Li Fei is the only friend Chu Mo still keeps in touch with.
Not one of many.
Unlike Chu Mo, Li Fei's greatest hobby is eating; during college, he practically devoured every delicacy the nearby eateries had to offer.
Li Fei's family was quite well-off, receiving double the living expenses Chu Mo got monthly, yet by the end of each month, it was all spent on food and drink.
Naturally, standing at 1.8 ters, Li Fei's weight of 180 pounds was justified.
Of course, thanks to his height, the weight on him seed substantial rather than giving off the impression of being so fat he couldn't walk. Moreover, since he started dating his girlfriend last year and beca conscious of his appearance, he's been actively trying to lose weight. So overall, he appeared fair and rather refined.
The reason Chu Mo and Li Fei beca best friends can be traced back to a conflict with the dorm next door during the second sester of their sophomore year, a fight that ultimately did not break out.
At that ti, Li Fei was in a confrontation with two others, at a disadvantage even with his large build.
Passing by just then, being dormmates who'd shared als and drinks, Chu Mo couldn't stand by and watch one of his own suffer, so, without thinking, he rushed out to intervene.
Chu Mo, at 1.82 ters, wasn't thin back in college, so with his large stature joined by Li Fei's 1.80 ters and 190-plus pounds, now unburdened by weight loss, the odds were evened—two against two. The other pair backed down imdiately, and the presence of onlookers discouraging the fight helped to diffuse the situation peacefully.
Male friendships can be that simple, it seems.
It was since then that Li Fei, upon discovering any good eatery, liked to pull Chu Mo along for a taste. As ti went by, their bond grew stronger.
After graduating, Chu Mo and Li Fei were among the few in their class who chose to carve out their futures in the bustling city. Even though Chu Mo had set his classmate group chat to Do Not Disturb, his connection with Li Fei never broke.
They'd occasionally grab skewers to barbecue, share a bottle of beer, and reminisce about their college years; these etings were one of the few comforts Chu Mo found in this cold city.
Chu Mo had originally planned to invite Li Fei to Bafang International to sample so Kobe steak, but Li Fei took the initiative and set their eting at a barbecue restaurant on Láncūn Road.
It was a place they often t at, so without any hesitation, he agreed to the arrangent.
By the ti a casually dressed Chu Mo in sneakers arrived at the restaurant, he imdiately spotted the fair-complexioned portly figure.
"Wonders of the world, Fatty, you actually beat here? This is montous. It's the first ti you've arrived earlier than ."
Chu Mo's face was brimming with mirth as he unceremoniously took his seat opposite Li Fei.
The nickna 'Fatty' had stuck since college, and although Li Fei wasn't really fat anymore, it seed the nickna would always follow him.
The table was already laden with crawfish, roasted lamb legs, and several side dishes, indicating the other party had arrived quite early.
You see, since Chu Mo was a freelance writer with a more flexible schedule, he would usually be the first to arrive whenever the two t. He'd order the food so by the ti Li Fei strolled in, everything was ready.
But more often than not, Li Fei picked up the tab.
Today was the first ti he saw Li Fei arrive early, which understandably led to Chu Mo's playful banter.
The young man with the pale complexion in front of him took his ti sizing up Chu Mo from head to toe, very earnestly indeed. After a while, with his eyes widened, Li Fei expressed his confusion:
"It's still you, Chu Mo. How co I can't see a single bit of toady aura on you? Tell , what kind of love potion have you slipped our campus belle Ling Yue, that she is so protective of you? I just say Chu Mo, you're so poor you're about to go back ho and farm, and the campus belle rushes to your defense.
Tell , wasn't it just last month when we were chatting that you were practically in tears saying you couldn't hold on much longer?"
Hearing this, a sowhat bewildered Chu Mo replied:
"What's going on, explain it to . How did it get to Ling Yue? We haven't seen each other for three years, and you haven't seen her either, have you?"
While speaking, Chu Mo poured a glass of beer for himself and Li Fei. Snowflake brand. He gulped it down, and this ti, the flavor was right.
The dejected Li Fei sighed and said:
"In our class, if anyone knows you best apart from , who could that be? In the years since we graduated, other than our occasional catch-ups, to be honest, I've had no interest in those pretentious class reunions."
"Just a while ago, Ling Yue suddenly said in the group chat that she bumped into you and that you had completely changed. I didn't take it seriously at the ti, thinking you two just happened to et and chatted briefly."
"But then, just last night, our class monitor Du Yanyan suddenly lost it, saying that you, Chu Mo, have the aura of a domineering CEO. I was shocked. When you got drunk and vomited all over , why didn't I notice any 'kingly' charisma on you?"
"So I replied with a sentence: 'Chu Mo does have a certain charisma, but it's more of a 'bastard' charisma.'"
"Given our friendship, I just blurted that out without thinking. If they were talking about soone else, I wouldn't even have bothered to respond. But it was because of that comnt that I offended Ling Yue, and she managed to scold for a good half an hour."
"Chu Mo, just tell , what exactly is your relationship with Ling Yue?"
Hearing this, Chu Mo took out his phone, and after so effort, finally pulled up the university alumni group chat. He opened the conversation but didn't find Ling Yue's ssage because a long stretch of dialogue had followed after her comnts.
Casually undoing the mute on the group, Chu Mo said earnestly:
"Fatty, how long have we known each other? Do you believe what I say?"
"Seven years. I believe everything you say—I just don't believe there's nothing between you and Ling Yue."
Li Fei's comnt left Chu Mo speechless. He gloomily gulped down another beer and then picked up so food with his chopsticks. Shaking his head, he said:
"Believe it or not, Ling Yue and I really have nothing to do with each other. I did indeed bump into her recently. Actually, Ling Yue's family background is not simple. She beca a manager at the Agricultural Bank just three years after graduation and drives an Audi from a 4S shop. Let put it this way, she and I..."
"Exactly, that's what puzzles ." Li Fei, interrupting Chu Mo mid-sentence, lifted his beer and downed it in one go. Resting slightly on the dining table, he said in confusion:
"After all, Ling Yue is the school beauty, and back in the day the line of people chasing her was anything but short. With her family's good conditions, did she lose her mind, or what? How could she have taken a fancy to you?
Chu Mo, I honestly haven't seen it. You, you're really the textbook definition of 'covertly flirtatious.' You look as silent as a gourd on the surface, but when it cos to charming won, you're truly skilled."
Only because the one sitting opposite him was his best buddy Li Fei could he speak so blatantly. Had it been soone else calling him 'covertly flirtatious' in his face, Chu Mo might have made sure they were ruined.
But in this world, only this 'fatty' would speak to him with such disregard for filters.
Taking a deep breath, the resigned Chu Mo picked up his phone and said earnestly:
"You don't believe ? I'll call Ling Yue right now and let her explain it to you."
"Put it on speaker."
Li Fei raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile on his face.
Chu Mo, with nothing to hide, pressed the speaker button without hesitation.
After two rings, a gentle female voice soon ca from the other end of the line.
"Chu Mo, why haven't you contacted for such a long ti? Have you forgotten about ?"
The voice was plaintive, like a forsaken young wife, pitiful and needy.
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