Chapter 57

In the Celestial Empire, gift-giving is an art of the highest order. What kind of gift is appropriate for a specific occasion, what you should give given your relationship with the recipient, how it should be presented, and what you should say while handing it over—all these follow strict rules and subtle nuances. That is precisely why the empire has long deserved its reputation as a land of etiquette. Many adults who have spent years navigating society still fail to master every intricacy, let alone Chen Zhezhe, an ordinary university student. Yet none of this posed a problem for Chen Zhezhe. He strode casually toward the president's office, fully intending to shove that package of tea leaves directly onto Elder Wu Cunyi.