Everyone finally sat down at the same table again after so long, but the atmosphere was still rather awkward.
The seating arrangement went like this: Xia Lin and Lu Tao sat to Wang Yan's left, while Yang Xiaoyun, Mila, Lulu, Huazi, and Xiang Nan sat to his right, forming a circle around the table.
Lu Tao and Xia Lin looked at Mila, while Mila chatted with Yang Xiaoyun and Lulu beside her...
Everyone at the table could feel Lu Tao and Xia Lin's awkwardness.
Huazi smiled. "Come on, come on, let's have a drink. Mila's back in the country—we should celebrate."
"Right, right, drink up." Xiang Nan couldn't stand the awkwardness either and raised his glass in agreement.
Mila finally gave them some face and drank a glass of beer with them.
After setting down his glass, Lu Tao finally spoke. "Mila, a warm welcome back home."
"Yeah, Mila, welcome back," Xia Lin echoed.
Their words were official and polite.
Mila smiled and asked, "Do you really welcome me?"
"Of course we do. I'll have another." Lu Tao picked up the bottle and drank straight from it.
"I'll have one too." Xia Lin raised her bottle as well, and the two of them chugged away together.
Mila looked disgusted. "That's enough, you two. Do you think drinking a little will make you feel better? Does it help? You already did what you did, so what's the point of all this nonsense?"
Xia Lin said, "It may be pointless, but we still want to express our apology."
"Apologizing after you've killed someone? The person's already dead—what use is your apology?" Mila waved her hand. "Enough. Don't bring up the past. It ruins my mood. Just looking at the two of you ruins my mood."
"Mila!" Lu Tao grew a little emotional.