Chapter 35: Morning Tea

October 1st, 8:00 AM. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with the National Day holiday, allowing for an eight-day break.

In a Cantonese tea house, Lu You and Li Yu sat at a four-person table in the corner, enjoying morning tea.

The place was bustling with noise and crowds, and a long queue of people waited for tables at the entrance. Fortunately, Lu You’s family had connections, allowing them to reserve a spot; otherwise, they would still be waiting outside.

Their table was already filled with several bamboo steamers: classic steamed shrimp dumplings, tiger-skin chicken feet, beef tripe, pork ribs in black bean sauce, walnut buns, and more.

Li Yu took a sip of boat congee—fresh, fragrant, and smooth—and exclaimed, "This is really good. The locals here sure know how to eat!"

"It's alright," Lu You said, picking up a shrimp dumpling and putting it in his mouth. The crisp shrimp meat and savory juices burst inside his mouth. "These dumplings are genuinely good. I'll try making them when I get back."

Afraid that Lu You wouldn't invite him to taste the results, Li Yu quickly added, "Remember to call me; I can be your taste tester."

"Can't you make them yourself?" Lu You asked with a look of disdain.

"If you know how, why do I need to learn?" Li Yu replied with righteous indignation. "It would be best if you learned how to make everything on this table; then I'd be in luck."

Lu You didn't want to argue with him. When someone has no shame, what else is there to say?

Li Yu glanced at the surrounding tables, which were mostly filled with families of all ages, chatting and laughing. The two of them, as young men, seemed slightly out of place.

"How do you have time to ask me out for morning tea today? Shouldn't you be with your parents?"

"They took my little sister back to our hometown after they finished work last night. The grandparents miss her every day, so they had to go."

Li Yu was even more confused. "Shouldn't you have gone with them?"

"Heh," Lu You laughed self-deprecatingly. "They said, 'With your lousy grades, you have the nerve to get into Chunhua? If you can't make something of yourself, don't come back.' And since there are no major exams right now and my grades are unclear, I decided not to return."

"How pathetic. I'm afraid you might never be able to go back in this lifetime."

Lu You gave him a speechless look. It was the country's birthday, so he decided to let it slide for now and not hold a grudge. He would show him who the real boss was after the mid-term exams. He picked up his phone, looked at the menu, and asked, "Do you want anything else?"

"Let's finish what we have first; it would be a waste if we didn't."

Lu You stated his plan, "It won't be a waste. I'm thinking of packing the leftovers for lunch. I'll just cook some rice at home and reheat these; that'll be a meal."

Li Yu thought about it and agreed. He still had to sort out his own lunch anyway, so he said, "That works. Order whatever you want. I'm not a picky eater. Let's share the meal at noon."

Lu You nodded, indicating he understood, and ordered a few more dishes they hadn't tried yet, such as bird's nest yogurt egg tarts and foie gras rice rolls.

***

Inside the same tea house.

A middle-aged man in a suit wearing an earpiece led seven people from the Tang and Xu families to a clean, large table.

"You can sit here. A group just finished and left," the middle-aged man said with a smile.

"Sorry to trouble you, old classmate, especially when you're so busy," Tang’s father said apologetically.

"It's nothing." The middle-aged man shook his head, signaling it was no big deal. "It's my job. Besides, as you said, we're old classmates—it wouldn't be right not to help. Go ahead and sit. Just scan the QR code to order. I need to get back to work."

"Alright, go ahead."

The man left. Tang Wan picked up a thermos and rinsed the bowls and chopsticks in front of her with hot water.

Tang’s father scrolled through the menu on his phone, the variety of dishes making him dizzy. He asked his daughter, "Wanwan, what would you like to eat?"

Tang Wan poured out the hot water and, hearing her father, thought for a moment before reaching out, "Let Niannian and me take a look first."

After her father handed over the phone, he chatted with Xu’s father.

Xu’s father took a sip of tea and asked, "What about A-Jing? Is he not coming back?"

"He said round-trip airfare is expensive, and he's only been at school for a month, so there's no real need to come back."

The two men then discussed work. The two women chatted about family matters, while the three young people huddled together to discuss what to eat.

Tang Wan: "Niannian, Xiaoyu, have you decided what to order?"

Xiaoyu was Xu Nian’s younger sister, Xu Siyu, who had just started middle school in September.

Xu Nian: "Let's get two orders of all the signatures—siu mai, shrimp dumplings, beef tripe. I can eat all of it. How about you, Xiaoyu?"

Xu Siyu: "I want to try these red rice rolls and the seafood congee."

Tang Wan quickly ordered a few dishes, two of each. The total was already several hundred, which made her a bit nervous. She handed the phone back to her father.

"Dad, we've ordered these for now."

Tang’s father took the phone and looked. His daughter hadn't ordered much, likely intimidated by the prices. He added a few more items like buns and rice rolls, doubled the portions of the dishes the kids liked, and placed the order.

***

Lu You and Li Yu had eaten most of their food, and the table was mostly cleared.

Lu You glanced at Li Yu, who was still drinking congee, and said, "And you said it would be a waste. It all ended up in your stomach."

Li Yu finished the last drop, let out a burp, and rubbed his belly contentedly. "Ah, that's comfortable. I didn't think I could finish it all. I'm stuffed; I don't even think I'll want lunch now."

"What's the plan? Heading straight home?" Lu You picked up his phone to check the news.

"We'll see. I just want to digest for a bit." Li Yu leaned back in his chair, scanning the other customers aimlessly.

"Huh?" Suddenly, Li Yu spotted two figures that looked familiar. Uncertain, he shook Lu You’s arm, pointed, and asked, "Lu You, take a look. Is that Xu Nian and Tang Wan over there?"

At the mention of Tang Wan, Lu You put down his phone and looked in the direction he pointed, just in time to see Tang Wan nibbling on a chicken foot.

"It seems... it is." Watching her eat so quietly, Lu You felt a warmth in his heart.

Li Yu, meanwhile, was watching Xu Nian. Seeing her stuff a whole bun into her mouth until her cheeks were bulging, he almost laughed out loud.

"Should we go say hi?" Li Yu turned to ask Lu You.

"No need. Just send a message on WeChat. They're having a family meal; it would be awkward if we just walked over."

Lu You picked up his phone, took a photo of Tang Wan reaching out for food, and sent it to her. Li Yu followed suit, but he waited until Xu Nian had her mouth full again before snapping the shutter.

Lu You raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "When did you add Xu Nian?"

Li Yu kept his head down, typing. "Asked her on the day we rearranged the seating."

"You move pretty fast," Lu You teased.

"Not as fast as you; you were a month ahead of me," Li Yu retorted.

They shared a cold smirk before looking back at their phones.

Across the room, both girls' WeChat notifications chimed. They looked at each other, thinking it was a class announcement, and put down their chopsticks to check.

Ly: [Photo.jpg]
Ly: Is the morning tea good?

...

EatMySeaTurtle: [Photo.jpg]
EatMySeaTurtle: This is a pig!

...

Tang Wan gripped her phone tightly, her eyes filled with surprise. She looked around the crowd, trying to find the person behind the screen.

Xu Nian did the same, though her eyes held no surprise—only murderous intent.

"What are you two doing?" Tang’s mother frowned, her tone displeased. "If you're eating, eat properly. Don't look at your phones."

"Got it," they replied in unison, quickly sending a reply on WeChat before putting their phones aside to continue eating.

Wan: Are you here too? Where are you sitting?

...

HaveFish: If you don't delete that, you're dead meat!

...

Lu You and Li Yu saw them getting scolded and guessed they wouldn't get a reply for a while.

Ly: Take your time eating. I'm leaving once I'm done.
Ly: Since your family is there, I won't come over to say hello.
Ly: Let's have a meal together next time.

...

EatMySeaTurtle: If you have the guts, come over and smash my phone.

...

As they finished their messages, the middle-aged man who had led Tang Wan’s group over approached them, carrying two gift boxes in each hand, and placed them on their table.

"Young masters, how was the food? Was it to your liking?"

Li Yu was never good at these situations and tensed up. Seeing this, Lu You had to step in.

"The breakfast was excellent. If there's a chance, I'll bring my parents here. As for 'young masters,' there's no need for that. Just call us by our names," Lu You replied politely but officially.

The man smiled. Who knew what these wealthy heirs were thinking? He had to maintain the proper etiquette to keep his job.

"Understood, Young Master Lu."

Lu You twitched his mouth, too lazy to argue. Let him say whatever he wanted. He pointed to the boxes and asked, "What are these? For our parents?"

"Yes, a box of mooncakes and a box of hairy crabs."

Lu You wondered if he should accept them. Reciprocity was important, especially when their families were connected.

The man saw his hesitation and added, "Mr. Lu and Mr. Li are investors in our tea house. This is our Mid-Autumn gift to them."

"Then I thank you on my father's behalf." Lu You didn't hesitate anymore and accepted.

"Then I shall take my leave. Enjoy your meal." Having finished his task, the man left.

***

Li Yu finally relaxed and complained, "Seriously, I can't stand these kinds of situations. I'm just a student. If there's something to discuss, tell my dad; why do I have to be here?"

Lu You disagreed. "It doesn't work that way. We are the heirs of our parents. While enjoying the high-quality life they provide, we naturally have to shoulder the troubles that come with it."

"Sigh, but what I say really doesn't have any weight with my dad," Li Yu sighed, sounding frustrated.

Lu You ignored him, letting him sulk. He had those "emo" days every month; he was used to it.

Just then, Lu You’s phone chimed—a reply from Tang Wan.

Wan: Okay. Time, place.

Lu You fell silent after reading the message. He spun his brain, looking for a solution, and his eyes landed on the box of hairy crabs. An idea slowly formed.

"Li Yu, is the staff kitchen at Liyu Club being used?"

"Yeah," Li Yu said, his mood returning to normal. "What do you want to do?"

"That's fine. I'll tell you later." Lu You started typing on WeChat.

Ly: Are you free on the 3rd?

After sending the message, Lu You looked toward Tang Wan. She had stopped eating and was typing a reply.

Wan: Yes, I'm free all day.

How about you come to my place that night?

Lu You hurriedly dismissed this shameless thought before he could accidentally say something he shouldn't.

Ly: Do you eat crab? Are you allergic?
Wan: Are you treating me to crab?
Ly: My family received some hairy crabs. My parents went back to the hometown, and I can't finish them all alone. I need your help.
Wan: You're going to cook them for me?
Ly: Yeah, I'll cook my own ingredients.

Tang Wan was already looking forward to it, the corners of her mouth curling up uncontrollably.

Wan: Can I go over early? I want to see how you make them.
Ly: Sure. Get there at 9 AM. The location is Liyu Club; you can find it on the map.
Ly: By the way, don't tell Xu Nian. Li Yu will invite her himself.
Wan: !
Wan: Tell me about their relationship.

After sending the message, Tang Wan looked at Xu Nian, who was still eating, with a strange gaze.

Xu Nian felt a chill and asked guardedly, "Wanwan, what are you doing?"

Tang Wan shook her head, putting on a standard smile. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Keep eating."

Ly: I don't know, and I don't ask. Let them develop it themselves.
Wan: Alright. Do I need to bring anything?
Ly: Just bring your anticipation and a good mood.

At that moment, countless fireworks were bursting in Tang Wan’s heart.

Ly: I'm heading home now. It's hard to reply while riding.
Wan: Ride slowly. Stay safe.

Lu You put his phone away, picked up the gift boxes, and said to Li Yu, "Let's go. People are still queuing outside."

"Coming." Li Yu picked up his share and followed.

***

Tang’s mother watched her daughter holding her phone and grinning like a fool, and couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at, smiling so brightly?"

Tang Wan quickly put the phone away, her expression returning to normal. "Nothing, just saw a joke."

"What joke? Let me hear it."

"It's not that funny now that I think about it," Tang Wan picked up her chopsticks. "Alright, let's eat. There's still food left; don't waste it."

Xu Nian gave Tang Wan a disdainful look, too embarrassed to call her out. Besides Lu You, who else could make her smile like that?

Tang’s mother felt there was something strange going on, but she couldn't ask in a public place, so she let it go.

Tang Wan had a very pleasant morning tea.