Chapter 32: Isn't this bragging a bit too much?

"Life is unpredictable. By the way, Old Gao, where are you working now?"

The male classmate who asked the question sighed, then inquired about Gao Junchi's current situation.

"Me? I'm at Kuangshang."

Mentioning this, Gao Junchi perked up, a faint sense of superiority creeping into his tone, "Sitting in an office, getting paid for 16 months a year."

"Wow, Old Gao, you've made it big!"

"Out of all of us, you're the one doing the best now."

The questioner feigned amazement, "If there's ever an opening at Kuangshang, don't forget about your brother here."

Gao Junchi felt buoyant, the corners of his mouth lifting involuntarily as he raised a hand to smooth his neatly combed slicked-back hair.

"Don't worry. Your business, Old Jia, is my business. Leave it to me."

After saying this, he looked down at his watch, "It's getting late. They should be here soon."

"Hey, Old Gao, you're wearing a watch now, and it's a Hu Hai Brand one at that."

The questioner, thinking Gao Junchi really had the ability to help him find a job, continued to flatter him, "How much did it cost?"

"Not much, just 70 yuan."

Gao Junchi's mouth was practically stretching to his ears as he made up a number to answer.

This watch was actually a hand-me-down from Gao Junchi's father; Gao Junchi himself had never bought a watch and had no idea how much one cost.

"70 and you call that not much? Old Gao, you've become a rich man. I need to learn a lot from you."

"Haha, not at all, not at all. I'm just a bit reflective—what use is being good at studying in this world? Once you enter society, it's people like us with real ability who are in demand."

"That's right. Old Gao, you kept a low profile in school and didn't show your hand, but now you're finally coming into your own..."

Another round of flattery echoed through the private room until the door pushed open and You Peiling walked in from outside.

As soon as she entered the private room, You Peiling coughed twice, choked by the thick secondhand smoke, and furrowed her brow.

"Comrade, may I ask who you are...?"

A girl changes so much growing up; Gao Junchi failed to recognize You Peiling at first and asked in confusion.

"I'm You Peiling."

You Peiling sat down on a chair, covering her mouth and nose with her hand.

"Oh, oh, it's Peiling."

Gao Junchi was deeply surprised, never expecting that the girl who had been utterly unremarkable in their class back then had also blossomed into a pretty young woman.

Seeing that You Peiling's expression wasn't too pleasant, Gao Junchi and his group quickly put out their cigarettes and opened the window for ventilation.

The once lively private room gradually quieted down, and all the male classmates present, including Gao Junchi, turned their attention to You Peiling.

None of them could connect the girl before them—with her pretty face and slender figure—to the image of that scrawny classmate from back then.

Despite their attention, Gao Junchi and the others dared not strike up a conversation with You Peiling, afraid she might ignore them and make them look foolish in front of their old classmates.

As for You Peiling, she had no interest in conversing with Gao Junchi and his lot.

Even before entering the private room, she had heard the sounds of flattery and boasting coming from inside, which she found quite distasteful.

Gao Junchi had only gotten his job through his father, who was a section chief at Kuangshang; it wasn't through his own ability, so what was there to brag about?

At that moment, outside the restaurant, Wang Youle was expressing his astonishment to Xu Yuexin.

"I thought it was still that little restaurant from back then, but I never expected it had expanded so much."

Wang Youle pointed at the sign in amazement, "Times really have changed."

"Not bad, you've learned to use adjectives other than 'awesome'."

Xu Yuexin patted him on the shoulder and said with a slight smile.

The two entered the restaurant, found the private room, and Xu Yuexin pushed the door open, coming face to face with the classmates inside.

"You're here."

Seeing it was Xu Yuexin, You Peiling's face lit up with a smile and a glow as she said, "Have a seat. There are still a few minutes until the agreed time; the others should be coming soon."

As she spoke, You Peiling pulled out a chair, and Xu Yuexin naturally sat down beside her.

Gao Junchi and his group stared wide-eyed: Had Xu Yuexin and You Peiling been in contact before? And the two of them seemed to have a pretty good relationship...

Recalling how cold You Peiling had been toward them earlier, Gao Junchi felt a bit annoyed.

"The roads have changed in the past couple of years; some classmates might not recognize the way. It's fine to wait a bit longer."

Xu Yuexin raised his arm to glance at his watch and said casually.

When Gao Junchi saw Xu Yuexin's watch, he began to lose his composure.

The watch on Xu Yuexin's wrist was brand new, clearly bought from a watch shop, a stark contrast to the worn watch on Gao Junchi's hand.

And just then, someone happened to ask about the price of Xu Yuexin's watch.

"Bought it for 100 yuan."

Xu Yuexin said in a flat tone.

"It looks good on you."

You Peiling smiled serenely beside Xu Yuexin, unable to resist taking a couple more glances at him.

Now it was Gao Junchi's turn to feel awkward.

He had just made up a number off the top of his head, never expecting to be called out on the spot.

He should have just not worn this watch here.

Gao Junchi thought to himself, feeling quite displeased.

Before long, the old classmates arrived one after another, and the atmosphere in the private room gradually grew lively.

After ordering food, everyone reminisced about funny stories from their school days, their experiences being sent to the countryside over the years, and their recent lives.

Not having enough money, difficulty finding work, and not enough housing—these were the common worries everyone shared at the moment.

However, headache aside, most people are confident, believing the problems will be solved sooner or later, there will be jobs, and there will be houses.

Xu Yuexin and You Peiling, together with a few familiar classmates, chatted briefly, and from each person felt a full sense of hope and vitality.

Zhang Hua was admitted to Beijing Daxue; Li Ping entered a secondary technical school; I work as a salesperson in a department store: we all have bright futures…

This sentence reflects reality; in this era, as long as one is willing to work, one can basically live well thereafter.

Before long, the dishes were brought up one by one, and everyone started picking up their chopsticks.

This gathering was initiated by You Peiling; her father is a hotel manager. According to the customs of this era, it is tacitly assumed that she pays.

The drinks were brought by a male classmate; Xu Yuexin and Wang Youle found midway that they were insufficient, and went outside to buy two bottles of Erqu.

After three rounds of drinking, the topics at the table became broader, and someone mentioned the recently bestselling book "Wreath Under the High Mountain".

The topic among classmates suddenly ignited; everyone chimed in, enthusiastically discussing the novel's characters and plot.

"Liang Sanxi is so noble; if I had a leader like him, how great it would be."

"I like Lei Junzhang, fair, iron‑faced and selfless!"

"Jin Kailai is truly a pity; he deserves a medal."

Xu Yuexin heard his classmates discussing his book and felt a bit strange.

Since they like it so much, remember to buy several copies when it's published later to support it—keep one for yourself, give the rest to relatives and friends.

Xu Yuexin thought to himself, a smile appeared on his face; of course the classmates didn't know why he smiled, assuming he was also interested in the topic.

"What do you think, what kind of person is the author Chunfeng?"

Amid the noisy chatter, You Peiling took a small sip of a cup of baijiu, a rosy flush spreading on her face, her eyes slightly tipsy as she said, "He is so talented, so full of beautiful sentiment."

"It would be great if I could meet him in my lifetime."

The classmates fell silent one after another.

You Peiling voiced everyone's thoughts; who, after reading the article "High Mountain", wouldn't want to learn about its author? "I know Chunfeng; he lives next door to my house."

In the silence, Gao Junchi blurted out loudly.

What? You also live in the Qinghua Faculty Building? Xu Yuexin felt very surprised.

You don't just brag like that, right?

(End of chapter)