Tang Yu’s mind wandered with random thoughts, but his eyes stayed glued to Qiao Shiyue. Why hadn’t he realized she was Qiao Shiyue before? Looking closely, her features were basically the same as before. That Huan Yan Dan was truly a good thing. Too bad there wasn’t much left. He then thought back to the longevity pills he’d sold cheap as favors, and now regretted it so much his intestines were turning green. If he’d known those things were non-renewable, how could he have let them go for a million? He’d comforted himself many times, saying he shouldn’t have made that fortune. But every time he thought about it, it still stung. Still, he couldn’t figure it out—Granny had given him one bottle, then another, so why were they gone now? And when Granny handed out medicine in Tang Family Village, she didn’t look the least bit reluctant, like she wasn’t faking it. How could she bear to part with them? Now that old ancestor was in better shape than him, and he felt a bit of envy and jealousy. But he had his selfish side too, keeping one longevity pill and one Huan Yan Dan for himself. If he weren’t afraid that taking the Huan Yan Dan would turn him into a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old like Granny, he’d have eaten it already. He was a businessman—a baby face would cost him authority. He’d save it for when he was old and gray. As for the Huan Yan Dan, he rubbed his chin.
“Mr. Tang?” Qiao Shiyue saw he wasn’t responding and waved a hand in front of his face.
Tang Yu snapped back to reality and gave her a doting smile.
Qiao Shiyue’s heart began to flutter. She couldn’t wait to see Shen Yunyun’s face crumble in tears when she discovered the truth. That’s right, she wanted to take everything from Shen Yunyun. Everything Shen Yunyun cared about, she’d snatch it all, and if she couldn’t take it, she’d destroy it. She was scheming in her mind; ever since she realized Tang Yu was generous, she’d started seeing him in a much better light.
Tang Yu, meanwhile, was already thinking how great it would be if Shen Yunyun had an endless supply of goods. But on second thought, maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing. If they really had treasures like that, they might not be able to hold onto them. The longevity pills had miraculous effects, and word might have spread in elite circles, but few believed it. The people running the big families weren’t at death’s door yet, and those who were might never hear such news. Rich folks were all shrewd and rational—they didn’t buy into miracle drugs. Otherwise, they’d probably have been targeted by now. Either way, this was the best situation for them.
Soon, the food arrived. Tang Yu didn’t disappoint Qiao Shiyue’s expectations; he grabbed a pair of chopsticks and picked up the steak. One bite left a row of teeth marks on the meat. Qiao Shiyue quickly glanced around, relieved no one was watching them. How embarrassing. She was terrified someone might recognize them. Luckily, no one knew who they were. Tang Yu didn’t care at all about Qiao Shiyue’s reaction—he liked eating steak with chopsticks. What was wrong with that? What era was this? Did people still change harmless habits just to fit in with the crowd? After the steak came the red wine. Tang Yu had already wolfed down the whole steak and started decanting the wine. “This red wine needs to breathe for an hour to taste its best. We can start with the Chinese dishes first,” he said, pouring the wine into the decanter.
Qiao Shiyue was already baffled by him—neither proper Western nor proper Chinese, a messy mix that left her unsure what to do. She’d planned to take control of the situation, but now there was no need for her to steer anything. She couldn’t even keep her own expression in check anymore.