Chapter 59: The Price of Showing Off
The moment Su Junfeng opened his mouth, Wu Yifan and Mu Xiaoyao's expressions hardened. This man was relentless—like a dog with a bone, too stubborn to let a grudge die. If they didn't put him in his place, he'd keep nipping at their heels all night.
Yi Xuexian's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Junfeng, please. Let's just sit down. There's no need to argue."
Su scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Argue? I'm just stating facts. Look at their table—frozen conch, cheap crab. It's like they wandered in from a street vendor. Pathetic."
Yi started to protest, but Su had already marched to a nearby booth, yanking her along with him. He tossed his jacket over the back of a chair, his posture radiating arrogance, as if the entire restaurant revolved around him.
Mu picked at a crab leg, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "He's practically begging for it, isn't he?"
Wu leaned back, grinning. "You got a plan?"
"Watch and learn." Mu raised her voice, loud enough for Su to overhear. "Fan-ge, maybe he's right. We really don't belong here. Look at him—ordering like money grows on trees. Three thousand yuan for a meal? That's more than most people make in a month. We should probably stick to instant noodles."
Su's ears perked up. He signaled a waiter, his chest puffed out. "Bring us your best. A 500-yuan-per-pound hairy crab, inkfish balls, braised prawns, and a bottle of your finest red wine. None of that budget swill."
Yi's eyes widened. "Junfeng, that's too much. We're only two people—"
"Relax, Xuexian." Su waved her off, shooting Mu a得意 smirk. "Money's no object. Some of us can afford the good life. Not everyone's stuck scraping by on scraps."
Mu feigned a dejected sigh, slumping in her chair. "You're right. I should've known better than to dream big. My allowance barely covers textbooks, let alone king crab."
Wu played along, shaking his head with a苦笑. "Maybe next year. If I work double shifts at the security booth… I might scrape together enough for a single shrimp. Maybe."
Su's laugh boomed through the restaurant, loud and obnoxious. "Save your energy. Some people are born to serve, others to be served. It's the natural order of things."
Yi's fingers tightened around her napkin. She'd peeked at the menu earlier—Su's order would top 3,000 yuan. For a man who'd once whined about a 200-yuan taxi fare, that was hardly "no object." But arguing would only make him angrier, so she bit her tongue.
Across the room, the waiter returned, pushing a silver cart stacked high with dishes. At the top sat a king lobster—its shell a deep, glossy red, easily the size of a small dog. Beside it were heaping plates of curry prawns, their sauce glistening under the lights, and a bottle of Château Latour, its label shimmering like liquid gold.
Su's smirk froze.
Mu clapped her hands, her face lighting up like a child's on Christmas. "Finally! I was starting to think we'd starve. Thanks so much, waiter!"
The waiter nodded, setting the dishes down with a flourish. "Enjoy your meal, miss. The total for this table comes to 42,000 yuan."
Su's jaw dropped. "42,000? For *that*?"
Mu blinked, feigning innocence. "But you said you'd cover our bill, didn't you? You were so generous—insisted we deserve the best. How sweet of you!"
Su sputtered, his face turning a splotchy red. "I—I never agreed to *this*! I thought you had cheap food! This is robbery!"
"Robbery?" Mu tilted her head, her voice softening into a pout. "But you said we shouldn't 'settle for scraps.' Did I mishear?" She turned to Yi, her eyes wide. "Miss Yi, didn't he say he'd pay? I could've sworn—"
Yi nodded, her voice tight with discomfort. "He did. He said… 'it's on me.'"
Su's hands trembled. 42,000 yuan. His monthly allowance was 5,000. To cover this, he'd have to beg his parents for the rest—and explain why he'd offered to pay for a stranger's feast. His mother would skin him alive.
"Junfeng," Yi said quietly, placing a hand on his arm, "let's just pay and leave. Please."
Su wrenched his arm away, his gaze blazing at Wu. "This is your fault! You set me up!"
Wu shrugged, popping a piece of lobster into his mouth. "We didn't ask you to play hero. You insisted."
Mu nodded, already tucking into the curry prawns. "Honestly, it's sweet of you to offer. This lobster? *Chef's kiss.* Worth every penny. Thanks again, Su!"
The other diners had started to whisper, casting amused glances at Su. He could feel their eyes on him—judging, snickering, relishing his humiliation.
Su's face burned. He'd wanted to look like a big shot, to make Yi admire him, to put Wu and Mu in their place. Instead, he looked like a fool—a rich kid with more pride than sense.
"Fine," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Put it on my card."
The waiter nodded, producing a card reader. Su fumbled with his wallet, his hands shaking so badly he could barely slide the card in. When the machine beeped—*approved*—he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Yi stood, her voice cold. "I'm leaving. You can follow or not."
Su didn't hesitate. He grabbed his jacket and stalked toward the door, his head hanging.
Mu called after him, her voice cheerfully singsong. "Come back anytime, Su! Next time, we'll spring for the caviar!"
Su didn't look back.
Once he was gone, Wu laughed, shaking his head. "That was ruthless. Even for you."
Mu grinned, popping a grape into her mouth. "He started it. Someone had to teach him that pride comes before a fall."
Wu nodded, raising his glass. "To lessons learned. And to very expensive lobster."
Mu clinked her glass against his, her eyes sparkling. "To very expensive lobster."
Outside, the sun had set, painting the sky in deep purples and blues. Inside, the restaurant hummed with the soft clink of glasses and the murmur of conversation. For a moment, there was no drama, no grudges—just good food, good company, and the quiet satisfaction of watching a blowhard get his comeuppance.
Wu took another bite of lobster, savoring the sweet, briny flavor. Some battles, he decided, were worth savoring.
And this one? It tasted like victory.