Weekend, nightfall.
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan, dressed elegantly, arrived at the(argument0)KASAMUVA restaurant.
“Mr. Lu, Miss Lin, welcome!”
Sanders personally greeted them at the entrance, slightly surprised to see Lu Zheng and Lin Wan step out of a taxi, but he warmly approached them.
“You’re too kind, thank you for inviting us to the party. It’s our first time at such an event, we’re quite curious,” Lu Zheng said, shaking hands with Sanders.
“Haha, it’s just a party, bringing together my friends from China and Italy for a chat, no different from a Chinese gathering, just a different format,” Sanders smiled.
“The atmosphere is unique, we’re eager to experience it,” Lu Zheng replied with a smile.
At that moment, Lu Zheng noticed another car pulling into the restaurant’s car park, indicating more guests had arrived, so he nodded to Sanders, “Go greet your guests, we’ll head inside.”
“Alright!” Sanders said, “I’ll find you later to introduce you to some music industry friends.”
Lu Zheng waved his hand, neither agreeing nor refusing, and led Lin Wan inside.
Today, KASAMUVA restaurant was closed to the public, hosting only invited guests. The centre of the restaurant was cleared for a dance floor, while a row of tables connected to a bar displayed a buffet of food and drinks.
Indeed, waiters weaved through with trays of red wine, just like in the movies.
In the restaurant, besides the waiters, there were some Chinese and foreign guests, the men in suits and the women in formal dresses or skirts.
As the two entered, a few people nodded politely, but most didn’t even glance their way.
Lu Zheng, with his keen hearing, caught snippets of distant conversations.
“Who are these two, arriving in a taxi?”
Lu Zheng glanced back at the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows, which offered a clear view of the street outside, including the moment he and Lin Wan stepped out of the taxi.
“Don’t know, their clothes look like common brands.”
Lu Zheng blinked. He hadn’t yet adjusted to the lifestyle of the truly wealthy. He and Lin Wan had bought their outfits, costing thousands, at Fulong Plaza’s brand stores, thinking they were quite upscale, yet they were considered common?
“Maybe Sanders’ music friends. He often plays at bars and such, perhaps he met a couple of low-level musicians.”
“Maybe, we might even get to enjoy their performance later.”
Lu Zheng: 눈_눈//
Though their analysis was nonsense, the conclusion was oddly correct. What the hell?
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan scanned the room, about to grab some food, when four young people, two men and two women, approached.
“Hello!” they greeted.
“Hello!” Lu Zheng and Lin Wan nodded back.
“Haven’t seen you before, where do you usually perform?” one of the girls asked casually.
Lin Wan blinked, unaware of the whispers around the room due to her lack of martial blood qi.
Lu Zheng sized up the four, confirming they were Sanders’ music friends from Haicheng.
“We’re not musicians,” Lu Zheng said, shaking hands with the leader. “Though I met Sanders through music, it’s just a hobby, not professional.”
“Oh, I see,” the leader nodded. “We’re the Flamingo Band, I’m Dongsheng.”
“Lu Zheng.”
“Lin Wan.”
“Miss Lin, you’re stunning!” the girl who spoke first, named Ange, said.
“Thank you! You’re beautiful too!”
They grabbed food and drinks from the buffet table and sat down to chat.
“We usually perform at bars, and Sanders joins us sometimes, so we got to know each other,” they explained.
“We’re performing tonight, but it’s a friendly gig, no charge.”
“What do you do, mate?”
“I’m a programmer, but I do freelance work, so my schedule’s flexible,” Lu Zheng said, ignoring Lin Wan’s scornful glance.
“I was going to introduce you, but it seems you’re already chatting,” Sanders said, appearing beside them.
“Everyone here?” Lu Zheng asked, glancing at the entrance where a young man in a white suit with brown hair and striking blue eyes had just entered.
“Yes,” Sanders nodded. “I’ll say a few words on stage soon and introduce you to everyone.”
Sanders then took the stage, thanking everyone for coming and encouraging them to enjoy the party.
“It’s not so different from our gatherings, is it?” Lu Zheng quipped.
“It’s different,” Lin Wan shook her head. “They bring together strangers, but our culture rarely does that. Even when introducing friends, it’s usually one-on-one privately.”
Lu Zheng nodded, “Makes sense.”
“Impressive, this young lady knows Western culture well,” a slightly accented voice said, revealing the speaker’s foreign identity despite fluent Chinese.
Lu Zheng turned to see the young man standing beside Lin Wan.
The man nodded at Lu Zheng, “Hello.”
“Hello,” Lu Zheng replied.
Lin Wan glanced at him, nodded politely, then moved to Lu Zheng’s other side.
The man blinked, shrugged helplessly, and said to Lu Zheng, “Your companion is beautiful, I mean no offence.”
“Thank you,” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow and nodded in thanks.
At that moment, Sanders introduced the Flamingo Band on stage, inviting them to perform.
Dongsheng was the drummer, Ange the bassist, another man the keyboardist, and a quiet-looking girl the lead singer.
“Mr. Lu, if you want to play a piece later, let me know so I can introduce you,” Sanders said to Lu Zheng.
“No need for an introduction,” Lu Zheng waved him off. “I’m not in this business, just here to liven up your party, no spotlight needed.”
“Alright,” Sanders agreed, seeing Lu Zheng’s firm expression, and was soon called away by other guests.
Having lived in China for years, Sanders knew Chinese and European styles differed, and a young pianist who could turn down a Juilliard professor was no ordinary person.
“You’re a pianist,” the young man said, grabbing two glasses of red wine from a passing waiter’s tray. “Sanders is well-prepared, this must be a 2003 Bourbon, my favourite.”
He handed a glass to Lu Zheng, raising his own, “To music!”
His manners were impeccable, not glancing at Lin Wan after her subtle distancing, so despite feeling the man was a bit insincere, Lu Zheng clinked glasses with him.
“To music!”
Lu Zheng took a sip, then…
“Pfft!”
He spat the wine onto the floor, abruptly looking up, “The wine is poisoned!”
