Chapter 496 Heavy Taste
As soon as Arabella looked up, the smile that had just appeared on her face froze instantly. The warmth of her smile met the cold air and turned to ice. She gritted her teeth and glared at the handsome face looking down at her. "Oh! Mr. Kingsley, what brings you here?"
Quinn leaned on the back of a chair, slowly bending down to look at Arabella. Tonight, she had transformed herself, giving Quinn a huge surprise and shock. Even without mentioning her dress, her eyes, no longer hidden behind glasses, were enough to stop anyone in their tracks.
Quinn's first words were a casual, teasing smile. "You dressed up like this and came to such a fancy restaurant. Are you dreaming of Prince Charming?"
He also wondered if Aucester Hospital paid that well. How could she afford a dress worth thousands of dollars? Or did the money he sent her finally reach her? No, he hadn't even found her account yet.
Arabella gave a cold smile. "None of your business!"
Quinn glanced at the empty table in front of her and the menu she had flipped through countless times. "You've been studying the menu for so long and only ordered a free glass of water. Before I support you, can you at least pretend to be rich somewhere you can actually afford?"
Damn it!
Arabella slammed the menu on the table. "Mr. Kingsley, what do you mean by that? Are you insulting me?"
"No, no, of course not. I said I would support you. Since I ran into you today, I'll take care of your food and fun!"
Arabella had long forgotten the nonsense she had spouted before. His reminder brought it all back.
Her frozen smile awkwardly revived. "There's no need for that. It's too embarrassing!" But inside, she was cursing him, Quinn, you jinx, get lost and stop interfering with my plans!
To her dismay, Quinn didn't leave. He sat down across from her, crossed one leg over the other, and said generously, "Order all the dishes you hesitated to order earlier. But I advise you not to be so generous as to treat the whole restaurant."
"Oh? Are you feeling the pinch?"
"It's not about the money. It's about not losing face. Anyway, order whatever you want. It's on me."
Quinn leaned back on the sofa with the air of a benevolent savior, his handsome face always wearing a compassionate smile.
He had seen Arabella through the window earlier and found it amusing. He had stood there for a while before coming in.
Naturally, he had witnessed her flipping through the menu without ordering anything. Thinking of her described background, he felt a surge of pity.
Hence, this scene.
"You've been looking at the menu for so long. Now that you have the chance, you should seize it," Quinn said, sounding more and more like a wise old monk.
Arabella gritted her teeth. Damn bastard!
"I'm not so desperate that I need you to treat me. Go away."
She thought, "It's been over half an hour. Dr. Carter is never late. This is unreasonable, very unreasonable!"
Quinn pouted. "I think this place is just fine."
Arabella's small fists clenched so tightly she almost broke a bone. "Mr. Kingsley, are you really that free? If you are, there's a square outside to the right. Go dance with the people there!"
"Dancing isn't out of the question. But first, let me feed you."
Seeing that she still hadn't ordered, Quinn took the menu himself and browsed through it. "Instead of ordering one of everything, I'll pick a few of their specialties for you. They're quite good."
Arabella's mind was on high alert. If Zach came and saw her with Quinn, not only would she fail to sabotage his blind date, but Zach might also think she had something going on with Quinn. That would be a disaster!
But Quinn clearly wasn't planning to leave without dinner.
She checked the time again. It had been forty minutes. After a mental battle, Arabella decided to retreat!
"Mr. Kingsley, if you want to treat me to dinner, can I choose the place?"
"Of course."
Quinn put down the menu, recalling the crepes they had last time. An idea flashed in his mind.
"I don't like this expensive, unsatisfying food. Let me take you to a better place. Are you coming?"
"Why not? Of course, I'll go!"
Arabella scrutinized him for a moment. "Wait a minute, Mr. Kingsley. Weren't you here for a date? How do you have time to eat and drink with me?"
Quinn dodged the question, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Are you coming or not?"
"Yes, I'm coming!"
She grabbed her bag. Despite her dress, Arabella's movements were a bit rough, exuding a carefree, almost dashing vibe, at least in Quinn's eyes.
"Is your village very open-minded? Are all the girls like you?"
So rough, so wild, so careless.
Arabella rubbed her temples. Damn, does she really have to create a fictional world in front of Quinn?
"Of course. In our village, women do a lot of farm work, so they're treated like men. The gender distinction is blurred, and there's little awareness of gender differences."
Leaving her car in the parking lot, Arabella got into Quinn's luxurious Porsche. With a roar, they sped down the road, turned at the next intersection, and soon an open-air food stall came into view.
The food stall was simple, with a few strings of neon lights creating a dazzling effect. The air was thick with the smell of barbecue, and the smoke from the charcoal fires gave the place a misty, almost ethereal feel.
"Do you know that the gases released by burning coal and wood increase the concentration of harmful substances in the air?"
Arabella elbowed Quinn in the chest. "Shut up!"
In her fashionable designer dress and Quinn in his Verdanza suit, they parked the car and quickly blended into the bustling food stall.
The stall had simple wooden and plastic stools, low tables, and the wind blew hair and skirt hems everywhere.
"What would you like to eat? We have beer, soda, mineral water, and you can choose your food over there. We charge by the skewer, boiled peanuts by the pound, and we have freshly cooked lobster..."
The young waiter shouted the menu, and as the wind blew, Arabella looked at the list, not noticing her skirt flying up...
The waiter's eyes lingered on her skirt, his gaze a bit lecherous.
Quinn frowned. "Enough! We'll choose ourselves!"
After dismissing the lecherous waiter, Quinn looked at the so-called gender-neutral woman with a face full of disapproval. "Do women in your village let men look at them like that?"
Arabella didn't understand. "What do you mean?"
As the wind blew, her skirt threatened to fly up again. Exasperated, Quinn unbuttoned his suit and handed it to Arabella. "It's too hot here. Take my jacket."
Arabella was about to curse when she looked down at her skirt and quickly covered it with one hand.
"Fuck!"
Quinn rubbed his temples. "Stop covering it. Anyone who could see has already seen."
Arabella grabbed his suit and draped it over her legs. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Quinn looked innocent. "Considering your village's customs, I thought it wasn't necessary."
Arabella wanted to strangle Quinn!
"Shameless!"
Having given up his jacket and still getting scolded, Quinn felt quite wronged.
Soon, the snacks they ordered filled the table, a colorful array of heavy flavors.
Arabella, with Quinn's suit (Verdanza handmade, limited edition, and worn for the first time today) covering her legs, felt quite warm despite the wind. So, she was in a good mood.
Feeling generous, she said, "Mr. Kingsley, you probably haven't tried these before. They're delicious, I promise you'll like them! These foods are best at food stalls..."
She introduced everything, and Quinn's appetite dwindled.
"Are you sure eating this won't send us to the hospital?" It looked like something no human stomach could handle.
"What's there to be afraid of? If you get sick, I'll take care of you. Aucester Hospital's doors are always open for you. Just try it!"
Under Arabella's mix of threats and persuasion, Quinn decided to take the plunge.
But the food was surprisingly good, and the lively atmosphere around them was infectious. Soon, Quinn was wearing plastic gloves, peeling shrimp, eating snails, and gnawing on grilled corn, all with a roughness that belied his usual elegance.
"Mr. Kingsley, beer goes best with lobster. Cheers to you for treating me."
Arabella filled a large glass with beer and clinked it against his. But Quinn hesitated. "How many people have used this glass?"
"Damn it! You're such a fussbudget for a man!"
Quinn suppressed his irritation, picked up the glass that had been used by who knows how many people, and gritted his teeth. "Cheers!"
They drank and ate heartily for two hours, leaving the table and floor a mess.
The food stall was still bustling as they paid the bill. Quinn was surprised at how little it cost for all they had eaten.
Arabella tied Quinn's jacket around her waist and leaned casually on his arm, looking at the noisy crowd. She let out a loud burp.
Quinn nudged her. "Did you wipe the grease off your face?"
Arabella ignored him and wiped her face on his arm, finally cleaning it.
Then she sentimentally said, "Mr. Kingsley, look at these people. Compared to your kind of luxury, they have the most genuine and warm human touch, the real warmth of life... something many people spend their whole lives never experiencing."
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