Volume One: High School Days Chapter Fifty-Eight: Gentlemanly and Graceful
A week after Yagyu left, Ren Xiaodong arrived at the company with the suspense anime and promotional video crafted by Yagyu. With Miss Ya’s help, he began the dubbing and publicity work. Ren Xiaodong hadn’t been idle in that week either; determined to get his driver’s license as quickly as possible, he spent a fair sum, guided by the principle that speed mattered more than money.
After a busy day at the company, Ren Xiaodong sat in his office with his eyes closed, resting. Lele walked in with a cup of coffee and said, “Mr. Ren, have some coffee to refresh yourself. You must be exhausted today.”
Ren Xiaodong was unaccustomed to this version of Lele and retorted cheekily, “Where’s your usual arrogance? Did you take the wrong medicine today, or forget your meds? This isn’t the Lele I know!”
Lele replied, “It’s working hours now. You’re the boss, I’m the employee. If you’re dissatisfied, wait until after work, and we can have a drink together.”
Hearing this, Ren Xiaodong’s mind drifted to times when Lele had out-drunk him, and he quickly shook his head. “Forget it, forget it.”
“I’ll wait for you later—don’t try to sneak off,” Lele said, leaving Ren Xiaodong’s office.
Ren Xiaodong was quite apprehensive now, wondering how he ended up facing a troublesome and hard-drinking Lele.
The company closed at six. By Yagyu’s request, overtime was forbidden, but so were lateness and early departures. Holidays were observed as usual, and salaries were neither delayed nor withheld.
Of course, none of this applied to Ren Xiaodong, the company’s co-owner. He came and went as he pleased; if not for Yagyu’s absence, he wouldn’t have spent a whole day at the office.
At 5:50, Ren Xiaodong, hoping to dodge Lele’s drinking invitation, tried to sneak out. As he crept to the door—
“Stop right there! It’s not closing time yet. As the boss, you barely show up, and now you want to leave early?” Lele, stationed at the reception, scolded Ren Xiaodong as he attempted to slip away.
Another receptionist tugged at Lele’s sleeve, whispering, “Don’t talk to the boss like that in public.”
This colleague worried that Lele’s bluntness would land her in trouble with Ren Xiaodong. Lele was famous for her strict impartiality; she would intervene whether someone tried to leave early or sneak out for a smoke.
To the colleague’s surprise, Ren Xiaodong grinned and said, “I have urgent business; could you be gracious and let me go?”
“No way! There are still ten minutes left. If you have nothing pressing, wait here until I finish.”
Lele’s words made it clear Ren Xiaodong wasn’t escaping today. He sighed, “You weren’t so assertive in my office earlier!”
“The office is your domain—I respect you there. But at the reception, it’s my job to manage the entrance and exit. No matter who comes or goes, it’s under my watch.”
Hearing this, Ren Xiaodong glanced at his phone’s clock and then addressed the other receptionist, “Learn from Li Xiaohui—if every employee were as responsible, this company would soon be world-famous!”
In truth, few knew of Yagyu World Animation Company; only Yagyu’s works were widely recognized.
Ren Xiaodong then spoke to Lele, “It’s six o’clock. Can we leave now?”
Lele quickly tidied up the reception desk and said, “Tonight, you’re doomed!” Then the two exited together.
As the company’s employees prepared to leave, they watched this scene with amazement, whispering, “Is our receptionist Mr. Ren’s girlfriend?” “Must be—who else would dare be so fierce with him?”
Ren Xiaodong, not wanting to drink with Lele, made excuse after excuse. Still, Lele followed him to a Western restaurant.
As she entered, Lele was captivated by the setting and ambiance. Everything seemed new and fascinating. She whispered to Ren Xiaodong, “I’ve only seen places this romantic on TV. I never thought I’d dine in one myself.”
Ren Xiaodong, seeing Lele’s naivety, snorted, “Country bumpkin. If you don’t know what’s what, keep quiet later.”
A server led them to a window seat. At seven in summer, the sky was already darkening. Lele gazed at the candle on the table, her face glowing with happiness, as if she were being pampered. After a while, she said, “Such a romantic candlelit dinner! I never dared dream of this, and now it’s happening to me. Am I dreaming?”
She looked up at Ren Xiaodong across the table. Because he’d gone to the office today, he was dressed formally—suit, tie, neatly combed hair. Sitting in the restaurant, he appeared especially gentlemanly, and Lele was instantly entranced.
While Lele was lost in her reverie, Ren Xiaodong snapped, “Country bumpkin! Don’t talk when ordering, or you’ll embarrass me.”
Lele’s fantasies vanished in an instant. She thought, “What was I just thinking? Imagining him as a gentleman! How disgusting my thoughts were!”
She replied, “Hmph! You do the ordering, save me the trouble.”
Actually, this was only Ren Xiaodong’s second time in such an upscale Western restaurant—the first was in the capital, accompanied by Yagyu and Senhai’s Xia Yao. So before Lele, he felt quite sophisticated.
A foreign waiter approached, bowed gracefully, and asked with some difficulty, “Sir, may I take your order?” handing Ren Xiaodong the menu.
Ren Xiaodong shook his head at Lele, signaling her to keep quiet lest she embarrass him.
But as he opened the menu, he was stunned—“Damn! It’s all in English, not even a single picture!”
His expression soured. Lele, seeing him hesitate, kept silent herself, remembering he’d told her not to speak.
“Now I’ve really messed up! Why did I choose this place? I’d rather be drinking with Lele. I dug my own grave!” Ren Xiaodong thought, imitating a scene from a movie, randomly pointing at a few items: “These ones!”
The waiter noticed Ren Xiaodong had ordered mostly soups and sauces, and guessed he couldn’t read English. The waiter quickly flipped the menu to the later pages. Ren Xiaodong looked again—almost in tears of relief. The front pages were English; the later pages identical, but in Chinese.
Now he pretended to study the menu, pointing and saying, “This one, this one, and this one.”
After ordering, Ren Xiaodong slipped two hundred yuan into the menu for the waiter—a tip for not exposing his bluff, and for helping him out.
Once the waiter left, Ren Xiaodong boasted to Lele, “Do you know why I didn’t let you speak?”
Lele, still enchanted by his performance, shook her head admiringly.
Ren Xiaodong puffed his chest. “Because the menu was all in English. Could you read it? If you ordered, you’d probably bring a pile of chili sauce—how embarrassing would that be, right?”
Now, whatever Ren Xiaodong said, Lele believed without question. “Impressive! I realize now I misjudged you. Even a high schooler who drinks until he pukes can be so gentlemanly and refined.”
As they conversed, their food arrived. Lele stared at the unfamiliar Western dishes, each plate more beautiful than the last, exclaiming, “Wow!” Ren Xiaodong shot her a glance; Lele quickly closed her mouth, but her heart was bursting with joy. She eagerly asked the waiter, “Do you have chopsticks?”
“Are you crazy? This is a Western restaurant, how could—” Before Ren Xiaodong could finish, the waiter said, “Just a moment, I’ll fetch some. Though Western cuisine is foreign, we adapt to local customs, so we have chopsticks for guests. They’re rarely used, but available.”
Watching the waiter leave to get chopsticks, Ren Xiaodong thought, “Damn! They actually have them!”
He realized he was the real country bumpkin, but was grateful Lele was clueless, or he’d have embarrassed himself.
“Boss, can we have an expensive bottle of red wine tonight?” Lele asked. Ren Xiaodong snapped his fingers, telling the waiter, “Bring your most expensive red wine!”
Soon, the waiter returned with a bottle that looked fancy. Neither Ren Xiaodong nor Lele knew much about wine. The waiter asked, “Sir, shall I open it?” With Ren Xiaodong’s permission, the bottle was opened.
They enjoyed a romantic candlelit dinner. This time, Lele didn’t bicker—she believed every word Ren Xiaodong boasted.
But the waiter thought, “What a show-off! If he keeps bragging, the whole world will belong to him!”
When it came time to pay, Ren Xiaodong asked, “Why is it only five thousand? Didn’t I order the most expensive wine?”
The wine waiter whispered, “The red wine is 3,800. Many people order it to impress dates—it looks like it costs tens of thousands, but it’s actually cheap.”
Ren Xiaodong thought, “No wonder people say the service here is great—this must be why!”
After settling the bill, Ren Xiaodong escorted Lele home. They talked a lot along the way.
Lele lived alone, renting her apartment. When they reached her building, Lele invited Ren Xiaodong up. Ren Xiaodong, who believed in never missing an opportunity with women, hesitated. Lele was his employee; it wouldn’t be appropriate. If Yagyu found out, he’d be accused of damaging company property! In the end, he chose not to go up and went home instead.
At home, with neither Yagyu nor Liu Meng present, things felt a bit lonely. Bored, Ren Xiaodong dialed Yagyu.
On the call, he reported all the day’s work, then relayed his dinner with Lele, admitting he thought Lele was a good girl—if not for the company’s image, he’d have gone upstairs with her.
On the other end, Yagyu said, “If you like her, that’s good—but don’t be irresponsible. Try with her, and if it doesn’t work out, then move on. But you must be true to your feelings.”
In a five-star hotel in the capital of a foreign country, Yagyu hung up, tossed his phone on the bed, and stood at the window, gazing at the nightscape of a white-majority nation. He muttered to himself, “Ren Xiaodong, Li Xiaohui, your romance is fleeting. Li Xiaohui is too capricious in love; Ren Xiaodong has never truly accepted you in his heart. Well, young people—enjoy yourselves while you can!”