He then picked up the plate of freshly made soy-braised donkey meat and was just about to pop a piece into his mouth.

Zhang Beixing noticed the astonished look on Sophia Zhou's face and couldn't help asking, "What's wrong, Classmate Zhou? Not enjoying your meal, or do you want to try some of this donkey meat too?"

Hearing his words, Sophia Zhou snapped out of the strong sense of dissonance she was feeling, shook her head, and said, "No, it's not that I'm unhappy. On the contrary, I think the dishes here are quite good, really to my liking."

As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and ate the green vegetables Zhang Beixing had put on her plate.

Her rosy, cherry-like lips were instantly covered with a noticeable sheen of oil.

Sophia Zhou chewed for a moment, then her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Delicious!"

Seeing her like this, Zhang Beixing cracked a smile.

You've got to be kidding. Of course, it's delicious!

This restaurant was a hidden gem he had personally selected after eating his way through most of the restaurants in Shishi!

Not only was the dining environment elegant and the service considerate, but it also offered great value for money and was incredibly tasty!

In his previous life, whenever he had a bit of spare cash, he would come here to treat himself.

He had eaten there for years and never grown tired of it.

It was his most beloved restaurant!

Thinking of how this treasured restaurant he loved so much had become so popular after his recommendation, Zhang Beixing couldn't help but feel a little smug. So, he took a bite of duck head, then looked at Sophia Zhou and asked, "Classmate Zhou, how was your day? Did you have fun? My arrangements were pretty good, right?"

"Yes, yes, so much fun! This is the most fun, happiest birthday I've ever had!"

Sophia Zhou picked up another mouthful of glass noodles with her chopsticks, slurped them down, and after swallowing, she looked at Zhang Beixing with a beaming smile and said.

Hearing her words, Zhang Beixing, who was already feeling smug, became even more so:

"I'm glad you had fun. Your Bro Zhang might not have many other talents, but I definitely know how to find a good time. It's just that you're a girl; otherwise, the fun we could have would be on another level."

"If you ever feel bored, just give your bro a call, and I'll take you out for a great time, guaranteed to make you ecstatic!"

Saying this, Zhang Beixing patted his chest, as if to say, 'With me around, you can count on things going smoothly.'

The smile on Sophia Zhou's face deepened; she was just about to assure him that she certainly would.

But just then.

"CLICK!"

With a crisp sound, the door to their private room was opened.

Then, they saw seven or eight young men—handsomely dressed, looking sharp, and with luxury car keys dangling from their waists—file into the room one after another.

Seeing this, Zhang Beixing thought, What the—? What kind of cliché bullshit is this? I was just enjoying my stewed goose and humming a song, and then this happens!

This was a perfect reflection of his innermost thoughts.

Looking at these rich second-generation kids who had just walked in, who were obviously loaded just from a glance, Zhang Beixing pondered for a moment. It's not like I have any significant money they could rob. So, if they're not here for money, are they here to pick up the girl? This whole situation is so damn cliché!

These thoughts flashed through his mind.

Then, as if to confirm his suspicions, the group of finely dressed rich kids walked in and, without so much as a glance at Zhang Beixing, bypassed him completely. They went straight over to Sophia Zhou, who was happily eating her glass noodles.

Looking at Sophia Zhou's somewhat unrestrained way of eating, far from finding it off-putting, they actually felt it showed she was genuine and not at all pretentious.

And so, they turned to Sophia Zhou and said:

"Sophia, it's your birthday today, why didn't you tell us?"

"Exactly! Sneaking off alone on your birthday to hide out in a small place like this, not contacting anyone—that's really not cool of you. And to think Boss Xu was just talking about throwing you a grand birthday party."

"But it's not too late to do it now. Sophia, just say the word, and I, Xu Yu, will organize it immediately. I've already got it all planned: we'll choose Listening Pavilion. I'll book the whole place and give you an unforgettable birthday."

"Haha, Boss Xu is really generous! Since that's the case, as your good buddy, I naturally can't just stand by. I'll call my family's cake shop right now and have them rush a big cake for Sister Sophia. You have to eat cake on your birthday! Who celebrates by eating Dongbei cuisine in a small restaurant like this? Is that even how you celebrate a birthday?"

"After the cake, let's go set off fireworks! I remember Boss Xu's family owns a fireworks factory, right? We guarantee you'll feast your eyes!"

"..."

As they walked into the private room, this group of rich kids all looked at Sophia Zhou and chattered away, making plans to help Xu Yu throw her a birthday celebration.

Hearing their words, Sophia Zhou's brows furrowed slightly, and she felt somewhat displeased.

The whole reason she had only invited Zhang Beixing to spend her birthday with her was precisely because she wanted to spend the day alone with him.

But their interruption was bad enough; on top of that, their words were laced with overt criticisms and veiled sarcasm.

Sophia Zhou carefully glanced at Zhang Beixing. Seeing his expression remain unchanged, she secretly sighed in relief. Thank goodness he isn't angry about this. Otherwise, I'd really have shot myself in the foot today!

But then she recalled Xu Yu's character and couldn't help but worry for Zhang Beixing.

Among her many suitors, Xu Yu was arguably the most arrogant and domineering.

Relying on his family's wealth, he looked down on everyone.

Many of Sophia Zhou's suitors had been driven away by Xu Yu using his money.

Not that Sophia Zhou cared much for those other suitors.

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