Xie Fangfang's smile collapsed immediately, "Shi Mei, do you find this amusing?"
Shi Mei seemed startled, her body shuddering as she retreated behind Tang Jingming.
It was upon hearing her shout that his impression of Xie Fangfang sharpened.
Shi Mei was her classmate, and they had never gotten along from high school through college.
Xie Fangfang's family wasn't particularly well-off, but she liked to hang out with wealthy classmates, always eager to please.
Tang Jingming suppressed a laugh, taking delight in her misfortune, "Miss Xie, you might not know, but after Sister Shi woke up from her car accident, her IQ was only that of a five-year-old. It wouldn't be too much to call you auntie."
Xie Fangfang was stunned for a moment before she looked incredulously at Shi Mei.
Shi Mei's expression was innocent, her eyes revealing a touch of timidity and confusion.
Xie Fangfang, disbelieving, blurted out, "She's pretending, right?"
During high school, she was known for using her foxy face to make friends, and even the school heartthrob fell into her hands.
Is she pretending to be naive now to snag a wealthy man?
Xie Fangfang eyed their outfits – Tang Jingming in a crisply tailored luxury suit, clearly expensive, and Shi Mei in cheap clothes. This solidified her suspicion even more.
Tang Jingming showed no intention of explaining. He sat down pulling Shi Mei with him, his voice gentle as he asked, "Sister Shi, what would you like to eat?"
Shi Mei flipped through the menu for a bit, then pointing at the largest picture, said, "I want to eat this!"
The selection was a super luxurious, large Princess ice cream. The beautiful princess dessert stood tall and looked exquisitely elegant.
Tang Jingming initially wore a smile, but it faded upon seeing the price, and he exclaimed, "Why is it so expensive?"
Tang Jingming's voice was loud, and people nearby all turned to look.
Xie Fangfang was dumbfounded, "What?"
"A single drink costs over two hundred, a coffee over three hundred, and one cake can match the price of a seafood feast—why not just rob us?"
Hearing this, even the waiter, looking their way, wore a look of disdain.
Xie Fangfang felt extremely embarrassed for a moment, gestured for him to lower his voice, and explained, "Mr. Tang, this is how it's priced at such places."
"Why come to a fancy place then? The price of one drink could feed our Sister Shi at home," he said loudly, pulling Shi Mei up to stand, "Forget it, forget it, we should be thrifty. How can I trust you with managing money if you're this extravagant?"
Xie Fangfang's facial expression twisted slightly.
Before coming, she had done her homework, fully aware of Tang Jingming's prominent family background, not something hers could compare to.
That's why she dared pick this place, but Tang Jingming seemed... a bit different from what she imagined?
Shi Mei almost burst out laughing, clutching her thigh to maintain her innocent façade.
Pulled up suddenly, she pouted, wearing a reluctant face, pointing at the menu and shouting, "I don't care, I want to eat this!"
Tang Jingming probably didn't expect her to be so 'understanding', and he grimaced as if in pain, "Too expensive, not worth it just for a cake. How about we go eat something else?"
Shi Mei looked like she was about to cry, pushed him, and said with a tender voice filled with a sobbing tone, "I want to eat this!"
Watching Shi Mei behave this way, Xie Fangfang somewhat believed that she might really be silly.
The former Shi Mei, known as a cool goddess, always dressed and behaved maturely and treated everything with cold indifference.
How could she behave in front of so many people?
The eyes around them filled with contempt grew in number. Xie Fangfang felt utterly humiliated but was reluctant to let go of such a big catch. She quickly stood up, tentative, "Mr. Tang, please sit down, how about... let me treat?"
As soon as the words fell, Tang Jingming, originally planning to leave, paused and said, "How could I accept that!"
Despite his words, he promptly sat back down.
Xie Fangfang immediately felt the mocking stares around her intensify.