Chapter 78 Returning to Deqing

Chapter 78: Returning to Deqing

When Zhuo Nan and Dongfang Zhiyi appeared together in the dining room, a satisfied smile spread across Dongfang Shiguo's face. As someone who had been through it all, Dongfang Yuyan stood to the side, watching the faint blush on the young lady’s face and the deep affection gleaming in her eyes, and could not help but frown. The young lady's current demeanor was entirely that of a maiden deeply immersed in love.

A trace of resentment welled up within her as she looked at Zhuo Nan. Just moments ago, he had claimed to her that he had no romantic interest in the young lady, yet now he had completely changed his tune.

At that moment, Dongfang Shiguo sat at the head of the table and said with a warm smile, "Zhuo Nan, come and join us for dinner."

Zhuo Nan smiled faintly, nodded, and said, "Alright, Grandpa."

Hearing Zhuo Nan address him as Grandpa, Dongfang Shiguo felt a surge of joy. Initially, he had harbored some dissatisfaction toward Zhuo Nan, but upon learning of Zhuo Nan's true identity, his attitude underwent an immediate reversal. Ever since Dongfang Shiguo's time, the Dongfang family's interactions with the higher echelons had grown increasingly distant. Although Zhang Keting had not stated it explicitly, the old master could guess that the Third Chief must hold Zhuo Nan in extremely high regard. One had to know that entering the Dragon Team required the personal approval of the Third Chief; if the Third Chief did not appreciate him, how could he possibly have consented to his joining the Dragon Team?

If Zhuo Nan truly became his granddaughter's husband, then the Dongfang family would have a worthy successor, and the century-old foundation of their clan would likely be carried forward and expanded under his stewardship. Therefore, Dongfang Shiguo's attitude toward Zhuo Nan had grown considerably more courteous.

Zhuo Nan took a seat to the left of Dongfang Shiguo, while Dongfang Yuyan sat directly across from him, her two eyes glaring daggers at Zhuo Nan. Zhuo Nan simply pretended not to notice.

Dongfang Zhiyi obediently took her seat next to Zhuo Nan, while Zhang Keting sat opposite her. Looking at Dongfang Zhiyi's expression, Zhang Keting sighed inwardly. If the Dongfang young lady wasn't completely infatuated, she must have lost her mind. How could such an exceptional girl fall for a man like Zhuo Nan?

When the dishes were served, Zhuo Nan could not help but marvel that the wealthy elite were indeed different—rare delicacies from mountains and seas, alongside all manner of fresh, exotic seafood, were spread out in abundance.

Once the food was arranged on the table, Dongfang Shiguo smiled and asked, "Zhuo Nan, care for a little wine?"

Zhuo Nan spread his hands with a smile and said, "Alright, I'll keep Grandpa company for a drink."

Dongfang Shiguo chuckled and beckoned to a servant standing nearby. The servant retrieved a bottle of red wine, uncorked it, and poured a glass for Zhuo Nan. Zhuo Nan picked up the glass and gave it a gentle sniff. To be honest, he knew nothing whatsoever about red wine. Before his rebirth, he had been a grassroots commoner; a bottle of wine costing sixty or seventy yuan was considered fine wine to him. After his rebirth, he had been too busy chasing women and meddling in the underworld to spare any time for learning about such matters. Lifting the glass to sniff it now was merely a pretentious act put on to match the atmosphere.

However, Zhuo Nan's pretentious gesture took on a completely different meaning in Dongfang Zhiyi's eyes: "He is truly so gentlemanly..."

Yet not everyone saw it that way. Dongfang Yuyan had once investigated Zhuo Nan's background in detail. In her view, Zhuo Nan was nothing more than an ordinary commoner. She could believe he might drink a bottle of cheap red wine costing thirty or fifty yuan, but the bottle opened now was authentic 1982 Château Lafite. Zhuo Nan had probably never even laid eyes on it before, let alone understood the nuances of fine wine.

With a mocking tone, she asked, "Zhuo Nan, judging by your demeanor, you seem quite knowledgeable about red wine. Why don't you share a thing or two with us?"

***

Zhuo Nan knew what Dongfang Yuyan was getting at. *Damn it, looking down on me,* he thought. He turned to look at Dongfang Zhiyi and saw a hint of anticipation in her eyes, then glanced at Dongfang Shiguo, who maintained an aloof stance, as if the matter had nothing to do with him. The old fox's intention was also crystal clear: to test just how much substance Zhuo Nan actually had and whether he could handle himself in high-society settings.

*Damn it, it's just red wine, what's the big deal?* he cursed inwardly, and immediately had his super brain pull up an introduction to red wine. All he had to do was recite the information flashing before his eyes.

Gently setting down his wine glass, Zhuo Nan spoke slowly: "If I'm not mistaken, this bottle should be an 1982 Lafite." Saying this, Zhuo Nan reached out, took the wine bottle from the servant's hand, and continued, "Because of the rainfall in 1982, the total grape harvest in France plummeted. However, the conditions at the Lafite estate were relatively better that year. Naturally, scarcity drives up value, making this particular year's Lafite exceptionally sought after. Currently, a bottle like this goes for somewhere between fifty and seventy thousand yuan."

Dongfang Shiguo nodded slightly and took a sip from his glass. Dongfang Zhiyi cast an approving look toward Zhuo Nan, while Zhang Keting, who never cared about matters unrelated to her, sat quietly without a single expression on her face, watching Zhuo Nan put on an act.

Dongfang Yuyan, on the other hand, spoke with disdain: "Everything you've just said is common knowledge to anyone who has ever opened a book."

Zhuo Nan knew this woman had it in for him and was determined to make things difficult. Since that was the case, Zhuo Nan had no choice but to take up the challenge. Smiling, he continued, "The grape cultivation at the Château Lafite employs extremely traditional methods, basically avoiding chemical agents and fertilizers, relying solely on manual care until the grapes are fully ripe before harvesting. During harvest, skilled workers hand-pick and screen the grapes on the vines, leaving behind any that are subpar. After harvesting and before pressing, the grapes undergo a secondary screening by even more experienced technicians to ensure that every single grape pressed meets the highest quality standards. At the Lafite estate, it takes two to three grape vines just to produce a single bottle of this red wine."

With that, Zhuo Nan picked up his wine glass and swirled it gently, coating the rim with the crimson liquid. Pointing to the droplets slowly sliding down, Zhuo Nan said, "When a good wine is swirled, it slides down slowly because minute grape fibers remain suspended within the liquid, clinging to the surface of the glass. Inferior wines, by contrast, run down quickly just like water. People usually refer to these clinging droplets as 'the lover's tears.'"

He gently raised the glass, took a small sip, closed his eyes to savor the flavor in his mouth, and finally swallowed it. Then, slowly opening his eyes as if thoroughly enjoying the experience, he continued, "The unique charm of Lafite lies in the faint hint of sweetness that lingers upon the palate, whereas lesser red wines will leave you with a astringent, sour taste. Of course, unless one is a true connoisseur of wine, such subtle differences cannot be easily distinguished."

Dongfang Zhiyi nodded slightly as she sat beside him. She frequently drank red wine herself and was quite familiar with Lafite. Everything Zhuo Nan had just said was spot on; Lafite left a faint, subtle sweetness upon the palate, a sweetness that brought a genuinely pleasant mood to whoever drank it.

Dongfang Yuyan let out a cold snort. Clearly, Zhuo Nan had gotten it right, yet her expression remained as irritating as ever. At that moment, Dongfang Shiguo spoke up: "Zhuo Nan, I had no idea you were so well-studied in wine. Splendid."

Dongfang Shiguo repeated the word "splendid" twice, which, to Dongfang Zhiyi's ears, was naturally a cause for joy. Her grandfather's attitude toward Zhuo Nan was beginning to shift, and deep down, she felt all the more convinced that Zhuo Nan was extraordinary.

Zhuo Nan smiled and said, "Grandpa, now that we've finished discussing the wine, may we finally eat?"

Dongfang Shiguo burst out laughing and hastily said, "I got so caught up listening to you talk about red wine! Come, everyone, let's eat."

At Dongfang Shiguo's command, everyone dug into the delicacies spread across the table.

Among them all, Zhuo Nan's table manners were undoubtedly the most unrefined, causing Dongfang Yuyan sitting opposite him to frown continuously.

When everyone had eaten their fill, Dongfang Shiguo put down his chopsticks, and naturally, the others stopped as well. Dongfang Shiguo picked up the napkin beside him, wiped his mouth, and said, "Zhuo Nan, you will live here from now on. The arrangements for school have already been made—you'll be in the same class as Zhiyi."

***

Zhuo Nan nodded, having clearly anticipated such an arrangement. Dongfang Zhiyi was in her final year of high school, whereas he was only starting his first year. However, this arrangement had been dictated by the Third Chief. Clearly, the grade level was something the Third Chief didn't even need to consider; for someone who could design a warship, whether or not he attended school was of little consequence. The Third Chief was simply doing Dongfang Shiguo a favor.

Taking up the conversation politely, Zhuo Nan said, "Grandpa, I have no objection to being in the same class as Zhiyi, but I still need to return to Deqing to handle some matters. I might have to leave for a few days."

Dongfang Shiguo instantly thought of the two girlfriends Zhuo Nan had back in Deqing. He turned to look at Dongfang Zhiyi and, seeing the utter indifference on her face, nodded and said, "Very well. When do you plan to return? I'll have plane tickets arranged for you, and I'll assign a few bodyguards to accompany you as well."

Zhuo Nan instinctively glanced at Zhang Keting, then turned back to smile at Dongfang Shiguo and said, "Grandpa, let's skip the bodyguards. Besides, Zhang Keting is the one responsible for my safety; her alone should be more than enough."

With that, he cast his gaze toward Zhang Keting. With a blank expression, Zhang Keting stated, "Mr. Dongfang, you may rest assured. My mission is to protect Zhuo Nan, and I will be responsible for his safety."

Dongfang Shiguo certainly believed that Zhang Keting was fully capable of safeguarding Zhuo Nan, but the fact that Zhuo Nan took this beautiful young woman everywhere he went made Dongfang Shiguo feel somewhat uneasy, which was why he had offered to assign bodyguards to accompany Zhuo Nan back. Now that Zhang Keting herself had put it that way, it would hardly be appropriate for him to insist, otherwise Zhuo Nan would surely assume he didn't fully trust him.

At that opportune moment, Dongfang Zhiyi chimed in, "Grandpa, you can rest easy regarding Zhuo Nan's safety. Since this Miss Zhang is tasked with protecting Zhuo Nan, we should trust her. However, I have a request, and I hope Grandpa will grant it."

Dongfang Shiguo paused slightly, smiled, and asked, "What is it? Tell me."

Looking at Zhuo Nan with eyes brimming with affection, Dongfang Zhiyi said, "Grandpa, I also want to go to Deqing with Zhuo Nan. May I?"

Dongfang Shiguo praised his granddaughter inwardly for her cleverness, a smile breaking out on his face. "Very good. Let Yuyan ask for leave from the school; you and Zhuo Nan can take a few days to enjoy yourselves."

How could Zhuo Nan fail to guess Dongfang Zhiyi's little scheme? Yet he felt no displeasure; instead, he reached out under the table to take her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, causing Dongfang Zhiyi's face to flush instantly with a deep crimson.

Dongfang Shiguo took in his granddaughter's expression and felt secretly delighted. It seemed his granddaughter and Zhuo Nan were already a couple. Any previous misgivings he had about Zhuo Nan's reluctance were now proven completely unfounded; all his worries had been entirely unnecessary.

Dongfang Yuyan, however, saw things differently. In her eyes, the young lady was a gentle, docile little lamb, while Zhuo Nan was a wolf in sheep's clothing. How could she possibly stand by and let the young lady fall into a wolf's den? She spoke up: "Master, since the young lady is going, I should go along with her to take care of things."

Zhuo Nan and Dongfang Zhiyi simultaneously turned their gazes toward her, their faces filled with utter astonishment, yet neither of them found a way to object. After pondering for a moment, Dongfang Shiguo said, "Very well. Having you by the young lady's side will provide some mutual support. Go along with them..."