Chapter 215: Guests Arrived
"Just a little luxury once in a while!" Well, it seemed they still had little common ground for conversation.
It wasn’t a child’s birthday where gifts were expected, nor was it an elderly person’s birthday requiring money, so before coming, Ruth had made it clear that no one needed to buy any gifts.
The intermediary, Aunt Kiara, said with a laugh, "Sister Ruth said she was treating everyone at the Gestor Palace. I thought she was joking at first, never expected it to be real."
"What’s there to joke about? It’s the children’s filial piety," Ruth replied.
"Oh my god, do you know what the Gestor Palace is? The aquarium at the entrance has so much seafood I’ve never even seen before!!"
Amid the casual chatter, they were full of envy. Ruth smiled, radiant as a peach blossom in March.
Lily sat obediently to the side, somewhat mesmerized by her husband’s calm and collected demeanor. Softly, she asked, "Honey, did you really buy a Porsche?"
"I’ll buy you an even better one later," Luis said gently, taking her hand.
Lily blushed, then said happily, "Don’t, it’s too expensive. I wouldn’t dare drive it."
"You two, stop flaunting your love," Nancy said as she walked over, spreading her arms to hug both Luis and Lily from either side.
She was wearing denim shorts and a sleeveless top today. When she bent over, a hint of her beautiful cleavage was faintly visible, and her breasts brushed against Luis’s face, though it was unclear whether it was intentional or not.
Such a gesture among family wasn’t considered over the top. Lily rolled her eyes at her and giggled, "We’ll flaunt it if we want to. Can’t Big Sister stand it?"
Nancy kissed her on the cheek and teased, "Feeling jealous? But I need to borrow your husband for a bit now."
"What do you mean, ’borrow my husband’?" Lily found the wording a bit strange.
"It’s perfectly legitimate. He’s my illicit lover, didn’t you hear earlier?" At this, both sisters covered their mouths and snickered. Lily also found it somewhat amusing when she thought about it. But this was a family scandal that shouldn’t be spread.
Nancy secretly gave Luis a seductive glance, took his hand, and said to Lily with a mischievous smile, "Well then, the illicit lover is coming with me. We need to choose the wine for tonight."
"Adulterous scoundrels!!" Lily laughed and scolded, completely treating it as a joke.
Many guests at high-end hotels preferred to bring their own drinks, bringing wines that suited their taste or some aged vintages. Generally, paying a corkage fee was still cheaper than buying from the hotel.
In front of the Gestor Palace was their own operated storefront, a very large liquor specialty shop. Whether it was white spirits, imported spirits, or red wine, the variety of brands was arguably the most comprehensive in the city. The liquor prices were never inflated, just a 10% service fee added, so there was no need to go through the trouble of bringing your own.
"Mom, what do you think of this Port?" Nancy brought an iPad over to ask her mother’s opinion.
Ruth, thoroughly enjoying the flattery, didn’t even turn her head. "Whatever."
Yana took the iPad, looked at it, and stuck out her tongue. "Over two hundred dollars a bottle! Luis, you must have struck it rich."
"It’s Mom’s birthday. We can’t skimp," Luis said. Seeing his mother-in-law’s spring-like, vanity-satisfied smile, he felt any amount of money spent was worth it.
"Mom, what about the white spirits? sorghum, or something else?" Nancy asked again.
Luis finally understood: his sister-in-law had pulled him aside specifically for further bragging rights. Naturally, he had to play along. "Mom, you should at least pick something. We don’t know the aunts’ preferences."
"Let’s all choose together," Ruth called everyone over to help choose. Seeing that all the wines here started at over fifty dollars, with some even costing thousands, they gasped in admiration.
This group of women gathered together, chattering noisily, was a real headache. Luis, feeling overwhelmed, decided to make a quick escape.
They finally settled on sorghum. The private room was attended by three well-trained service staff. After opening the bottles, they moved like butterflies among flowers, pouring for everyone. Each person was also provided with a glass of orange juice.
The private room door opened, and a very formally dressed server entered pushing a cart.
On it was a dreamy three-tiered cake.
Though not particularly large, it was exceptionally delicate and exquisite, so beautifully crafted it seemed something only seen on television. An ordinary bakery definitely couldn’t produce such a style or level of craftsmanship.
"Wow, so beautiful!"
Leah’s eyes lit up, and she, like the others, gathered around and began taking pictures.
A bunch of women were extremely excited. Luis quietly offered a cigarette to Logan. At this point, as the only two men in the private room, they stood to the side, not wanting to speak.
The group of women chattered away while taking photos, and Yana exclaimed in admiration, "This cake must be very expensive, you’d never see something like this in a regular store."
Nancy couldn’t hide her pride as she said, "It’s not that expensive, just 200 dollars. You have to get it custom-made from a specialized high-end store."
"Wasting money again, your mother isn’t so particular."
Though Ruth said this, her heart was already blooming with joy.
The atmosphere was excellent. The waiter was very tactful and dimmed the splendid lights of the private room. After the candles were lit, Luis personally placed the birthday crown on his mother-in-law’s head.
"It’s not made of paper?"
Everyone, with their sharp eyes, noticed this wasn’t the usual paper crown provided by cake shops.
"This??"
Ruth was also a little puzzled; it had some weight to it.
"Mom, make a wish first."
Ruth made a wish and blew out the candles amidst everyone’s cheers. The opulent lights of the private room promptly brightened again.
The cake was cut and served, each person receiving just a small piece as a token gesture.
However, you truly get what you pay for; it was genuinely delicious, and everyone was full of praise. Leah even proactively suggested taking the leftovers home.
"Where was this crown bought?"
Just then, Nancy informed the waiters they could start serving the dishes. Everyone returned to their seats, and only then did Ruth pick up the crown from her head, speaking with some astonishment.
"Mom, the box is right here, you must keep it safe and not misplace it."
Luis casually handed over a jewelry box. Everyone then realized this exquisite crown was actually made of gold. It was certainly valuable, but more importantly, it represented a heartfelt gesture.
"Brother-in-law, when it comes to flattery, you’re the master."
Nancy whispered.
Seeing their mother’s utterly delighted expression, Lily, hearing her sister’s words, giggled and said, "Big sister, my husband is very shrewd. From now on, with Mom backing him, he can pretty much do as he pleases at home."
"That’s right, just scraping by, don’t laugh at me, big sister."
Amid the conversation and laughter, the waiters entered pushing a meal cart. Each person received an appetizer, shark fin soup, accompanied by coriander and aromatic vinegar, making it very appetizing, and the presentation was undoubtedly refined.
The large round table, seating over ten people, had an automatic rotating center. The first dish was placed before Ruth, who occupied the seat of honor, showing great attention to detail.
"Boston Lobster Simmered with Blue Cheese, please enjoy."
Nancy was the first to raise her glass and stand, calling out, "Happy birthday, Mom."
"Happy birthday, Sis."
"Happy birthday, Sister."
Everyone raised their glasses and stood up.
This time, Logan couldn’t possibly spoil the mood; he likewise downed the wine in his glass in one go.
They were using small liquor cups specifically for baijiu, each person had a set in front of them. Only Lily, being pregnant and not wanting to drink today, was having juice.
Luis proactively poured wine for Logan, hoping this esteemed guest would stay in good spirits today and not say anything to dampen the occasion.
After all, this was a birthday banquet he had meticulously prepared.
"Uncle, let me propose a toast to you, wishing you smooth sailing in your work."
To boost his mother-in-law’s favorability meter and successfully win over the beautiful, voluptuous mature woman, Luis naturally had no qualms about flattering Logan, this unstable element.