Chapter 90: The Girl and the Cake

The two of them made their way through the crowd, one behind the other. Liang Jing, walking in front, seemed to know everyone; she greeted one person after another without pause. Lin Yu, by contrast, only offered a smile and a nod when he brushed past Yang Zhilin, taking that as his greeting. With Xia Ling beside her, he did not dare step forward to speak.

Liang Jing led Lin Yu straight up to the second floor of Radiance Hotel. This level contained private rooms filled with all manner of clever gimmicks, each one of a relatively high standard and distinct in design.

She settled Lin Yu into a private room called Spirit Affinity Courtyard, told him to wait a moment, and then left.

Left alone, Lin Yu began to admire the room, which had a calm and refined air.

Everything in it was antique and understated, from the calligraphy and paintings to the tables and chairs. It all looked as though it had come from the Ming or Qing eras, giving one the illusion of having returned to an age of old feudal splendor.

That illusion felt strangely beautiful, as if he had stepped into the Grand View Garden from A Dream of Red Mansions. In a bustling city, being able to savor such classical charm was truly rare.

"The owner of this hotel must be a man of taste. And the person who designed this room must be an especially cultivated designer," Lin Yu said sincerely, rising to admire the calligraphy and paintings on the walls.

About ten minutes later, Liang Jing knocked and came in, carrying a tray. On it were a plate of dumplings, chopsticks, soy sauce, vinegar, and other dipping sauces.

"Eat up. These are premium dumplings—lobster filling. Even I haven’t had them before," she said with a smile as she set the tray down.

"Then you should have some too. Oh, and I don’t have any money on me, so put this on Hu Bin’s tab." Lin Yu smiled, sat down, and picked up a dumpling to eat.

"I only eat breakfast and lunch every day. I’ve kept that habit for ten years. All right, you eat first. When you’re done, go downstairs on your own. The banquet should be starting soon. I have to get back to work." With that, Liang Jing hurried away.

Lin Yu ate without ceremony, thinking that Hu Bin’s family was wealthy beyond measure; if he was not going to eat their food, who would?

The lobster dumplings were indeed delicious—fresh, fragrant, and not at all greasy. The only thing Lin Yu found lacking was beer or a drink.

After he had eaten his fill and stepped out of the private room, he unexpectedly ran into that flashy opportunist, Zhan Jie, once again. Seeing Lin Yu emerge from Spirit Affinity Courtyard, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

But it vanished almost at once, and he quickly returned to a calm expression, smiling as he said, "What, the downstairs is too noisy for you too, so you came up to the second floor to find some peace and quiet?"

Seeing a big shot speak to him, Lin Yu also smiled politely and replied, "No, I just came up because I was hungry and wanted a bite to eat."

"Oh, I see." Zhan Jie nodded as if enlightened, then reached into his pocket and took out a gilded business card that was clearly no ordinary item.

Handing it to Lin Yu, he said, "This is my card. If you ever need anything, you can come to me."

"All right. If there’s nothing else, I’m heading downstairs." After taking the card, Lin Yu said this and walked away at an unhurried pace.

"He’s wearing a watch worth more than one hundred thousand, and he even entered the hotel’s restricted area to eat. This young man is no ordinary person." After Lin Yu parted with him in that cool, indifferent manner, Zhan Jie began to ponder silently. He never imagined that the whole thing was merely a beautiful misunderstanding.

But when Lin Yu reached the turn in the corridor and took out Zhan Jie’s card for a glance, he was immediately startled. It turned out that Zhan Jie was a former national wushu champion. From starting with nothing to now running multiple fitness centers and martial arts halls, he had done it all in less than ten years.

Binhai’s most prestigious fitness center, Inspire, was only the tip of the iceberg of his holdings.

Once he confirmed that the man was indeed that Zhan Jie, Lin Yu recalled many things. This man was not only famous in official circles; in Binhai’s underworld, he was also someone no one dared provoke.

Among Binhai’s younger generation, a saying attributed to him was still passed around to this day: once you enter the gate of commerce, it is deeper than the sea; from that day on, conscience becomes a stranger on the road.

Having made the acquaintance of a legendary figure from Binhai, Lin Yu felt a little pleased, but he did not get carried away. He knew he still had no standing to call such a man a friend. So he gathered himself and descended the stairs at a measured pace.

By then, the service staff had already brought out the giant cake, more than ten feet high, and the pyramid of champagne glasses was also ready, awaiting only the appearance of the guest of honor, Hu Bin.

Of the people attending, Yang Zhilin was the only acquaintance Lin Yu had, so naturally his gaze settled on her.

At that moment, the girl stood beside Xia Ling as the latter exchanged pleasantries with others. Behind her loomed the old and richly atmospheric Foster-August piano.

Beauty and piano together created an air of elegant nobility and exquisite grace, so much so that Lin Yu felt as though he were inside a film.

"Mom, I want cake!" At that moment, a lovely little girl of five or six beside Lin Yu said with her mouth watering, her tender pink cheeks full of longing.

"Be good, baby. Wait a little longer. Once the banquet begins, we’ll cut the cake," her mother soothed her softly. She was a poised and proper young married woman.

This brief exchange interrupted Lin Yu’s thoughts. Glancing at the girl’s rosy, adorable face, he crouched down and said, "Craving something sweet?"

Unexpectedly, the moment he spoke, the little girl immediately hid behind her mother, then peeped out and said, "Mom said not to talk to strangers."

Lin Yu was amused by her adorable manner and laughed. "Uncle isn’t a bad person. How about big brother takes you to eat cake right now?"

"Really?" The little girl looked unconvinced, but saliva was already gathering at the corner of her mouth.

"Of course it’s true. That big cake over there." Smiling, Lin Yu pointed toward the enormous cake in the center of the hall, not far from the piano.

"No, Mom said I’m not allowed to talk to strangers."

Though she said that, her feet had already begun edging her toward Lin Yu. The young married woman simply covered her mouth and smiled.

"May I take her to get some cake?" Seeing the girl wavering, Lin Yu asked the woman with a smile.

"You may, but... would that be appropriate?" the young woman asked with a smile.

"It’s fine. She’s only a child."

After saying this, Lin Yu opened his arms to the girl. For some reason, he always felt that this little one seemed especially familiar.

"No, Mom said I can’t talk to strangers." While speaking, the little girl threw herself into Lin Yu’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and whispering, "But I like cake more."

"All right, then big brother will take you to get some cake." Carrying the little girl, Lin Yu walked straight toward the center of the hall and came to the cake.

Ignoring the service staff’s astonished looks, he said directly to the girl, "Use your finger to dab a little cream and see whether it tastes good."

"Okay." The girl stuck out her tongue shyly, lightly dipped a finger into the cream, and then brought it to her mouth to suck on it.

But at that very moment, an unfriendly voice suddenly rang out: "The child doesn’t know any better, but shouldn’t you, as the older one, know better too?"