“Look, they’re leaving!”
“Should we follow them?”
The two young women stood up, handing their half-finished Beijing Arctic Ocean sodas to their male companions.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
“Something came up, we’ll meet another time.”
The young men were furious. They had treated the girls to movies and ice skating and hadn’t even gotten to hold their hands. One of them started to get agitated but was firmly held back by the others: “Don’t be rash. We can meet another time. These two aren’t like other girls – we can’t be forceful.”
They came from good families, daughters of government officials.
Landing one of them would save years of struggling up the social ladder, but they couldn’t be aggressive about it. If it weren’t for their family backgrounds, who would bother playing the nice guy? If you asked what type the men liked, it was more like that girl in the green dress at the skating rink earlier – her pretty face made their hearts flutter.
Zhou Cheng and Xia Xiaolan changed their shoes and headed toward the Beijing Hotel.
Zhou Cheng had hitched a ride to the guesthouse, as he didn’t own a car. They’d spent the afternoon either taking buses or walking. The skating rink had been deliberately chosen for its proximity to the Beijing Hotel – walking there would take just the right amount of time.
The couple only had eyes for each other, and Zhou Cheng had lost his usual vigilance, failing to notice the two shadows following them from a distance.
Had they been men following them, Zhou Cheng would surely have noticed, but he subconsciously didn’t consider women a threat, so he remained unaware. As they walked, he wiped Xia Xiaolan’s sweat and fixed her hair with natural ease, leaving their followers feeling like they were seeing a ghost.
Zhou Cheng had never been pleasant toward girls.
Fixing a girl’s hair?
Back in middle school, when a pretty senior girl from another school confessed to him, looking delicate and pitiful.
Zhou Cheng gave her a gentle push, and she deliberately fell toward his embrace.
At least a hundred people were watching, all expecting Zhou Cheng to maintain basic courtesy and catch her. Hah! Zhou Cheng stepped aside, and the delicate, pitiful senior fell flat on her face in front of everyone.
It was winter, with melting snow, and she ended up covered in muddy water.
Zhou Cheng didn’t even offer to help her up.
This story spread far and wide – everyone knew Zhou Cheng was handsome but his heart was colder than winter lake ice. Chivalry? Completely non-existent. Yet the more he acted this way, the more young girls found him cool, loving his roguish smile, and like moths to a flame, they flocked to him.
If Zhou Cheng hadn’t stayed away from social circles, who knows how many young girls would have lost sleep over him.
The two girls couldn’t believe their eyes – how could this possibly be Zhou Cheng?
“Lili will cry herself to death.”
How much did Tong Lili like Zhou Cheng? After witnessing that confession scene, she became obsessed with him. Zhou Cheng was cool and roguish, so Tong Lili tried to style herself the same way.
But it turned out Zhou Cheng didn’t like someone of his type at all?!
Looking at the girl whose hand he held – small pointed face, young but alluring, incredibly captivating.
So Zhou Cheng was just like most men, preferring the seductress type!
How vulgar, Zhou Cheng was fucking vulgar!
Vulgar or not, they decided to inform Tong Lili. They couldn’t let her remain in the dark – that would put her at too much of a disadvantage. Watching Zhou Cheng and Xia Xiaolan enter the Beijing Hotel, one stayed to keep watch while the other went to spread the news.
Tonight would surely be lively.
Since Zhou Cheng was being openly affectionate in public, he probably wouldn’t mind introducing his girlfriend to their circle, right?
Hmph, she was unfamiliar though – who knew what her background was?
The Beijing Hotel has a long history, over eighty years from 1900 until now.
Shao Guangrong choosing to treat them here wasn’t about showing off. This year, they’d opened a “Five People’s” restaurant in the Beijing Hotel, a Sino-Japanese joint venture specializing in authentic Kaiseki cuisine. Shao Guangrong thought Kang Wei was being fussy – they’d already eaten at Quanjude and Donglaishun, surely he wasn’t expected to treat them to tripe soup?
Japanese cuisine was good – he’d heard from those who’d tried it that its light flavors were perfect for young ladies.
Since the restaurant had only opened after the New Year, Shao Guangrong hadn’t tried it either.
The prices were truly not cheap – Shao Guangrong’s blood pressure shot up when the menu arrived.
Kang Wei patted his shoulder sympathetically, “Got enough money?”
Of course, he did – Kang Wei had lent him ten thousand for house renovations, and knowing he’d be treating today, he’d stuffed a wad of cash in his pocket.
Kang Wei flipped through the menu, “That Maxim’s that opened on Chongwenmen West Street last year, with nude women hanging on the walls, serving French food – over two hundred per person for one meal. What kind of people eat there?”
Shao Guangrong felt his bleeding stop.
If four people were to eat at Maxim’s, he might have to strip naked himself to leave the restaurant.
Kang Wei just wanted to make Shao Guangrong bleed a little – who told him to run his mouth and then want to make money alongside Zhou Cheng? Kang Wei couldn’t respond to Shao Guangrong’s request – it was Zhou Cheng’s business, how could Kang Wei agree to let outsiders join? Seeing Kang Wei making money tempted Shao Guangrong, so Kang Wei told him to speak with Brother Cheng himself, which led to today’s Japanese dinner at the Beijing Hotel.
When asking for favors, one had to make a good impression.
As the two were looking at the menu, Zhou Cheng walked in holding Xia Xiaolan’s hand.
“Brother Cheng, Sister-in-law, please sit down.”
Shao Guangrong was incredibly eager to please.
Kang Wei didn’t compete with him – he’d just seen Zhou Cheng a few days ago and had already done his share of flattering.
Xia Xiaolan was quite surprised, “What made you think of Japanese cuisine?”
The Beijing Hotel was very high-end – the first state banquet after the founding of the nation was held here. If not for this treat, compound kids like Kang Wei and Shao Guangrong wouldn’t regularly visit the Beijing Hotel. Most children of high-ranking cadres were quite modest now, with tight purses – they couldn’t show off even if they wanted to. Xia Xiaolan thought to herself, it’s already ’84, the Reform and Opening Up are intensifying – these cadres’ children won’t stay modest for many more years. As time goes on, there will be more and more ways to make money.
What Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei were doing with cigarettes was nothing – later, others would be making money without any capital, just by brokering deals with official documents.
Xia Xiaolan had eaten plenty of Japanese food – but for Japanese cuisine in China, Shanghai’s was still the best.
Among the four present, she had the most experience. Experience breeds confidence, so she wasn’t intimidated at all when Shao Guangrong handed her the menu to order. Japanese cuisine was very light – things like sashimi might not suit current tastes, and how much of such lean dishes would it take to feel full?
Considering Shao Guangrong was treating, she didn’t order anything expensive, just chose a few dishes casually – they were mainly here to talk business anyway.
The food came quickly, with soft music playing in the restaurant and good privacy.
Halfway through the meal, just as Shao Guangrong was about to get to the point, there was a commotion at the entrance. A group of young people, over ten men and women, scanned the restaurant before zeroing in on their table.
The leader wore a delighted expression, “Zhou Cheng, you’re eating here too?”