They started driving towards the restaurant. They had picked a place far away from the office. Usually, Luke drove behind Edward on the way. But Luke was sent to prepare Daisy's desk. Before he left, he arranged for other bodyguards to follow Edward. It almost looked like a motorcade. Arranging so many people in his place, Luke seemed not trust anyone but himself, on the off chance any mishaps occurred with Edward in his absence.
Edward steadily held the steering wheel. When he looked in the rear-view mirror, he was speechless. He felt Luke had overreacted. Who did he think Edward was, the President of the country? With so many cars following him, the passersby might assume him to be a mobster. Edward felt he must talk to Luke.
Suddenly, a slender figure caught Edward's attention. Unconsciously, he slowed down the car. But he then shook his head with self-mockery. The girl he was thinking of couldn't be here. She would still be in Paris, the romantic capital of France. How could she possibly appear in the streets of S City? Before long, they arrived at their destination, a famous Spanish restaurant named Can Majó. Mary was depressed. She intended to sit beside Edward, but to her dismay, Rain took the seat, and she had to drive behind them in her car.
As an old saying goes, some were sad but the others were happy. Rain was in a pretty good mood, giggling along the way. As flamboyant as he was, he usually didn't share a car with other men. But today, he had abandoned his dazzling Maybach just to annoy Mary.
As they got off the car and walked towards the restaurant, they met Belinda at the entrance, who also came for lunch. Edward was a little frustrated to see her. He felt that luck was not on his side, as he kept running into people who he didn't want to meet.
"Huh! Mr. Mu, nice seeing you again!" Belinda flashed him a coquettish smile, and shot a glance at Mary.
"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Shangguan. What a nice surprise." Edward's mouth twitched as he tried to smile. Belinda was the last person he wanted to meet. But she appeared everywhere he went.
"Indeed it is. I see you've brought another woman with you, Mr. Mu. But why your taste in women is growing worse over time." Belinda said mockingly with a smirk on her face and slyness in her eyes. She thought to herself. 'Mary, since you have the guts to show up here, I will show you how to behave.'
"So, Miss Shangguan! Which unlucky man is your prey today?" Rain always wore a smile on his face in front of other people. He was amused by the way Belinda talked to Edward.
"Rest assured, Rain. I'm not interested in sissy pants, so I won't prey on you." Belinda glared at Rain. In her opinion, he was remarkable. She wondered who was able to tame him.
"Edward, who is this young lady?" Mary was irritated by Belinda's overbearing attitude. She wondered who this gorgeous woman was, and why Edward and Rain tolerated her arrogance. She could tell that they had a good bond.
"Oh. Mary, this is the CEO of the YS Group, Belinda Shangguan." Edward introduced Belinda to Mary. He glanced at Belinda, and wondered what she was up to.
"Miss Shangguan, glad to meet you! I am Mary Ouyang." Mary extended a hand to Belinda. She was cursing herself. She wondered what Belinda mean by saying "your taste in women is growing worse over time"? She was talented, beautiful, and a daughter of an eminent family.
"Nice meeting you, Miss Ouyang. I've heard a lot about you, and now that we've met in person, I can tell that the rumors were true. You're as resourceful as I have heard." Belinda's tone was deliberately condescending. She shot a contemptuous look at Mary as she spoke.
"Thank you, Miss Shangguan. But I'm no competition for you." Mary didn't sense the sarcasm in Belinda's voice. She assumed Belinda meant that she had heard of Mary from Edward. The thought turned her crimson. Rain couldn't help but guffaw. Belinda was a ruthless woman. Her sharp tongue stung everyone equally. He was curious to know how Mary had offended Belinda to deserve this cynicism.
Despite appearing indifferent, Edward was also noticing the interaction between both women. It seemed like Belinda already knew Mary, but seemingly, Mary didn't know her. And he could tell from Belinda's words that she was furious with Mary.
"Pff. pansy." Belinda rolled her eyes at Rain when he burst into laughter. She was still angry about what happened last time.
Rain was a little frustrated. How did he look like a pansy? Why did she call him that every time?
"Miss Shangguan, now that we have met, may I invite you to join us?" Edward broke the ice. As he spoke to Belinda, he raised his eyebrow, and a wicked glint flashed in his eyes. Belinda was hard to manage. She was indeed a fierce woman.
"That sounds good. I never refuse a free meal. Nothing's better than men hurling themselves towards me, like moths to fire." Belinda wouldn't favor dining with them if it were only Edward and Rain eating here. But since Mary was with them too, she definitely wouldn't walk away. She wouldn't miss any chance to beat down an Ouyang.
Edward was speechless after hearing her words. How come she was so hostile to everyone? It sounded like they were also a pair of desperate men pursuing her.
Mary was vexed. The more people dining with them, the less chance she had to be alone with Edward.
Rain smiled before he spoke. He fiddled with his gleaming ear stud with one hand. Eyebrows raised, thin lips parted, he spoke in a low, sensuous voice.
"Miss Shangguan, you are magnificent; indeed it is a complimentary dinner. But today's dinner is on Miss Ouyang. According to your theory, she is the one who's desperate to be taken advantage of by the charming Miss Shangguan." Rain flashed a smug grin. It felt great to ridicule other people. No wonder Edward always mocked him.
That said, he thought, 'Huh. Mary Ouyang, you've been ignoring me this whole time. Now you'll know what happens to people who ignore me.'
" Oh? The lunch is on Miss Ouyang? I'm sorry, Miss Ouyang, I didn't expect you to be a person without self-respect. You know, a girl should always know better than to sell herself short. And in fact, very few women demean themselves by paying for futile love. My speculation is cliched but reasonable. Don't take it personally." Not a single word of Belinda's apology sounded remorseful.
Mary's face fell when she heard the sarcastic tone of Belinda's speech. Her lips parted, but she couldn't utter a word. Her hands clenched into fist, so tight that the blue veins protruded under her skin.