"Alright, let me introduce you. This is my husband, Sun Zhewen," she said with a hint of pride.
Sun Zhewen nodded, managing a weak smile. "Hello, everyone."
Li Zhiyan pointed to a middle-aged man. "This is my dad."
"Hello, Dad," Sun Zhewen said respectfully.
Her dad nodded in acknowledgment.
Next, Li Zhiyan indicated a fashionable woman. "This is my mom."
"Hello, Mom," Sun Zhewen continued to be polite.
Her mom gave him a sidelong glance and coldly said, "Hmm."
Li Zhiyan continued, "This is my aunt."
"Hello, Auntie," Sun Zhewen said.
The aunt smiled and replied, "Hello, Xiao Sun."
"This is my uncle," Li Zhiyan continued, introducing him.
"Hello, Uncle," Sun Zhewen said, already feeling a bit numb.
His uncle patted his shoulder and praised, "Xiao Sun is not bad, a handsome young man."
Over the next while, Li Zhiyan kept introducing various relatives. Sun Zhewen felt like he was attending an endless meet-and-greet. He tried hard to remember everyone's names and titles, but those names were like fleeting clouds in his mind, leaving no impression.
Just when he was about to collapse, Li Zhiyan finally finished introducing everyone. She took his hand and led him to the sofa, still wearing that fake smile. "Zhewen, everyone in the family came to see us today, you have to behave well."
Sun Zhewen gave a wry nod, thinking to himself that they weren't here to visit; they were clearly here to check up on him.
For the rest of the afternoon, Sun Zhewen became the center of attention. Everyone took turns peppering him with questions, some of them even loaded with hidden barbs, leaving him struggling to keep up.
In the end, he only remembered her parents. Before they could say anything, Li Zhiyan spoke up, "There are too many people tonight, so we won't eat at home. We'll go out. Zhewen, come help me grab a couple of bottles of wine."
Sun Zhewen followed Li Zhiyan into the storage room. The lighting was dim, but the rows of bottles on the shelves gleamed enticingly under the light. Li Zhiyan took a card out of her pocket and whispered, "You'll pay tonight. The password is..."
"Okay," Sun Zhewen nodded, silently memorizing the password.
Li Zhiyan continued, "Take these two bottles of Lang Liquor."
Sun Zhewen glanced at the other bottles on the shelf, puzzled. "Isn't there Moutai?"
Li Zhiyan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you want to drink it?"
"No, I mean your relatives. Don't they prefer Moutai?"
Li Zhiyan chuckled, a hint of cunning in her eyes. "You're dense. Why would I bring out the best? Those people wouldn't appreciate it anyway. Lang Liquor is good enough."
Sun Zhewen shrugged, resigned. "Alright." He grabbed a bag and carefully placed the two bottles of Lang Liquor inside.
There were a lot of people. The restaurant Li Zhiyan had booked was not far from the residential area. It was a well-known restaurant with a simple and elegant decor, exuding the charm of the Jiangnan Water Town. Li Zhiyan had booked two large private rooms, which barely accommodated everyone. The private room was brightly lit, and the tables were filled with various dishes, their aromas filling the air.
The restaurant was particularly busy tonight. The dishes were served and quickly emptied. Sun Zhewen went out to hurry the kitchen. While looking for a waiter in the hall, he unexpectedly saw a familiar figure – Chen Qingyan. She was wearing a light blue dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, making her look exceptionally fresh and refined. She was looking at him, but when he looked over, Chen Qingyan turned her head and spoke to someone at her table, as if intentionally ignoring him.
Sun Zhewen felt a little disappointed, but this wasn't the time to go find Qingyan. He quickly found a waiter and asked them to hurry the dishes. When he returned to the private room, several dishes had already been served, steaming hot and fragrant. He had just sat down when Li Zhiyan pulled him in for a drink.
After a few rounds of drinks, Sun Zhewen felt a little dizzy, so he got up and went to the restroom. The restroom lights were a bit glaring. He splashed cold water on his face to sober up. Just as he was about to return to the private room, a familiar voice came from behind, "It's certainly lively, huh."
Sun Zhewen turned around and saw Chen Qingyan standing at the door, arms crossed, with a hint of dissatisfaction and sarcasm in her eyes. He smiled and teased, "What, are you here to join the fun too?"
Chen Qingyan snorted coldly, "You people are so noisy, making such a fuss just to eat."
Sun Zhewen shrugged helplessly, "Can't be helped, there's a lot of us. What are you doing here?"
Chen Qingyan pursed her lips, "My friend is treating, so I'm here."
Sun Zhewen nodded, "So, how's your meal? Should I send some dishes over?"
Chen Qingyan rolled her eyes at him, "You should take care of your own table first, before you can't even take care of yourself." Then she turned and left.
Returning to the private room, Sun Zhewen found the atmosphere even more lively. Li Zhiyan's relatives were gathered around the table, drinking and playing drinking games, their laughter echoing. Seeing him return, Li Zhiyan quickly beckoned, "Zhewen, come on, you have to drink this cup!"
Sun Zhewen shook his head helplessly, raising his glass, "Alright, alright, I'll drink, I'll drink."
After a few rounds of drinking, Sun Zhewen was already a little unsteady on his feet. His face was flushed, his eyes were hazy, and his steps were staggering; he was clearly drunk. He quietly approached Li Zhiyan, who was beside him, and whispered, "I can't drink anymore, let's go back."
Li Zhiyan saw that her relatives had had enough to drink and announced loudly, "Let's call it a night. You've all gotten Zhewen drunk. Mom, Dad, go and settle the relatives, then come back."
Li's father nodded and responded with a smile, "Alright, everyone, let's go to the hotel." He waved his hand, beckoning everyone.
Li Zhiyan helped Sun Zhewen to the front desk to pay the bill. Although Sun Zhewen was quite drunk, he still remembered to pay himself. He took out his bank card from his pocket and handed it to the front desk attendant. The attendant smiled and took the card, expertly operating the POS machine.
"Thank you for your hard work," Li Zhiyan said to the attendant.
"You're welcome. Good night," the attendant replied politely.
Li's father and mother were busy attending to their relatives, leading the large group towards the hotel. The whole process was lively, with constant laughter.
Meanwhile, in a nearby corner, Chen Qingyan bit her lip, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she watched Li Zhiyan help Sun Zhewen walk away. A wave of sourness welled up in her heart, as if something had pricked her.