Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 96 - 93: A Restaurant with History

"No," Qi Yi replied immediately.

"Is it 1?" Yan Yan continued guessing.

"No," Qi Yi answered.

"Since 2 and 3 are ruled out, is it 4 or 5?" Yan Yan looked up at Qi Yi.

"Yes, it’s one of those two." Qi Yi finally heard the correct answer.

"4 or 5, huh? Is it 4 or 5? I’ll guess 4. We should die together, right?" Yan Yan decided to carry on guessing blindly.

Qi Yi rarely smiled so happily, indulging his boyfriend’s occasional childish antics without any complaints.

"You love me enough to want to live and die with me, how sweet~ But the answer is still wrong." Qi Yi was thoroughly enjoying the childish game.

"5? Am I supposed to weep into my pillow for you every day? Isn’t 5 for crying? What’s romantic about that?" Yan Yan kept fumbling around in the dark.

"Show me a 5 with your fingers," Qi Yi said to Yan Yan.

Yan Yan cooperatively stretched out a hand.

"That’s not right, your fingers should be spread out," Qi Yi commanded again.

Yan Yan spread out his left hand, showing the long slender fingers. He brought it up to his face to look but still couldn’t find the romantic hint.

Qi Yi extended his own right hand, mimicking the action, and pressed his five fingers against Yan Yan’s.

Just when Yan Yan thought Qi Yi just wanted to give a high-five or compare whose fingers were longer, Qi Yi moved his hand clockwise a little and slipped his fingers in between Yan Yan’s, gently bending them so they interlocked. He then happily walked away, holding Yan Yan’s hand.

Inside, a voice in Yan Yan’s heart screamed: Qi Yi, could you be any more childish?

Just for holding hands, was it necessary to present a "math problem" the day before?

But seeing the completely satisfied smile on Qi Yi’s face, Yan Yan at last chose not to express what he was truly thinking.

Qi Yi’s level of childishness had reached a new height, and it didn’t seem like it would be remedied any time soon. So be it.

Holding hands was just holding hands, and yet he insisted on asking what the most romantic number was—only a mathematician’s way of romance, incomprehensible to ordinary people.

Yet, Qi Yi had confidence in Yan Yan’s intelligence; he had resolved to showcase the romance of mathematics to the fullest, starting with the simplest of numbers.

Yesterday, Qi Yi had made quite a blunder while taking Yan Yan out for food.

Today, he was determined not to let such an incident happen again.

"After I went back yesterday, I researched a bit, and the restaurants recommended by VP are mainly French and such, which can be found everywhere.

There must be many French restaurants in Melbourne too, right?

The key is, I haven’t been to any of them, so I don’t know which one would be better to take you to.

Since this is your first time in the United States, how about I take you for American cuisine tonight?" Qi Yi detailed his plans for the evening’s meal.

"American cuisine? Does America have its own cuisine? I don’t seem to have heard of American cuisine before," Yan Yan asked, expressing his foodie curiosity.

"Not really? Maybe I didn’t phrase it precisely. How about an American steakhouse for dinner?" Qi Yi pressed on.

"What are the characteristics of an American steak?" Yan Yan was actually quite curious about this.

You hear of American steaks often, but rarely French steaks or Italian steaks, for instance.

"Well, I guess the characteristic of an American steak is that it doesn’t have one.

From my understanding, the focus of an American steak is the beef itself, prepared to bring out its natural flavors. free𝑤ebnovel.com

If we have to talk about a characteristic, maybe it’s the large portion size?

I’ve booked Keens Steakhouse on 36th Street, note 1.

It’s near the Herald Square Theatre, not far from the Empire State Building.

If we go there, I could also take you to the Empire State Building to enjoy the view.

The steakhouse has over a hundred years of history, founded in 1885.

However, if you’re not interested in American steak and prefer French cuisine, I’ve also got a reservation for VP’s recommended Le Bernardin, located on 51st Street near Seventh Avenue."

All you have to decide now is whether you want American or French cuisine.

Both restaurants aren’t easy to book, many people reserve a month in advance.

But as soon as you arrived in New York, I hit the jackpot and scored two cancellations.

Tell me your decision and I’ll call to cancel the other reservation," Qi Yi felt that knowing there were others waiting for such chances made this luck worth sharing.

"From a probabilistic point of view, what you just said seems to clearly indicate a preference for taking me to an American steakhouse. So I guess I’ll go along with your wish – I’ve never actually been to a steakhouse that’s been around for over a hundred years," Yan Yan concluded.

"What makes you say that?" Qi Yi was curious when Yan Yan had started studying probability.

"When you mentioned the steakhouse, you remembered not only the address but the history of the restaurant as well. For the French restaurant, you only mentioned an address—doesn’t that sufficiently reveal your subconscious preference?" Yan Yan asked with a smile.

"You know me that well?" Qi Yi asked with a chuckle.

"Of course, is there anyone in the world who understands you better than I do?" Yan Yan was brimming with confidence.

"Well, it seems, probably, kind of, maybe not really," Qi Yi began to imitate the way Yan Yan often spoke.

America is a country without much history, so any bit of historical depth tends to be fervently celebrated.

Back then, the box office legend of the Titanic wasn’t just because of the story itself, but also because the sinking of the Titanic was a real piece of history.

Many Americans found more of a sense of recognition for their country’s history in the Titanic story than with the love portrayed in the movie.

Keens Steakhouse, a steak restaurant that has been in operation since 1885, is incredibly popular in New York, far outshining ordinary restaurants.

This steakhouse in the Manhattan Center has always had a quite pronounced aristocratic flair since its birth.

In the early 20th century, there was even a Pipe Club in the restaurant.

Thus, in addition to steak, the restaurant boasts the world’s largest collection of Churchwarden Pipes (ceramic long pipes).

The restaurant also pays great attention to its history in its decor, and the most unique aspect is the ceiling lined with pipes, which catch the eye of many diners with this "pipe-filled sky."

These pipes have history as well.

Ceramic long pipes, due to their size and material, are not easy to carry around, so the members would store their personal pipes at the club.

At the turn of the last century, Keens Steakhouse’s Pipe Club had over ninety thousand member pipes.

Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, J.P. Morgan were all members here.

......

note 1:

New York, a city born out of industrialization, has streets laid out in a pattern reminiscent of industrial replication, with Manhattan’s most bustling district having streets named quite bluntly by numbers.

Manhattan’s streets are mainly divided into north-south "Avenues" and east-west "Streets."

The well-known Fifth Avenue divides Manhattan into east and west.

Compared to avenues, there are even more streets, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30... and so forth, it’s almost too numerous to count.

Above 59th Street is the uptown area, and below 23rd Street is the downtown area, with the rest being the midtown area.

note 2:

Teddy Roosevelt is the nickname of the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. In history books, he’s often referred to as Old Roosevelt.

Does the name Teddy remind you of a teddy bear?

Correct, the teddy bear is believed to have been inspired by an incident where President Roosevelt spared the life of a bear.

An interesting story of a president and a toy bear.

Babe Ruth is a famous American professional baseball player.

Why would a baseball player be mentioned in the same breath as a president?

If you’re wondering that, it’s probably because you’re unaware of Babe Ruth’s genius and the status of professional baseball in America.

Banker J.P. Morgan (John Pierpont Morgan) needs no elaborate introduction, his surname "Morgan" alone reveals much—JPMorgan Chase’s Morgan, Morgan Stanley’s Morgan, the Morgan in Morgan Bank.

There’s also a little fact related to J.P. Morgan concerning that Chapter’s aforementioned symbol of American history, the brand-new liner that sank immediately upon its maiden voyage—the Titanic, which was bankrolled by J.P. Morgan.