Although Xu Zhihong made it obvious that he was trying to please Lin Ruoxi, when it came to discussing business, he knew how to give and take, ensuring that the appropriate benefits were offered and opportunities were seized.
In fact, Xu Zhihong was well aware that simply pleasing a woman like Lin Ruoxi would not work. As a businessman himself, he understood the need to convince the other party. A man who would give up his career for a woman would never win the heart of a strong woman like Lin Ruoxi.
Similarly, once the formal negotiations began, Lin Ruoxi became more vocal. While she was not skilled in personal socializing, when it came to business matters, this stunningly beautiful woman had a knack for asserting herself and fighting for maximum benefits.
As a result, Yang Chen found himself bored after about an hour. With nothing else to do, he and Maoqiu, who was equally idle, stared at each other.
Maoqiu seemed to be somewhat interested in Yang Chen and occasionally glanced at him provocatively.
To be honest, Yang Chen didn't particularly like this rough-looking man. Although at first glance, Yang Chen could tell that he was formidable, perhaps even an elite international mercenary, he still fell short of what Yang Chen considered a "warrior" in his eyes.
Therefore, when Maoqiu cast his playful and disdainful gaze at him, Yang Chen had the urge to slap him awake. But he quickly realized that he was now a white-collar worker and it would be better to refrain from striking someone without cause, especially considering his wife's business.
So Yang Chen sat in his chair and took out the mobile phone Lin Ruoxi had given him. He went online and downloaded a game of "Bubble Shooter," earnestly engaging in virtual "bombardment."
"Very well, I hope Mr. Xu can keep his promises. The stage design of your company for this year's autumn fashion show will undoubtedly lead to a broader market prospect for our autumn collection," Lin Ruoxi finally signed the revised contract. Due to the long discussion, her cheeks were flushed, revealing a rare touch of gentleness.
Upon witnessing this scene, Xu Zhihong's gaze seemed momentarily vacant. He nodded solemnly and said, "Certainly, I hope we have a pleasant cooperation."
After exchanging documents, they had completed their work, and by now it was already past seven in the evening.
"With the business matters settled, I believe you must be a bit hungry, Ruoxi. Let's proceed with the dinner," Xu Zhihong suggested.
Indeed, Lin Ruoxi was feeling hungry. Like many other women, she maintained her figure by having only a small sandwich for lunch. After working so late, she was famished and nodded gently in agreement.
Xu Zhihong clapped his hands, and the waiter at the entrance immediately smiled and began bustling about.
The dinner was a formal Western meal. As a full set of cutlery was laid out on the table, Lin Ruoxi looked somewhat worriedly at Yang Chen by her side. It was evident that she intended to embarrass him by suddenly switching to a Western meal.
"What is the surname of this gentleman?" Xu Zhihong smiled slyly as he glanced at Yang Chen.
"My surname is Yang, and my name is Chen," Yang Chen yawned. He was both tired and hungry, and seeing that it was a Western meal, he couldn't help but think that a bowl of noodles would have been more satisfying.
"Mr. Yang, since this is our first meeting and I don't have any proper gifts, I specially ordered a bottle of 1992 Nebbiolo. I hope you can appreciate it," Xu Zhihong said, gesturing for the waiter to bring over a beautifully packaged bottle of red wine.
Yang Chen sneered inwardly but didn't say much. He lifted the tall wine glass on the table with three fingers, indicating for the waiter to pour a small amount of the sweet red liquid into it.
The waiter stopped pouring after just a little bit.
Unsurprisingly, Yang Chen took back the glass and gently swirled it, then sniffed the aroma before tilting the glass to his lips and taking a small sip, allowing the wine to touch his taste buds.
Seeing this, Lin Ruoxi, who had been somewhat nervous, relaxed a bit. It made sense, after all, this rascal grew up in America and would definitely be familiar with formal Western meals. She just hoped he wouldn't say anything absurd and embarrass himself.
Xu Zhihong's eyes flickered with surprise as he smiled and asked, "How does it taste, Mr. Yang?"
"Nebbiolo's main ingredients come from the Piedmont region of Italy, specifically the Barolo and Barbaresco areas. If we were to compare it to the highest level, it wouldn't be particularly outstanding compared to regular French Margaux Bordeaux wines. However, this wine carries the aroma of cloves, pepper, licorice, plum, dried cherry, and rose petals. What's more important is the sensation of bittersweet chocolate, making it quite unique," Yang Chen calmly explained, as if he were the one who had brewed the wine himself.
Xu Zhihong was clearly taken aback. Even though he often had the opportunity to drink such wine, he couldn't provide such detailed information. He couldn't believe that Yang Chen just happened to know all of this. After all, every action of Yang Chen's adhered to the etiquette of a gentleman from the upper class when dining with Western cuisine.
"Mr. Yang is indeed knowledgeable. No wonder Ruoxi wanted you to accompany us," Xu Zhihong said, his smile lacking sincerity.
"Just average," Yang Chen wasn't interested in engaging in conversation with this hypocritical man. He straightforwardly said, "Without a few tricks up your sleeve, how can you be my little Ruoxi's husband, right, darling?" As he spoke, he looked ambiguously at Lin Ruoxi by his side.
Lin Ruoxi's sweet eyes instantly turned crimson. Although she knew that Yang Chen was trying to shield her from Xu Zhihong's advances, being called "darling" in such a setting made her heart race uncontrollably. It thumped in her throat, and she awkwardly nodded, emitting a soft, mosquito-like "Mm." She then pretended to be composed, lowering her head to sip the red wine and conceal her embarrassment.
Xu Zhihong never expected that the man before him, who sold lamb skewers, would dare to confront him head-on and conspire with Lin Ruoxi to deceive him. He clenched the crystal-clear stem of the tall wine glass so tightly that even his veins were visible, his face slightly turning blue as he forced a smile. "So, you two are already married. I apologize for my presumption."
"No, no," Yang Chen said indifferently with a generous smile. "I understand. With my character, it's a miracle to have won the affection of my Ruoxi. If Mr. Xu didn't realize it, that's normal. I'm not one to fuss over these things. I was actually worried before about not having much money in my pocket to treat my wife to a good meal. But it turns out that Mr. Xu conveniently invited us. That's very considerate." His words implied that Xu Zhihong was nothing more than a clueless fool.
Suppressing his anger, Xu Zhihong took a sip of the red wine before smiling and saying, "Mr. Yang, you're joking. How could someone who has won Ruoxi's favor be short on money? Let's proceed with the meal."
"Great! Let's dig in!" Yang Chen seemed oblivious to Xu Zhihong's fiery gaze. He cheerfully picked up his knife and fork, allowing the waiter behind him to place the appetizers on the table, and began eating heartily.
Lin Ruoxi, hearing the words filled with Xu Zhihong's anger, felt a bit anxious. However, seeing Yang Chen beside her, eating and drinking without a care in the world, she couldn't help but find it amusing.
This man just couldn't behave properly. Despite his profound knowledge of Western cuisine and its culture, he intentionally made such an uncouth appearance. It was truly baffling...
Gradually, Lin Ruoxi's worries faded away. What did it matter now? The situation had already developed to this point, and she could only take it one step at a time. With that thought, Lin Ruoxi realized how hungry she was and started using her knife and fork to enjoy the meal.