Chapter 60: Messing with You, No Discussion
The restaurant's patrons watched Su Junfeng with undisguised schadenfreude. *Serves him right*, their stares seemed to say. *Show off like that, and you're asking to be taken down a peg.*
Yi Xuexian, her face pale, reached for Su's arm. "Junfeng, let's just apologize. This isn't worth it."
Su yanked his arm away, his voice rising to a shout. "Apologize? For what? For falling for their trick?"
Mu Xiaoyao tilted her head, feigning confusion. "Trick? We ordered food. You offered to pay. Where's the trick?"
Su's jaw tightened. He'd pieced it together now—they'd planned this. Ordered the most expensive dishes *before* he'd arrived, knowing he'd be goaded into covering the bill. It was brilliant, and it made him livid.
"You ordered this *before* I got here," he accused, pointing at the lobster.
"Duh," Mu said, popping a shrimp into her mouth. "We were hungry. Unlike some people, we don't wait for strangers to feed us."
Wu nodded, grinning. "Besides, you insisted. 'Money's no object,' remember? We're just taking you at your word."
Su's face flushed a deep red. He'd been outmaneuvered—by a girl and a security guard, no less. But backing down now would mean admitting defeat, and Su Junfeng didn't *do* defeat.
"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Enjoy your meal. I hope it's worth every penny."
Yi's eyes widened. "Junfeng, you can't—"
"I said, *enjoy*," Su snapped, cutting her off. He forced a smile, though it looked more like a grimace. "Consider it a gift. From one 'elite' to… well. You get the idea."
Mu clapped her hands, beaming. "Wow, how generous! Fan-ge, did you hear that? We're getting a *gift*! This must be what it's like to be rich. No wonder people love it."
Wu raised his wine glass, toasting Su. "To your kindness. May your wallet recover quickly."
Su's fingers curled into fists. He wanted to scream, to flip the table, to make them regret ever crossing him. But with the entire restaurant watching, he could only sit there, seething, as Wu and Mu devoured his "gift" with relish.
Yi sighed, picking at her food. She'd never seen Su like this—petty, vindictive, *small*. It was unattractive, and it made her wonder why she'd put up with his nonsense for so long.
Across the room, Mu leaned in to whisper to Wu. "Think he'll cry when he sees the bill?"
Wu chuckled. "If not, he'll definitely whine to his mommy. Bet she cuts his allowance."
Mu giggled, loud enough for Su to hear. "Serves him right. Bragging about money like it makes him a better person."
Su's knuckles whitened. He'd had enough. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.
"I'm going to the restroom," he announced, though his eyes were fixed on the door.
Mu didn't look up, but her voice carried clearly. "Waiter, keep an eye on this one. Some people 'go to the restroom' to avoid paying their bills. Shameful, really."
The waiters exchanged glances, edging closer to Su as if he might bolt at any second. The other diners snickered, their stares burning into Su's back.
Su froze. *She saw through me.* He'd planned to slip out, claim his card had been "stolen," and let the restaurant deal with it. But now? Everyone was watching, waiting for him to run.
"Nice try," he muttered, sitting back down. "But I'm not some deadbeat. I keep my word."
Yi raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"
Su ignored her, focusing on his food. But every bite tasted like ash, especially when he heard Mu exclaim, "This Latour is *divine*! Fan-ge, you have to try it—worth every yuan of Su's hard-earned money!"
By the time Wu and Mu finished, their plates were clean, and the wine bottle was empty. They slouched in their chairs, patting their stomachs, looking thoroughly satisfied.
"服务员 (Waiter)," Mu called, "put the bill on his tab. Thanks again, Su! You're a *great* friend."
Su's jaw twitched. *Friend?* He'd never wanted to strangle someone so badly.
As Wu and Mu sauntered out, Mu called over her shoulder, "Don't forget to tip! It's good manners, you know."
Su watched them go, his mind racing. 42,000 yuan. He'd have to borrow from his friends, lie to his parents, and eat instant noodles for a month to cover it. It was humiliating.
Yi stood, gathering her bag. "I'm leaving. You can pay the bill yourself."
Su grabbed her wrist. "Xuexian, don't—"
"Let go," she said, her voice cold. "I'm done. With you, with this. Grow up, Su."
She walked out, leaving Su alone with his pride and a mountain of debt.
The waiter approached, holding the bill. "Sir, that'll be 42,000 yuan. Shall I charge it to your card?"
Su stared at the number, his chest tight. Then, an idea struck—desperate, but better than nothing.
He pointed to Wu and Mu's empty table. "That lobster—such a waste. And the crab—there's still plenty left. Wrap them up. We shouldn't waste good food, not when people are starving."
The waiter blinked. "Sir, that's leftover food. I don't think—"
"Just do it!" Su snapped. "It's my money, my food. I'll take it."
The restaurant fell silent.
The other diners stared, their mouths hanging open. Here was a man who'd just dropped 42,000 yuan on a meal for his "enemies"—and now he was begging for leftovers?
Su didn't care. Let them stare. Let them laugh. At least he'd get *something* out of this disaster.
As the waiter awkwardly wrapped the scraps, Su slouched in his chair, staring at the floor.
*I'll get them back*, he vowed. *One day, they'll regret messing with me.*
But for now, he was just a boy with a bruised ego, a maxed-out credit card, and a bag of leftover seafood.
And somewhere, outside, Wu and Mu were laughing, already forgetting about the spoiled rich kid they'd just outsmarted.
Some battles, it turned out, weren't worth winning. But this one? It was worth every penny.