Chapter Fifteen: The Toasting Incident

  Cao Shuang was one of the top two or three big shots in Jingnan City, but his personality was very casual. His two familiar friends, Lu Xiaotao and Yue Yang, were not those who blindly pursued trivial matters either.

  His gaze swept over Zhang Yi and Xing Liqian's faces, finding that they also had a casual expression. Therefore, for himself not having made an appointment in advance, he didn't mind not getting a better seat.

  "Let's just eat here! I can get to know Zhang Yi and Xing sister, this meal must be treated by me." Cao Shuang said with a smile.

  Zhang Yi smiled and said, "Then let Cao Ge bear the expense."

  Xing Liqian smiled and said: "Sister, I'm a poor person. Since we can eat at the big house, then I won't be polite. The specialty dishes here are heavenly delicacies. Let's order more later, don't be stingy, Cao Dashi."

  Cao Shuang smiled and said: "If Xing sister likes it, let's order all the special dishes here. I can afford it."

  Lu Xiaodao strode over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down with a chuckle.

  "Brother Yi, you sit first."

  Zhang Yi smiled faintly and said: "Please sit down first, Sister Xing! Ladies first."

  Xing Liqian didn't mince words, handing Lu Xiaotao a playful smile, and said with relish: "Lu Xiao, see? You should learn from your elder brother more often, this is what's called gentlemanly demeanor."

  Lu Xiaotao almost suffocated from Xing Liqian's words, with a strong feeling of having flattered to the point of embarrassment. His chubby face also turned bright red.

  In the private room just separated by a screen.

  Li Jianbao and Chen Chunsheng exchanged a glance, their faces slightly changing color. They never dreamed that they would run into Cao Shuang here tonight.

  After exchanging a glance, Li Jianbao lowered his voice and said: "Chunsheng, go get two bottles of good wine. They must be good wine, we'll go over to say hello later."

  "Good!"

  Chen Chunsheng glanced back at the bead curtain and quickly left the private room.

  At the same table, Meng Hui's eyes revealed a hint of unusual color. He turned his head to glance at his girlfriend Wang Xiaoqiu and found that her face had suddenly turned pale, with her eyebrows slowly furrowing.

  Zhang Yi?

  What is he doing here?

  Is Gu Xinyue here too?

  Meng Hui's impression of Zhang Yi was particularly deep, as Gu Xinyue personally admitted that Zhang Yi was her boyfriend. This caused a huge shock in his heart. Moreover, he discovered that his own girlfriend should also know Zhang Yi, and there must have been problems between the two of them before.

  "Wait a minute. Come with me and say hello."

  Meng Hui turned his head, and with a thoughtful expression in his eyes, he said to Wang Xiaoqiu in a low voice.

  "Don't go. If you want to go, go yourself."

  Wang Xiaoqiu's face was as cold as frost, and his voice had risen a lot.

  Li Jianbao raised his head, and his eyes wandered back and forth between Meng Hui and Wang Xiaoqiu before curiously asking: "What's wrong? You two having a lover's quarrel?"

  Meng Hui hastily put on a smile and said: "No, no, it's just that Little Qiu is feeling a bit unwell."

  There are two dinner tables in a hall, and the sound insulation of this hall is very good. The noisy sounds outside cannot be heard, so the voices of the guests inside can be clearly transmitted to everyone's ears. Just now Wang Xiaoqiu's voice was very loud, so Zhang Yi at the next table heard it clearly in an instant.

  Is it her?

  What is she doing eating here too?

  Zhang Yi's smile on his face suddenly turned cold.

  Although he has completely put Wang Xiaoqiu down, after all, they have been in love before, had happiness and moved, also had anger and pain, if it is said that there will be no impact at all, it is impossible!

  "What's wrong, Zhang Yi?"

  Yue Yang's eyes showed a hint of confusion, and he asked aloud.

  Everyone sitting at this table is a young and talented person, clever and astute. Zhang Yi's change in expression was quickly noticed by others, and they easily judged that Zhang Yi's abnormality must be related to the woman's voice coming from next door.

  "It doesn't matter."

  Zhang Yi silently adjusted his mentality and said calmly.

  The dishes at the Bi Shui Yuan restaurant were served quickly, and soon after everyone had finished ordering, the cold dishes were brought to the table, along with four bottles of expensive wine.

  "Zhang Yi brothers, today I break a rule. This first cup of wine, I won't drink with everyone else first. This cup of wine, I'll toast to you."

  Cao Shuang raised his wine cup and looked at Zhang Yi seriously.

  Yue Yang stood up, patted Cao Shuang's arm, and said seriously: "Cao Shuang, this first cup of wine can't be yours to toast Zhang Yi, it should be mine. Zhang Yi, there are some things I don't want to say now, but I believe you understand. During the time we spent together, I understood your character and personality, and I'm glad to have met you. No matter what the outcome of that thing is, from now on, you Zhang Yi are my brother. This cup of wine is filled with my gratitude and sincerity."

  Zhang Yi didn't say much more and directly stood up, raised his wine glass. Along with the crisp sound of clinking glasses, amidst the astonished gazes of others, the two downed their drinks in one gulp.

  Cao Shuang?

  Meng Hui on the next table suddenly stood up, his eyes revealing an unbelievable expression.

  He knew Cao Shuang, a big shot in the southern part of the capital city, whose personal abilities and family background were both impressive.

  What is he doing here?

  And still with Zhang Yi?

  Cao Shuang quietly looked at Yue Yang and Zhang Yi, as the two sat down, he smiled wryly and said: "I say Yue Yang, you're arrogant in the capital city, but running to the border of Jingnan City to sing a duet with me is too much. Clearly I was the one who raised the first cup of wine, but it was snatched away by you."

  Yue Yang burst out laughing and said: "I can run to Jingnan City and still be arrogant, you dare to bite me?"

  Cao Shuang rolled his eyes and cursed with a smile: "You're not a woman, I'm afraid of biting you."

  After finishing speaking, he looked at Zhang Yi again and smiled:

  "Zhang Yi, brothers, I and Yue Yang, as well as Xiao Tao, have all known each other since childhood. Especially Xiao Tao, this guy is usually sly and doesn't behave properly. But I'm very clear about the pride he hides inside, even I find it hard to make him truly concede. I didn't expect that he would be so obedient in front of you, at first, I really couldn't believe it."

  "Yue Yang, a big shot in the capital city, one of the top four or five, can be said to be able to walk sideways in the capital, but he genuinely identifies with you and wants to make friends with you, which shocks me even more."

  "Moreover, Xing Jie this beautiful woman, I went up to her with eager eyes, but she didn't even give me a proper glance. However, she seems to have taken an interest in you! In this aspect, I admit defeat. Of course, there's also your racing skills, which I admire greatly."

  "So here's to you with this cup of wine, hoping we can become good friends in the future."

  Zhang Wei, being young after all, felt exceptionally pleased in his heart by Cao Shuang's words. On his handsome face, however, hung a bitter smile as he said: "Brother Cao, I'm a thin-skinned person. If you continue to flatter me like this, later on if you still want to invite me for drinks, probably the only place left will be under the table."

  "Haha... Come on, let's get it done!"

  Cao Shuang burst out laughing loudly.

  Others couldn't help but laugh too.

  Meng Hui's mouth twitched violently at the corner as he stood there, his body stiffening imperceptibly. He never dreamed that Cao Shuang, who was always so high and mighty in his eyes, would say something like this.

  Who is Zhang Yi after all?

  The people of the capital all felt grateful towards him and were eager to make friends with him.

  Wang Xiaoqiu, sitting next to Meng Hui, had a sorrowful look in her eyes. Every time Yue Yang and Cao Cu said something, her face turned pale, and the pain and regret in her heart made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

  She never dreamed that in the six months since she and Zhang Yi broke up, Zhang Yi would be doing so well, and even seemed to have caught the eye of Xing Jie.

  He...

  But it's still the deeply loved man who hasn't let go of himself until now!

  The extent of his love!

  Stronger than Meng Hui's love by more than tenfold.

  Li Jianbao sat opposite the two, looking at Meng Hui and Wang Xiaoqiu with a strange expression. The reaction of this couple was not right after the people from the next table arrived!

  Did they also know the people at the next table?

  As Chen Chunsheng came back with two bottles of good wine, he made a silencing gesture and then turned to Meng Hui and asked, "Do you know the people at the next table?"

  Meng Hui hesitated for a moment before saying in a low voice: "I once met one of them."

  "Who?"

  "Zhang Yi!"

  Li Jianbao's expression changed, and he immediately stood up and smiled: "Then let's go and pay our respects with a few cups of wine!"

  Pearl curtain lifted.

  Li Jianbao came with a smile on his face, his eyes shining with clear respect, holding two bottles of wine to the table, and said with a smile: "I'm so sorry to intrude, I hope you won't blame me. Mr. Cao, hearing that you're having dinner here, we've come to toast a few cups."

  Cao Shuang's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

  Today, in this kind of situation, others come to toast him, making him very embarrassed. After all, the people present are almost everyone with great abilities, and they all gather around him. Isn't this going to make everyone laugh?

  Chen Chunsheng also smiled and said: "Young Cao, it's really our great fortune to meet you here. We must treat you and your friends to a few cups to express our sincerity."

  Cao Shuang said lightly: "Thank you all, I appreciate your kind intentions."

  Li Jianbao and Chen Chunsheng's faces stiffened, their hearts secretly cursing themselves for coming over so rashly, it was clear that they had annoyed Cao Dazhuang!

  Following Meng Wei, he dragged Wang Xiaoqiu over, and upon seeing the scene before him, he squeezed in front of Li Jianbao and Chen Chunsheng. Ignoring Wang Xiaoqiu's struggles to free her wrist, he smiled all over his face and said: "Brother Zhang Yi, I didn't expect to see you here. Last time I didn't have a chance to toast you a few cups, this time I must make up for it."

  Zhang Yi's gaze swept across Wang Xiaoqiu's face, which was full of unpleasant expressions, and he secretly sighed in his heart.

  Cao Shuang looked at Meng Hui and Wang Xiaoqiu with curiosity, then turned his head to ask Zhang Yi: "Brother Zhang Yi, do you know them?"