However, it must be said that Shen Lang's acting was too good, and Su Ruoxue was almost fooled by this guy's gentlemanly demeanor.
Zhang Wenzhi looked embarrassed and glanced at Shen Lang. He was already very annoyed with Shen Lang.
Shen Lang remained expressionless, a hint of disdain curling his lips. He thought to himself, "How could such trash be a hundred times better than me? Is Su Ruoxue an idiot?"
Su Ruoxue had always criticized him for lacking refinement and ambition, so he decided to make a grand display and show this woman what a real difference looked like!
A tall, attractive French waitress led the three of them into the restaurant.
Those who entered and exited Louise's Restaurant carried themselves with a touch of elegance and grace, and there were many foreigners present, giving off an air of high society.
The hall was spacious, with soft, elegant lighting. It felt more like a high-end social venue than a restaurant.
A stage bathed in spotlights, with a band playing jazz music.
They arrived at a table, and Shen Lang and the others sat down, ready to order.
Zhang Wenzhi himself wasn't particularly fond of Western cuisine, but he felt it was necessary to make an impression, so he chose this place.
In pursuit of beauty, he had studied women's weaknesses.
In such a top-tier French restaurant, girls might not know how to order or the proper dining etiquette and sequence upon entering.
At that point, Zhang Wenzhi could calmly and elegantly teach the girls how to dine, while casually discussing the Western culture he had learned from Baidu, thereby taking control of the conversation.
He even went out of his way to learn a few simple French phrases.
After sitting down, Zhang Wenzhi greeted a French waitress in French.
Shen Lang thought Zhang Wenzhi knew French, but when it came time to order, he switched back to Mandarin.
"Zhang Wenzhi, I didn't expect you to speak French," Su Ruoxue said with a faint smile.
"It's nothing special. I just have a basic understanding of it. It's nothing to brag about," Zhang Wenzhi said, feeling a bit proud. He had deliberately shown off his French earlier, hoping Su Ruoxue would praise him.
"You're being modest. Your French sounds pretty good," Su Ruoxue complimented him.
As the president of a fashion company, Su Ruoxue often attended international events and knew some French.
Zhang Wenzhi's French wasn't great, but since he was an old classmate, she had to give him some face.
"Not bad? I think it's just average. The sentences aren't smooth, and the level is pretty poor," Shen Lang suddenly said.
Upon hearing Shen Lang's words, Zhang Wenzhi grew displeased, his face betraying a hint of disdain as he said, "From the tone of Mr. Shen's words, it seems he has quite some expertise in French?"
Shen Lang nodded. "Yes, at least more than you do."
Zhang Wenzhi felt a bit resentful; he thought Shen Lang was showing off.
Zhang Wenzhi had intended to use this opportunity to mock Shen Lang, but he himself didn't know much French either, and the topic didn't seem worth pursuing further. Zhang Wenzhi quickly changed the subject.
"Let's order quickly."
The French female waitress understood Chinese. Zhang Wenzhi ordered a few dishes and also two bottles of premium red wine.
Zhang Wenzhi looked at Su Ruoxue and asked, "Su Ruoxue, what would you like to eat?"
"Whatever," Su Ruoxue shook her head.
"What about Mr. Shen? What would you like?" Zhang Wenzhi asked.
As he spoke, Zhang Wenzhi began to feel excited. He sensed that Shen Lang might never have had a proper French meal before and might not even know how to order.
Shen Lang glanced at the French waitress and said in fluent French, "Beautiful lady, please bring me a portion of French baked snails, a variety of fish soup, and two-color pan-fried foie gras."
"You speak French, sir? Your French is very fluent, with a Parisian accent," the French girl said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Shen Lang, her excitement evident.
Because very few Chinese people who come here speak French, especially as fluently as Shen Lang.
Su Ruoxue's face also froze for a moment. This man could speak French? And so fluently at that? Shen Lang smiled slightly and continued in French, "Haha, young lady, from your accent, you must be from Strasbourg, right?"
Shen Lang spoke calmly and casually, as if chatting with the French girl about everyday matters.
"Huh?"
Zhang Wenzhi was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at Shen Lang and the French waitress, as if he were listening to gibberish.
What was going on? This pretty boy actually knew French?
He suspected Shen Lang was just making it up, but judging by the French waitress's excited reaction, Shen Lang didn't seem to be bluffing—he actually spoke it quite fluently.
Su Ruoxue's face showed a hint of surprise. She never would have guessed that this guy, who seemed so careless and sloppy, actually had some real talent.
"Ah! You're so amazing, you could tell. That's right, my hometown is indeed Strasbourg."
The French girl's face turned red, and she looked very excited as she said kindly, "Sir, have you ever been to Strasbourg?"
"I've been there once. It's a very beautiful place," Shen Lang smiled.
Shen Lang's fluent French, combined with his polite and gentlemanly demeanor, had the French girl almost mesmerized.
The young woman leaned in close and whispered in Shen Lang's ear, "Sir, you are the most polite and well-mannered Chinese person I've ever met. Hehe, can you tell me your phone number?"
Shen Lang smiled and politely declined. He had no intention of flirting with a foreign woman at the moment.
Hearing Shen Lang speak such fluent and authentic French, Su Ruoxue's eyes sparkled with surprise.
In that moment, her impression of Shen Lang improved slightly. Thinking back to how her grandfather had gone to great lengths to arrange her engagement and marriage, could there really be some underlying reason?
The French waitress was delighted to hear Shen Lang speak such fluent French. Her smile grew even warmer, fearing that the French meal might not satisfy this international guest. She patiently served Shen Lang.
Zhang Wenzhi was deeply shocked. Damn it, this was really strange. How did this kid know French?
However, Zhang Wenzhi remained composed on the surface, instead watching Shen Lang and the French girl with a hint of a smile, as if he could understand French as well.
At the same time, Zhang Wenzhi was quickly assessing Shen Lang's identity in his mind.
Shen Lang seemed too young to be a returnee, so Zhang Wenzhi suspected that Shen Lang might be a French-speaking translator.
To verify his guess, Zhang Wenzhi asked with a smile, "Mr. Shen, your French is quite good. Do you work for a French company?"
Shen Lang glanced at Su Ruoxue, chuckled, and said, "No, I'm unemployed."
He didn't want to reveal his job to Su Ruoxue just yet.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Wenzhi's expression became quite interesting. He turned to look at Su Ruoxue and laughed, "Ruoxue, you're so beautiful and talented. I'm sure many people have pursued you. Choosing an unemployed person as your boyfriend is a bit beneath you, don't you think?"
Although Su Ruoxue didn't like Shen Lang either, Zhang Wenzhi's obviously malicious words made her feel a little unhappy.