Chapter 371 - 162: Pokémon’s Island Departure (Part 2)

Chapter 371: Chapter 162: Pokémon’s Island Departure (Part 2)

「A few minutes earlier.」

While Gu Qiuyan was away from the table, Zhang Shutong felt someone kick him under the table with the tip of their shoe.

"You’ve been here before?" Ruoping asked, leaning in close. "Is it really expensive?"

"A little more expensive than KFC," Zhang Shutong said.

"Oh." She looked up at the ceiling, as if doing the math in her head.

Of course, KFC wasn’t cheap either. But everything is relative, and the intimidating Italian restaurant’s classy facade instantly crumbled a bit.

Zhang Shutong added, "I wasn’t finished before. The owner is a chef who changed careers, so he’s particular about some odd things. Take that wine cabinet, for instance. Very few of the bottles in there cost over a hundred. The one we just ordered is actually considered one of the expensive ones."

"Really?" Ruoping said in a low voice. "I thought all that foreign wine was super expensive. Du Kang was just saying that these kinds of restaurants make most of their money on drinks."

"That’s the logical assumption, but this place is different. The owner’s a foreigner—see? He even built a fake fireplace under the bar. I remember reading a news story once about a foreigner who went back to his country and opened a restaurant. His signature dishes were Panda Steak, Panda Meat Sauce, and Panda Patties. But in reality, it was just because he really liked giant pandas. So an Italian guy who just happens to like wine cabinets is perfectly normal."

He added:

"The place is called ’Pizza House,’ which means its specialty is pizza. That’s pretty down-to-earth on its own. Think about it—it’s the equivalent of one of our local ’So-and-so Dumpling Cities’ here."

Ruoping laughed at that.

"That’s a crazy comparison to make."

But she was visibly much more relaxed.

In reality, the restaurant had exerted an invisible pressure from the moment they walked in. They were the only table of students amidst the flickering candlelight and hushed whispers. In her mind’s eye, the people sitting here were supposed to be men in ties and women wearing light makeup, with waiters gliding past carrying trays. It felt as if they had suddenly stumbled into the world of adults.

Ruoping was no longer so stiff. She curiously sized up the restaurant’s decor, and she had to admit the owner had a unique touch. A brass sailboat sat in the very center of the room. When Zhang Shutong told her she could go take a picture if she liked it, her eyes lit up and she pulled out her phone. Ruoping was a sucker for pretty things; she loved anything that looked beautiful and exquisite.

Actually, Zhang Shutong had told a small lie. Even though the place was called ’Pizza House,’ the average price really wasn’t cheap—it was on par with Pizza Hut, at least. You even needed a reservation during peak hours. Take the wine they had just ordered, for instance. It was a white wine, the kind that requires a special temperature-controlled cabinet to maintain its flavor. Most places didn’t have that kind of equipment. It would be impossible to cover such high expenses without a healthy profit margin.

Furthermore, even though the owner was a career-changer whose specialty was pizza, he had a particular fondness for wine—whether that was a personal quirk or a common Italian trait, Zhang Shutong didn’t know. That cabinet also held some truly expensive bottles: red wines from the five great chateaux, all with vintages from the beginning of the century. Of course, that was the extent of Zhang Shutong’s knowledge on the subject.

He’d said all that because he didn’t want Ruoping to feel constrained. Going out was supposed to be fun. He glanced at the girl’s profile and thought, ’You’ve been the one treating us to every meal since the New Year. You always look so cool paying the bill. Don’t go thinking you’re some kind of Cinderella.’

In contrast, the other two were far more carefree. They simply ate whatever was served without a second thought. At that moment, Du Kang and Qingyi had their heads together, staring at a phone.

"Those two seem so oblivious," Ruoping said, putting her phone away and resting her chin on her hand.

Zhang Shutong smiled. "It’s you who worries too much."

"Let me tell you, I almost didn’t know how to answer when she asked me if I wanted a drink," Ruoping said. "I felt like saying yes would cost her too much, but saying no would have been a real downer. Thank goodness it wasn’t that expensive. And I feel a little bad... it seems like Gu Qiuyan is just catering to us. I asked what she wanted to eat earlier, but she wouldn’t say, just told us to order whatever we liked."

Zhang Shutong nodded. "Gu Qiuyan is a really good person."

Ruoping gave him a light shove. "Be serious, I’m trying to talk to you about something. When she gets back, let’s ask her what movie she wants to see. Don’t you forget."

"I just remembered something. I’ll be right back," Zhang Shutong said, seeing Gu Qiuyan heading their way.

With only three of them left at the table, Ruoping spoke again:

"You two can go ahead and look up today’s movies. Let’s buy the tickets online ahead of time."

"Okay," the two of them replied without looking up.

"Oh, right, is *Chinese Zodiac* out yet?" she asked. "I want to see the new Jackie Chan movie."

"I don’t think so," Qingyi said distractedly. "It’s not out until the 20th. You want to see the Ang Lee movie?"

"*Life of Pi*? A friend of mine said it was just okay, kind of confusing. How about the new 007 movie instead?"

"Okay, hold on," Du Kang said, typing.

"Don’t get tickets for too late a show, or we might miss the ferry back."

’Finally, they’re being helpful for once,’ Ruoping thought. But as she watched, the two boys’ brows only furrowed deeper.

"Why is it taking so long?" Qingyi muttered to himself.

"Yeah, it really is taking that long," Du Kang sighed.

"Is it a long movie? Two hours should be plenty of time, right?" Ruoping asked curiously.

"Oh, no," Du Kang said, looking up. "We’re talking about something else."

"What?"

"When the Tender Beef Wrap is coming back to KFC."

"..."

"What are you guys talking about?" Gu Qiuyan asked, walking over just then.

"They’re still obsessing over the Tender Beef Wrap," Ruoping said, feeling utterly helpless.

"Is it that good?" Gu Qiuyan asked, her expression unchanging.

"I think it’s just okay," Ruoping said with a sigh. "They’re being dramatic. Maybe it’s because it’s off the menu, and they won’t be able to get it again?"

"That’s not necessarily true," a voice said, building the suspense.