When Li Tao said, "This young man is so handsome," Zhou Youliang couldn't help but turn to look at her. His face showed a hint of displeasure, and this expression happened to fall into Lu Tao's eyes.
From this, Lu Tao speculated that this Deputy Bureau Chief Zhou was jealous! Although this couldn't prove that there was an ambiguous relationship between him and Li Tao, it was certain that he liked Li Tao more...
He Ying might have also sensed that something was wrong, so she quickly said to Li Tao, "Tao Zi, Little Lu lives across from me, but that's his friend's house. He's temporarily staying there and hasn't been here for long, so you haven't seen him before."
Lu Tao smiled at Li Tao and took out a pack of yellow Hibiscus Wang cigarettes from his pocket. He took one out and handed it to Zhou Youliang, saying humbly, "Bureau Chief Zhou, please have a cigarette."
Zhou Youliang glanced at the cigarette pack in his hand, took the cigarette, and casually threw it on the coffee table. He then took out a pack of "Yellow Crane Tower 1916" from his handbag, flicked out a cigarette, and lit it with a lighter. He then leaned back comfortably on the back seat of the sofa, closed his eyes slightly, and began to smoke...
He Ying saw that Zhou Youliang was deliberately neglecting Lu Tao. She knew that he thought that Lu Tao was just an ordinary officer in the Local Taxation Bureau, and that he had almost been punished by the Public Security Bureau. Furthermore, he was indebted to Lu Tao, so he looked down on Lu Tao. In addition, Li Tao had just praised Lu Tao's good looks, which made him very unhappy, so he deliberately didn't smoke the cigarette Lu Tao gave him to embarrass him.
Thus, she secretly tugged at Lu Tao's hand, indicating that he didn't mind, and then arranged the bowls, chopsticks, and dishes. Everyone poured half a glass of red wine, and then they began to toast and eat together.
Tonight's dishes were slightly different from last night. They kept the "Pork Ribs with Taro" and "Beef Slices," which He Ying had praised so much. The "Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Hot Red Peppers" was replaced with "Boiled Live Fish." In addition, they added "Stir-Fried Tripe Seafood" and "Peanut Pork Stomach Soup."
After Su Lishu and Li Tao drank a mouthful of wine, they immediately picked up their chopsticks and tasted every dish. The two of them almost gave a thumbs up at the same time and praised, "Delicious, really delicious! Yingying, it seems like you weren't bragging. The dishes cooked by this little handsome brother are indeed delicious. The flavor of the pork ribs and beef is especially outstanding. It's much better than the dishes cooked by the so-called top chefs of those big hotels! "
When He Ying saw that her two best friends kept praising Lu Tao's craftsmanship, she was secretly proud. She glanced at Lu Tao with charming eyes and said to them with a smile, "Xiaoshu, Taozi, don't praise him too much! This guy usually liked to brag about himself and often boasted about how good his craftsmanship was. He was a typical braggart who would shine brightly with a little sunshine. If you praise him any more, I'm afraid he'll float to the ceiling. "
Lu Tao smiled and said, "Political Commissar He, I said that my cooking skills are good. I wasn't bragging, right? Don't accuse me wrongly!"
Zhou Youliang was also a gourmet who liked delicious food. After tasting the two dishes, "Sweet potato ribs" and "Beef slices", he couldn't help but exclaim "delicious" in his heart. However, he didn't say it out loud. He just nodded slightly to indicate that the dish tasted good. His originally tense face gradually relaxed. When Lu Tao proposed a toast to him, although he still put on airs, he finally raised his glass and clinked it with Lu Tao's. He didn't embarrass him anymore.
The following atmosphere was relatively harmonious. Although Zhou Youliang had been putting on airs because of Lu Tao's presence, Su Lishu and Li Tao were straightforward and straightforward like He Ying. In addition, the dishes cooked by Lu Tao were really good, so the three of them had been toasting each other and joking with each other in full swing. During this time, Lu Tao would occasionally interject a few witty words or tell a joke, making them laugh. Li Tao even praised him several times for being talented, witty and humorous, and that he was a romantic scholar who excelled in both internal and external affairs ….
Halfway through the wine, Lu Tao's phone suddenly rang. When he looked at the caller ID, it showed the three words "Secretary Zhou."
Lu Tao subconsciously glanced at He Ying, then swiped the answer button and said, "Hello, Secretary Zhou."
When He Ying heard the three words "Secretary Zhou," she immediately shifted her gaze and stared at Lu Tao without blinking. Her face was full of questions. Zhou Youliang and the others didn't know who "Secretary Zhou" was, so they didn't care. However, out of courtesy, they all stopped talking. Only the sound of Lu Tao's phone call could be heard in the entire restaurant.
"Little Tao, I'm in the provincial capital now. I'm having dinner with a few friends from the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance. There's a beautiful lady beside me. She said that she was your university classmate and wanted to say a few words to you. Can you guess who she is? "
Lu Tao was stunned for a moment. He immediately reacted and said with a smile, "Secretary Zhou, am I talking about Chen Pei? She is indeed my university classmate. She's now working in the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance. "
"Yes, yes, yes. It's Comrade Chen Pei. She just told me that she has a classmate who works in the Taolin County Local Taxation Bureau in Songshan City. She also said that she went to Taolin County not long ago to visit your old classmate. I said, "What a coincidence. You're my comrade's son. Last night, I was hiking with you in Taolin County! But Comrade Chen Pei didn't believe me at all. She said that I was joking. She even asked me to use my phone to call you. So I called you, hahaha! "
Lu Tao was about to speak when Chen Pei's surprised voice suddenly came from the receiver. "Lu Tao, is it really you? What a coincidence! Secretary Zhou just said that he knew you and climbed the mountain with you last night. I thought he was joking! "
Lu Tao laughed. "Secretary Zhou wasn't joking. He really did climb the mountain with me last night. We even enjoyed the mountain breeze together for half an hour!"
Chen Pei also laughed and said in a mocking tone, "You're really good at hiding things. Secretary Zhou has only been working in Songshan City for three months and he already remembers you as a little friend. It seems that I underestimated your social skills! Oh right, when are you coming to the provincial capital to treat me to a meal? Why don't you come over tomorrow? It's Saturday and Secretary Zhou is here too. How about you treat me to a meal with Secretary Zhou? "
Lu Tao hurriedly said, "I can't do tomorrow. I'm going camping with a few friends at the Twin Bear Mountain scenic area. I won't be back until the day after tomorrow. Next time, I'll definitely come to the provincial capital to treat you when I have the chance. "
Chen Pei was a little disappointed. She said faintly, "Okay then. I'll wait for you to treat me next time. You have to remember this promise!"
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