Jiayi took a deep breath and stopped in her tracks.

No wonder the French manager smiled so meaningfully! Little pet?

She glared intensely at his tall spine a few times, but then her gaze became desolate.

Indeed, little pet, wasn’t that so? She was just his pet after all.

At this moment, the French manager led them to a table at the very back, inviting them to sit down.

The ambience was serene, with melodious music drifting through.

Though the French Restaurant wasn’t too large, the dining space here was quite spacious, clearly reserved for VIPs.

It was mealtime, and with so many guests waiting outside—all either rich or noble—the manager had reserved the place solely for Huo Zhenyang, not allowing any other guests in—this man’s face, indeed, was tremendous.

Huo Zhenyang, following his usual habit, ordered a few dishes he was accustomed to eating.

The servant brought the dishes one by one, in sequence.

After everything had been served, the waiter who served the dishes retreated.

In a corner, a servant started to play the violin, the light and romantic dining background music floating in the air was a piece from a French court banquet.

Huo Zhenyang’s slender fingers took the clean napkin from the table and wiped it before picking up the silver knife and fork, looking towards the girl opposite him, he said indifferently, "Eat."

Dressed in a black suit for the wedding today, his Yingwei outfit made him appear even more regal now, sitting across the long dining table, his tall frame straight, his gaze tranquil. The way he dined was both classical and elegant, seeming very much like a 16th-century monarch.

Jiayi felt as if she was dining with His Majesty of France, and she couldn’t help but sneak a few more glances.

Seeing that she hadn’t moved, his eyes darkened, "Don’t know how to eat?"

She had eaten French food a few times before, but it was never this complicated, and it was also her first time being brought to such a formal French restaurant by him.

Genuine French cuisine strictly follows a sequence: first, the soup, then the dishes, followed by dessert.

The dining etiquette is also very stringent, down to the gestures for cutting beef.

She froze momentarily and before she could speak, the man opposite her suddenly stood up and walked behind her.

Heat cascaded from above her head, and before she could move, he had already caged her with his arms from behind, capturing her wrists.

The man gripped her small hand along with the knife and fork tightly, "I’ll teach you how to eat."

"I... I can," she protested weakly—who wouldn’t know how to cut a steak? Was he really treating her like a pet? She shifted her little shoulders, trying to slip away from his forbidding embrace.

"If you don’t know, be humble. Don’t embarrass me in public," he whispered harshly beside her delicate ear, his breath heavy.

His tone became strict, like a teacher schooling a student, or a father instructing his daughter, without sparing any feelings.

She didn’t dare to speak again, holding her breath and obediently letting him grip her hand, like a little child being held by an adult being taught to write.

He bent his handsome, tall frame over her, his face hanging over her shoulder, surrounding her body, holding her hand with the knife and fork, guiding her as she cut the steak on the ornate silver platter bit by bit.

Only when he had cut the entire piece of steak into small bite-sized pieces suitable for the girl’s small mouth did he finally sit back down.

Halfway through the lunch, a noise came from not too far away, drawing Jiayi’s attention to look back.

The restaurant servant’s voice impeded her: "...Miss Jiang, the area inside has already been taken. Could you please wait for a bit, or there are available tables outside where you can start dining..."

"How can Miss Jiang sit outside? With so many customers seeing her, they’ll all swarm over for autographs and photos, what then?"

It was a man’s voice, though it sounded effeminate.

"But it’s peak dining time now, and our manager has already reserved the inside area for other esteemed guests ..." The servant was in a difficult position.

"Hmph, the inside area is so big, and there’s only that one table. Isn’t it a waste of space? Miss Jiang is already here, waiting at the door, and you’re saying you don’t even give face to a leading actress?" The man’s voice became even shriller.

Still hesitating, the servant did not let them through.

The man finally lost his patience, "Who is inside exactly? Go in and mention our Miss Jiang’s name to that guest. I’m sure they will invite us in."

As the servant was still deliberating, the flamboyantly effeminate man had already entered.

The man wore heavy eyeliner, his nails were coated with holographic polish, and his hair dyed in a rainbow of colors. His attire was more flamboyant than a nightclub hostess and he exuded a gay vibe that could practically suffocate someone.

Stepping into the inner area, he immediately saw the man dining and froze, quickly putting on a smiling face, completely contrary to his previous manner. He perked up his pinky finger:

"Oh, oh my, if it isn’t young master Huo ... Young master Huo, what brings you here for lunch today?"

Huo Zhenyang saw him barge in but did not get annoyed. He picked up a clean, soft napkin from the table, lightly wiped the corner of his mouth with a graceful and natural motion, as if he were nobility, "Do I need to report to you in advance where I dine, Steve?"

Steve swallowed hard. Having not seen young master Huo in a while, he seemed even more handsome and the manly charm oozing from him made it hard to look away.

So they knew each other.

Jiayi could almost hear Steve gulping, her eyes involuntarily sneaking a peek at Huo Zhenyang across from her.

So—Does this man, Huo Zhenyang, swing both ways?

A few seconds passed before Steve came to his senses, clapped his hands, and continued to fawn, "Of course not, no need for young master Huo to announce himself to me. ... My apologies, I didn’t recognize Mount Tai, not knowing young master Huo was dining here. Your lordship please don’t hold it against this small man, I’ll leave right now, I’ll go immediately..."

Huo Zhenyang’s eyelid twitched, seeing Steve turn to leave he spoke, "Wait."

The moment Steve heard young master Huo calling him to stay, he was as thrilled as if he’d received an imperial edict, and quickly turned back, "Do you have any further instructions, young master Huo?"

"Is Jiang Meiyi outside?" The man asked indifferently.

Steve was taken aback, quickly replying, "Yes, Miss Jiang wanted to have French food today and happened to come here to dine. She’s still waiting outside in the car. ... But no worries, I’ll just go out and tell Miss Jiang, and we’ll change to another restaurant."

Jiang Meiyi?

It was then that Jiayi finally understood who the "Miss Jiang" was that Steve had been arguing with the servant about outside earlier.

She recalled that Steve looked somewhat familiar, oh right, he was Jiang Meiyi’s agent!

She had seen him when Jiang Meiyi came to JJ to shoot the advertisements for the new product, Steve had accompanied her.

"No need to change to another place, and no need to wait. Tell her to come in. Get a servant to clean up a table for her, to dine in the inner area,"

Huo Zhenyang casually uttered the words.

Steve couldn’t believe his ears, thinking he had misheard.

Ever since Jiang Meiyi offended young master Huo during JJ’s new product advertisement shoot and got her contract with him terminated, she hadn’t had the chance to work with any brand under the Huo Family ever again.