Chapter 40: Outlying Islands Part 4

After changing, the two of them went into the garden to eat seafood. They wanted to pay extra for the meal, but Neil smiled slyly and said, "They've got enough money, no more for you two mouths."

Despite having a legitimate reason to eat, the two of them still hid in the far corner of the garden. It wasn't really a garden: mostly low shrubs clustered around a massive rock formation, with the back against the hotel's villa and the cliff facing the sea—no fence was needed to separate it from the outside world.

The two of them sat in a corner, their backs against the rocks. Si Yansang slowly peeled the lobster, almost all of the plump, tender meat falling onto her plate. Behind them, the terraces of several houses leaned against the ridge, and occasionally, the sound of a woman's sweet laughter could be heard.

One of them was the American woman. Perhaps because of her familiar pronunciation, Chu Wang could hear her speak more clearly.

She said: "I don't know why we have to come to this island. Are there no other beaches in Hong Kong? It's so boring."

Another person said, "There are a lot of people in Repulse Bay, but too many. I heard that Tse's father is quite famous here? Hey, where did Tse go?"

"He said his father's good friend, Mrs. Ge, had come over. He hadn't seen her for a few years, and he was chatting with her."

"Tse went to see his father without taking you with him? Are we white women so ashamed?"

The other women laughed.

The American woman seemed to feel quite aggrieved. She was silent for a moment, then suddenly shouted downstairs, "Tse——!"

Not far away, Xie Zeyi and Mrs. Ge were basking in the sun. Both wearing sunglasses, they sat lazily chatting across from each other on two chairs. The American woman's shout made every head in the garden turn toward Xie Zeyi, and the two men eating lobsters were startled by her "tse."

One of the Air Force colonels walked up to Xie Zeyi, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Zoe, why don't you go comfort your girlfriend?"

Xie Zeyi smiled and went to ask Mrs. Ge for permission. Mrs. Ge narrowed her eyes slightly and took out a cigarette. She nodded before lighting it. The colonel took Xie Zeyi's place and chatted with her, lighting Mrs. Ge's cigarette. She didn't refuse, but gave him a cool smile, took two calm puffs as a pretense, and then placed the cigarette in her hand, her eyes seemingly glancing towards Chu Wang.

The colonel also looked in their direction, then turned back and asked Mrs. Ge a question. Mrs. Ge shook her head and did not answer.

Chu Wang's plate of lobster kept growing, looking like it wouldn't be finished anytime soon. She felt that as a junior, she should go and greet them first. She smiled at her, wiped her mouth, and prepared to stand. Mrs. Ge lowered her cigarette, motioning for her to sit down.

"she is……"

"She's my aunt. You must have met her in the Shaoxing Forest Garden."

Si Yansang thought for a moment and nodded, "What about me?"

"Be good." Chu Wang saw his eyes widen slightly, and smiled again: "You are good the way you usually are."

Mrs. Ge exchanged a few token words with the officer, then stood up and came over. Two soldiers sat beside the two men. Having seen Mrs. Ge being flattered by their superiors, they didn't dare to neglect them. They called the servants over, cleared the messy table, and then invited Mrs. Ge to take a seat.

Chu Wang called out "Hello, auntie" obediently, and Si Yansang followed her and called out the same thing.

Mrs. Ge glanced at him casually and asked, "Sir?"

Before Si Yansang could introduce himself, Mrs. Ge snorted and laughed, "How old are you?"

Still not giving him the graceful pause that a gentleman should have, Mrs. Ge asked a third question in rapid succession, "I think you're not married yet, right?"

Si Yansang smiled helplessly and said, "We have to wait another two years."

"Then why are you looking for her now? The marriage is settled, but nothing is certain. If there are any changes in the future, what will you explain to her?" Mrs. Ge shook the cigarette butt and asked with a smile.

"I didn't do things properly..." Si Yansang apologized politely.

Mrs. Ge stopped looking at him and asked Chu Wang, "Did any Chinese see you two?"

Chu Wang thought for a moment and said, "I met Xie Zeyi on the boat."

Mrs. Ge said with a smile, "That boy."

At this moment, the servants arrived and arranged the garden and dining room into a ballroom. Most of the guests hadn't come for the food; they had already put down their knives and forks and stood up to drink. The few who were still eating had retreated to the far corners. Xie Zeyi comforted his girlfriend in the shadows, his eyes fixed on the center of the garden. Mrs. Ge beckoned him, and he came over—bringing his reluctant girlfriend with him.

As soon as Xie Zeyi and his girlfriend sat down, Chu Wang greeted them with a smile. He first called him "Mr. Xie," but since the American woman didn't seem happy and he didn't know her first or last name, he called her "Mrs. Xie" in English.

After calling out "Mrs. Xie," both Mrs. Ge and Xie Zeyi fell into a long silence. The American woman's face suddenly darkened, and she looked her over with a smile. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Have you been to America?"

"No." Chu Wang replied truthfully.

Mrs. Xie said, "Your English pronunciation... makes me think you've been there."

Chu Wang smiled and said, "I learned it from my tutor."

"Didn't the Qiao Mansion hire a Scotsman with a shabby accent? Why is it an American?" Mrs. Ge glanced at her but didn't ask any further questions. She got straight to the point and asked Xie Zeyi, "One doesn't want to be seen by her acquaintances as having returned from studying abroad, and the other doesn't want to be seen sneaking out with her boyfriend, so they both went to Po Toi Island. You're really funny."

Hearing the name "little boyfriend", Si Yansang smiled, but was given a cold look by Mrs. Ge.

After listening to this, Xie Zeyi laughed and said, "Yeah, it's really funny."

Mrs. Ge glanced at Chu Wang and took a sip of her cocktail. "Then you should discuss it with him yourself."

Chu Wang nodded and smiled at Xie Zeyi. "So, let's just pretend we haven't met each other?" She added, "For the sake of the agreement between Coca-Cola and Shashi."

Xie Zeyi smiled. "Even if it weren't for the agreement between Coca-Cola and Shashi, I could have pretended I hadn't seen it."

Mrs. Ge asked, "Did you offer her a Coke?"

Xie Zeyi nodded and said, "I invited you once, a long time ago."

Mrs. Ge snorted and laughed, "If she doesn't grow tall enough in the future, it will be all your fault."

Si Yansang said: "That's good, very cute."

Mrs. Ge glanced at him and then looked at Chu Wang again. Chu Wang smiled, but felt extremely aggrieved in his heart: I'm not that short!

Xie Zeyi smiled and said, "Now that Mrs. Ge has spoken, I will never dare to do that again."

"And you." Mrs. Ge finally gave Si Yansang a look of grace. "No matter how reluctant you are to let her go, no matter how much you want to see her, you should at least be considerate of her. Can't you wait two years? I don't know what your father taught you, but it's best not to let me see this kind of thing again."

Si Yansang smiled apologetically and said, "There won't be a next time."

Mrs. Ge stared at him and smiled: "You should come back and get married next time, right? Don't think I don't know what you are thinking."

Si Yansang pursed his lips and nodded in agreement.

Mrs. Ge then asked, "Are you back this time because your father is going to Europe to give lectures with that old man Lin Yu, so you're here to stay for a while before going with them?"

"Yes."

"Then let me ask you. If Lin Yu asked you that he decided to take Chu Wang with him, how would you answer him?"

Si Yansang was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "Of course I will take good care of her."

Mrs. Ge curled her lips and smiled, without commenting. Finally, she waved her hand and turned to ask Xie Zeyi, "Playing mahjong?"

Xie Zeyi hugged "Mrs. Xie" and said with a smile, "Let's go."

After watching the three of them leave, Si Yansang let out a long sigh and asked, "How strange. Why are you more nervous talking to your aunt than meeting Uncle Lin?"