Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

After everyone was seated, the well-dressed and well-trained waiters quietly began to serve appetizers and pour water, their movements gentle and precise.

Taking advantage of the break before dinner, Lin Bufan naturally looked at Xue Sumei and spoke sincerely, "Auntie, today I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you, Sister Qing, and Brother Duan about my situation. Taozi and I are dating with the intention of getting married, and I think you and your family should understand my basic situation so that everyone can be at ease."

When Xue Sumei heard this, she immediately sat up straight, smiled widely, and nodded repeatedly: "Oh, Xiaolin, you are so sensible! Auntie likes your straightforwardness!" The doubts in her heart caused by Lan Caiping's words had long disappeared after seeing this grand restaurant. At this moment, only curiosity and expectation remained.

Lin Bufan smiled and began to introduce himself calmly: "As for me, in addition to the restaurant I mentioned earlier, I also have a few pet-themed coffee shops in Kyoto, called Biaoge Paradise. The main store is also in Shanghai, and business is pretty good."

Xue Sumei's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she couldn't help but interrupt: "Oh! Pet cafe! This is great, this is great, young people like this now! Taozi likes small animals!" She seemed to have already seen the scene of taking her grandson to the store to play in the future.

Lin Bufan smiled and nodded, then continued, "In addition to catering, we also have a technology company that focuses on software development and internet services; a biotechnology company that currently has several collaborative research projects underway; and an entertainment agency that's not very large, with a market capitalization of several billion.

That's pretty much it. The team is actually responsible for the specific management, and I'm mainly responsible for steering the direction. So I might have more free time and be able to spend more time with Taozi." Lin Bufan's tone remained calm, without a hint of boasting, as if he were simply stating some daily matters.

Xue Sumei was so overjoyed she could barely close her mouth. She looked at Lin Bufan as if he were looking at a glittering gold mine—no, a gold mine combined with the ideal son-in-law, both talented and handsome! She slapped her thigh excitedly, "Oh my! Xiaolin! These aren't just a few small companies! You're clearly a young and promising entrepreneur! Auntie, I really... I didn't expect this! That's great! That's really great!"

Su Qing and Duan Xifeng also looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and admiration. They originally thought that Lin Bufan was just good, but they didn't expect it to be this level of "good".

Yang Tao felt a little embarrassed by his mother's unconcealed joy, his cheeks slightly hot. He quietly touched Xue Sumei's leg under the table and whispered a reminder: "Mom... please be quiet and pay attention to the impact. So many people are watching us..." As he spoke, he signaled with his eyes to the waiters who were standing quietly around and watching her.

Xue Sumei was in high spirits, so she didn't care about this. Instead, her voice became even louder, and a smile spread across her face. "What's there to care about? I'm happy! My future son-in-law is so outstanding, shouldn't I be happy? I wish I could stand on Chang'an Avenue with a loud speaker and shout! Let those who used to think my family was too picky and that my daughter would never get married have a good listen and see! Xiaolin, don't you agree?"

Lin Bufan immediately nodded obediently, his smile gentle and just the right amount of shyness: "As long as you're happy, Auntie. It's my blessing to meet Taozi and receive your approval."

These words touched Xue Sumei's heart. She smiled from ear to ear and patted the back of Lin Bufan's hand repeatedly: "Good, good, good! Look at our Xiao Lin, how good he is at talking!"

Just then, a tall, radiant-eyed man in a white chef's uniform approached, carrying the first course. It was Lu Yuan. After a period of preparation, the branch Lin Bufan had promised Lu Yuan finally opened. Because the Kyoto branch was new, Lu Yuan had flown over from Shanghai to take charge!

"Mr. Lin, distinguished guests, good evening. I'm the restaurant's head chef, Lu Yuan." Lu Yuan's voice was a little hoarse, yet captivating. He expertly displayed the wine label, then began decanting and pouring wine for everyone, introducing, "This is a Chardonnay I've specially selected for you to pair with your appetizers. It has a refreshing taste, with hints of citrus and minerality, and should be a great way to whet your palate."

His introduction was professional yet unconventional, with a personal touch. Xue Sumei and the others, though not particularly knowledgeable about wine, thought the chef was quite impressive.

Then, the appetizers were served. Lu Yuan personally introduced, "This is today's appetizer: pan-fried foie gras with fig jam and port wine sauce. The cooking time of the foie gras is crucial, the skin is slightly crispy, while the interior remains delicate and tender. Paired with the sweetness of the figs and the richness of the port wine, I hope it suits everyone's taste."

I have to say, when Lu Yuan is not doing anything stupid, he really looks like the real person!

The exquisite presentation and enticing aroma made everyone's mouth water. Xue Sumei took a bite and immediately praised it: "Oh my! This foie gras really melts in your mouth! It's so delicious! Xiaolin, your chef's skills are really good!"

Lin Bufan took over the conversation with a smile and introduced to everyone: "Auntie, Sister Qing, Brother Duan, this is Lu Yuan, Chef Lu. He is a top chef that I spent a lot of effort to invite back from abroad. He used to be a chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant. His cooking skills are absolutely amazing!" He gave a thumbs up.

Lu Yuan felt a little uncomfortable with the compliment, but he nodded to everyone out of courtesy and forced a not-so-natural smile: "Enjoy your time, everyone. Feel free to call me if you need anything." After that, he turned and left, leaving the space to Lin Bufan and the others.

Over the next few minutes, carefully prepared dishes were served one after another. Although Lu Yuan's cooking skills were not as good as Lin Bufan's, they were definitely not bad. From the stunning appetizers to the rich main courses and the perfect desserts, each one won unanimous praise from everyone.

Xue Sumei was even more delighted as she ate, and the look in her eyes when she saw Lin Bufan was becoming increasingly satisfying. From time to time, she would give Yang Tao a look that said, "You've found a treasure!" This made Yang Tao's ears slightly hot, and she had no choice but to concentrate on the dessert on her plate.

After having a good meal and a few drinks, Lin Bufan wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and said to everyone with a smile: "Auntie, Sister Qing, Brother Duan, take your time. I'm going to the bathroom."

He stood up, walked through the quiet, elegant hallway, and headed for the restroom. After satisfying his physical needs, Lin Bufan stood before the gleaming sink, slowly squeezing some hand soap and working it into a fine lather. The gurgling water masked the faint sound of footsteps behind him.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew from behind my head!

Lin Bufan didn't even look back, but just took half a step to the left seemingly casually, and at the same time, his right hand reached back and snapped accurately - the movement was so fast that only an afterimage was left!

"Ah!" A suppressed cry of pain rang out.

Lu Yuan's wrists were twisted behind his back by Lin Bufan, and his whole body was restrained in an extremely awkward position, unable to move, his face flushed red due to pain and force.

Lin Bufan looked through the mirror in front of him at Lu Yuan, whose sneak attack had failed. He said with a hint of helplessness and ridicule, "Chef Lu, what are you talking about? You have nothing better to do than practice grappling. You don't need me as a sparring partner, do you? I won't hold back when I'm hitting you. If you're not careful, you'll be in big trouble."

Lu Yuan struggled for a moment, only to find that Lin Bufan's hands were as still as iron pincers. He growled angrily, "Lin Bufan! Stop playing dumb! Don't you know what you've done?"

After hearing this, Lin Bufan thought about it carefully. It seemed that the only person who could make Lu Yuan come to "seek revenge" regardless of the difference in strength was Gan Jing. But he and Gan Jing really had nothing!

Lin Bufan, unwilling to be wronged, immediately explained, "Old Lu, you're wrongly accusing a good person. Gan Jing and I have a pure and innocent, purely revolutionary friendship. At most, she has a one-sided crush on me, and I have never overstepped the line. You're being so jealous for no reason."

"Bullshit! Who told you about Gan Jing?" Lu Yuan was so angry that he almost jumped up, but unfortunately his arm was twisted and he couldn't jump: "I was talking about Jiahe! Peng Jiahe!"

"Jiahe?" Lin Bufan was stunned for a moment, loosening his grip slightly. He asked with genuine confusion, "What's wrong with Jiahe? What's that little girl up to again?"

"You're still pretending!" Lu Yuan took the opportunity to break free, rubbing his aching wrist, and glared at Lin Bufan angrily: "Jiahe called me yesterday, crying so hard! She said that you played with her feelings, and after tricking her into getting you, you ignored her and ran away to Kyoto to have fun without her. She also said that you must have been out to hook up with another woman! I saw it all just now. Who is the one sitting inside? Lin Bufan, you are really something! Even rabbits don't eat grass near their burrows, and you even deceived a child as young as Jiahe! Are you still human?"

Lin Bufan was silent for a few seconds after hearing this. Then he looked at Lu Yuan with a look of idiocy and slowly said, "Old Lu... considering your understanding of Peng Jiahe, that eccentric and rambling person... haven't you ever considered that she might be deceiving you and using you as a pawn?"

"Of course I did!"

Looking at Lu Yuan, who was both unreasonable and angry, Lin Bufan was speechless.

After two seconds of silence, Lin Bufan, who could no longer bear it, raised his hand and gave Lu Yuan a hard hit on the head, making a crisp "bang" sound.

"You thought about it and you still did it? Are you stupid? With your IQ, how did you become a Michelin chef in the first place?"

Lu Yuan covered his forehead, which was red from being hit, and grimaced, but he didn't dare to provoke Lin Bufan again. He just muttered softly, "I don't care whether it's true or not, as long as I can beat you up!"

Lin Bufan: “…”

Sometimes I really want to hit someone. What’s going on?

Lin Bufan shook his head, too lazy to dwell on this trivial matter any longer, and instead began gossiping. Ever since agreeing to Jiang Lai, he hadn't paid attention to Kun Kun's love triangle. Now that he had met Lu Yuan, he naturally wanted to find out more.

"Okay, stop talking nonsense. Tell me about you. How's everything going with our beautiful Gan Jing? It's been so long, the turtle should be cooked through by now, right? Isn't your heat a little too low?"

Mentioning Gan Jing, Lu Yuan's previous arrogance instantly wilted. His eyes wandered, and his tone was filled with a subtle irritation and loss: "What else can I do? It's just... just like that... neither hot nor cold, neither close nor distant. There seems to be some hope, but when I take a step forward, she shrinks back... Oh, it's difficult."

Lin Bufan looked at Lu Yuan's indecisiveness and anxiety, and curled his lips in disdain: "Old Lu, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but your efficiency is too touching. You've been wasting your time chasing a girl for half a year, and the war is almost over, and you haven't even touched the high ground here? Are you really capable of this?"

Lu Yuan glared at him angrily: "Do you think everyone is like you, changing like a butterfly every day? I am serious about Gan Jing! I am sincere! How can it be the same?"

"Be sincere? If you're sincere, you don't have to be physical? If you're sincere, you don't have to take the initiative?" Lin Bufan sneered, moved closer, and with a tone of disappointment, began to "pass on his experience" with a lot of nonsense: "Old Lu, you have too many inner dramas! If it were me, you should just be ruthless and rape her. Life doesn't have that much time for you to play inner dramas. If you love her, then go for it. If you like her, then rape her. What's the point of confessing your love? You'll still be rejected. If you can't get her, then drug her. If you're upset, then post nude photos. The worst that can happen is jail. You don't even dare to go to jail and you say you love her."

Lin Bufan's extremely unreliable and often forced "heresy" theories were like a barrage of cannonballs that bombarded Lu Yuan. He was completely stunned. His eyes widened, his mouth slightly open, as if he had heard some shocking and devilish words. He froze in place, his CPU nearly burning up, and his mind kept echoing with words like "rape," "drugging," "posting nude photos," and "jail."

Lin Bufan looked at Lu Yuan, who was stunned and looked as if his worldview had been completely refreshed. He nodded with satisfaction, patted his shoulder, and gave him a profound look that said "figure it out yourself". Then he casually tossed his non-existent bangs, turned around, hummed a tuneless little song, and left, hiding his achievements and fame.

Lu Yuan was left standing there alone, disheveled in the wind. He was still dazed for a long time, his mind buzzing with questions: "Will this work?"

When Lin Bufan returned to the dining table, his gentle and decent smile had returned to his face, as if nothing had happened in the bathroom just now.

The few of them sat and chatted for a while, mainly Xue Sumei who enthusiastically asked Lin Bufan about some details of his life. Lin Bufan responded calmly and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Seeing that time was almost up, Xue Sumei, though reluctant to leave, considerately offered to leave. The group walked out of the restaurant, Duan Xifeng went to drive, and Su Qing stood by the roadside, holding Xue Sumei's arm.

"Xiao Lin, today's meal was really delicious. Auntie is very happy!" Xue Sumei took Lin Bufan's hand, her face showing satisfaction and joy. "Please come to our house for dinner often in the future. Don't hesitate!"

"Of course, Auntie. As long as you don't mind me disturbing you." Lin Bufan replied with a smile.

Duan Xifeng drove over, stopped, and got out to open the door for Xue Sumei and Su Qing.

"Taozi, Bufan, we'll leave first." Su Qing smiled and waved to the two of them.

"Brother-in-law, drive slowly on the road." Yang Tao reminded.

Xue Sumei got into the car and leaned out, smiling at Lin Bufan and Yang Tao, "Alright, both of you stop standing here. Go arrange your own activities and don't worry about us!"

The car slowly drove away, and Lin Bufan and Yang Tao stood side by side until the taillights disappeared around the corner.