Nine

In comparison to the lively atmosphere at other tables, our table appeared exceedingly desolate; I felt as if the four of us were dining on French cuisine in a high-end hotel

Her mother told her never to wait for others to offer charity

I have met Lanshan's mother, and upon meeting her, I understood why Lanshan possesses wisdom and aloofness that surpass her age. This is largely related to having such an elegant and dignified mother. From a young age, Lanshan has been taught the principle of "It is better to have one's palms facing down than to have them facing up"

Lan Shan did not need to know their dialogue; even if this were a black-and-white silent film, she understood all the meaning.

That night we drank to the point of inebriation, and I vaguely remember Mo Bei crying, but perhaps I am mistaken.

Chen Mobei found it quite laughable. He retorted to Gu Meng, asking whether, in the moments when you betrayed me for those perfumes, handbags, designer trench coats, and this damned MINA, you ever considered my feelings

How can hot pot be eaten like this, so quietly, so silently, and with such mutual restraint

I told many cold jokes, and everyone politely chuckled a few times, which only made me appear more foolish. Halfway through the meal, Chen Mobei's phone rang. He glanced at Lanshan, who wore an expression of indifference as if she hadn't heard any sound at all

Chen Mobei was melancholic for a moment, then got up to answer the phone. I threw down the chopsticks and secretly followed him.

I think perhaps she has also blamed me in her heart for not telling her earlier about the matter between Chen Mobei and Gu Meng

This is how I overheard the time and place of Chen Mobei's meeting with Gu Meng. Although Zhou Jianian advised me that friends should maintain a sense of propriety and that this matter is not for me to interfere in

I looked at her childlike face and wondered what it would be like if Lanshan were to request or even threaten Gu Meng in the same way

Qingtian once approached me, and of course, I did so behind Zhou Jianian's back. She spoke a great deal, with the central idea being for me to leave Zhou Jianian.

What he thinks is no longer important to Lanshan

What finally infuriated Gu Meng was Chen Mobei's remark, "Do you know that you are no different from a prostitute? You say wholesale, but they are retail." It was this very statement that earned him a slap.

A dampness

I did not notice while hiding behind the tree that Lan Shan had not gone home. She had also been following Chen Mo Bei all the way, watching from across the street as Gu Meng got out of the car and embraced Chen Mo Bei. They argued, she cried, he yelled at her, but they embraced again. In the end, she slapped him and left in a huff

So after we finished eating hot pot that day, she insisted on taking a taxi back by herself. I held her hand, wanting to say something, but she just smiled and signaled to me that there was no need for further words

She is neither Gu Meng, nor I, nor Qing Tian

But we cannot go back, we cannot go back

Later, I went to a roadside stall to drink with Chen Mobei. He told me that Gu Meng did not allow him to be with anyone else, regardless of who it was, because Chen Mobei could only love Gu Meng

I am quite despicable, but I believe I am still somewhat better than Gu Meng on the other end of the phone

In order to break the deadlock, Zhou Jianian and I invited Lan Shan and Chen Mobei to have hot pot.

Gu Meng still cries like she did back in the day, and she begins to bring up the past, which is too much. Chen Mobei's life can never escape the shadow of Gu Meng. Those bright moments they walked hand in hand, those tender years, those emotions as pure as water.

But what can I do to make her understand that I only wish for her happiness

However, Lanshan is a girl who fundamentally does not understand how to fight for herself. Perhaps it is not that she does not understand; rather, she is too concerned about her own demeanor and is unwilling to let herself become embroiled in a messy tug-of-war.

If she had not mentioned that night on the phone many years later, I fear I would have forgotten those events that followed

Lin Lanshan, who has never been willing to shed tears in front of others, touched her own face after Chen Mobei and I left