Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 43 - 41: The Robbery Reservation

But time just slipped away without a sound.

Future.

Where is it?

"What time is it already, how have you not come back yet? Are you planning to go directly to the restaurant with your school hunk?" Bao Bao called Yan Yan before she even made it home.

"Oh right, it’s already this late, have you made a reservation anywhere?" Yan Yan asked Bao Bao.

If it wasn’t for this call, Yan Yan wouldn’t have realized that it was already dinner time.

The key thing was that Yan Yan’s most important daily question, "What to eat tonight?" hadn’t even crossed her mind today.

"I’ve made the reservation; it’s that private Japanese dining place you’ve been wanting to visit that only serves one group of customers a day. I had to snatch the reservation from someone else for you; otherwise, you’d have to book at least two weeks in advance to get a chance," Bao Bao said to Yan Yan over the phone. (note 1)

"How do you snatch a reservation? Was the person who originally made the reservation someone you know?" Yan Yan hesitated a bit, not sure if Qi Yi would be up for traveling so far to eat tonight.

"Yeah, of course, I know them, how else would I snatch it? I just got my car back from maintenance. Where are you guys now? Do you want me to drive over and pick you up?" Bao Bao rarely rushed Yan Yan for meal-related matters, because Yan Yan was always the most enthusiastic.

"So after you snatched it, can it still be returned to the original owner?" Now, what Yan Yan was concerned about was Bao Bao’s first question.

Nowadays, there are many private dining options in the country, but they are mostly restaurants that just call themselves private dining.

The private dining Bao Bao mentioned is genuinely made at the chef’s home.

A Japanese chef, preparing meals in his own home, serves only one group of customers per day.

It could be a pair or, at most, a table of ten to twenty people.

Based on the number of reservations for the day, the chef and his wife would buy the freshest ingredients.

Since it’s a "private order," if you book, you must go.

If you don’t show up, you still have to pay because the already sliced sashimi won’t keep for the next day’s customers.

"What do you mean? You don’t want to go?" Bao Bao felt certain there must be some misunderstanding.

The words just now didn’t sound like something Yan Yan would say. After all, the reservation was for the restaurant Yan Yan had been clamoring to visit.

"I’d like to go, but it might not be possible. East Bentleigh is too far, and that private dining takes a long time," Yan Yan voiced her concerns.

"Don’t think just because your initials are YY you can be so wishy-washy. It’s just a meal together, it won’t delay you much. We said if the review passes tonight, we won’t be third-wheeling you and the school hunk tomorrow." Bao Bao spoke with disdain.

"I would like to be wishy-washy, but he’s returning to the country tonight; my main concern is that dining so far away might not leave us enough time," Yan Yan continued to explain the situation.

"Didn’t you say yesterday that you would stay for two or three days? Why leave so suddenly?" Bao Bao was a bit surprised.

"Ah, it’s a long story, I’ll tell you about it later," Yan Yan sighed.

"What time is the flight?" Bao Bao asked another question.

"Eleven fifty at night," Yan Yan replied.

"The one connecting through Hong Kong? Then you’ll definitely have enough time.

You and the handsome guy go back now, pack up the luggage, then do the Check-in (online boarding pass) on the internet.

I’ll come to the hotel to pick you guys up later and I promise there will be plenty of time for dinner, then we can slowly head to the airport.

Which hotel in the casino is he staying at?" Bao Bao’s ability to arrange schedules was always exceptionally clear.

Moreover, Bao Bao always managed to make reservations at restaurants others couldn’t in short notice, which Yan Yan greatly admired.

The private dining train restaurant was like that, and so was the private cuisine.

"Just wait a sec, I’ll ask Qi Yi, and call you back in a couple of minutes, okay?" Yan Yan wanted to see what Qi Yi thought first.

"What’s there to ask? I’ve already paid, and if we don’t go, it’ll all be wasted.

Never mind the money, aren’t you heartbroken over the sashimi and Kobe Wagyu that they’ve already started preparing?" Bao Bao decided to convince Yan Yan.

Bao Bao went all out, draining every bit of her energy, to persuade Yan Yan to take Qi Yi along for the private cuisine. freewebnøvel.com

Her most important goal in doing this was to give Shen Xi, from her family, a chance to get a bit closer to "gossip" about Yan Yan.

Based on what Bao Bao knew about Yan Yan, the relationship between Yan Yan and Qi Yi wasn’t likely to change qualitatively in a day.

Bao Bao didn’t know that Qi Yi was leaving today, but even if she had known, she wouldn’t have canceled tonight’s reservation.

If she found out that Yan Yan was really struggling with it and acting irrationally, she’d definitely urge Yan Yan to think it over carefully first.

After all, besides being mentioned in the gossips of the Journalism and Communication College at Xiamen University, this legendary school hunk hadn’t been brought up by Yan Yan herself, not even a hint.

Not to mention, whether people do change or not, such a philosophical issue.

The mere fact of distance is enough to destroy most relationships that once seemed stable.

Yan Yan, while on the phone, glanced at Qi Yi with a bit of difficulty.

"What’s up?" Qi Yi mouthed silently, asking.

"Bao Bao said we’re going to the suburbs for Japanese food," Yan Yan told Qi Yi what was on the call.

"Then let’s go," Qi Yi agreed straightforwardly.

.........

After hanging up the call and on the way back to the hotel.

"Just now, I thought you wouldn’t want to go that far to dinner with Bao Bao and the others tonight," Yan Yan was somewhat puzzled.

"No, I really want to go tonight," Qi Yi answered with certainty.

"Really?" Yan Yan’s puzzlement deepened further.

"Yep, later I’ll even have to find an opportunity to ask those two to take good care of you," Qi Yi offered his explanation.

"Don’t you dare, the three of us, only ever knock each other and repel each other; there’s no possibility or necessity for taking care of each other – so don’t bother making that request specially," Yan Yan found Qi Yi’s idea particularly bizarre.

"Even if I don’t ask them, I don’t want to be alone with you two," Qi Yi gave another reason.

"Ah? What kind of logic is that?" Yan Yan was shocked by Qi Yi’s bizarre logic.

If he didn’t want to spend time with her, what was Qi Yi doing in Melbourne?

"If we keep sitting and chatting like this, all of today’s memories will just be about tonight’s painful farewell. Don’t you dislike facing farewells the most? It should feel a bit better eating with more people," Qi Yi said as he held Yan Yan’s hand, not wanting to let go even for a second.

"You knew that?" Yan Yan paused before saying, "Well, alright then, since you’re handsome, whatever you say goes."

It was then that Yan Yan realized that Qi Yi’s emotions had become much finer than they were in high school.

Yan Yan disliked facing farewells the most, but how many people actually did?

Even if some did, Qi Yi certainly wouldn’t be among them.

Yan Yan didn’t want to face parting, and neither did Qi Yi.