“Big Wang, this is my childhood friend, Lin Baizhou. Can you guess who he is?”
Since Huang Xu had already said that, did Wang Yan still need to guess?
Wang Yan politely extended his hands and said, “Hello, Brother Lin. I’m Wang Yan.”
Lin Baizhou did not extend his hands. Instead, he hugged Wang Yan passionately.
“Little Yan, I can’t thank you enough for your great kindness. I’ll give you a toast later and we’ll have a meal at my house another day!”
“We’re all friends. I just did what I could. You don’t have to be so polite,” Wang Yan said.
“I’m really not being polite.” Lin Baizhou explained earnestly, “Weiwei is like a little princess at home. The whole family pampers her. She has never experienced something like this before. I went to visit her in the afternoon. Her wound made my heart ache. If it weren’t for you, the consequences would have been unimaginable. You are worthy to be called a savior.”
Wang Yan shook his head guiltily. “I just did what I could… Brother Lin, thanks for not blaming me for not stopping Weiwei from messing around. I feel much better now.”
Huang Xu’s expression turned ugly.
‘Wang Yan, you son of a b*tch!
‘I was the one who initiated the hangout, competed in the car race, and lost control of the car. If even you are to be blamed, what does that make me?
‘Should I just see my way out to be beheaded?!’
Wang Yan appeared kind and honest, but in reality, his previous sentence was basically Wang Yan chucking Huang Xu into a ditch – a deep and painful ditch.
“It’s not your fault.” Lin Baizhou shook his head and didn’t even look at Huang Xu.
“I’m sorry. Baizhou, it’s all my fault! When the results from the car workshop are out, I’ll definitely visit your house personally and admit my mistake!”
Huang Xu pressed his palms together and lowered his head to admit his mistake. He felt so aggrieved that he wanted to vomit blood.
‘Wang Yan, I almost f*cking sold my blood just to treat you to this scrumptious meal. Yet, is this how you repay me?!’ Huang Xu thought.
However, when Huang Xu raised his head to look at the two of them, he saw Wang Yan’s stunned face. Wang Yan’s confused, tiny eyes seemed to be asking, “Why did you suddenly apologize while I am chatting with Lin Baizhou?”
Huang Xu was stupefied too.
‘Son, did you do this on purpose or unintentionally?
‘I can’t even bring myself to hate you with you looking innocent like this. It’s even more frustrating!’
After peeking at Wang Yan for a long while and not finding any flaws with him, Huang Xu could only swallow his aggrievement and label Wang Yan with a new nickname –
A jinx!
Nothing good would come out of meeting him!
After today’s meal, the two of them would say goodbye and never meet again!
Wang Yan shared a similar thought. Regarding this issue, the two of them had a rare tacit understanding.
Tsk. This was a breakup meal.
A moment later, the waiter informed everyone that they could go to the banquet hall to enjoy their meal.
The quality of the waiters in the state guesthouse was really different from that of other places. Their average height, looks, and etiquette were all better than that of other five-star hotels. The service here would make the guests feel a sense of satisfaction and make them feel their trip here was worthwhile.
There were a total of 22 people present including Wang Yan. They could be seated nicely around two tables without feeling crowded.
When Wang Yan saw the liquor bottles on the table, his eyes immediately lit up.
The liquor served was indeed Maotai!
Although he couldn’t recognize which kind of Maotai they were, it didn’t matter. They definitely weren’t cheap. He just needed to make sure that everyone finished all the bottles.
Huang Xu sat at the main seat of the inner table. He dragged along Wang Yan and Lin Baizhou, wanting them to sit next to him. However, Lin Baizhou waved his hand in refusal and sat beside Wang Yan.
Chi Haomiao, Wu Fanlin, the rich pretty girl, Brother Wang, and Fatty were all at this table. Wang Yan could chat with all of them, so he didn’t feel left out.
After everyone sat down, they opened the bottles and poured the liquor. Huang Xu raised the first glass.
The main idea of his toast was something related to him feeling grateful towards Big Wang, Brother Wang and others for saving him from a great disaster. Huang Xu also mentioned that all of them would be best friends in the future and urged everyone to drink their fill for the day.
All of them drank from shot glasses. Wang Yan frowned after taking the shot.
The fermented baijiu had a strange taste. Its taste was not as good as that of dry red wines or sweet wines which he had been drinking recently.
Huang Xu poured the liquor and took three shots right away. After that, only then did everyone begin their dinner.
The first dish was a cold appetizer of salmon. Everyone was only served a tiny piece, but the plating looked extremely good.
As soon as Wang Yan finished his first bite, Huang Xu immediately asked enthusiastically, “Big Wang, how does it taste?”
The people at the same table also looked over with smiles on their faces.
Wang Yan frowned slightly. His face was earnest as he said, “The ingredients are very fresh, but the taste is a little off compared to what I expected. Perhaps my expectations were too high.”
Huang Xu was a little embarrassed. Lin Baizhou helped to smooth things over, saying, “Big Wang is obviously a glutton who is used to eating delicacies prepared by famous chefs. The specialty of the state guesthouse is that the food tastes light and healthy. It’s really difficult for us young people from the north to get used to it.”
Wang Yan smiled and nodded. “What Brother Lin said makes sense. It’s indeed a matter of personal taste.”
Then, he raised his glass to toast Huang Xu, saying “Brother Huang, I’m sorry. I’m too straightforward. Thank you for your hospitality.”
Wang Yan’s speech was neither obsequious nor brusque; his words were concise and comprehensive. He finished the shot without hesitation. His overall performance was decent.
The rest of them were a little impressed by Wang Yan.
Woah. His demeanor was indeed like that of a descendent from a rich and noble family. He did not look like a bumpkin at all.
Wu Fanlin teased Wang Yan, saying, “Big Wang, you’re the reason why Huang Xu organized this meal today. You have to give a toast!”
“Sure.” Wang Yan did not decline the suggestion.
After the waiter filled his glass, he stood up, poised.
Huang Xu, Lin Baizhou, and the others raised their glasses too. The table next to them fell silent as they collectively looked at the youngest lad in the entire hall.
Wang Yan actually didn’t have much experience in taking the lead in a banquet or giving a toast. However, he didn’t have stage fright and was careful with his words. That was enough.
Wang Yan said calmly, “Today, we are gathered here to celebrate Brother Huang’s survival.
I played a part, but the rescue was successful because everyone worked together to prevent Hades from snatching Brother Huang away from us. It wasn’t the effort of one person.
Regardless of whether or not you arrived in time to help at that moment, everyone was indeed equally worried about Brother Huang and wished for his speedy recovery. All of us share the same goal and the same sentiment.
So now, let’s raise our glasses together.
We shall have three shots. The first to friendship, the second to luck, and the third to life. I wish Brother Huang good fortune from now on!”
“Okay!”
“Cheers!”
“Well said, Young Master Wang!”
“I wish Xu Zi good fortune!”
Everyone cheered loudly. Following Wang Yan’s rhythm, they raised their glasses every five seconds and downed three shots in a row.
The most exciting part of a banquet was the moment when all the participants raised their glasses at the same time. After drinking three shots of baijiu, the atmosphere became more lively.
Under such circumstances, the crowd would feel that there was a halo around the person who initiated the toast when they looked at him.
It was not that he was handsome, but there was a charm to him.
Handsome guys could often be found, but it was rare to encounter a charming person.
Now, not only was the single, rich and pretty lady interested in Wang Yan, but the other girls who were already taken would glance at him from time to time too.
To say that the ladies adored him was an insult to them. There were not many women who were promiscuous. However, they were indeed a little curious about and impressed by him.
They could not help but compare Wang Yan to their boyfriends and silently made notes about their observation.
Men, on the other hand, were not so sensitive. They paid attention to completely different things. They felt that Young Master Wang was rich and loyal. Besides that, his words were pleasant to the ears. Hence, there was no harm in flattering him.
Some dishes were yet to be served and it was not the right time for them to mingle freely. Otherwise, many people would want to personally give a toast to Wang Yan and exchange contact information with him.
On the other hand, after Wang Yan sat down, he just ate the dishes and observed everyone silently. There was a smile on his face at all times, but he no longer stole the spotlight.
The main character today was still Huang Xu. The heavy responsibility of livening up the atmosphere had to be done by Huang Xu.
Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, and knowing when to act appropriately were the biggest gains of Wang Yan recently. Perhaps he was still lacking in his timing of doing so, but he had mastered the demeanor of a matured adult who could handle situations with ease.
Therefore, everyone’s impression of him was getting better and better.
He was young, rich, loyal, but not arrogant. Such an outstanding second generation was hard to come by!
They would definitely seize the chance to befriend him if such an opportunity arose. There would be benefits of doing so!