Everyone took their seats around the round dinner table.
The table was laden with sumptuous dishes, emitting an enticing aroma.
This made Lin Fei feel hungry too. After all, he had only had a small portion of Western food at a hotel in Wujia Town for lunch, and after an entire afternoon, his stomach was already empty.
However, no one at the table had picked up their chopsticks, so he didn't want to be the first to start eating.
The Li Shang couple originally wanted their daughter Li Ruyan to have more emotional exchanges with Zhao Wenxuan tonight, which is why they invited him to the Li family for dinner.
As a result, instead of emotional exchanges, Li Ruyan brought back a new boyfriend, Lin Fei.
The couple lost their appetite.
The reason they were keen on matchmaking Li Ruyan with Zhao Wenxuan, apart from Zhao Wenxuan being young and handsome, was mostly because of the Zhao family behind him.
The Zhao family is a famous family of doctors in Huadu, with countless renowned doctors, and the hospitals owned by the Zhao family have already monopolized half of Huadu's market. Even public hospitals have many clinics contracted by the Zhao family.
So over the years, the Zhao family's wealth has surged. Although they are not yet one of the top ten elite families, it's only a matter of time before they become one.
Meanwhile, the Li family primarily operates a pharmaceutical company, heavily reliant on the Zhao family, which occupies over half of the medical market. Moreover, with the global economy being unfavorable this year and the intense competition among peer companies, the Li family's pharmaceutical company is facing unprecedented pressure.
At this time, the Li family's pharmaceutical company can only hope to safely ride out the storm with the help of the Zhao family.
What was supposed to be a purposefully arranged dinner ended up being disrupted by Lin Fei's presence, leaving the couple feeling somewhat resentful.
Zhao Wenxuan, on the other hand, thought that since the Li family needed the Zhao family for business, Li Ruyan would naturally be drawn to him. But he hadn't expected her to have a new boyfriend.
To him, this was nothing short of humiliation.
Yet, having pursued Li Ruyan with deep affection for many years, how could he give up so easily?
"By the way, Grandpa, why isn't Grandma here for dinner?" Li Ruyan broke the silence by asking her grandfather.
Mr. Li's expression immediately turned somber. He sighed and said, "The day after you left Huadu, your grandma went for a walk in the garden. Suddenly, a big black cat leapt out from the flower bush, scaring her so much that she fell and sprained her back. Now, she can only rest in bed to recuperate."
"What, Grandma got hurt?" Li Ruyan's face immediately showed concern. "I need to go see Grandma."
The old man quickly said, "Ruyan, don't worry. I've already had a doctor take a look. The doctor said that your grandmother was startled, sprained her back, and given her age, it'll take some time to recover. It's not too late for you to visit her after dinner."
However, upon hearing her grandmother was injured, Li Ruyan lost her appetite and said to Lin Fei, "Lin Fei, I'll go see Grandma first."
Lin Fei said, "Ruyan, I'll accompany you."
But Li Ruyan shook her head and said, "No need, I can go by myself."
"Young Master Lin, let Ruyan go alone. She's close with her grandmother, and they can talk." Ruyan's mother immediately said.
She really didn't want Lin Fei and Li Ruyan going together, so as not to make Zhao Wenxuan feel awkward while the Li family's pharmaceuticals still hoped to enter the Zhao family's hospitals.
Lin Fei had no choice but to stay behind and said to Li Ruyan, "Then I'll come over later."
Li Ruyan nodded, knowing that Lin Fei had medical skills and perhaps could treat her grandmother.
After Li Ruyan left, Mr. Li, the Li Shang couple, and even Zhao Wenxuan all focused their attention on Lin Fei.
"Mr. Lin, thank you for helping my daughter on Kunlun Mountain and saving her." Li Shang said to Lin Fei.
Lin Fei replied indifferently, "Uncle Li, you're too kind. It was just a small effort."
Madam Li also asked Lin Fei, "By the way, Mr. Lin, I haven't asked where you're from?"
"Auntie, I live on Kunlun Mountain." Lin Fei replied.
Madam Li then asked, "And what kind of work does Mr. Lin do?"
Lin Fei said, "I currently don't have a job."
Upon hearing this, Madam Li and Li Shang exchanged a glance, and a hint of joy appeared in their eyes.
Meanwhile, a barely noticeable look of scorn flashed in Zhao Wenxuan's eyes: So, a poor guy from the mountains also wants to court the eldest Miss of the Li family? Dreaming of the impossible.
"Alright, alright, let's not just talk; hurry and eat, the dishes are getting cold." At this moment, Mr. Li, seated at the head, urged everyone to start eating.
In fact, upon hearing that Lin Fei lived on Kunlun Mountain, it reminded the old man of an old friend he hadn't seen in years, and he did not want Lin Fei to be troubled by his son and daughter-in-law, so he quickly spoke up to help Lin Fei out of the situation.
Mr. Li picked a chicken leg from a plate and placed it in Lin Fei's rice bowl, saying, "Lin Fei, you saved Ruyan, you're a great benefactor to our Li family. Here, have a chicken leg."
Seeing the tender, fragrant, golden-brown chicken leg placed in his bowl by the old man, Lin Fei was almost drooling. His stomach was indeed empty, so he quickly said to the old man, "Thank you, Grandpa."
After that, Lin Fei picked up his bowl and started devouring the chicken leg ravenously, leaving the old man, Li Shang, and Madam Li quite dumbfounded.
How long has it been since this child last ate?
Li Shang and his wife finally came back to their senses and then said to Zhao Wenxuan, "Wenxuan, hurry and eat something."
"Yes, Uncle and Auntie, you should eat too." Zhao Wenxuan said, and he even served a chicken leg to each of the Li Shang couple.
A look of joy immediately appeared on the faces of Li Shang and Madam Li. Madam Li said with a smile, "Wenxuan, you're such a well-mannered child, unlike some people who only care about eating themselves."
As she said this, Madam Li deliberately glanced at Lin Fei, who was eating ravenously, clearly referring to Lin Fei.
Having just finished eating one chicken leg, Lin Fei heard this and, seeing Madam Li's eyes, knew exactly who she was hinting at.
Although Lin Fei didn't see himself as Li Ruyan's savior, Madam Li's disdain for him in order to please Zhao Wenxuan made it hard for him to have any goodwill towards her.
However, seeing that Madam Li was Li Ruyan's mother, Lin Fei did not argue with her.
At this moment, Lin Fei noticed that although Zhao Wenxuan picked chicken legs for the Li Shang couple, he didn't serve anything to Mr. Li, who had the highest seniority.
So, Lin Fei used his chopsticks to pick a piece of shark fin and placed it in Mr. Li's rice bowl, saying with a simple smile, "Grandpa, you should eat too."
Mr. Li couldn't help but be taken aback, then joyously laughed, "Lin Fei, you really are a filial child, knowing how to respect the elderly. It's so rare."
After that, Mr. Li cheerfully said to the Li Shang couple, "Son, daughter-in-law, don't you agree?"
The Li Shang couple looked awkward, and their smiles seemed forced as they replied, "Yes, yes..."
Zhao Wenxuan was even more embarrassed. He served the Li Shang couple, but overlooked serving the senior Mr. Li, only to have Lin Fei seize the opportunity.