Zhao Menghua looked up at Chen Wenwen across from him, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He cleared his throat, reaching into his pocket, with the stance of someone about to make a speech. Liu Miaomiao hurriedly reached under the table to pull him back, but Zhao Menghua shook her off.
Lu Mingfei suddenly felt uneasy. He didn’t know what Zhao Menghua was about to do, but his instinct told him it was something foolish, something idiotic, something that must be stopped—even if it meant pouring a glass of soda on his head.
Damn it, why was the soda cup always empty at moments like this?
Zhao Menghua stood up, holding a blue velvet jewelry box, and looked around at everyone at the table. “Since all the classmates are here today, I might as well announce something…” He glanced down at Liu Miaomiao. Liu Miaomiao, with a face flushed as if she had drunk a lot of wine, avoided his gaze.
Zhao Menghua opened the jewelry box, revealing a platinum Tiffany ring. “From now on, no one can chase after Liu Miaomiao. Anyone who does will be in for trouble with me… We’re getting engaged. This is the engagement ring.”
The whole table fell silent. Though they all knew about Zhao Menghua and Liu Miaomiao, getting engaged… in their freshman year? What kind of wealthy family plays the engagement game?
“Boss, your family’s letting you get engaged already?” one of the boys asked.
“My mom was keeping an eye on me and said if I thought she was right, I should go ahead. The ring was bought by my mom. What? Can’t I? I’m telling you, it’s just so you know and no one ends up hitting a wall by pursuing her.” Zhao Menghua grinned, looking around, and his gaze did not linger on Chen Wenwen.
“Of course, of course! No wonder there’s a party today. Had I known, I would’ve bought a gift.” The boy quickly said.
“Zhao Menghua, you’re really ruthless. You just started dating and now you’re engaged, leaving no hope for the rest of us.” Someone congratulated him with a mournful face.
“Then maybe bring them a few bottles of beer.”
“You country bumpkin, for such a big occasion, it has to be champagne, right? Do you think Zhao Menghua can’t afford it? Isn’t this the best time to squeeze him?”
“Come on, put the ring on, take a picture, can we post it on the alumni website?”
“Alright, now it’s official with everyone.” Zhao Menghua smiled mischievously at Liu Miaomiao. “Now you’re stuck with me… even if you marry a broomstick, you’ll be hugging it forever…”
“Hate you…” Liu Miaomiao blushed and pinched his waist.
“Ouch, everyone look, she’s hitting me…” Zhao Menghua teased his girlfriend—no, now fiancée—with a laugh.
Amid the cheerful and jubilant atmosphere, someone outside everyone’s view silently crumbled, as if burned to ashes by some invisible fire, leaving nothing but cinders.
“Hey, bro, you…” Someone stood up, twitching at the corner of his eye, staring at Zhao Menghua. “Are you even human?”
The private room fell into sudden silence, everyone looking at Lu Mingfei as if they had just seen Godzilla.
Lu Mingfei understood why Zhao Menghua did this; he had to give his current girlfriend an explanation. Anyone who managed to date Liu Miaomiao would be excited enough to shout it across the campus, wanting everyone to know they had claimed this beauty. Today, though, Zhao Menghua was being rather cautious, probably out of concern that Chen Wenwen hadn’t found out yet. But since Liu Miaomiao had some insecurities, Zhao Menghua had to show his commitment. This engagement news would spread across the school by nightfall—everyone would know that Zhao Menghua was being incredibly devoted to his girlfriend, and from then on, they would be officially tied together.
Yet, Lu Mingfei felt he had something to say, he wanted to say… she already knows, she’s just barely holding it together, she’s about to break… she won’t text you anymore, she won’t be whining… And here you are, still flaunting it with your new girlfriend’s shoulder in your arm? We all understand, man, you’re cool beyond measure! Of course, you’d never be short of girlfriends! Your life must be amazing! Having a girlfriend to have late-night snacks with, unlike me, this pathetic guy… Oh, it has nothing to do with me… Anyway, in short, the whole point is:
“You’re already happy… could you just leave a bit of room for others?”
Lu Mingfei completed this grand and forceful speech in his mind, but not a word left his mouth.
He turned to glance at Chen Wenwen, who looked about to fall apart, and sighed. He knew Chen Wenwen’s personality; if he said anything, she would only be more miserable.
So, he could only puff out his cheeks, roll his eyes in a neither defiant nor submissive way, and stare at Zhao Menghua. Back in high school, when his class teacher scolded him in front of everyone, saying, “Lu Mingfei, are you really that useless? Are you just a dead weight dragging down our class average by half a point? You’re such an oddball,” he responded in the same way—with those blank eyes. It was hard to tell if it was defiance or stupidity, which unnerved the teacher.
Lu Mingfei was confident that this stare was still effective… because besides that, he had no other means of attack.
This kind of heroic act wasn’t really suitable for him. He dreaded awkward situations by instinct—like watching Tom Hanks’ movie on TV and knowing his character’s wife had remarried, while Tom Hanks still didn’t. He would urgently change the channel to avoid that awkwardness that had nothing to do with him. He couldn’t stand the scene where the door opened and Hanks saw his wife clinging to a strange man with tears of joy in her eyes. He couldn’t even bear fictional scenes in a movie.
But this time, his brain short-circuited, and he ended up in the middle of this drama, playing the righteous passerby. It wasn’t any of his business.
Zhao Menghua’s face twisted, his brow furrowed as if there was a third eye like Erlang Shen’s hiding there, ready to shoot down the annoying monkey in front of him.
“None of your damn business!” he spat out each word like a legendary bandit spitting a blood-sealing arrow from his mouth.
“You’re right,” Lu Mingfei said.
Zhao Menghua was stunned. He had a few sharper and harsher words ready, just waiting for Lu Mingfei to argue back. But Lu Mingfei actually admitted it right away.
Yet, Lu Mingfei didn’t back down, still hanging on with those eyes.
“What do you want?” Zhao Menghua stepped forward.