Chapter 299 — Better to Eat Instant Noodles?

So even as Guan Xuewen regretted it, he kept hoping to find someone to carry on his legacy—otherwise he would never have been so delighted to see Wei Zhao in that bookstore, or wanted to take him as his last disciple.

But by now Guan Xuewen had let go of that idea. His own medical skill was not even a third of Wei Zhao's—what was there to pass on? Who was whose teacher was no longer even certain.

Yet whatever the case, Guan Xuewen now had something to look forward to.

"Ding-a-ling..." The doorbell rang. Wei Zhao parked his car in front of Guan Xuewen's villa and pressed the bell.

At the sound of the bell, Guan Xuewen brightened at once and rose quickly to his feet, waving off Liu Ma, who was on her way to answer it. He would open the door himself! Toward Wei Zhao, Guan Xuewen dared not put on the slightest airs. In learning there is no seniority; the one who knows comes first—Wei Zhao was better than he was, and that was that!

"Little Yi, you've come!" Guan Xuewen said joyfully the moment he opened the door and saw Wei Zhao.

"Ha, Grandpa Guan, hello. I came straight over after school and didn't bring any gift—please don't take offense." Wei Zhao smiled and spread his empty hands. People who came to the Guan house always brought armfuls of gifts; Wei Zhao came with nothing at all.

"What gifts!" Guan Xuewen laughed, more amused than annoyed. "I'm happy just that you could come! I had to scrape together every ounce of nerve to phone you, you rascal, and ask you to come drink a cup or two with this old man. If you go on being so formal, I won't dare call again even with all the nerve in the world!"

"Ha... all right, then. From now on I'll drop by whenever I have nothing to do and mooch a meal and a drink!" Wei Zhao said with a laugh.

"Now that's more like it!" Guan Xuewen nodded, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Guan Xin was carrying a plate of sweet-and-sour mustard fish out from the kitchen when she suddenly heard someone at the door shamelessly declare that he would drop by whenever he had nothing to do and mooch meals at their house. Her mood soured at once! Who do you think you are? Coming here to mooch? You certainly don't act like a guest!

Fine, then. Since you've come to eat, I'll let you eat your fill—and see whether you dare come again next time! Tonight's feast of sour, sweet, bitter, hot, and numbing will be one you won't soon forget!

Only... the voice sounded rather familiar. Had he been to their house before? Guan Xin frowned, but paid it little mind. She was just about to set the mustard fish on the dining table when she looked up and froze, nearly dropping the plate to the floor!

"Lin... Wei Zhao?" Guan Xin's eyes went wide with disbelief at the caller who had come to their door—this man who meant to mooch meals here from now on. How could it be him?

"Guan Xin?" Wei Zhao was startled too. What was Guan Xin doing here? Then he recalled Guan Xuewen mentioning his granddaughter. Could Guan Xin be Guan Xuewen's granddaughter? Both of them surnamed Guan—of course. "You're Grandpa Guan's granddaughter?"

"So you're the outstanding young man Grandfather spoke of?" Guan Xin's face flushed. How could he be the outstanding young man Grandfather meant? Didn't he already have a girlfriend? Why would Grandfather want to introduce him to her?

For a moment Guan Xin's thoughts wound round and round, and she stood at a loss. The fondness she had meant to bury deep in her heart welled up again all at once, and she lowered her head in shyness.

"Outstanding young man?" Wei Zhao was taken aback by the title, then said with a wry smile, "I wouldn't call myself an outstanding young man—though 'promising at a young age' I might just barely live up to."

"Braggart..." Guan Xin couldn't help but purse her lips and smile. Who on earth was this immodest? Weren't an outstanding young man and a promising youth much the same thing? Truly, the old woman selling melons praising her own melons—singing his own praises.

"Little Yi, you and Xinxin know each other?" Guan Xuewen had worried his granddaughter might resist the idea, but one look at her expression told him the gist of it—and from the looks of things, the two had known each other for some time. He had been worrying over nothing!

"We know each other. We just met today," Wei Zhao said with a nod.

"Oh? Just met today? Then you must already be quite close!" Hearing Wei Zhao's words, Guan Xuewen said, "That saves me the introductions. Since you and Xinxin know each other, so much the easier—no need for all that. Let's eat at once! This old man has been hungry for ages! I usually eat early every day, but today I waited especially for you until now!"

"Ha... good! Then I won't stand on ceremony!" Wei Zhao smiled and looked at Guan Xin. "What a coincidence—so tonight I'm to taste your cooking..."

"Ah!" Guan Xin gave a start and, plate of mustard fish in hand, made to flee back to the kitchen. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought the outstanding young man her grandfather spoke of would be Wei Zhao. Had she known earlier, why would she have made these bizarre-tasting dishes? Had she known earlier, she would surely have prepared with all her heart, done everything in her power for this dinner...

Guan Xin began to regret it. If Wei Zhao ate the "grand feast" she had prepared, he would probably never come again. What was she to do now? At the thought, Guan Xin wanted to dump all the dishes on the table and start over...

"Xinxin, where are you off to? Why are you taking the fish away? Sweet-and-sour fish is Grandpa's favorite—bring it back, I can't wait any longer!" Guan Xuewen waved his hand at Guan Xin.

"I... I'm just going to recook it... yes, these dishes have all gone cold, I'll recook them all..." Guan Xin said, already reaching for the other dishes on the table... Never mind, I'll take them to the kitchen, dump them out, and make them over. There's still some ingredients left; I'll manage whatever I can.

"Recook? Recook what? They're not cold at all—they're still steaming! Stop this nonsense and put them down!" Guan Xuewen was utterly baffled by Guan Xin. What on earth was she doing?

"Ah... oh..." There was nothing Guan Xin could do. Reluctantly, she set the plate and the sweet-and-sour fish back on the table.

"There we go, Xinxin, sit down and eat with us!" Guan Xuewen couldn't wait to open a bottle of Moutai; he poured a glass for Wei Zhao, then one for himself.

"This... all right." Guan Xin was unwilling, but she had no way out, so she sat down with a sour, worried face.

"Ha... I've long heard Grandpa Guan say your cooking is excellent. Just looking at the color of these dishes makes my mouth water. Let me taste how they are." Wei Zhao smiled and picked up his chopsticks.

"Ah... um... Grandpa, I have a great idea—how about we have instant noodles? Noodles with liquor, they taste wonderful together, don't they? What do you think?" Guan Xin suddenly stood up. "I haven't had them in ages. Instant noodles are delicious. Let's dump all these dishes out, shall we?"

"Xinxin!" Guan Xuewen was a little angry. Why had his granddaughter turned so strange ever since she set eyes on Wei Zhao? Could it be that things between the two of them were not as he had imagined—that Guan Xin was fond of Wei Zhao—but that there was some friction instead? Otherwise, why would she want to dump out the dishes one moment and eat instant noodles the next?