12: Guanshanju

"Mr. Jiang, hello. Your reserved private room is Guanshan Residence on the east side. Please follow me."

As soon as they entered, the waiter had learned their identities from Gu Xinyu's words.

He opened the car door for Jiang Yuan, gestured with his hand, his attitude impeccably respectful, every movement revealing professional training.

After all, they served top-tier high-end clients here; the level of detail was far superior to the service at the Hampton by Hilton where Jiang Yuan was staying. That, after all, was not a top-tier Hilton in the true sense, and its service facilities and level of detail were far behind.

The three of them passed through the antique pavilions and walked along the corridor paved with thick wooden planks. Every few meters, a maid dressed in an elegant cheongsam would half-squat to bow, saying softly:

"Welcome."

Every maid was so well-trained, and their attractiveness was no less than a six or seven out of ten; they were all as beautiful as Ya Ya.

This made Ya Ya, who was following behind, feel a strong sense of discomfort.

She had originally intended to bring Jiang Yuan to this restaurant to eat some authentic local food, but the place they came to was the backyard she never dared to imagine before—a private area open only to specific guests, a world of luxury she could only glimpse from pictures online.

Thinking that if she had brought Jiang Yuan to the ordinary area in the front hall to dine, she would have felt a sense of shame and embarrassment. Fortunately, she hadn't said it out loud.

Now, the only thing worrying her was how much a meal in this backyard would cost, and she didn't know if she could afford the bill.

She genuinely wanted to treat Jiang Yuan to a meal. If the price was within her budget, she was still prepared to pay.

If it was too expensive, then she really couldn't help it and would have to save this gesture for another time.

The private room "Guanshan Residence," as the name implies, had a huge floor-to-ceiling window facing the distant Mount Tai. It was currently sunset, and one could clearly see the majestic Mount Tai dyed in a touch of golden color; the scenery was magnificent and intoxicatingly beautiful.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window was a winding stream, and further away was a dense forest. There wouldn't be any pedestrians appearing to disturb this quiet and beautiful scenery, ensuring the ultimate privacy for dining.

The interior of the private room was about eighty square meters, using a new Chinese-style decoration. It was completely different from the antique architecture outside, yet it perfectly integrated the charm of Chinese style, appearing both modern and elegant.

Facilities such as a washbasin, restroom, and comfortable sofa were all available.

In the center of the room was a round dining table that could accommodate ten people. In the center of the table was a three-dimensional landscape painting, and a miniature stone engraved with "The Supreme of the Five Mountains" stood on top, echoing the distant Mount Tai outside the window, full of artistic conception.

"This table is a bit big. With only three people, it's a bit inconvenient to eat."

Jiang Yuan glanced at the huge round table and couldn't help but frown.

He was satisfied with everything else, but this huge dining table made him feel a bit inappropriate; it seemed a bit empty.

"Mr. Jiang, I am very sorry. These Guanshan private rooms are all customized as standard ten-person rooms. Please forgive us. Private rooms with smaller tables cannot see such a beautiful view of Mount Tai. Look..."

The waiter bowed and explained, his tone carrying a hint of apology, afraid of neglecting the distinguished guest.

"Then let it be. Let's take our seats."

Jiang Yuan nodded. Although he felt it was a bit big, for the sake of the beautiful sunset view of Mount Tai outside the window, he didn't mind anymore.

He took the lead and sat in the seat against the inside, where he could see Mount Tai by turning his side, facing the door of the private room.

Ya Ya and Gu Xinyu sat on his sides separately. This scene had the illusion of being flanked by beauties, making Jiang Yuan feel an indescribable sense of pride.

"Mr. Jiang, what would you like to eat?"

The waiter bowed and handed over the exquisite menu, his tone respectful and thoughtful.

Just as Jiang Yuan took the menu and began to think about ordering, that Brabus C63 that had been following them finally arrived at the entrance of Kuishan Residence.

However, without a prior reservation, they were politely told that they could not enter the backyard dining area. In the end, they could only leave with full regret and unwillingness.

Until the very end, they failed to catch a glimpse of the true face of the owner of that top-tier luxury car, which undoubtedly became the biggest "suspense" of their trip.

Jiang Yuan casually ordered several authentic Lu dishes highly recommended by the waiter, including Kuishan Residence's signature "Braised Intestines in Brown Sauce," "Scallion-braised Sea Cucumber," "Four-Joy Meatballs," "Sweet and Sour Carp," and more than ten other local famous dishes.

In fact, he had tasted most of these dishes elsewhere, but at this moment, he was faintly looking forward to it, perhaps what this century-old restaurant presented would be different from what he had eaten before.

After all, the dishes on the menu were easily eight hundred or a thousand, and even the cheapest cold dish was 666 per serving.

As for drinks, he directly ordered Qingdao craft beer, and the two ladies sitting on his sides, Ya Ya and Gu Xinyu, unexpectedly chose the same beer as him.

Jiang Yuan had never liked so-called red wine or white wine. In his view, those liquids always carried an unspeakable astringency or spiciness, making it hard for him to enjoy them.

Only beer, with its refreshing malt aroma and slightly tipsy taste, could make him feel the most relaxed and comfortable, and among them, he was particularly fond of the mellow taste of Qingdao craft beer.

Before long, the exquisite appetizers and cold dishes were served to the table like flowing water. Along with them, a bottle with a completely black, exquisitely packaged box was presented, and from its appearance, one could judge its high value.

"What beer is this?"

Jiang Yuan watched as the waiter carefully opened it and took out the beer with the black bottle body, revealing a sense of mystery, and asked curiously, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

"Mr. Jiang, this is the top-tier craft series of Qingdao Beer — 'Legend of a Lifetime,' priced at 1,200 yuan per bottle."

Gu Xinyu took the bottle and elegantly poured a glass for Jiang Yuan. The liquid was a deep black-brown, and a rich malt aroma rushed to his nose.

Jiang Yuan didn't hesitate to pick up the glass and took a big gulp.

However, the expected mellowness and refreshment did not appear. A bitter and complex taste that surprised him exploded on the tip of his tongue.

After a while, his face wrinkled uncontrollably.

"Just get me some Qingdao fresh beer. This stuff is too hard to drink."

Jiang Yuan waved his hand in resistance, his brows locked tightly. He really couldn't enjoy this overly complex taste.

Seeing this, the two women couldn't help but feel curious, as if they didn't believe it, and each poured a small glass to taste.

Immediately, bitter expressions appeared on their faces one after another. Even Gu Xinyu's usually excellent expression management couldn't help but frown slightly. Obviously, the taste of this top-tier craft beer also exceeded their expectations.

"Can you two drink red wine?"

Jiang Yuan shifted the topic to other alcoholic beverages.

"Yes, Brother Jiang."

The two women answered almost in unison, their voices carrying a bit of cuteness after being frustrated.

"What kind of red wine do you have here? The better kind."

Jiang Yuan continued to ask.

"Sir, we have romanee-conti, a 2009 vintage from the La Tache Grand Cru vineyard, priced at 73,000 yuan per bottle. We also have..."

The waiter began to introduce in detail, but before he could finish, he was directly interrupted by Jiang Yuan.

"Just this one."

Jiang Yuan waved his hand, without any hesitation. In his view, since it was good wine, then just get the best one, no need to worry too much about the price.

"Okay, Mr. Jiang, please wait a moment."

The waiter immediately responded, then bowed and retreated.