NOVPUB
Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Are You Afraid I’ll Poison the Wine?
Perhaps it was because she had regained her memories, even with Lu Sheng by her side, Juanjuan’s sleep was rather restless.
The next morning, Lu Sheng woke up before Juanjuan. After freshening up and seeing that it was about time, she sent several messages to Chen Shu.
[Are you awake?]
[There’s something about Juanjuan that I want to discuss with you.]
[Do you have time today, would it be convenient to meet?]
Lu Sheng was thinking of meeting with Chen Shu at noon or in the afternoon to get a clear understanding of his intentions and to talk about Juanjuan.
Chen Shu responded quickly but said he had other commitments during the day.
Then he mentioned that he had air-shipped some top-grade sashimi ingredients over and invited Lu Sheng to have dinner at the hotel in the evening. If Juanjuan was willing, she could bring her along.
—The hotel room?
Lu Sheng frowned the moment she saw the message.
Let alone the fact that she now knew Chen Shu might be crazed and perverted, and harbored ill intentions against her.
Even if she was unaware of Chen Shu’s true nature, it was unthinkable for her to go to a hotel in the evening to meet a man alone.
It was even more impossible to bring Juanjuan along.
Chen Shu had previously done something like chaining up Juanjuan; Lu Sheng had no idea if Chen Shu truly wanted to take her sister home or if he intended to bring Juanjuan back for more torment.
[Juanjuan still needs time to adjust, I’ll meet you alone.]
[But I have a boyfriend, it’s not convenient to meet in a hotel. How about we find a Japanese restaurant for dinner instead? You can bring the sashimi ingredients you air-shipped.]
In a hotel room, Chen Shu’s eyebrows moved slightly upon seeing Lu Sheng’s reply.
The girl now indeed saw him as an enemy, not a friend.
Despite being polite as usual and not showing it, her words carried a sense of caution.
Discreetly refusing to bring Christine along, she emphasized that she had a boyfriend and shifted the meeting place from a private hotel room to a public restaurant bustling with people.
Chen Shu’s expression did not change as he tapped out a message with his slender fingers on his phone’s screen.
[Sure, I’ve heard there’s a famous Japanese restaurant in Jiang City that I’ve been wanting to try.]
[Since you paid for dinner yesterday, let me take care of it today^_^]
Chen Shu agreed readily, showing no indication that he had any sinister plans.
Lu Sheng thought for a moment and replied with a simple [Okay].
Juanjuan had come last night in the rain.
Although upon arrival, Lu Sheng had her immediately take a hot shower, change clothes, and drink ginger soup, Juanjuan still developed a slight fever in the morning. no𝚟𝚙u𝚋.c𝚘m
Lu Sheng took care of Juanjuan throughout the day, and as late afternoon approached, Chen Shu sent the restaurant’s address.
So, Lu Sheng headed out to hail a cab, then on the cab ride, she sent the address to Li Muchen, who was on a business trip in Beijing.
Li Muchen was not well informed about Juanjuan’s situation, so Lu Sheng did not elaborate on it. She simply told him that there was a result regarding the perfume incident.
It was Gu Siyu who had the cleaner put the perfume on his shirt, and the person who instructed her to do so was Chen Shu.
Naturally, Li Muchen did not know Chen Shu’s objective, but upon hearing that Lu Sheng was meeting with Chen Shu today to clarify things, he couldn’t help but worry.
Initially, he thought of sending several bodyguards to protect Lu Sheng’s safety, but remembering the girl’s performance and record in the underground boxing ring, he figured that four or five bodyguards might not be a match for her alone, so he let the idea go.
All he could do was ask Lu Sheng to message him if anything happened, and she agreed to do so.
—
The Japanese restaurant that Mr. Chen found might be an exclusive, members-only dining establishment with private kitchen characteristics, completely unsearchable on popular review apps.
Its location is in the pricey riverside area of Jiang City’s suburbs, atop a shopping mall building, where one should be able to oversee the cityscape at night.
As Miss Lu Sheng gets out of the taxi, it has already turned completely dark. The lights are just beginning to sparkle in the suburban commercial district bustling with traffic, yet this area remains tranquil, far from noisy.
Miss Lu Sheng takes the observation elevator to the top floor.
As soon as the elevator doors open, a man in a finely-tailored waiter’s uniform comes to greet her, bowing respectfully and saying, "May I ask if you are Miss Lu Sheng? Mr. Chen has been waiting for you, please follow me."
Miss Lu Sheng nods and follows the waiter into the restaurant, only then noticing that this vast and meticulously decorated upscale eatery has not a single customer inside.
"Are there no other guests in your restaurant?" Miss Lu Sheng glances around the establishment and asks.
The waiter patiently explains, "It’s like this, Miss Lu: our restaurant operates on a membership and reservation basis."
"To guarantee the best dining experience for our guests, we serve only one table per evening. So tonight, our entire restaurant is at the service of just you and Mr. Chen."
With such a large venue hosting only two diners,
Miss Lu Sheng sees from a distance, upon entering the dining area, that there is just one table set up in the vast space, beside massive, transparent floor-to-ceiling windows.
Through the windows at the top of the skyscraper, the stars in the night sky almost seem to shine right in. Coupled with the surrounding carefully arranged lighting, an upscale yet hazy ambiance is created.
Seeing the girl approaching, Mr. Chen, who had been sitting, lifts his eyes. A gentle light flickers through his light green pupils as he speaks with joy and tenderness in his voice, "Shengsheng, you’ve arrived."
Today, Mr. Chen is dressed in an exquisite dark gray shirt and black trousers, the finely tailored high-end fabric elegant and subdued. The varying shades are as profound as the early winter night sky.
With his blonde hair tied back, the flawless face and graceful neck are revealed. As he lightly lifts his wrist, a noble air emanates from within, exuding the graceful presence of a gentleman.
A sweet, unidentified fragrance seems to linger around, and as the waiter removes Miss Lu Sheng’s coat and pulls out her chair, she sits down opposite Mr. Chen.
Despite having met before, the man before her seems even more of a stranger now.
This man is too good at deception.
He could have planned to send someone close to her half a month ago, pretended it was their first meeting last night; he could completely twist facts in front of her, his expression unchanging as he speaks carefully crafted lies; he could even slash his own arm with a shard of glass without hesitation, just to have a brief moment alone with her.
Killing his own father, imprisoning his sister, hypocritical, with ill intentions.
On the surface, like a pure, noble gentleman of grace and tenderness, but in reality, more like a viper lurking in the darkness, with hidden danger.
The young lady couldn’t help but become more vigilant.
"I shouldn’t be late, right?" Miss Lu Sheng checks her watch, her tone indifferent.
Mr. Chen smiles softly as if he doesn’t notice her coldness, and even his voice carries a hint of indulgence: "You’re not late, it’s just that I arrived early."
"The ingredients have been handed over to the chef, but before we dine, let’s have an aperitif."
As Mr. Chen’s words fall, the attentive waiter has already opened the expensive-looking bottle of dry white wine on the table.
Gloved hands carefully pour from the bottle into wine glasses for Mr. Chen and Miss Lu Sheng. After setting the glasses in front of them, the waiter promptly steps away from the table.
And with that, the surroundings grow even quieter.
Mr. Chen’s face sports a shallow smile as he rests his elbows on the table, interlocks his fingers, and gazes tenderly at Miss Lu Sheng.
"This wine is unique to Suli and does not need to breathe. It’s said to have a delicate fruity aroma. Try it and see if you like it."
Mr. Chen’s tone is very intimate, but Miss Lu Sheng does not move.
In fact, she has no intention of eating or drinking anything today, whether brought by Mr. Chen or originally from the restaurant.
Seeing her not reacting, Mr. Chen’s light green eyes shift subtly, seemingly letting out a soft sigh.
He looks at the young lady: "What’s wrong, don’t you like this wine... or are you afraid I’ve poisoned it?"
