At this point, Peter looked at Kate and then at the two obviously inexperienced female students. He thought about how Kate had to go to school with them anyway, so he didn't want to make their relationship awkward. He smiled and said, "Alright, we haven't eaten yet, so tell us where you're treating us to a meal?"
Zhou Ying quickly replied, "I'm familiar with Kingston, so how about this: since we're all just meeting each other today, why don't we all go eat together? I'll treat."
Maurren glanced at Peter.
Peter understood that Zhou Ying wanted to ease the tension and build a closer relationship. He smiled and said, "Sounds good."
Having gained Peter's agreement, Maurren said, "Alright then, let's all go together." She now felt relieved, as their respective families had connections, and her family had a good relationship with Zhou's. It was important to smooth things over if possible.
