Chapter 27 – Movie
Qiao Huaiyao roughly understood how Bai Jinyan came in. He took a sip of fruit tea and asked, “Where are we going now? To the set?”
He felt Bai Jinyan might continue to be busy. Bai Jinyan replied, “No, I booked a restaurant nearby.”
Qiao Huaiyao had military training in the afternoon, and the lunch break was short. After having lunch, he needed to prepare some time for his nap. If they went to the set, the round trip would take a long time and compress their rest time. It would be better to find a good restaurant nearby. Bai Jinyan didn’t come to take Qiao Huaiyao to the set; he came to have lunch together.
From the military training area to the restaurant Bai Jinyan had reserved, there was only one traffic light away. The restaurant occupied an entire floor on the top floor of a large shopping mall. Although the place was spacious, the daily flow of customers was very low.
Qiao Huaiyao walked out of the elevator, and there were floor-to-ceiling windows all around, providing a broad view of the high-rise restaurant. Two tables were set up on the left, but no one was seated there. Only a pianist was playing the piano on a round platform in the front. The elegant piano music, along with the sophisticated decor of the restaurant, made it a tranquil place to be.
The waiter approached them with a smile, “Hello, this way, please.”
The restaurant took reservations for different people at different times to avoid the trouble of checking their identities. The menu had already been decided in advance. After Qiao Huaiyao took his seat, Bai Jinyan handed him a bag.
“What’s this?” Qiao Huaiyao asked, puzzled, as he took the bag.
Bai Jinyan poured him a cup of warm tea and said, “The surprise I mentioned on the phone earlier.”
Qiao Huaiyao was taken aback, obviously not remembering when Bai Jinyan mentioned a surprise over the phone.
Bai Jinyan continued, “During the last class reunion dinner when you got drunk.”
Class reunion… getting drunk? Qiao Huaiyao blinked, and it seemed that he did hear Bai Jinyan say he would bring a surprise. He thought the surprise was just Bai Jinyan coming to see him the next day, but he didn’t expect there was more.
He opened the bag carefully, not really caring about what was inside, as he had already received the surprise. Inside was a book sealed in plastic and a small box.
“What is this?” Qiao Huaiyao took out a car key from the small box.
Bai Jinyan explained, “You don’t have a car for getting around with friends at university. This is a brand you liked back in middle school, and I custom-made it for you. Otherwise, I should have given it to you after the college entrance examination.”
Middle school? Qiao Huaiyao blinked his eyes; he couldn’t remember much from back then. It seemed he was into an anime at that time, and the characters in the anime drove this brand of car. He hadn’t mentioned it again after the anime was discontinued. He didn’t expect Bai Jinyan to remember that.
The car brand was famous for high-end sports cars and only offered custom-made vehicles. The car’s value was not low, but the value Bai Jinyan attributed to the car far exceeded its actual price. Qiao Huaiyao held the car key, his eyes and eyebrows filled with joy. He couldn’t help but say, “Brother, this is just too good.”
Bai Jinyan remained composed despite the praise. The waiter came with the dishes, and he raised his hand to pat Qiao Huaiyao’s head. “Let’s eat first, think about test-driving later, and maybe go back to the dormitory for a nap.”
Qiao Huaiyao smiled, “Okay.”
In the evening, there was no military training. Due to some meeting, the training ended half an hour earlier than usual. Qiu Shufeng and the others went straight to the internet cafe. Qiao Huaiyao changed into casual clothes in the dormitory and then went to find Bai Jinyan.
Although he hadn’t been away from the No.19 High School for long, he felt a completely different atmosphere when he entered the gate. The things you’d find on a typical set filled the area, and everyone seemed busy with something. Qiao Huaiyao didn’t see Bai Jinyan, but he spotted Bai Jinyan’s assistant.
“Lulu?” Qiao Huaiyao walked over and patted his shoulder.
Lulu turned around and said, “Shh, don’t talk…” he lowered his voice, but when he saw who it was, he froze.
“It’s me,” Qiao Huaiyao said.
“Your brother is inside,” Lulu whispered. “The actors are practicing.”
“That Zuo Yuan who retired from the circle, do you know Best ActorZuo? This one here is his grandson, Zuo Wenzhuo. His acting is quite good, but he tends to be a bit arrogant.”
Bai Jinyan didn’t care about who he was. How could he possibly tolerate any challenge to his authority?