Wen Xinya proceeded to meet Jill de Castei at ten in the morning, together with Liu Yanhua.
Wen Xinya took the meeting very seriously and hence, prepared herself meticulously.
She put on a blue Cheongsam dress which ended at her knees, on which there were some purplish-blue iris patterns on the bright and smooth silk. Her dress was beautiful yet refined and elegant.
She paired it with a white mink fur collar and a red cashmere shawl which was in a classic Chinese hue that was rather opulent. The white mink fur collar was romantic and pure, neutralizing the blue with a slightly cool hue. It was opulent but not too over the top.
She put on a set of white jade jewelry that was bright and pure, almost as beautiful and fair as the mink fur collar. The quality was fine and it glowed like powder, accentuating her elegance and purity.
The French loved blue, red and white, which were also the colors of their country’s flag. Wen Xinya used bold colors to express her respect for Mr. Jill de Castei while still expressing her sense of belonging to China by choosing to wear a Cheongsam dress. She looked elegant and poised, neither too prideful nor humble.
When interacting with a European, one had to make them feel respected in order to befriend them.
Yes, respect!
It was not about swallowing one’s pride and lowering themselves to curry the favor of Europeans, but rather, it was about treating them with equal respect.
Respect was a lofty virtue and an expression of one’s manners and character. It was an essential virtue that would reflect one’s poise and culture.
Wen Xinya agreed to meet Mr. Jill de Castei at a world-class French restaurant which would only accept reservations. Apart from the open-space dining on the first floor, there were private rooms from the second floor onwards, all of which had different decors though they were all exquisite.
Jill de Castei made a reservation for a room on the ninth floor.
Wen Xinya was ushered to the restaurant.
Another French waitress stepped forth to greet her politely. Wen Xinya spoke smilingly in fluent English, “I’m here to meet Mr. Jill de Castei.”
“Oh, it’s you, Miss Wen,” said the waitress, who hurriedly turned to the side and gestured for her to enter politely. “Mr. Jill de Castei has arrived five minutes ago. He’s waiting for your arrival, Miss Wen. Please come with me.”
Her tone and poise were flawless.
Wen Xinya nodded.
Be it in the previous lifetime or the present, Wen Xinya had always preferred Chinese cuisine to Western. Besides, she had a huge appetite and Western cuisine was not enough to satisfy her appetite. Hence, she rarely had the chance to have Western food. It was her first time patronizing a French restaurant.
They boarded the elevator to the ninth floor where the waitress ushered Wen Xinya to the room. “Miss Wen, please come in!”
Wen Xinya entered the room which covered an area of 100 square feet, similar to that of a residential room. The room had a classic Italian decor that was beautiful, harmonious, tempting and alluring.
Jill de Castei was seated on a cream-colored couch beside the window, clad in a gray suit. He was reading a magazine with one leg crossed over the other. Although he was already 45 years old, he looked younger than his age, like most Europeans. His demeanor and elegance also made him look like a mature 30-year-old man. He exuded a loft vibe that was typical of aristocrats.
Upon sight of Wen Xinya, he put down his magazine and rose from the couch to welcome her enthusiastically with a warm hug.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Wen. You’re such a beautiful and elegant girl.”
He spoke in fluent Chinese, with no foreign accent.
“Teacher Castei, it’s my pleasure to meet you. You’re a warm and friendly gentleman too.”
Jill de Castei let go of Wen Xinya and said, “Beautiful lady, I’m really glad to see you today. Please, have a seat!”
Since he was going to meet Wen Xinya, Jill de Castei also tried to find out about Wen Xinya in detail. He found out that Wen Xinya was esteemed and reputable in the upper-class society of Capital city, and that she was a talented and elegant lady who was proficient in the four greatest ancient Chinese arts.
He also found out that her grandfather was Old Mr. Mo, a literature prodigy who was respected by many in France.
He was also in awe of her talent in jewelry design.
Wen Xinya took a seat and said smilingly, “It’s my honor to have been invited by you, Teacher Castei.”
Warm gestures and friendly remarks were inevitable during such events, for it represented the passion and jovial characteristics of the French. Wen Xinya had been greeting and addressing him politely, so as to express her respect for his profession. She also wanted to break the ice.
Jill de Castei began to admire her more and more. “Miss Wen, you’re a very charming girl, just like your mother. Don’t stand on ceremony with me. You may call me by my name, Jill!”
Jill de Castei had a good impression of Wen Xinya and he could tell from her mannerisms and outfit that she respected him greatly. She was being elegant and presentable.
In the eyes of the French, Chinese women were mysterious, graceful, gentle, conservative and virtuous. He saw all of those qualities in Wen Xinya.
Wen Xinya called, “Teacher Jill.”
Wen Xinya knew that Jill de Castei had truly approved of her.
In high spirits, Jill de Castei asked in a gentlemanly manner, “It’s ten in the morning now. There are still two hours to go before lunch. Why don’t we order some tea and snacks that we can munch on while discussing?”
The French would usually invite their guests to dinner because dinner was the most important meal to them.
Jill de Castei chose to meet her in the morning because he knew that the Chinese placed emphasis on breakfast, and would usually choose to meet their friends or guests in the morning. Of course, it was a different case for banquets.
Wen Xinya smiled and said, “I have no objections, Teacher Jill. It’s your call.”
He was much more personable and friendly than Wen Xinya had imagined. Hence, she admired him greatly.
