The seating arrangement was quite reasonable.
Shen Su and Ji Tong sat at the head of the table, their positions very close. As Gu Song put it, they were practically inseparable.
When the dishes arrived, Ji Tong picked up her glass and, with a hint of shyness, addressed everyone, "Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday today. I'm very happy. I hope everyone is happy every day and that your work goes smoothly."
Although Ji Tong was lively, she was a little reserved when it came to making such formal speeches. Shen Su, therefore, kept encouraging her from the side, his hand on her shoulder, his gaze fixed on her, unwilling to look away for even a second.
After Ji Tong finished speaking, Gu Song was the first to chime in, "Easily said, easily said. When you and Shen Su get married, we'll have even more opportunities to gather."
With that, Gu Song deliberately glanced at Feng Feng.
He only saw Feng Feng looking down and playing with the cup in her hands, not sensing any particular emotion from her.
Afterward, he felt he had been overly concerned.
After all, this was Feng Feng. Even when Shen Su was persistently pursuing her, she hadn't paid him much attention. Now, it was even less likely. Expecting her to be jealous over matters of romance was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Of course, he didn't know if Feng Feng would be as indifferent about Wen Zhouyuan's affairs. But judging by the fact that she had gone to the airport with Wen Zhouyuan to pick up his ex-wife and daughter, she seemed quite "generous."
Feng Feng didn't say much. However, Lin Mei, upon hearing about the marriage, became a little restless. She looked at Shen Su and Ji Tong and tentatively asked, "Are you already preparing for the wedding?"
Ji Tong blushed, "No, no. I just graduated. We'll consider it in a couple of years."
Shen Su also said, "My parents are urging me, but I'm listening to Tong Tong. We'll talk about it when she feels like it."
Tong Tong.
That one address said it all.
Upon hearing this, Lin Mei exchanged another glance with Lan Lan and instinctively looked at Feng Feng's expression. Suddenly, she found herself unable to say anything more.
Feng Feng shouldn't have come to this occasion. Or, to put it another way, if she couldn't completely let go of her feelings for Shen Su after hearing these words, then she shouldn't have come.
But Feng Feng's feelings were not so easily retracted. Wen Zhouyuan, all those years ago...
They were all old acquaintances at the table. Eating together, they had many common topics, and with Ji Tong livening up the atmosphere, the conversation was particularly cheerful. However, Feng Feng had barely spoken, sitting alone and drinking in silence.
Initially, Lin Mei wanted to stop her, but Lan Lan's glance prevented her. Feng Feng was not in a good state at the moment and could only relieve her emotions by drinking. If her only outlet for expression were blocked, she would feel even worse.
Feng Feng had a good tolerance for alcohol, so drinking this much wouldn't make her completely drunk.
Shen Su also noticed Feng Feng constantly drinking. She seemed to be in a bad mood, likely due to some emotional distress. As for the reason, he wasn't entirely sure, but from the exchange of glances between Lin Mei and Lan Lan earlier, he could guess a little.
He assumed she hadn't recovered from Wen Zhouyuan's death. The car accident was because of him, and now she was drowning her sorrows in alcohol because of him too.
Shen Su didn't find it strange. Wen Zhouyuan had always held a special significance for Feng Feng.
However, she had just been in a car accident. Would drinking like this really not affect her recovery?
"Ms. Feng, is it okay for you to drink so much?" Ji Tong echoed Shen Su's question. She looked at Feng Feng with some concern, "Your body has just recovered. You should drink a little less!"
Hearing Ji Tong's voice, Feng Feng looked up at her and smiled slightly, "It's fine. I was cooped up for too long during my recovery, and I've got a craving for alcohol."
Ji Tong: "You can drink a little less. You're drinking a bit too much, which isn't good for your health."
Feng Feng: "It's okay, I have a good tolerance. I'm happy today."
Ji Tong couldn't persuade her. Later, Shen Su spoke to her, and her attention was diverted, no longer focusing on Feng Feng. Feng Feng continued to drink like this, barely touching her food.
Gu Song also felt Feng Feng's behavior today was a bit unusual. He had seen her drink before and knew she had a good tolerance, but not like this. Her behavior today was more like binge drinking. However, with so many people at the table, it wasn't convenient to ask.
As the meal was nearing its end, Shen Su asked the waiter to bring out the birthday cake. Shen Su had personally ordered the cake, choosing Ji Tong's favorite cake shop and her preferred flavor, cheesecake.
Not only was there a cake, but also a specially customized birthday hat, sparkling like a princess's crown.
Shen Su personally put the birthday hat on Ji Tong and carefully tidied her hair.
Feng Feng lowered her head, not wanting to look, but her peripheral vision still caught the scene. She tilted her head back and drank half a glass of wine.
After the candles were lit, Shen Su turned off the lights in the room, focusing all the light on Ji Tong's face.
The candles illuminated her beautiful face. Shen Su sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and her face was filled with happiness.
After the "Happy Birthday" song ended, Ji Tong clasped her hands together to make a wish and blew out the candles. The lights in the private room were turned back on, restoring the brightness and exposing Feng Feng's jealousy to the open.
Perhaps it was due to drinking too much, but Feng Feng felt a throbbing headache and a churning in her stomach. She couldn't wait to eat cake, so she found an excuse to leave the private room and headed straight for the restroom.
Feng Feng locked herself in a stall in the restroom. She looked down at the floor, her mind filled with images of Shen Su and Ji Tong. The alcohol rushed to her head, and the pain intensified.
She felt like vomiting but couldn't. It was just wave after wave of dry heaving, her stomach filled with sour liquid.
Feng Feng stayed in the restroom for a while. As she was preparing to leave, Lin Mei and Lan Lan came to find her.
The three of them stopped at the washbasin outside. Lin Mei saw Feng Feng's pale face and couldn't help but worry, "Don't drink anymore later. Your stomach won't be able to handle it if you drink more."
Feng Feng: "Okay, I got it."
Lan Lan pondered for a moment and asked her, "Can you still hold on? How about I take you home first?"
Feng Feng: "I'm fine. Just facing reality."
In the end, Feng Feng returned with the two of them.
By then, Ji Tong had already distributed the cake to the three of them. Feng Feng sat down, picked up her plate, and cut a piece of cake with her fork, putting it into her mouth.
Sweet, very sweet. She didn't know if it was because the pastry chef hadn't gotten the baking ratio right, but the cheesecake today was so sweet it tasted bitter.
However, Ji Tong seemed to be eating with great joy and enjoyment.
She sat with Shen Su and proactively fed him a bite with her fork. Shen Su didn't mind her childish and overly affectionate gesture and opened his mouth to eat it. Afterward, they both smiled.
Their gazes intertwined, as if they were the only two people in the world, and no one else could intrude.
Feng Feng cut another large piece of cake and put it into her mouth. The bitter taste became even more pronounced.
Ji Tong's birthday party ended at half-past ten. As the group emerged from the club, Lan Lan volunteered to drive Feng Feng home.