sinovels Chapter 361 Fair Competition
Chapter 361 Fair Competition
The manor's restaurant is very large and brightly lit.
Lunchtime arrived. The long table was laden with all sorts of delicious Chinese and foreign dishes. Because there were many foreigners at the manor, Li Ze had the chef prepare dishes from several different countries.
Everyone sat down at the table to eat.
Li Ze sat in the head seat in the center. He was in a very good mood today, eating his food while glancing at the young people sitting across the table.
Li Mengli sat to Li Ze's left.
To Li Mengli's left sat Lu Wenzhou. Opposite Li Mengli sat Pierre, the French hairstylist.
This seating arrangement made the atmosphere at the dinner table very interesting.
Pierre was very proactive. He took the communal cutlery and placed a very delicate French pastry on a clean little plate.
Then, he pushed the small plate in front of Li Mengli.
Pierre said loudly in English, "Miss Li, this is a very famous French dessert. The chef here makes it very authentically. You should try it; it's very sweet and perfect for girls."
The translator next to him quickly translated Pierre's words into Chinese.
Looking at the small pastries in front of her, Li Mengli felt that Pierre was truly very polite. She smiled and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Pierre. You've gone to so much trouble."
Lu Wenzhou, sitting next to him, saw this action. His face showed no anger, and he remained silent.
He very naturally picked up a glass jar from the table. The jar contained freshly squeezed orange juice.
Lu Wenzhou filled the glass in front of Li Mengli with orange juice.
He put down the glass pitcher and said to Li Mengli in a very calm voice, "Mengli, desserts can make you thirsty. Have some orange juice. I remember you once said that you like to drink fresh orange juice with your meals. This juice was just made by the chef, and the temperature is just right, not too cold or too hot."
Li Mengli turned to look at Lu Wenzhou. She said happily, "Lu Wenzhou, you have a great memory. I really do like this drink. Thank you."
After Li Mengli finished speaking, she took a bite of pastry and a sip of juice. She didn't sense anything amiss between the two men. She only felt that everyone had been very kind to her today, and she enjoyed her meal immensely.
However, Pierre, sitting opposite Lu Wenzhou, narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Lu Wenzhou's action.
Lu Wenzhou also looked at Pierre, and their eyes met on the dining table.
Neither of them spoke, but they both knew exactly what the other was thinking.
Li Ze sat in the main seat, and he saw everything.
Li Ze almost burst out laughing.
He took a bite of his food, then tilted his head slightly. He whispered to the older man standing behind him, "Older man, look at these young people. They're so busy even while eating. You grab a piece of pastry, I pour a glass of juice. They're secretly competing with each other."
The old man stood very straight. Hearing Li Ze's words, he bent down slightly and replied in a low voice, "Boss, both of them are pursuing the young lady. This kind of competition is perfectly normal."
Li Ze smiled and nodded. He said very casually, "Yes, it's perfectly normal. My daughter is so beautiful and has such a good personality. It's only natural that people would want to fawn over her. Let them compete. I had a really interesting lunch today."
Li Ze wasn't worried at all. He felt that watching these two outstanding young men compete for their daughters was a very proud thing for a father.
After lunch.
Li Mengli felt a little sleepy. She greeted the people in the lobby and went straight upstairs to her room for a nap.
The foreign masters also went to find places to rest.
Lu Wenzhou walked out of the restaurant. He didn't rest. He strode into the garden outside the manor.
The air in the garden was very fresh. The grass was green, and the flowers were blooming beautifully.
Lu Wenzhou stood beside a fountain. He had his hands in his suit trouser pockets and was looking at the water in the fountain.
Just then, footsteps came from behind him.
Lu Wenzhou turned his head. He saw that the French hairdresser, Pierre, had also come out from inside.
Pierre stopped a short distance from Lu Wenzhou. He looked at Lu Wenzhou with a very confident smile on his face.
There are only the two of them here now; there is no translator, and Li Mengli is not here either.
Lu Wenzhou felt that this matter didn't need to be delayed any longer. He wanted to get straight to the point.
Lu Wenzhou looked at Pierre and immediately spoke in fluent English.
Lu Wenzhou's voice was very loud and clear. He said, "Mr. Pierre, I saw everything you did this morning, and what you did at lunch just now."
Pierre wasn't surprised at all when he heard Lu Wenzhou speak to him in English.
Pierre shrugged and spread his hands. He replied loudly in English, "Mr. Lu, what I did was perfectly normal. I was concerned about a very beautiful lady. Is there a problem with that?"
Lu Wenzhou took a step forward. His expression became very serious.
Lu Wenzhou said very directly, "Mr. Pierre, we are all smart people, so let's not waste time with pleasantries."
"I'm absolutely certain that you're interested in Mengli. You want to pursue her."
When Pierre heard Lu Wenzhou ask so directly, he not only didn't deny it, but nodded very forcefully.
Pierre loudly admitted, "Yes, Mr. Lu, you have a very sharp eye."
"I really like Miss Li. She is the most beautiful Asian girl I have ever seen. Her smile is very captivating. I am determined to pursue her."
Pierre spoke very directly, without any pretense.
Lu Wenzhou looked at Pierre. He thought this foreigner was really very bold.
Lu Wenzhou's expression remained calm as he continued, "Mr. Pierre, since you've admitted it, I'll tell you directly as well."
"I also really like Mengli. I'm pursuing her. Besides, our two families have a very good relationship. I've known Mengli for much longer than you have."
"I hope you understand this."
Lu Wenzhou's words carried a very clear warning. He wanted to tell Pierre that he, Lu Wenzhou, was the one with the greatest advantage.
However, Pierre burst out laughing when he heard these words.
Pierre looked at Lu Wenzhou and said very loudly, "Mr. Lu, what you're saying is completely unimportant to me."
"Knowing each other for a long time doesn't mean she'll choose you. And the good relationship between your two families can't determine your love life."
Pierre straightened up, patted his chest, and said confidently, "We French believe that love is free. As long as Miss Li is not married, everyone has the right to pursue her."
"Everyone is in a free-choice relationship. Whoever wins Miss Li's heart will naturally have to rely on their own abilities."
"I will absolutely not give up on pursuing her just because you are a rich young master or because you have known her for a long time. That's impossible."
Pierre spoke very loudly. He showed absolutely no intention of backing down.
Lu Wenzhou stood there quietly and listened to Pierre's words.
He looked at the French man in front of him.
Lu Wenzhou originally thought that as long as he made his point clear and applied a little pressure, the hairdresser would back down.
But he didn't expect this foreigner to be so stubborn and brave.
Lu Wenzhou wasn't angry. On the contrary, he suddenly found the matter quite interesting.
A very relaxed smile appeared on Lu Wenzhou's face.
He looked at Pierre and nodded.
Lu Wenzhou said loudly, "Mr. Pierre, you're quite an interesting foreigner. You're very direct, and I really appreciate that."
"Alright. Since you've put it this way, I agree with you."
"Feelings are something you really can't force."
Lu Wenzhou extended his right hand, looked at Pierre, and said, "Alright then. Let's see who can make Mengli happy and who can ultimately win her heart."
When Pierre saw Lu Wenzhou extend his hand, he smiled happily.
Pierre strode forward, extended his hand, and firmly grasped Lu Wenzhou's hand.
Pierre exclaimed, "Fine! It's a deal. I'll show you the romance of the French. I definitely won't lose to you!"
Lu Wenzhou grasped his hand and replied with great confidence, "Then we'll see."
The two men clasped hands together, then quickly let go.
They laid everything out on the table. There was no arguing, no fighting. They simply and directly established a rule for fair competition.
They all knew that the next two weeks at the manor would be their best opportunity to showcase their abilities.
……
Directly above this garden, on a large balcony on the second floor.
Li Ze was standing there.
He held a cup of freshly brewed hot tea in his hand. His right hand was still holding the string of beads.
Standing tall, one can see far. He saw everything clearly: Lu Wenzhou and Pierre met, talked, and finally shook hands in the garden.
The old man stood behind Li Ze and reported very quietly, "Boss, the people below just reported that Lu Wenzhou and Pierre are negotiating in the garden. They've decided to compete fairly in pursuing Miss."
Upon hearing Lao Yi's words, Li Ze picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip of hot tea.
A very satisfied smile appeared on Li Ze's face.
He turned to look at Old One and said in a very relaxed tone, "See that, Old One? That's how smart people do things."
"Both of these boys are quite good. They didn't do anything bad behind my back, nor did they make a scene or embarrass Mengli."
"They were straightforward and open about their competition. I really admire that attitude."
Li Ze placed his teacup on the table beside him. He walked to the balcony railing and looked at the scenery outside.
Li Ze felt extremely proud.
He recalled his youth. Back then, he had nothing, and he devoted all his sincerity and effort to pursuing Zhang Ruoran.
Now, his daughter has grown up. Two such outstanding men are competing for her. This shows that his daughter is exceptionally talented and very attractive.
Li Ze said loudly, "Old One, listen up."
"These next few days, no matter how those two people send gifts to Mengli, how they talk to her, or how they try to curry favor with her, you and your men are not allowed to interfere."
"Let them compete however they want."
The old man stood very straight and replied loudly, "Understood, boss. We absolutely will not interfere."
However, Li Ze's expression immediately turned serious. His voice also became louder.
Li Ze continued, "But you need to tell your men to keep their eyes open."
"Fair competition is fine. Sending flowers and gifts is fine. Saying nice things is fine too."
"If they dare to lay a hand on Mengli, if they dare to force Mengli to do anything she doesn't want to do. Or if they make Mengli feel bad, angry or wronged because of competition."
Li Ze's eyes sharpened, and he said domineeringly, "Whenever something like this happens, you don't need to report to me. Just take your men and throw both of them out of the manor gates."
"My daughter, Li Ze's daughter, is meant to be cherished, not used to cause them anger."
Upon hearing the order, Lao Yi nodded vigorously without any hesitation.
The old man said loudly, "Don't worry, boss. If the young lady is even the slightest bit unhappy, I guarantee they'll both disappear from here immediately."