Chapter 46 Goodbye, Pei Yifeng
The atmosphere changed completely when two people joined. Lisa sat down and placed her white Hermès milkshake on her lap. There were some crayfish offal piled on the table. She pulled the stool she was sitting on back. Big Head was very sensitive and probably knew that she was afraid of getting dirty, so he asked the waiter to collect the offal, put a new plastic table cover on it, and pulled out a stool for her to put her bag. She was dressed in exquisite clothes and sat upright. Her body was probably only half touching the stool. She maintained an elegant posture at this time. The topic naturally turned to the newcomer. "You are amazing. You don't remember this place where you were born and raised. You haven't been back since you went to college?" Big Head made wine for Pei Yifeng. He looked at Lin Yao and replied, "I came back once. Yaoyao, do you remember?" Lin Yao couldn't hold his gaze for more than two seconds before dodging, "It's been so long, I don't really remember." Hei Pi asked, "Is your mom okay after moving so far away?" "She's been in poor health for the past few years and has been receiving treatment. I recently wanted to come back and see her. She's been staying at the hotel here the past few days." Lin Yao remembered Chen Lanjing's face, swollen and disfigured, looking nothing like her normal self. "What's wrong with Aunt Lanjing?" she finally asked. He paused, then smiled. "Nothing serious." Seeing that Lisa wasn't eating, Datou took over. "What do you want? This place isn't very nice, but the food is the best around here. Try it." He stood up to serve her, moving a bowl of garlic sauce towards her. Lisa, still keeping her distance, smiled and waved, "No thanks!" She was from Hong Kong, with her Cantonese accent, so she probably didn't eat crayfish, and she didn't even take a sip of the beer. Pei Yifeng explained, "She doesn't usually eat at night," getting up and thoughtfully bringing her a glass of water. She took a sip of the water, the large diamond ring on her left ring finger particularly conspicuous. Lin Yao could see it, but remained at a loss, peeling shrimp. She peeled them but didn't eat, her stomach aching. If she didn't, she had nowhere to put her hands, so she peeled them one by one and piled them onto Lin Yuxun's plate beside her. Lin Yuxun had said she didn't like spicy food, but he assumed she'd lost herself in that man's presence, losing her ability to distinguish flavors, and all she peeled tasted spicy. He didn't like crayfish, but he accepted this rare treat, pretending to enjoy it, eating anyway, sweating profusely and struggling to swallow. Fortunately, Datou ordered him a bowl of clear noodle soup, which soothed his stomach. Datou brought up the topic of Pei Yifeng and Lisa. "How did you two meet?" "We met at the airport in the United States, and then at the Hong Kong airport. It was fate," Lisa said, leaning against Pei Yifeng. She began to talk, first asking about Hei Pi's occupation, then Datou's. Datou asked hers in return, and this question triggered her...
When these two people joined in, the atmosphere changed completely.
Lisa sat down, resting her milkshake and white Hermès on her lap. A pile of crayfish offal had formed on the table. She pulled her stool back. Big Head, perceptive and perhaps aware she was worried about getting dirty, called for the waiter to clear the offal, replaced the plastic table cover, and even pulled out a stool for her to place her bag. She was dainty, sitting upright, her body barely touching the stool, maintaining her elegant demeanor.
The topic naturally tilts towards the newcomers.
"You're amazing. You don't even remember this place where you were born and raised. You haven't come back since you went to college, right?" Datou made wine for Pei Yifeng.
He looked at Lin Yaohui and said, "I came back once, Yaoyao, do you remember?"
Lin Yao couldn't look at him for more than two seconds before dodging, "It's been too long, I don't remember much."
Heipi asked him, "Your mother moved so far away, is she okay?"
"She hasn't been in good health in recent years and has been receiving treatment. She recently wanted to come back to visit. She's also been staying in a hotel here these days."
Lin Yao remembered that Chen Lanjing's face was swollen and looked different than a normal face.
"What's wrong with Aunt Lan Jing?" She finally asked.
He paused and smiled, "No big problem."
Seeing that Lisa didn't eat, Datou took care of her, "What flavor do you want? The environment of this restaurant is not so good, but the food is the best in this area. Try it." He stood up to serve her and moved a pot of garlic in front of her.
Lisa still kept her distance, smiling and waving her hand, "No thanks!"
She is from Hong Kong and speaks Cantonese. She probably doesn't eat crayfish, and I didn't see her drink a sip of beer.
Pei Yifeng explained, "She usually doesn't eat at night." He stood up and thoughtfully brought her a glass of boiled water.
She picked up the water and drank it, and the big diamond ring on her left ring finger was particularly eye-catching.
Lin Yao could see it, but she was still at a loss. She just peeled the shrimps, but didn't eat them, which made her stomach uncomfortable. If she didn't peel them, she wouldn't have anywhere to put her hands. So she peeled them one by one and piled them on Lin Yuxun's plate beside her.
Lin Yuxun said she didn't like spicy food. He believed that she had lost her mind while sitting in front of that man and couldn't distinguish the taste, so everything she peeled tasted spicy.
He didn't like crayfish, but he accepted this rare treat and pretended to enjoy it, eating it anyway, sweating profusely and swallowing hard. Fortunately, Datou ordered him a bowl of clear soup noodles, which eased his stomach.
Datou brought up the topic of Pei Yifeng and Lisa.
"How did you two meet?"
"We met at the US airport and then met again at the Hong Kong airport. It was fate." Lisa said, leaning close to Pei Yifeng.
She started talking and started talking a lot. She first asked about Hei Pi's occupation, and then asked about Datou's.
Datou asked her about her occupation, which triggered her to talk nonstop. She said that she was a university teacher, an assistant professor, majoring in economics, and like Pei Yifeng, she studied at a top three university in Hong Kong. She also talked about her doctoral study experience, saying that after graduating from the University of Hong Kong, she went to the United States to study. When talking about her research field in economics, she used several professional-related English words in one sentence. Datou didn't understand what she understood and felt that she had a sense of superiority. He praised her politely, saying that she and Pei Yifeng were not only a perfect match, but also a pair of outstanding talents.
"Where is Miss Lin? What industry does Miss Lin work in?" She stared at Lin Yao.
She always followed Pei Yifeng's way of addressing others, and was very formal to Lin Yao.
Lin Yao makes a living by judging people, and she can see the unfriendly look in the other person's eyes.
She took off her disposable gloves, wiped her hands with a tissue, and looked at her straight in the eye. "I'm a headhunter."
Lisa nodded and said, "Oh," with a look of disdain on her face. "I don't know much about headhunters. Which company does Miss Lin work for?"
"My company is small and insignificant."
She then asked, "Where did you graduate from? What was your major?"
Pei Yifeng's face changed drastically when she asked this question. He didn't allow her to ask any more questions. He looked at Lin Yao and said, "Yaoyao is very good. She will excel wherever she studies."
She had been completely defeated by him before. He was both light and shadow to her. At this moment, when he said "protect" her, she took it as a courtesy and didn't care. Now she really felt that there was nothing to be ashamed of. He looked her straight in the face and replied, "I have a bachelor's degree from a mainland university, an ordinary school."
Heipi knew Lin Yao's situation and interrupted, "Yaoyao is more motivated than me and Datou. She even took the postgraduate entrance exam."
Pei Yifeng looked at her with a subtle expression and asked, "Did you take the postgraduate entrance exam? Which one did you take?"
Lin Yao was speechless.
Lin Yuxun had originally been too lazy to pay attention to the couple sitting across from him, but ever since they interrupted him, he'd been practicing what he'd said to Lin Yao on the phone: not interrupt their conversation, taking care of Lin Yao, eating his food, and not asking questions or responding. He couldn't stand it, thinking of her, a person with a sharp mind. He'd tried so hard to get her into his schemes, but he still couldn't. He wondered where that powerful tongue had gone. She sat before this man, letting him rip her alive, her intelligence diminishing.
He put down his bowl, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and said to Pei Yifeng, "Professor Pei, you two are childhood friends. You usually just call each other, but you don't care to ask about it? Why are you asking so many questions here? This is our hometown, a place for relationships, not a place for you professors to lecture on worldly success theories. Please don't treat childhood friends like students and interrogate them."
After saying this, Lisa's face flushed red, and her straight body finally moved. Pei Yifeng was also extremely embarrassed. Facing his provocative eyes, he could only respond with a meaningful smile.
Everyone was silent for a few seconds.
"Oh, the wind on the river is so strong. It's very cool tonight. Let's drink some wine." Big Head scratched his head and raised the bottle.
He sensed something strange and tried to lighten the mood, bringing up some past events. "Professor Pei and I were brothers who jumped into the river, and it was Hei Pi and Yao Yao who saved our lives. Professor Pei used to be the wildest kid. He was older than us, and he'd often trick a few of us into sneaking across the river with him. Back in elementary school, it must have been Mid-Autumn Festival, and he tricked us into sneaking a ferry across the river. I slipped overboard at the ferry port, and he jumped in to get me out. If Yao Yao and Hei Pi hadn't been crying and begging for help, we would have both been dead. He was in a terrible situation, and he suffered a second ordeal when he got home. I saw it with my own eyes: his mother stripped him naked and whipped him mercilessly while he cried."
Hei Pi also tried to ease the atmosphere. "There was an even crazier time. It was during Chinese New Year. A few of us ran into a dark alley. He was playing with firecrackers. He lit them with his hand and threw them. He missed and landed on Yaoyao's instep. Yaoyao was in trouble. A bloody hole was blown out through his shoe. Yaoyao, you still remember it, right?"
Gunpowder can cause amputations if it gets too serious. Lin Yao was at the hospital every day during Chinese New Year. By then, the adults' relationships had broken down, and the children were still secretly playing together. A fiery Tang Ruifen went to Chen Lanjing's place, cursing at both adults and children alike. It wasn't a peaceful New Year.
The scar on Lin Yao's left instep is still there, how could she forget it.
The wind was getting stronger, she felt a little cold, and she hugged her arms tightly and smiled.
Neither she nor Pei Yifeng responded to Chen Nian's question. Lisa nodded and laughed in agreement without asking any more questions.
Lin Yuxun couldn't listen any longer, feeling bored, so he stood up and walked towards the car without saying hello. Everyone at the table looked at him, puzzled.
He got into the car to get his own white casual jacket, then came back and quietly put it on Lin Yao.
Lin Yao held onto his clothes and said, "Thank you."
Pei Yifeng looked at it, the corners of his mouth trembling slightly.
Long Weihe called at this time. Lin Yao left under the pretext of answering the phone. She walked far away to the riverside and was about to answer the call. The other party hung up, so she called back.
"Why didn't you call me when I got home? You didn't reply to my messages. Is he safe?"
Long Weihe asked about safety, and she couldn't help herself. Her belief collapsed. The past ten years were all just illusions. Her eyes reddened and she said, "She's still alive."
Qian Duoduo was arguing with her, asking her to bring him some cakes and pastries that she had brought before. She calmed down and agreed.
These two people became her only emotional outlet when she was vulnerable.
When she came back, Lisa said, "It's getting late. We have things to do tomorrow, so we're leaving now."
Pei Yifeng stood up and raised the bottle of wine, "Sorry."
The sound of the bottle makes people disperse.
Lin Yuxun and Lin Yao stood there, watching them leave. Datou and Heipi moved to see them off.
When they reached the other side of the street, Pei Yifeng stopped and said, "Wait a few minutes, I want to talk to Yaoyao's boyfriend."
The three of them stood by the river and waited. Datou took the opportunity to show Lisa the river view and give her some introductions.
He walked back to the two of them. He had just said he wanted to talk to Lin Yuxun, but now he ignored him and said to Lin Yao, "Say a few words?"
Lin Yuxun looked at her with a squint as she struggled to move with him, frowned, grabbed the beer bottle next to her, sat down and drank it all in one gulp.
The two people who walked away were about ten meters away from him.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern in his eyes.
"good."
"Is work going well?"
"It went smoothly."
He glanced at the river, then turned back to stare at her. "You've changed a lot."
She didn't know what he was referring to, so she smiled politely, "Brother Xiaofeng has changed a lot, and your sister-in-law is also excellent. I'll learn from you."
"Is he good to you?"
Pei Yifeng glanced at Lin Yuxun.
She realized that he thought he was her boyfriend, paused, and nodded, "Very good."
"You two are a good match, that's great. Take care."
He looked at her, took two steps back, turned to Lin Yuxun, and stood in front of him.
Lin Yuxun cooperated and stood up.
This time he extended his hand first, "Nice to meet you, goodbye."
Lin Yuxun shook it and said, "Goodbye."
He looked at her again, smiled, turned around and walked away, his steps so fast that he disappeared from her sight in an instant.
He didn't even ask for her contact information. Seeing him gentlemanly open the car door for his girlfriend and never look back at her, she knew this was a real goodbye. She smiled and suppressed the uneasy look in her eyes, saying, "Goodbye, Pei Yifeng."
Big Head and Black Skin turned back.
She sat down next to Lin Yuxun, took a bottle opener and opened a bottle of wine and placed it in front of him. She also opened a bottle for herself and knocked the bottle in front of him, "I'm sorry for not treating classmate Lin well." After saying that, she raised her head and drank.
Datou came back and shook his head, "It's rare for us all to get together, but the lunatic didn't even have a drink with us. He's really henpecked."
"There is always a distance between him and us. He wandered around for a few years and came back to do academic research. Professor Pei is now aloof." Hei Pi said.
Pei Yifeng had changed drastically in their impression. He used to be the most active person, but tonight he was not excited and didn't talk much. He brought his girlfriend with him but she refused to eat or touch anything, making everyone feel restrained and the gathering was not enjoyable.
Datou and Lin Yao bumped into each other. "I thought you would be pleasantly surprised to see each other, but are you still estranged by those trivial things between adults? Were you fine before?"
"It's been a while since we last met, so that's it." Lin Yao said in a few words.
She smiled at Lin Yuxun, who was drinking silently, looking slightly drunk. "Cheers, Lin! I'll take you to the ferry later."
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