Chapter 273: Trickery Ahead
Zhu Bufan couldn't wrap his head around it—he had actually been set up and outwitted by that crafty old boy, Mi Tao.
"Alright, you can leave now… I still have to dine with my wife…" Zhu Bufan impatiently told the waiter.
Sisi blushed once more when she heard Zhu Bufan call her his wife.
"Alright then, we won't disturb your meal any further…" said the waiter, who then gestured to the other two waiters, and all three walked away.
The departure of these three waiters somewhat stunned Zhu Bufan; he had thought they would stick around, and after they finished dining, they might encourage him to book a room here with Sisi.
After the waiters had left, Sisi continued to keep her head down, her cheeks still flushed—a typical bashful demeanor of a woman in the presence of a man she adores yet with whom she has no defined relationship.
"Let's eat…" After a while, Zhu Bufan spoke up.
At that moment, Sisi shook off her flush, lifted her head, and froze—her steak had been sliced in the short time she had looked away. Had Zhu Bufan done this for her?
Self-consciously, she glanced at Zhu Bufan, who responded with a smile. This made Sisi even more embarrassed, leading her to pick up her utensils and start eating in small bites while still feeling shy.
Just as the two were eating, the room door was opened again, and a waiter came in.
He carried a large covered dish in his hands, its contents unknown.
"Excuse me for disturbing you, but this is something our boss specially prepared for this gentleman. She said he would like it," the waiter said politely.
Sisi was surprised but without asking, she curiously looked at Zhu Bufan.
Zhu Bufan slightly smiled; he knew this must have been arranged by Dongfang Weimei.
"Alright, please thank your boss for me…" Zhu Bufan replied courteously to the waiter.
"Yes, of course… Then I'll leave you two to your meal…" replied the waiter.
Zhu Bufan nodded, and the waiter then left.
Once the waiter had gone, Sisi's face instantly turned cold:
"Do you know the owner of this place?"
"Sort of..." Zhu Bufan nodded in response.
"Oh… I heard the owner used to be a middle-aged man from the Capital City who later went back, and now his daughter manages the place. Do you know her?" Sisi said, glancing at Zhu Bufan subconsciously.
Her meaning was clear—were you, Zhu Bufan, acquainted with this female owner?
Sisi knew that the female owner was stunningly beautiful.
"I know his daughter…" Zhu Bufan was slightly taken aback, not having expected Sisi to be so well-informed about this restaurant.
"Oh…" Hearing Zhu Bufan admit he knew Dongfang Weimei, Sisi showed a hint of displeasure, which quickly disappeared.
She forked a piece of steak that Zhu Bufan had sliced for her and put it into her mouth, but her eyes darted to the covered dish.
Clearly, at this point, Sisi became very interested in what was inside the dish. The waiter said Zhu Bufan would like it, and Zhu Bufan had revealed that he knew Dongfang Weimei—suddenly, Sisi lost her appetite.
Zhu Bufan looked over at Sisi and smiled slightly. Then, he lifted the cover off the dish.
When the cover was removed, there were two cups within, both filled with tea.
Both Sisi and Zhu Bufan were stunned at the sight of two cups of tea, especially Zhu Bufan, who was completely puzzled. Two cups of tea? What did that mean?
However, after her initial shock, Sisi felt a surge of pride—apparently, Zhu Bufan and Dongfang Weimei weren't involved, otherwise, they wouldn't have just sent over two cups of tea, right?
While Zhu Bufan was confused, his cellphone received a message notification.
He picked up his phone and checked the message.
It was from Dongfang Weimei:
"Zhu Bufan, I've noticed that you've broken through to the Early Stage of Fracturable Qi, congratulations... However, your realm doesn't seem stable yet, so I've brewed two cups of Spiritual Tea for you... take them, you and your 'beloved.'"
After reading the message, Zhu Bufan's expression turned serious. How did Dongfang Weimei know that he had broken through to the Early Stage of Fracturable Qi?
It would be too terrifying if she knew without having seen him.
While Zhu Bufan pondered this, another message notification sounded.
"Zhu Bufan, it was when you entered my restaurant that I saw you... Well then, I'll not disturb you anymore..."
So that was it. Zhu Bufan wasn't sure if he could really call Dongfang Weimei a friend, since their only interactions were when she saved him. And it seemed he hadn't really done anything in return for her.
Suddenly, Zhu Bufan wasn't sure if Dongfang Weimei's rescues were part of some ulterior motive. However, for the time being, Zhu Bufan had no intentions of investigating Dongfang Weimei any further, as she hadn't shown any malice towards him thus far.
Still, can't be too careful in the future. Zhu Bufan greatly appreciated that this woman had saved him so many times, but he was still very concerned about his own life.
Putting down his phone, Zhu Bufan looked at the two cups of Spiritual Tea.
Spiritual Tea, Zhu Bufan knew, was an extremely high-grade type of tea, legendary even—he hadn't expected Dongfang Weimei to send something like this, which certainly startled him.
Because legend had it that drinking Spiritual Tea could stabilize one's realm when it was unsteady, hence its mythical status.
This instantly piqued Zhu Bufan's curiosity about Dongfang Weimei's identity.
Such legendary items are not nonexistent, but are extremely scarce—only available to certain noble families or high-ranking officials. Dongfang Weimei? The Dongfang family?
Zhu Bufan couldn't bear to imagine further…
"Zhu Bufan, what's wrong? Are you disappointed? Others have just sent you two cups of tea..." Seeing Zhu Bufan lost in thought, Sisi's mood took an instant dive as it seemed that Zhu Bufan was unhappy with the woman's gesture.
This dissatisfaction implied Zhu Bufan must care about Dongfang Weimei.
Thus, the pettiness of a woman in matters of the heart exploded. So, when Sisi spoke, her words were laced with disdain and reproach.