48: Encountering Vanilla at a Hot Pot Restaurant

“No, that's not necessary. I'm eating at the cafeteria tonight.”

“Huifang, you and our A Ling are classmates. A Ling just joined this class, and there are many things she needs to ask you about. This is just an exchange between classmates…”

Li Qinghe had always been good at convincing people. When he was selling products, his performance was no worse than that of the veteran employees.

However, he grew tired of a life where he had to jump up and answer his phone every time it rang, so he resolutely chose to come to Vietnam to find opportunities.

Especially now that he could communicate flawlessly in Vietnamese, he quickly convinced Huifang, a freshman who hadn't had much exposure to society.

So, the three of them first put their books in Huifang's dormitory.

Perhaps it was the first time someone had invited her out for a big meal, as Huifang meticulously told Nguyen Thi Linh all the details about school on the way to the dormitory.

She even told her where to park her motorcycle conveniently and where to park it during class to get to the classroom faster.

These small details were precisely what Li Qinghe intended to achieve by deliberately befriending Huifang.

While there were many online guides for universities in China, and internet communication in Vietnam was developed, Li Qinghe hadn't yet found any guides posted by Hanoi University students.

With Huifang, a classmate who had already navigated a month of challenges and was also the class monitor, Nguyen Thi Linh would adapt to the environment much faster.

Seeing Nguyen Thi Linh and Huifang appear at the dormitory entrance, Li Qinghe waited for them to come over and waved, “Let's go then.”

The dormitory was at the very back of the school. Li Qinghe's and Nguyen Thi Linh's motorcycles were parked in the shed at the school gate, so the three of them had to walk.

On the way, they passed the teaching building, and Huifang even took Nguyen Thi Linh upstairs to see their classroom.

Li Qinghe, of course, also followed to familiarize himself with the place.

Perhaps one day he would be interested in blending in and attending a class for a day, and even film a segment about Vietnamese university students in class.

Hanoi University is less than 8 kilometers from Hanoi National University of Education, a mere ten-odd minutes by motorcycle.

Li Qinghe thought of A Ying, who might be auditing classes at Hanoi University in the morning and then be sprawled in a classroom at Hanoi National University of Education in the afternoon, looking at pretty girls.

Freshman, sophomore, freshman.

The classroom desks were relatively new, likely replaced a few years ago.

Nguyen Thi Linh looked at the desks and chairs in the classroom with slightly misty eyes, then turned and hugged Li Qinghe's arm tightly.

Huifang looked at Nguyen Thi Linh, who was actively hugging Li Qinghe, and seemed to understand something, but her expression wasn't one of disdain; rather, it was one of envy.

When the three arrived at the school gate, Nguyen Thi Linh rode out on her yellow Honda to pick up Huifang. Huifang's expression clearly showed a mix of fondness and envy.

The dining place was in a large building in Ba Dinh District. Haidilao occupied an entire floor here, and the customer flow was considerable.

It was only a little past five in the afternoon, but there was already a long queue at the entrance.

Li Qinghe took a number; there were already nearly 20 numbers ahead of him.

From its presentation, Haidilao in Vietnam belongs to the mid-to-high-end dining brands, settling only in more upscale commercial areas and office buildings.

While waiting in line, many Vietnamese girls could be seen taking selfies, as if eating a Chinese hotpot was a remarkable event.

It was exactly like how those Misses in China behaved in Michelin restaurants.

Huifang and Nguyen Thi Linh both felt a bit restrained in this environment.

Li Qinghe knew that Nguyen Thi Linh was visiting such a place for the first time, and judging by Huifang's demeanor, it was her first time too.

Seeing that there would be a wait for the queue, Li Qinghe took them to the nail salon at the entrance for manicures.

This level of service and setup was indeed a dimension-reducing blow in Vietnam, but thinking back, this strategy also struck down many domestic hotpot brands in China.

The taste might not be the best among all hotpot brands, but the service was definitely among the best.

This led many people to come and taste it just to experience the service.

Nguyen Thi Linh completely did whatever Li Qinghe told her to do, and Huifang, watching from the side, followed suit.

By the time they both finished their manicures, it was almost their turn for a table.

Li Qinghe ordered a half-and-half hotpot base, which satisfied his craving for spicy food while also accommodating Nguyen Thi Linh and Huifang.

Since he was treating Nguyen Thi Linh's class monitor to a meal, Li Qinghe wouldn't be stingy. Moreover, while he didn't have huge sums of money, he certainly wasn't short on money for daily life, enough for them to eat and drink freely.

Li Qinghe took a look; the prices were not much different from China, perhaps meat and seafood were slightly cheaper.

No wonder it was considered a mid-to-high-end hotpot brand in Vietnam; a meal for a few people could easily cost 500 dragon country currency, which here was nearly half a month's salary for many workers.

So Li Qinghe ordered a large amount of meat. Considering that Vietnamese people like to eat greens, Li Qinghe also ordered a lot of vegetables.

“Brother He, you've ordered too much,” Huifang said, looking at Li Qinghe's long list of dishes with some unease.

Coming to Haidilao for a meal had already surprised her. In Vietnam, many street stalls also had small hotpot restaurants, where a meal for a few people would only cost a little over 100 dragon country currency.

For Huifang, this was a very high-end place, and she felt a lot of pressure eating here.

At school, Li Qinghe had told her his name and given her his contact information, making it convenient to look after Nguyen Thi Linh.

So, she called Li Qinghe Brother He, following Vietnamese custom.

“It's fine, eat as much as you want. It's mainly because I eat a lot, so I need to order more.”

“Oh, in our countryside, people as strong as an ox eat a lot.”

Huifang glanced at Li Qinghe's muscular arm.

Li Qinghe wasn't upset by Huifang saying he was like an ox. He understood this cultural difference; Huifang was just using this way to describe his large appetite.

Before the hotpot started boiling, Li Qinghe took Nguyen Thi Linh and Huifang to the sauce bar to mix their desired sauces.

From the sauce bar, it was evident that Haidilao had done a good job of adapting to local customs; there were many Vietnamese-style sour lemon sauces and similar items.

Li Qinghe still followed his habits from China: sesame paste, sesame oil, oyster sauce, minced garlic, bird's eye chilies, and a little cilantro.

If one wasn't allergic or couldn't tolerate it, a little cilantro could still be eaten.

Since having Nguyen Thi Linh and A Ying, Li Qinghe hadn't watched those Misses on short videos who don't eat cilantro for a long time.

Nguyen Thi Linh and Huifang still mixed their customary Vietnamese sweet and sour chili sauce.

As the three were mixing sauces at the sauce bar, they suddenly heard a female voice beside them: “A-He, are you eating hotpot here too?”

Li Qinghe turned his head: “Coach Xiang Cao!”

Standing two meters away was indeed Xiang Cao, whom he had met at the gym. She also seemed to be at the sauce bar mixing sauces.

“Coach Xiang Cao, are you here with A Mei?”

Li Qinghe looked around but didn't spot Pham Huyen My's sexy figure.

“Haha, you shot one commercial with our A Mei and can't forget her? Have you fallen for our A Mei?”

Xiang Cao walked over generously.

“Who doesn't like a pretty girl, let alone a distinctive girl like A Mei?” Li Qinghe replied nonchalantly.

“Brother, Huifang and I will go back to the table first.”

Nguyen Thi Linh and Huifang stood in front of Li Qinghe, holding their sauce plates and looking down.

“Okay, I'll be right back.”

Xiang Cao looked at Nguyen Thi Linh and Huifang's retreating figures with amusement: “A-He, your taste varies greatly.”

“The tall one is my girlfriend, and the shorter one is her classmate.”

Li Qinghe briefly explained. He was very relaxed in front of Xiang Cao because he had no romantic interest in her, and because Xiang Cao was talkative, he was willing to chat with her a bit more.

“Sister Xiangcao, is that a friend you know?”

Another voice came from the side.

Li Qinghe turned his head and thought, 'Good heavens, where did this rich, beautiful woman come from?'

He saw an exquisite girl, dressed in a Chanel suit skirt, her long, stocking-clad legs swaying, walk over to the sauce bar.