Chapter 504 — Such Overbearing Names

"No need," Wei Zhao refused Wu Chengtian's offer flatly. "We can go on our own."

"Don't be like that! If you don't come, my conscience will never be at ease! I know I was wrong, and there is no greater virtue than mending one's ways after a fault!" Wu Chengtian said. "Just give me some face!"

Wei Zhao glanced at Wang Xinyan, who stood not far off, and found her looking back at him, a faint expectation hidden in her gaze. He was puzzled at once. Could it be that Wang Xinyan wanted him to eat with them? And just what was the relationship between Wang Xinyan and Wu Chengtian? At the thought, Wei Zhao began to waver.

If it were simply Wu Chengtian inviting him to dinner, Wei Zhao would never have considered going; but with Wang Xinyan in the picture, things were different... Yet before Wei Zhao could get a word out, Feng Xiaoxiao spoke first: "You're treating us to dinner?"

"That's right, Little Sister Xiaoxiao. I offended you badly before, and I am truly sorry!" Wu Chengtian already knew of Feng Xiaoxiao's unusual background and naturally had no wish to make an enemy of her, so the glower he had worn a moment ago was gone.

"Is that so? Then I'll give you a chance to make amends. What do you say, Wei Zhao?" Feng Xiaoxiao winked at Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. He had no idea what wicked scheme Feng Xiaoxiao was cooking up now, but whenever this girl wore an expression like that, it meant someone was about to have a run of bad luck. Several times before, when she had set her sights on him, Feng Xiaoxiao had worn the very same look—only this time, the unlucky one was probably Wu Chengtian.

So he nodded. "All right, then. We'll do as you say." Wu Chengtian was overjoyed to hear Wei Zhao agree. "Then let's be off. I'm treating today—order whatever you like, and we'll clear this misunderstanding away!"

"Oh, we were just on our way to the top floor of the Songjiang International Hotel for a late-night snack. So let's go there again," Feng Xiaoxiao said with perfect ease, nodding.

"Huh?" Wu Chengtian was stunned. As for the Songjiang International Hotel, he had only ever been to the third and fourth floors, and those were already luxurious enough—a single table there had cost him nearly ten thousand yuan. If it was the top floor... how much would that run to? He had never been, but he could well imagine.

So Wu Chengtian hesitated once more. Originally he had meant to take the Xiao brothers and Kang Zhaolong and the rest to the dining hall on the ground floor, and with Wei Zhao added, at most to a private room on the second floor, where a table of food and drink would come to eight or ten thousand at the very worst. But he had never expected Feng Xiaoxiao to demand the top floor the moment she opened her mouth!

"Huh? What's wrong with you?" Feng Xiaoxiao looked at the changed expression on Wu Chengtian's face with some puzzlement. "Why has your face changed color? Don't you practice the Iron Hand technique? Have you been training an iron face as well?"

"Th-that... of course not..." Wu Chengtian forced a smile, then said, "Then we'll go to the top floor to eat!"

"Wonderful! I've never been to the top floor. I'll have to eat my fill and see it for myself!" Feng Xiaoxiao cheered. She had only ever heard people say that the restaurant on the top floor was as lavish as an imperial palace and that its chefs were all world-class masters, but she had never gone to see it for herself. Even if Feng Tianlong's annual salary was on the high side, he could never have set aside half of it to take Feng Xiaoxiao out for a grand meal, so she had assumed she would never get to see it before she died—never imagining that a sucker like Wu Chengtian would deliver himself right to her door.

Wu Chengtian was so furious he wanted to curse aloud. If you've never been, why did you bring it up? But the words were already out of his mouth; to take them back now would not only fail to achieve his aim, it would cost him face.

The Xiao brothers and Kang Zhaolong were still behind him. How could he, the most dazzling figure of the Wu family's third generation, let them look down on him?

"Brother Chengtian, I've heard this top floor is just like an imperial palace—they say even the rice bowls are inlaid with diamonds." Though Xiao Wangba also yearned for that luxurious restaurant on the top floor, it was not a place ordinary folk could afford to eat, and what if Wu Chengtian could not pay the bill when the time came? So he hurriedly lowered his voice and reminded him, "Isn't it a bit too expensive?"

Xiao Wangba's voice was not loud, but Wei Zhao and Feng Xiaoxiao heard him all the same, and Feng Xiaoxiao immediately chimed in: "That expensive? I didn't know that before either. How about we just go by ourselves, then, and spare Brother Chengtian the expense..."

Feng Xiaoxiao's words did not produce the effect they should have; instead they seemed to provoke Wu Chengtian. He was, after all, a son of a distinguished family—how could he let himself be looked down upon? If he could not even afford to treat someone to a meal, would people not laugh their teeth out? So he waved his hand grandly. "What is that? It's nothing, hardly any money at all. I said I'm treating—once we're there, order whatever you like!"

"I have to say, Brother Chengtian, you really are generous! Even my boyfriend isn't as generous as you!" Feng Xiaoxiao waved her little fist happily, and Wu Chengtian's heart gave an instant flutter. But he also knew he was courting Sun Jingyan at the moment; if he let his thoughts wander again, there would be no good end for him. Feng Xiaoxiao was certainly ravishing, but she was also not someone to be trifled with—especially with Feng Tianlong as her father. Wu Chengtian would never have gone out of his way to provoke her.

And hearing Feng Xiaoxiao call Wei Zhao her boyfriend delighted him even more. He had previously suspected something between Feng Xiaoxiao and Wei Zhao; now that it was confirmed, things would be much easier—and all this money he was spending on the meal would not have been wasted.

At that thought, Wu Chengtian felt somewhat better, and said to Wei Zhao, "Let me introduce you to a few friends. These two are Xiao Wangba and Xiao Wangdao of the Xiao family."

"Huh?" Feng Xiaoxiao's eyes went wide. "Wow, these two brothers' names are just too overbearing! Especially Xiao Wangba—that is full-on domineering!"

"Of course!" Xiao Wangba nodded. He thought Feng Xiaoxiao was praising him, and naturally did not catch the mockery in her tone—Feng Xiaoxiao was calling him a little bastard.

"Together, our two names make up 'overbearing'!" Xiao Wangdao nodded too, not catching the slightest trace of mockery in Feng Xiaoxiao's words. But that was hardly surprising. In the days when the Xiao family was at its zenith and the old master was still alive, even those who noticed the homophone in Xiao Wangba's name would not have dared to say so; and now that the Xiao family had just fallen, naturally no one had had time to mention it.

Only Wang Xinyan caught the sarcasm in Feng Xiaoxiao's words, and she could not help covering her mouth with a laugh—which utterly bewitched Kang Zhaolong. "Xinyan, it's perfect that another girl has come along. I was worried you would feel awkward on your own, but now you have someone to keep you company!"

"..." Xinyan said nothing, only glancing silently at Wei Zhao, a faint pang of loss stirring in her heart—though whether it came from seeing him together with Feng Xiaoxiao, or from her aversion to this sort of occasion, she could not say.

Fastest updates. For pop-up-free reading, please visit.