Chapter 13: Who Are You Looking Down On?

"Big brother, sister-in-law, I came back to apologize to Dad; it was my fault in the past." Chen Yu endured the mockery of these people and lowered his head to admit his mistakes; he really had been a jerk in the past.

"Chen Yu, if you still have any shred of shame, get out right now." Ye Qian looked at Chen Yu with disdain: "Not only will Mom and Dad be angry when they see you, but in a place like this, how is a hoodlum like you qualified to come in and eat?"

"Enough." Ye Xinyu suddenly became angry: "It is only natural for a daughter to celebrate her father's birthday. Chen Yu may not be doing well, but if you want to drive Chen Yu away, you are driving me away. When the time comes, I will tell everyone in the world that the Ye Family looks down on the poor and curries favor with the rich, and that you look down on Chen Yu, this poor son-in-law."

Ye Xinyu's outburst actually stunned the members of the Ye Family. Indeed, the Ye Family is an Aristocratic Family of scholars that values face; if this were really spread around, Ye Taihe would have no face left to show in their social circles.

"Haha, Qianqian, guests are guests, after all." Fang Chen walked forward with a laugh: "You are Chen Yu, right? I have heard of you for a long time."

"That's right, I am Chen Yu." Chen Yu nodded.

"I am Qianqian's boyfriend; we are brothers-in-law, in a sense." Fang Chen said with a chuckle: "You are really lucky to be able to scrounge a meal at Fu Man Lou today. Eat a bit more in a while, and pack some up to take with you, because you surely can't afford the things here on a regular basis."

"Thanks, I can still afford a meal." Chen Yu said indifferently.

"Chen Yu, watch where you are when you brag." Ye Qian sneered: "This is Fu Man Lou, the minimum spend is eighteen thousand, and we specialize in imperial palace cuisine. Furthermore, the head chef here is a descendant of a genuine imperial chef."

"Besides, you can't even book a table here without half a month's notice. You two are only here today because you are basking in the glory of my Fang Chen."

A man with ability—Ye Qian clearly felt proud, and by comparison, the Chen Yu that Ye Xinyu found was the ultimate bumpkin.

"Young Chen is truly something; he is young, and his background and connections are impeccable. Eating in a place like this represents supreme status and resources." Aunt Ye Li said with a fawning smile.

"Right, both are sons-in-law of the Ye Family. Heh, some people only know how to drink and play cards, then bully their wives. Truly useless."

The crowd of Ye Family relatives cast looks of disdain at Chen Yu one after another.

Ye Xinyu bit her lip and said nothing; with her husband being belittled, she also felt she had no face.

"Alright, the time is almost up, everyone let's go in. Our private room today is Jinyu Hall; this is the top-tier private room here, and it is usually not open to the public." Seeing the Ye Family's flattery, Fang Chen became even more smug.

"Oh my god, that is the most luxurious private room in Fengling City. Even a single chandelier costs hundreds of thousands, and the sofas and tableware are all custom-made to imperial standards."

"I heard the room has an exclusive chef, a descendant of a genuine imperial chef. They only prepare three tables of food a week and you have to book a month in advance. The minimum spend in this room is tens of thousands." Cousin Liu Juan said with a look of surprise.

"Booking isn't necessary. I have a good relationship with Manager Zhang here; a word from me is enough." Fang Chen laughed loudly.

"Young Chen is truly amazing. Fu Man Lou has a market value of nearly one hundred million with eighteen branches, and they have never sold anyone's face. Being able to book this room represents supreme status and powerful connections, and this is the kind of treatment only an emperor would have."

"Haha, the future of the Ye Family will depend on Qianqian. By the way, how does that gambler Chen Yu have the nerve to come here?"

A group of people flattered Fang Chen while taking the opportunity to step on Chen Yu.

Chen Yu turned a deaf ear to the relatives' mockery, acting as if he hadn't heard them.

"Haha, let's go, let's head to the private room." Under the flattery of the relatives, Fang Chen was even more pleased with himself.

"President Fang, you've arrived." Manager Zhang of Fu Man Lou greeted them.

"Manager Zhang, the private room is ready, right? Take us there." Fang Chen smiled.

"President Fang, this... I'm sorry, I'm afraid the private room cannot be used today." Manager Zhang said with some embarrassment.

"What?" The smug look on Fang Chen's face changed instantly.

"This, I am truly sorry. A leader might be coming today, and the boss gave instructions personally. I will prepare another private room for you." Manager Zhang said with an apologetic smile.

"Zhang, are you playing with me? I already gave you a heads-up in advance, why are you changing your mind at the last minute?"

Fang Chen was furious. He had just been bragging in front of all the relatives, and now he couldn't even book the room in the blink of an eye. Wasn't this making him lose all face?

"I am truly sorry, President Fang. It's a special situation today. You know that this room usually requires booking a month in advance, and I already said I would try my best to save it for you." Manager Zhang said apologetically.

"Zhang, are you really not going to give me this face? You are just a servant who waits on people. If you don't save this room today, don't blame me for being impolite." Fang Chen shouted.

"Fang Chen, don't go too far." Manager Zhang also got angry: "I call you President Fang to give you face, but don't really think you are some big shot."

Fu Man Lou has branches all over the provinces around Fengling and a market value of one hundred million, backed by the Lin Family. They really didn't put the scale and profit of Fang Chen's family company in their eyes.

"You..." Fang Chen was so angry he couldn't speak.

"Brother, the other rooms are quite good too." Seeing that Fang Chen was in an awkward position, Liu Juan quickly looked for a way out.

"How can that be?" Chen Yu, who was to the side, smiled, "President Fang's face is very useful throughout all of Fengling. If he can't even handle this small matter, wouldn't that be a slap in his face?"

"Chen Yu, shut your mouth." Fang Chen raged: "Is there any room for you to speak here? Do you know what kind of place this is?"

"What qualification do you have to speak? If it weren't for us, you wouldn't even be able to get through the door. This is a place only people of high society are qualified to come to."

"Chen Yu? Are you Mr. Chen Yu?" As soon as Manager Zhang heard the name Chen Yu, he was startled and hurried to Chen Yu's side.

"That's right, I am Chen Yu." Chen Yu was a bit surprised; he didn't know this manager.

"President Lin and you..." Manager Zhang confirmed.

"I treated his old man's illness." Chen Yu nodded.

"I am sorry, Mr. Chen. The Jinyu Mantang private room is this way, please follow me." Manager Zhang's attitude did a 180-degree turn immediately, and he bowed.

This scene stunned everyone in the Ye Family. Manager Zhang is a manager at Fu Man Lou; to reach this level at Fu Man Lou, his connections must be quite good, but why was his attitude toward a piece of trash so good?

"Zhang, are you mistaken? He is a hoodlum, what right do you have to be so respectful to him?" Fang Chen felt like he was going crazy.

"That, there is no mistake." Manager Zhang said while nodding and bowing: "This is a distinguished guest of our Fu Man Lou."

"He lost all his money gambling, lives day-to-day borrowing money, and is supported by his wife. Are you sure? Look at the clothes on him, they are street-stall goods." Ye Chenguang also said, unable to believe it.

"No mistake, no mistake." Manager Zhang was stunned for a moment. Fu Man Lou is a Lin Family property. Yesterday, Lin Wenfu personally gave instructions that if someone named Chen Yu came to dine, he must be treated with the best service, and if he dared to be negligent, he would be fired.

A distinguished guest of Lin Wenfu—how could he dare to be negligent? However, looking at the situation, Chen Yu seemed to be on bad terms with his family.