Private Room

The three of them arrived at the private room on the third floor.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a spacious private room formed by combining two rooms appeared before their eyes.

In the very center was a large round table that could seat over ten people, equipped with a smooth black crystal lazy Susan.

Against the wall was a circle of soft leather sofas. In the corner, a polished vinyl record player stood quietly; it was hard to tell if it still worked.

Several incomprehensible abstract paintings hung on the walls, and various small ornaments exuded an aura of "I'm very expensive."

Lin Mo looked around, understanding dawning on him.

The layout of this place perfectly matched all his stereotypes of those so-called high-end private dining restaurants; everywhere revealed an overly deliberate sense of refinement.

As soon as they entered the private room, another younger waitress walked in quietly, bowing with a smile.

"Miss Chu, shall I arrange the tableware now?"

Chu Lintian waved her hand, a hint of imperceptible exhaustion in her voice, "Not everyone is here yet."

"Alright, then I'll prepare some fruit for you first."

The waitress replied and then quietly retreated, closing the door so gently as if afraid of disturbing the air.

"With this kind of service, won't the service charge be at least fifteen percent?" Lin Mo leaned back in his chair and casually complained.

He had seen those fancy high-end restaurants where the service charge started at ten percent.

Chu Lintian didn't take up his conversational thread. Instead, she seemed to drop all her defenses, sinking into the sofa beside her and letting out a long sigh.

"I heard from Miaomiao that you went to sign a contract this afternoon. What kind of contract requires the chairwoman to sign it in person?"

In front of Lin Mo and Chu Miaomiao, Chu Lintian wasn't as reserved as she was outside.

"Don't mention it."

Chu Lintian rubbed her tight brow, her voice filled with exhaustion.

"The other party is an old partner of the group. Those old foxes are stubborn and unyielding. If I didn't go in person to keep them in check, who knows how long they would drag out this contract."

Lin Mo didn't understand the twists and turns of the business world, but he could tell that the Chu Lintian before him had absolutely nothing in common with those domineering CEOs on TV who went out with eight bodyguards and could bankrupt a company with a single glance.

True, after all, it had only been a few months since she took over the group. Her foundation was not yet stable, so she had to handle everything personally.

The two chatted casually.

Later, Xie Yuling and Zheng Yuan also arrived, leaving only Jiang Yunlu who hadn't shown up yet.

Zheng Yuan walked in briskly and grabbed Chu Lintian's hand as soon as she entered.

"Happy birthday, my big birthday girl! We haven't seen each other for just a few days, but why does your face look thinner? Have you been skipping meals again?"

"I'm fine, it's just that there's a lot going on at the company recently." Chu Lintian replied with a smile, the fatigue between her brows fading a little. "I've really troubled you during this time, helping to take care of our Miaomiao."

"What trouble!" Zheng Yuan waved her hand.

"Your Miaomiao is so well-behaved, obedient and sensible. She saves us so much more worry than our own!"

As she spoke, she specifically glanced at her own daughter.

Xie Yuling felt the malice. Chu Miaomiao was already the "other people's perfect child" in their household.

She rolled her eyes imperceptibly and simply didn't respond. Otherwise, she would just be used as a negative example by her mother and subjected to a round of inhumane public execution.

She squeezed in beside Chu Miaomiao, puffing her cheeks, and complained in a low voice, "Fine then, you guys sneaked over here without even asking me to come along."

"Weren't you supposed to bring Auntie Zheng? We couldn't just let Auntie Zheng come over by herself."

Lin Mo said helplessly.

"And we didn't invite Yunlu either," Chu Miaomiao said cautiously.

Hearing this, Xie Yuling's expression improved a bit.

Good thing they didn't invite Jiang Yunlu, otherwise it would have been troublesome.

Just as Lin Mo muttered this in his heart, there was a commotion downstairs.

Speak of Cao Pi, and Cao Pi arrives.

Jiang Yunlu had arrived too, as Lin Mo's divine sense saw clearly.

Dressed in pretty casual clothes, Jiang Yunlu was pulling the door knocker, knocking loudly on the main door.

"Auntie Lili!"

The door was quickly pulled open. The auntie who had hosted Lin Mo and the other earlier looked at Jiang Yunlu at the door with pleasant surprise.

"Yunlu?! Why are you here?"

The professional smile on her face immediately became genuine.

Her gaze subconsciously passed over Jiang Yunlu's shoulder, looking toward the empty street behind her, a trace of anticipation hidden in her eyes that even she hadn't noticed.

"Auntie Lili, stop looking. My dad didn't come with me today." Jiang Yunlu, with her hands in her pockets, spoke with a grin, instantly seeing through Chen Yunli's thoughts.

Chen Yunli's cheeks instantly grew hot, and she glared at her reproachfully.

"You child, always joking with your auntie. But why did you come here today?"

"I came to attend my friend's mother's birthday banquet."

"A birthday banquet? The only table hosting a birthday banquet today is Miss Chu's. They're on the third floor."

Jiang Yunlu gave an OK gesture, not forgetting to turn back and blink before leaving, "Alright! Then I'll go up first. When I go back tonight, I'll tell my dad that you miss him."

These words made Chen Yunli's just-recovered face blush again.

She wanted to retort, but swallowed her words as they reached her lips. She just waved her hand, her voice lowering.

"Forget it. How long has it been since he came here to eat?"

"Then you should give him a call and ask. Ask him if he's forgotten about this place."

Saying that, Jiang Yunlu headed upstairs.

Chen Yunli watched the direction she disappeared in. The blush on her face faded, replaced by an unnoticed trace of loneliness.

Holding onto the doorframe, she sighed softly and murmured in a voice only she could hear.

"He wouldn't agree anyway."

Going up to the third floor, Jiang Yunlu knocked on the door.

It was Lin Mo who opened the door. "You're here."

After entering, Jiang Yunlu said, "Hello, Sister Chu. Hello, Auntie Zheng."

Having attended the parent-teacher meeting last time, Jiang Yunlu naturally recognized Chu Lintian.

Then, she handed over a squarely wrapped dark blue velvet box.

"Happy birthday, Sister Chu. Wishing you to be eighteen every year, as beautiful as a flower."

Chu Lintian chuckled, amused by her, and took the gift.

"Thank you, student Yunlu."

"Open it and take a look, I picked it out especially for you," Jiang Yunlu urged.

Chu Lintian opened the box as told, and a soft halo emanated from inside.

A brooch inlaid with a sapphire lay quietly in the box.

"It's so beautiful! This is too precious." Chu Miaomiao was very surprised. She knew Jiang Yunlu's family was wealthy, but she didn't expect Jiang Yunlu to give her a sapphire brooch worth hundreds of thousands.

Jiang Yunlu smiled and said, "As long as Sister Chu likes it."

At this time, Xie Yuling bumped Lin Mo's shoulder. "I was only responsible for drawing the design. I feel a bit guilty."

"What's there to feel guilty about? Your drawing is very beautiful."

Saying that, Lin Mo also stood up.

"Sister Chu, there's a gift from me, Yuling, and Miaomiao together for you."