124: Chapter 124 When the Plums Ripen: Childhood Sweetheart Male Lead 2

The call ended, and Lin Xi's expression was rather strange.

In her opinion, this call was truly abrupt and lacked context.

On the other side, after a brief pause, Zhang Wei gathered his courage again.

He took a step forward, looking more sincere.

"Lin Xi, Nan Li, no matter what, it's late and it's not safe for you two girls. I've already called a car, let me take you home..."

"No need, Senior, thank you!"

This time, it was actually Nan Li who interrupted him herself.

Although her eyes were a bit unfocused, her tone was firm.

She even shook her head earnestly.

"Someone is coming to pick me up."

Zhang Wei was stunned and asked in confusion:

"Do you have other friends in Jinling?"

Nan Li did not answer him, just sat there quietly.

Lin Xi, sitting beside her, was also completely bewildered. She quickly supported the swaying Nan Li and whispered in her ear.

"Li Li, how come I didn't know someone was coming to pick you up? Are you telling the truth or not!"

Seeing that Nan Li didn't speak, Lin Xi assumed it must be false.

"Alright Li Li, let's go. I'll take you back. Senior, you can rest easy too. I'm not drunk; my alcohol tolerance is much better than Li Li's."

As she spoke, she ignored Zhang Wei, who was still frozen in place, and prepared to support Nan Li to leave.

But to her surprise, Nan Li gently pressed down on her arm, stopping her movement, and stubbornly repeated the same sentence.

"Xi Xi, someone is really coming to pick me up."

"Who?"

Lin Xi was even more confused.

"Wait, is it... the person from the phone just now?"

Nan Li nodded frantically, like a chick pecking at rice.

Lin Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"My dear lady, he didn't say a single word about coming to pick you up on the phone just now!"

"He will come."

Nan Li raised her small face, her drunken eyes filled with a certainty that others couldn't understand. She whispered mysteriously to Lin Xi.

"He asked where I was."

"So what?"

Lin Xi was still worried.

"He asked where you were, that doesn't mean he's coming to pick you up! What if he just asked casually?"

"He won't."

Nan Li shook her head, a beautiful arc forming at the corners of her mouth. She said, word by word, in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"If he asked where I was, he will definitely come to find me."

That conviction left Lin Xi momentarily at a loss for how to refute it.

After thinking it over, she still felt she couldn't leave her drunk friend to a vague "possibility."

So, she hardened her heart, pressed Nan Li's finger on the phone screen to unlock it, and found the recent call log.

The name displayed was Brother Xiujie.

It sounded a bit familiar?

Lin Xi didn't have time to overthink it and decisively pressed the redial button.

She wanted to ask in person who this Brother Xiujie was, and whether he would actually come!

[Still calling? They're already at the door.]

[I was wondering why the comments exploded, so Prince Wuan is here.]

Sure enough, the moment Lin Xi pressed the call button, the sound of a mobile phone ringing simultaneously echoed outside the closed private room door.

The next moment, the door to the private room was pushed open from the outside.

Standing at the door was a man with a tall, upright figure. He was wearing simple casual clothes, with a refined temperament and gentle eyebrows. Under the lights of the private room, he seemed to be surrounded by a soft glow.

Everyone who was still sober in the room was instantly attracted to him.

The man didn't look at anyone else; his gaze fell on Nan Li immediately.

He walked straight over, skillfully picked up Nan Li's small handbag from the sofa, and then looked at the dazed Lin Xi. He seemed to recognize her.

"Lin Xi, right? How are you getting home?"

"Ah? I... I'm fine, I'm not drunk, I can just take a taxi myself."

Lin Xi shook her head subconsciously, her mind still unable to process everything.

"Good, then take care. If anything happens, call Li Li's phone, I will answer."

The man nodded, then turned to Nan Li, his tone like he was coaxing a child.

"Zhaoyu, wake up, it's time to go home."

"Mm~ No, I want you to carry me!"

She was actually acting spoiled at a time like this.

"Alright, I'll carry you!"

The man chuckled, his tone full of doting affection.

He turned around and crouched down, and Nan Li climbed onto his back naturally.

The man stood up, not feeling the slightest bit of strain.

"Have a good time, everyone. I'll be taking Li Li home first."

After speaking, he prepared to leave with Nan Li on his back.

"Wait!"

Lin Xi suddenly snapped out of it, looking at this man who possessed such a powerful aura and was full of mystery.

She had a question: who exactly was this person? Why did he have the air of a boyfriend?

As her best friend, she knew very well whether Nan Li was dating anyone or not.

Plus, the name the man called Nan Li just now was Zhaoyu. What was up with that?

So she blurted out.

"What... what is your name?"

The man turned his head, the light outlining his refined profile. He looked at the bewildered Lin Xi and spoke softly.

"Hello Lin Xi, my surname is Meng, given name Zhu, and my Courtesy Name is Xiujie."

The door to the private room closed again.

Lin Xi finally recovered and looked at the few people who were still sober.

"What the hell is a Courtesy Name?"

They looked at each other, all very confused.

After a long while, one of the boys spoke up.

"So that was Nan Li's boyfriend just now? Lin Xi, did you know?"

"Thanks, I didn't know."

Lin Xi also felt depressed. She didn't expect Nan Li to have a boyfriend without telling her; it was truly disloyal.

"Is... is it possible it's a misunderstanding?"

One boy asked cautiously, perhaps still holding onto some luck or unrealistic fantasies in his heart.

"Give it a rest, you guys."

Lin Xi pursed her lips. Not to mention that the man clearly wasn't an ordinary person, the type of person Nan Li liked was unlikely to be a college student anyway.

So her expression cooled, and her tone became serious.

"I'm telling you guys, keep your mouths shut. If Li Li doesn't say anything herself, you shouldn't spread other people's privacy."

"Also, don't hold onto any fantasies. We had several bags piled on the sofa, and he picked up Li Li's bag at a single glance. Doesn't that explain enough?"

"I think you guys should give up. You didn't succeed in four years, so you might as well go home and visit your parents; maybe your blind date has been waiting for you for four years too."

How were they supposed to respond to that?

The boys stared at each other, then poured themselves more drinks and drank in silence.

On the way out of the restaurant, Nan Li was exceptionally well-behaved on Meng Zhu's back, even sleeping sweetly.

A large stream of comments floated around the two, with big question marks over small light spots.

[Question: I've wanted to say this for a long time, did Nan Li come to collect a debt?]

[Probably, oh my, Nan Li has really stood up for herself. The start is so comfortable.]

[This should be simple, right? The starting favorability is maxed out.]

[I've seen this episode. After going home, she'll act drunk and want a kiss, steal his first kiss, and then have no memory of it the next morning.]

[You're talking eloquently, but in the original work, there was no phone call. Lin Xi sent her home, saw Meng Zhu at the door, and mistakenly thought they were living together. Those things you mentioned aren't in the original work either.]

[Everyone look, we caught an honest person here.]

[Not to mention, it has to be Meng Zhu. Changing the plot from the start, I like it.]