bullyxtreme Chapter 211: Lunch at the Castle
Chapter 211: Lunch at the Castle
When Lu Qingxi and Zhou Siming followed the attendant into the restaurant, Shen Ji was already sitting quietly waiting. When his eyes met Lu Qingxi's, his heart seemed to be struck by an invisible force, and the whole person seemed to be in a beautiful fantasy. Some fragmented images flashed before his eyes, but disappeared quickly.
Although Shen Ji tried to maintain his calm appearance, the unconscious tightening of his chest still exposed his inner turmoil. He was amazed in his heart, wondering how there could be such a beautiful person in this world who made him fall in love at first sight.
Seeing Lu Qingxi just nodded and then sat down in a seat far away from him, Shen Ji felt a little disappointed. He had expected to be closer to her, but the reality made him feel helpless.
Zhou Siming followed closely behind Lu Qingxi and sat down as well. Shen Ji noticed that they sat in the seats opposite him that he had reserved for them, which were far away from him. He couldn't help but feel annoyed. He secretly blamed himself for not thinking of this earlier.
However, Shen Ji quickly adjusted his mood. He cleared his throat and broke the silence: "We seem to be sitting a little far away, and it may be difficult for the camera to cut to a close-up. I'd better sit closer to you." As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up and walked to the side of Lu Qingxi and Zhou Siming. Under Zhou Siming's unhappy eyes, he sat down in the main seat, which was the seat between the two of them, without caring.
Shen Ji's unexpected appearance was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing ripples. The originally harmonious and peaceful atmosphere was broken, and the relationship between the three people became subtle and complicated. He sat in the middle, with an upright posture and a face that maintained his usual calmness and composure. However, only he knew that his heart at this moment was like the sea in a storm, with turbulent waves and difficulty in calming down.
Shen Ji's eyes kept sweeping towards Lu Qingxi, trying to catch a hint of subtle emotional changes from her expression, while also quickly thinking about how to deal with this sudden change. He knew that every move and every word he made could affect this delicate balance.
Zhou Siming's eyes shuttled back and forth between Shen Ji and Lu Qingxi, and he felt mixed emotions. A few minutes ago, he still regarded Shen Ji as his right-hand man in pursuing Lu Qingxi, but at this moment, Shen Ji seemed to have changed into a different person and became his biggest competitor.
Zhou Siming couldn't help but regret his previous decision. He originally just wanted to enjoy a wonderful lunch time with Lu Qingxi and get closer to each other. He didn't expect that he would lose the time they spent together because of his lack of consideration.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions, then turned to Lu Qingxi and forced a smile on his face: "Qingxi, what do you like to eat? The dishes here look good, just order, I'll follow your taste." As he said that, he handed the menu in his hand to Lu Qingxi.
Lu Qingxi took the menu and looked through it carefully. She seemed to be completely immersed in the world of dishes, unaware of the subtle atmosphere around her. Her movements seemed so natural and graceful, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.
Zhou Siming saw this and his tension eased a little. He glanced at Shen Ji and a provocative smile appeared on his face. He knew that he needed to take the initiative in this war without gunpowder, so he decided to put pressure on Shen Ji with words first.
"Teacher Shen," Zhou Siming deliberately raised his voice with a hint of joking, "I wonder what food you have ordered for yourself before? If it's not enough, we can order some more for you." His words revealed a provocation to Shen Ji, and at the same time, he was hinting to Shen Ji that his relationship with Lu Qingxi was closer.
After hearing Zhou Siming's words, Shen Ji's face froze slightly. He understood Zhou Siming's intention and realized that his previous behavior might have been misunderstood. But Shen Ji was a person with extremely strong psychological quality. He quickly adjusted his emotions and found a solution.
He gave Zhou Siming a polite and indifferent smile and replied calmly: "I exercised a lot in the morning, so I got hungry quickly. I ordered a portion of ribs, a portion of ham, a portion of cream of mushroom pasta, and a dessert." Shen Ji's words revealed a hint of calmness and confidence. He was not affected by Zhou Siming's provocation.
Then, Shen Ji turned his gaze to Lu Qingxi, with a trace of concern and tenderness on his face. He said in a softer voice than before: "The dessert is caramel pudding. I thought you might like it, so I specially ordered one. It will be served later. Try it first and see if it suits your taste."
Lu Qingxi didn't notice the subtle atmosphere between the two. When she heard Shen Ji's words, she looked up at him with a hint of doubt in her eyes. She was about to respond when Zhou Siming spoke first: "Teacher Shen's appetite should not be enough, so don't be modest." Zhou Siming said with a smile, his eyes scanning back and forth between Shen Ji and Lu Qingxi. He noticed that Shen Ji looked at him with dissatisfaction, and the smile on his face became even brighter.
"And there is one thing that Teacher Shen may not know," Zhou Siming continued, "Qingxi actually doesn't like to eat things that are too sweet. So, you should enjoy the caramel pudding yourself."
At this time, the attendant beside him also noticed the tense atmosphere. He carefully moved from Lu Qingxi's left to the right, fearing that he would be hurt by the "flying knives" of the two male guests. His eyes moved back and forth between the two, and he secretly prayed in his heart that this "war" would not affect him.
Shen Ji and Zhou Siming's eyes met in the air, and both of them flashed with unknown light. This silent contest seemed to have just begun.
After Lu Qingxi carefully looked through the menu, he began to tell the waiter beside him the dishes he wanted to taste in an orderly manner: "One Australian Wagyu sirloin steak with mushroom sauce, medium rare, one Italian prawn in oil, one mango and shrimp salad, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, another matcha mille-feuille, and one serving of foie gras."
Zhou Siming felt a little disappointed when he heard the dishes ordered by Lu Qingxi, because he noticed that Lu Qingxi ordered only one serving, which made him feel a little excluded. When he saw Shen Ji's slightly raised mouth, he felt even more upset, as if Shen Ji was deliberately mocking him.
In order to save face, Zhou Siming immediately said to the servant walking towards him: "No need to show it to me, just give me another serving of the same thing as Qingxi. She ordered all my favorites." His words revealed a certainty and confidence, as if telling Shen Ji that he and Lu Qingxi had a very good understanding.
Then, he pretended to be calm and asked Shen Ji: "My appetite is basically the same as Qingxi's, but it seems to be completely different from Teacher Shen's?" There was a hint of provocation and curiosity in his tone, wanting to see if Shen Ji would feel embarrassed by this.