"What should I talk about?"
Lionel shrugged.
"What else is there to say? It's nothing more than thanking the academy for its nurturing, thanking Madame Rothschild for her generosity, and thanking all the teachers and classmates for their kindness... They're all just clichés."
Albert looked unconvinced.
"Come on, Leo! Every time you say you're just 'speaking off the cuff,' but what happens? I don't believe you haven't prepared anything!"
His eyes were full of schadenfreude.
"I'm looking forward to it. This afternoon, I'll definitely let certain people see that 'the Conscience of the Sorbonne' isn't just an empty title!"
Lionel knew he was talking about Sophia.
But he genuinely didn't see Sophia as a "rival"—the daughter of that Russian noblewoman was simply too arrogant and haughty, making him instinctively want to keep his distance from her.
Lionel struggled to pry Albert's arm away and straightened his rumpled jacket collar.
"It really is just clichés; don't believe me if you don't want to."
He paused, his tone helpless.
"I just found out I won the award; where would I have had the time to prepare anything groundbreaking?"
Albert eyed him suspiciously.
"Alright, even if you haven't prepared... but I bet when you stand up there, those 'golden sentences' will just pop out on their own! Alright, let's eat first, I'm starving!"
At this point, classmates in the room had started to stand up in twos and threes.
Then Sophia came to the center of the classroom, head held high:
"Fellow students! To celebrate my official entry into the Sorbonne, I have reserved a table at 'La Tour d'Argent'!
It's right next to Place de la République, and today they've specially prepared Bresse chicken, foie gras, and the freshest sturgeon for us!
Unlimited drinks! Any student willing to grace us with their presence can join!
Let us temporarily forget the dullness of the classroom and enjoy a lunch befitting a Sorbonne student!"
La Tour d'Argent is one of Paris's top restaurants, extremely expensive, and even for Sorbonne students, who are generally wealthy or noble, it's not a place one can casually visit.
As expected, Louis-Alphonse immediately jumped out first, with a fawning expression:
"How generous! Sophien! This is true aristocratic style! Some people just talk big; they have no idea what real quality of life is!"
However, to Sophia's and Louis-Alphonse's surprise, responders were few and far between.
The students who remained in the classroom merely glanced at her curiously, exchanged a few whispered words, and then a strange, somewhat superior smile appeared on their faces.
Instead of responding enthusiastically as Sophia had expected, they all began... taking out various boxes of different sizes and materials from their backpacks and cloth bags.
Some were simple wooden boxes, others woven wicker baskets, and some were wrapped in clean cotton cloth.
They gathered in groups of three to five, skillfully opening their lunchboxes.
Suddenly, the classroom was filled with the aroma of various foods.
A tall, slender boy wearing glasses opened his double-layered tin lunchbox:
The top layer held several thick slices of rye bread, sandwiching substantial-looking ham and pickles;
The bottom layer contained a vegetable salad drizzled with vinaigrette.
He also chatted with the classmate next to him:
"Hey, Pierre, what did your mother bring you today? Wow, that ham looks really good!"
The boy named Pierre pushed his lunchbox forward.
"It's alright. Try this smoked ham; my mother brought it back from Parma, Spain. It's especially appetizing."
His lunchbox, in addition to the main course, also contained a small piece of cheese and a few apples.
In another corner, several students were sharing their respective lunches.
One of their lunchboxes held delicate cream rolls, chicken salad wraps, and cold-cut roast beef;
Another brought warm onion soup, stored in a thermos.
Seeing this scene, Albert chuckled smugly, and as if by magic, pulled out a meticulously wrapped lunchbox covered in linen.
He deliberately and unhurriedly untied the fastenings and lifted the lid.
Inside were several small dishes, neatly arranged in compartments:
A small portion of red wine-braised ox tongue with rich sauce; a few perfectly pan-fried cod fillets, served with lemon wedges;
A sprig of tender green arugula salad; and even two Madeleine cakes adorned with crushed nuts.
Though not as luxurious as La Tour d'Argent, it was clearly a delicious meal, carefully prepared, nutritionally balanced, and full of homemade charm.
Albert said to Sophia in an exaggerated tone,
"Oh, my dear 'Sophien' classmate, it seems your information is a bit outdated.
Nowadays at the Sorbonne, the most fashionable thing isn't going to those noisy and expensive restaurants, but owning a unique 'custom-made' lunchbox.
This is a brand-new dining trend led by Lionel! It represents health, taste, and...
Well, a more intimate kind of relationship. Wouldn't you agree?"
He picked up a small silver fork, speared a piece of ox tongue, and deliberately chewed it with enjoyment.
"After all, who knows what goes on in a restaurant kitchen? Nothing beats the reassuring and thoughtful cooking of your own chef!"
These words drew knowing smiles from many classmates who had taken out their lunchboxes, and some even whispered in agreement:
"Exactly, Albert is right!"
"Much better than eating out!"
Lionel was dumbfounded.
Last semester, wasn't he the only one who brought a lunchbox?
How come after a summer vacation, it seemed like everyone in class had one?
Albert whispered to him,
"Whatever you do now, it's likely to spread through the entire Sorbonne like syphilis!"
Lionel shivered.
"Can you use a different metaphor?"
Albert thought for a moment.
"Then, like cholera?"
Lionel: "..."
He decided to give up trying to educate this idiot.
He also took out his lunchbox.
First, the main course in the upper layer:
A thick pan-fried pork chop, crispy and browned at the edges, tender and juicy in the center, drizzled with a rich sauce made from red wine and mushrooms;
Accompanying it was Patty's self-devised mashed potatoes—potatoes steamed until soft, then whipped smooth and fine with hot milk and butter, and sprinkled with chopped parsley;
Finally, a small handful of green leaf salad, lightly tossed with vinaigrette, to cut through the richness.
The bottom layer contained some "snacks":
Several crispy garlic bread slices, a small jar of apple sauce, and even two meticulously wrapped items that looked like some kind of pie—
These were Patty's ingenious and "magically modified" creations after Lionel once described Chinese "spring rolls" to her; they had a crispy skin and a chicken and vegetable filling.
Of course, there were also after-meal fruits and drinks to cleanse the palate.
Albert's eyes widened, and he swallowed.
"My God... this pan-fried pork chop looks even better than the one at the 'Golden Sun' Restaurant! And this... what is this?"
He pointed at the spring rolls.
Lionel smiled.
"Just a little experiment by Patty."
Sophia's face flushed and paled.
She clearly hadn't expected this situation.
Her meticulously prepared "La Tour d'Argent feast" seemed like a vulgar and foolish joke in front of all the warm, personal lunchboxes.
In the end, only Louis-Alphonse, gritting his teeth, sheepishly stood next to Sophia:
"So... Sophien, I... I'll go with you! Let them... let them eat those cold, unappetizing things!"
Sophia glared fiercely at Lionel, then tossed her head abruptly and left the classroom.
(End of Chapter)
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