Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As we chatted more about our school days and daily lives, I gradually forgot about the embarrassing incident earlier, and the meal itself went pretty smoothly.

But then, two waiters standing nearby started talking—quietly, or so they thought. "The kitchen said anyone who orders medium-well or medium-rare-plus gets medium instead. They'll never taste the difference anyway."

Of course, I heard every word. Seriously? Is this the kind of professionalism Xiti Hotel prides itself on? Why not just announce it over a loudspeaker in the middle of the dining hall?

I felt hot and awkward, like I was sitting on pins and needles. I waved the waiter over to pay the bill.

The waiter came over with a tray, on which were the bill and a POS machine.

I reached for my wallet—and my mind went blank. I'd never done anything like being a date stand-in before, and I'd been so nervous that I'd forgotten to bring the money Noah had given me. I had no choice but to pull out my own wallet.

It was thin and flat, a dead giveaway that there wasn't much money inside. And sure enough, there were only a few crumpled bills inside.

The waiter looked down at me and said, "Sir, you don't have enough money!"

I pulled out my card, and her next words made me so embarrassed that I wanted to dig a four-bedroom, one-living-room apartment out of the ground and crawl into it. She said, "I'm sorry, we don't accept debit cards!"

Just then, Chloe tapped her finger lightly on the table. "Put it on my tab," she said.

They let you put it on a tab? I quickly spoke up. "Put it on my tab instead. I was in a hurry when I left, and I didn't check my wallet."

"It's fine," Chloe said. "You can treat me next time."

Her words made me want to vanish on the spot. Noah had specifically told me this was just a one-time meal—no sequel, no round two. What was Chloe trying to say?

I hoped to God this was just a polite Chinese way of speaking. If there really was a "next time," I'd rather drop dead than go through this again.

Outside the hotel, I tried to be a gentleman. "Do you want me to call you a taxi?"

"No, I drove here," Chloe said, pointing toward the underground parking lot. "Did you drive? If not, I can give you a ride."

I shook my head quickly. "I have something to take care of nearby. I should go now." My internet café was close by, and I was dying to find Noah and give him a piece of my mind.

If I didn't punch him a few times, I'd never get over the humiliation I'd endured today.