Caught off guard. The private room suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
After they sat down, Xi Gaoyuan finally processed the meaning of “fiancée.” He widened his eyes, “Are you two planning to get married?”
Jiang Wen: “Yes.”
Another few seconds of silence followed, then Zhao Binlin suddenly slapped the table, “Damn! You’re really something, seriously!”
Then the whole group started making a commotion. These people all grew up together, and their jokes knew no bounds.
Everyone knew bits and pieces about Jiang Wen’s complicated love history. They exchanged knowing smiles and started chattering away, some calling Feng Ning “sister-in-law,” others calling her “little sister.”
“So you’re the girl Jiang Wen’s been secretly in love with since first year of high school? Finally meeting you in person – wow, you really are beautiful.”
“This guy’s been single for years. We thought there was something wrong with his orientation and were about to send him to a therapist.”
Jiang Wen quietly let them talk about his embarrassing past.
Feng Ning was used to handling such situations. She was an expert at warming up the atmosphere. After listening to everyone, she’d make appropriate jokes, quickly blending in with them.
While everyone was busy teasing Jiang Wen, Zhao Binlin scooted over and said very seriously: “Feng Ning, I’m truly happy that I can witness you and Jiang Wen finally getting together. I’m so happy, even happier than Jiang Wen’s parents.”
Feng Ning was amused: “Are you really that happy?”
“Of course!” Zhao Binlin slapped his thigh, “All these years, with neither of you speaking to each other, I suffered as an innocent third party.”
“How did you suffer? Tell me about it.”
Feng Ning assumed a listening posture.
“I’ve suffered so much, it would take hours to tell. Let’s have a drink first.”
Saying this, Zhao Binlin poured Feng Ning a small glass of wine, then poured one for himself.
Jiang Wen seemed to be listening intently to others talking, but his eyes were constantly watching Feng Ning. As soon as he saw Zhao Binlin pour her wine, he tugged at her hand.
Feng Ning turned back with a smile, “Hmm? What is it?”
Just then, Xi Gaoyuan called out to Jiang Wen, “Come on, have a few drinks too.”
Jiang Wen refused without thinking: “No.”
Xi Gaoyuan scoffed, finding him unreasonable, and insisted: “Why not? You must drink.”
Jiang Wen gestured towards Feng Ning with his chin, “She won’t let me drink.”
Xi Gaoyuan: “?”
Another person cursed and laughed: “Brother Wen, do we have any dignity as men left? A real man should just drink up.”
Jiang Wen gave him a mocking look and drawled: “You might have your male dignity, but do you have a wife?”
“……”
“Damn, you’re not even married yet and you’re already showing off. Just because you’ve turned your life around doesn’t mean you’re all that.”
Just as Jiang Wen was about to speak, Feng Ning quickly interrupted, preventing him from saying something even more shocking. She waved at them: “It’s fine, it’s fine, you guys drink.”
Jiang Wen habitually frowned slightly, glancing at her, “You just told me yesterday to quit drinking.”
Feng Ning: “It’s okay to drink a little occasionally.”
Jiang Wen reluctantly said “oh” and tapped his glass with his finger, telling them: “Pour the drinks then.”
He completely looked like a hen-pecked husband, appearing proper on the surface while actually showing off their relationship, drawing many complaints. Xi Gaoyuan was completely speechless, picking up the wine bottle and pretending to throw it: “Alright, I’m about to throw up. Jiang Wen, stop being so gross. If you’re not drinking, get out.”
Zhao Binlin specifically switched seats with someone else, planting himself next to Feng Ning, “I don’t enjoy fooling around with these guys, it’s boring.”
Feng Ning couldn’t help but laugh: “Then… shall we whisper secrets here?”
“Exactly what I was thinking.”
After chatting for a while, Zhao Binlin seemed to remember something, “You know Jiang Wen’s actually quite sly, right?”
“Sly?” Feng Ning thought for a moment, “He is, a bit.”
“You don’t know the half of it. All these years, on the surface, he wouldn’t let me mention you, but he was so sneaky. He’d constantly drop hints, you know? He wouldn’t say it directly, always finding roundabout ways to ask about you.”
Feng Ning was curious: “How did he ask indirectly?”
Zhao Binlin finally had the chance to speak and poured out a torrent of complaints, “Jiang Wen and I were in different time zones, but he’d often call me in the middle of the night. When I wanted to sleep, he’d make international calls to me, at least once a month, more regular than you girls’ periods.”
At first, Zhao Binlin didn’t know what Jiang Wen was up to, thinking he was just lonely in a foreign country and missing him. He was quite touched and, like an idiot, would chat with Jiang Wen about everything and anything, making forced conversation even when they had nothing to say.
After talking for a long time, feeling like they’d exhausted a lifetime’s worth of conversation and their throats were about to catch fire, Jiang Wen still showed no signs of hanging up. Zhao Binlin was puzzled: “Jiang Wen, did something happen? Your sudden enthusiasm towards me is making me uncomfortable.”
“What could happen to me?”
“Well, that’s good then.” Zhao Binlin yawned, “Let’s wrap it up, I’m going to sleep, hanging up now.”
“Wait,” Jiang Wen said, “Let’s talk a bit more.”
Zhao Binlin deflated: “Brother, are you trying to borrow money? How much do you need? Just say it directly.”
After more back and forth, Zhao Binlin suddenly had a revelation, “Oh right, I recently went out to eat with you-know-who.”
“Who?”
“Feng Ning.”
Jiang Wen was silent, then after a while just said “oh,” “How is she?”
Zhao Binlin reported truthfully, “She seems pretty good. I asked around indirectly – she’s still single, but lots of people are pursuing her.”
Jiang Wen suddenly spoke: “You didn’t mention me to her, did you?”
Zhao Binlin loyally said: “Don’t worry, I didn’t say a word, and neither did she.”
Jiang Wen: “……”
After saying a few more things, and getting past his sleepiness, Zhao Binlin became more and more animated in his storytelling.
Jiang Wen interrupted him: “Alright, go to sleep, I have class.”
Then came the busy tone of the phone hanging up.
The now wide-awake Zhao Binlin lowered his phone: “?”
Reaching this point in his story, Zhao Binlin couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s when I understood. I was just a tool. After that, whenever Jiang Wen called, I wouldn’t bother with other topics – I’d just tell him about you, and we’d be done in minutes.”
He added at the end, “You know what? Every time I posted group photos on WeChat Moments, this bastard Jiang Wen would check the number of likes.”
Feng Ning didn’t understand: “Why would he check that?”
“I don’t know either.” Zhao Binlin said meaningfully, “Probably to see if you had liked it.”
“……”
Feng Ning stole a glance at Jiang Wen.
With friends, he was relaxed, showing a somewhat carefree side.
As soon as she turned her head, Jiang Wen immediately caught her gaze. While talking to others, he diverted some attention to look at her.
This gathering lasted a long time. It had been snowing when they arrived, but by the time they left, the snow had stopped.
Feng Ning went to the bathroom, and when she came out, she didn’t see Jiang Wen.
She turned around, searching.
Not far away, a group of young girls were pushing and laughing. A beautiful woman with big waves in her hair fixed her clothes and walked toward a man leaning against a pillar.
She cleared her throat, “Handsome, can I add your WeChat?”
Under the lights, the man’s features were sharp and clear, his expression lacking, yet he was three degrees more handsome than any movie star.
He remained silent.
“Let’s be friends?”
After making eye contact with Feng Ning for a few seconds, Jiang Wen lazily fixed his gaze on the person asking for his WeChat: “Sorry, I’m married.”
Big-waves beauty: “?”
“My wife is right behind you.”
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