Zhang Qian slipped her arm familiarly through Ye Buyu's, glanced around, and pulled her toward the conspicuous little playground.
"Come on, let's talk over there."
Holding a grilled sausage, Ye Buyu stared blankly at the colorful lights before her, feeling as though a lifetime had passed.
Zhang Qian pulled her along, chatting as they walked. "You said you were looking for part-time work. Did you find anything suitable?"
"Uh, sort of. What about you?"
"Me? I got into the university I wanted." Zhang Qian smiled happily. "I arranged with everyone in class to have a little reunion here today. I even brought presents for everyone."
Ye Buyu chewed her sausage. "Really? What a coincidence."
"Yeah, I never thought I'd run into you here." Zhang Qian asked, "Want to see our old classmates?"
Ye Buyu thought for a moment. "Sure. I'm here already."
She couldn't refuse to see her old classmates just because she had become an Awakened. Everyone in her old class had been really nice.
"That's what I thought." Zhang Qian led Ye Buyu past the food stalls toward the little square.
"We agreed to meet over there, where they're doing the square dancing."
"Boom, tss, boom, tss..."
As the bodies swaying to the music came into view, Ye Buyu marveled at how trendy the aunties were.
Zhang Qian looked around and waved toward a group whispering among themselves. "Over here! Over here!"
But the music was too loud and drowned out her voice.
Helpless, the two could only weave through the crowd to join the others.
By the time they reached the group, the square dance with its infectious beat had ended. The lead dancer up front picked up a microphone and stood in the middle of the flower bed.
"Guests, dancers, welcome. The warm-up is over. The