It was already half past seven when they arrived at the restaurant where they held their annual gathering. As Cen Jin and Jiang Baizhou walked in, the owner greeted them warmly, "Just waiting for you two, everyone else is already here."
Cen Jin awkwardly smiled, glancing at Jiang Baizhou beside her, knowing full well that they were late because she’d been dawdling.
"Uncle Yu, it’s been a while since we’ve been here. Got any new dishes recently?" Cen Jin diverted her gaze from him to the owner, smiling warmly as she changed the subject.
"Yes, of course, I have. You’re definitely going to be satisfied and have a great time tonight. Get inside quickly! Or else Feici will come up with some mischievous trick to mess with you." Boss Yu laughed heartily, ushering them inside.
The Harbor on the roadside was also an old establishment, not far from their high school alma mater. It was run by Yu Feici’s uncle. Having lost her parents at a young age, Feici was raised by her uncle and aunt, which is why they often gathered here for meals.
The second floor of the restaurant was an open-air rooftop, and as the two ascended the stairs, familiar sounds of chatter echoed from above.
As soon as they reached the top, Cen Jin and Yu Feici met face-to-face. With her stylish, neat short hair, wearing a gray mid-length sleeve suit, and holding an empty plate, she smiled upon seeing them, "Hey, Cen Jin, Jiang Baizhou, you two finally made it. You know the drill, three self-imposed penalty drinks for being late!"
"Here we are." Hearing this, Lu Shishu turned to look, lips curving into a grin, raising his glass in their direction.
"Oh, Cen Jin, Bai Zhou, long time no see!" The others chimed in, greeting them warmly.
Yu Feici put down the empty plate she was holding, walked over to Cen Jin and Jiang Baizhou, pulled them by the arms to the long table, pressed glasses into their hands, and raised her own glass, "Now that we’re all here, the reunion officially begins! The first drink is to celebrate the seventh time since our class 302 graduation that we’re gathering again. Even though many classmates couldn’t make it, I’m still so happy to see you guys here. Let’s toast, hoping we’ll reunite every year!"
After Yu Feici’s words, everyone stood up, raising their glasses and shouting "Cheers!" While everyone drank, only Cen Jin and Jiang Baizhou did not show any intention of drinking.
Yu Feici squinted at them, "What’s up with you two?"
"Uh... I can’t drink; you know that. I’ll drink juice instead!" Cen Jin glared at her teasingly, put down the glass, reaching for the juice nearby, and gently clinked it against her glass.
Yu Feici blinked awkwardly, seemingly recalling how Cen Jin acted when drunk back then. She immediately turned her focus to Jiang Baizhou, "I understand why Cen Jin isn’t drinking. But what’s your excuse? Jiang Baizhou."
"Driving; it’s inconvenient." Jiang Baizhou glanced at her, calmly set down his glass, picked up a water jug, poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, and sat down.
Yu Feici twitched the corners of her mouth slightly. It was a valid excuse, but she was still a bit annoyed, especially by Jiang Baizhou’s smug demeanor, which she found quite irritating.
"So what about your three penalty glasses for being late?"
"I’ll substitute with water. Thanks for waiting." Jiang Baizhou poured himself another glass of water, raised his hand in gesture to her, ready to let the matter slide.
It was the same routine every year; he was already accustomed to it, needing no mental effort at all.