The next day, Luo Jingyi spent her whole morning cooped up in the bedroom. That was the reason why Nicolette took away Luo Jingyi's laptop and hauled her out of the room. "You are too busy!" She complained. "Accompany me to buy clothes. I need new clothes."
"You always need new clothes." Luo Jingyi replied, looking at Nicolette who was like a nagging mother with her hand on her hips.
"I need office clothes. Besides, I didn't bring much." Her answer made Luo Jingyi wonder what was in the two suitcases Nicolette brought with her. "Oh, those are my favorite shoes and bags. They are a girl's absolute best friend. Besides, I don't think I can afford to buy shoes with the allowance I am getting. Father took all my credit cards so I need to pinch my spending habits too."
Luo Jingyi sensed that this whole idea of Nicolette experimenting on being a simple person would be a good learning curve. She just hoped nothing would go wrong. "Give me back my laptop first. I just need to send the documents and I am free." Luo Jingyi said. Ji Min needed her approval within today and if she was going to accompany Nicolette shopping, they would surely be spending hours.
Nicolette was adamant but eventually, she returned the notebook to Luo Jingyi. Luo Jingyi instructed Nicolette to get ready while she was busy with her things because the latter takes a long time to change.
Since Nicolette planned to buy clothes with no brand, they took a taxi to Z Mall. It is a shopping complex that offers affordable options to shoppers. Luo Jingyi's shopping style was very systematic. Even before shopping, she knew already what she wanted to buy and where to get them. Thus, she never wandered around, checking one shop to another or from top to bottom, which was the exact opposite of Nicolette. Nicolette was fond of studying the design or material used and discussed it. Nicolette found shopping as a relaxation activity while Luo Jingyi thought it was a waste of time. Not surprising when she barely had the time to get a proper rest most of the time.
After the laborious checking, running around, and buying, both of them were starving. They decided to eat at the first restaurant they spotted. It was a casual dining restaurant with a trendy ambiance. A call made Luo Jingyi pause outside so she told Nicolette to find a seat for both of them first. As Nicolette hurried in, she nearly slipped because the floor was wet. A man caught her from falling and steadied her.
"Are you okay?" Yu Qing asked.
"I'm...I'm fine." Nicolette was flustered and embarrassed. If he wasn't there, she might have embarrassed herself.
Yu Qing signaled the restaurant's manager. When the manager came forward, he didn't speak any word and simply pointed to the floor. The manager hurriedly took them away and apologized to Nicolette. Seeing how scared the manager looked, Nicolette didn't want him to be in trouble. She said, "It's nothing. I wasn't really paying attention."
The manager meant to say something but Yu Qing's eyes quieted him. He understood what the boss wanted: to make sure it wouldn't happen again. He would have to scold the person who mopped the floor and didn't leave a caution board sign.
Nicolette turned to face the man. "Hmm—Thank you." She had met handsome men and all the likes but she couldn't understand why she was nervous in front of him. He smiled but it barely reached his eyes. "Are you dining alone?" He asked.
'Is he asking to have dinner with me?' Nicolette asked inwardly. "I came with a friend." She pointed to Luo Jingyi. The only reaction she got from him was an 'okay.' Then she heard him say, "Please follow me."
Nicolette did as told albeit puzzled. She was ushered to a private room that was enough for 10 people. "This is nice but the outside seating is also good. It's wasteful when there's only me and my friend." She emphasized the last sentence hoping that Yu Qing would understand that she didn't want him to join them.
He smiled again. "Don't get me wrong. My staff had been negligent with their responsibility. Take this as my apology. I hope that you will have a wonderful dining experience."
"Oh!" It was all Nicolette could say. Awkwardness inundated her. After Yu Qing left, Luo Jingyi arrived shortly and found Nicolette staring blankly at the wall.
"What happened?" Luo Jingyi pulled a chair and sat down. She was surprised when a person who introduced himself as the manager led her to the private room. Nicolette narrated what happened and how ashamed she was for overthinking. "The man must think I am full of myself."
Luo Jingyi tried to convince Nicolette that the man's words were very vague and anyone could misunderstand him. Somehow Nicolette agreed. Smiling, Luo Jingyi asked, "What are you craving for?" That was all it took for Nicolette to forget the incident. There was a more pressing issue for Nicolette now, she was starving. She was happy when she found that the restaurant offered a fusion between Asian and European cuisine.
They didn't wait long before their orders arrived. Luo Jingyi started with her lobster salad as she listened to Nicolette's comment on the food presentation. She praised the restaurant which earned a happy 'thank you' from the waiter. When the waiter lifted a bottle of wine, Nicolette reminded him, "We didn't order that."
"This is a present for Dr. Luo." The waiter presented the wine to Luo Jingyi including a note. Luo Jingyi was curious who sent it so she opened the note without any other thoughts. It was from Yun Jinghan.
"Wow! Chateau Rousseau 1878. Who sent it?" A smile was slowly building up in Nicolette's face when she leaned forward, waiting for Luo Jingyi to answer. "Yun Jinghan?" The nod from Luo Jingyi made Nicolette's smile wider. "Aiyah, I can't believe my luck today. Let's open it! I want to have a taste of it." Nicolette urged Luo Jingyi.
Excitement couldn't be hidden in her voice. The nod from Luo Jingyi was all it took before Nicolette uncorked the bottle and poured for the two of them. "Don't worry, I won't tell Aunt Alice."
Luo Jingyi was never allowed to have a single drop of wine. That was according to Aunt Alice's orders. Luo Jingyi had been adhering to it for almost four years but there were times when she slipped and drank in moderation.
Nicolette put the glass close to her nose. "The smell is superb. It really lives with its name. Chateau Rousseau produces the best wine in the world. Expensive but totally worth it." Between Luo Jingyi and Nicolette, the latter was the wine connoisseur. Hardly surprising when Lacroix Corporation has its own wine production company.
"It's good." That was all Luo Jingyi said after taking a sip. It was mild for her palate though. In her past life, she used to follow her maternal grandmother traveling from one village to another. Days were spent on galloping horses and curing sick people while nights were spent on mingling with the villagers and drinking fermented wine.
"Good? That's all? OMG! This is perfect! I've never tasted wine like this. There are only 10 bottles of this ever made. Father bought one in an auction for $550,000 but it was knocked over by someone during a dinner party at the manor. If I tell them that I am having this right now, they would be green in envy, especially my twin sister."
"I'll have to thank my luck for being with you today." She took another sip before continuing, "In the future, if you dump Yun Jinghan, let me know beforehand because I'm definitely going to catch him." Nicolette joked. "He's a rare find," She spoke like Yun Jinghan was a gem.
Luo Jingyi laughed, not taking her words seriously. Luo Jingyi had to give Yun Jinghan credits. He wasn't around but he was making his presence damn visible every second.