The scene of their sweet interaction wasn’t noticed by others, but a newlywed couple sitting opposite them caught every detail, as they were in the honeymoon phase themselves. The man signaled to his wife, then turned to Fang Junxie, “Cousin, we haven’t seen each other for four or five years, right? I remember we were the best of friends when we were kids. Whenever I was bullied, you’d go beat up the bullies. I could never pull you back.” He suddenly winced as his wife pinched his thigh for mentioning his childhood embarrassments, quickly changing the subject, “With such a strong bond, you didn’t even come back for my wedding. You’ve got to give me some face today and drink this toast.”
Fang Junxie laughed, “Looks like my sister-in-law is quite the expert; that pinch was perfect. Look how naturally my cousin changed the subject!” He continued, mentioning that his sister-in-law was once a famous figure in the entertainment district, skilled with a knife, but had since retired to become a model housewife, practicing her finger strength only for domestic tasks. As he spoke, the sister-in-law pinched her husband again, making him wince and stand up, his face twisting into a fierce expression. “Ah Zun, think you’re something special because you’ve been abroad for a few years? You’re drinking whether you want to or not!” Fang Junxie just smiled nonchalantly, “I’m not drinking. What are you going to do about it?”
Fu Xiaotang, not understanding this was their usual playful banter, found the cousin’s expression terrifying and hoped someone would intervene. But everyone else, including the uncle, continued eating and drinking as if nothing was amiss, even as the tension seemed ready to lift the roof. The cousin, almost standing on his chair, was delivering threats when Fu Xiaotang, with a gentle smile, stood up and softly said, “Cousin…” His heart skipped a beat at her sweet voice, thinking he’d have his wife call him like that back home. Fu Xiaotang continued, “Ah Zun isn’t trying to disrespect you, he really can’t drink. Once he had a little, he was miserable all night!” The cousin’s mock anger vanished; this pure-hearted girl was truly adorable, especially with her sincere effort to explain. He thought to himself that Ah Zun was truly fortunate to have someone like her by his side. Meanwhile, Fang Junxie was watching Fu Xiaotang with an enigmatic smile, his eyes never leaving her.
