The man's hand was warm and strong; the woman's was cool and soft.
Their hands clasped, and their eyes met.
An unfamiliar feeling stirred in Jian Shuyue's heart.
Three years had passed since they last met.
The man before her looked the same, but his bearing had undergone a complete transformation.
His brows were sharp as swords, his gaze deep as the sea.
The boy's youthful awkwardness had long since faded, replaced by maturity and resolve forged through life's trials and tempered by time.
The boy who used to blush and flounder whenever she teased him had been lovely too, but sorry, she preferred the Zhou Yi of today: steady, composed, and quietly formidable.
Especially the Zhou Yi in police uniform last night, who had subdued a whole pack of thugs and bullies with a few punches, a few kicks, and a few words.
After shaking Jian Shuyue's hand, Zhou Yi offered his hand to Tian Tian.
To his surprise, Demon Tian smiled sweetly and slowly opened her arms.
A flicker of surprise crossed Zhou Yi's eyes, but he stepped forward without hesitation.
Ahem, ahem, ahem...
A string of coughs came from the doorway.
But that did nothing to shake Tian Tian's determination to give her dear friend a little treat.
Her soft body nestled against him, warm and fragrant.
Outwardly, Zhou Yi remained perfectly composed, but inwardly, he couldn't help feeling a little flutter.
This temptress really did have an incredible figure!
Dressed in "matching outfits," the man and woman embraced, looking for all the world like a couple in love.
Hou Xiaolei and the others could only watch in envy. They had never received a treat like that.
Xu Heng strode over, regarding Zhou Yi with open hostility.
As far as he remembered, he had never seen Tian Tian share such intimate contact with another man.
Clearly, last night's heroic rescue had made quite an impression.
He had to keep his guard up.
"And you are...?" Zhou Yi looked back at him, asking a question he already knew the answer to.
"I'm Xu Heng, Tian Tian's... friend," Xu Heng answered coldly.
By contrast, Bai Haoxuan was much friendlier. He stepped forward with a smile and introduced himself. "I'm Bai Haoxuan, Shu Yue's... friend."
"Nice to meet you both! I'm Zhou Yi, Shu Yue and Tian Tian's classmate from middle school and high school."
Zhou Yi shook their hands warmly, then asked with a smile, "Have you two had dinner yet?"
Bai Haoxuan smiled and shook his head. "Not yet. Shu Yue and Tian Tian said the pork stew here was really authentic, so we thought we'd try it."
"Oh." Zhou Yi nodded, then politely extended his right hand toward the door. "Then we won't keep you from your dinner. See you another time."
The smile froze on Bai Haoxuan's face.
Wait, weren't northeasterners supposed to be big on hospitality?
Weren't you supposed to invite us to join you in a situation like this?
That guy called Monkey had done exactly that last night!
Why weren't you following the script?
Hou Xiaolei, Yan Lingling, and the others stared for a moment, then nearly burst out laughing.
Every one of them gave him a mental thumbs-up.
Nobody did it like you, Zhou Yi.
Meanwhile, Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian stood aside as though none of this concerned them, watching the spectacle with perfect nonchalance.
We told you not to come, but you insisted.
Feeling awkward now?
Served you right!
"Unfortunately, we got here too late. There aren't any tables left." Bai Haoxuan struggled to maintain his smile as he dropped another hint.
Proud as he was, why would he shamelessly force his way into someone else's class reunion if not for Jian Shuyue and his parents' strict orders?
Did he and Xu Heng not realize that their behavior would annoy people and breed resentment?
They did!
But what choice did they have?
Xu Heng continued to stare coldly at Zhou Yi. If he turned them down again, Xu Heng would leave without a second thought.
Their behavior might have been somewhat rude, but Zhou Yi's pettiness and meanness were hardly any better.
He refused to believe Tian Tian would like a man like that.
"If you don't mind, why don't you join us for a few drinks?"
To everyone's surprise, Zhou Yi redirected his outstretched right hand toward the private dining room.
The same gesture conveyed a completely different meaning with a change of direction and a different line of dialogue.
Bai Haoxuan and Xu Heng stared at Zhou Yi in surprise for a long moment, then slowly nodded and accepted his invitation.
What did it mean to know when to advance and retreat, with a plan for every turn?
What did it mean to measure one's words and leave room to maneuver?
In Zhou Yi, Bai Haoxuan and Xu Heng caught faint glimpses of certain men from their fathers' generation.
This guy really did have something going for him!
Pork stew, crispy sweet-and-sour pork, stir-fried pork intestines, stir-fried hazel mushrooms, candied sweet potatoes, chilled broad bean-starch noodles...
Before long, dish after dish covered the table.
Like a pair of guardian statues, Bai Haoxuan and Xu Heng flanked Zhou Yi, one on either side, completely eliminating any chance of him sitting next to Jian Shuyue or Tian Tian.
A reunion of old classmates was naturally warm, relaxed, and lively.
Especially among northeasterners: glug, glug, glug, fill the glasses, then raise them and drain them in one gulp. All their affection was in the drink.
Despite the two uninvited guests, everyone's enthusiasm for exchanging toasts remained largely unaffected. Laughter filled the private room, and the atmosphere was wonderfully harmonious.
Bai Haoxuan and Xu Heng exchanged a glance, then launched their long-planned attack on their primary target.
First came conversation.
That was right. The best way to deal with a country bumpkin like this was through conversation, using their vast knowledge and broad experience to expose his intellectual poverty and shallow ignorance, battering him until his self-esteem lay in pieces.
This was what it meant to crush a man's spirit!
Then Jian Shuyue, Tian Tian, and the others could only stare blankly as the three men sat there holding forth, their sprawling conversation running to thousands of words.
From astronomy above to geography below, with history and politics spanning the space between.
From the Big Bang to the origin of species and the evolution of life, from Pangu creating the world to the pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures and the Calabash Brothers, from the Grand Canyon to Victoria Falls and Mount Everest, from Empress Wu Zetian to Queen Elizabeth and Catherine the Great, from World War I to World War II and the Cold War, from WTO to CEO and UFO, from fighter jet aerodynamic configurations to troubleshooting motorcycle carburetors, from postpartum care for sows to Saddam's preparations for battle...
The sheer variety of subjects, breadth of knowledge, and enormous leaps between topics left everyone awestruck and feeling hopelessly outclassed.
Bai Haoxuan and Xu Heng talked themselves dry, yet still failed to achieve their goal.
Watching the unhurried, perfectly composed Zhou Yi, both men felt a profound sense of defeat.
You could talk about anything! Were you running a pyramid scheme or something?
"Zhou, don't take this the wrong way. I'm just curious. How much do you make a month as captain of the public order unit?"
When one plan failed, another took its place.
Xu Heng launched the second wave of attack.
"Not much." Zhou Yi seemed distinctly embarrassed to say.
"How much is 'not much'? You must have a number," Bai Haoxuan pressed.
"Just under ten thousand yuan," Zhou Yi answered mildly.
How much?
Bai Haoxuan and Xu Heng froze on the spot.
Before you continue