Lu Qin squatted down in front of the child, took away the opened bottle of Romanée-Conti from his hand, and neatly placed it together with eight other bottles.
He looked at Pei Dundun’s outstretched fingers and saw the marks left by the knife handle, clearly showing strength from a young age. “Why did Dundun open so much wine?”
Pei Dundun looked up at the large Daddy Lu squatting down, blinked his eyes, and said, “Grandma said we’re opening wine at the birthday party. Dundun wants to practice.”
He’s a good child who likes to prepare in advance.
Lu Qin realized for the first time that you couldn’t speak casually in front of children because they remembered everything you said in conversations with others.
He glanced at the untouched red wine that Dundun had selected, sat down, and casually picked one up, saying, “Let Dad teach you.”
Pei Dundun stared with his mouth wide open as Daddy Lu took out a handkerchief from a drawer. “First, wipe it down. Don’t screw it all the way in. Leave it halfway.”
Lu Qin’s slender fingers spun the bottle opener with ease and elegance, as if the wine had become tastier because of it.
He had done the same thing at Pei Rong’s house before, but clearly, the reactions from the big beauty weren’t as direct as the little one’s.
Pei Dundun’s admiration for strength and skill was evident in his eyes.
Lu Qin thought, If only my wife could look at me like this: “When you pull out the cork, do it gently and quickly, try not to make a sound.”
“Done.” Lu Qin withdrew the corkscrew, set the bottle aside, and said, “Dundun, give it a try again. Next time you want to practice something, tell Dad, okay?”
Dundun: Okay!
Wine was meant to be bought and enjoyed. Lu Qin didn’t rely on storing wine for appreciation; he wasn’t a wine enthusiast. He just thought it was practical to have some at home for occasional needs.
Pei Dundun, opening wine in the wine cellar at a year and a half old, was not fundamentally different from Pei Dundun at eighteen, bringing Château Lafite to share with classmates.
The difference was that in the future, Pei Dundun would have invited his own classmates, whereas at this time, he was entertaining President Lu’s friends at a lower cost.
Lu Qin held up his phone to capture the process of Pei Dundun and Orange working together to open the wine again.
As the value of the wine being opened by Dundun and Orange increased, would Beauty Pei still be able to redeem them? He might have to exchange himself for them.
Black-hearted nurseries were just like this, deceiving parents.
He gave a gentle squeeze to Pei Dundun’s foot, which had turned red from pressing against the wine bottle, and only relaxed when he felt it cool down. He said, “It’s good to practice early, but Dundun, opening so much wine—since wine is made from grains, do you think it’s wasting food?”
Pei Dundun widened his eyes. “But this wine has been around for a long time!”
Yes, most of them had been around for a century.
Lu Qin said, “Wine, unlike other foods, when properly stored, becomes more valuable with age.”
Pei Dundun was stunned, recalling his father’s words about the hard work behind every grain when he raised mice.
Lu Qin added, “But it’s okay. Dad called some friends over to help drink it up.”
“Before they arrive, Dundun, just open what’s needed, and they’ll drink as much as they want.” Lu Qin snapped his fingers. “Go on.”
Before Dundun officially hosted his birthday banquet, he privately organized a gathering with friends to show off his son. It seemed like a good idea.
Was boasting in person easier than replying to messages?
It’s rare for President Lu to personally organize gatherings, especially introducing his own biological son. Naturally, the wine had to be good; anything less wouldn’t reflect President Lu’s fatherly love.
Yuan Hu informed friends, emphasizing that President Lu had prepared expensive wine, and while he was in a good mood, they could drink whatever they wanted today.
Never did they expect that on the first night his son arrived, President Lu couldn’t hold back. Everyone was cautious; no one dared to give a poor gift.
At 9 PM, business partners and friends began arriving at Lu’s home one after another. Lu Qin had already instructed someone to arrange two sets of sofas in a circle, ordered appetizers and snacks, and put a little coat on Dundun.
On the table were over a dozen bottles of aged red wine, some worth millions per bottle at auctions. When everyone saw it, they thought, “Wow, President Lu not only values his son but is also generous to his friends.”
He really treated his friends to good wine! Impressive!
Feeling honored, everyone started giving their own gifts.
Pei Dundun looked at Lu Qin. “Can I accept these?”
Lu Qin ruffled his hair. “Of course. This is from your Uncle Yuan Hu.”
Yuan Hu looked at Pei Dundun. Life was so unfair; why did all the good things end up at Lu’s house? This kid was so cute that he felt like having two of his own. “Uncle came in a hurry and couldn’t find a better gift, so here’s a share in an amusement park.”
And then a drone.
“Thank you, Uncle Yuan.”
Next, he received a safety clasp made from an old pit’s glass, naming rights for a new building, and an embroidered tiger-head cap from a heritage artist...
Originally, they were here for President Lu’s investment, but upon seeing Pei Dundun, they felt compelled to add more—things that a real child could use, not just for business.
Why bother giving gifts to President Lu? Was his little son not adorable enough?
The wine’s cost was quickly recovered. Lu Qin set Pei Dundun down and made him some formula milk, saying, “I’ll be putting the child to bed tonight. Feel free to drink yourselves.”
“Understandable, understandable...” Friends sipped their drinks and chatted, finally gathering together, naturally discussing potential collaborations.
Pei Dundun was well-behaved all day and needed to release some energy through exercise. Even though he exerted a lot of effort opening the wine, he hadn’t had a chance to run around today.
He tiptoed and reached for a half-empty bottle of red wine on the table. Because he didn’t have enough strength, he could only hold it under his arm. Whenever he saw an uncle’s glass empty, he quickly ran over and asked, “Uncle Zhang, would you like a little more?”
Dad said to behave well. Daddy Lu went to prepare formula milk, so he wanted to entertain the guests on behalf of Daddy Lu.
Uncle Zhang was a bit surprised. Lu Qin had only introduced himself once, yet this little one remembered his last name.
He lowered his glass and let Pei Dundun pour red wine into it, gurgling and pouring.
“Uncle, is that enough?” Dundun tilted his head, holding the bottle with both hands, the bottle neck too long for a one-and-a-half-year-old, pressed against his chubby face, creating a charming scene even cuter than a child holding a goldfish painting.
“That’s enough, thank you, Dundun.”
