Chapter 368 - 161: Pokémon’s Trip Off the Island (Part 2)

Chapter 368: Chapter 161: Pokémon’s Trip Off the Island (Part 2)

Zhang Shutong recognized the English on the sign. The place was called "Grevet Pizza House."

The pizza house was at the northernmost end of the long street. Despite its exquisite facade, it was the only old building on the block—a small, two-story structure that seemed naturally set back compared to the other bright, shiny shops.

The surrounding trees and external air conditioning units hid half of it from view. No one would ever guess it was an Italian restaurant.

He didn’t get this information from reading the English, but because Zhang Shutong had been to this pizza house before—more than once, in fact.

He’d attended quite a few group dinners here during high school. The building was originally an old newspaper office, and it still had its original hardwood floors. Even with careful maintenance over the years, they had inevitably faded and creaked underfoot. The sound mingled with the sizzle of freshly baked pizzas, all of it drowned out by the laughter and chatter of the crowd.

The owner was supposedly an Italian, though Zhang Shutong didn’t know if that was true. The man spoke fluent English, at any rate. He was also a man with many stories, having traveled to numerous countries in his youth. When he arrived in China, he met the girl of his dreams. Italians are romantic from head to toe, and so this city became the final stop on his journey.

The restaurant wasn’t large, with fewer than ten tables. Since it was an old building, the windows were small and paned, the sills lined with potted plants. There was also an art wall covered in the owner’s travel photos from around the world: the gardens of Suzhou and Hangzhou, the villages of Northern Europe, the ancient temples of Kyoto... What stuck in Zhang Shutong’s memory most was a photo of the aurora over a glacier. He’d asked the owner if it was Antarctica or the North Pole, but the man had said it was Iceland. Below the Iceland photo was a horn-shaped record player, which at the time was playing a cold, lingering tune. But the heating inside was strong and the lighting was dim, allowing one’s limbs to relax into a feeling of gentle intimacy.

Zhang Shutong liked to pick a seat by the window. He didn’t participate much in the group’s conversations, preferring to poke at the sensitive plants on the windowsill with his finger and slowly eat a slice of pizza. As night fell, the commercial district across the street would light up, illuminating half the darkness. Gazing out through that small, square-paned window, he sometimes felt how large the world was.

He couldn’t say he was a regular, but he’d certainly left behind some boisterous memories here.

He never thought Gu Qiuyan would have discovered this place too.

For a moment, Zhang Shutong didn’t know if it was a coincidence... or if she had planned this all along.

Zhang Shutong suspected she had her eye on this place since last night. That must be why she’d so readily agreed to check out KFC first. Maybe during that quiet moment, she had secretly switched to her browser to look up when the Zinger Double Down was discontinued. Everything was under her control, leaving him to understand exactly how he’d been outmaneuvered.

’You’re getting more and more impressive, Class Rep,’ Zhang Shutong thought. ’But you definitely didn’t expect that I’ve been to the place you picked, and I might even know it better than you do.’

He and Gu Qiuyan had been chatting on QQ the past few days, and he’d learned a few things about her past. Because her social circle had changed, even when she went off-island for fun on the weekends, she rarely brought a huge, boisterous entourage like she used to.

If it was just a matter of treating someone to a meal, there was no shortage of places in the county. But when she went into the city for fun, she preferred smaller, more curated outings, inviting only six or seven close friends. For instance, to the polar world exhibit at the aquarium to watch the penguins and seals perform; or to the amusement park to scream their lungs out on a roller coaster; or even to an escape room—Gu Qiuyan was a bold girl who would often lead the charge with her eyes squeezed shut.

Zhang Shutong realized he hadn’t known her well at all before. It was like getting to know her all over again.

Just then, she turned her head back and asked, "What do you all think about pizza?"

The three boys all said, "Sounds good," at the same time.

Satisfied, she turned back around with a flick of her hair.

The group of five entered the pizza house, and the wind chimes by the door JANGLED loudly.

Inside and outside were like two different worlds. The light dimmed instantly. A huge crystal chandelier hung overhead, more for decoration than illumination. Each table held a candlestick, its warm glow making it feel like they had stepped into a Western-style manor.

"Whoa, a candlelight dinner..." Du Kang whispered as soon as he stepped inside. "Why are there foreigners here?"

He stepped gingerly onto the wooden floor, afraid of shattering the tranquility of the room.

"It’s Western food, obviously," Qingyi said, his expression as deadpan as ever, though he too subconsciously lowered his voice. "This is my first time in a place like this. It feels so high-class."

"It must be expensive," Ruoping also whispered.

"Of course it’s expensive! Look, they even have a dedicated wine cabinet," Du Kang said, sounding like an expert. "My dad says that for restaurants, if they have a special wine cabinet, the alcohol sales are definitely their main source of income. And any restaurant that makes its money on drinks is bound to be pricey."

The three of them looked toward the figure in front of them. While they hesitated, Gu Qiuyan was already speaking quietly with a waiter in a black vest and white shirt. The waiter then gave a slight bow, extended an arm, and led them to a table.

"Stop gawking," Ruoping said, pulling the two of them along. "We’re already here, stop being so bashful..."

Du Kang gritted his teeth and was the first to follow. ’Even if we’re from two different worlds, it’s not like we’ve never spoken at school,’ he thought. ’And we’re not the only four people from the entire school who have gone out to eat with Gu Qiuyan. There’s no reason to lose my nerve here.’

But once he sat down, he was faced with a new dilemma. The waiter brought a tray with hot towels, which he knew were for wiping his hands. Then came a glass of lemon water; since it had a lemon slice, it was probably for drinking, not rinsing his mouth. But on his plate was a cloth napkin folded like a flower. What on earth was he supposed to do with this thing? Tuck it into his collar like in the movies?