C54 I Have a Good Wine

"Hold on, Ye Yu, don't pour out the wine just yet. I know someone who can give it a proper tasting," Han Xue interjected, as Ye Yu was about to empty the Night Glasses.

After a moment's thought, Ye Yu drained a water bottle and transferred the wine from the Night Glasses into it.

"Who's the wine connoisseur?" Ye Yu inquired.

Han Xue offered a knowing smile. "Our math teacher, Teacher Wu, he's quite the wine aficionado."

Ye Yu was taken aback. Wu Suowei?

Ah, that's right. Wu Suowei had mentioned his close ties with the Han family before.

"Ye Yu!" The class monitor of Senior Year 1 called out from the doorway.

"What is it?"

"Teacher Wu wants to see you. He needs you to work on some math competition problems," the monitor relayed.

Ye Yu's lips quirked up in amusement. Talk about serendipity.

He pocketed the Night Glasses and, with the water bottle now filled with wine, made his way to Wu Suowei's office.

"Come in," Teacher Wu beckoned.

Before Ye Yu could utter a word, Wu Suowei's voice filled the room. "Looking for me, Teacher Wu?" Ye Yu asked, facing Wu Suowei.

Setting his pen aside, Wu Suowei greeted him with a chuckle. "You've been quite the slacker! I asked you to prepare for the math competition, and yet you've been absent."

Scratching his head, Ye Yu admitted, "I've been a little tied up these past few days."

Wu Suowei dismissed it with a wave of his hand and a smile. "That's fine, but remember, even though you're skilled at calculations, you still need to hit the books. There's complex knowledge out there you haven't encountered yet."

Ye Yu nodded in agreement, aware that Wu Suowei had a point. His supercomputing skills were impressive, but without understanding the formulas and theories, they were of little use.

Abandoning the idea of having Wu Suowei sample the wine, Ye Yu set the bottle down and surveyed the office's book collection. The walls were lined with an array of books, predominantly on mathematics and geometry, with the occasional physics tome.

Selecting a hardcover, Ye Yu placed it on the desk and began to read, "Analyzing the Abelian Curve Law." Inside, he found notes from Wu Suowei's previous readings.

Time flew as Ye Yu delved into the mathematical concepts, which, with the aid of his supercomputing, became surprisingly accessible.

Wu Suowei watched Ye Yu engrossed in the book and nodded approvingly.

The sound of knocking pulled Ye Yu from his studies. He looked up to find he had worked through a considerable stack of books.

"Wu Shi, I've acquired a fine bottle of wine, perfect for your palate," announced Principal Lee Xueshu as he entered.

"Good morning, Principal," greeted Ye Yu, rising to his feet.

Lee Xueshu, spotting Ye Yu, commended him, "A promising student indeed! Wu Shi has briefed me about your progress. Keep it up, and aim for that first-place finish!"

Ye Yu nodded, resumed his seat, and continued reading the book he hadn't finished.

Principal Lee Xueshu, holding a bottle of wine, approached Wu Suowei's desk, set the bottle down, and gestured to Wu Suowei, "Give it a try. It's a 30-year-old Mouton Rothschild from Bordeaux."

Wu Suowei's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "You've really splurged, so I must give this a proper taste!"

He turned to retrieve a glass, poured himself a drink, and eagerly sampled it. After swallowing, Wu Suowei let out a satisfied sigh, his expression one of bliss. "This is a fine wine, indeed. Yet, my heart still lies with the white spirits from our own H Country."

Lee Xueshu couldn't help but chuckle at Wu's remark. "Haha, Wu Shi, I see you're still hung up on that exclusive batch I've kept hidden for fifty years!"

Relishing the flavor a moment longer, Wu Suowei sighed wistfully. "Now, that's what I call a truly exquisite wine! The taste lingers so beautifully. But you, always so frugal—how can one cup ever be enough?"

Lee Xueshu quickly pleaded, "Okay, okay, Wu Shi, I promise to get you more another day."

Meanwhile, Ye Yu, who had been engrossed in his book, overheard their banter and glanced at the water bottle on the table, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Teacher Wu, you seem to have quite the palate for wine, don't you?"

Before Wu Suowei could respond, Principal Lee Xueshu interjected, "Absolutely, Wu Shi is quite the connoisseur—an 'old wine aficionado,' if you will. His expertise in wine tasting is second to none!"

Lee Xueshu gave Wu Suowei an approving thumbs up, full of admiration.

Noticing Ye Yu's keen interest, Wu Suowei smiled and teased, "Oh? Do you fancy yourself a wine expert too?"

Ye Yu, holding the water bottle, set it down on their table and admitted with a grin, "I might not be a connoisseur, but I do have a bottle of something special!"