Sun Beibei shrank back a bit, gave an awkward smile, glanced around the table at her classmates, and finally fixed her gaze on An Ran. She stood up, raised her hand, and said, "Could everyone stop for a moment and listen to me?"
Some classmates at the table cheered, "Sure, let’s hear what Beibei has to say."
Sun Beibei smiled softly, "Thank you, everyone. It’s my first time sitting together with you all, and I’m really happy. But what excites me more is that I get to live in the same dorm and have this meal together with An Ran."
After saying this, she paused and saw that everyone’s eyes couldn’t help but turn to An Ran. She continued, "Perhaps some of you still don’t know, but An Ran is a hero of Nan’an. Just before the school term started, she rescued a flood relief hero in Linjiang, becoming a good citizen recognized for bravery in Nan’an City. I’m proud to have such a classmate."
"No wonder, An Ran! When I first saw you, I felt you looked so familiar. I thought you resembled some celebrity. Turns out, you really are a big star!"
"Exactly, exactly. I’ve heard about that incident too. I never thought the hero would be right among us."
"I’ve always known An Ran is a good citizen recognized for bravery, but I never had the chance to interact with her. Come, let’s take this opportunity, I’ll drink to the hero."
Zhu Pengfei said this, picking up the red wine beside him and standing up.
When An Ran heard Sun Beibei’s words, she knew Beibei was causing trouble for her, never expecting to be put on the spot .
It was her first time sitting with classmates. If she refused their kind offer, they would think she was arrogant. If she didn’t refuse, she had just started her period today and was already feeling unwell. With such a big table, whether it was red wine or beer, she’d get completely drunk.
Seeing Zhu Pengfei’s enthusiastic expression, An Ran had no choice but to stand up and pick up her water cup. She said apologetically, "Sorry, I’m not good at drinking. I’ll substitute water for wine."
"Not good at drinking? An Ran, I heard you got really drunk at a bar the night before military training," Sun Beibei said, pretending to be shocked.
Xiao Xiao, annoyed by Sun Beibei’s words, chimed in, "What do you mean, Sun Beibei? Yes, An Ran drank that day, but she’s not feeling well today. She fainted on the training field, which you all know. Does she have to drink even when she’s unwell?"
"Not feeling well is one thing, but pretending not to drink is just being fake," Sun Beibei said dismissively.
Seeing the two girls about to argue, Zhu Pengfei quickly mediated, "It’s okay, substitute water for wine is fine. Come, An Ran, I toast to you." Saying this, he took a big gulp of the red wine.
An Ran raised her water cup and drank it all in one go, because she clearly saw the hint of sadness in Zhu Pengfei’s eyes when he raised his glass.
With Zhu Pengfei leading the way, several other classmates toasted An Ran. An Ran toasted back each time, and her classmates were quite straightforward, downing their drinks in one go. This made her feel guilty for only sipping on water and soft drinks.
Even though she was drinking only water and soft drinks, after a few glasses, her stomach filled with cold water, and her lower abdomen started aching again.
Eventually, it was Lu Yi who suggested that everyone toast An Ran together, sparing her from further trouble. Otherwise, with fifty classmates at the two tables, she would have been forced to drink until she dropped.