90: Chapter 90 A meal cost a staggering 870,000 yuan
The Peony Hall was a mess of cups and plates; empty bottles of ace of spades leaned against the table, and australian lobster shells were piled high on half a plate. Ruan Shu was taking a selfie with her phone, her mouth grinning from ear to ear.
She had just posted photos of the luxurious spread to her Moments with the caption, "Living it up with Young Master Pei, dining at Zhanghua Mountain Villa whenever I want." In the comments section, people were already expressing their envy: "Shushu, you're so lucky."
"I'm stuffed, I'm stuffed! Young Master Pei, today's meal was amazing!" Blondie burped, rubbing his stomach with a look of complete satisfaction, totally oblivious to Pei Yunxiao's tense expression.
Li Na and Wang Ting chimed in as well, their phones never stopping as they took photo after photo of the empty wine bottles and silver tableware, desperate for everyone to know they had visited such a high-end establishment.
"Let's go, let's go! Next time Young Master Pei treats us, we'll definitely come again!" Ruan Shu was the first to stand up, heading for the exit in her high heels while already calculating how to show off to the classmates who hadn't managed to snag a free meal.
But just as they reached the door of the private room, a man in a black suit stopped them; it was the Lobby Manager of Zhanghua Mountain Villa.
Holding a printed bill, he spoke with a polite smile but an uncompromising tone: "Hello, sir. This is the bill for tonight's consumption. Please settle it after checking."
Pei Yunxiao's heart skipped a beat, and the smile on his face froze instantly. However, he forced himself to walk over and reach out for the bill.
He thought it would be a few tens of thousands at most; worst-case scenario, he'd just swipe Song Zhiwei's supplementary card and settle the bill first.
But when his eyes fell on the total amount at the bottom of the bill, his pupils constricted, and he gasped: "Ei—Eight hundred and seventy thousand?!"
His voice was trembling, and the bill in his hand almost fell to the floor.
Ruan Shu leaned over to take a look and also gasped. 870,000! In the suburbs of Jiang City, that was enough for a down payment on a small three-bedroom apartment!
But in the blink of an eye, she switched to a flattering smile and patted Pei Yunxiao's arm, intentionally raising her voice: "My god! 870,000! Young Master Pei, you're too generous! This one meal is enough for those hicks to earn in a lifetime. As expected of the rich life—people like us wouldn't even dare to dream of it! I knew following you was the right choice; our lives are definitely going to get better and better!"
As she spoke, she held up the bill for Li Na and the others to see. "Come on, everyone, take pictures! This bill is perfect material for Moments!"
Li Na, Wang Ting, and Zhao Ya hurried over, scrambling to see the bill, their mouths filled with constant "wows."
"Oh my god! A 1957 romanée-conti, 620,000 for just one bottle? Doesn't a single sip of this wine cost several thousand?"
"Two bottles of ace of spades were ordered too. Young Master Pei is so generous! Truly, we don't understand the world of the rich!"
"Quick, take a photo and post it to Moments. I want my classmates to see that I had an 870,000-yuan feast with Young Master Pei tonight!"
Several of them pulled out their phones and started snapping photos of the bill frantically, the flashes never stopping.
Watching this scene, Ruan Shu felt smug. The 2,500-yuan spot fee she had collected wasn't for nothing; this level of prestige was enough for them to brag about for half a year. Who would dare disbelieve her if she called herself Young Master Pei's "confidante" in the future?
But Pei Yunxiao was in no mood to watch them show off. He snatched the bill away, his finger sliding rapidly across it as if he wanted to poke a hole through it: "This isn't right! Why are there two bottles of romanée-conti? And only one bottle of ace of spades was ordered! Manager Liu, did you make a mistake?"
The manager stepped forward, holding a tablet to pull up the consumption records. His tone was calm but clear: "Mr. Pei, there is no mistake. Your table indeed ordered two bottles of romanée-conti—one from 2022 and one from 1957. There were also two bottles of ace of spades. These were all confirmed on the spot by the guests at your table."
"1957? 620,000?!" Pei Yunxiao's voice suddenly spiked, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Who ordered it? We didn't order this bottle at all!" He had never seen such expensive wine in his life, let alone drank it—he wouldn't even dare touch it!
Ruan Shu immediately shifted the blame to Song Zhiwei, shouting in a shrill voice, "It must be that bitch Song Zhiwei! She came in earlier; maybe she secretly added dishes to scam Young Master Pei out of his money!"
The Lobby Manager shook his head and pointed to Blondie, who was slumped on the sofa. A wine bottle was clutched in Blondie's arms, the words "1957 romanée-conti" clearly visible on the label.
"This gentleman ordered it," the manager said, pointing at Blondie. "At the time, this gentleman said he 'wanted to add another bottle of fine wine.' Our server also confirmed it with you, and you agreed before the bottle was opened."
Pei Yunxiao looked in the direction the manager was pointing and saw Blondie leaning drunkenly against the sofa, muttering, "This wine is so sweet... my dad will definitely like it..."
He exploded instantly, rushing over and kicking Blondie in the leg, roaring, "Are you fucking crazy?! Who told you to order the 1957? Do you know how much this bottle costs? Over six hundred thousand! Can you afford it?!"
Kicked into a bit of sobriety, Blondie opened his eyes blearily. Seeing Pei Yunxiao's furious state, he was a bit dazed: "Young... Young Master Pei? I... I just wanted to bring some good wine back for my dad. He's never had such expensive wine in his life..."
"Bring, bring, bring! With what?!" Pei Yunxiao was trembling with rage, pointing at Blondie's nose and cursing, "Do you know how much this meal costs in total? Eight hundred and seventy thousand! Your monthly living allowance is only a few thousand—how dare you order a bottle of wine worth over six hundred thousand?!"
Only then did Blondie realize he had caused trouble. His face turned deathly pale instantly, and he stammered, "I... I didn't know it was so expensive... I thought it was only a few tens of thousands... Young Master Pei, I didn't mean it. How about we return the wine?"
Pei Yunxiao immediately turned to the Lobby Manager, his tone pleading: "Manager, we haven't finished this wine, and he ordered it by mistake. Can we return it? We'll pay for everything else, but can we just forget about this bottle?"
The smile on the Lobby Manager's face faded slightly, but his tone remained firm: "Sir, I'm very sorry. According to the regulations of Zhanghua Mountain Villa, opened bottles cannot be returned or exchanged. However, if you don't wish to take it with you for now, we can help you store it in our cellar for your next visit. We guarantee the taste won't be affected."
"What's the use of storing it! Will I even come back next time?!" Pei Yunxiao growled, regretting his words as soon as they left his mouth.
How could he have the face to come back? This 870,000-yuan bill had already pushed him to a dead end.
Ruan Shu, Li Na, and the others also sensed something was wrong. The excitement on their faces gradually vanished, replaced by panic.
Pei Yunxiao turned and grabbed Manager Liu's arm, his voice extremely low and pleading, "Manager, can we put it on tab? I'll bring the money tomorrow!"
Manager Liu pulled his hand away. His smile remained polite, but he intentionally raised his voice so that everyone in the room could hear: "I'm sorry, Mr. Pei. Zhanghua Mountain Villa has a policy: our hotel never accepts tabs. All consumption must be settled on the same day."