"Xiao laoshi!"
Xiao Zhan walked into the private booth, and Song Li greeted him with his usual high spirits. They were roughly the same age, and if Wang Yibo had successfully presented as an Alpha, he might have had a lively and outgoing personality like Song Li. Xiao Zhan sighed inwardly and smiled as he sat down, saying, "You're here for the meal quite early, I thought I'd have to wait for you."
"Oh, I'm just not enthusiastic about work. I'm enthusiastic about everything else except work," Song Li said without the slightest embarrassment. Xiao Zhan shook his head, teasingly scolding him, "You little rascal, you're shameless. Have you ordered yet?"
"Look at you, Xiao laoshi, how can I order first when you're treating? Of course, I'll wait for you to decide," Song Li flipped his teacup and poured tea for Xiao Zhan.
"Forget it, I'll stop fooling around, let's talk seriously." Song Li watched Xiao Zhan order the dishes and took a sip of tea before saying, "Actually, if you hadn't mentioned the dinner, I would have thought you gave Yibo-ge some other gift. I noticed he's still wearing his old watch."
Xiao Zhan paused for a moment before replying, "Well, it's fine. Let's order another hot dish, this one." He closed the menu and handed it back to the server, then looked at Song Li. "The watch Yibo is wearing now holds a special meaning for him. I didn't know until after I gave him the watch, and he told me about it."
"I see," Song Li nodded, "That's a bit unfortunate then..."
"It's okay. Gifts are about the intention behind them. As long as it makes him happy, that's what matters. How he handles it is up to him," Xiao Zhan said lightly, but his heart was far from calm. Even if he managed to brush off the topic with Song Li, he still felt embarrassed.
If Song Li hadn't brought it up, Xiao Zhan would have forgotten about it. He had carefully picked out the gift, but Wang Yibo received it with great difficulty and never wore it. What was the point of not wearing the watch? Xiao Zhan went through so much trouble for this meaningless gift, taking Song Li out for a meal, pretending to be happy, lying about how much Wang Yibo liked it, and feeling no different from self-torture.
"Speaking of this, let me tell you a story, Xiao laoshi"
Song Li was someone who couldn't stop talking, even to himself. Xiao Zhan had spaced out and didn't catch what he had said earlier, so he just picked up his teacup and uttered a vague "Mm."
Song Li continued, "A long, long time ago, I also had a crush on a girl I knew since childhood. She was the daughter of my dad's friend, and our families lived across from each other. She was smart, quiet, and obedient, the type of well-behaved girl. I had liked her for a long time but didn't dare to confess because I was afraid she wasn't interested in love and only focused on studying. I thought even if she rejected me, it would be fine, but I didn't want my dad to scold me. But guess what happened later?"
Xiao Zhan glanced at him, "Did she confess to you?"
Song Li shook his head, "No, she presented as an Omega, which I expected. But after the college entrance exam, my dad told me she got pregnant."
"What?" Xiao Zhan was genuinely shocked, frowning, he said, "Pregnant? After the college entrance exam, at eighteen?"
"Eighteen," Song Li nodded and then chuckled, "I couldn't believe it either because the girl I knew wouldn't do such a thing. When my dad told me about it, she had just gone for an abortion, and I went to the hospital to see her. We attended different high schools because of the college entrance exam, and I hadn't seen her for two or three months. When I saw her in the hospital, to be honest, I couldn't believe it was her."
"It's like a flower that's been infested by pests, withered and yellowed," Song Li said, "We had a good relationship since childhood, and she still trusted me. Maybe she couldn't find anyone else to confide in at that moment and saw me as a lifeline. She told me she had been together with that guy since her sophomore year, truly liked him, and wanted to marry him. That guy even said he would marry her if she presented as an Omega. Then it was the cliché story of a scumbag player and a naive girl, nothing special to say. But she never told me who that guy was, no matter how many times I asked, she said it didn't matter."
Xiao Zhan looked at Song Li, and Song Li shrugged helplessly, yet there was a tinge of regret. The server opened the door curtain and brought the dishes. Song Li lowered his head and coughed twice, and Xiao Zhan heard him say, "Bring two bottles of clear liquor."
"Of course, sir."
Xiao Zhan was about to say that he didn't drink, but he changed his mind and let it go. After the server left, he asked, "Do you still like her?" It seemed more like a statement than a question.
"Of course," Song Li replied with a smile. He picked up his chopsticks and played with the plate of seaweed in front of him. Xiao Zhan asked, "Then why didn't you say anything back then? Did you mind her—"
"I don't mind," Song Li interrupted him, looking up. "But I didn't want my liking to turn into pity. If I confessed at that time, she wouldn't have accepted me. Even if she did, she would never raise her head in front of me. Liking someone is about wanting them to be happy, right? I am no longer the person who can make her burst into laughter."
"Moreover," he paused before saying, "I can't raise my head in front of her either."
"Self-blame?" Xiao Zhan picked up his chopsticks and said, "For not being able to protect her?"
Song Li nodded without giving a direct answer, and only said, "As the saying goes, those who are close to the water tower get the moon first. How the hell did I become so cowardly?" He took a mouthful of seaweed and shook his head.
Xiao Zhan chuckled after observing him for a moment, "Who doesn't get cowardly when they have a crush?"
"Come on, don't tell me you weren't cowardly? Don't tell me Yibo ge confessed first," Song Li teased Xiao Zhan.
"I..." Xiao Zhan was suddenly at a loss for words, but thankfully, Song Li didn't wait for his response and continued, "Actually, whether you were cowardly or not, I envy you. The phrase 'childhood sweethearts' implies something beautiful, but how many of them actually end up together? Ninety-nine percent probably end up as regrets. You're so lucky. When Yibo ge met you, he was only fourteen, and you might have had a past relationship, but he was a clean slate, and he happened to like you and marry you. Damn, I envy you so much."
"I don't have any past relationships either," Xiao Zhan said with a sigh, looking at Song Li in disbelief. He felt the irony in his own words and couldn't help but feel exasperated. "There's nothing to envy. Every family has its own difficulties. You can only see the surface and envy it."
Song Li was taken aback for a moment, and as the two bottles of clear liquor were brought to the table, he glanced at Xiao Zhan's expression before reaching for the wine cup. "What's the matter, Xiao Laoshi? Your words sound ominous. Did you have a fight with Yibo ge?"
"No, it's not that." Xiao Zhan took the wine cup and said, "He's doing well. It's my own problem."
"Oh, come on, if it's your problem, then just change it," Song Li advised as he touched his cup to Xiao Zhan's. He said with a calm expression, "If we could choose, everyone would want to be an Alpha. So, just being an Omega already makes us luckier. Whenever possible, let's be accommodating. It's only natural."
"You understand quite well," Xiao Zhan said with a smile.
Song Li put down his wine cup and said, "Nothing special, I've just dated more than you."
"Get lost," Xiao Zhan laughed, and his cup was refilled with wine. He looked at the dim light shimmering in the liquid and said, "Love expert, let me ask you a question. I really, really like him. I feel like I've been wholeheartedly good to him, but he seems a bit oblivious. I give him a hundred percent, but he can only perceive one percent of it. What should I do?"
"What should you do? Just tell him," Song Li seemed to think it was not a difficult question at all. He poured himself some wine and said, "I know what you want to say. Loving someone and giving without expecting anything in return may sound noble, but when you say it, it seems like emotional blackmail and makes you look petty. But that's all sanctimonious talk. Who gives without expecting anything in return? If you don't expect anything, then why are you feeling upset? Right? So, just say it. Love is about giving and receiving. If he's slow, remind him. Put down your Alpha's pride and show some vulnerability. Give him the chance to love you. Otherwise, if he sees that you don't need anything, of course, he won't care."
"Rough words, but sound advice," Song Li clinked his cup with Xiao Zhan's. "You don't believe me? Try it yourself."
"I don't believe you," Xiao Zhan said, tilting his head back and taking a sip of the clear liquor. Though the alcohol content wasn't high, it still felt a bit spicy to him, as he was not a regular drinker. He pursed his lips and set down the cup, saying, "I really don't believe that you're a love expert."
"Hah, nonsense," Song Li also put down his cup and said, "It's easy to talk about these principles, but the key is whether we can actually follow them. If I were to ask you the same question today, you'd probably give me the same advice. Who doesn't know the theory? The crucial part is whether we can put it into practice."
The alcohol rushed through their bodies, flushing their eyelids, making them look as if they were about to cry. Perhaps Xiao Zhan really did want to cry, but he held back because Song Li was still there.
Xiao Zhan chuckled wryly and agreed, "You're right," reaching for the bottle to pour himself more alcohol.
Thinking back to a year ago, he was so confident. He thought that even the most difficult part, marriage, was taken care of by Wang Yibo, who initiated it. Spending time together day and night, developing feelings for each other, seemed like an easy task. However, a year later, he felt at a loss, confused, and even inferior in their day-to-day interactions. He had been repeatedly rejected and couldn't help but subconsciously accept the reality that Wang Yibo would never like him.
At 9:30 in the evening, Song Li called for the bill. Xiao Zhan was already feeling a bit tipsy, holding onto Song Li without letting go. As Song Li paid the bill, he didn't even care about the fact that the plan to "have a free meal, but ended up paying" had failed. He was now more concerned about how to get Xiao Zhan back home. He didn't even know where Xiao Zhan lived.
"Wait a moment," Song Li stopped the waiter and asked, "Can you help me call a designated driver? The sooner, the better."
"No problem, I'll arrange it for you right away."
"Thanks." Supporting Xiao Zhan, Song Li took out his phone and opened his contacts. Unfortunately, he realized that he hadn't saved Wang Yibo's number, and he hadn't even added him on WeChat. Looking at Xiao Zhan, he helplessly said, "Xiao Laoshi, Xiao Laoshi! Wake up, tell me where you live. I can't get in touch with Yibo ge."
"Yibo." It seemed like Xiao Zhan could only hear these two words. With half-opened eyes, he suddenly smiled and hugged Song Li tightly, saying, "Laopo"
"Oh damn, bro, stop calling me that," Song Li shuddered as goosebumps appeared on his skin. He pushed Xiao Zhan back to his seat, found his phone, and unlocked it, all while saying, "Xiao Laoshi, you should have said if you can't handle alcohol. I didn't force you to drink. You looked like you could handle three jin of alcohol just by your appearance, but you collapsed after just one cup."
"Laopo" Xiao Zhan didn't listen to anything Song Li said, unable to sit still for more than three seconds before pouncing on him, looking dazed as he said, "Laopo, I like you."
"What the hell, are you having a drunken frenzy? I'm not your wife," Song Li blocked him from hugging and quickly found Wang Yibo's WeChat contact. With a sigh, he said, "You really shouldn't drink in the future. Just by the way you're calling people 'laopo,' I dare not imagine what would happen if it were someone else today."
"You are my laopo!" Xiao Zhan suddenly raised his voice, startling Song Li. He had almost hung up the phone he was about to call.
Looking at him, Xiao Zhan seemed inexplicably on the verge of tears. He felt like Xiao Zhan was describing an unhappy marriage life. Song Li was startled by his own thoughts and quickly comforted Xiao Zhan, saying, "Alright, alright, you are married, Wang Yibo is your wife, no one will compete with you, don't worry."
"Hello?"
Song Li steadied Xiao Zhan and put the call on speaker, saying, "Hello, Yibo ge, it's me, Song Li. The thing is, Xiao Laoshi got drunk, and I really didn't expect him to get drunk so easily. He drank less than a jug of sake at the Japanese restaurant... ah, forget it, that's not important. The point is, he doesn't recognize anyone anymore. Where do you live? I'll call a designated driver to send him back."
"What?" Wang Yibo was also taken aback by the news. He didn't expect Xiao Zhan to drink with Song Li, let alone get drunk. He thought Xiao Zhan had a good tolerance for alcohol. After a moment's reaction, Wang Yibo walked towards the bedroom and said, "Which restaurant are you guys at? I'll come pick him up. It's getting late, how can I trouble you to send him back?"
"It's no trouble, really. I've been drinking too, and we need to get a designated driver anyway. It's not good to stay at someone else's restaurant all the time. I've already called a designated driver, and they'll be here soon." Song Li just wanted to send Xiao Zhan back as quickly as possible, afraid that if they stayed any longer, Xiao Zhan would spill all of his secrets.
"Well... alright then." Wang Yibo didn't want to owe Song Li any favors, but in this situation, there was no other choice. He gave the address and said, "You'll be here soon, so give me a call, and I'll wait at the entrance of the community."
"Okay, no problem. It's not far from here, should be about twenty minutes."
After the call ended, Wang Yibo opened his wardrobe to change clothes. Looking at the now blank screen of his phone, he couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.
Eating with Song Li was one thing, but to drink with him, and to get so drunk that he lost consciousness, what kind of person was Song Li? How dare Xiao Zhan get so drunk in front of him? Wang Yibo was furious, feeling like tearing his clothes apart, but then he realized there was no place to vent this anger.
He took two deep breaths, put on a short-sleeved shirt, and looked at the person in the full-length mirror with red eyes. He wanted to say, "That's enough, your grievances are not worth it."