<h4>Chapter 43: A Thick-skinned Guest</h4>


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    At the age of thirteen, Gu Nianzhi had flown to Scond on a holiday with Huo Shaoheng. While there, she had had fish and chips at the famous Caroline Tavern, the very best in town.


    She had fallen in love with it, and never forgotten the taste. She had even gone so far as to learn to make the dish for herself after returning from Scond, but Chen Lie had eventually imposed a ban on it; it was just too greasy, too unhealthy, and much too fattening…


    The look in Mei Xiawen’s eyes had grown even more sympathetic.


    To him, fish and chips were nothing more than fast food, the kind served at McDonald’s and KFC. It was not worthy of being served at a proper restaurant. Anyone with money or any sort of social standing would never choose to eat something like that.


    “…I think you better get fried onion and cmari rings instead.” Mei Xiawen gently squeezed Gu Nianzhi’s hand as he said to the young waitress standing at the door, “I’ll have two more fried onion and cmari rings, please.”


    Gu Nianzhi did not like either onions or cmari.


    But before she could object, the waitress had already served them. She could not very well raise a fuss now, so she politely took a few bites. It was easy enough for her to pretend to like them.


    Everyone else at the table devoured their food happily. Gu Nianzhi merely sipped at her milk tea, smiling at everyone over the cup.


    After they were done with the appetizer, it was now time for the main dish.


    They were having Italian tonight, which meant that the food was served on individual tes, Western-style.


    Everyone had their own te of food; it was not necessary for anyone to get up and serve from a sharing tter.


    Mei Xiawen had ordered two dishes for Gu Nianzhi: Veal Mnese, seasoned with onions and bay leaf, and grilled cod in tomato sauce.


    Gu Nianzhi surreptitiously quarantined the onions to one side, then cut a small piece of the beef to taste.


    “Nianzhi, a toast to your admission to B University Law School!” Mei Xiawen was all smiles as he raised a ss of Moscato d’Asti – a sweet white wine from Italy – in Gu Nianzhi’s direction.


    “What? Lil Sis, you got your admission letter?! When?!” said Little Temptress, surprised and happy. She immediately lifted the ss in front of her.


    The alcohol content for the Moscato d’Asti was only 5.5%; it was more of a carbonated drink, barely qualifying as an alcoholic beverage. Mei Xiawen had chosen this because he was going to be drivingter.


    “Just this morning. Professor He sent me the letter of admission right after the interview. It’s just an email, though. He said I’ll get the official letter in three days,” said Gu Nianzhi happily as she, too, held up her ss.


    She was over the moon right now.


    It was one of her dearest wishes to study under Professor He Zhichu at B University Law School.


    “Well done!” Green Tea Fang had also raised her ss; she smiled gracefully as she said, “When you missed the interview because you were sick, I almost died of nausea watching that Feng Yixi from the opposite dorm strut around campus. Thank god she got herself into trouble. Otherwise I would have to graduate knowing that Feng Yixi had been admitted to B University Law School – that would be such a distasteful stain on my college memories.”


    Gu Nianzhi had been worried that her roommates would be mad at her for keeping her interview a secret.


    But her roommates were not bothered by that at all. They smiled andughed as they congratted her.


    She had worried herself silly over nothing.


    Gu Nianzhi was smiling so hard now her lips seemed to be permanently curved upwards, like a buffalo nut. She raised her ss and they had a merry time clinking sses.


    Everyone downed the contents of their sses; almost immediately, the atmosphere rxed.


    Mei Xiawen very thoughtfully refilled Gu Nianzhi’s ss, but was careful not to give her too much; it was just enough to cover the bottom of her ss.


    Everyone talked in soft voices, caught up in the ssy ambience at Red Manor Restaurant.


    A phone suddenly rang; it sounded more disruptive and out of ce here than usual.


    Mei Xiawen frowned as he looked at his phone. It was an iing call from Ai Weinan. He didn’t feel like taking the call, so he cancelled it.


    But Ai Weinan immediately followed this up with a text message: “ss Rep, I’m right outside the entrance to Red Manor Restaurant.”


    Mei Xiawen: “…”


    He put his phone back into his pocket, stood, and said to Gu Nianzhi, “I’m going outside for a bit. Take your time eating – don’t leave without me.” He patted Strongman on the shoulder, and told him, “Help me entertain them. I’ll be back soon.”


    After Mei Xiawen left, Little Temptress, who was sitting beside Gu Nianzhi, took a sip of her wine, and asked, “Why did ss Rep leave?”


    “Seems like something came up. Someone just called him on the phone.” Gu Nianzhi did not know why either, so she made only a half-hearted attempt at a reply before changing the subject entirely. “Little Temptress, I hear you’ll be returning to the capital city after graduation?”


    “Yeah, my family’s been harping on about it.” Little Temptress was having parmesan chicken and a sd made of lettuce, bell peppers and baby octopuses. With a fork, she blended the finely cut cheese into the tomato sauce, before spreading the sauce on the chicken breast. She then cut a small piece and chewed slowly, relishing it.


    The cheese was rich, the ketchup fresh and delicious; mixed together, the taste was a little heavy on the pte. A white wine with a low alcohol percentage was just the thing toplement her meal.


    Green Tea Fang ate a few mouthfuls of squid ink pasta, then stopped and stared vacantly at the door as she nursed her sweet white wine, her thoughts elsewhere.


    It wasn’t until Mei Xiawen led a good-looking, moderately shapely girl into the room that she smiled, gave a small cough, and said, in a toneden with significance, “ss Rep, I see that you’ve been busy picking up prettydies.”


    Mei Xiawen pulled a chair out for Ai Weinan, and introduced her to his ssmates: “This is Ai Weinan, my ssmate from high school. She’s aw student at Z University.”


    He then did the same for his ssmates. “These are my ssmates. You already know Strongman here. The others are… my ssmates Fang Wenxin, Cao Yunshan, Wang Junya, and Gu Nianzhi.”


    Mei Xiawen had briefly considered using their nicknames, but ultimately decided on introducing them with their proper names.


    Ai Weinan did not hesitate to pour herself a generous ss of wine. She said, as though she was hosting tonight, “Sorry I’mte. I’ll drink three sses of wine as punishment. Go on, help yourselves, Xiawen here is real generous with his friends. Really, don’t be shy now, eat whatever you want.” Having said all that, she downed her ss in one go, then repeated her feat with another two sses of wine. She was behaving as though everyone at the table were her guests, and were only there on her ount.


    Gu Nianzhi’s roommates were shrewd, worldlydies. They saw at once that this neer was, ever so subtly, trying to assert her dominance…


    Green Tea Fangughed lightly as she silently thought to herself: Look at this silly girl Ai Weinan, making aplete fool of herself in front of us, the real experts. C’mon, your tricks are crude and unsophisticated – I’ve stopped using them after grade school!


    She turned the ss of wine in her hand, and said slowly, “There’s nothing particrly “punishing” about drinking three sses of this grape juice. It should be three cups of sake.”


    Little Temptress immediately echoed this. “That’s right! If Miss Ai here is truly sincere about redeeming herself, she should drink three cups of sake!”


    “Ooh, I like that! Say, did ss Rep actually invite you to dinner here?” Lady Cao smiled beatifically as she raised her own ss.


    Ai Weinan stared dumbly in surprise. She shook her head, and said, “ss Rep had no idea I wasing to C City today. Why on earth would he invite me?”


    Lady Cao set her wine ss down on the table with a firm thunk, but her voice was light and casual as she said, “In that case, what’s all this nonsense about “punishing” yourself? You make it sound like we’ve been sitting here waiting for you to show up. Your skin must be as thick as the bottom of this wine ss.”


    Ai Weinan flushed. She looked at Mei Xiawen, bit her lip, and said, “ss Rep…”


    Mei Xiawen smiled as he tried to ease the tension. “Thesedies here are always quick to crack a joke. Their tongues may be sharp as knives, but they’re sweet, gentle creatures inside, really. They’re just having some fun with you.”