call; visit; inquiry; enquiry; question
hotel worker; hotelman; hotelkeeper; hotelier
upstart; nouveau riche; new money; piece promoted to gold general
once upon a time; a long time ago
black-dyed leather; leather dyed in deep indigo; edible mushroom in the Thelephoraceae family
economic world; financial circles; business community
unexpected meeting; coincidence
the way one talks; one's way of speaking
to sell well; to sell out; to be worldly and understanding; to be sensible; to be sorted out; to be put in order
to be laughed at; to get oneself laughed at (e.g. by doing something stupid)
to go home; (arch.) to go; (arch.) to leave; (arch.) to pass (of time); (arch.) to die; (arch.) to go bad
to fall over; to fall down; to fall; to flop (e.g. of a play); to be a flop
sworn younger brother; junior male peer (in a club, group, etc.)
bring-your-own (e.g. food and drink); carry-on (e.g. luggage)
to make one feel grateful
to be dampened (of the mood, interest, etc.); to be spoiled (e.g. of the atmosphere); to become subdued; to turn white; to fade (to white); to grow light (at dawn)
winding; meandering; zigzagging; zig-zag; in twists and turns; sinuously
Chinese firebird; Chinese phoenix
management; administration; cutting up and serving food; cut and fill (e.g. earthwork)
thin-culmed dwarf bamboo (growing in clusters); Japanese transverse bamboo flute (high-pitched; usu. with seven holes); sliver (strand of loose fibers)
shame; disgrace; raping; rape
shouting in a thunderous voice; blustering out
to increase (all the more)
to stop (moving); to come to a stop; to stop (doing, working, being supplied); to come to a halt; to alight; to perch on
high-end residential area; affluent neighbourhood
to gather in large numbers (of people); to hang out (as a large group)
intelligence; genius; scholarship; virtue
endurance; forbearance; patience; self-restraint
surely (not); certainly (not)
to remake; to remold; to remould; to convert; to reconstruct; to adapt
container; receptacle; case; inserting; putting in
brilliant; bright; dazzling
to walk someone off (e.g. to the police station)
(arch.) offering (to the gods, emperor, etc.); gift; sacrifice
playful; mischievous; joker; prankster; brown eyes