Chapter 12 Royal Eight Treasures

• Just then, a young waitress walked in with the menu. Trevor, as the host, grandly waved his hand and ordered a table full of dishes.
• “I ordered a dozen or so dishes. Everyone, feel free to order anything else you'd like to eat. Today, it's my treat,” Trevor declared generously. The cost of dining at a five-star hotel was not low, but he was merely showing off. Everyone understood his intentions but didn't take it too seriously.
• “Order anything? Well, then, I won't hold back.” Finnian was waiting for just this moment. He feigned ignorance, grinning as he asked, “Miss, what's the best signature dish here?”
• “The best dish in our hotel is Royal Eight Treasures, which consists of eight different dishes in total. It's well-known throughout the nearby cities,” the waitress said with a smile.
• “All right. Let's have a taste of that,” Finnian unabashedly declared. “Moreover, it's not right for so many of us to just eat without drinking. Bring us four bottles of your oldest whiskey. If it's not enough, we'll order more later.”
• Trevor's face turned green after he heard Finnian's order of dishes and drinks. He had only been promoted to manager a few months prior and had only visited five-star hotels a few times. He had never even heard of the signature dish before, let alone knew its price.
• However, just from the grandeur of the names, one could guess that those eight dishes were undoubtedly expensive. Yet, he had already made his bold statement, and even though he was inwardly regretting it, he couldn't swallow his pride and take it back.
• Lionel, who was sitting nearby, noticed Trevor's discomfort. He quickly intervened by saying, “Finnian, Mr. Livingston has already ordered more than a dozen dishes. If you order so much more, it will be a waste. There's no way the eight of us can finish all of it. So, let's not order Royal Eight Treasures.”
• “No worries. If I can't finish it all, I can take the leftovers home. My family has never tasted food from a five-star hotel before. I can bring some back for them to try and let them know how generous Mr. Livingston is.” Finnian deliberately emphasized the way he addressed Trevor, then, as if he had just remembered something, he feigned innocence and said, “Oh, by the way, Mr. Livingston, did I order dishes that were too expensive? If you find them too costly and can't afford it, then I won't order them.”
• “No. It's not expensive. This amount of money is nothing to me. You've probably never had the chance to eat high-end dishes during your years in the army. If you want to try it, go ahead and order. Otherwise, you might miss this opportunity and never get the chance to taste such a luxurious dish again.” Trevor forced a smile, his heart filled with resentment toward Finnian. However, in order to show off in front of Lindsay, he had no choice but to swallow his pride.
• Before long, the table was laden with food and alcohol. Everyone chatted as they ate, and the atmosphere gradually became lively again.
• “Linds, do you have a boyfriend?” a female ex-classmate casually asked.
• “No,” Lindsay said nonchalantly.
• “You're so beautiful. How come you still don't have a boyfriend? Could it be...” This female ex-classmate was quite surprised, instinctively turning her head to glance at Finnian.
• During high school, in order to get closer to Finnian, Lindsay was willing to let go of her goddess-like persona and deliberately put on a 'tomboy' character to blend in with Finnian. This was something that the entire class noticed, and most of them knew that Lindsay had feelings for Finnian. However, the ones involved were often the most clueless, and Finnian, who was somewhat emotionally unintelligent, remained oblivious.
• “I also want to find someone, but I just haven't met the right person yet,” Lindsay said, casting a resentful glance at Finnian. She had thought that after being apart from Finnian for so long, she had forgotten him. But when she saw him again, she realized that the feelings from high school were the most innocent in life, and she simply couldn't forget Finnian.
• What was even more frustrating was the unrequited nature of her feelings. She wanted to express her affection to Finnian, yet she was afraid that he might not reciprocate. She feared that such a confession might even ruin their friendship, and this was the knot in her heart.
• “Linds, I advise you not to nitpick. We are no longer the naive boys and girls we once were, so stop fantasizing about such elusive things as love. In my opinion, the most important thing for a woman is her marriage. You must find a capable and competent man to entrust your life to and never degrade yourself by choosing a helpless pauper. That would only bring you a lifetime of hardship,” Trevor earnestly advised. He knew that in Lindsay's eyes, only Finnian existed. His heart was filled with jealousy to the point of death, and his gaze toward Finnian was so intense that it turned red. If looks could kill, Finnian would have been torn to pieces by him long ago.
• “Indeed, Mr. Livingston is right,” Lionel quickly chimed in, his wit shining through. “Lindsay, with your qualities, you should be with a boyfriend who is both handsome and wealthy. For someone like Mr. Livingston, not only does he have boundless prospects, but he's also handsome and suave. I think you two make quite a match. Both of you are talented and attractive. It's as if you guys were a match made in heaven. Moreover, he has been pursuing you since high school, and even now, his affection remains undiminished. A man as good as him is a rarity. In my opinion, you should simply accept his advances today. As long as you are with him, his capabilities will surely provide you with a comfortable life, ensuring you are well-cared for all your life.”
• Lionel was animated, speaking articulately and persuasively.
• This Lionel is quite eloquent. This young man has a promising future. Trevor's heart bloomed with joy, and he cast an appreciative glance toward Lionel. After that, he eagerly turned his gaze to Lindsay, hoping for an affirmative response.
• “Get together! Get together!”
• Understanding the situation, Lionel clapped and cheered enthusiastically while rallying the rest of his ex-classmates to join in the commotion.
• Lindsay's face turned cold as she stood up and uttered angrily, “That's enough. I'm not ready to find a boyfriend yet, and no one is allowed to bring this up again, or I'll leave right now!” She caught a glimpse of Finnian, who was acting like an uninvolved party and was only concerned with his own food and drink. He didn't even try to help her out of that awkward situation, which infuriated her to the point where she wished she could stomp on him.
• Upon seeing Lindsay's anger, Lionel and the others knew they couldn't push things too far. Sensibly, they all shut their mouths.
• “Hmm... This whiskey is quite good. In fact, I've only had such a pure whiskey a few times before.”
• Holding the whiskey, Finnian glanced at it and suddenly blurted out a sentence.
• Country bumpkin, are you sure you've ever even had whiskey of such quality? I bet this is your first time tasting good whiskey! Trevor gave a cold laugh, looking at Finnian with disdain. As far as he knew, a bottle of whiskey cost over a thousand, and he didn't believe that Finnian could afford it. He figured Finnian was most likely just being a poser.
• After Finnian's interruption, the initially awkward and infuriating atmosphere lightened up considerably, and the anger in Lindsay's heart also diminished a lot.
• Afterward, having had his fill of food and drink, Finnian showed no hesitation, packing up all the untouched dishes to take away.