sleepless tonight

Chapter 12

I looked at Logan in surprise.

During the three years of high school, at class reunions, Logan never drank alcohol. Every time, I poured hot water or drinks for her, and I couldn't refuse. I drank for her, and I never saw her drink alcohol.

"Can you drink?" I asked Logan.

"Is there any problem? Who stipulated that women can't drink alcohol?" Logan glanced at me and said lightly.

This feeling of alienation, as well as the indifferent expression in Logan's eyes, looking at me like a stranger, made my heart ache.

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just that drinking alcohol hurts your health. You'd better drink less." I said awkwardly.

"This is my business. You don't need to worry about it. You should take care of yourself. It doesn't make sense to say that only state officials are allowed to set fires, and the common people are not allowed to light lamps." Tang Wan signaled the waiter to continue pouring her wine, and then skillfully picked up the glass , took a sip, and glanced at me, "Besides, you are not a state official."

"That's right. Chen Jin's current status is at best an ordinary person. Tang Wan is a high-achieving student with excellent university grades. She has won the school's first-class scholarship for four consecutive years, and even nearly went abroad for further studies." Zhou Kai said, " Chen Jin, instead of caring about her, you should care more about yourself, among our group of people, you are the worst."

My heart was torn again.

Eight years have passed, and all of these former classmates have achieved success in their careers. I am indeed the most unsatisfactory one. Not to mention divorced, I don't even have money for meals, and I have to ask my family to get it.

"Zhou Kai, don't say a few words. In high school, Chen Jin's grades were not bad. He was steadily in the top three in his class and top ten in the school. If there were no accidents, he would still be able to enter Tsinghua University." Wu Dong stood for me. Injustice.

"You also know if it is true, how could there be a chance to start over in life? What we are talking about now is the fact, not if or if." Zhou Kai said.

Wu Dong wanted to tell the difference for me, so I patted him on the shoulder: "Forget it, there is nothing to argue about. What Zhou Kai said is the truth, and what he said is also very reasonable. There are no ifs in life, what happens is what happens." I'm really talking too much, all of you have gone to college, and even Tsinghua University's top students have won the school's first prize. I, a person who has not graduated from high school, how can I criticize you?"

"Okay, let's have a drink. I'll have a drink first, for my gaffe."

I picked up the wine glass, glanced at Logan, and drank the red wine in the glass in one gulp.

The wine is split between the buds, and then flows down the throat. It feels slightly astringent, not very tasty, but it is very suitable for my current state.

When you drink, you drink your emotions.

"Slow down, no one will compete with you, eat food." Wu Dong pointed to the food on the table and said to me, "I ordered a few dishes, all of which are your favorite. Scrambled eggs with onions, thousand-sheet tofu, Stir-fried beef with green peppers, don't just drink too much, eat more vegetables."

"Well, okay, eat vegetables." I nodded, picked up a piece of beef, put it in my mouth and chewed.

Then, I picked up the red wine on the table and poured myself a glass.

"Drink slowly, you just ate a mouthful of food." Yu Lu said to me, "Don't pass out before chatting for a while."

"Am I so bad at drinking? It's fine for me to drink half a catty of white wine, let alone red wine, this bottle is fine." I said.

Logan frowned and stared at me.

"Then don't drink so fast, slow down, no one will compete with you." Yu Lu said, "Tell me something interesting about the meeting in high school. I was surprised when I saw this plate of green pepper beef. There is one thing that impressed me deeply."

"What's the matter? Is there anything special about this green pepper beef?" Zhou Kai looked at Yu Lu and asked doubtfully, "Is the beef fake?"

"Where are you thinking?" Yu Lu glanced at Zhou Kai, then turned to look at me, "I remember back in high school, whenever there was a class reunion, Chen Jin would order a plate of beef with green peppers. A plate of green pepper beef costs 20 yuan, and you can order three or four other dishes.”

"Indeed, the prices were really low at that time, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes were only four yuan." Wu Dong nodded, "20 yuan is indeed enough to order three or four dishes, but Chen Jin always ordered beef with green peppers. I remember the college entrance examination The previous time, when we had a meal together, Chen Jin only had 50 yuan left, but he still ordered a plate of green pepper beef."

"Later, until the college entrance examination, he and I kept eating steamed buns for half a month, and we almost vomited. He really likes green pepper beef."

I smiled, lowered my head and took a sip of the red wine, moistened my lips, and looked up at Logan.

Logan lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking.

"You're wrong. Chen Jin doesn't like to eat beef with green peppers. Every time he ordered this dish, he didn't move his chopsticks." Yu Lu said suddenly, "At most, when we urged him, he picked up a piece of meat. Just two pieces of beef."

"Oh? There is such a thing? I didn't observe it carefully. Why? I ordered such an expensive dish, but I didn't eat it." Wu Dong looked at me in surprise.

"I'm also curious about what it is for." Yu Lu glanced at Logan, and then looked at me.

"What else can it be? Isn't it just because I think I will eat less, so you can eat more?" I smiled and said, "Okay, let's eat quickly, there is a big one waiting for me at home."

"Okay." Wu Dong nodded, raised his glass, "Chen Jin, I respect you, congratulations, you got married so soon, and you have a daughter."

I touched one with Wudong and drank it in one gulp.

"I haven't met your daughter-in-law yet, when will you bring her out for dinner?" Yu Lu said to me.

I paused, feeling a little tangled in my heart, Tong Wangjun and I are already divorced, how do we bring them out to meet?
Do I have to tell them I'm divorced?
As soon as this idea came up, I immediately suppressed it. Among these people, I am the worst. It seems that I am married and have children. I have halfway through life, and I should be happy and happy.

But what they didn't know was that I was already divorced, and I had to rely on my parents' support to support my daughter, and I was reduced to a street stall.

At this time, if you say that I am divorced, wouldn't it arouse sympathy?

I hate being pitied.

"Let's see." Finally, I vaguely replied.

After drinking most of the bottle of red wine, I handed Xiaole to Yu Lu, got up and went to the bathroom.

When I came out, I ran into Logan at the door of the toilet. Logan stood there, as if she was waiting for me specially.

I shook my head and smiled self-deprecatingly, I really thought too much, the men's and women's toilets were facing each other, and Logan came out to go to the toilet, it was nothing unusual to happen to meet.

Tang Wan turned her back to me, she was staring at something, I walked past her and kept looking at her back, but I didn't call her after all.

"Chen Jin, do you like green pepper beef?" Tang Wan's voice sounded abruptly.

I turned my head and looked at her strangely: "Why do you ask this?"

"It's nothing, I just heard Yu Lu talking about this, so I was a little curious, so I asked." Tang Wan said lightly.

"Oh." I replied, without rushing away, I smoked a cigarette, "Do you mind?"

"I said I mind, will you not smoke?" Logan asked.

"Hehe." I laughed twice, lit my cigarette, and took a puff, "You go back first, I'll smoke a cigarette before going in."

"Your wife doesn't mind if you smoke?" Tang Wan frowned, looking at me, she obviously didn't like me smoking.

I shook my head.

In fact, I don't even know whether Tong Wangjun minds me smoking or not, because the years between me and her have been blank, and I have completely forgotten about it.

However, whether you mind it or not, you definitely don't mind it now, because you are already divorced, what else is there to mind or not?
"Then she is really good to you." Tang Wan said, "You haven't told me yet, do you like green pepper beef?"

I looked at her: "Is this question so important?"

Logan stared at me without saying a word, she didn't seem to get an answer from me, she won't leave.

"If I don't like it, why would I order it?" I smiled, with a little self-mockery, "After all, 20 yuan a plate is expensive, who wouldn't order something they don't like?"

Logan was silent for a while, took a deep look at me, turned around and left.

Through the lingering smoke, I watched her leaving back, narrowed my eyes, took a deep breath, threw the remaining half of the cigarette on the ground, stepped on it twice, and went downstairs .

(End of this chapter)