Before he could finish speaking, the other end cut him off directly, "Luo Yi? Who's that? Never heard of him!"
Luo Yi's air of superiority froze on his face.
But thinking of the countless eyes watching him from behind, he put on an air of confidence and said, "Well, you see—my daughter is currently in a relationship with the eldest young master of the Yu family, Yu Chengnan. Good news should be forthcoming before long. On top of that, our Luo family is about to enter a partnership with Sheng Kai…"
"I'm sorry, I don't recognize any of the people you're referring to."
With that, the other party hung up with a snap.
Luo Yi's aged face immediately fell, his grip on his phone tightening into a white-knuckled clench.
Damn it, just a deputy general manager, and he actually dared to hang up on him?
"Honey, how did it go — has Deputy GM Wang sorted everything out?"
"Dad, are we going to that VIP private room on the top floor? I heard the night view from there is wonderful…"
Jiang Jingya and Luo Zhiqin, mother and daughter, had caught none of the conversation. They turned to him with eager, expectant expressions — only to be cut off by a cold glare from Luo Yi. "Deputy Director Wang has resigned. There's no way for him to arrange anything for us now!"
"Resigned? How could that be — I just saw her yesterday…" Luo Zhiqin's eyes went wide. She was about to press further when Jiang Jingya gave her sleeve a tug.
She looked up to find Jiang Jingya shaking her head at her, signaling her to keep quiet.
Jiang Jingya had known Luo Yi for decades. Sensing his irritation, she ventured carefully, "If that's how it is, shall we find somewhere else to eat?"
Luo Yi felt his face burning with humiliation. He was just about to take the offered way out when Li Bochen suddenly raised an eyebrow and asked, "Deputy General Manager Wang resigned? How strange — I seem to have heard of a Deputy General Manager Wang who is currently still working at Changlong Hotel…"
"You?" Luo Yi fixed him with a dark, sidelong glare. "The Changrong Hotel is a six-star property under the Shengshi Group. Even a vice president there lives better than some small-time boss on the outside. A broke kid like you — how could you possibly know him?"
"Dad, I'm afraid our brother-in-law simply figures we're leaving regardless, so he's throwing around some big words." Luo Zhiqin was already in a foul mood, and responded with a disdainful scoff.
Li Bochen's thin lips curved into a slight smile. "Who said we were leaving?"
Luo Yi drew a sharp breath. "You're not leaving? You actually want to eat here?"
"Why not?"
"……" Luo Yi was so vexed he couldn't help but laugh. "Xixi, take a good look at the husband you picked — being down-to-earth is one thing, but the sun hasn't even set and he's already off daydreaming!"
Luo Ningxi wanted to say a few words in Li Bochen's defense, but she truly couldn't get any of them out.
She leaned close to Li Bochen's ear and whispered, "I know you want to put on a good show, but even acting has its limits — don't overdo it."
As she spoke, she was ready to laugh it off with some flimsy excuse, but Li Bochen gave the back of her hand a gentle pat and said soothingly, "It's all right. Leave everything to me."
Li Bochen took out his phone and stepped aside to make a call. The amber glow of the street lamp fell over him, stretching his shadow long across the ground, his every movement carrying an air of quiet distinction.
Luo Ningxi watched his retreating figure with an uneasy heart.
Surely he wasn't turning to those wealthy women he used to serve for help?
For no discernible reason, a faint unease stirred in Luo Ningxi's heart—but the thought came to her in an instant: he had swallowed his pride and gone to beg a favor, all for her sake… Fine. She would just make it up to him later.
"Putting on quite a show, but a fake is still a fake!" Luo Zhiqin had sidled over at some point, her tone dripping with mockery. "I was actually worried you might compete with me for Brother Chengnan—but to think you'd sell yourself short and set your eyes on this kind of pretentious pretty boy. Ha!"
Luo Ningxi clenched her fists.
Laugh all you want — there will come a day when she won't be able to.
Before long, Li Bochen finished the call, one hand tucked casually into his pocket, and walked back with unhurried grace.
"Done with your call? So, who's coming to pick you up for dinner?" The mockery on Luo Yi's face was practically overflowing. "A person can be poor, but they can't be arrogant! Knowing full well you couldn't pull it off and still putting on airs — Luo Ningxi, I am so thoroughly disappointed in your taste in men!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Ningxi looked toward Li Bochen, her nerves drawn tight.
She suddenly felt a twinge of regret — she really should have stopped him from making that call.
At worst, we can just eat somewhere else — there's no need to fight for face over this……
Yet at that very moment, a short, stout man in a suit came rushing across the lobby, the name tag on his chest bearing the unmistakable title: Deputy GM Wang!
Deputy Manager Wang made a beeline straight for Li Bochen, his back bent nearly ninety degrees, panting as he fawned, "I'm… I'm so terribly sorry, Mr. Li, for keeping you waiting. The top-floor VIP suite has been prepared for you — please, right this way…"
The mocking smiles had yet to fade from Jiang Jingya and her mother's faces when they froze where they stood.
The one in an even more awkward position was Luo Yi.
He had barely said that Deputy GM Wang had resigned when, in the very next second, Deputy GM Wang appeared right before him!
And right in front of him, she invited some lowly, good-for-nothing pretty boy!
Jiang Jingya stared in disbelief, her eyes wide. "Vice President Wang, are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else? The person who just called you was my husband..."