The sun had set, and night was quietly falling.
Due to the delay at the audio shop, it was peak time at the Venus Hotel by the time Rui Xiaodan and Ding Yuanying arrived. The parking attendants were busy directing the many cars pulling up in front of the hotel.
Feng Shijie felt a pang of anxiety even before getting out of the car. He realized he probably didn't have enough money for a meal at such an upscale place, but he resolved to handle it as best as he could.
Ouyang Xue saw Rui Xiaodan and a man getting out of the car, deducing that this man must be Ding Yuanying. She hurried over to greet them. Although she knew of Ding Yuanying and had helped find his rental, they had never met.
Rui Xiaodan introduced them, "This is Ouyang Xue, the owner here. This is Mr. Ding Yuanying."
Ouyang Xue and Ding Yuanying exchanged greetings and shook hands.
Seeing Feng Shijie standing awkwardly beside Ding Yuanying, Rui Xiaodan introduced him to Ouyang Xue, "This is Feng Shijie, a newly acquainted audiophile. He's helping me with the speaker setup I ordered."
Ouyang Xue shook hands with Feng Shijie, and they exchanged pleasantries.
The four of them went upstairs to a private room called "Moonlight Pavilion." In the center of the room was a large table covered with a white tablecloth and set with exquisite tableware. There was ample space around the table for people to move freely. In one corner of the room was a glass-fronted cabinet with extra tableware, and on top of it were a telephone and a guestbook.
Three other guests had already arrived.
Rui Xiaodan introduced Ding Yuanying, Ouyang Xue, and Feng Shijie to the guests. Then she gestured towards a man in his thirties wearing a police uniform and said, "This is my colleague, Liu Jiang, the public relations officer of the Ancient City Public Security Bureau. The other two were invited by Liu Jiang, so I'll let him introduce them."
Liu Jiang courteously introduced, "Today, Xiaodan is hosting Mr. Ding. Xiaodan doesn't drink, so she asked me to invite a few friends who can drink. This is Mr. Wei Tianyi, an editor at the Ancient City Evening News. This is Mr. Du Xiaohui, a reporter for the 'Police Report' program on Ancient City TV."
Wei Tianyi and Du Xiaohui were both in their mid-thirties. Wei Tianyi wore glasses, had slightly long hair, and was dressed casually in a short-sleeved silk shirt, looking somewhat disheveled. Du Xiaohui looked more refined with a crew cut and a T-shirt.
Wei Tianyi shook hands with Ding Yuanying and said with a smile, "Mr. Ding, thanks to you, I'm here for a meal. Let's all relax and enjoy ourselves."
As they exchanged greetings, a lavish meal was brought to the table, and two waitresses stood by to serve the guests attentively.
Rui Xiaodan raised her glass and stood up, "Ladies don't drink, so I'll toast with water. Mr. Ding, I'll start with a toast to you. Let's put any unpleasantness behind us with this drink."
Her words were tactful, leaving everyone unsure of who had been upset. Ding Yuanying, understanding the situation, drank the six-ounce glass of wine in one gulp without a word.
The waitress promptly refilled his glass.
Ouyang Xue also raised a glass of water, "Mr. Ding, I haven't had the chance to visit you since you moved to the Ancient City. I apologize and toast to you today."
Ding Yuanying again drank without hesitation.
Feng Shijie, since he was driving, also toasted with water, "Mr. Ding, I'm not good with words. I toast to you as well."
Ding Yuanying thought, "Why are you joining in?" But he drank all the same.
Then Liu Jiang, Wei Tianyi, and Du Xiaohui each offered their toasts for various reasons. Each man drank only one glass of wine, but Ding Yuanying had already consumed over six ounces, completing one round of toasts.
With the first round of drinks done, they took a break and began to chat.
Du Xiaohui said to Rui Xiaodan, "We've met before. In 1993, during the hostage rescue at Sunshine Kindergarten, I was there filming. I saw you disguised as a kindergarten teacher go in, and then I heard two gunshots. I still don't know if you killed him or he killed you. It doesn't seem like much now, but it was really tense at the time. Unfortunately, when it was broadcast, you were blurred out, so no one knew it was you."
Wei Tianyi added, "I knew it was you. Our reporter, Xu Haitao, tried to interview you but got turned away, and he was pretty mad about it."
Most residents of Ancient City knew about the 1993 kindergarten hostage incident, but few knew of Rui Xiaodan's involvement. Feng Shijie looked at her with admiration, surprised, "So it was you!"
Rui Xiaodan said, "Let's not talk about that."
Liu Jiang changed the subject, "Xiaodan, we see each other every day, but we don't talk much. I've always thought of you as a mystery. It's not a criticism, I genuinely don't understand. You have residency in Germany; why aren't you developing your career there? The criminal police force isn't a place to mess around. It's tough, dangerous, and poorly paid."
Rui Xiaodan laughed, "Listen to him! Doesn't sound like something a PR officer would say."
Wei Tianyi laughed, "That shows he's good at his job. Making a point by highlighting the differences."
Everyone laughed heartily.
Ouyang Xue, seeing the conversation straying, urged, "Let's not just talk; enjoy the food and drinks."
Everyone heeded her call, engaging in casual conversation while frequently clinking glasses. The topics ranged from faith crises and popular culture to life's meaning and transcendence. Eventually, the conversation turned to money, leading to complaints about low wages and the lack of honesty and fair competition in society.
Amidst the back-and-forth, Ding Yuanying unknowingly drank another four glasses, consuming a total of twelve ounces of alcohol. The effects were strong; he felt hot and dizzy.
Rui Xiaodan observed quietly, thinking, "He's already drunk; it's just a matter of time before he collapses."
Ouyang Xue was having similar thoughts.
Wei Tianyi, noticing everyone's state, suddenly proposed, "This drinking is getting dull. How about I drink a glass and make a toast with a poem?"
No one objected.
Wei Tianyi drank a glass and said, "Let's be a bit elegant and make a toast with a poem. If you can't come up with one, you drink a penalty glass. It doesn't matter if it's a proper poem or a limerick. Let's have some fun. Mr. Ding, being the oldest here, can start."
Liu Jiang and Du Xiaohui agreed, "Good idea."
Rui Xiaodan thought, "This is quite a tactic, and a bit mean. It drags things out and makes him look foolish. Ding Yuanying may be a businessman, but he's no match for professional writers in poetry. Plus, he's already quite drunk, making him defenseless. Whether he drinks till he passes out or spouts bad poetry, it's going to be embarrassing."
By now, even Feng Shijie realized that the host wouldn't let Ding Yuanying off easy. But he couldn't figure out if this drinking was about camaraderie or settling a personal score.
Ding Yuanying asked the waitress for six glasses, filled them all with wine, and said to Rui Xiaodan and the others, "I'll toast each of you to thank you for your kindness. But once I finish these six glasses, let me go before I collapse here. Leave me some dignity."
Rui Xiaodan felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart, thinking, "He's really going to drink himself into oblivion."
Before she could respond, Ouyang Xue smiled, seemingly trying to smooth things over, "Mr. Ding, if you leave, how can we continue the party? You'll dampen our spirits."
Ding Yuanying wondered, "Since when did they hit the downed boxer too? What kind of party is this?" He humbly said, "Since everyone is so enthusiastic, I'll embarrass myself with a little something. I don't have the talent to compose on the spot, but I did write some lines in the past. I wonder if they're appropriate for today's occasion?"
Wei Tianyi immediately said, "They'll do, of course."
Du Xiaohui agreed, "Absolutely."
Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue watched Ding Yuanying intently, like waiting for a mystery to unfold.
Ding Yuanying began:
Self-Mockery
Born in the mountains, an unlearned man, Occasionally gracing the halls of learned men. Drunk, I dance with half a scroll, In the well, I claim the sky is grand.
With lofty ambitions, I jest at fame, Measure fortune and woe with an ocean's span. When my purse feels light, I curse the world, Blaming heaven and earth for my shame.
Rui Xiaodan knew little about composing poetry but recognized it as "Bu Suan Zi" and understood that traditional forms were harder than free verse. To judge and appreciate a poem fully, she knew it required careful reading, not just hearing it once.
The three literati naturally understood this too. Wei Tianyi asked the waitress for the guestbook and a pen, "Mr. Ding, could you repeat that slowly so I can write it down?"
Rui Xiaodan also took out her notebook and pen.
Ding Yuanying recited it again, slowly.
As Rui Xiaodan wrote, she analyzed:
Born in the mountains, an unlearned man: someone inexperienced and uneducated. Occasionally gracing the halls of learned men: occasionally mingling with scholars. Drunk, I dance with half a scroll: showing off a smattering of knowledge. In the well, I claim the sky is grand: limited perspective. With lofty ambitions, I jest at fame: treating fame and fortune lightly. Measure fortune and woe with an ocean's span: measuring life's fortunes and misfortunes with a vast heart. When my purse feels light, I curse the world: complaining when finding one's pockets empty. Blaming heaven and earth for my shame: blaming the world for one's plight.
The poem's structure, rhyme, and antithesis were all impeccable, with only one slightly irregular rhyme. However, according to classical poetry norms, it was not considered a flaw and even expanded the poem's meaning fittingly. The lines were plain but vivid, painting a satirical self-portrait of a scholar's mindset. Rui Xiaodan couldn't help but silently admire it.
Although Ding Yuanying's poem was a self-portrait from years ago, Rui Xiaodan felt like she'd been shown a mirror, her face flushing with embarrassment.
A tense silence began to spread through the room.
Suddenly, Wei Tianyi took Liu Jiang's and Du Xiaohui's glasses, drank all three in one go, stood up, and respectfully said, "Mr. Ding, I apologize. I've made a fool of myself. If we meet again, it will be an honor. Goodbye!"
Wei Tianyi then left, followed by Liu Jiang and Du Xiaohui, who smiled apologetically at Ding Yuanying before hurrying out. Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue had no choice but to follow and see them off.
Outside the hotel, Wei Tianyi said to Rui Xiaodan with sincere regret, "Miss Rui, I'm sorry. I didn't know how to appreciate the company. If I had such a friend, I wouldn't treat them this way."
Liu Jiang added with a faint smile, "Xiaodan, were you looking for drinking buddies or scapegoats? But it's fine. Goodbye."
Watching them disappear into the brightly lit street, Rui Xiaodan felt small and petty. She realized she'd been playing a game of cat and mouse, only to discover she wasn't the cat, nor was the other party a mouse.
Ouyang Xue, however, showed no sign of remorse. She seemed deep in thought.