Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 345: Family Dinner (6)

Dragon Raja 3

At that moment, the restaurant manager hurried over and scolded the waiter under his breath, “How could you make such a mistake? This table was clearly reserved for Mr. Lu and his guest, not a party of six! Didn’t you notice the difference in numbers?”

Aunt immediately sprang up in protest, shouting, “It was your sales manager who handed me a discount card in the hotel lobby! If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have come to your restaurant! And now you’re saying we made the mistake?”

The manager, after carefully inspecting the elegant invitation Aunt had handed over, explained with a sigh, “This is indeed a very fine invitation, but Chateau Joel Robuchon Tokyo has never done promotions or discounts since its opening. Our clientele comes from all over the world, and we typically book out a month in advance. We barely have enough space for everyone, so how could we possibly be promoting with the hotel? This table was indeed reserved by Mr. Lu, and it was his friend who made the reservation. The menu and wine selection were also chosen by his friend. I apologize for our mistake, but unfortunately, we cannot accommodate you tonight. However, if you’re willing, we can arrange another nearby restaurant for your dinner.”

Aunt’s face turned green with anger, and she glared furiously at the manager, completely ignoring Lu Mingfei standing beside her. She couldn’t figure out what was going on, but she refused to swallow this humiliation. Just when her pride was soaring to its peak, her nephew had appeared once again to ruin everything, dressed in a dignified manner as if he had already made a great success of himself, and even bringing along a girl. He claimed the table was his, and the restaurant staff all sided with him. The glory of the Lu family had all been taken by Lu Lincheng and Giovanni, and now even a dinner table was being taken from them!

Director Chen’s family awkwardly rose from their seats, and Uncle quickly stood between Aunt and the manager, afraid her loud voice would cause a scene and draw attention from everyone in the restaurant.

In the midst of this chaotic scene, Lu Mingfei spoke up, “I’m sorry… This is all my fault…”

The manager looked at him, puzzled. He thought, “You could blame the restaurant, or you could blame Mr. Lu, but what did you do wrong? Were you late because of traffic?”

“It’s my mistake. I didn’t reserve the table. Aunt invited me to dinner, and I arrived late. It’s all my fault,” Lu Mingfei said quietly.

The manager stared at him, unable to comprehend how the situation had turned around so drastically.

“Old Lu, is this your nephew?” Director Chen suddenly seemed to realize something.

“Yes, yes! This is my nephew!” Uncle, relieved that Lu Mingfei had provided a way out, warmly put his arm around him. “My nephew is studying in the U.S….” He hesitated for a moment, unsure how to explain why his nephew, who was supposed to be studying in the U.S., had suddenly appeared in Tokyo at such an important dinner.

“I’m working part-time in Japan while studying abroad and came to visit my aunt and uncle,” Lu Mingfei said.

“Exactly!” Uncle’s face lit up with realization. “My nephew goes to a prestigious university, studies on a scholarship, and even works part-time. He’s a hardworking kid, hahaha. And this is…?” Uncle enthusiastically extended his hand toward Erii.

“My classmate,” Lu Mingfei said, feeling incredibly anxious. He was willing to help Aunt save face, but that didn’t mean Erii would be. Erii was very particular about people touching her, so there was no way she would shake hands with Uncle, right?

To his surprise, Erii obediently placed her hand in Uncle’s and gently shook it, offering a reserved smile that seemed to melt away the coldness from her face.

“Since you all know each other, let’s add two more seats. I hope you enjoy your meal,” the manager said, eager to resolve the situation smoothly to avoid any negative impact on the restaurant’s reputation.

The table, originally meant for six, was now cramped with two extra chairs. Everyone sat there, looking at each other with subtle and awkward expressions.

If it weren’t for the situation, Aunt would never have agreed to sit down and have dinner with Lu Mingfei. But since Director Chen’s family had already learned that she had such a nephew, and Lu Mingfei hadn’t done anything inappropriate, refusing to share the table with him would make her look like a future wicked mother-in-law. If she didn’t handle it well, Jiajia might not want to be with Lu Mingze.

Lu Mingfei didn’t dare make eye contact with Aunt. It was strange—despite everything, even though he’d participated in world-saving events at school, he still felt nervous in front of this housewife.

No matter how formidable you are in the outside world, when you return to the small realm of “home,” you revert to being the child you once were.

He quickly understood the significance of this dinner. Jiajia and Lu Mingze’s seats had been subtly arranged right next to each other, and Jiajia was wearing a bright red dress, while Lu Mingze was in a suit. The whole scene screamed “matchmaking.”

Aunt repeatedly addressed Director Chen with respect, clearly acknowledging that his official rank was higher than Uncle’s. Uncle was just a researcher. With all these clues, Lu Mingfei realized something crucial: his presence here was incredibly ill-timed.

In this situation, Lu Mingfei knew he couldn’t stand out too much, otherwise it would be like a girl showing up to a wedding with a dress that’s overly tight at the waist, with an exaggerated bust, and a skirt that’s way too short—clearly holding a grudge against the bride. To make matters worse, Director Chen’s wife seemed particularly interested in him.

“Oh, I’ve never heard you mention this nephew before. Such a promising young man, traveling abroad at such a young age. He must be very self-reliant,” Director Chen’s wife said, her comments continuously circling back to Lu Mingfei.

“His parents are busy, so he used to live with us for a while. He’s always been independent,” Aunt had no choice but to go along. If she spoke ill of Lu Mingfei at this moment, she would only seem petty.

“I wouldn’t have made it this far if it weren’t for Aunt’s care,” Lu Mingfei quickly poured a drink for Aunt.

“Which university in the U.S. are you attending?”

“A private college, not very well-known, pretty small,” Lu Mingfei answered humbly.

“Oh, don’t be modest. When Jiajia was applying to go abroad, we did our research. The smaller the private colleges in the U.S., the better. They’re usually elite schools that rarely admit foreign students. Your parents are in the U.S. too?”

“They’re archaeologists, traveling the world. I haven’t seen them in years.”

“Oh my, the whole family is full of elites!”

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