Chapter 22: I Refuse to Swallow This Insult

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Frowning at the message, Qin Ruowei was about to continue typing a reply when Lin Bai stopped her with a shake of his head.

“Don’t bother with them. If they want to make a move, let them come.”

“But…”

“No buts. Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Lin Bai tightened his grip on Qin Ruowei’s hand, giving her a look full of reassurance.

Seeing this, Qin Ruowei fell silent.

“Oh, and invite Senior Fu Rao this time. We didn’t properly thank her last time,” Lin Bai suddenly remembered.

“Sure, you can tell her,” Qin Ruowei said softly, leaning into Lin Bai’s embrace.

At that moment, messages popped up simultaneously from Lin Bai’s class group and Qin Ruowei’s class group. The two stood up together and headed back to their dorms to attend to their own affairs.

...

Around five in the afternoon, at the East District cafeteria parking lot.

“What the hell!”

Zhao Fangting, Chen Zhe, and Lu Xiaobin stared wide-eyed at the brand-new black Mercedes-Benz GLE before them.

Each had taken pains to dress their best, especially Chen Zhe, who was in a suit and bow tie, clearly taking this social gathering seriously.

“Is this really your car?”

They couldn’t believe the sleek Mercedes belonged to Lin Bai.

Lin Bai remained silent, pulled out the car keys, and pressed a button.

Beep-beep—

The car unlocked. After a brief pause, the three burst forward eagerly, touching and inspecting everything inside.

“Hey, Zhao Fangting! Don’t start kissing everything! I swear I’ll kill you!”

...

Qin Ruowei’s purple Xiaomi SU7 had already driven off.

She was responsible for ferrying her roommates and Fu Rao, while Lin Bai handled his own roommates’ rides—an arrangement they had made earlier that day.

Therefore, Zhao Fangting, Chen Zhe, and Lu Xiaobin still had no idea that Qin Ruowei was Lin Bai’s girlfriend.

Amidst the raucous commotion, the Mercedes GLE exited the campus and headed toward their destination: Qingpingle Restaurant.

Located in the Chu River and Han Street area, Qingpingle was one of Jiangcheng’s key hotspots, about sixteen kilometers from Jiangcheng University.

Due to rush hour traffic, it took nearly an hour before Lin Bai finally arrived.

The name “Qingpingle Restaurant” alone hinted at its prestige.

The Mercedes stopped at the entrance, where a doorman promptly appeared to open the door for them.

Lin Bai and his three companions stepped out, awestruck by the grand, brightly decorated facade.

“Sir, I’ll take care of parking for you,” the doorman said respectfully, bowing slightly.

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The doorman remained courteous and bowed as he spoke.

Lin Bai, a bit slow to realize, handed over the car keys.

“Thank you for your trouble.”

“It’s my duty, sir. Please come inside; someone will attend to you shortly.”

Guided by the doorman, the four entered through the main doors, immediately greeted by receptionists in uniform with warm smiles.

“Hello, may I ask if you have a reservation?”

Lin Bai frowned. “I’ll make a call; please wait.”

Taking out his phone, Lin Bai dialed Qin Ruowei to check if they had arrived yet.

To his surprise, as soon as the call connected, he heard a clear argument in the background, instantly worried.

“Are you okay, darling?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s Li Yu arguing with the staff here. Have you arrived?”

Hearing this, Lin Bai relaxed. “Yeah, we’re in the lobby.”

“Come in, you’ll see us as soon as you enter.”

Lin Bai kept the line open, gestured to the receptionist, and followed her into the inner hall.

Inside, Li Yu, Chen Shuya, Qin Ruowei, Zhou Min, Wang Xiaoli, and Fu Rao were gathered near the cashier, with Li Yu in the midst of a heated dispute with the front desk staff.

Puzzled, Lin Bai approached and stood beside Qin Ruowei.

“What’s going on?”

Qin Ruowei glanced at the others and pulled Lin Bai toward a quiet corner.

“Guys, was I imagining things? Didn’t that girl just now call herself Qin Ruowei? The beauty from our foreign department?”

“Yeah, I think so…”

Zhao Fangting, Chen Zhe, and Lu Xiaobin looked stunned, and to Zhou Min and Wang Xiaoli, they resembled three fools.

“Damn, the godfather really came through…”

Nearby, in a corner spot.

Qin Ruowei looked around to ensure no one was nearby, then said:

“Qingpingle requires reservations. Today’s fully booked. Li Yu didn’t make a reservation.”

Lin Bai raised an eyebrow. “No availability? And reservations are necessary?”

“Yes. Qingpingle is very popular. You have to book three days in advance to get a spot. Li Yu is just abusing her silver membership here to cause trouble.”

“What do we do, Lin Bai? Should we just find another place?”

Understanding the situation, Lin Bai smiled and pulled Qin Ruowei closer by her slender waist.

“Call me ‘husband,’ and I’ll handle it.”

Seeing the mischievous glint in Lin Bai’s eyes, Qin Ruowei playfully punched his chest.

“You’re ridiculous. Don’t let anyone see. Let go.”

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Lin Bai released Qin Ruowei and led her back to the cashier.

Meanwhile, Li Yu’s argument with the cashier was escalating, her hands pounding the counter with a fiery tone.

“What kind of lousy rule is this? I’ve spent over a hundred thousand here! Now I need a reservation just to eat? This is outrageous!”

The receptionist smiled politely, bowing slightly, her expression professionally composed despite the insults.

“Sorry, sir, I understand your feelings, but we truly have no available seats. We’re just following regulations. Please don’t put us in a difficult position.”

Lin Bai hadn’t noticed before, but now he realized the cashier was quite attractive.

Curvy, with bright red lips and white teeth, her looks rivaled Qin Ruowei’s.

The difference was that Qin Ruowei was pure and charming like a lotus in clear water, while this woman was like a dazzling rose weathered by the world.

It made sense; to be the face of Qingpingle’s front desk, she had to be stunning.

“I don’t care! I want to eat now! If you can’t fix this, call your manager!”

Li Yu grew more unreasonable.

The receptionist picked up a walkie-talkie.

“Manager, could you come to the front desk, please?”

After calling, the girl looked at Li Yu.

“I’ve informed the manager. He’ll be here shortly. Please wait.”

“I can’t wait! I’m hungry now! I just want to eat!”

Li Yu kept pounding the counter. Even the experienced receptionist frowned slightly.

At that moment, the timid Chen Shuya gently pulled Li Yu.

“Honey, why don’t we just go somewhere else? It’s only a meal.”

Li Yu, frustrated at having nowhere to vent, glared.

“Bullshit! This isn’t just about food! I can’t swallow this humiliation! Don’t interfere. I can handle this.”

“What can you do? Besides yelling and wasting time?”

Qin Ruowei’s cold voice came sharply, causing Li Yu’s face to pale.

“I said I can handle it. My dad is—”

“If your dad was useful, you wouldn’t still be waiting now. I get that you want face, but dragging all of us along to make a scene—isn’t it time to stop?”

This was Fu Rao speaking bluntly.

The receptionist’s eyes shifted to Qin Ruowei and Fu Rao, nodding slightly with admiration.

Just as Li Yu found herself trapped, a somewhat plump middle-aged man in a suit hurried over.

“Hello, everyone. Please tell me what your concerns are.”