Because It's Expensive

"I suddenly realized you don’t have any accent at all when you speak," Su Yang remarked.

Yaya smiled brightly. "I told you before, I grew up in China."

Su Yang kept his hands on the steering wheel, eyes on the road ahead as he chuckled. "But most foreigners who’ve lived in China for a long time still have a slight accent. You don’t have any at all—if I didn’t see you, I’d think a native Chinese girl was talking to me."

"Do you like that?" Yaya leaned closer, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Su Yang turned his head and grinned. "I do~"

......

The two chatted idly as they waited at a red light. Su Yang opened the app and picked a Japanese restaurant called Chikyu, which showed an average price of 1,500 per person. Without hesitation, he browsed through the set menus and quickly purchased a premium double set for 2,488 yuan.

"Done."

"That fast? Is it far from here?" Yaya asked.

"Not too far, but traffic’s bad right now. Probably take about half an hour."

Yaya rolled her eyes playfully and blinked at him. "Oh well, no rush. I’ve got nothing else to do tonight anyway~"

"After dinner, is there anywhere you’d like to go?"

"That’s up to you. I don’t know Haicheng well~"

"No, I mean—do you feel like doing anything? Like catching a movie? Or grabbing a drink at a bar?"

"Let me think about it~"

"Sure, take your time. No rush."

......

Half an hour later, Su Yang drove to Qianxiang Mall, where Chikyu was located.

As they approached the intersection near the mall, Su Yang instinctively glanced toward the left side of the road.

A familiar figure stood there, holding up a phone to take pictures.

"Still hustling, huh? Every time I come here, she’s around."

At a distance, and with the car windows up, Xu Zilin—who was photographing a Rolls-Royce Cullinan—didn’t notice Su Yang inside the car.

Since he had company, Su Yang didn’t stop to greet her. He drove past the intersection, turned right, and entered the mall’s underground parking lot.

After parking, Su Yang and Yaya took the elevator up to the fifth floor.

The fifth floor was Qianxiang Mall’s dining district, packed with well-known restaurants from home and abroad.

Dinnertime was in full swing, and many places already had long lines of waiting customers.

Only one restaurant stood out—completely empty despite the peak dining hours.

Su Yang and Yaya walked closer and realized the deserted spot was none other than Chikyu, the Japanese restaurant he’d just booked.

"What the—? Why’s no one here? Is the food bad?"

"Is this the place you picked?" Yaya pointed at the entrance.

"Yeah. Why’s it so empty?"

Yaya covered her mouth, laughing. "You’ve never heard of Chikyu?"

Su Yang shook his head. "Nope. Is it famous?"

"It is," Yaya said with a grin. "This place is super popular. There are several branches in Shanghai, and every single one is packed."

"That popular? Then why’s this one so dead?"

"Because it’s expensive~" Yaya stated plainly.

Su Yang paused, then laughed. "Oh, right. Forgot about that."

"Still, they shouldn’t have opened in a mall. They should’ve copied Shanghai’s model—high-end standalone locations. In a mall, people have too many choices. If the prices aren’t friendly, it’s hard to compete."

Su Yang nodded approvingly. "Good analysis."

True enough, 1,500 per person was steep—and that was just the average. Order freely, and the bill could easily hit four or five thousand.

Haicheng wasn’t a megacity like Shanghai. You couldn’t just drop a high-end restaurant in a mall and expect it to blow up like Yaya described.

As they stepped inside, the restaurant’s Japanese aesthetic was undeniable—everything from the decor to the background music and even the staff’s attire was meticulously styled after traditional Japanese dining.

It certainly gave customers an authentic experience.

And every employee, male or female, was notably attractive—women with delicate features, men with sharp looks.

Inside, the restaurant wasn’t as empty as it had seemed from the entrance. Several tables were occupied.

After checking in at the front, Su Yang and Yaya were led to a table by a waitress in a kimono who bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain well-known actress.

Su Yang couldn’t help but glance twice. Damn, she really looks like her. For a second, I thought she’d switched careers to waitressing.

"Have you eaten here before?" Yaya’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He turned back with a smile. "Never even heard of it till now, so no. You?"

"Me neither~ It’s too pricey. Couldn’t justify it~"

Su Yang smirked. "Your salary isn’t that low, is it? I thought you made like thirty or forty grand a month?"

Yaya giggled. "Gotta save up for a house~"

Su Yang eyed the Hermès bag at her side and teased, "Won’t spend 1,500 on a meal, but a bag worth hundreds of thousands? No problem."

Yaya stuck out her tongue playfully. "A bag is a woman’s calling card. You’ve gotta have at least one nice one. It’s like how guys with money buy fancy cars."

"And this is my only one! I hardly ever use it."

"Oh? So I’m that special to you, huh~"

"Of course~ Hehe."

As they chatted, the waitress—still eerily reminiscent of that actress—approached with two cups of tea.

"Please enjoy some tea while you wait. Your dishes will be ready shortly~"

Su Yang nodded, feeling an odd sense of familiarity with her.

"Sure, no rush."

—System, scan her. Just the looks.

[75]

—Disappointing.

[Ding. Detected Xinxiya’s affection for host has increased to 40. Reward: 2 million.]

—Huh? Oh right, she was stuck at 10 before. Thirty points in such a short time? Nice.

—Might as well check Yaya’s info again. Forgot the details.

[Xinxiya, Age: 22]

[Height: 171cm]

[Weight: 59kg]

[Looks: 89]

[Figure: 95]

[Relationships: 1, Single]

[Experience: 1]

[Traits: Open-minded, unconventional, highly skilled.]

Reading the last line, Su Yang’s lips curled slightly.

—Elaborate.

[Host is encouraged to explore personally.]

—Fine.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Yaya rested her chin on her hands.

Su Yang blinked, then grinned. "Can’t help it. You’re just too beautiful. How could I not smile with someone like you in front of me?"

Yaya bit her lower lip, her gaze turning sultry. "You’re pretty handsome yourself~"

"Damn, international friends really are different—personality-wise, most local girls can’t compare," Su Yang thought to himself.

After chatting for a while, the server—whose name tag read "Yamashita"—began bringing out their dishes.

First came two appetizers, followed shortly by several more plates: seasonal sashimi selections like medium-fatty tuna (chutoro), lean tuna (akami), amberjack, flounder, and blood clam.

The server gave a brief introduction before stepping away, only to return two minutes later with another round of dishes. This time, it was the main courses—blue crab, grilled Spanish mackerel, French Imperial oysters, monkfish liver, and sweetfish tempura.

After explaining each dish to Su Yang and Yaya, the server left again.

"Wow, this much food? Can we even finish it all?" Yaya eyed the spread skeptically.

"Not really. The plates are just big. I could polish this off alone," Su Yang replied.

As they spoke, the Yamashita server reappeared with yet more dishes: three types of sushi (chicken grunt, striped jack, and sea bream), a bowl of sea urchin rice, two miso soups, and a plate of fresh fruit.

"That’s everything, right?" Su Yang asked the server.

"All served," came the confirmation.

"Good."

"Please enjoy your meal," the server said with a polite nod before leaving.

......