Etiquette

A limited-edition Santland pulled up in front of the middle school gates. Karen sat inside, a cigarette held between the fingers of his left hand, while his right thumbed through the religious volume resting on his lap. It was a thoroughly cinematic picture, a vivid illustration of what it meant to be young, wealthy, handsome, and refined. Nearly every schoolgirl passing by the car couldn't resist sneaking a peek inside. A few girls who had already walked past even looped back around just to walk by a second time. Naturally, the boys were no different. Most boys at this age had fantasized about pulling up in front of the school gates behind the wheel of a luxury car. "Sis, that's Afu's car," Lunt said, recognizing the vehicle. In all of Rojia City, you would be hard-pressed to find a second Santland of this model. "It's Karen sitting inside," Chris said. Mina, Lunt, and Chris then walked past the Santland. Lunt deliberately shouted at the top of his lungs, "Bro, what are you doing here?" Karen closed the book with a smile. "I came to pick you up from school." "Oh, awesome!" Lunt went to pull open the car door, only for Mina to grab him by his backpack. Stumbling backward, he landed flat on his bottom. Chris stood by, covering her mouth. "Sis, Karen came to pick us up from school," Lunt protested aggrievedly. "School is already out, and Karen has already seen us," Mina said. "And then?" "And then Karen has already picked us up from school." "That... what about after that?" "After that, we can take the tram home!" Mina flashed Karen a bright smile, pumped her fist in an encouraging gesture, and promptly hauled Lunt along with Chris trailing behind, heading off toward the tram stop. Karen reopened the book on his lap and continued reading. The bookmark Diss had given him was still tucked away inside the *Light of Order*. Sometimes, choosing something you disliked was far harder than choosing something you liked. Nearly a week had gone by, and Karen still hadn't made up his mind. Diss had pressed him. Not about turning in the bookmark, but about why he hadn't brought that girl from the Allen family home for dinner yet. At the same time, Diss had handed him a second bookmark. Yet that in itself was a form of urging. Karen was well aware that an enormous event was about to unfold. Even more clearly, he knew that nobody aside from Diss could intervene. They couldn't even offer sideline cheers of encouragement, let alone help. As for himself, under Diss's arrangements, he was already preparing a path of retreat. He felt that from the standpoint of "family," he ought to be in the study hugging his grandfather's legs, weeping and begging him not to face the danger, telling him that family would always stand by his side and stay together forever. Yet the problem was that both he and Diss were excessively calm, rational people. When the two sat across from each other in the study, their communication resembled two cold machines humming into motion. What they exchanged were hardly words, but the friction of interlocking gears. Turning another page, there was an introduction to the Berry religion. In reality, Karen hadn't interacted with many churches, and the Berry religion was about the only one that had successfully disgusted him. Still, he felt that writing "Berry religion" on the bookmark purely for that reason seemed a bit too generous to them. Even though the Berry religion certainly wouldn't want to take advantage of such generosity. *** Eunice walked out of the school gates. Today she wore a khaki trench coat, a hairpin in her hair, and a few books clutched in her hands, her feet still clad in leather boots. Karen quite liked looking at her leather boots, and he knew that during their last date, she must have noticed and sensed his frequent glances toward them. "Teacher" was a noun, but at times it could also serve as an adjective. In short, Teacher Eunice looked very much like a teacher today. Her appearance drew many eyes, especially from the young male teachers leaving work alongside her. When they watched Eunice walk over to the limited-edition Santland parked by the school entrance, the sound of breaking hearts could practically be heard all around. "Should I say, what a coincidence?" Eunice bent down and spoke to Karen through the car window. Karen slipped the book into the glove compartment and asked with a smile, "Should I say I came to pick up my younger siblings from school?" Eunice got into the car. As she fastened her seatbelt, Karen let his gaze rest openly on her boots. "Do they look nice?" Eunice asked. "I noticed last time that you liked staring at them." "Very nice," Karen replied candidly. "Boots suit you well. They match your demeanor." Karen reached out and lightly brushed his fingers over the surface of the leather. Eunice bit her lip. She was visibly a little nervous, though she tried her best to appear composed. At any rate, she showed no sign of refusal and made no defensive move. When dating, a slightly bold, unconventional gesture from one party could effectively close the distance and advance the relationship. However, one had to possess a clear awareness of where the relationship stood—and, especially, an honest assessment of one's own face. Otherwise, it could easily backfire, or even land you in a jail cell. "Care to go for a stroll?" Karen asked. "Shopping?" Eunice looked slightly surprised. "The men I know all seem terribly resistant to accompanying their wives shopping." "That's after marriage," Karen said with a chuckle. "Before marriage, they all love it." "Karen, you really are direct." Karen drove with Eunice to a commercial pedestrian street. It wasn't the most high-end street in Rojia City, not because Karen wanted to pinch pennies—in truth, his courtship funds were exceedingly generous. The money given by his grandfather, his uncle and aunts, was already more than enough for Karen to play the wealthy young master in Rojia City, to say nothing of the cash Alfred stuffed into the car every single time. It was simply that the highest-end street was Rhine Street, which was far too close to where Eunice lived, so he had to settle for second best. "I like the atmosphere in Rojia. It's rather leisurely compared to Wien. Don't laugh, but I even feel people on the streets here walk far slower than they do in Wien." "A slow-paced city." "Slow-paced... I really like that description." Eunice pushed open the door to a leather shoe boutique and walked inside. Karen paused outside the shop for a few seconds, glancing at the sign reading "Men's Leather Shoes." So every matter had two sides, just like an arranged marriage. If you happened to be matched with someone you found agreeable and suitable, you would find that the other person was just as consciously advancing the process, making the interaction feel vibrant. Naturally, given Karen's personality and psychological maturity, he would never engage in a courtship full of petty, coy guessing games. "Which pair do you like?" Eunice asked. "That's for you to choose for me, of course." "But the shoes are going on your feet," Eunice said. "Yet I rarely look down." Eunice pressed her lips together in a smile, and with the salesclerk attending beside them, she picked out three shoe styles for Karen. "Shall we try them on?" "Sure." Karen sat down on a cushioned chair nearby and began trying on the shoes. The saleswoman habitually crouched down to assist, but Eunice crouched down ahead of her to help Karen adjust the shoe. Pressing her finger against the toe, she asked, "Does it pinch?" "No." Next, Eunice poked her finger down behind his heel to check the space. "Is it a bit snug?" Without waiting for Karen to reply, Eunice added, "Still, it will loosen up quite a bit once worn for a while." "Yes, ma'am, that's quite true," the saleswoman said. "Do you like them?" Eunice looked up at Karen. "I do." "All right, please wrap this pair up for me. We'll try on the two casual styles as well." When they stepped out of the shoe boutique, Karen was carrying three shoeboxes in a shopping bag. "You know, back when my mother and father first met, my mother bought my father shoes, too. Though that was only because my mother ran over his foot on her bicycle, haha." "Haha, that's fate, isn't it?" "Yes, so my mother often says that if she hadn't been careless riding her bike that day, my two older brothers and I might never have existed." "No, that wouldn't happen." "It wouldn't?" "For two people destined to be together, their meeting might happen through a minor accident, but isn't that minor accident just another form of destiny?" "I really enjoy listening to you talk, Karen. You're just like my father. His words always offer inspiration and reflection, full of substance." "Then I would truly like to pay a visit and meet your father." "You two would definitely find common ground. My father loves having tea and chatting with people the most, but my brothers and cousins are all terrified of sitting face-to-face with him. Do you know that feeling? The feeling of having that kind of stern elder in the family?" How could he not? Wasn't Diss at home exactly like that? Yet Karen couldn't answer that way, because during their last date, Diss had already been written into catching loaches. "My family members are all very gentle, but I can imagine the feeling. Sometimes, they don't mean to be stern on purpose; they're just not accustomed to expressing love in other ways." "Mm, whenever my brothers were reduced to tears after being scolded by Father when we were little, Mother would always comfort them like that." "There's a belt shop ahead..." Eunice reached out to lift the hem of Karen's coat to check his belt, but halfway through the motion, she suddenly realized how forward it was, and her face flushed crimson. Karen took her hand and said, "Let's go take a look." After picking out two belts and exiting the shop, Karen continued to naturally hold Eunice's hand. "Are you hungry?" Karen asked. "Not really." Eunice pouted slightly, swaying her upper body gently from side to side, though such swaying wasn't enough to slip her hand from Karen's grasp. That pouting look reminded Karen of Purr's pout that afternoon. "Then let's have dinner. There seems to be a Wiener restaurant just ahead." "All right... wait, hold on." Eunice stopped in her tracks, a thoughtful expression coming over her face. Karen asked, "Did we forget to buy an umbrella?" "Yes, an umbrella. Wait, how did you know?" *Buy shoes so you can't walk away. Buy a belt to tie you down. Buy an umbrella to hook you in.* This was a Wiener custom her mother had instructed her about. In Wien, from nobility down to commoners, a woman would prepare these three gifts for a man before discussing marriage. Having asked her question, Eunice promptly lowered her head, her boots lightly tapping the pavement. He actually knew this Wiener custom! "Shall we complete the task first, then?" Karen tilted his head down and gently pushed a strand of hair from Eunice's face. Eunice gave a soft "mm." She was, after all, only a nineteen-year-old girl. While her family's wealth and standing allowed her to far surpass her peers in many areas, true experience and growth in certain matters could only come from living through them. Moreover, romantic experience couldn't be gleaned from books. People who found love easily rarely read books on romance, so who were those books written for anyway? Eunice selected a black umbrella for Karen, its handle exquisitely crafted and full of artistic elegance. "I feel as though I've been fully equipped, like a knight whose squire has just fastened on his armor before riding into battle." "Is it really that exaggerated?" Eunice laughed. "Mm, it is. Thank you, Eunice." "You're welcome. Besides, I think saying 'thank you' sounds a bit too distant..." Karen bent down, and while Eunice was still speaking, his lips gently brushed against hers. Eunice froze. This was her first kiss. "I accept your criticism and have made timely corrections. Please inspect my current attitude." Eunice raised her hand and playfully tapped Karen on the chest. "Heheh..." Carrying the umbrella, shoeboxes, and belt boxes in his right hand, Karen pulled the girl directly against his side with his left. The girl made a faint motion to pull away, but Karen held her close with a touch of gentle assertiveness, saying, "Come on, let's go eat." Perhaps this wasn't love, and both carried a degree of deliberation; yet neither could deny their willingness to reveal an innocent side that remained hidden on ordinary days. Karen looked at the girl tucked against his side. Perhaps they were both wearing masks, but at the very least, it was a style they liked. The authentic Wiener cuisine at the restaurant left Karen rather unimpressed. Perhaps the pride of the Wiener people was thoroughly reflected in their dishes: overly obsessed with tradition while rejecting all innovation and adaptation. If Eunice, sitting across from him, hadn't tasted the flavors of home in the meal, Karen wouldn't have bothered picking up his fork a second time. "It seems you don't really like the taste of Wiener food?" Eunice noticed, as Karen hadn't concealed his reaction to the food before him. "Indeed. I don't think I'll ever get used to Wiener cuisine," Karen answered bluntly. If Ruilan dishes were cloyingly sweet, then Wiener cooking was an unholy culinary abomination born of stubborn adherence to tradition. It wasn't that it tasted dreadful—the ingredients were fine—yet it seemed intentionally prepared to make good ingredients taste far less appealing. Hearing this, Eunice's heart sank. *Did his words mean he wouldn't adapt to living in Wien?* *Mother told me to ask if he'd be willing to go to Wien, but he clearly isn't.* "Fortunately, I usually cook for myself. There's a bell in my dining room, remember?" "I remember. I saw it last time." "I really enjoy the feeling of ringing that bell to summon my family to dine after preparing a meal. It's a wonderful feeling that transcends the food itself." "That sounds lovely. I learned some cooking, but I know I'm definitely no match for you." That fragrant, visually stunning boiled fish with pickled greens from last time remained vivid in Eunice's memory. Sadly, that dish had been prepared for a cat. Karen reached out, resting his hand over the back of Eunice's, his fingers gently caressing her skin. Eunice's hand grew slightly stiff. Although they were both tactfully walking at a brisk pace—even skipping steps in tacit understanding— she couldn't yet maintain such intimate physical contact with complete naturalness. She still needed a little time, perhaps reliving it a few more times while lying in bed tonight. The benefit of being handsome was that when you took the chance to flirt and touch someone, in their eyes it looked as solemn and sincere as a priest offering a prayer. While stroking her hand, Karen said, "So, even if I end up living in Wien in the future, I'll still insist on cooking myself. I can officially declare your release from all these years of punishment by Wiener food." *Hm? He said he might live in Wien?* *Wait, is this a confession?* Eunice felt a shudder pass through her at his words, as though a faint current of electricity had coursed through her body. Karen spoke again. "Come have dinner at my house tomorrow. My family would like to meet you." Eunice nodded. "All right." *** The car pulled up outside Eunice's home on Rhine Street. The two stood facing each other at the doorstep. Karen noticed the curtains on the first-floor living room window twitch slightly. "I'll come pick you up tomorrow afternoon." "Okay." Karen reached out, wrapped his arm around Eunice's waist, leaned in, and kissed her on the lips. For their second kiss, she had learned to close her eyes. "Good night, sweet dreams." "You too. Drive carefully." "Mm." Eunice walked into the living room. In the familiar spot, under the familiar darkness, her mother sat on the familiar sofa. "Such rapid progress," Madam Jenny remarked with a chuckle, bringing her cigarette to her lips with a faint pop. "Are you teasing me, Mother?" Eunice asked. "No, I'm happy for you. You know, I've seen far too many arranged marriages. Most couples are estranged in spirit, putting on an empty display of affection in public that anyone with eyes can see through. In private, they each pursue their own pleasures without interfering with one another. I'm sorry, my daughter. I couldn't change your grandfather's decision; as a mother, I've failed. Still, it looks rather good right now. You seem to be enjoying it." "Mother, I don't think it's quite appropriate for you to say such things." "My daughter is all grown up. What's inappropriate about it? By the way, did you buy the things I told you to get for him?" "I did. He liked them very much. Oh, right, I agreed to go to his house for dinner tomorrow." "Mm." Madam Jenny suddenly noticed something and asked, "Did he buy you nothing at all?" "Mother, do you know how late it was by the time we finished buying those things? We just went straight to dinner." "Hmph, absurd." Madam Jenny sighed. "How could he have the cheek to only accept gifts from the lady without offering anything in return? His family doesn't lack that bit of money. It must be that right here..." Madam Jenny tapped her temple with her finger. "There's simply no concept of proper etiquette in here! Doesn't he know how awkward it is for a girl to come home empty-handed to face her mother?" "Mother, I don't lack for anything, and he doesn't lack the things I bought him today either." "Of course he doesn't, but that joy of a daughter showing off the gifts her boyfriend bought her to her mother—that's gone." "I don't care about that." "Whether you care is your business; whether he does it is his. If he's going to follow you back to Wien, it seems he'll need proper educating. Being handsome alone won't cut it. *Sigh*, someone needs to teach him what proper etiquette is. After all, our family values etiquette very deeply." "Though..." "Though what?" "He gave me a bookmark and asked me to pass it to you, so you could pass it to Father or Grandfather. His grandfather gave it to him." "A bookmark? Hah, childish." Madam Jenny let out a disdainful scoff. "Why didn't he just pick a stalk of foxtail grass by the roadside and weave you a ring to wear?" "It's this." Eunice placed a purple bookmark on the coffee table in front of her mother. Immediately, with a loud thud, Madam Jenny dropped straight to her knees before the bookmark. "Mother, what's wrong?" Eunice rushed forward to help her mother up. "I'm fine, I'm fine." Madam Jenny forced a strained smile. "Go wash up first. I'm fine, my legs just went numb from sitting too long." "Are you really all right, Mother?" "I'm fine, really. Go wash up first." "All right." Once Eunice left, Madam Jenny reached out with trembling hands to pick up the bookmark. But halfway there, she switched to using both hands, lifting it with utmost reverence. Having changed into loungewear, Eunice returned carrying a glass of water. "Mom, are you feeling better now?" She noticed quite a few pieces of jewelry her mother usually wore scattered haphazardly across the coffee table, while the jewelry box sat closed beside them. Madam Jenny took a deep breath and said slowly, "Tomorrow, I will accompany you to his house." "Huh?" Eunice looked puzzled. "Does it need to be that formal?" As if her tail had been stepped on, Madam Jenny nearly leaped from the sofa. "We cannot lack proper etiquette!" "Eh?" Madam Jenny pressed a hand to her forehead and sank back onto the sofa. "Mom, are you really all right?" Madam Jenny shook her head. Looking at her daughter, she said, "If you don't feel like coming back tomorrow night..." "What?" "You may stay the night at his house."