"cheers!"
"We raised our glasses to cheer for Xiaomin, congratulating her on getting such a high score on the written test and advancing to the interview stage."
"Xiaomin, you're amazing! Your mental fortitude is incredible. You truly deserve to be our exam ace!"
"Who says otherwise? I ranked third in the written test back then, and my interview was just average. It was only thanks to the candidate before me giving up that I was able to get a job."
“Xiaomin has a bright future ahead of her. It’s a waste of your excellent academic qualifications. Doctoral graduates from Peking University earn at least several million a year working in securities companies, while those in the system only make a pittance.”
"Oh, don't worry about it. Xiaomin's family isn't short of money."
More than a dozen classmates sat around the dining table in the private room, chatting and laughing about their recent lives.
Shenzhen is neither a large nor a small city, with a complex web of interpersonal relationships. Classmates who have been classmates for six years know each other's parents, and acquaintances can easily find out each other's backgrounds with just a few inquiries.
After the written test results came out, Xia Minmin's familiar high school classmates gathered together to celebrate, and even Tang Meng, who was busy with her work, came from Guangzhou.
Of the classmates who stayed in Shenzhen, half work for their own companies and the other half have entered the public sector; they are all doing quite well.
"I asked around and found out that as long as Xiaomin doesn't make any major mistakes in the interview, she's guaranteed a job."
“If your career is fine, then you should start thinking about your love life!” one of the male students said.
"Get lost! Married men are terrifying. How old is our class monitor? He's only been twenty-one for a few days, and you're already pressuring him to get married. What's the difference between you and our parents?"
Most of Xia Minmin's high school classmates, except those who went abroad, got married young while staying in China.
"If you ask me, it's better to get married later. You're too restricted after marriage. You have to report everything when you go out to parties, how many people are coming, who they are, and which hotel they're staying at." After saying that, the male classmate put his forehead down and leaned on the dining table.
Upon hearing his story, everyone burst into laughter without any empathy.
"Why didn't Gu Fei come?" a classmate asked.
"Gu Fei? You'll have to ask our class monitor about that."
The students in the private room stared at Xia Minmin with half-smiles, and even Tang Meng looked on with amusement.
Xia Minmin ate the braised abalone in her bowl without changing her expression and said calmly, "How would I know?"
A male classmate who was close to Gu Fei immediately said, "I heard from Gu Fei that he has already confessed his feelings to you."
These words immediately caused a stir in the private room, with everyone saying all sorts of things. Even the delicious-smelling dishes on the table couldn't capture everyone's attention as much as the gossip.
"When did this happen? How come we didn't know?"
"I had a feeling before that Gu Fei might like our class monitor. Among all the classmates, Gu Fei loves to tease the class monitor the most."
"Furthermore, Gu Fei apologized for two consecutive years in order to gain the class monitor's forgiveness. Most people would have given up long ago."
"After your analysis, Gu Fei seems like a pervert? How old was our class monitor in high school?"
"What? Gu Fei is playing a nurturing game?"
"This is too evil."
Xia Minmin felt uncomfortable under Tang Meng's gaze; she felt like a prisoner.
She nudged Tang Meng's face, stammering, "Mengmeng, don't look at me like that."
"Xiaomin, is there something you haven't told me?"
Xia Minmin paused, still stubbornly insisting, "No, given our relationship, I couldn't possibly hide it from you. Um... I couldn't possibly hide it from you."
Tang Meng chuckled inwardly. This silly girl doesn't even know what I studied; how could she possibly hide such an obvious flaw from me? "Hmm? Really? I don't think so. I've told you everything on my mind."
Xia Minmin gripped her chopsticks tightly, her words becoming even more stammering, "Of course it's true. Let's eat while they're talking." She casually placed a mantis shrimp in Tang Meng's bowl.
Tang Meng stopped bothering her best friend and turned to the classmate who had just broken the news, saying, "Old Zhang, what's the story behind Gu Fei and Xiao Min's confession? Tell us about it!"
Xia Minmin stiffened, her head lowered so no one could see her expression. This big mouth Gu Fei had spread the word everywhere without even agreeing.
Old Zhang immediately regretted his loose tongue. Gu Fei knew he was doomed. He laughed awkwardly, "Hehe, let Gu Fei tell you. He told me not to say anything. You all know Gu Fei is a vicious person. Please let me off the hook, big brothers and sisters."
Old Zhang kept apologizing to everyone, and it wasn't until they finally let him off the hook.
"By the way, where did Gu Fei go? He was the one who organized this game, why didn't he come?"
Old Zhang quickly explained, "Gu Fei led a team to participate in the national competition and only returned this afternoon. He'll probably be a little late."
"If I had to pick my classmates, I would admire Gu Fei the most. After graduating, he joined the army. I never expected that he could stay on the border for four years. A year ago, he transferred to the special police force. Is he a deputy captain now?"
"Yeah, he was promoted three months ago. I have to say he was lucky; the timing was perfect. If he had been a month later, he wouldn't have been able to take the SWAT exam."
"His family isn't poor, so why would they agree to let him do such a dangerous job?"
Xia Minmin listened silently to everyone talking about Gu Fei. She had the same curiosity; the Gu Fei she remembered was very different from the Gu Fei in everyone else's eyes.
He was in the army for four years, and apart from the first two months when they kept in touch, they lost contact until a year ago when he was discharged from the military and the two resumed contact.
"It's because of his passion. He also has an older brother, which is why he can go to the most dangerous places so recklessly."
thump thump thump...
After a knock, the door to the private room was opened, and there was Gu Fei. The smile on his face reminded Xia Minmin of his high school days.
"Oh my gosh, my rumored boyfriend is here."
"Come on, sit down quickly. Anyone who's late will be punished with three drinks."
The female classmate sitting next to Xia Minmin tactfully moved to another empty seat, and the private room erupted in laughter.
Xia Minmin's face flushed red.
Gu Fei smiled and sat down next to Xia Minmin, calmly unpacking the cutlery. "That's enough. I've already won her over before I even got her. Don't ruin my plans, or else..."
Gu Fei washed his hands, picked up a piece of mantis shrimp, peeled it, and put it in Xia Minmin's bowl. "Eat it...they won't dare laugh at you anymore." After saying that, he gave his old classmate a warning look.
"Gu Fei, we're looking forward to your wedding."
Although it was awkward at the moment, Xia Minmin hoped that the dinner could last longer, because Tang Meng would definitely interrogate her when she got home.
After dinner, Gu Fei took Xia Minmin and Tang Meng to Dudu Garden before going home.
The two sat on a bench. Xia Minmin knew she couldn't avoid it, so she told Tang Meng about Gu Fei's confession to her four days ago.
Tang Meng asked, "Do you like him? Or do you hate him?"
Xia Minmin thought about it carefully and realized she had a slight liking for him, blushing.
Seeing her best friend's expression, Tang Meng knew that he had feelings for her. "This is a good thing. You two know each other well and have known each other for so many years. Moreover, his family is well-off, he is a good person, and he has a good job. He hasn't had a girlfriend for so many years, so he must have been waiting for you to grow up, right?"
Xia Minmin remained silent. There were still three days left until the deadline Gu Fei had given her, and she decided to procrastinate until the very last day to spite him.
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