Chapter 54 - My Costar Doesn't Know When To Give Up

Yao Shen climbs into the backseat and mentally prepares himself for the world's most uncomfortable car ride.

Gao Wu, to his credit, tries to keep the mood light by talking about random stuff that happened during the day. Xin Hulei answers him in monosyllables as usual, and doesn't try to contribute to the conversation in any other way.

Yao Shen feels like the passenger on a ride hailing service. 

He can't believe Xin Hulei would just climb aboard Gao Wu's car like that, and invite himself to come along with no shame. Yao Shen is halfway convinced that his thick face is the eight wonder of the world -- he could make a killing if he charged admission for people to watch Xin Hulei acting as if other people were merely extras in his life.

Perhaps sensing the uncharitable thoughts Yao Shen is nursing about him, Xin Hulei turns on his seat slightly and asks him:

"Where do you want to eat?"

Yao Shen ignores him, and leans across the console to hold on to Gao Wu's seat. "Where was didi planning on going?"

Gao Wu looks at Yao Shen through the rear view mirror, a smile playing at his lips. "I was thinking we could go to a hot pot restaurant I heard a lot about."

"That sounds great," Yao Shen says, beaming at him, the corners of his lips almost straining from how wide he's smiling. He chances a sideways look at Xin Hulei to gauge his reaction, but he's staring out the window. "I'm sure, the food will be great."

"What does Xin laoshi think?" Gao Wu asks politely, his tone mellow and cordial.

Xin Hulei shrugs, and continues to look out the window, his chin balanced on his open palm. "Whatever Yao Shen wants is fine with me."

---

Gao Wu drives them towards the city center. Yao Shen expects the restaurant to be sleek and modern, but the place Gao Wu takes them too looks ancient and as if it has been a family business for several generations. The interior is warmly lit and inviting, but despite the cozy atmosphere, an AC unit working overtime ensures the temperature inside remains pleasantly chill.

The restaurant is packed full, every seat taken, mostly by families and groups of friends. It's not a fashionable place, so for Gao Wu to have heard about it the food must be really good.

A server welcomes them at the door, and Gao Wu sheepishly informs her there's a reservation under his name.

The girl leads them to a narrow table, on the upper floor, where the noise of the busy lower level isn't as noticeable. 

"Why did you ask where he wanted to eat if you had already made reservations?" Xin Hulei asks as soon as he's seated.

Yao Shen tries to refrain from slapping him across the face with the laminated plastic menu the waiter gives them.

Gao Wu lowers his eyes in embarrassment. "I asked gege's assistant what kind of food he liked, and remembered this restaurant. Because I know it's usually busy I called ahead to make reservations." He clears his throat awkwardly and takes a sip of the complimentary glass of water the server brought them. "Of course if gege wanted to eat something different we could go somewhere else."

Yao Shen is charmed by Gao Wu's bashfulness. It's sweet that he wanted to make sure he took Yao Shen somewhere he'd enjoy, it's considerate.

"I can't wait to eat," Yao Shen says, meeting Gao Wu's eyes across the table. "I'm sure didi chose well."

Xin Hulei sitting at the other end of the table is still looking at the menu. "Yes, the food looks good."

That kind of comment would lead one to believe Xin Hulei was ready to order, but it takes him another ten minutes to decide on what he wants.

Once again Yao Shen feels to urge to slap him upside the head with the menu. It's a hot pot restaurant, there are only so many choices!

In the end Xin Hulei ends up saying. "I'll have what Yao Shen is having."

The server, by now really annoyed with their table's indecisiveness, lets out a discreet sigh of relief and leaves to fill their orders.

"We can share, since we've ordered the same thing," he tells Yao Shen. Making very little sense, since sharing is common when one eats hot pot.

Xin Hulei leans back against his chair, arms crossed over his chest as if he didn't invite himself along to Yao Shen's and Gao Wu's date and it isn't his fault there's currently an awkward silence hanging over them. 

Yao Shen clears his throat. "Who told didi about his restaurant?" Yao Shen asks, just to have something to fill the air.

Gao Wu opens his mouth to answer, but at the same time Xin Hulei sits up straight and announces: "The food is here."

---

Yao Shen and Xin Hulei picked the mutton hot pot, while Gao Wu went with pig's intestines. 

Their table has a built in hot pot in it, but due to Xin Hulei's last minute addition the server brings them a portable one. She lights both of them, and adds stock to the bubbling water and fresh chrysanthemum flowers.

As soon as the water starts boiling, Xin Hulei adds the mutton and other garnishes to it, before Yao Shen can as much as raise his chopsticks.

In retaliation, Yao Shen takes the first cooked piece of intestines out of Gao Wu's pot and lowers it into the bowl in front of him. "Eat up didi, it smells delicious."

Gao Wu looks in confusion as Yao Shen continues to pile food on his bowl.

Not to be deterred by common sense or shame, Xin Hulei does the same to Yao Shen's bowl, filling it with mutton and cabbage. 

Yao Shen realizes they probably look demented, just piling food onto each other's plates without eating anything themselves, but he's not going to lose this stupid game to Xin Hulei.

He's adding some of his own vegetables to Gao Wu's pot when he notices a woman laughing hysterically on the table next to theirs.

Actually, she's making the motions of laughing -- one hand in front of her mouth, her shoulders shaking -- but no sound comes out. Her dining companion continues eating normally as if unaware of her amusement.

She feels Yao Shen's gaze on her, and her hand drops away from her mouth in shock.

That's when Yao Shen realizes the right side of her jaw is completely missing, teeth and bone peeking out through the bloodied gap.