Chapter: 2751
As Charlie Wade approached, He Yuanjiang welcomed him and invited him to sit next to him. They were in the diamond box of Tianxiang Mansion, the most luxurious room in the place. The large round dining table could seat at least twenty people, so it felt a bit empty with just three of them.
Once Charlie was seated beside He Yuanjiang, He Yuanjiang looked across the table at He Zhiqiu and said, “Zhiqiu, it’s just the three of us. Why are you sitting so far away? Come sit closer.”
He Zhiqiu replied awkwardly, “I think I’d better stay here. With such a big table, it feels strange for three people to sit right next to each other.”
He Yuanjiang shrugged and said, “Alright, it’s your choice.”
Then he turned to Charlie and asked, “Charlie, are you up for a couple of drinks?”
Charlie smiled and replied, “I’m fine with that, but it depends on whether you have work later, Uncle He.”
He Yuanjiang grinned and said, “I don’t have any classes this afternoon. I plan to take a half-day off. We can enjoy a couple of drinks at lunch, and then I’ll take Zhiqiu home to rest. She’s finally back, and I can’t just leave her alone while I go to work.”
Charlie nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Zhiqiu has been through a lot lately. She definitely needs some time to relax. In that case, I’ll join you for a couple of drinks at lunch, and then we can have dinner. Hong Wu can drive you and Zhiqiu home afterward.”
He Yuanjiang smiled broadly. “Sounds good! Let’s enjoy ourselves!”
Just then, Hong Wu entered and asked Charlie, “Master Ye, the cold dishes are ready. Can I serve them now?”
Charlie quickly responded, “Yes, please do! And bring two more bottles of Moutai while you’re at it.”
Charlie Wade was going to have a drink with Professor He.
“Sure!” Hong Wu replied quickly. “We’ll arrange some hot dishes for you according to the diamond box specifications.”
Charlie waved his hand. “Don’t go overboard. The diamond box is meant for twenty people, and there are only three of us. We can’t eat that much.”
He Yuanjiang quickly chimed in, “Let’s just order what we want, but let’s not waste food. The whole country is encouraging thriftiness, and we should do our part to avoid waste.”
Charlie had a clever idea. “Professor He, why don’t you go to the back kitchen and see if you’d like to choose some dishes? For the three of us, four dishes and one soup should be enough.”
“No, no,” He Yuanjiang said hurriedly. “I’m not picky. I can eat anything.”
Charlie smiled. “I do have a bit of a choice problem, so I’d prefer if you helped pick a few dishes.”
Hong Wu was confused. He wondered, “What is Master Ye planning? Can’t we just order from the menu? Why is he sending the professor to the back kitchen? Usually, restaurants don’t allow customers in the back. Tianxiang Mansion has its own way of doing things.”
As he pondered this, he noticed He Zhiqiu sitting across from Charlie. She looked beautiful, like a fairy, but also worried, her expression resembling that of the famous character Lin Daiyu. Suddenly, Hong Wu understood.
“Ah, Master Ye is trying to keep Professor He distracted so he can spend time with his daughter.”
Thinking about this, Hong Wu quickly turned to He Yuanjiang and said, “Professor He, you are a special guest of Master Ye. You should choose what to order.”
He then made a gesture inviting Professor He to follow him. “Please come to the back of the kitchen; I’d like to show you our specialty dishes at Tianxiang Mansion!”
Feeling a bit pressured by the hospitality, He Yuanjiang agreed, saying, “Alright, then I’ll happily accept!”
With that, He Yuanjiang left the private room with Hong Wu.
Once they were gone, Charlie Wade looked at He Zhiqiu, feeling a bit awkward. “Um, Zhiqiu, do you think the fitted clothes I bought you this morning are a bit too much?”