75 Matchmaking
The morning light was just beginning to fade, and the skyline outside the window was just beginning to turn pale. Liu Yuwei had already returned from her run. She'd bought two cups of soy milk and a tray of xiaolongbao (steamed dumplings). Knowing Jin Lang needed to control his calorie intake, she'd also cooked eggs and broccoli. As they sat at the dining table, Liu Yuwei casually mentioned that her high school homeroom teacher was coming to Beijing North on a business trip in a few days, and they were planning to find time to get together. The liberal arts and science experimental classes shared faculty from the three core subjects, so a few of Jin Lang's classmates were also in the impromptu WeChat group. Jin Lang checked his schedule and saw he had an out-of-town event that day, making it difficult for him to get back. Liu Yuwei uttered an "oh" and said nothing more. Seeing that she seemed preoccupied, Jin Lang quickly offered his advice. "If you want me to go, I'll talk to Zhang Yi and see if we can make some adjustments." "No need!" She looked up and forced a faint smile. "It's just a class reunion, not something you absolutely have to attend." Despite that, she didn't touch her chopsticks much, her eyes drifting out the window, as if lost in thought. For the next few days, Liu Yuwei wasn't in high spirits during video calls or phone calls. It was like a pebble stuck in Jin Lang's shoe; he felt an inexplicable discomfort. He tried to get it out, but nothing came out. Seeing that he wasn't as cheerful as he had been a while ago, Xiao Zhou couldn't help but ask if he and Liu Yuwei had had a fight. Jin Lang, frustrated at having no one to talk to, was desperate to find a solution. After hearing the whole story, Xiao Zhou's expression dawned on him. "At a class reunion like this, gossip is inevitable: who makes the most money, who married well, whose children are already well-off... Sister Yuwei would definitely want you to support her!" Then, Xiao Zhou found a clip from a hit idol drama from two years ago on a video streaming app. It was a sweet scene where the male lead confessed his love and kissed her at a class reunion, a scene so sweet it was almost unbearable. Jin Lang stared at the beautiful scene on the screen, suddenly remembering Liu Yuwei's recent initiative and enthusiasm. These subtle changes, highlighted by Xiao Zhou's words, suddenly formed a complete picture. He felt a surge of joy, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up. Indeed, their relationship had always been hidden in the dark, and she had perhaps long been expecting a small circle of blessings. A class reunion was the perfect occasion, where, in front of familiar teachers and classmates, a glance, a tacit gesture, could silently declare their relationship. Regardless, any form of publicity meant the relationship was about to enter the next stage. Jin Lang took a swig of iced American coffee, the bitterness of the coffee unable to mask the sweetness in his heart. He pulled out his phone, opened Zhang Yi's chat box, and typed rapidly. [Next week...
The morning light was just beginning to fade, and the skyline outside the window was just beginning to turn pale. Liu Yuwei had already returned from her run. She bought two cups of soy milk and a tray of dumplings. Knowing that Jin Lang needed to control his calorie intake, she also cooked eggs and broccoli.
The two of them sat at the dining table, and Liu Yuwei casually mentioned that their high school homeroom teacher would be traveling to Beijing in the next few days, and they were planning to find time to get together. The liberal arts and science experimental classes had originally shared faculty from the three main subjects, so a few of Jin Lang's classmates were also included in the impromptu WeChat group.
Jin Lang looked through his schedule and found that he had an event out of town that day, so it would be difficult for him to get back. Liu Yuwei said "Oh" and said nothing more.
Seeing that she seemed to be worried, Jin Lang quickly spoke out.
"If you want me to go, I'll discuss it with Zhang Yi and see if we can make some adjustments."
“No need!”
She looked up and forced a faint smile, "It's just a class reunion, not an occasion you have to go to."
Having said that, she didn't move her chopsticks much, and her eyes wandered out the window, as if she was thinking about something else.
Liu Yuwei wasn't in high spirits during the following days of video calls or phone calls. It was like a pebble stuck in Jin Lang's shoe, a painful, inexplicable pain he'd been trying to get out, but nothing came out.
Seeing that he was not as cheerful as before, Xiao Zhou couldn't help but ask him if he had had a fight with Liu Yuwei.
Jin Lang was worried about having no one to talk to, so he was desperate to find a cure. After Xiao Zhou heard the whole story, his expression became clear.
"At a class reunion like this, gossip is inevitable: who makes the most money, who married well, whose children are already wealthy... Sister Yu Wei is definitely hoping you can go and support her!"
After saying that, Xiao Zhou found a clip from a popular idol drama from the past two years on the video software. The male lead took the initiative to confess his love and kissed her at a class reunion, which was so sweet that it was outrageous.
Jin Lang stared at the beautiful scene on the screen and suddenly remembered Liu Yuwei's recent initiative and enthusiasm. These subtle changes were touched upon by Xiao Zhou's words, and suddenly the complete picture was pieced together.
He felt secretly delighted and couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth.
Indeed, their relationship had always been hidden in the dark, and she might have long been looking forward to receiving a small circle of blessings. A class reunion is the best occasion, in front of familiar teachers and classmates, a glance, a tacit gesture, can silently declare their relationship.
In any case, any form of disclosure means that the relationship is about to enter the next stage.
Jin Lang took a swig of his iced American coffee. Even the bitterness couldn't mask the sweetness in his heart. He pulled out his phone, opened Zhang Yi's chat box, and typed rapidly.
Can next Wednesday's event be rescheduled? I have something important to attend to.
…
As Liu Yuwei pushed open the door to the hotel's private room, the sound of playful laughter instantly reached her ears. Beneath the bright crystal chandelier, five or six people were already surrounding Teacher Wu, who sat in the center. Song Miao sat to the teacher's right, her white dress particularly eye-catching.
Liu Yuwei couldn't help but take a second look. The long, wavy hair she'd worn last time they met had been trimmed down to shoulder-length, with only the ends slightly curled inward, accentuating her slim neck. Her makeup was translucent, and her flawless skin glowed a healthy, rosy glow under the light, easily reminiscent of her youthful beauty in high school.
"Yu Wei, come quickly!"
Song Miao saw her first, immediately stood up and ran over, grabbed her arm, and pushed her to the empty seat to the left of Teacher Wu.
"Teacher Wu said this position is reserved for you!"
Liu Yuwei smiled and sat down. The door to the private room opened again, and people began to arrive. As they chatted, the round table quickly filled up. The former classmates looked different now, but all shared the warmth of reunion. Zheng Yan, the monitor of Liu Yuwei's class and the convener of the gathering, glanced at the time and raised his hand to signal the waiter to serve the food.
As the glasses were passed around and the alcohol took its toll, the atmosphere at the table became increasingly lively.
"Zheng Yan, why didn't you call Jin Lang?"
Teacher Wu suddenly spoke, obviously still remembering his promise to assist Song Miao during the Chinese New Year.
"Teacher Wu, you're making things difficult for me! Even Song Miao couldn't invite him, how could I have such a big face!"
Song Miao quickly explained, "I sent him a WeChat message, but he has work today and can't get away."
As soon as he finished speaking, the classmates started to make a noise.
"It's maintenance already started, and we didn't say anything!"
Zheng Yan took the lead, and the mockery in his eyes could not be hidden.
"Hey, hey, hey, for so many years, whenever I tell my female colleagues that I'm Jin Lang's classmate, they'll chase me and ask if there's any gossip about him at school!"
The man with black-framed glasses beamed with joy, his voice filled with excitement. He arrived early, so Liu Yuwei didn't hear his self-introduction, but from what he said, she guessed he was from Jin Lang's class.
"I always say that Jin Lang's first love was the school beauty of our class. You guys, just think about it. It's important for people to know themselves!"
As he spoke, he winked at Song Miao.
"You have such a sharp tongue!" the slightly plump female classmate next to her complained.
"Isn't it true? Which girl in our school doesn't like Jin Lang? But even a handsome guy can only fall at the feet of a beautiful woman!"
The noise continued, and the man with glasses seemed to have opened up and began to talk incessantly about Jin Lang's high school days.
"He was quite interesting back then. He would always wait for Song Miao to arrive at the basketball court before going on the court, for fear that others would miss his dashing figure."
"Also, he had a precious amulet in his pencil case. One time, I borrowed a pen and it accidentally fell to the ground. Someone behind me stepped on it without noticing. I still remember the look he gave them.
"Song Miao, just tell me, is it you who gave it to me?"
Liu Yuwei knew the answer, of course, because she and Song Miao had gone to ask for it together. She sat quietly, listening to the details of which she knew nothing, and suddenly felt that this party was like another torture for the fifteen-year-old Liu Yuwei.
"Okay, stop teasing me. This is so outdated!"
Song Miao finally spoke out to dissuade him, but her cheeks were flushed suspiciously.
"Song Miao, have you and Jin Lang already been secretly together?"
Someone else asked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. When that dating variety show started the scandal between him and Lin Yuwei, I thought it had to be fake!"
Everyone was talking at once, like a group of ants surrounding a candy jar.
"Come to think of it, didn't Jin Lang go to that program as a guest in the observation room?" The female classmate sitting opposite Liu Yuwei put down her chopsticks.
"There seemed to be a discussion about whether one needs to experience different people before knowing what they want. Jin Lang said at the time that he was lucky."
"Then what?"
A group of people waited anxiously for the follow-up.
"Then the host asked him if he had gained experience from talking so much, or if he had met the right person a long time ago."
"Of course!" Someone quickly chimed in, pointing a finger across the table. "The answer is right before our eyes!"
Including Teacher Wu, everyone looked at Song Miao again.
She clasped her hands together and said, "Please forgive me. If one day it really happens as you said, I will definitely give red envelopes to everyone immediately!"
This sentence is quite cleverly said. On the surface it is a denial, but it seems to leave a sweet suspense.
Teacher Wu glanced at Liu Yuyi, who was picking at the broken piece of fish on the plate with his head down and had not participated in the discussion, so he turned around and asked gently.
"Yuwei, how about you? Have you made any new moves recently? Have you found a boyfriend?"
Song Miao immediately changed the subject and scolded everyone, "You should also care about other students! Stop focusing on me!"
Liu Yuwei was somewhat bewildered by the sudden attention. He smiled awkwardly and, amidst the gossipy glances, slowly spoke, "I'm still the same. My work and life are pretty much the same."
"Student Councillor, you're just too low-key! Tell us what you like. Our company actually has quite a few high-quality single young men with good character and abilities!"
Zheng Yan patted his chest, as if he was responsible for helping Liu Yuwei find a partner.
"Yes, you are all of the same age. If you have reliable male colleagues, you should think of your own people first!"
Teacher Wu also joined in, and she gave Liu Yuwei a look that said, "Tell me about it."
"There aren't any special requirements. Just good chemistry and being able to chat." Liu Yuwei thought of Tang Mei's experience and added, "The most important thing is emotional stability. Of course, reliable work is even better!"
"My husband works in the Finance Office. A colleague of his has just been promoted to director. I've met him a few times before and he's a really nice guy, but..."
The female classmate said something without thinking, and she realized that it might not be appropriate. Someone at the table rolled their eyes, and those who didn't know her thought she was showing off her husband.
Liu Yuwei probably guessed that the unspoken part was nothing more than his age or previous marriage. Seeing the other person's face flushing, he kindly tried to help him out.
"I'm not young anymore, so I'm also open to considering good-quality men who are divorced or widowed. Whether I can find my single life this year depends on you all!"
The awkwardness in the air suddenly eased, no one blamed the female classmate who had spoken out of turn, and the table became lively and cheerful again.
…
When Jin Lang arrived at the hotel entrance, the clock had already pointed to eight o'clock. He imagined Liu Yuwei's surprised expression when she saw him unexpectedly appear, but when he entered the room and looked around, he found that she was not there.
As soon as the topic's central male protagonist arrived, everyone automatically moved around and quickly made room for the seat next to Song Miao. Before Jin Lang could react, he was pushed and pressed onto a chair by several male classmates.
He collected himself, picked up the wine dispenser, and poured himself a glass. He toasted Teacher Wu, offered a few words of blessing, and then punished himself with three glasses of wine, saying it was an apology for being late. The students, who had initially been somewhat polite and distant toward the celebrity, finally dropped their restraints, letting their genuine feelings flow freely, and the room became even more lively than before.
"Jin Lang, weren't you out of town? Why are you rushing here again?"
The man with glasses teased him in a different tone, his eyes moving between him and Song Miao, "Are you thinking about a female classmate?"
Everyone was so happy that they started laughing.
Jin Lang was quite surprised, but then he thought that Liu Yuwei had already told everyone the truth, so he raised the corners of his mouth and remained silent.
Now the scene became even more lively.
"Song Miao, look, we are classmates, and you were hiding it just now!"
A male classmate made a teasing remark, but was quickly rebuked.
"What do you, a bunch of uncouth men, know? Of course, the man has to take the initiative to swear in this kind of thing! Have you ever seen a female lead in a TV show go out and make an announcement with a loud speaker?"
Seeing Song Miao's blushing cheeks, Teacher Wu thought that she had finally got what she wanted and hurriedly raised the wine glass at hand.
"Shouldn't we all celebrate for them?"
Jin Lang finally realized what was going on. To save Song Miao's face, he didn't expose her directly. He jokingly asked, "Why are you still trying to matchmake people?"
He patted the shoulder of a boy from the same class beside him and said, "You're already a father, and you're still teasing me about things that happened in school. We were young and ignorant, and it was all just a joke, wasn't it?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into silence. Everyone looked at each other.
Jin Lang looked at this group of familiar and unfamiliar faces. He was afraid that before he came, they had already made many similar remarks in front of Liu Yuwei, and his heart sank.
Under the gaze of more than a dozen people, Song Miao quickly adjusted his mood.
"You didn't believe what I said. Now that we've been so embarrassed, I can only call him Mr. Jin next time we meet!"
Everyone knew that Song Miao was providing tax consulting to Jin Lang, so they naturally understood what she meant.
"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding!"
The male student who was making the most noise quickly stepped forward to try to stop the situation. "Come on, I'll drink a glass myself!"
But Jin Lang's acquiescing expression a quarter of an hour ago clearly had a hidden meaning, and several female classmates who were far away couldn't help but lean over and whisper in his ears.
The person who was trying to find a date for Liu Yuwei took the plunge and asked Jin Lang directly, "Big star, do you have a girlfriend now?"
Before Jin Lang could answer, a voice rang out: "I was just about to introduce a divorced male director to Liu Yuwei. What's the matter? Is there a widowed female director in your husband's unit?"
The person who spoke was the woman who had just rolled her eyes. These two people didn't get along well in high school.
When Jin Lang heard this, the smile in his eyes quickly disappeared and his brows furrowed slightly.
"Liu Yuwei is still single?"
Zheng Yan, confused, immediately replied, "Yes, if you find someone suitable, please keep an eye out for our class committee!"
The thick-skinned man didn't notice that Jin Lang's face was getting darker and darker, and instead continued to attack him.
"However, she said she likes stable and down-to-earth work, and people from your literary and artistic circles probably don't quite match her needs."
"That's not necessarily true. I actually know someone who's quite suitable for Liu Yuwei!"
Jin Lang immediately refuted and asked, "Why did she leave? Otherwise, I could introduce her to someone else."
"I received a phone call, and he seemed very anxious."
Others gave vague answers.
"It's okay, add her in the group later! She said she's relying on everyone to find her way out of being single this year!"
Jin Lang never expected that his expectations would be so different from reality. He picked up his phone and sent Liu Yuwei a WeChat message, but he didn't receive a reply until the party was over.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
