Lin Ran immediately perked up with interest.
"Great!"
Half an hour later, led by Zhao Miaomiao, the group arrived at a high-end Western restaurant. The four of them sat in a private room chatting.
Wu Zhishang quietly told Lin Ran that he hadn’t mentioned their business venture—he’d only said he was interning at the company.
When Zhao Miaomiao first visited the office, she’d complained endlessly, saying the place was empty and clearly not a proper company. Wu Zhishang didn’t argue.
Lin Ran was mildly satisfied with Wu Zhishang’s discretion—at least this guy had some sense.
When the server brought the menu, everyone was shocked except Zhao Miaomiao, who remained perfectly composed.
Wu Zhishang handed the menu to her, and she pointed at a picture of premium steak. "We’ll take four of these."
Wu Zhishang glanced at the price: ¥150. Not bad.
The server nodded. "Very well, we’ll prepare them right away."
Soon, the server returned with a cart carrying a beautifully marbled cut of beef.
"This is premium New Zealand beef. How much would you like?"
Zhao Miaomiao gestured elegantly, and the server sliced a portion about two fingers wide. Her male best friend mimicked the gesture, while Wu Zhishang frowned, sensing something was off.
Lin Ran, however, grinned and motioned a palm-sized portion. "Give us this much each."
After slicing, the server placed the steaks on an electronic scale.
"Four steaks total 1,000 grams at ¥150,000. How would you like them cooked?"
Wu Zhishang froze, but Lin Ran simply kept smiling.
Zhao Miaomiao’s heart skipped a beat—she’d only looked at the picture, not the price. Wu Zhishang had seen it, but he’d missed the fine print: ¥150 per gram.
With a pitiful gaze, Zhao Miaomiao looked at Wu Zhishang. "You’re not going to fuss over the money, are you?"
Wu Zhishang forced a smile but said nothing. This wasn’t about being stingy—it was about whether he even had that kind of money.
"Your preferred doneness, please?"
Lin Ran: "Medium well."
Following his lead, Zhao Miaomiao said, "Medium rare for me!"
Male best friend: "Same here."
Wu Zhishang sighed. "Well done."
Looks like he’d have to borrow from Lin Ran later.
At the mention of "well done," Zhao Miaomiao and her male best friend smirked in disdain.
Male best friend: "Miaomiao, your boyfriend’s hilarious. He’d be better off eating stewed beef. What a waste of good steak."
Wu Zhishang held his tongue—after all, this guy was Zhao Miaomiao’s childhood friend and confidant. But Zhao Miaomiao didn’t defend him, only whispering, "Don’t say that. He’s just not used to Western food. It’s normal."
Male best friend sighed dramatically. "Ugh. Absolute sacrilege."
Lin Ran couldn’t take it anymore. "Oh, so you think you’re superior because of how you eat steak? Why stop at medium rare? Why not just bite a cow’s ass in a pasture?"
Male best friend scowled. "Who the hell are you? Mind your own business!"
Lin Ran: "And who are you, spouting nonsense? You’re acting like a damn cartoon villain."
Zhao Miaomiao hurriedly intervened. "Alright, enough! It’s just steak. Who cares how it’s eaten? We’re all friends here—no fighting."
Lin Ran: "Fighting? He’s not worth it."
The male best friend shot up. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
Lin Ran jabbed a finger at him. "Watch the way you talk. Quit waving your prissy little fingers around like some court eunuch. And wipe the spit off your chin."
Wu Zhishang and Zhao Miaomiao scrambled to mediate before the male best friend grudgingly sat back down.
"Miaomiao, I’m leaving. Enjoy your meal."
Zhao Miaomiao grabbed his hand, pleading until he reluctantly stayed.
Lin Ran frowned at their hand-holding but stayed silent. Wu Zhishang’s expression darkened.
Zhao Miaomiao: "This is my best friend. I just wanted you all to meet. Can we all just drop it?"
The steaks arrived, and everyone ate—no sense wasting such expensive cuts.
During the meal, Lin Ran learned the male best friend’s name: Lv Jian.
When the bill came, Wu Zhishang shot Lin Ran a desperate look, who responded with a meaningful glance.
Wu Zhishang: *Dinner’s over. Lend me ¥150,000.*
Lin Ran: *I ate too, so I’ll cover mine. I’ll even cover yours. But that clown over there? He’s on his own. Split it with them.*
Wu Zhishang had no choice. "Let’s split the bill. I’ll pay for Miaomiao and myself. Lin Ran and Lv Jian can cover their own."
Lv Jian exploded. "Miaomiao, is this your boyfriend? He won’t even pay for your best friend’s meal? If he’s this cheap now, how’s he ever gonna treat you right?"
Zhao Miaomiao turned on Wu Zhishang too. "How could you be so petty? You won’t even cover dinner?"
Wu Zhishang: ???
"You’re my girlfriend—of course I’ll pay for you. But Lv Jian? We just met. Why should I? And Lin Ran’s paying for himself too!"
Lv Jian sneered. "Face it, you’re broke. Miaomiao, guys like him will never make you happy."
Lin Ran slammed his phone on the table. "Oh, we’re broke? Then why don’t *you* pay, Mr. Big Spender?"
Lv Jian faltered but fired back. "Why the hell would I pay for you? You’re both losers. Fine, I’ll cover my share—100 grams max, so ¥15,000." He pulled out his phone, and the server quickly scanned the payment (he’d been watching closely, worried about a dine-and-dash).
Lv Jian smirked. "Your turn, cheapskates."
Wu Zhishang frowned. "Actually, it should be ¥37,500 per person."
Lv Jian panicked and started blustering. "If you can’t afford it, just say so!"
Wu Zhishang’s eyes darted to Lin Ran: *What now?*
Lin Ran: *Leave it to me.*
With a grin, Lin Ran slapped a black card onto the table—Luo Yao’s card. These days, he spent her money freely because it made her happy.
"Server, charge ¥1,000,000 to this. Remember: only me and my friends can use this balance. No one else."
Lv Jian laughed. "Yeah right. Like you’ve got a million."
The server swiped the card, and the payment went through instantly.
Even Zhao Miaomiao stared at Lin Ran in shock. *Since when was he this rich? Why didn’t Wu Zhishang tell me?*
Lin Ran smirked. "Your turn, bro. I loaded the account, but I’m not covering *your* tab."
Lv Jian’s face burned. "Miaomiao, I’m out. I can’t stand these pretentious jerks."
With that, he stormed off. Lin Ran didn’t even blink.
Instead, it was Zhao Miaomiao who glanced at Wu Zhishang, then at the retreating figure of Lv Jian, hesitated for a moment, and finally chased after him.
"I’ll go check on him. He has depression and his emotions are unstable. I’ll be back soon."
With that, she dashed off, leaving Wu Zhishang with a troubled frown.
Lin Ran pondered silently. Depression? A convenient excuse—classic.