Chapter 46: Table Talk

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Table Talk

The two men weren’t surprised that Rian Sinclair recognized them. After all, anyone who could acquire The Tipsy Abode and lend a helping hand to Young Master Shaw’s grandfather clearly had an extraordinary background.

Yet, both Connor Shaw and Cedric Winslow were certain that there wasn’t a single girl named Rian Sinclair in their social circles. None of the top-tier elite families bore the surname Sinclair. Furthermore, there was no one by the name of Rian in the political or military spheres.

"Miss Sinclair, we don’t mean anything by it; we simply want to make a friend," Cedric Winslow said, looking at her with a gentle expression. Seeing their posturing, Rian realized they were truly cunning old foxes.

To Rian, taking over The Tipsy Abode was merely a system reward, and she hadn’t asked too many questions about how it was obtained. Seeing these prominent figures right in front of her, she deduced that whatever the system had to exchange to secure this reward must have been quite substantial. Or perhaps, her acquisition had coincidentally solved an urgent crisis for them. Otherwise, these two young masters probably wouldn’t have gone out of their way to fly several hours from Kyoro to Argent just to have a meal with her.

Rian wanted to test the waters as well. Since they wanted to play a game of tug-of-war, she wasn’t going to show all her cards right out of the gate. "That sounds great. I quite like making friends myself. How about..." Rian raised the teacup in her hand. "We toast with tea instead of wine?"

The two men didn’t say much else. They raised their cups and sipped the hot tea. Soon, dishes began to be served in the private room. However, none of the three spoke up to break the silence. After all, whoever spoke first would be putting themselves at a disadvantage.

As the ones intruding on her time, Connor and Cedric should have been the first to initiate conversation. But having been raised in major aristocratic families, they were shrewd; they were only here out of curiosity. Normally, anyone who knew their identities would desperately search for topics of conversation at the dinner table. That way, the two men could gather more information, interject with a few probing questions, and eventually figure out ninety percent of the person’s background.

Their current silence was also a test. Many people were deeply intimidated by their status, making this a perfect way to gauge the true extent of Rian’s power. Was she a tier above them, or a step below? With their standing, they only befriended smart people. If Rian allowed others to walk all over her on her own turf, they would just treat this trip as a casual vacation and a meal. It was a test of her intelligence—was she just rich and brainless, or did she possess both wealth and wits? Moreover, Connor actually hoped Rian would speak first so they could seize the initiative.

Rian unhurriedly enjoyed her meal, having already guessed a fair bit about the current situation. Them asking her about her background and her volunteering the information were two entirely different things. But since they were so eager for her to speak, she couldn’t just completely disregard their pride.

"Mr. Shaw, you’ve picked out almost all the garnishes from the fish. Should I have them add some more? Mr. Winslow, I see you really like those baby potatoes. Shall I order some more for you?"

Connor and Cedric watched her movements and listened carefully to her words, only to realize... she just wanted to order more food? That... that was it? For a split second, the composed expressions on their faces cracked.

Seeing their stiff expressions, Rian said no more. She had been eating for a while and was already half-full, so she prepared to stand up.

Cedric was the first to notice her movement and immediately asked, "Miss Sinclair, what are you doing?"

Rian looked at Cedric. "I’m full, so I’m heading home." Noticing that the two men looked as if they had been caught in a bewildering storm, she continued, "Mr. Shaw, Mr. Winslow, take your time and enjoy your meal. Order more dishes if you’d like; I’ll have them put it on my tab."

Never in a million years did they expect her to simply leave. What? Was she not curious at all? Wasn’t she curious why they had flown all the way from Kyoro? Did she genuinely believe they were just here for a meal?! That couldn’t be possible!

At the mere thought of that possibility, Cedric shot to his feet. "Miss Sinclair, we actually have a few questions for you. We wonder if we could intrude on a few more minutes of your time."

Rian kept a calm exterior, but she couldn’t stop rolling her eyes internally. She thought, "If I hadn’t stood up and said I was going home, would we be eating this meal until next year? They sure are patient. Have they never met someone who just doesn’t want to play psychological games?"

Rian was indeed a bit curious and wanted to know their motives. However, since they were the ones who sought her out, she absolutely shouldn’t be the one to bring it up. Besides, she wasn’t the anxious one here. The anxious ones were these two "guests" from afar.

Rian nodded, set her bag aside, and sat back down. She hadn’t actually planned on leaving; she just wanted to provoke them. If they hadn’t taken the bait, she would have dropped it. A waiter came in to serve fresh tea. Sipping the hot drink, Rian looked at the two men. "I wonder what it is that you two are looking for me for?"

Connor smiled. "It’s nothing much. Since we are jointly operating The Tipsy Abode, we just thought the shareholders should meet each other. I’m curious, where is Miss Sinclair from?"

"I’m a Basilian."

Cedric leaned in closer. "Basilia is quite far from Argent. What made Miss Sinclair decide to build a career over here?"

Rian could hear the probing tone woven into every word he said. However, sincerity was the ultimate weapon. "I came here for my studies. Why else would I travel this far?"

For a moment, Connor and Cedric were at a loss for words. Her answer made perfect sense, but logically, it shouldn’t be this simple!

Seeing the two men temporarily struck dumb, Rian found it rather amusing. "Is there anything else you two would like to ask?"

Connor glanced at Cedric, who then asked, "Miss Sinclair, you are a smart person, so I won’t beat around the bush with you. What was your ultimate goal in acquiring The Tipsy Abode?"

"I heard the food at The Tipsy Abode was quite good, so I figured I’d buy some shares. It’ll make it easier to get a table when I want to eat here."

Although Rian had casually made that up on the spot, there really wasn’t any deeper meaning to it; she had simply accepted a check-in reward.

Connor and Cedric never would have guessed this was the reason. Were they... being messed with?

Connor let out a light cough. "Miss Sinclair, do you primarily focus on overseas markets?"

Hearing Young Master Shaw’s question, Cedric understood that he was testing the waters. He was also eager to hear Rian’s reply, as this tied directly to the issue concerning Connor’s grandfather.

Rian assumed they were just asking about the source of her wealth. She nodded. "I do have some business abroad. I’m relatively more familiar with the overseas market than the domestic one, but I certainly can’t compare to Young Master Shaw and Young Master Winslow."

Connor and Cedric exchanged a glance, their internal suspicions now confirmed. It seemed Rian was far from the ordinary person she appeared to be.

Connor picked up his teacup. "Miss Sinclair, we apologize for the presumptuous intrusion today. Whenever you visit Kyoro, Cedric and I will play host and show you around."

Rian accepted the offer with a smile. These bigshot connections were practically being spoon-fed to her; she’d be a fool to spit them out. She picked up her teacup, letting the tea convey everything left unsaid.

Since their questions had been answered, the two men didn’t overstay their welcome. After exchanging pleasantries, they took their leave, but not before swapping contact information with her.

Rian looked at the two new contacts sitting prominently on her WeChat friends list. She had successfully acquired two more tools for cashing out. Their purpose had been clear: seemingly wanting to make friends, they were actually digging for information about her.

She recalled their questions. The meaning behind acquiring The Tipsy Abode? The overseas market? The former seemed more important, but the reality was quite the opposite. Since they brought up her overseas connections, and considering their powerful family backgrounds, it was likely that someone in their families had offended a foreign entity, or perhaps a family member was in trouble abroad and needed someone to resolve it.

Rian couldn’t be bothered to overthink it. For now, they wouldn’t be crossing paths again, so there was no point in dwelling on it. It was just a waste of brain cells.