While they snapped selfies, plates of food began arriving at the table.
Spotting the sake on the table, Chen Mengyan suddenly smacked her forehead, turned to Jiang Cheng and asked, "By the way, did you drive here? Can you drink?"
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Of course. Isn't that what a Designated Driver is for?"
At that, Chen Mengyan covered her mouth and giggled.
When her laughter subsided, she began eagerly.
"Speaking of which, you wouldn't believe it—right after I graduated I came back from Hong Kong Island and had my car shipped over. One night I went out drinking with friends and hired a Designated Driver."
"I was already tipsy; I crawled into the back seat to rest. After a while the car still hadn't moved, so I pried my eyes open to see what was going on."
"I looked up and saw the guy frantically searching the left-hand side for the steering wheel. I was wasted and just burst out laughing…"
She broke into laughter again, the memory still hilarious.
Jiang Cheng chuckled. "Hong Kong Island uses right-hand drive."
"Exactly!" she grinned. "No idea what was wrong with the poor guy—he never thought to check the right side. He kept glancing back at me in panic, and when he saw me cracking up he sheepishly said he'd forgotten to check the plate prefix and hadn't realized it was an import car…"
"So you studied in Hong Kong Island?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Chen Mengyan nodded. "Yep, I've been in international schools since I was little. After graduation I wanted to stay there or go abroad, but Dad insisted I take the civil-service exam."
She pouted, clearly dissatisfied.
Seeing how cute she looked, Jiang Cheng smiled. "Such an easy job and you don't like it?"
She shook her head. "It's not that I dislike it—I'm just not used to it. Mainly, I can't pass the exam."
She picked up a fragrant grilled oyster.
Jiang Cheng studied the glossy, plump morsel.
Then he slurped it down without hesitation.
The instant his teeth bit into the juicy flesh, rich seafood flavor flooded his mouth.
Chewing contentedly, he mumbled, "Plenty of juice."
Chen Mengyan grinned, picked up a giant sausage.
Took a delicate bite.
Batted her eyes and said.
"I chose this place because their skewers are like this sausage—abroad they're skinny and taste weird; nothing beats our big, robust Chinese ones."
Had her expression been any less innocent.
Jiang Cheng might've thought she was flirting.
Her satisfied look really did seem conquered by the sausage.
Shaking off the notion.
He said, "So their inauthentic version was a happy accident."
She waved a hand. "Drinks can be special, but skewers have to taste Chinese."
He nodded agreement.
As they chatted, the conversation circled back to the earlier topic.
Jiang Cheng smirked. "Is the teacher-recruitment exam that hard? Don't tell me you're a slacker?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Chen Mengyan, who'd been lounging back leisurely.
Snapped taut as a bowstring.
Sat bolt upright, chest thrust forward.
Her beautiful face flooded with indignation.
She thumped her chest. "A slacker? I graduated with First-Class Honours from Hong Kong Island University."
Pride shining, she caught Jiang Cheng's gaze drifting downward.
He spread his hands. "Yet you've failed the exam three times?"
Her smug look froze.
Noticing his teasing eyes flicking over her.
Her hands flew to cover her chest.
Arms crossing higher.
Watching her fluster, Jiang Cheng's mouth twitched.
"Don't get me wrong—I just didn't want you blocking air traffic."
He reopened Chen Mengyan's Character Scanning System.
[Name: Chen Mengyan]
[Age: 23]
[Height: 168 cm]
[charm: 88]
[Figure: 75]
[Privacy: 0]
[favorability value: 75]
Seventy-five points wasn't exactly an airport.
But compared with Zhou Ying and her friends' voluptuous curves, Chen Mengyan was merely a petite xiaolongbao.
Hearing herself called an airport, she glanced down at her Y-shaped push-up bra.
A faint melancholy settled in.
Her face darkened.
She straightened her modest chest and retorted, "I was raised on international curricula, and now Dad wants me to take a local civil exam—what was he thinking?"
The moment she spoke, she regretted oversharing.
They weren't close enough for such private complaints.
Noting her flicker of embarrassment.
Jiang Cheng smiled. "Your dad's a principal now—can't he pull some strings?"
Relieved he hadn't pressed the awkwardness.
Her eyes brightened again.
She answered candidly, "Dad only became principal at sixty. He says if he'd known, he'd never have sent me abroad as a kid."
Jiang Cheng nodded thoughtfully. "Sixty… that's not really so old, is it?