Reunion

Lu Zhiyu tossed the keys to Xiao Le. "Xiao Le, please keep an eye on the shop for me. If anything urgent comes up, just give me a call!"

Xiao Le was busy teasing a kitten with a cat wand. She turned back and nodded. "Mm-hmm, I got it. Don't worry, Boss, go ahead and take care of your business!"

Lu Zhiyu put on his coat and got into the car with Wang Yi. Although he had already sensed Wang Yi's intentions through his mental power, Lu Zhiyu still asked, "What's so urgent that you had to come find me all of a sudden?"

Wang Yi climbed into the driver's seat, pulled the door shut, and said, "A class reunion! Our elementary school reunion. Someone called me out of the blue today to notify me, and I immediately thought of you. I came straight here to pick you up!"

Lu Zhiyu immediately recalled the event. "An elementary school reunion? Do you even remember what they look like? I'm afraid I don't even remember their names!"

Wang Yi immediately retorted, "What? You don't remember Fatty, Glasses, or Liu Dashao?"

Lu Zhiyu burst into laughter. "Now that you mention it, it all comes back to me. No way, are they all coming?"

Wang Yi laughed as well. "Fatty isn't here, but Glasses and Liu Dashao are both coming. It was actually Glasses who called me!"

Lu Zhiyu nodded. "You still have their contact information? I haven't been in touch with them for so many years!"

Lu Zhiyu had attended elementary school at his grandparents' house in a small county under E Province, about two hours away from the provincial capital. Since the old family home had long been abandoned and sold years ago, Lu Zhiyu had never returned.

Now, watching the car drive toward the hometown of his childhood memories, Lu Zhiyu felt a sense of anticipation. However, as the car entered the county seat and he saw the bustling traffic, high-rise buildings, and gridlocked streets, he suddenly realized he couldn't recall a thing. It looked nothing like the small county in his memories!

"The changes are too drastic; I can't remember anything. Is this... the old bridge area? They rebuilt the bridge? I remember it being a stone bridge!" Lu Zhiyu's mouth hung open as he looked outside, feeling the weight of time passing like a rushing river.

Wang Yi immediately said, "How many years has it been since you came back? Of course it's changed beyond recognition. Let me see, the place they booked is at the Food Mansion. Yes, it's this way. You know the Food Mansion, right? When I was in middle school and high school here, I often came here to eat for classmates' birthday parties and such!"

Lu Zhiyu shook his head. "I transferred out right after elementary school, so I don't have much of an impression!"

Just as they stepped out of the car, Lu Zhiyu and Wang Yi saw a large man standing at the entrance. Upon seeing Wang Yi, he ran over immediately, speaking in the local dialect, which made Lu Zhiyu feel a sense of warmth. "Wang Yi, you finally arrived! Hurry up and head up, second floor, second room on the left!"

Wang Yi and the large man hugged, thumping each other on the back, and laughed heartily. Then, Wang Yi turned to Lu Zhiyu and said, "Li Hao, the class monitor. Remember him?"

Lu Zhiyu immediately recalled him, his face lighting up with realization. He hadn't expected the class monitor from back then to have grown so heavy; he had been quite thin as a child. Now, he could only find a hint of familiarity in his features!

Only then did the large man notice Lu Zhiyu. "And this is?"

Wang Yi laughed loudly. "Take a guess!"

Li Hao looked closely, then suddenly shouted, "Lu Zhiyu! You're Lu Zhiyu, aren't you!"

Lu Zhiyu felt a surge of warmth and joy welling up from the bottom of his heart. The feeling of being recognized by an old classmate he hadn't seen in years moved him to embrace Li Hao. "That's right, Monitor! How did you get so fat? I remember you couldn't put on weight no matter how much you ate when we were kids!"

Li Hao let go and looked at Lu Zhiyu. "Let me see, let me see. My goodness, you were the best-looking kid in class back then. Now, I really wouldn't have dared to recognize you on the street. Why haven't you come back in all these years? We old classmates have missed you to death!"

Lu Zhiyu felt a bit embarrassed. "I was always studying away from home, and later I worked in Beijing. I don't have a house here anymore, so I never came back. But this is definitely my fault. No excuses—I'll take three penalty drinks later!"

"Three isn't enough! I'll make sure you know who's boss when we get up there. You two hurry up and go; I'll stay here to greet the other classmates!"

This hotel seemed to be the best in the county and had a certain level of class. Lu Zhiyu noted that the furnishings and decor were quite nice, and the service was very professional.

As soon as they entered the private room, they saw that many people were already seated. Everyone turned to look at Wang Yi, and quite a few stood up.

"Wang-shi, our great scientist has arrived! Come, come, sit next to me!"

"Old Wang, you're something else, fashionably late! Penalty drinks, penalty drinks!"

"Wang Yi, that's right, you have to pay the penalty!"

The loudest one was a young man wearing glasses, accompanied by a man with a buzz cut and a large head. Wang Yi immediately shouted, "Glasses, Wang Dashao, don't even think about ganging up on me today! Look who I brought with me!"

Everyone basically noticed Lu Zhiyu standing behind Wang Yi, but they hadn't yet realized who it was, as Lu Zhiyu had changed so much. However, Glasses immediately shouted, "Lu Zhiyu! You're back! Damn, how many years has it been since I last saw you!"

Hearing Glasses shout, everyone had an impression. When Lu Zhiyu was in elementary school, he was quite famous in the school—he had good grades, was handsome, and was well-liked by both teachers and students.

Many people immediately crowded around to catch up with Lu Zhiyu. Lu Zhiyu felt his childhood memories surfacing bit by bit, matching each person in front of him. After being away for so many years, Lu Zhiyu had almost come to believe he had become a lone wolf, never expecting to have so many classmates and friends!

"Wow, Glasses, you're already married?"

"That's nothing, Wang Dashao's son is already in kindergarten!"

"What about you, Lu Zhiyu? You look like this, you must be popular. Why didn't you bring a girlfriend today?"

"I'm not married yet. My girlfriend had to work today, and I came in such a rush that she couldn't make it!"

There were also many female classmates present, most of whom were already married, and the male classmates had mostly settled down as well. In the county, people tended to marry early, and many already had children. Thinking about it now, it was truly a poignant realization.

Just then, the door pushed open, and a girl with short hair walked in. She was wearing a uniform and looked as if she had just rushed over from work; she appeared thin and frail, and her complexion was somewhat pale.

Lu Zhiyu, sitting next to Wang Yi, immediately asked, "Who is this?"

Glasses immediately shouted, "Lu Zhiyu, have you forgotten? That's Ai Shu!"

Lu Zhiyu felt his head reel. "What?"

PS: A new week has begun. Here is the first chapter of the day; by the way, please vote!