The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Xiao Yufan felt quite unhappy, as if he had no secrets left in front of the two of them. He felt like a laughingstock, standing there completely exposed…
“What kind of wine do you like? I haven’t ordered yet. I’m curious about the tastes of young people these days!”
Uncle Hu’s eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement. If Xiao Yufan’s initial demeanor upon entering the house had impressed him slightly, his current performance was absolutely terrible.
“Château Lafite 1985, perhaps. That wine is more suitable for a family dinner. Although it’s not as luxurious as the 1982 vintage, its mellow fragrance is definitely top-notch.”
“Oh? You know quite a bit about wine. Do you often drink this kind of wine?”
Uncle Hu raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised by Xiao Yufan’s familiarity with Lafite. He knew that although the 1985 Lafite wasn’t particularly expensive, a single bottle still cost around 120,000 yuan on the market. He found it hard to believe that Xiao Yufan belonged to that kind of lifestyle.
“You could say that…”
Xiao Yufan replied calmly, without minding the disdainful look from the beautiful woman. If he wasn’t mistaken, when he was young and living with his master, his grandfather often drank Lafite—of course, all of it had been brought by his master.
Xiao Yufan’s response surprised Hu Yingluo as well. She knew Xiao Yufan wasn’t someone who exaggerated or boasted, yet even she found it hard to believe his words.
A faint bitter smile appeared on Xiao Yufan’s face. He knew perfectly well that no one believed what he had just said. But what could he do? Deep down, neither Hu Yingluo nor her parents regarded him as someone wealthy.
“Then let’s have two bottles of the 1985 Lafite. Although it’s a bit cheap, the taste is still decent. I’d like to try it too…”
Uncle Hu glanced at Xiao Yufan, whose expression was clearly not very happy, and then signaled to a nearby waiter. His tone was casual; to him, wine worth tens of thousands was really nothing special.
“I’ve heard our Yingluo mention that you’ve just started working, and that you’re just an ordinary employee at the company!”
The beautiful young woman looked Xiao Yufan up and down, giving off an air of condescension. The contempt in her eyes was crystal clear. In her mind, Xiao Yufan was nothing more than a pretty boy with no real substance.
“Yes, because I like my job, I chose to join a company I like. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
Xiao Yufan smiled calmly, gradually recovering from his earlier embarrassment. He didn’t need to act so humble anymore. With a master envied by countless people and an identity that even a bureau chief feared, he was no longer so ordinary.
“That’s certainly nothing wrong. But maybe you don’t know that our Yingluo has always been exceptional. She graduated from Harvard not long ago and now owns her own company. I wonder where you work?”
“Mom, it’s just dinner, why so many questions?”
Hu Yingluo’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. She had always kept her identity a secret from him, even hiding the fact that she was actually the real president of the company where Ma Teng worked…
Xiao Yufan’s brows subtly furrowed, a hint of anger rising in his heart. He hadn’t expected Hu Yingluo to deceive him as well. If she was indeed the president of the company where Ma Teng had worked, then many things suddenly made perfect sense.
Hu Yingluo gently held Xiao Yufan’s hand. At this moment, she was filled with guilt—not only because she had lied to him before, but also because she hadn’t expected that asking him to pretend to be her boyfriend would put him in such an awkward position.
Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Xiao Yufan didn’t know how to respond. Even now, he still felt a bit resentful. What could he really do?
Soon, the waiter brought over the Lafite wine. Xiao Yufan quickly poured the wine for the two of them. After all, he was here as a junior guest at this family dinner, so basic etiquette was still necessary.
The beautiful woman showed no emotion at Xiao Yufan’s flattery. On the contrary, Hu Yingluo’s father, observing Xiao Yufan’s composed and dignified demeanor, fell into a moment of contemplation. For someone so young to possess such a calm temperament was indeed rare.
“Yufan, to be honest, we don’t mean anything by it. Yingluo has lived a life of luxury since childhood, always cherished and protected by everyone. Although she’s grown up now and has her own career, when it comes to love, she’s still quite naive.”
Xiao Yufan immediately sensed the hidden meaning in Uncle Hu’s words. It was obvious—they were essentially accusing him of deceiving their innocent daughter.
“Uncle, please rest assured. I will take good care of Yingluo on your behalf.”
Prompted by Hu Yingluo, Xiao Yufan quickly responded. At this moment, he needed to be firm and resolute. After all, if Hu Yingluo herself didn’t mind, why were the two of them fussing so much?
“Take care of Yingluo? May I ask, with what do you plan to take care of her? Are you rich? Do you have power? In this realistic society, without these things, what right do you have to say that you can take care of her?”
“With my love for her. I will do my best to become better. What I don’t have now, I will definitely have someday!”
Feeling the scornful gaze of the beautiful woman, Xiao Yufan didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled faintly, appearing calm and composed. Although he had nothing now, that didn’t mean he always would…
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