Zhang Yuxi arrived at the restaurant over half an hour early and waited quietly for Lin Li. For her to arrive so early to wait for someone was a first; Lin Li was the very first person to receive such treatment.
Usually, it was others who arrived much earlier to wait for her.
Today, Zhang Yuxi had her hair up in a bun and wore a light-colored, elegant dress with makeup on her face. She had clearly taken great care in getting ready.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Lin Li walked up to Zhang Yuxi, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"I just got here a little while ago myself," said Zhang Yuxi with a smile, despite having been there for over half an hour.
With her guest having arrived, Zhang Yuxi immediately motioned for a waitress to bring out the food.
While the waitress went to prepare their dishes, Lin Li and Zhang Yuxi started making small talk.
"After a night’s rest, your complexion really has improved," Lin Li said with a smile, looking at Zhang Yuxi’s rosy cheeks.
"After I washed up yesterday, I fell onto my bed and was asleep almost instantly. It’s been a long time since I’ve fallen asleep that fast." As she spoke, she took a pre-prepared bank card from her purse and placed it in front of Lin Li.
"What’s this?" Lin Li asked, looking at the bank card she had placed before him.
"If you hadn’t saved me yesterday, I definitely wouldn’t be alive to see the sun today... There’s a million in this card. It’s just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you’ll accept it," Zhang Yuxi explained.
She had originally wanted to give more, but Liu Lan had reminded her that if she gave too much, Lin Li probably wouldn’t accept it.
The two of them had discussed it seriously and decided on a million. It wasn’t too much, nor too little. They figured there was a high probability Lin Li wouldn’t refuse this amount.
Although Zhang Yuxi and Liu Lan had carefully deliberated and concluded that Lin Li would accept the sum of one million, the reality was not what they expected.
As soon as Zhang Yuxi finished her explanation, Lin Li immediately shook his head in refusal.
"Take this money back. Saving you yesterday didn’t take much effort on my part.
"In my eyes, it was a trivial matter. If I accepted a million from you as a thank-you gift, my conscience wouldn’t be clear..."
Zhang Yuxi hadn’t expected Lin Li to refuse even a million. She was about to say something more to persuade him to accept her gift, but just as she opened her mouth, before any words could come out, Lin Li cut her off.
"Alright, don’t say another word. I’m not going to take this money. If you consider us friends, then don’t bring up this million again," Lin Li said resolutely.
As he firmly rejected Zhang Yuxi’s one-million-yuan gift, he was also thinking to himself.
’Zhang Yuxi is a major client who’s bought several batches of pearls from me! Building a good relationship is absolutely necessary.’
’Now that I’ve saved her life, she owes me a huge favor. In the future, I can be more at ease when we continue to cooperate or even expand into other business ventures.’
"..." Zhang Yuxi’s bright eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Li, falling silent.
She interpreted his words to mean that he truly considered her a good friend. Thanking a friend for this kind of help with money would be too damaging to their bond.
Seeing that Zhang Yuxi had dropped the subject of money, Lin Li knew he had convinced her. Just then, she spoke up.
"I won’t bring up the money again, but you did save my life! If I don’t show my gratitude in some way and just offer thanks with words, my conscience won’t be clear either."
Lin Li raised his hand, extended a finger, and tapped the tabletop. "You’re not just offering thanks with words. Aren’t you treating me to lunch right now?"
"This... How could just one meal be enough?" Zhang Yuxi said, shaking her head.
"Then make it two meals! When you have time later, you can treat me again, and we’ll call it even. You don’t have to keep it on your mind," Lin Li said with a smile.
"I never would have thought! In your eyes, my life is only worth two meals," Zhang Yuxi joked.
Lin Li knew she was just teasing, so he simply smiled without replying. At that moment, the waitress came to their table with a serving cart and began to serve their food.
This was a high-end Western restaurant with a steep price per person.
Western restaurants with such high prices all had one thing in common: the dishes were exquisitely prepared, the plates were enormous, and the portions were tiny.
’Sigh, looks like I won’t be able to go straight home after this. I’ll have to stop by another restaurant to actually fill my stomach...’ Lin Li grumbled internally as he looked at the beautifully crafted but meager portions on the table.
The waitress left after serving all the dishes. The two of them ate and chatted, laughing as they talked, and their relationship grew closer without them even realizing it.
......
The bell signaling the end of class rang out, and the once quiet campus immediately erupted with noise.
The elementary school students, who had been in class all morning, were already famished. Upon hearing the bell, happy smiles spread across their little faces.
The teacher announced that class was dismissed. The ravenous students lined up under the direction of their class monitor.
Then, led by their respective homeroom teachers, everyone proceeded in an orderly fashion to the school cafeteria for lunch.
The elementary school cafeteria had three floors. The first and second floors were for students, while the third floor was for the teachers.