Han Lie hurriedly stood up and turned to look toward the newcomers.
A group of six men approached, led by a short, chubby middle-aged man. His physique was nothing to brag about, with a beer belly protruding prominently, but his round face still bore traces of his youthful charm.
Alright, he didn’t need to be that young; even now, he was handsomer than Han Lie. And his features were about eighty percent similar to Pan Ge’s.
Pan Ge was a bit flustered. "Dad, what are you doing here?"
"Your Uncle Pang has been craving this crab roe, so we decided to meet up. We snuck away from your mom to have a little drink."
Old Pan’s voice was hearty, and his presence commanding as he strode energetically to the dining table.
The two middle-aged men behind him were distinct: one was a meticulous Shanghai-style gentleman, his shirt crisply ironed, while the other wore a short-sleeved shirt, revealing strong muscles and tattoos.
The three people following looked younger, somewhat like assistants or underlings.
Han Lie felt a little nervous. Old Pan’s social circle seems pretty complex, huh? He wouldn’t try to scare me, would he? I’ve just shaved my head into a prisoner cut, and honestly, I’m not looking my best... Damn my luck!
As he was worrying, Old Pan indeed turned his gaze toward him and sized Han Lie up from head to toe. Then, he suddenly extended his hand toward Han Lie with an extremely warm smile.
"Young man, are you our Nan Nan’s classmate?"
Han Lie quickly grasped his hand with both of his, bowing slightly. "Uncle Pan, hello. My name is Han Lie. I’m Pan Ge’s schoolmate."
Old Pan grasped Han Lie’s hand and shook it vigorously, using his free left hand to pat Han Lie’s shoulder.
"Schoolmate, huh? Good, good! Our Pan Ge never goes out to eat alone with boys; you’re the first one I know of! I support her making friends. Han, don’t feel any pressure. Hmm, you’ve got a sturdy build, just a bit too skinny..."
Han Lie was confused. What is all this about?!
The tattooed middle-aged man behind him immediately chuckled. "Hey! Lads this age are usually in a growth spurt; how many of them aren’t skinny? Young Han isn’t bad. He has sharp features and a spark in his eyes, not like you local lads, who are all so effeminate!"
The Shanghai-style gentleman glanced at the tattooed man and squeezed out two words through his teeth: "Country bumpkin!"
The three older men teased and bantered, making Pan Ge unable to bear it any longer. She stamped her foot and started to usher them away.
"Dad! I’m just having a meal with a classmate, why all the nonsense? Aren’t you supposed to go upstairs? Hurry on!"
"Alright, alright, we’re going!"
Old Pan chuckled and nodded, releasing Han Lie’s hand. He even made a point of saying goodbye to him.
"Han, enjoy your meal, and feel free to order more if it’s not enough.
"Forget about the check. No matter who was supposed to treat today, consider it on Uncle’s tab!
"Eat well, drink well, and be merry, got it?" Original content can be found at NoveI~Fire.net
What could Han Lie say? He could only nod.
"Okay, rest assured, Uncle. Take care."
As they all went upstairs, Pan Ge’s cheeks were still somewhat flushed, while Han Lie was utterly baffled.
Is Old Pan really so open-minded?! A bit too enthusiastic, wasn’t he? Was he that afraid Pan Ge wouldn’t find a boyfriend?
Han Lie glanced at Pan Ge a couple of times, his look holding a subtle meaning. All the calm Pan Ge had exhibited before was gone; she glared back fiercely. "What are you looking at? Eat up!"
Yeah, fierce like a kitten.
Han Lie held back a laugh and started eating. Praising this dish and that quickly eased her mood. Then, he ambushed her with a sudden question.
"Hey, your dad is really interesting. What does he do?"
Pan Ge’s movements suddenly froze. A murderous intent began to seep from her serene eyes. But she didn’t rush to answer, just stared at Han Lie with a mock smile. "’Your dad’?"
Han Lie’s face was the picture of innocence. "A slip of the tongue... a slip of the tongue..."
Pan Ge snorted derisively. "If you’ve got the guts, go upstairs right now, call him ’Dad’ to his face, and I’ll tell you everything when you get back!"
Pan Ge must have thought she could checkmate Han Lie with that. But to her surprise, his eyes lit up with eager anticipation.
Pan Ge’s defenses were thoroughly breached.
"Are you seriously ill or something? Where are your professional ethics?!"
Han Lie shrank his neck and muttered softly, "You’re not even the one paying for this meal; why should I care about professional ethics with you..."
Pan Ge was so frustrated; it felt like today’s meal was spiraling out of control. It’s all Dad’s fault!
Just as she was fuming, Han Lie suddenly became serious. "No joking, what exactly does Uncle Pan do? That Shanghai-style uncle looked so familiar..."
Pan Ge gave him an annoyed look. Xi Luting is always calling him a scumbag dog; she really wasn’t wrong! How could a boy his age be such a dog?!
As angry as she was, she still had to answer.
"That’s Uncle Zhang. His photo is hanging on our school’s official website!"
Han Lie was taken aback, and then it clicked. Well, I’ll be! That’s none other than the Dean of Humanities!
Pan Ge continued morosely, "As for my dad... one of his identities is that of our school’s trustee, although he never involves himself in school affairs..."
Good heavens! So Your Highness is the true ’eldest princess’ of our school?! No wonder you came to study in such a dump...
Han Lie was extremely curious and asked another question. "I’ve always known your family is well-off, but why didn’t you apply to a prestigious overseas university directly after high school?"
It’s quite difficult to go abroad from the Humanities faculty. Despite the high tuition fees of the International Relations Institute, actually getting into Ivy League schools is very hard. Most students ultimately end up in international ’chicken’ universities.
Pan Ge shook her head.
"Where I go to school doesn’t really make a difference. I probably wouldn’t be able to graduate from a top-tier university, and the others are no different from domestic ones... Besides, my mom doesn’t want me to be too far away from her."
Han Lie could somewhat understand what she meant by "doesn’t really make a difference."
In China, there’s a group of established wealthy families whose businesses are so complex they generally don’t consider their children for succession. That position isn’t something you can secure just by graduating from some famous school, earning a certain degree, or receiving some scholarship. If the children show potential, they’re brought into the company early on, gradually groomed, and then re-evaluated in their thirties. If they don’t have the talent, they’re simply allowed to be rich idlers, as long as they don’t cause trouble. —It’s best if they marry and have children early. That’s why we always see wave after wave of second-generation heirs just drifting through life. The most famous one among them... well, everyone knows who that is with a moment’s thought.
"So, you’re not considering going abroad anymore?"
Asking this, Han Lie felt a subtle emotion within him. Pan Ge suddenly lifted her head, staring intently at Han Lie for three seconds. Then, with a somewhat enigmatic smile, she said, "We’ll see. As for me, my future is more or less set. The process doesn’t really matter."
Set? So it’s not you taking over, but your man, eh? That’s a golden thigh! A super-valuable golden thigh!
Han Lie felt a stirring within him and forced himself to rationalize: I’m not into her for her family’s money; I just like her intelligence and beauty...
Despite his thoughts, Han Lie didn’t actually take any action. Where would it be that easy? Don’t be fooled by how approachable Uncle Pan seems now, as if he’s eager for his daughter to start dating. That’s not necessarily the case. Focusing on self-improvement is the most reliable path. Eat crab, eat crab! At 420 yuan a pound, it’d be a waste not to devour several!
Han Lie stopped chatting idly with Pan Ge and focused on tackling the hairy crabs. The roe was plentiful and the meat rich; it was fresh, sweet, and delicious. Paired with Wang Baohe’s specially made Jiang vinegar, the flavor was simply divine.
However, not long after, Pan Ge suddenly looked up, squinting her eyes toward something behind Han Lie, a hint of murderous intent in her gaze.
Immediately after, Han Lie heard a familiar, cold voice.
"Huh? Pan Pan! What a coincidence, you’re here too?"
Han Lie threw down the crab leg, his appetite instantly dropping by fifty basis points.
Little Cucumber, could you be any faker?
Feeling utterly hopeless, Han Lie slumped back in his chair. He watched Xi Luting rush over, wrap her arms around Pan Ge, and chatter warmly and affectionately, making him feel like a complete idiot.
He clearly knew Pan Ge was a black-bellied girl; why did he have to stick around to watch her drama unfold? Serves me right! Now I’ve been completely dragged into this mess by her!
As he was silently grumbling, Han Lie saw Xi Luting clenching her teeth as she pulled Pan Ge into her embrace. Pan Ge, though her entire body screamed resistance, couldn’t push her away; they were so clingy, looking just like a real couple...
A bolt of lightning struck, illuminating his entire mind.
Wait a minute! Uncle Pan’s attitude toward me has been a bit too friendly, as if he’s afraid his daughter isn’t interested in men. Could there be... Xi Luting’s doing in this?! Fuck! I really messed with Little Cucumber; what kind of chain reaction did I set off...
Han Lie stroked his chin, his smile growing more profound.