Feng Qingyi chatted with Jiang Xiaoxiao for a bit as the waiters slowly began to serve the dishes.
Looking at the food being brought to the table, Feng Qingyi spoke softly.
"Xiaoxiao, this meal we're splitting must cost over a thousand yuan! I think that's Buddha Jumps Over the Wall - I've never even tried it before!"
"Neither have I," Jiang Xiaoxiao replied.
"Do you know who ordered all this?" Feng Qingyi asked.
Jiang Xiaoxiao shook her head, "There were already a lot of people here when I arrived. Since we're here, we might as well eat plenty and make the trip worthwhile."
The dishes that followed were each more expensive than the last, with all sorts of pricey seafood being served.
Even the red wine they poured wasn't cheap, costing tens of thousands per bottle.
"Qingyi, want some wine?" Jiang Xiaoxiao poured herself a small glass.
Feng Qingyi waved her hand, "No thanks, I don't drink."
"This is our first reunion since high school graduation. We rarely get together like this, so let's all raise a toast," the class president stood up.
Everyone obligingly raised their glasses, and the table was filled with laughter and chatter.
However, due to the large size of the table, people could only converse with those sitting nearby. To talk to anyone further away, they had to raise their voices.
After the hearty meal, everyone headed out, planning to settle the bill and then go to a karaoke place to continue the fun.
"The total comes to 183,200 yuan. Who would like to settle the bill?" the waiter asked.
Xie Yuan suddenly spoke up: "Brother Ci, you wore the school uniform every day for three years in high school, and your shoes only cost a hundred or two yuan. We all thought your family wasn't well off!"
"Who knew you were actually Nan Yin's son? Why don't you treat us to this meal? What do you say?"
Feng Qingci wasn't close with Xie Yuan, so he looked towards the class president standing next to him.
"Class president, you invited me to this gathering, but you never mentioned anything about me treating everyone?"
Xie Yuan pushed the class president aside.
"This small amount is nothing but pocket change for Brother Ci, right? Isn't our two years of high school friendship worth at least this much?"
Before Feng Qingci could respond, Feng Qingyi stepped forward.
"We'll pay what we owe, but don't think you can take a single extra cent from us."
"There are 20 people here today. The total bill is 183,200 yuan, which comes to 9,160 yuan per person. We'll only pay our share of 18,320 yuan."
"Feng Qingyi, that watch on your wrist costs hundreds of thousands. Are you really going to fuss over this small amount?" a female classmate behind Xie Yuan chimed in.
This was the first time Feng Qingyi had encountered such a situation.
"This is the first time I've heard that having money means you have to treat everyone. And I certainly don't consider over 180,000 yuan to be a small amount."
"You all dared to order this much, so I assumed you could afford to pay for it. Let's not disrupt the restaurant's business. Everyone line up and scan the QR code to pay!"
"It's 9,160 yuan per person. If you can't afford it, you'll just have to stay here!"
Xie Yuan said angrily, "Feng Qingyi, stop acting so high and mighty. We're not asking you to pay."
Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't stand it anymore, "Xie Yuan, is something wrong with your brain? You want to dine and dash, and you think you're in the right? Why should Brother Ci pay for you?"
"Don't tell me you planned this gathering in advance! You saw Brother Ci's news online and set this whole thing up."
"If you can't afford it, don't try to act rich. Who chose this place? Who ordered all this food? You should know exactly what you were trying to do."
"Today we're each paying for ourselves. If you don't have money, you can stay here and work to pay off your debt!"
Xie Yuan, red-faced with anger and embarrassment, lashed out, "Jiang Xiaoxiao, you're always trailing after Feng Qingyi, begging for scraps. What good has she ever done for you?"
"If she really considered you a friend, with her mother's current status, she could easily get you more airtime on that show of yours with just a word."
"You might think of her as your best friend, but she probably just sees you as a foil to make herself look better..."
Feng Qingyi couldn't hold back anymore. She kicked Xie Yuan, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Her movement was so swift that in an instant, the sturdy Xie Yuan was flat on his back.
The others stared at Feng Qingyi in disbelief. They never imagined that someone who looked so slim and delicate could knock down someone as big as Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan scrambled to his feet, "Feng Qingyi, don't think I won't hit you just because you're a woman."
"Come on then, if you dare. Let's see who's tougher!"
Jiang Xiaoxiao quickly grabbed Feng Qingyi's arm, "Qingyi, don't get angry. Let's just pay and leave. Don't waste time on people like this."
Feng Qingci said goodbye to his friends and walked over, "Let's go home."
After scanning the QR code to pay, the three of them left the restaurant.
"Qingyi, you were so cool just now!" Jiang Xiaoxiao exclaimed.
Feng Qingci was also surprised, "When did you become so tough?"
"I've always been tough, you just didn't know it!" Feng Qingyi replied.
Her martial arts training had finally come in handy. That kick she delivered wasn't light - it should be enough to knock some sense into him.
She hadn't realized before that there were such disgusting people in their class.
If he had only insulted her, she might not have reacted so impulsively.
Jiang Xiaoxiao linked arms with Feng Qingyi, "Qingyi, did you get angry because he talked about me? I really don't mind."
"Our friendship of so many years won't be shaken by a few words from him."
Jiang Xiaoxiao might seem carefree, but she was actually quite sensitive.
Feng Qingyi treasured their friendship and knew that Jiang Xiaoxiao wouldn't stop associating with her because of someone else's comments.
But phrases like "begging for scraps" really irritated her. She didn't regret her actions.
"I know. I just couldn't stand the sight of him. If you hadn't stopped me, I would have beaten him to a pulp."
Jiang Xiaoxiao laughed, "Alright, alright, don't be angry anymore. Don't waste time on him. I want to get a haircut, will you come with me?"
"Sure. Feng Qingci, you head home. Xiaoxiao and I are going."
Jiang Xiaoxiao touched Feng Qingyi's long hair, "Do you want to change your hairstyle too, or maybe dye it a different color?"
"No thanks, I'll just wait for you."
The two arrived at the hair salon, and Jiang Xiaoxiao was taken to have her hair washed. Meanwhile, Feng Qingyi scrolled through her social media feed.
She came across a video someone had posted - Xie Yuan couldn't pay the bill and had tried borrowing money from everyone, but no one would lend to him. He was still stuck at the restaurant.
After watching the video, Feng Qingyi noticed that Qin Yuchuan had sent her a message.
He was finally messaging her at a normal hour - that was quite rare.
[Yu Chuan: Qingqing, are you busy?]
[Qing Yi: No, I'm out with my friend while she gets a haircut.]
[Yu Chuan: I see. Have you had dinner yet?]
[Qing Yi: Yes, I just had a gathering and meal with some classmates.]
[Yu Chuan: Are you feeling down?]
[Qing Yi: No.]
Could he really sense her mood from afar? Was he that impressive?
[Yu Chuan: You only reply with "yes" when you're in a bad mood or reluctant about something.]
