Reply to Keats - Chap 28

Chap 28
Mulanduo

In fact, Zhao Shengge had been standing upstairs for a while. Chen Wan was standing alone in the glamorous crowd. Although he knew that Chen Wan might be more inclined to go find Tan Youming and the others, Zhao Shengge still spoke because he had been standing there for a little too long.

The lanterns were bright, one person lowered his eyes, the other raised them, their eyes met, and neither of them looked away.

Zhao Shengge’s face seemed gentle, but facing the light, Chen Wan couldn’t be sure. He was more inclined to believe that the waving gesture was just his imagination.

Until Zhao Shengge opened his mouth silently again: “Come up.”

Chen Wan woke up as if from a dream and immediately stepped onto the spiral staircase.

Zhao Shengge introduced to Felipe: “This is Chen Wan.” He did not mention his occupation or identity, only said that this was Chen Wan.

Fortunately, foreigners have unusual ways of thinking. Felipe does not have any royal airs. He extends his hand enthusiastically to Chen Wan and praises the beauties from the East.

Chen Wan’s appearance really fits foreigners’ imagination of traditional oriental beauties: gentle, elegant, and a little bookish.

Although Chen Wan didn’t quite understand why Zhao Shengge wanted to introduce the other person to him, he responded with a smile appropriately.

Not long after, Tan Youming came up with a large group of people. They were all old friends from their study abroad. Chen Wan took the initiative to give them a seat.

Zhao Shengge didn’t come here to attend any cocktail party, but mainly to meet Felipe.

When they were studying abroad, the other party had hosted them warmly, and Zhao Shengge also attached great importance to the Nordic energy market and route transportation sector.

Studying abroad has always been a popular trend in Shanghai, and even among those studying abroad, there are different categories and factions.

At that time, Zhao Shengge was not such a reclusive figure who was only known by name. When people were away from home, there was a natural cohesion and solidarity among compatriots from the same hometown. Zhao Shengge was the most prestigious and favored person among the Chinese, and also a reliable backbone. His relationship with everyone was much more familiar and closer than it is now.

But time changes a lot of things.

The young men who studied abroad together back then are now chatting together, talking about the spring rowing race on the Rhine River, skiing in the Greater Caucasus Mountains during the gap year, and exploring the Baltic Sea, fishing, and watching the northern lights in the coldest month…

Chen Wanyin was in the outermost circle of the crowd, and listened with some envy.

His college years were dull and tedious. He raced against time to complete his credits, started his own business from scratch, and accepted the cruel beatings of the market and society earlier than his peers. He spent the best years of his life, the time when he should have been enjoying and squandering his youth, on various drinking parties and social gatherings where he drank until he got gastroenteritis and a high fever.

I don’t feel it’s hard, and I don’t regret it, but I feel a little regretful. I regret that I didn’t get the top 2 offer with gold-lettered lace, and I regret that I never got to meet Zhao Shengge, the college student who was so ambitious in rowing and skiing.

Everyone was in high spirits reminiscing about the past. Yao Jianan said: “At the ski race, those white students from King’s College looked down on us. In the last race, when the captain led us to win the medal, their faces were crooked.”

The captain he was referring to was naturally Zhao Shengge.

Everyone burst into laughter, recalling their high-spirited youth, and the atmosphere suddenly became warmer.

Yao Jianan was the youngest among that batch of overseas students. Everyone treated him as a younger brother. He just graduated with a master’s degree this year. He has a baby face and peach blossom eyes. He is favored at home and is very courageous.

He hadn’t seen Zhao Shengge for several years. Times have changed, things have changed, and many relationships, friendships, and even that insignificant friendship between peers will change due to time, interests, experience, and choices.

After completing his studies and returning to China this year, he has not received any response to his posts, whether they were sent in his personal name or signed by the Yao family.

He even suspected that the post had never been delivered to Zhao Shengge.

Tonight’s cocktail party is a blessing from heaven, a timely rain. Yao Jianan’s gaze has been drifting over Zhao Shengge silently since the moment he entered the door, but Zhao Shengge seemed to have forgotten him.

“But after that spring game, the captain rarely played with us anymore.”

After he said this, everyone felt a little regretful and agreed that it was indeed a good time back then when they were young and full of energy and vigor, unlike today when people are busy and have no time to think.

Zhao Shengge smiled faintly, did not respond, and started speaking to Felipe in English.

Felipe doesn’t have the airs of an old nobleman. He used to hang out with this group of international students, so he’s not a dull person.

He was a wine lover. When he was in school, he often took Tan Youming and a group of other playboys to the royal wine cellar to drink. He asked Zhao Shengge: “Two rounds of wine have been served. Which one do you like best?”

Everyone looked over. Zhao Shengge said that the wine had not been served yet and I couldn’t make a conclusion in advance.

“Haha, you are still so perfect,” Felipe said, picking up a bottle of red wine with a love knot tied on the neck. “This one tastes like a butterfly dancing on the tip of my tongue. I didn’t expect that China’s winemaking technology has reached such a high level.”Zhao Fangge glanced at the knot on the neck of the wine bottle and agreed: “It’s very good, I like it very much.”

He seldom expressed his likes and dislikes so directly in public. The guests’ eyes instantly became subtle, containing envy and curiosity. They wondered which guest’s wine was so lucky to win the favor of Zhao Shengge.

Until someone said, “Jianan, you picked a great wine!”

Chen Wan looked over with a blank look in his eyes. The Mulan Flower that he had spent so much effort to find was now clearly marked with Yao Jianan’s wine label.

Zhao Shengge seemed to pause as well, and looked at the wine bottle again, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Chen Wan frowned slightly and whispered to a wine waiter passing by, asking if he could see where the two bottles of wine he brought were.

The sommelier quickly found the registration in the system – Mulan Duo was placed in a blind box for people to choose, and Chardonnay was placed on the wine rack for people to taste.

Got it wrong.

Put it in a blind box, and whoever draws it will own it.

Whether it was the wine waiter’s unintentional confusion or someone deliberately replaced the prince with a cat, there is no way to know for the time being. Chen Wan could only blame himself for not personally delivering his wine to where it should go.

It shouldn’t be left to human hands.

Chen Wan’s mind went blank for several seconds, and his heart seemed to be soaked by the ice in the wine trough.

Everyone talked loudly and praised the rare bottle of good wine, praising its warm and fragrant taste and its mellow aroma.

Cranberries, black plums and red berries are plump and fermented, like a soft and sour heart of Chen Wan.

Yao Jianan never thought that the blind box he randomly drew would be favored by Zhao Shengge. He was overjoyed. It turned out that even God was helping him. He curved his eyes and said, “At the celebration party when we defeated the University of Science and Technology to win the championship, the captain brought a dry red wine with a black currant scent.”

With this said, it seemed as if he had specially prepared a gift for Zhao Shengge, which reminded everyone of the high spirits and great pleasure they had back then.

Chen Wan hid behind the crowd with her head lowered, unaware of the obscure gazes coming from the center of the crowd.

Chen Wan felt a little regretful that the gift she had carefully prepared was named after someone else.

In order to find this Mulan Duo, I ran around all the wine cellars in Haishi, big and small, and personally tasted no less than a hundred kinds of wine. There were a few days when the tip of my tongue was numb and I couldn’t taste anything, and my skin seemed to be marinated in the flavor of wine.

But Yao Jianan’s acquiescence could not be said to be wrong, as that was the rule of the cocktail party: whoever drew the blind box would own the property.

That was already Yao Jianan’s wine.

In the business world, tea, wine and cigarettes that please people are the best stepping stones.

There was no reason for Yao Jianan to refuse this wedding dress that fell from the sky.

Chen Wan had no evidence that the waiter had deliberately changed the purpose of the two bottles of wine. It might have been a simple mistake. He would never do something as undignified as standing up and saying that the wine was actually brought by him.

I can only blame myself for not being careful enough.

But he changed his mind and thought that if Zhao Shengge really liked it, it wouldn’t be a waste. His original intention was just to let Zhao Shengge drink a glass of good wine, which was a very simple thing.

When you like someone, you want to give him or her everything good, and Chen Wan is no exception.

As for who sent it, it didn’t seem to be that important. After all, he didn’t want to do anything about it.

Felipe asked: “Zhao, would you consider bidding?”

Every guest at the cocktail party has a label, and they can stick the wine they like most on it. The owner of the wine can then choose from the labels. Giving wine as a gift is a matter of fate and a two-way choice.

Zhao Shengge glanced at the corner and said the same thing: “The wine hasn’t been served yet, I won’t draw any conclusions in advance.”

When he said that, Yao Jianan was a little disappointed, and Chen Wan also felt a little regretful. It seemed that the treasure he had been searching for so hard could not completely capture Zhao Shengge.