“Good.”

The restaurant chosen for the dinner was a famous seafood place.

Since the students were all well-off, they chipped in for dinner with the teacher and used the remaining class funds.

When Xu Zhilu and Shen Siyan arrived, they were a few minutes late.

As soon as they entered, Gao Chi teased them, “Brother Yan! Even for the farewell dinner, you’re late?”

Xin An’an laughed beside him. “Zhilu, come here quickly. I reserved a seat just for you.”

Xu Zhilu smiled and said, “Okay.”

As she was about to head towards the girls’ side, Shen Siyan pulled her aside and said, “Don’t drink.”

“I won’t.”

But not drinking was unlikely. It was a graduation party, and everyone was almost an adult.

After a while, the teachers arrived.

Xu Zhilu didn’t talk much but joined in occasionally. The boys had a lot of fun, and with graduation finally here, they didn’t miss the chance to celebrate.

As the head teacher received a lot of wine, the other teachers were not spared either. The boys drank a lot. Xu Zhilu also had a glass but didn’t enjoy drinking much; she always found wine’s taste peculiar and didn’t like it.

After the meal, the teachers gave their usual heartfelt speeches, wishing the students a bright future. It was touching, but brief. Once the teachers left, the group became lively again.

They had booked a private room next to the restaurant for karaoke and quickly moved to the KTV^[1]stand for Karaoke Television..

Xu Zhilu and Xin An’an sat together. Soon, students from Cheng Song’s class arrived, and the atmosphere became even livelier as the two classes mingled.

Xu Zhilu listened to the chatter and couldn’t help but think of her previous graduation dinner. 

It seemed similar.

But it wasn’t as lively as this.

Xu Zhilu smiled silently.

Xin An’an, sitting next to her, noticed the smile and asked, “Zhilu, what are you laughing at?”

Xu Zhilu shook her head. “Nothing. I just thought of something.”

Xin An’an nodded.

After a moment, she leaned close to Xu Zhilu’s ear and asked, “You came here with Shen Siyan. Are you going back together later?”

Xu Zhilu shook her head. “No. By the way, I’ve moved out. I’ll send you the address later. Feel free to visit anytime.”

Xin An’an’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Xu Zhilu chuckled. “Are you happy?”

Xin An’an nodded enthusiastically. “I’m very happy.”

She hugged Xu Zhilu. “You’re finally free.”

Xu Zhilu hugged her back and smiled quietly. “Yes, I am finally free.”

The feeling of liberation was truly wonderful.

The two were chatting nearby when Jian Anran joined them.

As they talked, the topic shifted unexpectedly.

“What do you want to do most after graduation?”

“Of course, I want to date,” someone answered. “We weren’t allowed to date in high school. Now that we’ve graduated, I really want to start.”

“Yeah, I feel the same way. We can talk about college.”

“Wow, I hope the university I get into has lots of handsome guys for me to choose from.”

“…”

Xu Zhilu felt like laughing as she listened to everyone talking excitedly.

Xin An’an poked her arm. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

Xu Zhilu looked at her. “I just feel like laughing.”

Xin An’an rolled her eyes and glanced over at the other side. “To be honest, Shen Siyan is quite popular in the class.”

Xu Zhilu didn’t comment.

“Everyone seems to be afraid of him, but they’re not really afraid of him.”

As she spoke, Xin An’an suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, do you remember Chen Zhixin, who was beaten by Shen Siyan and then dropped out of school?”

Xu Zhilu was startled and nodded. “I remember. What’s wrong?”

Xin An’an looked around, covered her mouth, and whispered in her ear. “I heard Cheng Song let it slip. The reason Shen Siyan beat him up was that Chen Zhixin was talking about you in a vulgar way, making inappropriate comments about your legs… It was just a sexual fantasy, you know.”

Xin An’an explained vaguely. “It was disgusting. Shen Siyan couldn’t stand it and beat him up.”

Xu Zhilu was stunned.

She turned her head and looked at Xin An’an. “Did Cheng Song say that himself?”

“Yes, he accidentally mentioned it while we were playing a game.”

Xu Zhilu pursed her lips. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Xin An’an replied, “I didn’t know how to bring it up. Cheng Song asked me not to tell you, saying that Shen Siyan didn’t want you to know about these things.”

Xu Zhilu lowered her eyes and said, “Hmm.”

Xin An’an noticed her expression and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Xu Zhilu wasn’t sure what to think. When she looked up, she saw Shen Siyan, surrounded by everyone. He had clear eyebrows and eyes, with an air of youthful arrogance.

She stared at him for a moment, then looked away. “I was thinking that I never really understood Shen Siyan.”

Xin An’an’s lips moved, unsure of what to say.

After a moment, she asked quietly, “You said before that Shen Siyan liked you but didn’t realize it?”

Xu Zhilu wasn’t sure.

But she felt it was unlikely. If he liked her, why didn’t he tell her in college about her past life?

This was something Xu Zhilu couldn’t understand.

Xin An’an sighed, puzzled by the situation.

“I don’t understand what you’re thinking,” she said helplessly. “Actually, you should just be honest. Both of you keep things to yourselves, which isn’t good.”

Xu Zhilu smiled bitterly. “Yes.”

She said, “I really want to change, but it’s so difficult.”

“It’s not difficult.”

Xin An’an encouraged her. “Just ask what you want to know. The answer itself isn’t as important as asking. Even if the answer isn’t what you want, you can give up quickly. But if it is what you want, then it’s the best of both worlds.”

I have to say, Xin An’an is quite persuasive.

After hearing her, Xu Zhilu thought it made a lot of sense.

She opened her mouth to speak but found no words coming out.

Xin An’an, disappointed with Shen Siyan, pointed at him from a distance. “I think today’s opportunity is very good. You’ve graduated and moved out. If you want to know something, just ask. Don’t be afraid if the answer is awkward. You don’t live together anymore, so if it’s awkward, you can just avoid each other during summer vacation.”

Xu Zhilu smiled.

She stared at Shen Siyan for a moment and said softly, “Okay, I’ll ask later.”

“Yeah, go for it.”

The KTV party didn’t last too late, likely because everyone was tired after their exams.

At midnight, everyone began to clamor to go home and sleep, planning to party again in a few days.

No one objected, and many of the boys were already drunk.

As soon as Xu Zhilu stood up, Shen Siyan called out, “Xu Zhilu.”

She looked up at him.

Shen Siyan said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

Xu Zhilu looked at him skeptically and asked, “Aren’t you drunk?”

Shen Siyan shook his head. “No.”

He laughed. “Why, do you doubt me?”

He reached out and ruffled Xu Zhilu’s hair. “My alcohol tolerance isn’t that bad.”

Xu Zhilu pursed her lips. “You don’t look very energetic right now.”

Shen Siyan: “…”

He hesitated for a moment and said quietly, “Let’s go.”

Xu Zhilu looked at his slightly red face for a few seconds and nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”

The two said their goodbyes to the other classmates.

Before leaving, Xin An’an winked at Xu Zhilu.

“Zhilu, remember what I told you. I’ll come visit you tomorrow.”

Xu Zhilu nodded and smiled. “Okay. Send a message in the group when you get home.”

“Yeah, you too.”

After briefly saying goodbye to others, the two of them left the KTV.

Everyone went their separate ways, walking in small groups. The evening breeze was warm, typical of summer, but it felt pleasant.

Xu Zhilu looked at Shen Siyan with concern. “Shen Siyan, do you want some water?”

Shen Siyan nodded. “Okay.”

Xu Zhilu noticed his empty hands and walked into the nearby store.

_

When she came out after buying some water, Shen Siyan was still standing there, motionless.

Her eyelids twitched, and she almost guessed what was happening.

Shen Siyan must be drunk.

Xu Zhilu walked over and handed him the mineral water. “Drink some.”

Shen Siyan didn’t respond.

Xu Zhilu raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Do you want me to open it for you?”

Shen Siyan still didn’t say anything.

Xu Zhilu sighed helplessly. “Okay, since you’re drunk, I’ll—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Shen Siyan suddenly pulled her into a warm embrace that smelled of alcohol.

Xu Zhilu instinctively raised her hands, trying to push him away.

As soon as she placed her hand on Shen Siyan’s shoulder, he leaned over and held her tightly in his arms, rubbing her cheek and whispering hoarsely, “Xu Zhilu, I’m sorry.”

Xu Zhilu’s body froze. “What are you talking about?”

She patted Shen Siyan’s shoulder and said, “Let me go, Shen Siyan. Don’t get drunk and act crazy. Everyone is watching us on the street. If you keep hugging me, I’ll call for help.”

Shen Siyan didn’t let go.

Xu Zhilu struggled but couldn’t break free.

To Shen Siyan, her attempts were like an ant trying to shake a tree; they had no effect.

Xu Zhilu frowned, feeling hot behind her ears.

Shen Siyan’s warm breath in her ear only made the heat worse.

Even the evening breeze couldn’t cool her down.

“Shen Siyan!” 

She shouted through gritted teeth.

“Yes,” Shen Siyan murmured. “In this life… can you marry me earlier?”

Xu Zhilu: “?!!!”