They had been eating for over ten minutes since the dishes arrived.
Zeng Haiyan stood up and pulled the baijiu and Minute Maid Pulpy closer.
She first filled the empty glasses in front of Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin with baijiu, then replaced Zhou Qiang's and Li Lanxiang's glasses with larger ones and filled them to the brim with juice.
"We women don't do that whole pressuring-people-to-drink thing." Zeng Haiyan set down the bottle with an easy air. "Drink if you want to. If you don't, nobody should force you. When I don't feel like drinking, nobody can talk me into it. When I do, I'll pour it myself."
At those words, Wei Zijin and Li Lanxiang immediately found a kindred spirit.
"Exactly! I hate all those drinking-table games."
"Haiyan's right! I'm the same."
Zeng Haiyan raised her glass and turned to Wang Xiaoliang.
"This first toast has to be to you."
Wang Xiaoliang was taken aback and looked up at her.
"To apologize. I was wrong to tell Zijin you weren't good enough for her." Zeng Haiyan spoke frankly. "I was being stubborn back then. I kept thinking Zijin was a fairy from heaven and nobody deserved her. I had to vet people for her, terrified she'd get taken in. Thinking about it now, I was judging you unfairly. Xiaoliang, I'll finish mine. You drink as much as you like."
With that, she tipped back her head and downed the baijiu in one clean motion.
Wang Xiaoliang was completely dumbfounded.
What... was going on with this woman? Just days ago, she'd been like a fighting rooster, all prickles, and now she was backing down of her own accord? What was this act?
While he was still dazed, a sharp pain shot through his thigh beneath the table.
Wei Zijin