Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 348: Family Dinner (9)

Dragon Raja 3

Aunt, the leader of the family, understood how to wield authority. If a leader wanted something done, it was best if a subordinate raised the suggestion, allowing the leader to appear calm and in control while also saving face in case the proposal was rejected.

“Miss Uesugi is so beautiful—does she have a boyfriend?” Uncle asked with a wide smile.

“What’s a boyfriend?” Erii wrote in her notebook and showed it to Uncle.

“A boyfriend is like a fiancé but lower-ranked. Once a boyfriend ‘levels up,’ he becomes a fiancé, and once a fiancé ‘levels up,’ he becomes a husband,” Director Chen explained patiently.

“Does leveling up require an exam?” Erii continued to write.

“Hahaha! Of course! The parents are the ones who administer the exam, which is why you have to meet them,” Uncle laughed heartily. “When you come to China, you must visit our home. I’ll make you some Hunan-style braised pork!”

“Look at you, already inviting people home! Drink up!” Director Chen joined in, raising his glass.

Erii expressionlessly raised her glass again, and the three of them downed their drinks together. Uncle then called for another bottle of the same wine. Lu Mingfei wasn’t worried about how much Erii drank. He’d shared drinks with her before and knew that, thanks to her dragon blood, she could metabolize alcohol at an incredible rate. She might get flushed, but she would never pass out. What surprised him was how Erii, who barely knew how to smile, was charming Uncle and Director Chen so effortlessly. A lively, drinking princess was every middle-aged man’s dream companion.

“Aren’t there Chinese students in the U.S. who date foreign girls?” Aunt asked, her question heavy with implication.

“Of course! There aren’t many Chinese people in the U.S., so if they don’t find someone Chinese, they end up with a foreign girlfriend,” Lu Mingfei replied, playing along with Aunt’s intentions.

“But dating a foreigner isn’t ideal, right? Whether it’s a foreign girlfriend or boyfriend,” Aunt said. “Foreigners don’t smell great, and their divorce rates are so high.”

“Yes, yes! My roommate’s just like that, hardly ever takes a shower, always smells!” Lu Mingfei thought of Finger, feeling like he wasn’t exactly betraying his friend. Finger’s shirt, after a day of use, carried the scent of everything from ketchup to Burgundy wine, resembling the complex aromas of a kitchen.

“That’s why I think it’d be great if Mingze could find a girlfriend here before heading to America,” Aunt’s intentions were now crystal clear.

Lu Mingfei glanced over at Lu Mingze and Jiajia, adopting the look of someone admiring a perfect couple, and was just about to deliver the line he had prepared when a server approached, carrying a silver platter. He whispered to Lu Mingfei, “Sir, someone has sent a letter for you.”

On the platter was indeed a simple, unmarked envelope. Lu Mingfei opened it and pulled out a note, also unsigned, with only a few hurried but graceful pen strokes: “Get out now! Chisei will arrive in five minutes!”

A chill ran down Lu Mingfei’s spine. The supreme ruler among Hybrids was approaching—the greatest power in Tokyo’s underworld. It was obvious that he would not tolerate anyone attempting to take away the girl he regarded as a sister. Anyone could imagine his fury at this moment.

Although Lu Mingfei had no idea who had sent this warning, he had no doubt that it was sent with good intentions. Someone out there was looking out for him. Along with the letter, a car key fell out of the envelope—bearing the golden bull insignia of a Lamborghini!

He flipped the letter over and saw a simple map drawn on the back. It was a rough sketch of the roads around Ebisu Garden, with an escape route marked in red ink, along with a scrawled note: “The car is waiting at the back door!”

“Wow! Your nephew drives a Lamborghini?” Director Chen exclaimed in awe. “He’s really made it big!”

Lu Mingfei didn’t have time to worry about how this compliment would affect Aunt’s feelings. His body was tense, and he stood up to look out the window. Seeing the sea of car lights at the far intersection made him tremble.

He had witnessed the Mambo cybercafé incident and knew all too well what the underworld was capable of when it became violent. They were surrounded by the Yakuza.

He wanted to grab Erii and run, but if he did, his already fragile relationship with Uncle and Aunt would shatter completely. Their family was like a broken piggy bank, and he had just barely started gluing it back together. He needed a reason to leave the dinner without causing a scene, one that was both believable and acceptable.

His legs shook uncontrollably, and anyone could see his strange expression.

A soft hand pressed down on his thigh, stopping his trembling. Then, from under the tablecloth, a small notebook was pushed into view: “There’s still time. My brother isn’t here yet.”

Lu Mingfei stared blankly at Erii. She didn’t look back at him. Her expression remained calm and detached as she raised her glass to toast Uncle and Director Chen again, leaving them no choice but to comply. Though they sensed something was off, it was hard to refuse a toast from such a beautiful young woman.

As their glasses clinked, the atmosphere at the table became lively once more. After finishing her drink, Erii pointed to her ear. Lu Mingfei suddenly understood what she meant—her hearing was far superior to an ordinary person’s. The moment Chisei entered her range of detection, she would know immediately. She must have been aware that the Yakuza had surrounded Ebisu for a while now, yet she remained calmly seated, drinking her wine… all just to be the obedient girl at a family dinner?

Seeing the Lamborghini key unsettled Aunt even further. She had originally assumed that Lu Mingfei was merely acting as a servant for this beautiful, rich Japanese girl, which explained why he could dine in such an upscale restaurant. But now, who had ever heard of a servant driving a Lamborghini to take their employer out for a private meal? To Aunt, Lu Mingfei was becoming more and more distant, a person she could no longer reach.

She forced herself to suppress her frustration and turned the conversation back to Lu Mingze and Jiajia. She had spent a lot of money on this dinner, and she wasn’t going to leave without securing her son’s future wife. Otherwise, she would be worrying endlessly once her son went thousands of miles away to America.

“Our Mingze is great, but he’s not that good at charming girls…” Aunt said.

“Yeah, but he’ll learn. It’s not really a flaw,” Lu Mingfei quickly responded. He had to make the most of the little time left to help his cousin and then find an excuse to leave.

“Lu Mingfei, you’ve been in college for about a year and a half now, right? Do you have a girlfriend? American universities are pretty open, aren’t they? Most freshmen already have girlfriends,” Chen’s wife asked.

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