Chapter 7 An Expensive Meal

• As soon as the couple entered, they heard Ashton's words, causing them to burst out laughing. "Ashton, you came from a poor and remote mountain area to attend university, and yet you're still dreaming of making a fortune in the future? You can't even afford a house in Andridge! How hilarious that you actually have the audacity to talk big like that!" mocked Paul.
• Yvonne snuggled into his arms while nodding repeatedly. "You're right, Paul. Such a poor loser doesn't deserve to have a girlfriend!"
• Ashton's face turned pale in an instant. Paul is right; I did come from a poor and remote mountain area. However, I've been studying and working hard, and Gracie sees my efforts. That's why she willingly goes out with me, even though I don't have much money.
• Still, every man had his pride, and being ridiculed like that in front of his girlfriend was simply too much for him to bear!
• After mocking Ashton, Paul finally shifted his gaze to Dwayne, who was drinking beer. "Haha! Dwayne, are you trying to drown your sorrows in liquor? Should I let Yvonne have a couple of drinks with you?"
• Dwayne replied, "It's not necessary…" He had drunk ten bottles of beer. At first, he thought he had gotten over Yvonne, but the moment he saw her, a violent shudder shook his heart. Now that he was financially stable, he was no longer the guy who used to have to work three jobs just to keep up with his girlfriend's expenses. That being said, he had dated Yvonne for two years, and they had even lived together for half a year. It was hard to let go of such a significant relationship.
• "Yvonne, what are you doing here at our table?!" said Gracie in displeasure.
• Yvonne replied, "Nothing. I'm just here to see how you all can afford to dine at The Copper Tree…" Her eyes then darted toward the dining table with contempt, but when she saw the specialty dishes all over the table, she was involuntarily stunned.
• Dwayne had ordered all the specialty dishes at The Copper Tree, filling the dining table with various exquisite delicacies. He and Ashton had been drinking in silence the whole time, whereas Grace and several others were girls who ate like a bird. Although the dishes were really delicious, they could eat no more than a bite or two of each of them. Therefore, many dishes still appeared as exquisite as when they had just been served.
• "Are these baked potatoes topped with caviar? Is that a pizza topped with black truffles? And that, is that seafood paella?" exclaimed Yvonne while staring dumbfounded at the specialty dishes on the table.
• Today was only her first time dining at The Copper Tree with Paul, but even a wealthy man like him wouldn't dare to order so many specialty dishes. All she could do was sit at the table, marveling at the astronomical prices listed on the menu, her eyes shining with wonder. In the end, they only ordered baked potatoes topped with caviar and the pizza topped with black truffles. As for the more expensive dishes at the back of the menu, they didn't even bother looking through them. After all, there was no point in doing so. Each of these dishes costs at least thousands. Even if they were extremely rich, they couldn't afford to splurge on things like these!
• She had just savored the baked potatoes topped with caviar and the pizza topped with black truffles. Just when she was craving for more, she was astonished to see these two dishes in Dwayne and his friends' private room unexpectedly. These two dishes seemed to have barely been touched, so they retained much of their initial appearance. Served on rare china plates, they looked especially tempting.
• At the center of the dining table was the seafood paella, the most expensive dish at The Copper Tree. Even though Yvonne and Paul didn't order it, she had seen this dish on the last page of the menu. She even posted a picture of it on her Instagram Stories, deliberately showing its price. It's priced at 2,700! She still remembered her envy when she saw the price of this dish. A dish that costs almost 3,000! That's a quarter of the price of my diamond ring! Who could afford such extravagance? Wouldn't they be afraid of burning a hole in their wallet?
• And now, she saw this dish with her own eyes. It was placed openly on the dining table, giving off an appetizing aroma.
• Seeing her stand frozen in place, Gracie felt a sense of satisfaction rising in her. "This is the seafood paella. Why don't you sit down and try some?" she taunted.
• Upon hearing this, Yvonne instantly got angry out of embarrassment. "Gracie! What do you mean by that?!" Just a moment ago, she had mocked these people for being poor, and now she was seeing the most expensive dish at The Copper Tree placed exquisitely at the center of their dining table!
• "Calm down, Yvonne! I'm just kindly inviting you to try this dish," replied Gracie with a false smile. "I saw your Instagram Stories just now, but what you posted was the photo of the menu, while we posted the photo of this actual dish on the table. Since you didn't get a chance to try the dish, I'm kindly letting you try some of this…"
• Letting you try some of this… These words stabbed Yvonne in the heart like a dagger, leaving her stunned for a while. Then, she heard Gracie continue, "Oh, by the way, I also liked your post! Remember to like mine, too!"
• "Why you!" Yvonne's face flushed with embarrassment and anger. This isn't the situation I've imagined at all!
• Paul's face darkened somewhat. "Humph! How can you all afford such an expensive meal?" Holding Yvonne in his arms, he calmly ran his eyes over the dining table before letting out a sneer. "You poor losers aren't trying to dine and dash at The Copper Tree, are you? Well, you all had better be prepared. This restaurant's owner has powerful connections. If you dine and dash here, you might end up getting expelled from the university! This table of dishes costs over 7,000. Do you have that much money?"
• What?! Over 7,000?! Hearing Paul's words, Gracie and the other ladies stared wide-eyed at their table in disbelief. We just ate a meal worth over 7,000?! 7,000… Even if the four of us ate at the university cafeteria every day for four years of university, we wouldn't have spent that much! And now we've just spent that much on a single meal?
• Ashton started to feel anxious as well. His lips trembled slightly as he turned to glance at Dwayne beside him, who remained silent.