Yao Nan gently hinted at Xu Bin not to order anything too expensive with a soft glance. Xu Bin kissed her cheek and then called the waiter:
"I'll have the wagyu beef platter, and an extra portion of beef tongue."
"My wife loves seafood, so please steam the local lobster and prepare the lobster heads with salt and pepper."
"Honey, you love shrimp, so let's get a portion of the luxurious shrimp..."
Yao Nan was a bit nervous, but Xu Bin, after glancing at the menu, said, "Let's add a vegetable salad and a crab roe and ginseng soup for each of the three ladies."
"For drinks, please bring a bottle of red wine."
After ordering, Yanzi couldn't help but comment, "Sister Shen, your son-in-law is much more generous than you!"
"Of course, my son-in-law isn't short on money," Shen Ruyu retorted.
Xu Bin knew this was a chance to impress his mother-in-law and increase her favor towards him. He saw this as his moment to shine and decided to seize every opportunity.
"Mom, you don't have to say that. Yanzi is your good friend and our respected elder," Xu Bin said softly as he served the appetizers.
"Even if you're poor, you should still enjoy life. Since we're out, there's no need to be stingy," he added with a gentle smile.
"Your son-in-law makes sense," Yanzi agreed.
The red wine arrived before the food, and the service was impeccable. The sommelier poured the wine into elegant highball glasses, making it seem almost sinful to refuse.
The first dish was the steamed lobster. Xu Bin immediately served a piece to his wife.
Knowing she was worried, he wanted to comfort her. Shen Ruyu, however, started to tease, "You only have eyes for your wife while I'm sitting here!"
Yanzi, ever the teaser, shot back, "You're jealous of your own daughter's happiness? I wonder why you always said he was worthless and annoying. Look at them now, so loving!"
Yao Nan blushed and said softly, "Yanzi, I'm just not good with words, but Xu Bin is very good to me."
Shen Ruyu blushed and shot her a look, "I was just trying to protect you from the truth."
"You're one to talk," Yanzi retorted. "At least I'm not pretending to be something I'm not."
As the dishes kept coming, Xu Bin and Yao Nan shared tender moments, making her feel cherished. To everyone else, she was still the plain girl, but now she had her husband's gentle care.
With the table full of food and the wine flowing, Yanzi asked, "Xu Bin, your mom said you're financially independent. Why not share your secrets with her?"
"She even borrowed money from me this year," Yanzi added, glancing at Shen Ruyu, who looked a bit uncomfortable.
Xu Bin clinked glasses with her and took a sip. "Investments are risky," he said casually.
Shen Ruyu was nervous, knowing Xu Bin didn't know about the borrowed money, which was likely gambled away. If he found out, it would affect her image in her daughter's eyes.
"Risky? Nothing is riskier than gambling," Yanzi laughed.
"Gambling is different," Xu Bin replied. "If an investment pays off, everyone's happy. If it fails, people blame me. So, I handle these things myself."
"Even my wife doesn't know about it!" he added.
Yanzi was a bit skeptical. "How do you know it's a sure thing? You're not even telling your wife?"
"It's complicated," Xu Bin said modestly. "You wouldn't understand."
Shen Ruyu nodded in approval, her favor towards him rising.
"I don't understand? I've been scammed in crypto before," Yanzi said, getting a bit heated.
"Those are just scams," Xu Bin said calmly. "Real crypto isn't like that."
"How do you play with those blockchain contracts?" Yanzi asked, confused.
"You can leverage 5000 times, and if you lose, you're wiped out, but you don't owe anything," Xu Bin explained, sounding knowledgeable. "I lost ten rounds, fifty thousand gone, but if you win, that's a million."
Yanzi was stunned, and so were Yao Nan and her mother. They didn't understand a word, but Shen Ruyu was pleased to see Yanzi's confusion.
"Enough with your nonsense," Shen Ruyu said. "You wouldn't understand my son-in-law's business."
"Bitcoin, Ethereum, I know those," Yanzi insisted.
"If only I had invested more, I'd be rich too," Xu Bin said, pouring her another drink.
Yanzi took a sip and got more animated. "I'm talking to your son-in-law, keep your opinions to yourself."
Yanzi turned to Xu Bin, "You didn't go to college, your mother-in-law always said you're not smart enough for a good job. How did you get into this?"
Shen Ruyu looked down, embarrassed, as Yao Nan gave her a disapproving look.
"Women can be vicious," Yanzi continued. "If you're so successful, why are you still a son-in-law? Your mother-in-law puts you down all the time. Why do you still work at Xin Hui Real Estate?"
"I have a friend who works there," Yanzi said. "You're just a security guard, acting like a manager!"
"You call that success? Making peanuts as a security guard?" Yanzi scoffed. "Listen to me, don't be like your mom, pretending to be something you're not. That money better not be dirty."