February 3, 2024. Sunny

Today, during a meeting with the head teacher, I found out about a classmate gathering tomorrow. Summoning up courage, I replied in the group, signing up for the gathering. Many classmates expressed surprise that I would attend. The class monitor asked if I was in a relationship and suggested bringing a girlfriend, mentioning that many others were bringing their partners.

This always felt peculiar. I always thought graduation was a line, crossing it meant life would be like crossing a watershed, bidding farewell to past experiences and people. But in reality, I wasn’t close to most of them before, so why now do we talk about relationships as if we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years? I don’t understand the dynamics of making friends, and this unknown makes me feel lost and afraid.

I paused for a long time, unsure how to continue.

I find myself constantly rediscovering him, as if he always has qualities I hadn’t noticed before, like an electronic product that’s constantly updating. Each time he appears, it’s in the most perfect state, and just when you think he’s already perfect, he updates with even more virtues.

No one understands how I felt when he spoke those two sentences in front of the head teacher today. It’s like I repeatedly confirm that there’s someone behind me who will always take care of me, as if in a trust fall challenge I once saw online, closing my eyes and falling backward, fully trusting he’ll catch me.

T T Gosh, how did I end up meeting someone like him? Am I the protagonist of this game on Earth, so I’ve been so lucky all along, and he’s the hidden, limited edition character I’ve unlocked, incredibly precious and rare!

Attending the class reunion, Mai Dong was nervous.

Because he used to be indifferent to everyone, but now that time has passed, we haven’t seen each other in almost two years, and it’s time for the whole classmates to be deeply affectionate routine, Mai Dong feels very uncomfortable. He changed several outfits in front of the mirror in the morning. Auntie had to remind him to eat breakfast twice, and he still couldn’t decide what to wear.

The class reunion was obviously at noon, but Mai Dong spent the whole morning fussing at home.

Right before leaving, he video-called his boyfriend who was waiting outside the community, asking him how he looked.

Yan Xuming was a bit helpless, “Young master, are you going on a blind date?”

Mai Dong awkwardly put away the other clothes, quickly ran out of the house, and got into Yan Xuming’s car.

On the way, Mai Dong’s mind didn’t stop, his mouth kept babbling: “Will they not talk to me? After all, we never really talked before, so I’ll just eat my food quietly, and when I’m full, I’ll find an excuse to leave. I heard we’re going to KTV after dinner, I… kind of don’t want to go, but not really don’t want to go, it’s just that if I don’t know anyone, singing feels more awkward than eating.”

Yan Xuming listened quietly.

Mai Dong continued, “Would it be bad if I don’t go? They might think I don’t want to hang out with them. But I heard many people are bringing their boyfriends or girlfriends to introduce them to everyone, there should be a lot of people I don’t know, so it won’t be awkward, right?”

Still, no one responded in the car, and Mai Dong finally realized, whispering, “Am I talking too much?”

Yan Xuming waited until a red light, then pulled out his phone and opened the voice recorder in front of Mai Dong. Mai Dong looked at the recording device that had already started recording, feeling a bit confused, “…What’s going on?”

Yan Xuming said, “When we get to KTV, I’ll put your speech out on the microphone, so they’ll know you’re not being aloof, just nervous.”

Mai Dong reached out and turned off the recorder, took a few deep breaths, reassuring himself, “It’s okay, even though I’m not good at making friends, with you by my side, I’m not that scared.”

The class reunion was scheduled at a restaurant where the average cost per person was 100 yuan. It was a bit far from Mai Dong’s home, and Mai Dong took too long to get ready, causing them to be slightly late.

When they entered the private room, it was almost full of people. Mai Dong stood at the door for several seconds, trying to rehearse an opening line, but ended up not saying anything.

The class monitor was the first to stand up, looking warmly, “Ah, Mai Dong is here! We were just talking about you. No one expected you to come, and we were even wondering if you’d regret coming…” He paused when he saw the man with a polite smile standing behind Mai Dong. After a moment of confusion, he said, “Senior, Senior Yan, is that you? What a coincidence, are you here for dinner too?”

Mai Dong didn’t say a word and was about to quietly take a seat, but Yan Xuming didn’t respond.

There was a moment of silence in the air, and Mai Dong looked over, meeting Yan Xuming’s gaze. His eyes were fixed on Mai Dong, overflowing with encouragement. Mai Dong instantly straightened up and spoke up, “Sorry, I live a bit far away, so I’m late. Yan Xuming came with me. I hope you don’t mind?”

The class president was more than honored, who wouldn’t want to know Yan Xuming ah?

He smiled from ear to ear and hurriedly found seats for Yan Xuming and Maidong together.

Only after Mai Dong introduced Yan Xuming did he say, “Sorry for the disturbance.”

“No disturbance at all, we all know Senior, we’re from the same school, it’s only natural to have a meal together,” someone responded, getting up to pour tea for both of them.

The conversation at the table had probably gone through one round already, and now with newcomers, naturally, the topic shifted towards Mai Dong.

“Xueba, we all thought you wouldn’t come. We’re so glad you did, we thought you didn’t consider us classmates as friends at all.”

To be honest, Mai Dong couldn’t remember the name of the guy speaking. He was sure he knew him from before, being classmates and all, but after graduation, Mai Dong had automatically cleared out those irrelevant memories from before. It had been a year and a half, and he couldn’t recall it all at once.

Mai Dong cleared his throat, “I didn’t see the message in the group earlier, otherwise, I would have signed up sooner. Actually, I’m just not very good at socializing, so…”

A girl laughed and chimed in, “It’s okay, it’s okay, we understand. Social anxiety! Back in high school, we didn’t even have that term. We just thought you were aloof and didn’t like to talk. Then when the term ‘social anxiety’ became popular, it fit you perfectly!”

Mai Dong felt a bit embarrassed.

“Mai Dong, you’re at Nanjing University, right? Oh, it seems like Senior Yan is also at Nanjing University. That’s great, you have someone to look out for each other. Unlike me, flying straight from the south to the north, you have no idea how the first winter froze me ah. I was like a fool, really! I didn’t even have a down jacket before. In the dead of winter, I’d at most wear a pair of long johns. But during my first winter in college, I got so cold that I got a fever overnight and had to rush out to buy cotton pants and a down jacket.”

Laughter filled the table, and Mai Dong laughed along.

The meal lasted much longer than expected, with neither the head teacher nor the class teacher coming over. Everyone was having a great time. Initially, they were quite reserved, sticking to soft drinks, but as the conversation heated up, beer was called for, and a few of the guys and girls who could handle it got a bit tipsy. Mai Dong didn’t dare to drink more beer and obediently held onto his tea cup, drinking one cup after another.

One guy, accompanied by his girlfriend, was told not to drink more after two bottles.

Everyone teased him for being henpecked, and he sheepishly poured himself a glass of water, then cleared his throat and shouted, “No, are you envious that I have a partner?”

Mai Dong secretly glanced at Yan Xuming, who had his arms crossed and leaned back in his chair, looking a bit bored. Mai Dong leaned in close to him and whispered, “Are you getting bored?”

With the surrounding noise, Yan Xuming didn’t quite catch it and leaned forward, asking, “What?”

Mai Dong whispered in his ear, “Are you bored?”

Before Yan Xuming could respond, the class monitor, holding a beer bottle, stumbled over. He seemed a bit tipsy, with an excited flush on his face, and his speech was a bit slurred. He casually dr4p3d his left hand over Mai Dong’s shoulder and leaned in next to them, “What secret are you two whispering about? Why not share it with us? Hey, Lin Shuang, bring two more bottles for Mai-zi and Yan Ge. These two successful individuals are sitting here, why isn’t anyone pouring drinks for them?”

Yan Xuming subtly pulled Mai Dong into his arms, “Sorry, Mai Dong is allergic to alcohol.”

The culture of urging others to drink is difficult to eradicate, partly because people lose a lot of their rationality when they’re drunk. The bottle of alcohol offered by the class monitor remained suspended, as he persisted, “If he doesn’t drink, can’t Yan Ge drink? Since you’re here, Yan Ge, there’s no need to be so reserved.”

Yan Xuming had no choice but to take the beer over and chugged half of it in one go.

Mai Dong hesitated, wanting to intervene but unsure what to say. He secretly squeezed Yan Xuming’s hand under the tablecloth, “Can you… is it okay?

Yan Xuming subtly nodded in response.

A few boys struck up a conversation with Yan Xuming, drinking cup after cup of alcohol. Since the sophomore year, they had always heard teachers talk about Yan Xuming, and by senior year, Yan Xuming had practically become a legend for the college entrance examination. They asked about Yan Xuming’s current major and future career direction, chatting endlessly.

Eventually, the topic naturally shifted to romance. They were all still quite young, just a bunch of kids, so they were quite gossip-hungry when it came to matters of love, especially someone like Yan Xuming. Yan Xuming had never lied about this issue,”I’m not single.”

The class monitor sighed with regret, then joked with a smile, “Not single ah. I thought Yan Ge came here today for someone in our class. I was thinking of playing matchmaker.”

Yan Xuming nodded. “I came here for Mai Dong, to accompany him.”

No one at the table caught the meaning behind Yan Xuming’s words. They were all straight guys, so it was indeed a bit difficult for them to understand the implications.