We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

"Let's go." Ye Chen strode towards the back street, and Xu Jiao quickly jogged a few steps to catch up, her shoulder intentionally or unintentionally touching his arm. The two walked side by side on the tree-lined path outside the campus.

Xu Jiao wore a light perfume today, and the peach-scented fragrance wafted through the breeze.

She would occasionally glance at the boy beside her, and as she looked at his well-defined profile, her competitive desire to win him over burned even brighter.

As soon as we entered the newly opened Romantic Western restaurant on the back street, a waiter greeted us and led us to our seats. The two of us sat down by the window.

Xu Jiao took the initiative to bring the menu to her, flipped it open and looked at the price tags. In order to show that she was sensible, she specially chose a set meal for two for 188 yuan.

"I promised to treat you today, so consider it a thank you for treating us to dinner before," she pushed the menu in front of Ye Chen, blinked her eyes, smiled sweetly, and continued in a coquettish voice.

"However, my living expenses are limited, so Young Master Ye can't complain that the set meal I chose is cheap."

Ye Chen didn't even glance at the set meal. He casually closed the menu and chuckled, "There's no reason for a girl to pay when we go out to eat together. I'll pay for this meal."

After saying that, he waved to the waiter.

"Add a black truffle mushroom soup, double the foie gras, and for dessert, change to your signature lava chocolate cake. Also, open a bottle of sparkling water from 2005," he casually tapped a couple of times on the menu, handed the order book back to the waiter, and added, "The foie gras should be pan-fried until the surface is slightly browned and the inside is still pink. Don't overcook it."

The waiter immediately put away the menu and retreated with an even more respectful attitude.

Xu Jiao swallowed hard as she watched his smooth and effortless movements.

Although I don't know the exact price of the dishes I just added, I imagine they must have been many times more expensive than the set meal she ordered.

As she watched Ye Chen demonstrate his profound knowledge of French cuisine, she became even more convinced that he was playing dumb to deceive others.

It's common for college freshmen from ordinary families to go to internet cafes to play games and eat instant noodles; who can casually recite the vintage on a Western restaurant's wine list?

"Do you often bring girls to places like this to eat Western food?" Xu Jiao asked, twirling a strand of long hair that fell across her chest with her fingers, as she boldly began to probe.

"To be honest, this is the first time I've ever eaten alone with a girl." Ye Chen picked up the lemonade on the table, took a sip, and said this nonsense with a straight face.

"As for the ordering process just now, I learned it all from watching TV before, and I just put it into practice."

"I don't believe you!" Xu Jiao pouted and gave him a playful glare.

"Does TV ever teach you how to order a steak to a certain doneness and what vintage of wine to pair it with? You're just talking nonsense."

Seeing Xu Jiao's disbelieving yet playful expression, Ye Chen chuckled and didn't refute her. The two of them started joking around in this half-serious, half-joking manner.

In fact, Ye Chen knew exactly what was going on with Xu Jiao.

He could see, of course, that the girl was a bit materialistic and had a little scheme to climb the social ladder.

Fortunately, all her calculations were clearly written on her face and laid bare.

While such people are realistic, they won't be like some manipulative women who say one thing to your face and stab you in the back.

For Ye Chen, dealing with such people was actually easy; it was simply a matter of mutual benefit.

This is also why he was willing to continue to contact Xu Jiao and maintain an open attitude in front of her.

The food was served relatively quickly.

The two enjoyed the meal together quite well.

Xu Jiao has a lively personality and is very good at enlivening the atmosphere.

Ye Chen didn't put on airs and chatted very congenially with her about the topic.

He was never averse to Xu Jiao.

His speech and mannerisms were natural and familiar.

His occasional humorous banter kept Xu Jiao laughing, creating a relaxed yet slightly ambiguous atmosphere at the dinner table.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the waiter approached them with a smile and handed over the bill: "Mr. Ye, this is your receipt. Thank you for your patronage."

Xu Jiao picked up her handbag, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at Ye Chen opposite her, her eyes full of smiles.

"You ate so well this time, the pressure will be much greater when it's my turn to treat you next time."

"Pressure is the driving force." Ye Chen chuckled, picked up a napkin to wipe his hands, and stood up.

Xu Jiao looked at him with a smile, but her gaze was involuntarily drawn to him.

As he raised his arm, the originally neat shirt cuffs naturally slipped back.

The Vacheron Constantin Overseas watch, which had been hidden in the sleeve, was now revealed.

The deep blue dial and the gleaming stainless steel bracelet came into view.

Xu Jiao has studied fashion and luxury goods quite a bit, and she recognized the Maltese cross symbol, which represents the highest level of luxury, at a glance.

A top-of-the-line luxury watch, worth as much as a house, was casually worn on the wrist of a college freshman.

This kind of substantial wealth is inadvertently revealed in casual conversation.

This was complemented by Ye Chen's calm and composed aura, as if he had everything under control.

It shattered the last bit of pride Xu Jiao had as a pretty girl.

The desire to completely subdue him instantly swelled into a fervent desire for conquest.

"Let's go." Ye Chen casually stuffed the receipt into his pocket, stood up, and prepared to leave. Xu Jiao quickly followed.

Stepping out of the Western restaurant, the midday sun shone on the street.

Xu Jiao took a parasol out of her bag and opened it.

She naturally moved closer to Ye Chen.

He tilted most of the umbrella over his head, not caring that half of his shoulder was exposed to the sun.

"It's quite enjoyable to eat and chat with you, I don't feel bored at all," Xu Jiao said, trying to bring the two of them closer together with her eyes sparkling.

"Are you always this at ease when interacting with girls?"

"It's just normal chatting, there's nothing to be astute about," Ye Chen slowed his pace to match the girl's, subtly changing the subject.

"But speaking of how to impress girls, your roommate Li Meng has been getting quite a bit of annoyed by our roommate Sun Haoyu these past few days, hasn't she?"

When Sun Haoyu was mentioned, Xu Jiao covered her mouth and laughed out loud.

"Don't even mention it. Li Meng avoids Sun Haoyu whenever she sees him now. His heroic act of delivering plum juice has spread throughout the entire Foreign Languages ​​Department." Xu Jiao laughed sweetly.

"When guys are pursuing girls, it's always better to be a little clumsy than to cast a wide net," Ye Chen said, walking unhurriedly. "Don't you girls like guys who are only nice to one person?"

"Who said that? I don't like brainless guys," Xu Jiao stopped and looked up at Ye Chen. "I like guys who are decisive and can take control of the situation."