Section 23: Unpleasant Taste

  On Gu Xiaobei's birthday, I arrived relatively late. Wen Jing and I took a taxi together to the new restaurant where he was treating us. The place had an extraordinary atmosphere, with Porsches and BMWs parked outside like it was an international car show. Gu Xiaobei and Yao Shanshan were standing at the entrance, smiling and welcoming each guest. They looked particularly well-matched, like a golden boy and jade girl.

  On the bus, I told Wen Jing about Yao San's slapping me. As soon as she heard it, she jumped up from her seat and started scolding Yao San loudly. I saw the driver's face turn green, probably didn't expect such a quiet girl to scold like a sandstorm. Finally, Wen Jing got tired of scolding, looked at me, touched my face and asked if I still hurt. I said of course not, it wasn't yesterday that she hit me, if she really made me hurt for a month with two slaps, I would have called someone to demolish her home long ago.

  Wen Jing said, no wonder Gu Xiao Bei didn't dare to invite you on his birthday, like a grandson. He asked me to call you, I thought he still had feelings for you, damn it's ridiculous.

  Wen Jing asked me what I sent to Gu Xiao Bei, I said send red envelopes, it's practical. Wen Jing listened and felt a bit sad, actually I'm also quite sad. I said if I sent romance, precision, or something beyond expectations, that fortress would still not be happy, probably would plot against me again, so like you guys, I just send red envelopes.

  As soon as I got off the car, Gu Xiaobei came over. Yao Shanshan was also in front of me, with a long and short expression on her face, pretending to be very close to me, as if she wasn't the one who had just slapped me twice. Actually, I knew why - Gu Xiaobei's parents were still around, and they had to consider my father's attitude when doing things. Let alone Yao Shanshan, who relied on Gu Xiaobei's parents for food, how could she dare to show me her arrogant side?

  Gu Xiaobei's parents warmly held my hand and asked me all sorts of questions, just like they were treating their own child. Actually, when Gu Xiaobei and I broke up in the first place, his parents had been particularly opposed to it, scolding Gu Xiaobei severely, thinking that he had abandoned me. Gu Xiaobei didn't explain anything, and everything was settled as usual. His father and mother had long recognized me as their daughter-in-law, and after the breakup, they would always tell me to wait until Gu Xiaobei came to his senses and then come back to marry into the Gu family. Thinking about all this made me feel sad, I tightly held Wen Jing's hand, and she held mine even tighter, I knew she was afraid I would cry.

  Yao Sansan saw Gu Xiaobei's parents being like this to me and wasn't too pleased, she looked at Gu Xiaobei, but he didn't respond to her, just kept looking at me, I saw guilt and gentleness in his eyes. But what's the use, do you think we can go back to the past? I handed the red envelope to Gu Xiaobei, when he took it, I saw his hand tremble. He definitely didn't expect me to give him a red envelope directly.

  When entering, Wen Jing stepped on Yao Xiangxiang's foot, but Gu Xiaobei pretended not to see it. So Yao Xiangxiang could only glare at Wen Jing fiercely. She could only do this, if she dared to slap Wen Jing like she slapped me, Wen Jing would have ruined her on the spot.

  Before the dinner party began, Gu Xiao Bei stood on stage to give a birthday speech to the dozens of tables below. As I watched him deliver his speech in his suit and tie, I suddenly remembered when he stood on the podium at our high school, wearing his school uniform and running for student council president. And before I knew it, several years had passed.

  Gu Xiao Bei's family is indeed wealthy, and I estimate that each dish on the table costs over 2,000 yuan. I and Wen Jing waved our chicken claws and decided to drown our sorrows in food.

  After eating for a while, Gu Xiao Bei came over and looked at me and Wen Jing, asking if we could accompany him to make a round of toasts at each table. He knew that I and Wen Jing had good drinking capacity. Wen Jing didn't say anything, just continued eating, I knew she was deliberately making a face at Gu Xiao Bei. Seeing Gu Xiao Bei standing there awkwardly, I stood up and said, "I'll go with you." Wen Jing pulled me and said, "Are you out of your mind?"

  I'm not drunk, I just know that Gu Xiao Bei can't hold his liquor well and I'm afraid he'll get drunk by others. I was once forced to drink by Yao San San until I vomited, the feeling of vomiting is unbearable.