Chapter 24: Drunkenness

The afternoon classes finally ended.

Wang Jie was non-stop all afternoon, coordinating times and places with various classmates. 

As Li Dong stood up to leave, Wang Jie hurriedly said, "Dongzi, don't forget to come to Nan Ting Grand Hotel at seven."

"I know, you've mentioned it a million times. Am I that forgetful?" Li Dong complained. It turned out this gathering was organized by Wang Jie, which explained his enthusiasm today.

Chen Yue, who was still packing up her books, turned and teased, "Li Dong, now you're the big shot in our class. Everyone knows you're the hardest to invite, so they're treating it seriously."

"Stop it. You two are like a couple in sync. I can't argue with both of you. I'm going to take a shower and then I'll head over," Li Dong said.

Chen Yue, who recently became close with Wang Jie, wasn't shy and added, "Who said you're just one person? Xiao Xue is here too. It's fairer with two pairs."

Yuan Xue, quietly packing her desk, snorted and said in a miffed tone, "Don't involve me. Qin Yuhan is already here. What am I?"

Li Dong gritted his teeth. What did I do to deserve this?

Even though he had kept his distance, Yuan Xue's tone sounded like she was a jealous maiden.

There are plenty of handsome guys in school. Li Dong didn't look like money. If Qin Yuhan knew about this, she'd be wronged!

Not wanting to engage in this conversation, Li Dong decided to avoid the issue, grabbed his backpack, and hurried out.

---

At seven in the evening, Nan Ting Grand Hotel.

The name sounded grand, but it was just a small restaurant.

Since they were all students and the event was going Dutch, they were careful with their spending.

The restaurant was small, so they had a table in the main hall. There was no need for anyone to wait outside; it was visible right from the entrance.

When Li Dong arrived, about five or six people were already seated, including Wang Jie and Chen Yue.

They were chatting about amusing school stories. When Li Dong arrived, Wang Jie immediately greeted him, "Dongzi, come, we were just talking about you."

"What bad things are you saying about me?"

Li Dong smiled and didn't mind, finding an empty seat and sitting down.

"It's not bad talk. Everyone is actually envious of you. I heard you're with Qin Yuhan. Is it true?"

Li Yuan, who usually got along well with Chen Yue, looked curious. Qin Yuhan was quite famous at their school, and Li Dong's association with her had shocked many.

Li Dong smiled but didn't answer, picking up a peanut, shelling it, and tossing it into his mouth.

Li Yuan, not getting a definitive answer, turned back to Chen Yue with a spark of excitement, "Chen Yue, how did you and the Watermelon Head get together? Tell us!"

Before Chen Yue could speak, Wang Jie pretended to be angry, "Who are you calling Watermelon Head?"

He leaned towards Li Yuan, showing off his freshly shaved head.

Li Dong struggled to suppress a laugh. Was this guy's taste really so unique, or did the barber have a grudge against him? His hairstyles always made people chuckle.

Perhaps he was annoyed by being called Watermelon Head all the time and had shaved it off, but now he was left with just a buzz cut.

Everyone laughed, and Chen Yue, feeling a bit embarrassed, swatted Wang Jie's head.

"Next time, don't go to that barber. It's disgraceful!"

"Hahaha…"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Wang Jie, feeling awkward, touched his head and sat down, changing the subject, "Where's Yuan Xue? Chen Yue, did you tell her?"

"I did. Xiao Xue said she was coming… Oh, here she is! Xiao Xue, come on in. We're waiting for you!" Chen Yue called out when she saw Yuan Xue walk in.

With Yuan Xue arriving, everyone was present. This small circle of friends gathered together, people they usually hung out with.

Aside from the girls and Li Dong, the other two boys were somewhat reserved.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Yuan Xue apologized, looked around, and sat next to Chen Yue.

Everyone said it was okay, and Wang Jie called the waiter to start ordering.

Li Dong didn't join in the excitement, letting others fuss over the menu. He thought about how he hadn't spent time alone with Qin Yuhan for a few days and wondered if he could arrange something tomorrow.

Yuan Xue, sitting directly opposite Li Dong, quietly observed him, feeling he was different from others.

Chen Yue knew Yuan Xue's thoughts and, noticing this, subtly tugged on her sleeve, whispering, "Xiao Xue!"

Yuan Xue snapped out of her thoughts, shook her head, and remained silent.

---

The restaurant was not crowded, and the food arrived quickly.

The group drank beer, discussed future plans, and talked about their high school days. Even Yuan Xue, who had been quiet, was flushed with excitement and joined in the gossip with the girls.

Li Dong also drank quite a bit. He didn't pretend to be deep or serious but engaged in light conversation that occasionally made people laugh.

The atmosphere was warm and friendly, a far cry from the competitive, socially toxic environment that they would face later in life.

Suddenly, Yuan Xue stood up, holding her glass, and said, "Li Dong, let's have a drink together!"

Li Dong noticed her flushed face and swaying body, indicating she was probably a bit drunk.

Frowning slightly, he finally raised his glass and said, "Drink less. Just a gesture will do."

Unexpectedly, Yuan Xue's expression changed. She glared at him and said, "Do you look down on me?"

Li Dong felt a headache coming on. Women's moods could be so unpredictable when they were drunk.

There's no reasoning with a drunk person, especially a woman. Li Dong silently finished his beer and sat down without saying a word.

Yuan Xue, seeing this, became even more upset and snapped, "You're so unwilling to drink with me. Do you not like me?"

The lively atmosphere suddenly became tense. Chen Yue quickly pulled Yuan Xue back into her seat.

Yuan Xue, however, was stubborn and glared at Li Dong with a defiant look.

Li Dong was extremely frustrated. He had suspected that the evening wouldn't go smoothly, and he was right.

He was a traditionalist, and he didn't argue with Yuan Xue. He helplessly said, "Fine, if my attitude is the problem, I'll drink three more cups myself."

With that, he filled his glass to the brim and drank it in one go. He poured two more glasses, nearly finishing the bottle of beer.

Li Dong drank quickly, and his face grew pale from the speed. 

Yuan Xue, seeing this, was at a loss. She looked at Li Dong's pale face and muttered, "I didn't make you drink."

Li Dong rolled his eyes and ignored her.

Seeing the mood was off, Li Dong smiled and said, "Keep going. Don't mind her. Drunken people do crazy things."

The others, finding Li Dong's attitude amusing, laughed and resumed their conversations, lightening the mood.

Yuan Xue, being held back by Chen Yue, pouted in frustration. She wasn't drunk; she was perfectly sober!

But seeing Li Dong's pale face, she didn't dare to get angry. Impulsive feelings faded, and she felt a bit embarrassed.

Li Dong, sneaking glances at Yuan Xue, saw her talking with Chen Yue and sighed in relief.

Wang Jie noticed Li Dong's gestures and lowered his voice, "Dongzi, aren't you even a little moved?"

Everyone could sense Yuan Xue's feelings, though they were surprised, they kept it to themselves.

Wang Jie, being close to Li Dong and knowing about Yuan Xue's feelings, asked.

Li Dong shot him a look, "You know me well enough."

"Well, that's true. You really have a way with the ladies. Both the school's top girls have their eyes on you. Not sure why you're not more handsome," Wang Jie shook his head, baffled by women's choices.

One would think Yuan Xue could find any boyfriend she wanted. Why was she fixated on Li Dong?

If Wang Jie didn't understand, Li Dong was even more perplexed.

He hadn't done anything special, barely spent time in the classroom, and when he had free time, he visited Qin Yuhan. He couldn't figure out Yuan Xue's reasoning.

Women's thoughts are hard to guess, and guessing only leads to confusion.

Li Dong gave up trying to understand. He figured in a little over half a month, after the college entrance exams, Yuan Xue would be out of his life. He couldn't believe she'd still think of him after she went to college.

It wasn't that he was being picky. If it weren't for Qin Yuhan, he'd have been thrilled to be pursued by such a beautiful girl.

But since he was with Qin Yuhan, Li Dong wasn't interested in having extra entanglements with Yuan Xue.

He wasn't afraid of plain girls but didn't want to deal with beautiful ones like Yuan Xue. It would be hard to explain later.

With his mind occupied, Li Dong drank more. By the end of the night, he was barely holding on.

He struggled to stay awake, waved off Wang Jie's offer to take him home, mum

bling, "I live close. You don't need to take me. You… you take Chen Yue home…"

Wang Jie, though still worried, saw Yuan Xue had sobered up from the cold air and said, "I'll take him home!"

Li Dong, suddenly alert, gave Wang Jie a significant look.

Wang Jie, who preferred to help Li Dong, quickly said, "No, a girl shouldn't go alone. What if something happens to you on your way home?"

Without giving Yuan Xue a chance to refuse, he, along with Chen Yue, quickly took Yuan Xue along.

Li Dong, still somewhat sober, rushed back home. This woman's persistence was genuinely frightening.

He wasn't a saint, and he couldn't be sure he wouldn't develop feelings for a beautiful girl who pursued him. It was better to put an end to it now.