Ordering food was not Li Haochen's forte. Staring at the exquisite pictures on the menu, he was at a loss.
He had been looking for almost half an hour and had only decided on three dishes: baked lobster with cheese, hairy crab, and a leopard coral trout. Judging by the prices below the pictures, they were farmed, costing only 188 yuan per jin. Wild ones would have an extra zero added, and it wouldn't be wise to openly serve wild catch.
Just as he was struggling, the door was lightly knocked a few times before slowly opening. Zhang Zilin walked in.
At this moment, Zhang Zilin gave Li Haochen a different impression. Less of her youthful shyness and more of a captivating allure, she was radiant, her eyes brimming with charm. She looked like a woman who had just entered young motherhood, so moist she could drip water.
"What, you don't recognize me?"
Zhang Zilin winked playfully and gracefully sat down next to Li Haochen.
"Yes, I almost didn't. I'm about to drool, hehe!"
"Oh wow, after not seeing each other for a while, your words have really become eloquent."
"Can't help it. You're like a young married woman, so tempting. I, a pure young boy, am almost dizzy with infatuation..."
The two chatted merrily, bursts of laughter frequently punctuating their conversation. Just as they were enjoying themselves, the private room door opened again. It was Huang Pinliang and the others.
"What are you two chatting about so happily? We could hear your laughter from the doorway."
After the three sat down, Li Haochen stood up, poured them tea, and laughed, "We were just talking about the legendary stories of us five heroes from No. 1 Middle School, hahaha!"
"Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, it's been almost two years since graduation. Where has all that time gone!"
Zhao Junhao said with great emotion.
"Yes, look at Zilin, she's already married. By the time we graduate, there might be two little kids calling us uncle and aunt. Just thinking about that scene is funny, hahaha!"
Zhang Zilin shot Li Haochen a look, then cleverly changed the subject, "Perhaps Yiting will be faster. Haven't you two gotten your marriage certificate?"
"Uh, how did you know about something so secret?"
"You got registered?"
Li Haochen was a little stunned, looking at Huang Pinliang and Li Yiting with surprise.
"We just got the certificate a few days ago. We were going to tell you all later, hehe!"
"I must say, you two lovebirds have been keeping it quite discreet. You really had us fooled all these years in high school. It's a shame you didn't go into intelligence work."
"That's because you were kept in the dark. We knew long ago."
"Uh...? You all knew?"
"Can't help it. Someone's intelligence quotient is too low, hahaha!"
"I..."
Soon, the dishes were all served. They were all ordered by Zhang Zilin, and none of the lobster or hairy crab that Li Haochen had wanted were present. This annoyed him greatly. What kind of dishes were these? Baked sweet potato with cheese, with only two small pieces costing dozens of yuan? Pan-seared scallops, just a scallop the size of an egg, 88 yuan per serving?
Well, as long as they liked it.
For this rare gathering of a few close friends, such a joyous occasion couldn't be complete without good wine. However, there wasn't any high-end wine here. The most expensive was Ace of Spades, priced at 2880 yuan, which was already astonishing in a county town like this.
The taste was quite good, with a hint of cream and fruity peach aroma.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
They clinked glasses, wine flowing freely. The five of them chatted happily. After all, every gathering was a rare occasion, especially when one enters the stage of parenthood. It becomes truly difficult to gather with close friends.
Some say that time can always be squeezed out.
Perhaps those who say this have never been parents or are part of a DINK family. With work, family, parents, children, and the myriad of daily necessities in life, it's not easy to find extra time.
Of course, this also depends on the family. If one's income is high and they are not burdened by life, then time is easily squeezed.
"Knock, knock~ Boss, we need to do inventory!"
A beautiful shift leader knocked and entered.
As the saying goes, joy makes one forget the passage of time. You see, if it weren't for the restaurant needing to take inventory, they would likely have continued chatting.
"Then we'll meet again next time."
"No need for 'next time'. On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, there's a class reunion. Everyone has been notified, and Teacher Liang and the others will also be attending."
"Uh?"
Li Haochen looked at Zhang Zilin with a displeased gaze. "I say, Class Monitor, did you forget about me?"
"Ahem, how could I? It must have been a network delay. This darn Mobile service is really bad. They charge a lot but provide poor service. I'll complain to them tomorrow."
Zhang Zilin turned away slightly embarrassed, secretly glanced at the group message sent a couple of days ago, and quickly put her phone into her bag. She then linked arms with Li Yiting and said, "Let's go, or they'll get out the brooms, hehe!"
"Network delay? I believe you if I'm a ghost."
Arriving at the service counter, Li Haochen said to the young lady behind the counter who was scrolling through videos, "Excuse me, the bill for the Imperial Hall, please."
"Uh, Mr. Li? Our proprietress has already paid the bill."
Zhang Zilin and the others looked at Li Haochen curiously. "You know the proprietress here?"
"Is it that strange?"
It wouldn't be strange if they were puzzled. The bill for tonight would easily be over ten thousand yuan. Ten thousand yuan was a considerable sum. For a moment, the four of them were lost in thought, looking at Li Haochen with mischievous smiles.
"Come on, what are those expressions? Your thoughts are impure. The proprietress is my girlfriend's roommate."
"Oh... the girlfriend's best friend."
"Guard against fire, guard against thieves, guard against your girlfriend's best friend, alas..."
As they walked, the group playfully teased Li Haochen, leaving him speechless.
Li Haochen and the others exited Wanda Plaza. When they reached the intersection, a black GLS450 was already waiting. A handsome man got out of the car, a smile on his face, and walked towards them.
"Everyone, let me introduce my husband, Wang Zijun."
"Hello everyone!"
"Hello..."
The brief introduction served as an acquaintance. Li Haochen felt he was quite good, at least not arrogant. He spoke very politely.
"Let's all get in the car. It's fine to squeeze in a bit. It's hard to get a taxi at this time," Zhang Zilin said.
"Zilin, you drive Junhao and the others back. I came on my electric scooter, hehe!"
Huang Pinliang and the others exchanged glances. Without being pretentious, they smiled, "Alright, we haven't ridden in a luxury car yet, haha!"
After they left, Li Haochen also walked towards the parking lot to get his car.
His face was a little flushed from drinking, but he wasn't drunk. The champagne wasn't high in alcohol content. They only drank one bottle, and 750mL was only about 150mL per person. However, it was still better to be cautious. It wouldn't be good to get caught on New Year's Day.
Pushing his scooter, he found a 24-hour convenience store, bought a mask, put it on, and rode home.
During the New Year, there were many inspection personnel in the city center, all looking for drunk drivers. Li Haochen rode very cautiously, observing everything and listening to all directions. He navigated left and right fearfully. After about half an hour, he finally left the city center.