"Oh, so he's your good friend?"

Seeing this, Chen Ke chimed in, "Yes, I'm sorry, Mr. Hebrew, I can't help but make a little joke every time I see Miss Xu. In fact, we just had a small get-together at Mr. Matsumoto's place this morning."

"Matsumoto? Daisuke Matsumoto from Japan?"

Chen Ke was about to say yes when Xu Manling interrupted him, "Mr. Hebrew, how about we add another seat? Mr. Chen is a humorous and witty person. I've been thinking of introducing him to you for a while now that we've met, why don't we have a meal together?"

“This…” Hebrew hesitated, as he wanted to have dinner with Miss Xu.

“That would be perfect. It’s too lonely for just two people to eat. Three people would be just right.” Chen Ke said, and then asked the waiter to add a chair next to them.

A perfectly romantic candlelight dinner booth has been turned into a shared table...

Hebrew was in a bad mood, but he was restrained by the gentlemanly smile still on Xu Manling's face.

Chen Ke pretended not to see her and started chatting with Xu Manling, "I told Miss Xu last time that I wanted to find the original version of Voltaire's 'Essay on Manners,' I wonder if Miss Xu has any news on that."

Xu Manling suddenly looked at Chen Ke, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Chen Ke smiled slightly: "Hmm? What, Miss Xu, have you forgotten about this?"

Xu Manling: "...No."

At this point, Hebrew, who was standing nearby, finally couldn't help but speak up, "Does Mr. Chen also like Voltaire?"

Chen Ke smiled inwardly, but said with surprise, "Oh? Does Mr. Hebrew also like Voltaire?"

"Hahaha, of course, he is the best poet in France and the beacon of light in my life. I admire his boldness and his romantic passion for love."

As he said this, Hebrew stared intently at Xu Manling sitting opposite him, his gaze so intense it seemed to heat the black tea in front of her to a boil.

Xu Manling pretended not to see and lowered her head to straighten her skirt.

Chen Ke: "Hahaha!" It's not quite my usual habit to laugh so loudly for the first time.

But those damn Frenchmen love people like that, and sure enough, they immediately turned their attention to Chen Ke.

"I also like Voltaire. I admire his willingness to face everything and fight against everything in order to defend the truth. He used his wit and satire to criticize the ugliness of society, which is what I admire most!" Chen Ke recited this passage with great emotion in the quiet Western restaurant, as if reciting a poem. Despite the scrutinizing gazes of various social misfits, Chen Ke sat on the stool as steady as a mountain.

Where Hebrew couldn't see, Xu Manling quietly gave him a thumbs up.

Hebrews were indeed stunned by Chen Ke.

"Clap clap clap..." He clapped his hands in awe. "Well said, that's absolutely right! Mr. Chen, are you also a defender of the truth?"

Chen Ke declared passionately, "Ha, a guardian? I am not only a guardian, but also a fighter for freedom of thought and speech!"

"Mr. Chen! I never imagined you were a fighter for the Enlightenment! I am so happy! I never thought the influence of the Enlightenment had spread to such a distant East. Indeed, ideas know no borders. We fight for freedom!" Hebrew said, standing up excitedly. He was not eating in a restaurant, but speaking passionately and eloquently in a salon full of literary giants.

Xu Manling had already quietly opened her exquisite folding fan, using the fan to actually cover her face completely.

And so, like lunatics, the two talked about everything from Voltaire to the Enlightenment, and from the Enlightenment to Voltaire's scandalous affairs...

It lasted a full hour.

The steak on the table was freezing cold, and pot after pot of black tea was drunk.

Chen Ke never imagined that one day he would be getting free black tea at a Western restaurant...

When the three of them finally stepped out of the Western restaurant, Chen Ke felt his throat was parched, but Hebrew still looked like he hadn't had enough.

"Chen Ke, you absolutely must come to the salon I'm hosting next week. We can have a free and open discussion then!" Hebrew had replaced the polite "Boss Chen" with the more approachable "Chen Ke".

"Oh, and Miss Xu too, you're old friends, you can come together then."

Xu Manling raised the corners of her mouth, "Definitely." Thank you so much for remembering me.

Hebrew was finally satisfied. "Alright, goodbye for today." He then gave Chen Ke a passionate hug, wanting to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Chen Ke quickly wrapped his arms around Hebrew's neck and hugged her tightly, perfectly dodging Hebrew's already pouting lips.

Hebrew didn't notice Chen Ke's deliberate gesture, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "See you next week, my comrade!"

Chen Ke: "...See you next week."

Hebrew turned to say goodbye to Xu Manling again, but this time he reverted to his reserved gentlemanly self, only taking Xu Manling's hand and giving her a kiss on the back of her hand.

At this moment, Chen Ke also secretly gave Xu Manling a thumbs up. No wonder she wore a Western-style dress; those white gloves were well worth it!

The two stood in the Western restaurant and finally saw Hebrew off.

Xu Manling looked at Chen Ke with a half-smile, but Chen Ke suddenly frowned and looked behind Xu Manling.

Xu Manling turned her head in confusion and saw a handsome young man with sharp features, dressed in a refined long robe, but with eyes as fierce as a wolf cub.

“This…” Xu Manling turned around, about to ask Chen Ke if he knew the boy.

Chen Ke had already spoken up, "It's been an hour since school ended, why haven't you gone home yet?"

"A-Zhuo, A-Zhuo~" At this moment, a girl wearing a white top with a button-down collar, a black pleated skirt, and two long braids chased after Chen Zhuo from the bookstore next to him.

"Why did you leave so suddenly? I haven't been able to find that book of poems. Please help me find it—" The girl's words came to an abrupt halt when she followed Chen Zhuo's gaze and saw the two people standing opposite her.

Although the two people opposite were both Chinese, one was wearing a smartly tailored vest and suit, while the other was wearing a beautiful and exquisite Western-style dress. Moreover, the two could be described as a handsome man and a beautiful woman. Standing together, they looked like a perfect match, a very pleasing sight to behold.

"Who are they? Chen Zhuo, do you know them?" the girl asked curiously. People like them must have extraordinary identities, right?

Chen Ke thought Chen Zhuo would pretend not to know him as before, but Chen Zhuo immediately put on a gentle expression after hearing the girl's words, "Oh... he is my older brother."

"Your own brother? You have a brother? How come I've never heard you mention him?" The girl's mouth dropped open in surprise, her round eyes sparkling with cuteness.

A hint of doubt flashed in Chen Ke's eyes. He felt something was off as he watched Chen Zhuo give the girl a doting smile.

From the first moment he saw Chen Zhuo until now, he couldn't imagine connecting his relationship with Tian Tian.

"What's there to say? Everyone has brothers and sisters," Chen Zhuo explained to the girl, still looking down.