Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 53: The Regretful Ex-Girlfriend

"Sir, this is table number 007, which you reserved."

A waiter in a suit led Lin Shen and Jiang Wan to their reserved table. After seating them, he placed two glasses of warm water and the menus from his tray onto the table and smiled.

"After you’ve placed your order, all dishes are estimated to be served within thirty minutes. If we exceed that time, your entire meal will be complimentary."

"Alright."

Lin Shen, ever the gentleman, handed a menu to Jiang Wan.

"See anything you like?"

"I’m fine with anything. I’m not a picky eater."

Jiang Wan opened the menu, but her expression froze for a moment. A second later, she closed it and looked at the waiter.

"How much is your dinner set menu per person?"

"Our least expensive option is the Supreme Dinner Set for 2,580, plus a 10% service charge. We also have..."

"Why don’t we get that set menu?"

Jiang Wan cut the waiter off and turned to Lin Shen with the suggestion.

"I think it’s better to let the restaurant choose the pairings for us than to order ourselves."

"Then we’ll do as you say."

Lin Shen knew Jiang Wan thought the dishes were too expensive and was trying to pick the cheapest set menu.

But she’d voiced it with such high emotional intelligence that it was both comfortable to hear and completely reasonable.

Hearing this, the waiter smiled politely.

"Very good, sir. I’ll arrange the Supreme Set for two, then. Is there anything else you require? We also offer sommelier services."

"I don’t drink,"

Jiang Wan said gently, giving Lin Shen the perfect reason to refuse the waiter’s upsell.

"No, thank you."

"Very good."

After the waiter left, Jiang Wan couldn’t help but lecture Lin Shen a little.

Although she put on the air of a wise older sister, her gentle words were so heartwarming that it was hard to feel any sense of rebellion.

The saying ’the bigger you are, the more right you are’ certainly held true.

"Lin Shen, your intentions are wonderful, but earning money isn’t easy. You must remember not to overspend."

"It’s fine. A few thousand is still within my acceptable range."

Lin Shen steepled his fingers, resting his chin on them with a smile.

And it was true.

With Lin Shen’s current income of over ten thousand a day, an occasional extravagant meal wouldn’t affect him at all.

But Jiang Wan obviously didn’t know any of this. To her, it just seemed like Lin Shen had suddenly transformed from an ordinary person into a rich heir.

The contrast was a fascinating novelty to her.

"Lin Shen, can you tell me what’s happened to you in the time since graduation?"

"Which part do you want to hear about specifically?"

"Hmm..."

Jiang Wan was actually quite curious about how Lin Shen had made his fortune, but after a moment’s thought, a different question popped out unexpectedly.

"Why did your girlfriend break up with you?"

This question had been bothering Jiang Wan for a long time.

Among all the men she knew, Lin Shen’s outstanding qualities easily placed him in the top three. It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to say he was number one.

A handsome and refined face, a well-proportioned and strong physique, a gentle and humble personality.

These brilliant traits made Lin Shen’s entire image seem almost perfect.

’Of course, he might be a little lecherous, but that’s understandable.’

’What guy isn’t?’

’Besides, nobody’s perfect. Lin Shen must have his flaws.’

’But as long as they weren’t deal-breakers, his good qualities could easily overshadow them.’

"Maybe she met someone better."

In truth, Lin Shen didn’t really want to talk about his past relationships, but if Jiang Wan was curious, he didn’t mind venting a little to this gentle "older sister."

However, they hadn’t been talking for long before the exquisite dishes began to arrive.

The amuse-bouche was Burgundy snail puffs and Yunnan truffle crisps with duck liver mousse.

The appetizers were two seafood dishes.

East China Sea yellow croaker prepared two ways, and France’s most famous blue lobster.

There was a choice of two main courses. Lin Shen ordered the M9 Wagyu tenderloin, medium rare. The charcoal grilling brought out the deepest flavors of the meat, and the rich aroma was intoxicating.

Jiang Wan chose the roasted squab. After cutting off a piece with her knife and fork and popping it into her mouth, she cupped her cheeks in bliss.

"This is so delicious! You have to try some."

With that, Jiang Wan cut another piece of squab and offered it to Lin Shen’s lips on her fork, feeding him.

He took a small bite and chewed, his eyes suddenly widening as he nodded, savoring the flavor.

’I guess you get what you pay for. This really is incredible.’

They continued feeding each other bites of their main courses, the mood of their casual conversation growing more and more lively.

The restaurant’s ambiance—a French-inspired space blending classical reliefs, modern metallic lines, and crystal chandeliers—only added to the effect, making it easy for the atmosphere between them to turn intimate.

Outside the window, a dazzling tapestry of interwoven neon lights snaked through the steel jungle of the city.

A ferry glided slowly past, trailing a radiant, multicolored wake across the glittering surface of the river.

Inside, the dim lighting accentuated the gentle, beautiful curve of Jiang Wan’s face, making Lin Shen’s heart flutter.

’The first step to becoming a scumbag is to desensitize yourself to beautiful girls and accept that it’s okay for your heart to be moved by more than one woman.’

Lin Shen was slowly getting used to this immoral thrill.

Just as he and Jiang Wan were getting along splendidly, a short distance away, Cheng Yue was growing frustrated.

The reason was Gu Wanting. She had been incredibly excited at the beginning of the evening, but now she was just staring blankly out the window.

’She was fine just a moment ago. Why the sudden bad mood?’

Cheng Yue knew that women’s emotions could be delicate, but ’surely you need a reason to be angry!’

"Tingting, try this."

Cheng Yue placed the steak he had cut onto the plate in front of Gu Wanting and asked cautiously,

"What’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing."

Gu Wanting covered her face with her hands, rubbing it roughly, completely ignoring her now-smudged makeup and messy hair.

The exquisite and delicious food in front of her was now completely tasteless in her eyes.

The reason was simple: she had run into the wrong person in the wrong place.

’Why?’

’Why would Lin Shen be at such an expensive restaurant?’

’Why was he with a stunningly beautiful woman in traditional dress?’

Gu Wanting grappled with these questions, but no answers came.

She didn’t understand why Lin Shen had changed so much.

And she didn’t understand why she was in so much pain. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

A tidal wave of regret, roaring and surging, instantly engulfed Gu Wanting’s trembling heart.

It should have been her by Lin Shen’s side. That place had been hers for the taking, but she had personally thrown the opportunity away, handing it to someone else.

Gu Wanting took deep breaths to calm herself, but she couldn’t suppress the thick sorrow welling up in her heart.

"I’m not feeling well. I’m going to head out."

Gu Wanting grabbed her bag and quickly stood to leave. The sight of her red-rimmed eyes, on the verge of tears, made Cheng Yue’s heart clench, and he scrambled to follow her.

"Huh? Tingting! What’s wrong? Wait for me!"

?

The commotion from not too far away caught Lin Shen’s attention. When he took a closer look, his expression suddenly froze.

Seeing this, Jiang Wan followed his gaze and saw a man and a woman in a chase near the entrance.

It seemed they were having a fight.

"Do you know them?"

Jiang Wan asked curiously, but after coming back to his senses, Lin Shen just shook his head. The smile that tugged at the corner of his lips held a thousand complex emotions.

"I don’t. They’re strangers."