People in America: My Uncle Don Quixote

Chapter 77 I Have No Interest in Money (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Miss Anya," Katya, the bodyguard and driver, said expressionlessly as she parked the car, "I'll be waiting for you at the door."

"Thank you, Aunt Katya," Anya said, taking the opportunity to link her arm with Levi's, feeling his firm arm muscles. "I'll call you when the event is almost over."

As the Mercedes S680 slowly drove away, Anya's previously icy expression quickly melted away, and she regained the liveliness she had shown when she first met Li Wei.

"Phew," she sighed, "I have to keep a proper appearance whenever Aunt Katya is around."

Even through two layers of fabric, he could feel the touch on Anya's arm and smell her faint fragrance.

"Is she a relative of yours or something?" he asked casually. "I noticed she kept looking at me."

"She's like an aunt who watched me grow up," Anya said, linking her arm with his as they walked forward. "She was assigned to protect me when I was still in elementary school."

"To protect you," Li Wei said, watching Anya take the invitation out of her small bag. "To protect you what?"

“You know, in Russia, we generally do things in a rather… direct way,” Anya said. “So it’s not just me; several of my friends have bodyguards they’ve grown up with.”

"So you're an oligarch's daughter?" Levi raised an eyebrow. "No wonder you're so rich."

“My dad prefers to be called an entrepreneur,” Anya chuckled. “Okay, let’s talk about my business later. I need to take notes on the process and learn how to organize an exhibition.”

Anya took out her phone from her bag and pulled Li Wei along the edge of the exhibition hall, her gaze constantly shifting between the crowd and the staff.

Watching her diligently taking notes, Li Wei realized that what she was writing down on her phone was actually very down-to-earth:

For example, entrance flow control, lighting angles, offering bite-sized desserts, maintaining a 1:1 ratio of champagne to water on the tray, and adjusting music volume, etc...

Anya stopped after writing down more than a thousand words, checked them again, and nodded.

"I thought you really came here to drag me to see the exhibition," Li Wei pointed to some antiques and artworks around him, "but I didn't expect you to be here to learn from them."

"...What?" Anya paused for a moment, then retorted, "No...no, right? I was clearly admiring these works of art too."

She paused, then moved closer to Li Wei and whispered somewhat shyly, "Is it really that obvious?"

"It's alright," Li Wei said. "It seems like most people aren't very interested in these artworks."

Anya scoffed. "Because this art museum is just a way for the Mellon family to flaunt their history and influence. For example, look at this one."

She pointed to a painting, "Do you know what this painting is about?"

"This looks like a typical 19th-century realist oil painting," Li Wei glanced at the label next to the frame, which read "Dawn in Pennsylvania." "The composition is grand, and the handling of light and shadow has a religious feel, but I can't see anything else."

"Realism? Hmm...you could call it that," Anya raised an eyebrow, gesturing with her slender finger in the air. "Look at the silhouette of this blast furnace, isn't the line an 'M'?"

Li Wei leaned closer to take a look, and it really was.

“This painting was a gift from a friend of Andrew Mellon in the 1920s, when he was the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury,” Anya said. “Artists are masters of this kind of suggestion. At the time, this painting was hanging in the Treasury Department’s office, and combined with the name, wasn’t it subconsciously telling everyone that the dawn of Pennsylvania was brought by the Mellon family?”

"No," Li Wei looked at her in surprise, "you really know?"

Anya was so proud she felt like she could fly, but she still waved her hand dismissively.

“Actually, I don’t like any of this at all,” she said, pursing her lips. “I have absolutely no interest in this history, art, or hypocritical socializing. I just want to shop in Paris and gamble in Monaco every day, not be here studying whether the size of pastries is just right for a person to swallow in one bite.”

"Why not?" Li Wei commented noncommittally. "Since you have the means, why not just lie down and relax?"

"It's probably because of peer pressure and the expectations of those around you," Anya tightened her grip on Li Wei's hand, her tone becoming more serious. "A child is a father's most visible asset. If my social circle, education, and career are inferior to those of my peers, my father will naturally feel ashamed. I don't want him to look like a failure in front of his friends because of me."

"Since you're so rich," Li Wei asked, "can't you just buy it with money? You should be able to go wherever you want, right?"

"Do you think this can be kept secret from people of the same social class and level?" Anya looked up at Li Wei. "If I had my dad find someone to pay money for me to get in, there are no secrets in this world."

"Sometimes I really feel like my identity is a shackle," she sighed. "I really wish I could give up everything and truly do what I want to do."

How much money do you earn in a month now?

Li Wei asked abruptly.

“I don’t receive it monthly,” Anya said, surprised. “I receive dividends from an overseas trust every quarter, which is about 200 million US dollars per quarter. However, any unspent money is deposited in my private bank account.”

It's hard to describe Li Wei's expression right now. He looked at Anya, who said she wanted to give up everything to gain freedom, his mouth slightly open, but in the end he didn't say anything.

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

"Miss Anna, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" A familiar female voice rang out. "I only heard from Uncle Sergei that you were coming. I looked around for ages but couldn't find you."

From a distance, a girl whose appearance was no less stunning than Anya's walked over.

She wore a long red dress, her delicate collarbones adorned with numerous jewels, and a ruby ​​crown on her head.

Her smile was bright and warm, and she came over and hugged Anya, who was stiff all over.

"Huh?" She turned to look at Li Wei, her handsome eyebrows furrowing. "Is this your male companion? Is he a celebrity? He looks kind of familiar to me."

Anya looked at Levi with a puzzled expression. Logically speaking, Elizabeth Mellon and Levi shouldn't have any connection.

"My name is Levi, Miss Mellon," Levi shrugged. "Perhaps you remember that I helped you choose this crown."

Elizabeth Mellon blinked, then gave an apologetic smile.

"Ah! I remember now," she released Anya, smoothed her hair, and said earnestly to Li Wei, "I was too busy during that time. When I finally had time to go to the store again, Miss Emma told me that you hadn't been there for many days, so..."

""

She glanced at Anya, then at Li Wei, and after thinking for a moment, took out a pure white business card from her handbag and handed it to Li Wei.

"This is my personal business card," she said apologetically. "If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, you can contact me."

"I knew it all along," Anya's face turned into a pufferfish again, "I didn't like her the first time I met her, she's so hypocritical."

"Isn't this compensation?" Li Wei fiddled with the business card in his hand. "Besides, I was just an ordinary part-time student back then."

"But are you very familiar with her?" He looked at Anya, who was puffing up her cheeks. "She seems to know you quite well."

"We're not exactly close," Anya said as they walked toward the door. "We've only met a few times—but you can keep this business card safe. Sometimes you don't even need to make this call; this business card might be enough to resolve the issue."

She didn't actually want to pretend to be magnanimous at all, and wanted to say that my name would work just as well in Moscow.

But remembering that this wasn't Russia, he ultimately succumbed and clenched his fists.

That stinky woman.

"I want ice cream!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I'm in a bad mood, I want ice cream!"

"Eating ice cream in October?" Li Wei said, somewhat surprised. "Aren't you afraid of getting a stomachache?"

"What's wrong with that?" Anya called Katya. "In Russia, when children catch a cold in the winter, their parents give them ice cream."

"Alright then," Li Wei said, "I also need to replenish some energy."

To be honest, Li Wei had started to feel a bit hungry about 30 minutes ago since he hadn't had his protein shake.

After getting in the car, Anya led Li Wei to the Serendipity 3 dessert shop on East 60th Street in New York.

This cramped, old-fashioned burger and ice cream parlor has become a New York dessert landmark, packed with tourists and parents forced to bring their children because their nannies are on leave. The air is filled with the squeals of excited children who have just finished their sweets, while weary servers weave through the crowd carrying large bowls of ice cream and huge cups of hot chocolate.

Li Wei had assumed Anya would go to a more romantic, quieter, and more enchanting place, rather than listening to the angry parents scolding the little boys.

But no matter what, Anya said she just wanted to come here.

"Let's sit in the back!" she chattered excitedly. "I come here almost every week; their mint sundae is amazing."

"Two of the largest sundaes, please?" she said, "Mint and chocolate, with extra hot fudge sauce!"

Although Li Wei doubted whether the petite Anya could finish the enormous sundae that the waiter was carrying—a portion meant for a family of seven in China—he didn't raise any objections. In addition, he ordered a coffee banana split.

"So let's talk about you," Anya said, her captivating eyes fixed on Levi. "What do your parents do?"

“My parents passed away,” Li Wei said calmly, “three months ago.”

Anya paused, then stammered, "I'm sorry, I don't know..."

'

"It's nothing," Li Wei shook his head, "I'm living with a distant uncle of mine now."

"I saw him from your window," Anya said happily. "He's a handsome old man, a bit thin."

The two chatted for a while longer about their future choices.

"I'm still trying," she said, biting her lip. "I hope to get into a good university, but I feel a bit lost right now and don't know what to do."

"There shouldn't be any rush for you," Li Wei said, "because you have plenty of time and options."

"And what about you?" Anya countered, "Where do you want to go? I'm also a bit interested in football. I did some research before, and good football players usually go to Ohio State University or Alabama State University or something like that."

She wasn't very interested in rugby.

"I'll probably stay here, but not in New York City," Levi said. "Yale or Harvard, or at the very least, Stanford."

He didn't tell anyone about Giants owner Mara or his own affairs.

The sundaes arrived, piled high, making it difficult for them to see each other.

Anya dipped the long ice cream scoop into the bowl and cut off a perfect, large piece.

Li Wei suddenly noticed how stunningly beautiful she was, so out of place in the noisy environment. Her long, slender wrists, the taut muscles in her arms, and the shimmering shine of her black hair all amazed him.

Although she was wolfing down a sundae that was so large it was almost unbearable, he thought she was truly breathtakingly beautiful.

"So, you're actually all set, aren't you?" She swallowed the ice cream and looked into Levi's eyes. "You're a 5-star player now, number one in the nation. You should be the best, able to go anywhere without any problem, right?" she continued. "And I'm still a little lost." She repeated sadly.

"Perhaps you should calm down and think carefully about what you need," Li Wei tried to comfort her. "Maybe you could visit some universities and see which environments interest you."

Li Wei took a couple of bites of his chocolate ice cream, along with a large banana split, which made him feel a little better about his hunger.

Suddenly, he noticed that Anya seemed to be staring at the sundae in front of him, but she didn't say a word.

Perhaps Li Wei guessed what she meant this time—she wanted a chocolate sundae?

"Would you like to try some?" He pushed the chocolate sundae in front of him towards her. "We can trade."

Anya happily accepted the chocolates from Levi, which was exactly why she had ordered two – to exchange food – it sounded like a scene from a romantic movie.

Especially when the new flavors stimulated their taste buds, the two of them frowned at the same time; mint and chocolate didn't seem to go well together.

Anya grabbed her bowl back, scooped out a spoonful, and then announced that she was full.

"You've only eaten three or four bites," Li Wei said, pointing to the sundae piled up like a small mountain in front of her. "You can't eat anymore?"

"I need to maintain my figure," Anya said, touching her flat stomach. "Russian girls gain weight very easily, especially in America."

"With this level of sweetness," Li Wei said quietly, "anyone weighing less than 200 pounds could only be considered malnourished."

"But girls never see themselves as perfect in the mirror," Anya chuckled, putting down her spoon.

In the end, Li Wei finished off all the food in front of him. He felt that his constitution allowed him to eat anything edible, or even things that were inedible.

"Want to go for a walk?" Anya asked. "It'll help digest your food."

"With pleasure," Li Wei replied.

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