Chapter 26 Coming across an Acquaintance

When she was at work, Sofia called Jean out for hotpot, but she never expected to receive a call on her way to the appointed place. It was Jean. She told Sofia she was in trouble and was now in a police station. Upon hearing that, Sofia hurried to the police station, with her mind stuffed with concern. She was to enter the office when she heard the loud voice of Jean. “Sir, what’s the matter with you? It was he who didn’t notice the front and hit my dog, while the traffic light was still yellow. Am I not supposed to walk across the road alone? Is it my fault? And you know his reaction? he thought he could drive a Maserati! He thought he was rich! He thought he could use money to put this event to rest without offering any apology! But you cannot buy me off! I am not finished with him if he doesn’t apologize. You’ve got to punish him.” Sofia was wondering who had such a misfortune as to come across such an odd person as her confidant. She remembered back in middle school, Jean was hit by a cycler without receiving an apology, and she took its wheels down. The incident brought her fame campus-wide and no one dared to cross her. Upon entering the office, Sofia was overwhelmed by the squeeze of Jean’s hug. It was a relief when she saw Jean lively and excited, thinking that everything was good as long as Jean was fine. “You came at last, Sofia. I will tell you. I met a scoundrel today. He was almost about to hit my Doudou. Since my dog was fine, I thought about forgetting it. But he didn’t want to apologize! How rude was he!” “Ah? That’s quite out of line! Who is he?” “Him!” Jean cried, stepping sideways. But Sofia was taken aback when she saw the so-called scoundrel. It was exactly the person she considered as a gentleman – Calvin Gu. Now he was sitting on a chair, as casually and elegantly as before. Astonishment struck him too, when he saw Sofia. He rose and approached her. “Calvin, I didn’t expect it was you.” “My sister-in-law, what a surprise I should see you in here.” Jean was dumfounded by their conversation. It seemed she had made a mistake. Sofia settled the issue at last, bringing reconciliation to each other. But Jean’s opinion about Calvin was still unchanged. She chose to forget it for the sake of Sofia, but a second situation of such would be unforgivable. Calvin had nothing important to do after work. He had had an appointment, but it was cancelled at the last minute. That was a chance to go out with him together. “No discord, no concord. We are going out for dinner. What about you?” “I just came out of the company and haven’t decided where to go.” He replied with a casual manner, his face etched with a bit of bitterness. “Then go with us. We planned for seafood hotpot. Would you mind?” Calvin accepted Sofia’s invitation. They drove to a seafood restaurant. Calvin had a dislike for hotpot, so they decided on seafood; Sofia and Jean might enjoy hotpot together next time. Sofia was not sure whether it was her illusion, but she felt a slight melancholy descending on Calvin. It appeared that he was preoccupied with something. But since they hadn’t had much acquaintance, she ventured not to inquire. Only Jean was talking during the meal. Calvin was frightened when he saw the two girls holding some seafood and give a big bite, but it made him feel life was real. Calvin had been raised in an environment where every woman was a debutante, and most of them acted with pretentiousness and insincerity. But sitting and eating with such two girls gave him a sense of living a real life. While Sofia relished such feast, she looked up and saw Calvin flavoring a crab with gentility; and when she looked at herself and Jean, her face became rose with embarrassment. “I’m just saying it. Don’t you feed tired when you eat in that way? Your manner of eating will ruin your feast and appetite. You are a man. How could you care so much about manners? You should eat in whatever way you like, just like us.” Jean said while eating. Calvin smiled. It would be difficult for him to have the same eating manner as them. “I’m fine. I had developed this habit since childhood. You may eat as you please.” Calvin had always been a gentleman, making Sofia a little ashamed. At present Calvin’s phone rang. He answered it with a slight smile on his face, talked with tenderness and softness, and hang it up. It seemed that he had told where he was now. He talked without much flirtation. Sofia sensed that it must be the person he was in love with. “My fiancée is coming over. I hope you don’t mind.” The two were startled. Calvin already had a fiancée! But Sofia thought with curiosity – the fiancée of such a gentle and tender man as Calvin must be a lady of elegance. They continued eating and waiting. In a minute, a beauty of a tall and attractive figure, with exquisite make-up and brown curly hair, came swaggering. “Rose.” seeing his fiancée advancing, Calvin hastened to rise and pull a chair for her. Her arrival carried with her a strong smell of perfume; seeing her in a low-cut blouse and short skirt on such a cold day, Sofia was curious if she felt cold. “I don’t want it. I’m losing weight recently, and the cosmetician told me not to eat seafood.” Sofia and Jean were stupefied by her way of addressing. She was far from what they had imagined as a lady of elegance. “Who are these two? Since when you had such kind of friends?” Rose cast a glance at the mess on the table and an aversion stirred in her mind; and seeing their manner of eating, she wanted to leave at once. “What do you mean by ‘such kind of friends’? Jean was disgusted at first sight by Rose’s coquettish manner. Her antipathy was intensified by Rose’s sarcasm so that she could not check herself anymore. “My sister-in-law, Rose is always talking in this way. Please don’t take it to heart. I will apologize for her." "Calvin, can you act like a man? How could you say I’m wrong? Look at their manner of eating, and you know they have seen little of the world. I didn’t say anything wrong, why did you apologize? Were you not here, I wouldn’t have come.” “Rose, you’re way out of line today.” Calvin was agitated. She could show her ill temper at usual times, but here is Sofia, the friend of his brother. How could she be so disagreeable and ill-bred! “How could you argue against me for the sake of other women? Calvin, you’d better not regret.” Rose turned around, walked away in her high-heeled shoes, without looking back. Calvin let out a deep sigh, feeling dreary. The Rose he loved, he recalled, was no longer the woman she had been. “We are fine, but your fiancée surprised me. You’d better go and placate her.” Seeing Calvin’s helplessness, Sofia didn’t want to blame anymore. After all, Rose was right, they came from different circles. “I’m just saying it. You have a low taste, having such a person as your fiancée.” Jean ate a shrimp, chewing while complaining, but she held her tongue when Sofia pulled her clothes.