Ch77.2 – Valentine’s
A handsome old man in a suit walked over, wearing a breastplate with his name written on it. The inscribed title showed that he was the senior manager. He knelt down on one knee and poured tea for Yu Hao.
“Young Master Yu.” The manager took over the tea pastries handed over by the attendant and said, “This is the chen pu tea that our restaurant especially prepared for you, we wish you a happy Valentine’s Day.”
Yu Hao, “……”
Zhang Liang, “……”
Zhang Liang looked at the tea in his hand, then looked at Yu Hao. Yu Hao was sitting down, and the moment the manager knelt down on one knee, he silently uttered ‘crap’ to himself. This was this third time experiencing this signature kneeling style of service, so this restaurant must be the ubiquitous——
Yun, Lai, Chun!
“The dishes have already been ordered for you.” The manager who wore golden-rimmed glasses looked very elegant and said, “What does Young Master want to drink?”
Zhang Liang was filled with doubts, but he didn’t say anything as he observed the manager. Yu Hao thought that it was really troublesome now, Zhou Sheng was going to tease him again.
“I’ll just have tea.” Yu Hao said.
“Suzhou’s Pingtan and Kunqu Opera were invited over today, which would you like to listen to?”
The manager’s voice was so damn Sue! He looked like he was approaching his forties, had an elegant demeanor, and spoke in an extremely gentle and refined tone. Yu Hao thought, and I even get to listen to Pingtan now?
“This one’s good.” Yu Hao said, “I haven’t listened to one in a really long time, is it convenient? Pingtan then.”
“I’ll call them in at once.” The manager smiled and said, “We’re right outside the door, please instruct us whenever you need to.”
Yu Hao’s grandmother used to sing some Pingtan when she had nothing to do, among which《Jade Dragonfly》and《Warring Changsha》left very deep impressions on him.
Zhang Liang, “……”
Yu Hao said to Zhang Liang, “It’s been a long time since I listened to that……uh……that……”
Zhang Liang wore a bewildered expression on his face, “You’re the Young Master of Yun Lai Chun? And I was wondering why they led me straight into a private room when I reserved seats in the hall!”
Yu Hao immediately explained, “I’m not! It’s a bro of mine, he’s the Young Master! We live in the same dorm, he knew I was coming today……”
Zhang Liang observed Yu Hao doubtfully, “The same dorm? Which college do you attend?”
“An ordinary college.” Yu Hao said, “Very ordinary.”
Yu Hao didn’t want to divulge too much personal information to Zhang Liang, and it just so happens that the Pingtan gentleman came over with a guqin. He smiled and asked, “What does Young Master want to hear?”
“Yue Yun ba.” Yu Hao said.
“The bright galaxy desires for dawn, dancing in front of the thatched cottage at midnight……” The gentleman performing Pingtan sang.
Yu Hao couldn’t help himself from singing along, “Silver crown reflects the moon and gazes at limpid autumn waters, iron armour faces the wind and gazes at smoke——”
At the end of the song, Yu Hao clapped for him. Although he didn’t sing as well as his Grandma did, the lyrics were very close to his heart.
“Did you like it?” Yu Hao asked Zhang Liang.
“Didn’t understand it.” Zhang Liang said with a bewildered expression He still hadn’t recovered from the “Young Master” form of address shock.
Yu Hao, “……”
“I’m not very cultured.” Zhang Liang admitted frankly, “I’m rather unrefined.”
Yu Hao said, “I’m unrefined too, but my grandmother sang this before.”
Zhang Liang, “Oh——your grandmother was pretty elegant then. And I was wondering, looks like you’re the young master of a rich family.”
Yu Hao sometimes felt like his life was a play; it would be a poverty alleviation program for a moment, and the next day it turns into an ancient costume xuanhuan, then he would be acting in a variety show where he undergoes a transformation, then it would turn into a popcorn movie, and now he was in an Overbearing CEO romance drama.
“I’m really not.” Yu Hao said, “My bro’s teasing me on purpose.”
Yu Hao thought that he needed to change the topic right away, and he didn’t know where Zhou Sheng and the rest were now. Then, he saw Fu Liqun and Cen Shan walk hand in hand outside their lake view room.
Cen Shan waved at him. Yu Hao smiled and waved back as he thought, where’s Zhou Sheng?
Zhang Liang turned around to take a look, “Your friend?”
“My sis-in-law.” Yu Hao said, “She should’ve come over for dinner because it’s Valentine’s.”
Zhang Liang responded with an “oh”. Fortunately, the dishes were served, so the awkwardness was effectively defused. Just like in ‘Dawn of Spring in an Empty Mountain’, the manager divided up and plated the dishes at one side. Yu Hao smiled, “Have you decided to find your ex-girlfriend to reconcile?”
Zhang Liang, “You really want me to look for her to reconcile?”
“Go ba.” Yu Hao said, “It is not easy for two people to fall in love.”
Zhang Liang shook his head and smiled helplessly. In the end, Yu Hao chatted idly for a bit, and they finished their meal. The manager wore white gloves as he held a bottle of wine to show it to Yu Hao.
Yu Hao, “???”
Before Yu Hao could even ask what it was, the manager picked up the wine and placed it in front of Zhang Liang.
“This is the wine that Young Master specially prepared for you.” The manager said, “There must be good wine on a good day. Take it back for a drink, this is just an expression of our goodwill.”
Zhang Liang laughed, “There’s no need to be so polite.”
“No no.” Yu Hao knew at once that this was Zhou Sheng’s return gift because he didn’t want to accept his red packets for nothing, “Accept it ba, it’s just a bottle of wine.”
“Then okay.” Zhang Liang didn’t even talk about the next date before he went out with the wine. There weren’t a lot of people in the hall. Yu Hao caught a glimpse of Zhou Sheng, Fu Liqun, and Cen Shan at one glance.
“I’ll send you back?” Zhang Liang asked.
Zhou Sheng was wearing a casual suit as he waited in the lobby.
“Done talking?” Zhou Sheng asked Yu Hao with one hand stuffed into his pocket.
Yu Hao, “……that’s the true Young Master.”
Zhang Liang promptly went up to shake hands. Zhou Sheng looked calm as he forcefully shook his hands back, and Zhang Liang’s facial features instantly became a little twisted. Cen Shan said, “Yu Hao, let’s go stargazing, shall we?”
Zhou Sheng said, “Did you have a good meal?”
Zhang Liang could only say, “It’s not bad.”
Zhou Sheng said, “You are welcome to visit us often in the future. Oh do you to stargaze too?”
Zhang Liang quickly refused, “No no.”
Fu Liqun was following behind, and he was laughing so hard that he swayed unsteadily from side to side. After they left, a Bentley was parked at the entrance. Fu Liqun fished the keys out,pressed it, then got into the driver’s seat. Zhou Sheng opened the door for Cen Shan first and said, “Sis-in-law, you first.” Cen Shan sat inside. Zhou Sheng then opened the door for Yu Hao, revealing a blinding diamond watch on his wrist.
“Little Young Master, get in ah.” Zhou Sheng said to Yu Hao.
“Then……see you next time?” Yu Hao said to Zhang Liang.
“See you next time! See you next time!” Zhang Liang was carrying a bag and raised his hand towards Yu Hao.
Zhou Sheng got in the car. Fu Liqun drove and began laughing wildly.
Fu Liqun, “Hahahahaha!”
Yu Hao, “All of you knock it off!!”
Cen Shan said, “Was it that fun? You guys really are just a bunch of kids.”
Zhou Sheng took his watch off and said, “Gege, go by the back door and wait there for a bit.”
When they arrived at the back gate, Zhou Sheng whistled and asked someone to call the manager over. He took off the watch and said, “Return this to my Dad, thanks Uncle Lin!”
The manager smiled as he accepted it. Fu Liqun turned the steering wheel and drove the Bentley away.
“Where did this car come from?” Zhou Sheng asked, “Woah fuck! Sis-in-law, you’re too cool!”
Cen Shan laughed and said, “I borrowed it from my Dad too.”
Fu Liqun and Zhou Sheng burst out laughing, and Yu Hao was absolutely baffled, “What the hell are you guys trying to do?”
Zhou Sheng said all proper, “Nothing much, are you full? Let’s go eat some stir-fry?”
Fu Liqun burped, “I really can’t eat anymore, Young Master.”
Yu Hao said, “I can’t either, I ate a lot today somehow.”
Zhou Sheng, “Looking at the situation now……you’ll need to blacklist this one too ba?”
“Hahahaha——” Cen Shan finally couldn’t hold it back anymore and laughed so hard in the passenger seat until her stomach hurt, “Aiya oh my goodness, you guys are way too amusing.”
Yu Hao said, “Why are we amusing? Zhou Sheng! I didn’t want to date him! I was just making a friend!”
Fu Liqun said, “So, to the riverside or the observatory on Mt. Yunding?”
“Shifu, let’s go to the sandbank and have some wine bei.” Cen Shan suggested.
“Beep beep, accepted a passenger with numbers ending in 250.” Fu Liqun said, “There’s a camera three kilometers ahead.”
“You’re the 250!” Cen Shan and Zhou Sheng retorted in unison.
Yu Hao leaned on the car window and looked up at the stars. The sky was clear and cloudless on the night of Valentine’s but the lights from the city were too bright, so he couldn’t see the Milky Way clearly. Fu Liqun drove across the river bridge and onto the sand bang opposite. Once they entered the sandbank, there were fewer lights. They turned into a silent, desolate row of cafes in the Wenchuang area, and the Milky Way suddenly appeared in the sky.
Fu Liqun, “Beep beep, no more orders will be received.”
The open air balcony of the cafe was lit with candles, and soft music played. A lot of guests were stargazing as they drank. On the third floor, the shop manager had set up sofas, tables, two bottles of wine, and mosquito repellent incense everywhere. After your eyes got accustomed to the dark, the Milky Way’s splendour and beauty were unparalleled as it stretched all the way across the dome of the night.
“It’s really beautiful.” Yu Hao said, “How did you guys find this place? Yi? Why is our table the only one on the rooftop? Are there no other guests?”
“Your sis-in-law is a hipster when it comes to the arts.” Fu Liqun said, “She knows how to find all these strange places.”
“This Wenchuang area should have been opened by your acquaintance ba?” Zhou Sheng exposed the secret.
Cen Shan laughed and said, “It’s not as luxurious as Yun Lai Chun though.”
“Yun Lai Chun only has three branches in Ying City.” Zhou Sheng said, “There’s only a small restaurant left you haven’t been to in the suburbs. How could it be compared to sis-in-law’s huge conglomeration that’s everywhere?”
Fu Liqun laughed so hard he ended up leaning over the table. Yu Hao uttered in surprise, “Sis-in-law! Your family opened this shop?”
Cen Shan said, “It’s all my Dad’s, what does it have to do with me? Ai——”
Zhou Sheng, “Ai——”
Fu Liqun, “Ai——”
Yu Hao heard the underlying meaning behind those three “ai”s and thought, I’m the one who should be uttering the most ‘ai’s, what are you guys sighing for? If my Dad was an official, boss Zhou would itch to start beating the drums and stuff me and Zhou Sheng into a bridal chamber……but then again would they be able to accept a marriage between their sons? I guess not ba. But they would definitely be delighted and hope that we could get closer, ai——
“Still going on more blind dates?” Zhou Sheng asked, “You’ve gone on blind dates with both poor and rich ones, yet they’re all so ugly.”
Fu Liqun said, “That guy should be a scum guy ba? He already knew that you wouldn’t accept red packets yet he kept sending you……”
Yu Hao said, “Okay don’t talk about it anymore, I was wrong.”
Cen Shan drank some wine and stared at the Milky Way quietly. She said, “Yu Hao, can you tell which star is your father?”
Yu Hao looked for awhile and said, “He didn’t blink at me today, can’t find him.”
Cen Shan said, “I forgot which star is my mother too.”
Yu Hao said, “But they’re definitely there, they wouldn’t lie to us.”
All four of them were quiet. Cen Shan said, “Yeah, I believe that too.” She smiled and raised her glass at Yu Hao.
Yu Hao smiled too, and Zhou Sheng said, “Cheers! To wish Vico and Zhang Liang good health!”
Yu Hao, “Quit it!”
The four of them raised their glasses that reflected the Milky Way within.
—
