Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Ah, Brother Nan, you took my radio to listen to the World Cup and did not return it to me. Where is it now?”
“Boss Li, don’t you go to the NBA a lot in America? Have you seen Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant?”
“Henry is about to retire, assholes. I have not watched the NBA for a while and all the stars I knew had retired.”
“Ask the waiter if they have fried sausages. Order one if they have it.”
In the noisy atmosphere, from evening until late night, they were all drunk, and many of them had vomited several times.
Looking at the time, Du Zheng Nan stood up and said, “Come, brothers and sisters, let’s all raise our wine glasses and cheer! Hope our friendship lasts forever! Cheers!”
After toasting, they asked the waiter to take a group picture and then helped each other to walk out.
Li Du was not drunk yet, but in order to avoid making his classmates think he was different from them, he also pretended to be inebriated, holding on to tables and staggering as he walked.
A delicate scent of rose reached his nose. Ning Yao came up to take hold of him and asked caringly, “Ah, have you drunk too much? Slow down, look at you now…”
Du Hang, who was beside them, turned his head and grinned. “Hey, beautiful, you come over and take care of me…”
“Go away,” Ning Yao sharply interrupted him. “Look at your face! Drinking so much when you can’t stomach it. Would you die if you don’t try to act tough?”
Li Du avoided Ning Yao’s hands skillfully and said, “I am good, just a little dizzy.”
Ning Yao insisted on supporting him and said, “Be careful, you too. Don’t try to act tough, watch the stairs over there, you could tumble down.”
Li Du did not want to affront her, so he let her hold his arm, but tried to keep a distance. He did not want to let his former classmates misunderstand the situation, especially since Sophie stayed at home.
Downstairs, some took a taxi, some tried to arrange for a ride, and those who did not drink offered lifts to those who did. All the cars were full.
Ning Yao looked at Li Du and asked, “How are you going to go back?”
“I called my friend just now and asked him to pick me up,” said Li Du.
In fact, Brother Wolf has been waiting for him, and he was the one who drove him to the reunion.
Ning Yao said, “Could you please help me get home?”
Li Du felt that Ning Yao had an ulterior motive, but since she had asked, he could not refuse her, or the atmosphere would turn awkward. After all, she just said she wanted him to drop her home and nothing else.
He waved, and Brother Wolf drove over. Li Du sat in the front, leaving Ning Yao alone at the wide back seat.
After asking Ning Yao for her address, Li Du opened the navigation map and asked Brother Wolf to drive according to it and take her home.
The distance was not great. After all, his hometown was not that large.
When they reached the destination, Li Du went out to open the door for her. Ning Yao suddenly took hold of his arm and said, “Would you accompany me for a bit? I want to talk to you for a while.”
Li Du said, “Okay, I will walk you to the door. It is dark and unsafe for you to walk alone.”
Actually, there were only about ten steps from the car to the building’s front door.
Ning Yao chuckled and said, “Compared to when you were in high school, you are now more of a gentleman. In fact, in high school, you were quite attractive. You looked cleaner and neater than most guys and that attracted many girls.”
Li Du said, “Hmm, I use Safeguard since childhood, so of course I am clean.”
Ning Yao leered at him and said with a playful look, “Are you? If it’s true, why don’t you let me check it?”
The meaning of these playful words was obvious. “Haha. It’s okay, no need to. Well, there’s the door, goodnight.”
Ning Yao did not let him go and said with a sad look, “Do not go, old friend. Time passes too fast, doesn’t it? I wasn’t ready to grow old so soon.”
Li Du comforted her and said, “No, you do not look old. We men are becoming old fellows, though.”
Ning Yao smiled and said, “You have a better sense of humor than before. I never thought you would change so much.”
Her way of talking made Li Du felt uncomfortable, so he made things clear. “Ning Yao, speak if you have something to say. You used to be pretty straightforward in high school.”
Hearing this, Ning Yao looked startled and said, “Well, I did think I might ask for your help.”
She looked earnestly at Li Du and continued, “Old friend, you are doing quite well in America now, aren’t you? You live there now, don’t you?”
Li Du said, “Nope, I do not live there, I just took a permanent residence. I didn’t decide to stay in the United States yet.”
Ning Yao asked curiously, “Why don’t you change your citizenship? Is America bad?”
“Would you want to change your citizenship? Is China bad?” Li Du questioned her back.
Ning Yao said, “China is good, but not as good as the United States. Old friend, I would like to ask you for help. Please, could you take me to the United States? I have some things to settle there.”
Li Du said, “You could just apply for a tourist visa, it is not difficult to apply for one, is it?”
Ning Yao shook her head and said, “No, it’s hard. Moreover, I don’t want to get a tourist visa. I want to get a green card too. I could not do it myself, so I hoped you could help me.”
Li Du frowned. He now realized that Ning Yao was not joking about her wish to go to the United States during the gathering. She really wanted to go.
He did not know why she wanted to go to America. However, he didn’t want to help her because he didn’t like this former classmate of his.
Ning Yao started to change her tactic. She begged and even gave him some hint that if he took her to America she could give ‘all she had’ to Li Du.
What she meant by ‘all she had’ seemed to refer to her body.
Not only did Li Du feel as if he did not know her anymore, but he also felt disgusted. He managed to end the conversation with a few words, and after sending her off he went back to the car quickly.
Ning Yao stood sadly at the doorway, and by the hallway’s dim lights, Li Du saw her dust her wind coat, pressing it over a section of her oddly plump waist.
Brother Wolf said, “She is pregnant.”
Li Du was more than a little stunned. He probably knew the reason why she wanted to go to the United States now. This made him feel even more disgusted.
Originally, he felt quite good about his classmates’ reunion. After many years of losing contact, they finally met again, and it was nice to see that everyone was doing well.
However, when this incident happened, Li Du realized that time flies and changes everything. They were no longer the classmates who sat at the basketball court and chatted after a game.
After the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, New Year’s eve was coming soon, and they were going to welcome a new year.
