"Since I’m not familiar with the capital yet, it’s better to stay in the university for now," He Zhilan laughs.
"That’s true," Bian Xiulin nods, "For now, the university is the safest place for you."
"Speaking of which, isn’t Zhilan majoring in English?" Chen Yun abruptly inquires, then turns to Lin Chan, "Don’t you have a friend who owns a restaurant? You could let Zhilan go there. Even if she can’t learn much there, at the very least, she can practice speaking and make some foreign friends."
"Who asked you?" retorts Lin Chan, raising an eyebrow, "You know the restaurant I’m talking about, Zhilan. It’s the one where Lan Li offered to take you on the day we first met, hoping to catch you making a fool of yourself. The owner is a purebred Brit and most of the clientele are foreigners. If you go there, your earnings might not necessarily be higher than at the university, but the key is you’ll get to interact with other cultures and work on your spoken English."
Lin Chan doesn’t disclose all the benefits of this opportunity to He Zhilan right away. She supposes it will depend on whether there will be a chance to reap these benefits in the future.
"Right now, Zhilan is unfamiliar with the city, and your friend’s restaurant is quite a distance from Capital University. It’s not really ideal for a girl to travel such a long distance alone. However, perhaps during the summer and winter holidays, she could stay in the staff dormitory instead of the university," Bian Xiulin suggests with a brief chuckle before turning to He Zhilan, "I used to hang around there myself when I was a student, but I got chased off by the boss."
"Why?" He Zhilan is puzzled.
"Because all she did was hide in the kitchen eating all day long! She ate so much, her food bill was greater than her daily wages, so the boss had to call Lin Chan. Then Lin Chan had to show up personally and expel her!" Qi Chengnan reveals, not pausing for breath as he tears down Bian Xiulin’s pretenses, "The chef really liked Bian Xiulin because no matter what new dish the chef made, Bian Xiulin would always eat it graciously. But the restaurant’s manager didn’t appreciate it at all, saying all she did was eat without doing any work, as if she was glued to the kitchen."
Bian Xiulin gives a soft chuckle, clearly embarrassed by this rare awkward story from her earlier days.
Xing Ye gives He Zhilan a nonchalant look, then sets his gaze on Bian Xiulin. He picks up a piece of Bian Xiulin’s favorite dish but doesn’t say anything, the corners of his eyes just displaying a faint hint of amusement.
Lin Chan also joins in the laughter, "Zhilan, you have no idea. When I picked up Bian Xiulin from the restaurant kitchen, she was bemoaning her separation from the head chef. That restaurant is really good for honing people’s skills. If you’re not going home for the winter break, you could give it a go. The trial period there lasts three days, and if they decide to keep you on, the pay is pretty good."
"Winter break?" The prospect is certainly enticing.
A part-time job at the restaurant wouldn’t be too hard. With Lin Chan’s connections, she wouldn’t let her take on a burdensome part-time job. And if Lin Chan says the pay is good, then it must be.
Not to mention the prospect of improving her communication skills, just for the sake of money, she’s quite tempted. After all, she really is short of cash.
But she can’t immediately agree. After all, if she doesn’t go home for her first winter break since starting university, not only would her family be worried, she’s also concerned that He Teng won’t agree.