Chapter 22: Making Friends
“Sauerkraut, cured meat, and sausage hot pot? That doesn’t sound like French food—it sounds more like something from our country, Jasmine.”
The comment came off as rather ignorant. Zhou Ye glanced in the rearview mirror at Mu Lantu but saw him sitting with composure, at ease and unbothered. His smiling eyes looked as though they’d seen everything in the world—nothing could shake his demeanor. He didn’t look ignorant at all. Sitting next to Xu Huazhang, Mu Lantu’s aura was in no way inferior. One was flamboyant, the other restrained—they complemented each other perfectly.
Xu Huazhang smiled indulgently. “It does seem similar. That just shows how cuisines across the world often echo each other. That hot pot you mentioned is actually a specialty of the Alsace region in Farra (France)—one of the country’s classic dishes. It mainly includes sauerkraut, cured meats, and sausages, often accompanied by smoked bacon, pork shoulder, potatoes, and other ingredients, all stewed in white wine. The aroma is unique and the flavor, distinctive.”
Mu Lantu listened attentively but was momentarily distracted by the scene outside the window.
They had just passed a place where over a thousand people were lining up.
It was a job fair. He thought he’d spotted a familiar face—Zhou Xianlin. The car was moving too fast to be sure, but it looked like him.
Just thinking about Zhou Xianlin having to job-hunt again made Mu Lantu eat with a slightly better appetite than usual. He raised his glass to Xu Huazhang. The bright liquid swirled in the beautiful glass, releasing a faint, intoxicating fragrance.
“Cheers.”
“Cheers.” Xu Huazhang took a sip of red wine. “Any plans for the afternoon?”
“Planning to stop by the university.”
Mu Lantu intended to audit some architecture drafting classes. While he could understand the reference books he had at home, much of the content was vague and abstract. Without an instructor to explain things, it was hard to grasp fully. Even if he read everything cover to cover, he’d only end up with a half-baked understanding. There were plenty of courses online, but as a complete beginner, he didn’t know which ones were truly suitable. Better to just go sit in on real classes.
“Need any help?” Xu Huazhang asked, concerned something might’ve come up.
“No need, it’s nothing serious.” Mu Lantu gave a brief explanation.
After lunch, Xu Huazhang had the car drop Mu Lantu off at his alma mater: Imperial Polytechnic University.
At the gate, Mu Lantu passed through without issue. With his youthful appearance, the security guards assumed he was a student and didn’t question him at all.
He paid a small fee to a student to find out the class schedule, and soon after, received a message from Xu Huazhang.
Xu Huazhang had sent him a list of recommended textbooks and links to online courses—clearly something he’d asked someone to compile.
Mu Lantu looked them up. All highly practical.
Another favor he now owed Xu Huazhang.
There were a few bookstores nearby, less than a kilometer away. Mu Lantu decided to walk.
The afternoon sun was so warm it felt like summer. He took a turn into a small shop, and when he came out, he had an ice cream cone in hand.
Just then, a figure burst out from a nearby alley. Mu Lantu sidestepped quickly, avoiding the person—but not the one chasing behind. His barely-touched ice cream cone was knocked from his hand and splattered across the pavement.
The pursuer pounced on the blond guy who had just run out, tackling him to the ground with a punch, cursing as he went: “You son of a b*tch! Run! Keep running!”
The voice was familiar. Mu Lantu looked closely—it really was someone he knew. A university classmate: Gu Jincheng.
The blond guy reacted fast and was strong too. He flipped Gu Jincheng over and pinned him down.
Gu Jincheng gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, struggling furiously but unable to break free. He managed to punch the blond guy in the nose.
“F*ck you!”
“Go to hell!” The blond was just as vicious. He endured the pain, kept his weight on Gu Jincheng, and reached around blindly with his left hand. He grabbed a small flowerpot from outside a nearby shop and swung it at Gu Jincheng’s head!
A passerby screamed: “Ahhh—!”
Mu Lantu leapt forward, grabbed the flowerpot in midair, and set it down gently over three meters away.
Another wave of gasps from the onlookers: “Wow!”
The blond’s strike missed. Gu Jincheng seized the opportunity to punch him again and break free.
The crowd finally rushed in and pulled the two young men apart.
“Stop it! Stop! Someone’s going to die if you keep this up!”
The blond guy finally regained some sanity. He didn’t continue the fight, but stood there panting hard, glaring at Gu Jincheng. After a moment, he shoved aside the people holding him back and ran off.
Gu Jincheng was coughing from the choking grip but didn’t have the strength to give chase. He recognized Mu Lantu and waved weakly, then coughed for a while before thanking the crowd and walking over.
“Mu Lantu, didn’t expect it to be you. Thanks for saving me. If it weren’t for you, I…”
He shuddered at how close he’d come to death, his face pale as a sheet.
Mu Lantu looked sympathetically at his bruised and swollen classmate. “No need to thank me. Are you okay? Want to go to the hospital?”
Gu Jincheng touched his sore neck and forced a bitter smile. Should he say he was fine, or not?
“Probably not necessary…”
Didn’t want to look any more pathetic.
Mu Lantu was curious why Gu Jincheng had ended up in such a brutal fight, but since they weren’t close, he didn’t feel it was appropriate to pry.
“Well, since you’re okay—”
“A life-saving favor—I have no way to repay you, so let me at least buy you a meal.” Gu Jincheng interrupted.
