Chapter 17

Li Xuan and Zhong Chuhong got out of a taxi at the Shatin Police Station after crossing most of Hong Kong from North Point. The taxi fare was enough for a meal, but one could only say that money made them carefree.

The Longhua Hotel was located on a hillside across the road. From a distance, one could see its large signboard. Since there was also a MTR East Rail line running parallel to the road, the two of them crossed a pedestrian overpass and then walked along a long, uphill corridor adorned with red lanterns to reach the hotel entrance.

The Longhua Hotel was decorated in an ancient and elegant style. In the scorching summer, sitting outside in the open-air seats was too hot, so the two of them chose to sit inside and enjoy the air conditioning, which was more comfortable. Since they had traveled so far to dine at Longhua, they had to order the three treasures of Shatin: braised squab, mountain spring tofu pudding, and open-flame chicken congee.

Li Xuan specially ordered two premium Longhua braised squabs, one for each of them. The squabs were fried to order and served shortly after. Li Xuan, a carnivore, had initially maintained his image when they first met, but now that they were familiar with each other, he let his true nature show. Eating squab shouldn't be afraid of getting dirty or being troublesome. He rolled up his sleeves, picked up the squab with both hands, and tore it apart, enjoying the bold and free way of eating. Zhong Chuhong watched with a growing appetite and, under Li Xuan's repeated encouragement, finally abandoned her ladylike reserve and began to eat heartily.

The tofu pudding was made in-house and had maintained its original flavor for thirty years since the hotel's opening. It was rich in bean flavor, smooth, and delicious. The open-flame chicken congee was another signature dish of the Longhua Hotel, made with chicken broth and pearl rice as the base, and then topped with freshly cooked chicken pieces. The chicken was tender and the congee was fresh and fragrant.

The Longhua Hotel was originally a vacation villa of the Zhong Changxiu family. During the Japanese occupation, it was requisitioned by the Japanese army. After Japan's defeat, the Zhong family reclaimed it and renovated it into the Longhua Hotel, with the lower floor as a restaurant and the upper floor as guest rooms, opening for business in 1950. At that time, the main customers were the teachers and students of the nearby Overseas Chinese Business College and Chung Chi College, one of the predecessors of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The Longhua Hotel is one of the few hotels in Hong Kong that has been in business for thirty years, witnessing the changes in Hong Kong and Shatin over the past three decades. Thirty years ago, Shatin was a remote and secluded countryside, but now it has risen to become a new town.

"I'm so full, I'm going to get fat again!"

"A little fatter is good, it feels soft and cuddly!"

"You big bully!"

The sun outside was quite strong, and after finishing their meal, the two of them didn't rush to leave. They chatted leisurely.

"Did you know that Bruce Lee's 'The Big Boss' was filmed here!" Zhong Chuhong looked at the photos of various celebrities who had dined here and left behind, feeling a bit envious.

"See, that's Bruce Lee's photo!" Li Xuan pointed with his finger, "Have you seen that movie? I didn't notice it!"

"No, I don't like those violent movies!" Zhong Chuhong liked watching movies, but most girls were not interested in such action films.

"Work hard, I believe in you. When you become famous all over Hong Kong, I'll treat you to a meal here again, and we'll have the boss take a photo of us to hang on the wall!" Li Xuan said with a smile.

"Hmph! You can just tease me all you want!" Zhong Chuhong gave her boyfriend a few playful punches.

She was still a fresh face in the entertainment industry, having failed several auditions for TV dramas, let alone movies. She had never thought she would become a big star like "no one is more famous than Zhong Chuhong."

Li Xuan smiled but didn't argue.

Time always flies quickly when they were flirting. They had afternoon tea before leaving the Longhua Hotel. It was about two to three kilometers to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and instead of taking a taxi, they decided to take the East Rail Line.

The East Rail Line was originally the Hong Kong section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. After 1949, due to well-known reasons, the railway was cut off at the border, with the mainland section becoming the current Guangshen Line and the Hong Kong section becoming the East Rail Line. The East Rail Line's starting station is Lo Wu, and the terminal station is Hung Hom in Kowloon.

The University Station is located within the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 1956, the Hong Kong government granted ten acres of land in Ma Liu Shui, New Territories, to Chung Chi College for its permanent campus and added the University Station on the East Rail Line to facilitate the travel of teachers and students to the city.

Later, considering that the University of Hong Kong used English as the medium of instruction, and there was no true Chinese university in Hong Kong, efforts from all sectors of society led to the merger of Chung Chi, New Asia, and United Colleges in 1963 to form the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Li Xuan held an umbrella and walked with Zhong Chuhong through the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The campus, nestled against the sea and built on a hill, formed an "N" shape. The teaching buildings were scattered harmoniously among the hills and forests.

"The scenery here is so beautiful, you can see the sea. The students of CUHK are so lucky!" Zhong Chuhong, who hadn't gone to university, naturally had a longing for the ivory tower.

"Then come and keep me company often. I can sit here with you every day and watch the sea!"

They found a bench in the shade and sat down to rest for a while.

"The sun is so nice today, it's so warm!"

Zhong Chuhong leaned her head on Li Xuan's shoulder. After he had taken her first kiss, she no longer resisted intimate actions. Li Xuan was speechless, but the gentle sea breeze made it less hot.

"Do you know?"

"What?"

"If the sun were to go out right now, people on Earth wouldn't know for eight minutes. During those eight minutes, we would still feel the warmth as usual, and no one would notice its illusion!" Zhong Chuhong whispered, her voice tinged with a hint of confusion. They were still good friends yesterday, but today they had suddenly crossed the line to become lovers.

Li Xuan tightly embraced her, not needing to say much, but kissed her deeply, expressing his love with a passionate French kiss. Perhaps he wasn't a good person, but his genuine feelings for her were touching.

"From a physics perspective, before the sun goes out, we on Earth would have already ceased to exist due to the changes in gravity!" Li Xuan played with Zhong Chuhong's hair with his fingers, "But being with the person you love, even death is not so scary!"

Li Xuan was cut off by her hand covering his mouth, preventing him from continuing.

"Alright, we came here to have fun, why are we suddenly so sentimental!" Li Xuan picked up Zhong Chuhong by the waist.

"Hey, stop it, put me down!" Zhong Chuhong exclaimed, blushing and looking around.

"There's a coffee shop ahead. Let's see if they have shaved ice. This sun isn't warm, it's scorching!" Li Xuan laughed.

The two of them toured the entire campus, which was built on a hill, with all the paths being uphill and downhill. Li Xuan had already foreseen that his university life would involve climbing hills every day. After leaving CUHK, they took a bus back to the city and chose a clean tea restaurant for dinner. In the early stages of a passionate relationship, anything tasted delicious when shared with the person you love.