“Don’t worry, buddy, I’m just testing whether your stance is firm.” He chuckled, raised his glass, and took a sip of wine, seemingly toying with the glass, his gaze inadvertently landing on the two beautiful blonde girls at the next table, who had been glancing over and whispering to each other, discussing animatedly. He was confident he didn’t need a listening device to know the content of their conversation.
His gaze suddenly flickered, the ice-blue focus shifting away from the two pretty girls, as a beautiful woman appeared in the doorway, her graceful figure catching his attention. She had black hair and black eyes, wearing a plain blue floral dress with a white woolen shawl draped over her shoulders. The long dress, which did not reach her ankles, had an uncommon cut; it fit her upper body perfectly, while the hem opened at the bend of her legs, accentuating her curvaceous figure. She noticed the two of them, smiled slightly, and walked over lightly…
“Annabel , you’re here.” Philip stood up to pull out a chair for her. “I don’t think I need to introduce you again; this is General Ryan of the SS.”
“Sorry, General, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m late because my mentor is very strict about follow-up work.”
“I’ve told you many times, Annabel , not to call me ‘mentor’ outside.”
The girl playfully stuck out her tongue, and he captured her mischievous expression in his gray eyes. “Calling me that makes me feel much older.”
“How could that be? In our eyes, you will always be so young and accomplished.”
“You restless young ladies are gossiping about your mentor behind my back.”
He smiled, no longer paying attention to the back-and-forth between Philip and his female assistant, having realized that she seemed to have been in the restroom for quite a while.
“Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” He stood up and walked toward the restroom.
Her complexion looked a bit pale as she pushed the door open. He quickly stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “What’s wrong, darling? Are you feeling unwell?”
Khanyi shook her head, forcing a smile. “I’m fine; it must be something I ate this morning that didn’t sit well. I’m feeling much better now.” In reality, she had thrown up all her breakfast.
He knew it must be the result of forcing her to eat too much fatty meat; her stomach wasn’t used to greasy food. “Poor little thing,” he said, taking her arm. “Let me introduce you to a friend; I think you’ll be happy to meet her.”
Khanyi was led by him to the side of his friend, the tall bespectacled officer, and a black-haired, black-eyed Eastern girl, who was dressed very strikingly today in a fitted qipao, paired with a woolen lace shawl. Looking at the familiar cut and style, she could hardly believe she was in Europe across the ocean.
“Khanyi! It’s you! How wonderful to see you again.” Annabel stood up from her chair, grabbed her arm, and pulled her down.
“Annabel, hello.” Khanyi smiled and greeted the enthusiastic girl.
“Call me Annabel .”
Khanyi nodded, still slightly turned away, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Philip’s scrutinizing gaze, even though he had softened considerably and was trying to engage her in conversation.
“I just ordered for the two ladies without asking; I hope you like it. If you want to eat anything else, just ask him; after all, he’s treating today.”
“Thank you,” Khanyi replied softly, but she did not look at Philip, instead glancing up at him.
The two girls chatted happily in their native language, seemingly forgetting about their presence entirely. The exchanged glances between the two men made them realize something. Annabel smiled and suggested, “Khanyi, look, there’s some fruit over there; let’s go get some.”
Watching the two girls walk to the far end of the restaurant’s long corridor, he finally couldn’t help but speak up, “Hey, Philip, do you understand that language?”
Philip adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, frowning slightly. “I understand part of it; it’s one of the most difficult languages to master in the world. Their language, like their way of thinking, has almost no logic or norms to follow. For example, frost, rain, and snow are masculine, but to them, they can be both masculine and feminine, existing in harmony, and at times, can even switch between the two.
“You’re right; sometimes it’s hard to tell what they’re really thinking.” He laughed as he spoke. “Are you a sinologist? By the way, that girl of yours is wearing a nice dress today…”
“I don’t know much about this Eastern country, aside from tea and silk, but I can answer your question; it’s called ‘gown,’ said to originate from the nobility of the last dynasty…” Philip paused for a moment, smiling as he continued, “Actually, as lovers, they are just perfect: petite, exquisite, charming, and gentle. They also have a unique shyness…”
“It’s hard to imagine those words coming from you; I thought you had no interest in women.”
