"Thank you very much, mademoiselle." The man sat on the opposite chair. He calmly looked at her. "I hope I'm not disturbing you meal. The moment I saw you, I felt like I needed to be acquaintance of you."
Mu Lan didn't stopped eating. She elegantly finished shrimps.
Watching her eating, the man became bashful. "I'll order lunch for me as well."
This time, Mu Lan opened her mouth. "No need. You can have mine. I ordered too much. You can just pay for half of the meal." She wanted to eat slowly and finish everything. However, seeing this man, she changed her plan.
The man looked relieved. He said, "Thank you mademoiselle. You are very kind." He looked genuinely grateful.
Mu Lan only gave him a small smile. Then she began eating. It was the first time a stranger was talking to her during her meal. She had yet to know what he was thinking.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Jason Arnold. I'm a professor of University of Milan. My major is Fine Arts." He said.
Mu Lan's hands halted on the dish. She gazed at him with some interest.
"I have seen you in your school last year. Your one painting was bought by Mu Family. I've seen the piece. It's called 'Desire', isn't it?" The man seemed to be interested in her paintings.
Mu Lan smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's correct. Did you like it?"
"I loved it and I really wanted it for myself. It's too bad that I couldn't." He blamed his misfortune. "I was hoping that I could have another piece of your painting, if you don't mind."
Mu Lan gave him a polite smile. "I'm so sorry. I'm here to visit a friend of mine. I'll be leaving this place shortly. I'm afraid that I don't have time to paint at this moment."
Jason Arnold sighed. He looked pitiful. "That's too bad. I have to go to France to get your painting then." He thought for a while and said, "I have a large studio in here. An exhibition is going on. Do you mind coming with me there? I would love to show you around."
Mu Lan frowned in her mind. 'This guy is too persistent. What is he planning? Is this simply a friendly conversation?' She wondered.
When the painting was in the auction, her name wasn't mentioned. But Yan Su wrote an article about the painting and the name 'Xiao Lan' spread all other the school. But her picture wasn't there. However, if this man was really a professor of Fine Arts, getting her information from school wouldn't be so hard.
As she was thinking, the man suddenly clapped his hands in front of her, making her jolt.
"You seemed distracted, mademoiselle. I called you few times." He said.
Mu Lan arched her right eyes brow. 'And that's why you clapped your hands?'
She narrowed her eyes slightly before answering, "I'm sorry. I was thinking of something. Actually my friend is waiting for me at home. I have to go early or she will be worried."
"You don't have cell phone with you?" Jason asked.
Mu Lan scratched her nose. "I forgot to bring it with me."
"You can use my cell phone." He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket.
"I didn't memorize her number. It's okay. Maybe next time." Mu Lan finished her meal and asked for the bill. She calmly looked at Jason and abruptly asked, "Do you know Jing Sheng?"
"Who? Sorry, I never heard of her. Is she your friend?" He said,
Mu Lan smirked. "You don't know her, but you know that she is female. Interesting."
Jason smiled awkwardly. "It felt like a female name."
"So you are saying that you understand Chinese names. That's good for you. It's rare for Italian people to understand gender just by listening to Chinese name. You got a good talent." Mu Lan smiled.
"I have a friend who is Chinese." He explained.
"Who is he? Do you know Mu Jin?" Mu Lan asked lightly.
"Not really. Is he-she your friend?"
"He-she? That person isn't gay." Mu Lan controlled her laughter. "I thought you can tell gender by hearing Chinese name."
"Ah.." Jason began to speak but the waiter came with the bill interrupting him and Mu Lan paid half of it.
Then she stood up and said with a smile, "It was very nice to meet you Mr. Jason Arnold. Hope we will meet again."
She went out of the restaurant and got inside the car.
'Jason Arnold, you dared to try to hypnotize me, lied to me and you think I'll go with you. Too bad because you can never hypnotize me. i'm not that material.' Mu Lan chuckled and drove away.
She already read in the file that those researchers made sure that she could never be hypnotized.
And of course Mu Lan was smart enough not to fall for trap like this. And the moment she saw him, she knew that this man was lying to her. He was no way close to a Fine Arts professor.
