"Come, this is the best restaurant in all of Paris. Its Chinese name is 'Huang Li Niao' – the Oriole. What do you think? Does the name sound charming?" Li Susu said with a smile as she led Yang Yunhe to a restaurant that looked rather ordinary from the outside but was conveniently located near the Elysée Palace.
"Esteemed madam and sir, we are very sorry, but we are fully booked for today. If you wish to dine with us, you may make a reservation in advance!" a doorman politely blocked Yang Yunhe and Li Susu's path at the entrance.
"Then, let's find another place. We'll come again next time, and I'll treat you!" Yang Yunhe said to Li Susu, while asking the doorman in fluent English, "If we make a reservation now, when can we come to dine?"
"Certainly, I need to check the details. If you make a reservation now, the earliest would be about half a year from now." The doorman smiled, a response that made Yang Yunhe feel extremely awkward.
"No need for such trouble!" Li Susu waved her hand, then took out a card from her small bag and handed it to the doorman. "Can we go in now?"
The doorman glanced at the card and his smile became even more sincere. "Of course. I didn't expect you to be a distinguished club member. Please follow me!"
After speaking, the doorman led the two into the restaurant. Yang Yunhe noticed that the outside of the restaurant was indeed very lively, with more than a dozen tables in the lobby all occupied.
However, after the doorman led them through a corridor and into another hall, they found it to be quite spacious. Only two or three tables were dining, and the guests were all impeccably dressed and carried themselves with an air of distinction; they were clearly wealthy individuals.
Furthermore, the layout of the entire restaurant was different from the outer dining area. Firstly, the area of this hall alone was three times larger than the outer one, yet it had significantly fewer tables – only eight tables in total.
As a result, the remaining space was filled with various decorations and artworks, meticulously arranged to give a soul-stirring first impression.
"Hello, our head chef, Mr. Klypin, will be serving the club restaurant today. Here is his exclusive menu for your review!" another server approached and respectfully handed a menu to Li Susu. Li Susu began to peruse it intently, while Yang Yunhe, on the side, was clearly restless.
The company had strict regulations prohibiting dining out without company approval. Yang Yunhe had violated these rules but could not explain this to his former crush, nor could he refuse. He could only sit there, uneasy.
Li Susu, mistaking his unease for discomfort with such a luxurious restaurant, smiled and said, "Make the best of it. The more anxious you are, the more people will notice!"
"Heh!" Yang Yunhe gave an awkward laugh. Li Susu had been prepared for Yang Yunhe to ask many questions, but finding him merely sitting there awkwardly and in silence, she could only smile and say, "Are you curious why the lobby is full of people, and reservations are booked for half a year, yet we are able to dine in such a spacious restaurant?"
"Yes!" Yang Yunhe nodded, as he was indeed quite curious.
"It's because in France, all high-end restaurants have their own club systems. The more top-tier the restaurant, the more it will establish its own exclusive club. And it's not easy to join this club; it doesn't accept external members. Only those with sufficiently high status and position can proactively receive invitations from the restaurant to join its club."
"Only by becoming a club member do you have the privilege to dine in this more elegant restaurant!"
"Then it seems that you, senior, are quite a big figure in France, otherwise you wouldn't have the qualification to be invited by this restaurant to become a club member!" Yang Yunhe quickly said, causing Li Susu's face to beam even brighter. "Not at all. It's actually because your brother-in-law has a higher status. I'm just using his card!"
"Isn't your brother-in-law's status also yours?" Yang Yunhe said, but inwardly he felt even more dejected. He felt that this senior, whom he had finally met again, seemed to have become increasingly distant from the person she once was.
Of course, it was also possible that Yang Yunhe was too young back then to notice many things. Unlike now, Yang Yunhe had endured much of life's trials and tribulations, and was now able to perceive many things.
Soon, Senior Sister finished ordering, and the two began to chat about their recent lives. Yang Yunhe spoke about his research in materials science, while Li Susu talked about the wonderful life in Paris and how it made one feel so much better physically and mentally compared to life in China. Everything seemed wonderful, and Yang Yunhe gradually relaxed, no longer overthinking things, and simply began to enjoy the beautiful reunion with his former crush.
However, Yang Yunhe couldn't help but complain about the slow speed of the food service. It had been an hour, and only five dishes had been served.
Five dishes might sound like a lot, but each dish was essentially a piece of art on a plate, with very little substance. Each dish was gone in a single bite. Li Susu also mentioned that this speed was considered fast, and that dining here typically took around three hours.
"This is the exquisite elegance of France. Such an elegant lifestyle doesn't exist in China!" Li Susu said lightly. Yang Yunhe didn't know what else to say.
But Yang Yunhe wasn't particularly interested in listening to his senior sister speak anymore, so he tried to shift his attention elsewhere, such as to the menu placed beside him.
Yang Yunhe casually flipped through the menu and was surprised to find a photograph of a person on the very first page. This person was casually seated by a window in the restaurant, with his legs crossed, gazing out at the Parisian street with a relaxed air. In his hand, he held a genuine Chinese tea cup.
On his table were various Chinese dishes. Unsurprisingly, the protagonist was naturally a Chinese person, and someone Yang Yunhe had met not long ago and had spent a considerable amount of time with – a very familiar figure.
"Boss Huang!" Yang Yunhe exclaimed in surprise, as if a sheep had seen a wolf. He had been contemplating whether or not to betray Boss Huang, but then he saw Boss Huang's photo in the restaurant's menu, making him suspect if the surroundings were already swarming with people from Jiangnan Group.
"What's wrong? It's just a photograph. Why are you so startled?" Seeing Yang Yunhe's discomposure, which drew the curious glances of other diners, Li Susu quickly said.
"No, I just didn't expect his photograph to be on the menu!" Yang Yunhe replied.
"The reason why this restaurant is considered the best in France is because it's where Princess Vivian treated Mr. Huang He when he visited Paris!" Li Susu said with a smile.
"You mean, the boss dined here with a princess!" Yang Yunhe was even more astonished!
"Yes, it was when Liu Shang Qu Shui Cai Wei first visited this fashion capital!" As she said this, Li Susu suddenly became a little excited. "Back then, Princess Vivian had just come of age when she met Mr. Huang He, who was on vacation in Paris. They were smitten with each other at first sight and became kindred spirits."
"Princess Vivian invited Mr. Huang He to her coming-of-age ceremony, so Mr. Huang He bought the entire Tuileries Palace to celebrate Princess Vivian's birthday. In return, Princess Vivian bought this restaurant and treated Mr. Huang He to a French Chinese meal here. Later, this place was renamed 'Huang Li Niao' (Oriole). It is said that Princess Vivian personally chose the name. 'Huang' refers to Huang He, and 'Li' refers to Princess Vivian."
"However, some people say that the name 'Huang Li Niao' was Princess Vivian's inner sentiment at the time. Although she fell in love with Huang He at first sight, due to her royal status, it was impossible for her to be with Mr. Huang He, who was then still unknown. Thus, Princess Vivian identified herself as an oriole, believing herself to be a pitiable oriole trapped in a cage, much like the Nightingale in Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale. It was truly tragically beautiful."
"Uh..." Yang Yunhe had never imagined his boss had such a story. And the name Princess Vivian seemed vaguely familiar to him.
Ah, yes, that foreign woman who designed for Liu Shang Qu Shui Cai Wei and bought his liquid fabric material – her name was Vivian, Princess Vivian.
"Um, does Princess Vivian have any connection to Liu Shang Qu Shui Cai Wei?" Yang Yunhe couldn't help but ask.
"Of course, there's a connection. Didn't you know that Princess Vivian is the chief designer of Liu Shang Qu Shui Cai Wei?" Li Susu said with great surprise, then thought of something and quickly added, "I almost forgot, you're in engineering, so it's normal for you not to be familiar with these things."
"But actually, this outfit I'm wearing is a custom piece from Liu Shang Qu Cai Wei's summer collection last year. How is it? Isn't it absolutely perfect!" Li Susu couldn't help but show off her clothes. However, Yang Yunhe only saw glimpses of alluring skin revealed with the involuntary movements of her sleeves, prompting Yang Yunhe to quickly take a sip of red wine.
"Do you really like the clothes from Liu Shang Qu Shui Cai Wei?" Yang Yunhe asked, having thought of something.
"Of course, these are the best clothes in the world. It's a pity they're so hard to get. I had to go through a lot of trouble to get this set!" Li Susu sighed, her eyes filled with longing.
"I'll send you a set later!" Yang Yunhe said. The last time they met, that woman seemed to have given him a business card, saying he could get help from Liu Shang Qu Shui Cai Wei anytime.
It shouldn't be difficult to get a set of clothes using that business card.