Chapter 6

Chen Mo and three others entered the restaurant and, following the instructions, went up to the second floor. There, they saw that almost everyone from the class was already there, about fifty people. Including those who brought their families, there were more than seventy people in total.

Many people were calling out to their friends, but Chen Mo's presence in the class was rather low-key, so not many people paid attention to his arrival. On the other hand, when Li Rui and the others came in, many people greeted them. Well, Chen Mo finally realized that four years of cultivation had also made his personality somewhat isolated. Fortunately, the other three people in his dormitory didn't mind and had always maintained a good relationship with him. It seemed he should reflect on himself a bit more.

Wang Lisheng, with Gong Hui in tow, went straight to the main table where the class officers, the class counselor, and a few substitute teachers were seated. It seemed the teachers had come to celebrate the students' departure from school and entry into society.

Chen Mo actually didn't want to leave school. After all, he had worked for a few years and rented a place for over a year, so he was very clear about the real situation in society. If it weren't for his need for a private space to cultivate, he wouldn't have rented a place outside.

Where else could you find a place that costs 1,000 yuan per year, with water and electricity included, and has a supermarket, laundry, and bathroom all in one? Where else could you spend 12 yuan a day to eat your fill and get free soup? Where else could you use clean badminton, basketball, and soccer courts for free? Where else could you swim all summer for 50 yuan, watch a movie for 2 yuan, and take a shower for 1.5 yuan? These things were only available at school, so school was indeed a good place.

However, thinking about it, he couldn't think like that. His parents were getting old, and his younger brother still needed money for school. He had to leave campus life and go out into society to work.

Looking at his classmates, they were all talking about their grand plans, clearly not yet hit by reality. If he hadn't started working early to earn money, he might have been the same as them.

Chen Mo smiled, raised his glass, and clinked it with the others. He then tilted his head back and finished the drink in one go, earning applause from everyone. Drinking was about enjoying the moment, and drinking like him naturally made others happy.

However, he was clear that although he was smiling and going along with the crowd, his heart was somewhat calm. He wondered what the scene would be like when they met again in a few years. It was indeed a significant life lesson to ponder.

After a few drinks, he felt the need to use the restroom. He excused himself from the others and went downstairs to the bathroom. After a refreshing relief, he was washing his hands when he heard a voice behind him.

"Chen, Chen Mo, thank you for what happened earlier." Gong Hui stood behind him, speaking to him. The restroom was on the first floor, while the gathering was on the second floor, so she had seen Chen Mo go downstairs and found an excuse to follow.

"You're welcome." Chen Mo didn't want to say much, considering it the last bit of friendship they shared.

"No, I really do need to thank you." Gong Hui said.

"Okay!" Chen Mo responded.

"I know you might have some understanding of my situation, but what you saw might just be the surface. You haven't really understood the whole story." Gong Hui was a bit uncomfortable but forced herself to speak.

"Maybe! But often, the first step in understanding something is seeing its surface. Besides, what can you do even if you understand it clearly? Can you change it?" Chen Mo countered.

"You're right, you can't change anything." Gong Hui understood that Chen Mo must have seen her return to school in the morning, which was why he had distanced himself from her and hadn't contacted her since.

"Sometimes, life forces you to do things you don't want to do. Many things, once they're in front of you, you have no choice but to face them." Gong Hui said.

"I can understand that!" Chen Mo thought about the part-time jobs he had done over the past year, the委屈 and hardships he had endured, and nodded in understanding.

"After I got together with Wang Lisheng, I only told him that I had dated you before, but we never even held hands. You were the one who always pursued me!" Gong Hui explained.

"I can guess that! But why are you telling me this?" Chen Mo asked, shaking his hands, taking a paper towel to dry them, and then throwing the used paper into the trash can.

"I hope you can help me cover up the lie. I have my reasons. It would be a favor to me, okay?" Gong Hui spoke slowly but kept her eyes on him.

Chen Mo took out a cigarette, lit it silently, and took a few deep puffs. He usually didn't smoke, but sometimes he would have a few to ease his inner distress.

"Alright! As long as Wang Lisheng doesn't go too far, I won't argue with him." Chen Mo said.

"Thank you, thank you!" Gong Hui said repeatedly, a smile of relief on her face.

"As a classmate and friend, I hope you know what you're doing and wish you happiness." Chen Mo extinguished the cigarette and, after saying this to Gong Hui, turned and left, returning to the second floor.

Gong Hui stood at the entrance of the first-floor restroom, staring at Chen Mo's back, lost in thought. She knew deep down that Chen Mo still considered her a friend. She had once liked Chen Mo, but due to her own issues, she had to let go. She hoped there would be a chance to repay him in the future, but for now, she was powerless.

"Thank you!" Gong Hui said to herself.

Chen Mo returned to the second floor and joined the cheers at the table. After a while, Gong Hui came upstairs, giggling as she sat next to Wang Lisheng, playing the role of his girlfriend.

He glanced at her from a distance, shook his head, and realized that his relationship with Gong Hui might end here, and they might never cross paths again. Best wishes!

On the second floor, there was a large screen. The class president organized some classmates to go up and give blessings, singing a few songs, which made the gathering lively.

At this moment, a group of about seven or eight people came up from the first floor.

The leader, with a dragon tattoo on one arm and a tiger tattoo on the other, shouted, "F*ck, all of you, stop it! Did you hear me? Stop it and turn off that sound system!"

The students were surprised, looking at these people with a mix of curiosity and fear.

"Quick, all of you, pack up and get out. I need this place today," the leader said arrogantly.

"Sir, we booked this place for the afternoon," the class president, who was a man, stepped forward and said to the leader.

"Tell you to get out, and you get out. Why so many words?" The leader slapped the class president and shouted.

The restaurant owner came up at this moment and said to the class president, somewhat awkwardly, "Students, you'd better wrap it up. I won't charge you for the booking. I didn't expect this, and I'm really sorry."

Hearing the restaurant owner's words and seeing the class president get hit, the students started to murmur.