Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Lu Zhiyu tossed the shop key to Xiao Le and said, “Keep an eye on the shop. Call me if anything urgent happens.”
Xiao Le was in the midst of playing with a kitten. She turned around and nodded, “Alright, I understand. Don’t worry, boss!”
Lu Zhiyu put on his coat and got into the car with Wang Yi. Even though he already knew what Wang Yi was there for using his mind power, he still asked, “What’s the urgent matter? Why were you looking for me so suddenly!”
Wang Yi got into the driver’s seat, closed the door and said, “We’re having a reunion, an elementary school reunion. Someone called me suddenly this morning and asked me to attend, and so I thought about you. I then immediately came to fetch you!”
Lu Zhiyu thought back to the days. “Elementary school reunion? Can you even remember what they look like? I might not even remember their names!”
Wang Yi immediately replied, “Really? You don’t remember Xiao Pang, Four-Eyes, and Liu Datiao?”
Lu Zhiyu laughed instantly, “Well, now that you told me about them, I do. Are they really all here?”
Wang Yi said with a laugh, “Xiao Pang isn’t, but Four-Eyes and Liu Datiao are. Four-Eyes was the one that called me.”
Lu Zhiyu nodded, “I can’t believe you still have their contact numbers. I lost touch with them a long time ago!”
Lu Zhiyu had gone to elementary school in another town, where his grandparents lived. It was a small town about two hours out of the capital city of the province. After he left, his grandparents’ home was sold, and he hadn’t returned since.
As the car drove towards where he lived when he was a child, Lu Zhiyu found himself getting excited. However, when they reached the town, Lu Zhiyu saw that it was much like the town he currently lived in, with skyscrapers and busy streets. He suddenly realized that he could not recall any memories. This place was nothing like the small town in his recollection!
“So much has changed, I don’t remember this at all. This should be where the old bridge used to be. Did they rebuild it? I remember that it used to be a stone bridge!” Lu Zhiyu gasped. Seeing the changes in the town, Lu Zhiyu felt strongly the fleeting passage of time.
Wang Yi immediately asked, “When was the last time you were here? Of course you don’t recognize anything. Let me see, they booked a table at the Palace Cuisine. En, it’s this way. Do you remember the Palace Cuisine? I used to have my meals there frequently when I was studying in middle and high school, usually for my classmate’s birthday parties or something like that!”
Lu Zhiyu shook his head. “I left after elementary school, so I don’t have any recollections of the place!”
Lu Zhiyu and Wang Yi saw a big man standing by the door as soon as they got out of the car. After he saw Wang Yi, he hurried over. The man spoke in the local dialect, which made Lu Zhiyu felt a sense of familiarity. “Wang Yi, you’re finally here. Hurry upstairs, they’re in the second room to the left on the second floor.”
Wang Yi hugged the fat man and they gave each other friendly pounds with their fists. He laughed heartily, then spoke to Lu Zhiyu, “Li Hao, the class monitor, remember him?”
Lu Zhiyu immediately remembered, his expression turning into that of an understanding. He did not expect that the class monitor of the past had grown to be this fat. Li Hao was a skinny little kid. Now, Lu Zhiyu could only found the little familiarity from his eyes and eyebrows !
Li Hao looked at Lu Zhiyu and asked, “And this is…?”
“Make a guess?” Wang Yi laughed.
Li Hao observed him closely, then immediately shouted, “Lu Zhiyu? You are Lu Zhiyu aren’t you!”
Lu Zhiyu felt a sense of familiarity and joy well up in his heart. It was the feeling of being recognized by an old classmate he had not seen in many years. He hugged Li Hao and said, “That’s right, class monitor. How did you gain so much weight? I remember that you would not gain an ounce no matter how much you ate when you were young!”
Li Hao released the hug and looked at Lu Zhiyu, “Let me see, let me see, oh my! You were the most good-looking kid in class when you were younger. The way you look now, I would not be able to recognize you even if I run into you. Why haven’t you come back all these years? We all missed you!”
Lu Zhiyu felt slightly embarrassed. “I’ve been studying somewhere else, then went to work in the capital. My old house over here also got sold. But this is indeed my fault. I’ll drink three glasses of beer later as my punishment!”
“How is three glasses enough? I’ll show you what punishment is when I head up later. You guys should head up quickly, I am still waiting for a few of our classmates!”
This should be the best restaurant in town. It was rather posh. Lu Zhiyu noticed that the decor and facilities were all pretty good, and the waiters were also very well-mannered.
The two had just reached the room when they saw that there were already a lot of people inside. When they saw Wang Yi, several people stood to greet him.
“Wang, even a great scientist like you have come. Here, here here. Sit next to me!”
“Old Wang, you’re late! Come on, drink as your punishment!”
“Wang Yi, he’s right, drink!”
A young man with glasses and a man with a shaved head were the loudest. Wang Yi immediately shouted, “Four-Eyes, Liu Datiao, don’t try to play with me tonight. Look who I brought!”
Everyone noticed Lu Zhiyu, who was standing behind Wang Yi, but no one could recall who exactly he was for the time being. After all, Lu Zhiyu had changed a lot. But Four-Eyes immediately shouted, “Lu Zhiyu, I can’t believe you’re here! Gosh, how many years have it been since I last saw you!”
As soon as Four-Eyes spoke up, everyone else remembered him as well. Lu Zhiyu had been pretty popular when he was a kid. He had good grades and was rather handsome. He had been good friends with a lot of people, much to the fancy of his teachers and classmates.
Many people crowded toward him and began chatting about old times. As he chatted with them, Lu Zhiyu’s memory of his childhood began to return as well. He was soon able to match the names to the faces in front of him. Having lived out of town for so many years, he thought he was all alone. But to his surprise, he still had so many classmates and friends back here!
“Wow, you’re married? Four-eye?”
“That was nothing! Liu Datiao’s son is already in kindergarten!”
“How about you? Since you’ve grown such a face, how popular you would be! Why didn’t you bring anyone!”
“I’m not married. My girlfriend has to work today. It was too rushed, and so I couldn’t bring her.”
There were plenty of girls there, but most of them were married. The boys were mostly married as well. In a small town like this, people tended to marry early, a few of them already had kids in their families.
Just then, the door opened and a young woman walked in. She had short hair and was wearing a uniform. She looked as though she had rushed over here from work. She looked quite thin and her face was a little pale.
Lu Zhiyu turned to Wang Yi and asked, “Who’s that?”
Four-Eyes immediately shouted, “Lu Zhiyu, have you forgotten? That’s Ai Shu.”
Lu Zhiyu was shocked, “What?”