Of course, Lin Yao didn't know that her every move was made under the watchful eyes of another.
At the moment, she was fretting over the fact that, although this young man appeared ugly, this was only their first time meeting each other, and he hadn't done anything that crossed the line, so wouldn't it be a little cruel if she just left like this?
How about she wait until they finish the meal, then insist on going Dutch, so she could show him her stance?
"Did you see that?" The young man interrupted her as her imagination ran wild. "That's the normal dining etiquette."
This person wasn't good-looking, and his voice didn't sound good either. He obviously smoked a lot, and it sounded like his throat had an inflammation.
Speaking of dining etiquette, Lin Yao always had some questions she didn't quite understand.
Since foreigners could eat Chinese food with forks and spoons, why couldn't Chinese people eat western food with chopsticks?
Foreign etiquette is the business of foreigners, and when dealing with foreigners Chinese people use foreign etiquette out of consideration for them. So why did two Chinese people dining together in China have to use foreign etiquette as well?
Lin Yao had no intention of reiterating, so she said nonchalantly, "They're speaking English."
The young man said in a good temper, "I hear that you work in an importing company, so I presume you speak English well?"
Having studied English and having a job related to importing meant that Lin Yao must have been exposed to Western food and Western food etiquette before.
Lin Yao said, "I don't speak English well. My English is the worst in the company."
She was telling the truth, at least the six external trade salespeople in Lingyun Industry all had better English skills than her.
As for dining etiquette, Lin Yao had majored in international trade in college. She did take an etiquette course, but all she did during that so-called etiquette course was just to sit and listen to the teacher teach the subject, so it was like she never learned it in the first place.
There wasn't the slightest bit of shame in her tone.
The smile on the young man's face was a bit stiff. "Really, Xiao Lin? Perhaps we can communicate in English, just to help you improve your verbal skills. What do you think?"
Lin Yao gave an ambiguous "hehe", but she wondered why she had to speak English with a Chinese person?
Did they have to pretend that they were foreigners just because they were dining in a Western restaurant?
In the corner of the restaurant, the pianist sat down in front of the grand piano. Soon, mellifluous piano notes came from his fingertips. The melody was soft, and the piano music was euphonious.
Western food might not taste better than Chinese food, but many young people choose Western restaurants as locations for dates (not including KFC or McDonald's) because the environment and ambiance in Western restaurants were great.
Perhaps because the environment was too great and the ambiance was too soothing, the young man sitting across from Lin Yao suddenly opened his mouth.
"Since the first time I saw you, I felt something inside. I don't know if it is love at first sight, but I do know I like you a lot."
The smile on Lin Yao's face froze. This...was this a confession, or was he helping her practice English?
She didn't believe that it was love at first sight for the other person, and didn't hope that he liked her, either!
If it was an English practice, she could tell that his verbal skills were mediocre, and some of his pronunciations were wrong, and his accent was a little weird.
If she hadn't undergone high-intensity listening training in Lingyun Industry, she might not have understood him at all.
But she understood him, completely understood him, so what should she do next, pretend not to understand?
What if he said it again in Chinese?
Lin Yao evaded the subject and said to him, "I think this restaurant has a great vibe."
The young man didn't obsess over her change in topic. He went along with Lin Yao and said, "Yes, and the food here's also very good. When my foreign classmates and friends came to Hangzhou, I also brought them here. Ratatouille, bouillabaisse, escargots, all received their unanimous praise. I also ordered those dishes today, and I also ordered what girls like the most, Crème brûlée. I hope you'll like it."
Frankly, Lin Yao didn't understand any of these dishes, but she was quite certain that the names of the dishes weren't in English.
The young man smiled at her gently and explained, "This restaurant is best known for its French cuisine, so I ordered French food. Oh yeah, I also speak a little French, so if you want to learn, I can also teach you."
Lin Yao once again replied with "hehe." She didn't think that there was any chance they would meet again.
The young man turned a blind eye to her extremely obvious reluctance and seemed to be indifferent about it.
"Frankly speaking, I haven't been in Hangzhou for long, so I don't have many friends here. If you don't mind, wherever you want to go in the future I'll go with you, is that okay?"
Of course not!
She didn't like him, and she didn't plan on seeing him again.
However, it was undeniable that he had a great attitude, and he sounded very sincere. She shouldn't rain on his parade... Besides, his unsightly appearance wasn't his fault.
Lin Yao stayed silent for a long time, then answered ambiguously, "If I have the chance." She didn't realize that her attitude towards him had been subtly changing.
The young man was ecstatic. "Okay, I'll perform well."
Lin Yao was befuddled. Did she say something wrong? Why did he say that he would perform well?
The young man's eyes were filled with joy. "I've long heard that you're a beautiful and competent, as well as gentle, kind, and understanding girl. Upon seeing you today, I found out that it is indeed true!"
Lin Yao tugged the corners of her mouth awkwardly. She didn't believe that people at Tianfeng Company would use these kinds of words to describe her.
Just as Lin Yao was starting to feel restless, the waiter came.
"Excuse me."
The waiter might not have known, but his "excuse me" sounded like music to Lin Yao's ears!
Since the dishes were being served, Lin Yao was secretly relieved.
After eating this meal, she could go back home and they could each get on with their own lives!
This young man was obviously a foodie, but Lin Yao didn't hold back either, and the two of them started helping themselves to the food. The vibe was finally somewhat less awkward.
This western restaurant's French cuisine really appealed to Lin Yao's appetite, and she felt extremely satisfied!
However, she also had a question...
After Lin Yao fretted over it for a while, she finally asked, "Isn't this menu a little weird?"
The young man wiped his mouth with a napkin and wiped his hands before picking up the menu. "What's weird?"
Lin Yao asked in bewilderment, "Why doesn't any of the dishes have a price on it?"
The young man said matter of factly, "Because it isn't necessary. People who are entitled to dine here won't ask for the price, and people who aren't entitled to dine here won't even be sitting here."
Lin Yao was stunned for a moment. Then she continued to ask, "Then could you bother to disclose how much this meal costs?"
The young man smiled slightly, and his expression was smug. "Truthfully, I used the card that my boss gave me. I also don't know the price of these dishes, but I conservatively estimate that it should exceed two-months of your salary."
WTF? A meal worth two-months of her salary?
Lin Yao nearly bent the fork in her hand. No wonder nobody ever mentioned this western restaurant on Hang City Forum!
The young man asked again, "Why are you asking about this? Could it be that you want to treat me to dinner?"
Treat him to a meal worth several months of her salary? Was she out of her mind?
Besides, he said that he didn't spend any money, and didn't know about the cost, so the tactic of going Dutch to show her stance wouldn't work in this scenario.
Moreover, this question was obviously a catch-22 trap. No matter how she answered, it would involve a "next time."
Lin Yao giggled. "You humor me."