595 Marco Polo’s Contribution

Milan was the cradle of Armani, Versace, Prada, Valentino, Moschino, and Dolce & Gabbana... They had all started and developed their businesses there before they had spread all over the world.

Ever since the Renaissance, the city had dedicated itself to art and inspired countless artists.

Milan was a fascinating city for many people.

Qin Guan's agents were talking about his schedule with the staff of the organizing committee. The long list annoyed Qin Guan.

Although there were three days left before the opening show, Qin Guan had to spend his free time working hard. That afternoon would be his only spare time in Milan.

It was a rare opportunity for him to see the city. He wouldn't work all day long, so he wanted to take a food trip around Milan.

Milan had excellent Italian food to offer after all. There were Michelin restaurants everywhere in the city.

When one talked about the historical origins of Chinese and Italian food, they couldn't avoid talking about Marco Polo's carelessness.

His journey to China had made him fall in love with the mysterious oriental cuisine. As a culture ambassador, he had brought the delicious food back to Italy. It was a pity that he had not been an intelligent man though. Chinese dishes were very complicated, and all he had remembered was that in China noodles were served with sauce. He had known nothing about the precise cooking method used. He had also remembered that pancakes were filled, but had not known how to wrap them up with paste.

Lastly, he had known about something called wonton, but forgotten how to cook it. He had just recreated the original food according to his weak memories.

Italians loved pasta, pizza and wonton soup now. Shocked by the delicious food, Europeans honored the Italian cuisine by naming it the second best in Europe.

After the meeting, Qin Guan and the other two ladies decided to try Italian food. They walked along the dark picturesque streets, heading to a restaurant with original Italian dishes.

The traditional Italian stewed rice in combination with the uniquely-cooked meat could give a person magical powers.

AL PONTE DE FERR was a unique restaurant. The food there was delicious, and the view was exquisite.

The customers could look over the canal amid the cool autumn breeze. Under the lamplight down by the river, people felt ready to enjoy a rare beautiful night in Milan.

As Chinese foodies, Qin Guan and his friends ordered traditional Italian rice as an appetizer.

People said that, other than Asians, it was Italians who liked rice the most. According to an Italian saying, rice was born in the water and it died in red wine.

The grains were soaked in the juices of other ingredients, which made them look full and crystal-like. The sliced meat, sausage and vegetables created a very diverse dish.

The rice was covered by rich Parma cheese, which made it smell amazing. The stewed Italian pork stimulated everyone's appetite.

Qin Guan wondered if Marco Polo had been to the Northeast of China, because the traditional Italian dish resembled a unique dish from that area. Italians had just replaced the vermicellis with onion and cabbage.

The white Lugana wine made them feel like they were walking on clouds. The beautiful night and delicious food made them relax and look forward to the fashion celebration.

It was a nice September day in 2003. Qin Guan got up early in the morning and his stylist got busy working on him. This would be his debut in Milan, so he had to be perfect.

His short hair was clean and clear, and there was no powder on his face, only some moistening milk.

He was wearing a traditional outfit designed by Yin Changtao. His upper body was bare. When he put the top on, a boy swallowed his saliva shamelessly.

The sound was deafening in the quiet room, which caused some kind laughter. The boy tried to defend himself.

"I can't help it, he is really tempting. His body is like a gift from God."

"Your reaction was natural. I have been working with him for half a year now, but sometimes I still get distracted..."