just Jin Heon, Gao Ping, and Emily in the booth.
The moment Li Wei was gone, the powerful, oppressive atmosphere that had hung over the table instantly dissipated. Gao Ping let out a visible sigh of relief.
Jin Heon picked up her water glass and began to professionally assess how Gao Ping might be useful to Li Wei. "Mr. Gao Ping, are you a freshman at New York University?"
"Yes, Miss Jin," Gao Ping said, scratching his head with a chuckle. "I just got here six months ago. I’m a freshman this year, mostly just messing around."
"A freshman. That’s nice." Jin Heon nodded. Her eyes flicked to Emily, who was looking down to touch up her makeup. Feigning a casual tone, she asked, "What about Emily? Are you two in the same class?"
"No, no," Gao Ping said, waving his hands. "Emily’s older than me. She’s a senior in the business school, graduating this spring."
Jin Heon nodded. She glanced at the pair, smiled, and said nothing.
Li Wei soon returned from the kitchen after taking his photos, and the four of them walked out of Lupa together.
On this winter afternoon, the New York sun was pale and offered no warmth, but the streets of Greenwich Village were still bustling with people.
"Brother Li Wei, we’re gonna take off," Gao Ping said, glancing at Li Wei’s Koenigsegg, which was surrounded by onlookers. He then looked at his own Lamborghini Urus parked beside it, which seemed almost "plain" in comparison. He tactfully took his leave, "Let’s get together again when we have the chance!"
"Alright, see you." Li Wei nodded.
Watching Gao Ping lead Emily to his car, Li Wei turned to look at Jin Heon, who was standing nearby, her expression still a little stiff.
"Come on, I’ll take you back to school." Li Wei pressed the button on his key fob.
The two got into the car. The Koenigsegg, like an awakened beast, let out a low roar as it slowly merged into the flow of traffic.
Jin Heon was suddenly reminded of the car’s running costs. Her hands clutched the hem of her coat, and the Porsche key in her pocket suddenly began to dig painfully into her thigh.
’Her mind was a battlefield, tallying up the running costs one by one. Her brows furrowed without her realizing it.’
"Was the meal not to your liking?" Li Wei asked, breaking the silence. He kept his eyes on the road, one hand on the steering wheel.
"Huh? No, no, it was delicious," Jin Heon answered hastily, startled.
"That’s good," Li Wei said jokingly. "For a second there, I thought the head chef was one of my haters and had sabotaged the food to mess with me."
"Not at all," Jin Heon said, letting out a laugh. "The food today was actually incredible. Better than the other times I’ve been here."
"Then why did you look like you were chewing on cardboard?" Li Wei chuckled softly. "What’s wrong? You think me letting you drive that 911 is too much trouble?"
Thanks to his keen Spiritual Power and enhanced physique, he had noticed her heart rate and breathing quicken unconsciously when Gao Ping mentioned running costs.
Her innermost thoughts laid bare by a single sentence from her boss, Jin Heon’s face flushed bright red. She knew it was futile to lie to someone so perceptive. It was better to be upfront than to hem and haw.