Chapter 7: Etiquette of High Society (Part 3)
The students of Chuanhai No. 1 High School were also very particular about their meals. They didn’t call it “eating,” but “feasting.” Dinner, for example, was referred to as a “banquet.” A large traditional round table was laden with all kinds of delicacies – it was said that some places preferred Western-style long tables. The teachers in charge sat at the head and tail of the table, with the children of officials on the left and the children of merchants on the right. Before the meal, one had to remember to dress appropriately, be well-groomed, avoid excessive flattery, and not act too reserved.
When Lu Li arrived with Chen Jianing, no one ushered them to their seats, so he sat down on the right side on his own. Chen Jianing naturally felt awkward in such a setting. She carefully followed Lu Li and said, “…I’m not very hungry right now, maybe I should go back first.” How could she not be hungry? She was clearly just afraid of embarrassing herself in front of so many people.
“Sit down, it’s just a meal, don’t mind them.” Lu Li pulled out a chair for her. Chen Jianing’s small body shrank in the chair, like a curled-up hamster, her expression stiff as a zombie. She didn’t even dare to turn her head, as if afraid that any large movement would attract everyone’s attention.
After a while, the waiter served tea. Chen Jianing’s delicate nose twitched slightly, catching the rich aroma of the tea. Her eyes lit up. “It smells so good, even better than my dad’s Biluochun.” She was a girl who loved tea. When she was a child, her grandmother would brew tea in a clay pot, using inexpensive tea leaves, and she could drink three or four pots a day. However, drinking too much tea could stain teeth, so she developed the habit of brushing her teeth frequently.
The waiter respectfully placed a ceramic teapot in front of Chen Jianing without closing the lid. There were also chopsticks, spoons, and other tableware beside it. Chen Jianing secretly glanced at Lu Li beside her and saw that he didn’t touch the tea in front of him. Did he not like tea? She looked at the others, and none of them made a move either. The girl endured for more than ten seconds, but she couldn’t resist pouring herself a cup of tea. She happily held the small teacup and started drinking. If she could let out a satisfied sigh after finishing the tea, it would be perfect.
Just then, Chen Jianing saw several girls suddenly covering their mouths and chuckling, their gazes frequently shifting towards her, making her feel uncomfortable.
What’s wrong? Never seen anyone drink tea before?
Chen Jianing thought angrily and poured herself another cup. Rich people were so troublesome, they even laughed at others for drinking tea.
A student sitting next to Lu Li nudged him lightly with his elbow and said with a smile, “Young Master Lu, tell your friend that’s not tea for drinking, it’s for the waiter to wash the tableware.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone to hear, including Chen Jianing. Chen Jianing’s face suddenly flushed red with shame. Looking at the teacup in her hand, she could only pretend that she hadn’t heard anything, staring at the table in silence, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
The custom of washing tableware with tea originated from Quanzhou. There was a particular way to do it. First, the tea leaves had to have a strong and mellow aroma. Second, the tableware had to be made of good wood, allowing the tea fragrance to permeate the wood and leave a lingering scent on the lips and teeth. People in Quanzhou initially used hot tea to wash chopsticks for disinfection. After it spread inland, somehow it became a form of etiquette and art.
Lu Li only then realized that this hopeless Chen Jianing had actually drunk the tea meant for washing chopsticks. He found it both funny and pitiful. He leaned closer and whispered, “Chen Jianing, you can’t drink this tea.”
Chen Jianing felt her brain burning, her ears turning red. She said in a voice as soft as a mosquito, “…So-sorry…” This voice was probably only audible to herself. She suddenly regretted coming to this place. She started to miss everything at school and at home. She didn’t need to look up to hear the whispers of others. Someone seemed to be laughing. They must be laughing at her, right? Lu Li must also think she had embarrassed him. Maybe he was cursing her in his mind right now… The more she thought about it, the more Chen Jianing felt like she was in the eighteenth level of hell.
She wanted to leave, but she was afraid that the act of getting up would attract too much attention. She wanted to pretend to be deaf and dumb, but she felt that would be even more embarrassing. No matter what she chose, it was wrong. Chen Jianing curled her small toes tightly inside her shoes, a thought floating in her mind: “It’s better to be alone after all.”
Lu Li sighed and suddenly reached for the teapot, pouring himself a full cup. “Is this tea so good? I’ll try it too.”
The student who had advised him earlier quickly stopped him. “Young Master Lu, you can’t be serious.”
For some people, they no longer had to worry about material things in their lives. Their pursuits had already ascended to the spiritual level. The phrase “losing face” was more terrifying than being beheaded.
Chen Jianing was also stunned and wanted to stop Lu Li. But Lu Li was quick. He gulped down the tea without any grace, not like he was savoring it, but like a street thug drinking beer. “This tea is not bad, what a waste to use it for washing chopsticks.” Lu Li smiled and poured himself another cup.
Everyone else at the round table was dumbfounded. All conversations ceased, leaving only Lu Li’s bold figure. They didn’t know whether to laugh or praise him. Could they laugh at him? He was a guest of the Chu family, and might even become a member of the family in the future. Could they praise him? That didn’t seem right either. He was just an ordinary person, and drinking the water used to wash tableware was too embarrassing.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Everyone was watching Lu Li’s actions. Seeing him casually pouring tea, a strange thought popped up in everyone’s mind: Was this tea really that good?
“The aroma is strong but the aftertaste is lacking. The texture is smooth, not bad.” Lu Li put down the teacup. “Why are you all staring at me?”
“Uh… Young Master Lu, is this tea really that good? It’s…”
Lu Li interrupted him. “Whether it’s good or not, how would you know without trying it?”
These words did move some people. After all, they were all sixteen or seventeen-year-old teenagers. Although they had much more experience than ordinary teenagers, they weren’t necessarily more mature mentally. Seeing Lu Li’s determined and confident demeanor, these students actually felt a bit tempted. People were blind followers, regardless of wealth or status. The phrase “one call, a hundred responses” applied to every social class.
A girl with a youthful face secretly poured herself a cup, took a small sip, and said in surprise, “It’s actually quite good.”
Nonsense. The tea used to wash your tableware is specially provided, how bad could it be? Lu Li complained inwardly. Once someone started, more people followed suit. For a while, everyone was pouring themselves the tea meant for washing tableware, making the waiter standing by break out in a cold sweat. He cursed these little ancestors in his mind. If the manager saw this, he would be the one getting scolded.
“Young Master Lu has good taste. We almost missed out on good tea, haha!”
“That’s right, otherwise how could he catch the Prime Minister’s eye?”
Lu Li responded with a forced smile, knowing that they weren’t giving him face, but giving face to Chu Jingyi.
Chen Jianing was still in a daze when she saw Lu Li pour her another cup of tea, his expression gentle. “It’s just a meal, don’t overthink it.”
Chen Jianing stared at Lu Li’s face, her heart touched. Her voice choked with emotion. “Tha-thank you…” Her small hand holding the teacup tightened.
***
After the banquet, the students all went to a villa on the outskirts of the city for a party, leaving only Lu Li and Chen Jianing in the hotel. After resting for a while, Chen Jianing decided to go back to school. She dragged her heavy suitcase and didn’t look back at Lu Li. “Thank you for earlier… I was so embarrassed…” Her voice was soft and gentle, like a cloud.
The hotel floor was covered with soft carpet, making it a bit difficult to move the suitcase’s wheels. Chen Jianing walked haltingly. Lu Li picked up her suitcase, causing Chen Jianing to turn around. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you carry it.”
“No, thanks.” The soft tone from earlier was gone, replaced by her usual fierce demeanor.
Was that sarcasm? Lu Li couldn’t really tell with Chen Jianing. This girl mixed sarcasm and sincerity in her speech, making it difficult to discern her true intentions. When they reached the hotel entrance and were about to part ways, Chen Jianing suddenly stopped, frowned, and glared at Lu Li.
“What’s wrong?” Did he offend her?
“Add me on WeChat.” Is this how you ask someone to add you on WeChat?
Lu Li added Chen Jianing on WeChat. Her profile picture wasn’t some abstract figure, but a pink, lolita-style avatar. As the saying went, the pinker the avatar, the harsher the insults. The ancients were wise indeed. Before Lu Li could say a few farewell words, Chen Jianing suddenly dragged her suitcase and ran away, shouting without looking back, “Don’t ever contact me again!”
Lu Li watched Chen Jianing’s small figure disappear with a wry smile, gaining a deeper understanding of her contradictory personality. Wasn’t she running towards the bus stop? Could she even catch a bus with the traffic jam?
Lu Li didn’t worry about it anymore. He returned to the empty hotel and lay down on the bed for a nap. He hadn’t had a good rest since getting off the plane, and after dealing with the eccentric Chen Jianing, his brain was already exhausted. As soon as he touched the bed, Lu Li drifted off to sleep. He didn’t know how long he slept for when the ringing of his phone woke him up. Lu Li groggily picked up his phone and saw that he had over a dozen missed calls, from Sister Yameng, Silly Goose, and even Secretary Long.
He answered the phone. “Hello? Sis… what’s wrong?”
“Little Li, are you okay?” Sister Yameng’s voice was filled with anxiety.
“What? Of course I’m okay.” Lu Li’s mind cleared a little. “What happened?”
“Little Li, Mulan City is on lockdown! Where are you now?”
Lockdown? Lu Li pulled open the curtains, and the neon-lit Mulan City came into view. Under the dark sky, countless cars were jammed on the roads, their headlights pointing towards the distant city limits, like long dragons crossing a river. The colorful neon lights reflected on the glass, making this unusual scene even more surreal.
“There’s a major infectious disease outbreak in Mulan City! It’s been completely sealed off! No one is allowed in or out! Little Li, you…”
His sister’s voice on the phone gradually faded away. Lu Li put down his phone and stared blankly at the cars on the road. What was going on? Why was this happening, something that never happened in his past life? Was this also the butterfly effect? And what was this “major infectious disease outbreak”? Was it so serious that they had to lock down the city? What was this? A real-life Resident Evil?
There was an unread message on his phone, from that annoying girl with the pink lolita avatar:
“I can’t go back, can I come back to the hotel?”
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