Zhou Xian’s invitation was quite sincere. Plus, the place he’d chosen to treat them, Xinfeng Restaurant, was practically Yan Feifan’s home turf.
Yan Feifan was also curious why the man had suddenly invited him to dinner. After a couple of polite refusals, he eventually agreed.
At 6:30 p.m., Yan Feifan arrived at Xinfeng Restaurant with his girlfriend and personal bodyguard, Yu Suye, along with Feng Jian.
Yan Feifan told Feng Jian to order a couple of dishes for himself and wait in the main dining hall, then prepared to head upstairs with Yu Suye.
Just then, Yu Suye tugged on his arm.
"Feifan, look! Over there..."
Yan Feifan followed her gaze and his eyes widened in disbelief.
He saw his uncle, Shu Lei, walking out from the direction of the kitchen, carrying a tray with two dishes.
Shu Lei, dressed in the restaurant’s waiter uniform, had just served a table in the main hall when he noticed Yan Feifan staring at him.
He instinctively turned to bolt, but then stopped himself and walked over with an awkward expression.
"Feifan, Su Ye..."
"Um... I just got back today..."
"I was planning to surprise you all... but then I remembered you’d still be at work, so I came here first to grab a bite and... get rid of the ’dampness’ in my body."
"I didn’t expect so many of the restaurant staff to be on leave today. They were short-handed, so as a friend, I decided to help out, lend a hand..."
"Heh heh..."
Seeing Yan Feifan’s scrutinizing gaze, Shu Lei found it hard to keep up the pretense and started laughing foolishly to cover it up.
Yan Feifan snorted. "Uncle, you really expect me to believe that nonsense? Be honest. When did you really get back?"
Shu Lei scratched his head and said in a wheedling tone, "Feifan, my boy, I only got back a day or two early. I just wanted to spend some quality time with Xia, just the two of us."
"Just the two of you?"
Yan Feifan was skeptical. "Uncle, how long have you and Mrs. Xia even been seeing each other? You’re already at the ’just the two of us’ stage?"
"Who do you think you’re fooling?"
Shu Lei chuckled. "Heh heh, Feifan, my boy, you just don’t get it, do you? When you lock eyes with the right person, a single glance can feel like a thousand years. We’re inseparable."
"Besides, with my looks and this physique," Shu Lei said, puffing out his chest, "it’s enough to slay legions of beauties from eighteen to forty-eight."
As he spoke, he smugly flexed his arm, showing off his rather large biceps.
"Feifan, my boy, I swear I haven’t been anywhere I shouldn’t have these past two days. Xia can vouch for me."
"You might not believe me, but you have to believe Xia, right?"
Yan Feifan grunted twice and warned, "Uncle, I’m going to verify your story."
"If you’re lying... well, I don’t need to spell out the consequences."
Shu Lei quickly promised, "Feifan, my boy, I’m not lying to you! I’m really not."
"Hey, what are you and Su Ye doing here today?"
"A colleague invited us to dinner."
Yan Feifan replied, then asked, "Uncle, are you coming home tonight?"
Shu Lei hesitated for a moment before deciding. "I think I’ll stick to the original plan and come back on Sunday."
"Feifan, my boy, Su Ye, you two have to keep this a secret for me. Don’t tell Ziruo. She’s... formidable, and this would be hard to explain."
Yan Feifan admonished him, "What do you mean ’hard to explain’? Behavior like this is bound to make us trust you less."
Shu Lei quickly declared, "Feifan, my boy, from now on, I’ll report in every morning and evening."
"It’s just that I was momentarily... swept away by a beautiful woman."
"I’m a sailor who spends all his time at sea. You’ve got to understand, you’ve got to understand..."
Seeing his uncle’s pleading expression, Yan Feifan’s heart softened. "Just this once. Don’t let it happen again."
Meeting Shu Lei’s gaze, Yu Suye also chimed in, "Uncle, don’t worry. If Feifan doesn’t say anything, I won’t either..."
The two of them left his uncle and went to the private room they’d reserved on the third floor. They found that Zhou Xian had already arrived and was alone.
After they sat down and exchanged pleasantries, Yan Feifan got straight to the point. "Dr. Zhou, I’m here now. Whatever you have to say, please say it."
"Otherwise, I won’t be able to enjoy this meal."
Zhou Xian first stood up to pour tea for Yan Feifan and Yu Suye. After sitting back down, he began to speak slowly.
"Mr. Yan, last time you were in our cardiology department, you performed a simplified external cardiac bypass on a patient under emergency conditions."
"I’ve watched the video of that surgery over and over."
"I must say, Mr. Yan, your incredibly precise technique left me breathless. I was especially impressed by your courage and initiative in the face of danger."
Zhou Xian said with a sigh, "In that situation, anyone else would have backed away, afraid of taking responsibility."
"But you volunteered and went against the current..."
Yan Feifan cut him off. "Dr. Zhou, you don’t have to praise me like that. I was just being a little reckless and showing off."