Under the moonlight

"Zhao Meng, it's been a long time." Chen Zhi broke the silence among them.

Zhao Meng glanced at him briefly before her gaze quickly shifted to Huang Meng's face. What was that expression? Was she nervous?

When Huang Meng heard Chen Zhi speak, she turned to look at him. Chen Zhi's face was calm. Perhaps she was overthinking it, after all, it was all many years ago.

She stood between the two of them, unsure of what to say. Zhao Meng walked over to her and said, "We might have to wait a while."

"Come to my place, I made a reservation, but unfortunately someone stood me up. I was just about to talk to the staff about whether I could get a refund," Chen Zhi said to Zhao Meng with a fawning smile.

Huang Meng looked at him, then at Zhao Meng, and said with a forced laugh, "Hehe, since there are seats available, how about we have a meal with Chen Zhi?" After she finished speaking, she cautiously looked at Zhao Meng, who used to hold grudges and never gave a kind look to those who had offended him.

Chen Zhi looked at Zhao Meng, his eyes full of anticipation. "Alright, it's been a long time since we last met. It's not impossible for us to sit down and chat." Hearing Zhao Meng agree, Huang Meng and Chen Zhi both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then, let's go. Huang Meng, you go first." Chen Zhi led the way, with Huang Meng following behind him.

"Come, please sit down. I'll have them bring the food. Waiter, this way." Chen Zhi called to the waiter to bring the food, as if he were very familiar with the place.

"Do you come here often?" Huang Meng asked curiously after Chen Zhi sat down, watching him order food with practiced ease.

"Huh? Oh, hehe, not really familiar with the place. My friend brought me here once, and the food was really good, so I remembered it, hehe~" Chen Zhi finished speaking and offered Huang Meng some water, but his eyes secretly glanced at Zhao Meng, who completely ignored him. Was he already getting into character? How should I continue this? I can't just bring up that matter right away, can I? Wouldn't that seem too deliberate?

As Chen Zhi poured water for them, he was pondering in his mind. However, after all, he had been in the underworld for many years. After pouring the tea and sitting down, he had a clue in his mind.

"Oh, by the way, Huang Meng, I haven't asked you yet. Why did you decide to come back here to study back then? Why didn't you continue your studies in X City?" Zhao Meng looked at Huang Meng when he heard his question. He was also very curious about this question.

"Oh, I see. My dad was originally temporarily transferred to X city, but then his unit reorganized its personnel and transferred him back. My mom was worried that I wouldn't be able to adapt to the transfer, but my dad didn't want our family to be separated, so we all came back with him."

"Oh, I see. You didn't know? After you transferred schools, our homeroom teacher mentioned you a few times. I remember once during composition class, she even praised your composition!"

"Really?" Seeing her disbelief, Chen Zhi immediately said, "Of course, if you don't believe me, ask Zhao Meng. He, he knows too, doesn't he?" Huang Meng turned to look at Zhao Meng, seemingly eagerly awaiting his answer.

"Yes, that article you wrote about your grandmother was even read aloud in class as a model essay by her," Zhao Meng said earnestly to Huang Meng after thinking for a moment.

"It was written at the beginning of the first year of junior high, how come..."

"Hey, it's because we're so terrible. She dug up your article again, saying that good articles never go out of style, and she even read it to us in the second year of junior high." Chen Zhi quickly said when he saw that she didn't believe him.

"Okay, I really don't know." Huang Meng lowered her eyes after saying that, seemingly lost in memories.

Although they were all very ordinary little things, those uneventful years were a unique period of her youth. Because the people and events she encountered during that time, whenever she recalled them, always filled her heart with warmth.

"Hey, by the way, are you still in contact with Chen Xinxin and the others?" Chen Zhi asked, looking at Huang Meng who seemed to be in a daze.

"Hmm? Oh, we kept in touch for a while after I transferred back to school, but we only wrote letters. After that, I never received a reply to the letters I sent, so we lost contact," Huang Meng said somewhat dejectedly.