Chapter 9 Is This Supposed to Be Perfectly Normal?

As the three of them walked into Pangu Valley, they were immediately greeted by someone.

They were high earners after all, so stepping into such a high-end restaurant didn't make them feel out of place.

Ignoring the enthusiastic gaze of the waitress, He Jing's eyes carefully swept over the lobby on the first floor, but she still did not see Gu Heng.

"Ladies, are you here to dine? Do you have a reservation?" the waitress asked.

After the question, Lin Jiayun showed an indifferent expression and casually said, "Don't ask us."

The waitress: "???"

Seeing the confusion on the waitress's face, Lin Jiayun nudged her chin towards He Jing.

"There, see her? Ask her instead."

Before the waitress could continue questioning, He Jing, who had scanned the entire dining hall and failed to find Gu Heng, started to believe what Lin Jiayun had said. She thought it was very likely that Gu Heng was playing tricks on her, so she could only put on a brave smile and said, "Could you arrange a table for us, please? For three people."

However, the waitress did not respond immediately. Instead, she respectfully said, "I'm sorry, ma'am, it looks like you're searching for someone. Do you have friends who might have made a reservation in our restaurant?"

This time, He Jing wasn't so certain about Gu Heng and hesitantly nodded her head...

"There might be... It's possible there is a reservation..."

Either there is or there isn't, what does 'might be' or 'possibly' even mean?

Although perplexed by He Jing's answer, the waitress maintained her professionalism. Without any change in her expression, she continued to smile and said, "In that case, ma'am, please wait a moment. I'll go and consult with our manager."

After saying this, the waitress smiled politely at the three women and turned to walk towards the distance...

In less than half a minute, a middle-aged man dressed in a Western-style butler uniform came over with a leather book.

He greeted them formally, then went straight to the point, "I was wondering if one of the three ladies is surnamed He? We have only one reservation for this time slot, left by a Mr. Gu."

Upon hearing the manager's words, He Jing's eyes flashed...

"Is the Mr. Gu named Gu Heng?" she asked.

The manager looked down at the reservation record in the leather book, smiled, and nodded, "Yes, that's correct."

"Then it must be him!"

Relieved by the manager's confirmation, He Jing finally exhaled a sigh of relief. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to pay for a meal at such an expensive restaurant today...

But immediately following that, a wave of annoyance hit her...

The damned Gu Heng, even though he's the one who invited them to eat, wasn't reachable by phone, and now all she could think of was to give him a piece of her mind when she saw him!

"Can you take us to him now?" she asked.

After listening to He Jing's words, the manager slowly replied, "I'm sorry, ma'am. Mr. Gu has booked a private room on the third floor with dedicated service. Our staff from the first and second floors do not have the authority to take people up there.

Please wait a moment; I will communicate with the third floor, and someone will soon come down to greet you."

With that, the manager turned his back and was whispering something into a headset...

Hearing the manager's words, He Jing instinctively looked towards Lin Jiayun...

At the same time, Lin Jiayun's gaze met hers...

A private room on the third floor?

And with personal service?

Even though it was He Jing's first visit to Pangu Valley, she understood the prestige associated with those terms...

Especially Lin Jiayun, who had seen numerous online reviews about the place...

What she remembered was that the average cost of 980 only got you a taste of the broth in the standard dining hall...

What the expenses were for the third floor, she had never even seen mentioned online...

But anyone with half a brain could deduce from the standard dining hall's costs that the third floor would be astronomically expensive...

Thinking of this, Lin Jiayun couldn't help but quietly move closer to He Jing, whispering in her ear, "Jingjing... are you sure this Gu Heng was only earning 4500 a month before? Or did he actually resign because he won the lottery?"

"It should... it shouldn't be?"

Hearing Lin Jiayun's words, He Jing suddenly remembered what Gu Heng had said to her before resigning this afternoon...

Could it be that he wasn't joking with her?

Was his family's eight hundred acres of water paddies really confiscated?

Or is it that his father is actually a billionaire who had kept it a secret from him for over twenty years?

Before He Jing could think too much, a young lady dressed in a woman's suit hurried over to the group...

"Excuse me, which one of you is Ms. He?"

He Jing quickly stood up.

"Ms. He, good evening and to the two ladies as well. I am the manager of the third floor at Pangu Seafood Hotpot, my surname is Lu. Mr. Gu has been waiting for a while now. Is it convenient for you to go to the third floor now?"

"Oh, yes, it's convenient."

"Please follow me this way."

.....

.....

They ascended the first floor stairs.

Although the three of them had been to quite a few high-end restaurants, there were very few that were decorated so lavishly...

As internet celebrities, their instinct to take photos and check-in kicked in, and they couldn't resist taking out their phones and started to take pictures of each other...

The manager seemed to be used to this, standing with her hands at her lower belly, patiently waiting, and even kindly offered, "Ladies, if you want to take pictures, I can contact our in-house professional photographer for you. After the meal, you can have pictures taken at any spot inside the restaurant.

Furthermore, we also have professional lighting technicians and equipment, which will surely satisfy you."

Listening to the manager, the three of them exchanged glances...

At this moment, they all began to wonder if they really had been living in Hang City for several years?

They were well aware that internet celebrity shops had specific spots for photo ops, but they had never heard of any place hiring professional photographers with professional equipment just for customers' photos...

No wonder the starting per person consumption was 980...

Just this service alone was worth the price...

Two minutes later, led by the manager, the three of them finally reached the third floor...

Compared to the occasional noise from the first and second floors, the entire third floor was unusually quiet...

The manager also deliberately lowered her volume, saying, "Our Pangu only has one private room on the third floor, but it comes with 12 professional waitstaff. Since we only serve one table per day here, it's quieter.

Please, this way."

Having said that, she led the three to a closed door...

"Knock, knock, knock..."

As the wooden door emitted a pleasant crisp sound, a voice from inside simultaneously said, "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and the manager walked in with the three of them.

"Mr. Gu, your friends have arrived. Would you like the dishes served now?"

"Sure, serve the dishes now, and have someone clean up these melon seed shells."

Hearing Gu Heng's voice, He Jing let out a breath of relief...

At the very least, she hadn't gotten it wrong, and she wouldn't have to suffer any embarrassment...

But as she looked up, seeing Gu Heng sitting at the dining table, following a drama on his iPad, leisurely cracking melon seeds, she was dumbfounded...

Gu Heng was wearing a pure white LV casual overcoat. Even his hairstyle had changed to a cushioned 4:6 parting, unlike the messy hair he had in the afternoon. Although his facial features were the same, his overall charm had increased by more than a notch, turning from an ordinary nerd to a trendy, hunky bad-boy...

Especially since behind the transparent glass doors of the private room, there was a whole viewing terrace, and under the night sky, West Lake made Gu Heng emanate an air of mystery and languid luxury...

For a moment, He Jing, who had intended to question why Gu Heng hadn't answered his phone, found all her queries stuck in her throat...

Apart from He Jing...

Lin Jiayun and Xiao Lan both had similar thoughts...

Lin Jiayun even pulled He Jing next to her, speaking in a low voice but with an intense tone, "Sister, keeping all the good stuff to yourself, huh? Is this the unremarkable Gu Heng you told me about?

Now tell me with your hand over your 34E bosom, doesn't this count as anything but ordinary???"