You will read the scene it happens in, learn 10 words and phrases, take apart the pattern behind them (inviting with a-not-a pattern), hear them in a conversation, rehearse them, and finish by saying one thing out loud to be graded.
Inviting a Shanghai friend to dinner — the A-not-A question pattern, the art of the polite invitation, and the equally important art of accepting or declining gracefully.
The stranger has been in Shanghai three days. His friend Wei sends a WeChat voice message at four in the afternoon: 「你今天晚上有没有空？想不想一起去吃顿好的？我请客！」
He types back: 「太好了！去哪里？」 Wei replies with a Dianping link — 海底捞 Haidilao on Nanjing West Road, the famous hotpot chain known for its theatrical service.
「要不要叫上小林？她说想试试那家新开的分店。」 Should they invite Xiao Lin too? 「当然！人多更热闹。」 The more the merrier — literally, more people makes it livelier.
At seven they gather. Wei orders the spicy-and-clear split pot. Xiao Lin orders the seafood platter. The stranger orders beer. 「今晚我请客，不要跟我抢。」 Tonight is my treat, don't fight me for the bill. In Shanghai, this battle is a ritual — and losing it gracefully is an art form.