Chapter Forty-Nine: Everyone Wants a Father Like This

As Liu Yifei’s group performance, “Farewell at the Train Station,” drew to a close, the three examiners, Wang Jinsong and the others, questioned the six students about their performances.

The success of their group skit filled everyone with confidence. Faced with the examiners’ questions, they remained calm and composed, presenting themselves admirably.

Although the questions in this part seemed casual, they tested a wide range of abilities: verbal expression, psychological resilience, independent judgment, artistic sensitivity, an eye for observing life, and much more.

This was also the final stage of the preliminary examination.

“All right. You can go home and wait for the notice.”

After Wang Jinsong and the other examiners finished scoring them, they dismissed Liu Yifei and the others to await the results.

“Thank you, teachers!”

After expressing their gratitude, Liu Yifei and the others turned and left the examination room.

“Cici, thank you so much for today!”

Once they stepped outside, Jiang Yiyan looked utterly relieved, her face full of gratitude.

Her last-minute cramming before entering the examination room had paid off. Jiang Yiyan was quite satisfied with her performance.

“Don’t mention it. I hope we can become classmates.”

Liu Yifei was happy as well. She thought making friends was a delightful thing.

“The chances are pretty good. Everyone in our group did wonderfully!”

The others chimed in agreement.

“Do you have anything planned later? Why don’t we all go out for a meal together?”

Liu Yifei suddenly made the suggestion.

“Sure, sure!”

Jiang Yiyan immediately raised her hand in agreement.

The others exchanged glances, then nodded as well.

“Then let’s go. My father is waiting outside.”

Linking arms with Jiang Yiyan and another girl, Liu Yifei headed out.

The three boys behind them looked at one another in bewilderment.

Liu Yifei’s father was here too?

But it was too late to back out, so they could only follow.

Chen Siyuan and the much smaller Chen Zehan were standing beside the car. When they saw Liu Yifei come out, they waved enthusiastically.

Liu Yifei waved back happily. “Come on, he’s right over there.”

So that was Liu Yifei’s father?

He was so handsome!

Jiang Yiyan stuck out her tongue and pulled the other girl along.

The three boys behind them could only smile wryly.

That was it. Even in terms of looks, they had been completely outclassed.

“Dad, these are the classmates who took the exam with me just now. Can we all go out for a meal together?”

Liu Yifei stepped forward, slipped her arm around Chen Siyuan’s, and began to wheedle him sweetly.

“Of course. Did you come here by yourselves, or did your parents come with you?”

Chen Siyuan agreed at once, then confirmed how many people would be joining them.

As it happened, Jiang Yiyan and the others had all come to take the arts examination on their own. Even those whose parents had accompanied them to the capital were waiting at the hotel.

“Then I’ll send another car over.”

One of the boys hurriedly spoke up. “Uncle, there’s no need to send another car. The three of us can take a taxi and follow you.”

“That works too.”

Chen Siyuan agreed, but he still stopped a taxi for them, paid the fare in advance, and instructed the driver to follow his car.

Chen Zehan was too young to sit in the front passenger seat, so Liu Yifei took that spot while Chen Zehan sat in the back with the two girls.

Chen Siyuan did not choose an especially expensive restaurant. He simply found a decent-looking place nearby.

While Chen Siyuan went to order the food, Jiang Yiyan pulled Liu Yifei closer and asked in a low voice, “Cici, what does your father do? He’s so handsome and has such an impressive air!”

Liu Yifei smiled rather proudly. “My father runs a law firm in New York.”

“A lawyer? No wonder he has such an impressive presence!”

Jiang Yiyan looked enlightened.

“Cici, are you going back to America?”

One of the boys asked the question.

“We bought a house in the capital, so we won’t be going back to America for the time being.”

“But enough about me. What about all of you? Tell me about yourselves.”

While Chen Siyuan was away, the others gave brief introductions of themselves.

Jiang Yiyan also recounted how, at the age of fifteen, she had come to the capital to study musical theater at the affiliated high school of the Beijing Dance Academy.

“You’re so brave!”

After hearing Jiang Yiyan’s story, Liu Yifei looked astonished.

This was a girl who had dared to leave home and make her way alone in the capital at such a young age.

“I just wanted to try something different. Besides, Cici, you’re only fifteen too.”

Jiang Yiyan did not consider herself particularly brave. Instead, she felt a sense of kinship with Liu Yifei, who had also come to the capital at fifteen.

After Jiang Yiyan had started, the others began sharing their own “bright spots” as well.

Meanwhile, outside the private room, Chen Siyuan had finished ordering and was leisurely showing Chen Zehan the ornamental fish in the restaurant.

“Dad, aren’t we going back?”

Chen Zehan looked at his father in confusion.

He was still waiting to go back and talk to the pretty older girls. Why had his father finished ordering the food without returning?

“We’ll go back after the dishes arrive. If we return now, they’ll feel awkward.”

Chen Siyuan patted Chen Zehan on the head and explained with a smile.

“Oh.”

Chen Zehan did not quite understand, but he knew better than to question his father.

In any case, returning a little later would still leave him plenty of time to chat with the pretty older girls.

The father and son stood before the aquarium and thoroughly studied the number of spots on each ornamental fish.

The dishes were taking rather a long time.

Only when the food finally began arriving did Chen Siyuan lead Chen Zehan back to the private room.

“Dad, why were you gone so long?”

Liu Yifei asked curiously.

“Oh, I ran into an old acquaintance and stopped for a chat.”

With a genial smile, Chen Siyuan took his seat at the head of the table.

Chen Zehan blinked. Were his father’s friends those little fish?

He turned his head, then decisively took the seat beside Jiang Yiyan.

Jiang Yiyan beamed. A cute little boy like Chen Zehan was always popular with older girls.

Once one started, everyone joined in.

Before long, all the dishes they had ordered had been served.

They had assumed that Chen Siyuan’s return would make the atmosphere awkward.

Instead, he quickly gave these young people, who were about to enter university, a lesson in the art of conversation.

Whatever the topic, Chen Siyuan could pick it up effortlessly, without leaving anyone out. He guided them toward discovering their own strengths and offered advice drawn from his experience.

As a renowned star attorney in New York City, Chen Siyuan’s eloquence left the young people in awe.

By the end of the meal, he had acquired five devoted admirers.

If their academic results had permitted it, they might even have felt tempted to apply for law.

“Cici, your grades are so good, and your uncle is such an outstanding lawyer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you studied law?”

Jiang Yiyan spoke with some emotion.

Liu Yifei giggled. “Hee-hee, I want to be an actress. Even my father can’t do anything about that.”

“You’re so lucky.”

Jiang Yiyan’s eyes were filled with envy.

How wonderful it would be to have a father like that!