Chapter 109: The Young Master Can Cook Too
"That's a shame. If you manage to hire more in the future, Xiao Yunyun, please save two for me and give me a special rate!" said Xu Yunzhou regretfully. He had never seen any security company that could train bodyguards as competent as those following Yun Zijin. Clearly, these bodyguards had real combat experience. He wondered how Zijin's elder managed to find so many at once.
"We'll see," Yun Zijin replied noncommittally, neither promising nor refusing.
"Anyway, so many people are gathered here today. Better to eat while the food's still hot or it won't taste good," Fu Ze interjected, noticing that Xu Yunzhou kept conversing with Zijin and that Lu Yunque's face seemed to darken by the second.
"Yes, yes, let's eat!" said Li Yuecheng, latching onto the change of topic. "Uncle Xu, I recall you have two bottles of Romanée-Conti in your cellar. How about opening one today?"
With great food, one naturally wanted great wine. But Xu Yunzhou rolled his eyes. "She looks fairly average, but she has ambitious dreams. I don't have Romanée-Conti for you—would you settle for some Cheval Blanc instead?"
Vintage Romanée-Conti was too rare, and Xu Yunzhou refused to part with his store's symbolic bottles so easily. Cheval Blanc wasn't as dear in price, but was still a fine wine.
"Cheval Blanc? Good enough. I'll take what I can get," Li Yuecheng answered with a laugh. He had half expected the refusal. Cheval Blanc was still an excellent choice.
"If I let you near my wine cellar, you might drain it dry," grumbled Xu Yunzhou, then turned to Yun Zijin, calling her "Xiao Yunyun." "Anything you like? I can see if I have it."
Zijin shook her head. "I'm not familiar with wines—I'll just go with whatever you folks are having." She had no particular preference.
"Alright, I'll grab some random bottles," he said, deciding to choose a few to share.
After he left to fetch the wine, Fu Ze turned to see Li Yuecheng nudging Sheng Hao. "Ms. Yun is the youngest among us," Sheng Hao remarked out of nowhere.
As they talked, they remembered that Zijin hadn't even graduated college yet, making her indeed the youngest in the group. "If you hadn't told me, I'd forget Sister Zijin's basically still in school," Li Yuecheng commented. "She carries herself so maturely, it's easy to overlook her age."
"She's certainly well ahead of her peers," Sheng Hao said. Most people her age wouldn't achieve so much so quickly, nor navigate deals with the composure Zijin did. For Li Yuecheng and the rest, it felt natural to treat her as an equal, given her competence.
Yun Zijin smiled at their praise, a bit abashed. "Now you're making me blush."
"Sister Zijin, there's no need for modesty. We can all see how accomplished you are," said Li Yuecheng. She wasn't merely successful—she also remembered her orphanage upbringing, funneling time and money to help the place. That kind of gratitude was rare and admirable.
Then they heard footsteps. "Here we go—the wine's arrived!" announced Xu Yunzhou, walking back with several bottles on a tray: champagne, red wine, and some white wine. Zijin knew her alcohol tolerance was average, but she also didn't want to dampen the fun, so she poured only a small amount of red wine for herself. Meanwhile, her bodyguards from One to Seven refused alcohol due to professional constraints, sticking to juice instead. As for Meilin, being mechanical, it made no difference if she drank or not.
"It's alright," Xu Yunzhou remarked at the bodyguards' refusal. "If you drink too much, there are private rooms available. You can stay overnight if needed." He turned to the group's assistants and designers who seemed hesitant. "Either do that, or I'm sure our bodyguards can drive you home if you're in no condition."
"Right," Li Yuecheng chimed in. "If it really comes down to it, Sister Zijin's bodyguards can give you a ride. No need to worry." Though the bodyguards wouldn't drink, they certainly could manage the driving. Everyone else nodded.
Finally, the assistants and designers relaxed. Some confessed it was their first time tasting such pricey wine, as even the cheapest on the tray cost five figures. Their salaries were high for white-collar jobs, but they certainly didn't splurge tens of thousands on a single bottle. "Thanks so much," they said gratefully.
"You're welcome! Here, pour yourselves some," said Xu Yunzhou, placing the bottles on the table in a casual, magnanimous manner.
Once everyone had a glass (or tea in the bodyguards' case), Li Yuecheng rose, raising his wine. "Let's all toast. Tonight marks the perfect end to our little competition for the blueprint—cheers!"
Everyone else stood, clinking glasses. The meal was thoroughly enjoyable for both hosts and guests.
When dinner wrapped up, they contacted their drivers to take everyone home. Each team hopped into their own vehicles—Lu Yunque, Li Yuecheng, Fu Ze, and Sheng Hao with their assistants and designers. Meanwhile, Zijin climbed into her Ice Plum Pink Porsche. Lingyi drove and Meilin took the passenger seat.
"Send me a message once you're home safe," called out Lu Yunque, rolling down his window to speak to Zijin. She nodded. "Got it—drive carefully and be safe." They each rolled up their windows and headed in opposite directions.
Back at Xingyu Huafu's Villa No. 1, Wang Minli greeted Zijin, concerned about her alcohol intake. She offered a bowl of hangover soup.
"Miss, drink this or you'll have a headache tomorrow," she said. Zijin wrinkled her nose at the smell but forced it down anyway.
"Thank you. Alright, now that I'm home safe, you can rest. I'll manage by myself," she said gently. Meilin was around if she needed help. Wang Minli hesitated, worried that Zijin might become nauseous during the night, but Zijin insisted. "Don't worry—Meilin is here if anything happens."
Thinking of Meilin's calm and reliable manner, Wang Minli relented and headed off to rest. Meilin, being mechanical, could handle any situation if Zijin fell ill during the night. And with that, they concluded a long, eventful day.
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