Time ticked away, no matter how hard you tried to hold on.
Du Dandan was on vacation. She had originally invited Li Luoran to have some fun in Wucheng, but after receiving a call from home, Li Luoran, with a serious expression, declined her invitation.
After going home and sleeping deeply, she woke up to a phone call from her high school best friend, inviting her out for a meal.
They chose a restaurant that was neither too big nor too small, with three boys and five girls—just enough for a table.
Lou Wang, the boy who had called Du Dandan, looked around the environment and frowned, saying, “I used to think this place was nice, but after going to Jinxiu Pavilion with my dad last time, this place looks so shabby in comparison.”
A girl in a white dress with long hair, Su Juan, bluntly replied, “Lou Gouzi is showing off again. Just because you went to Jinxiu Pavilion a few times, you think you’re something special?”
Lou Wang had a character in his name that meant 'prosperous,' and for some reason, he had been nicknamed 'Gouzi' (dog) since then.
Lou Wang shot her a glare; he was now working at the Environmental Protection Bureau, and it had been a long time since anyone had called him that in this new environment.
Everyone burst into laughter, quickly breaking the barrier of months without seeing each other.
They were all young, and after a few drinks, the atmosphere became even more lively. Du Dandan drank a bit too quickly and started feeling lightheaded, her stomach churning uncomfortably, making her feel nauseous.
Lou Wang looked at Du Dandan and suddenly remembered a call she had made to him before, and curiosity surged up.
“Dandan, what’s your relationship with that guy?”
“Which guy?”
Du Dandan shot Lou Wang a fierce glare; last time this dog had said something ridiculous about wetting his pants, she wasn’t going to forgive him that easily.
“The one in the red robe! Didn’t you ask about him last time?”
Lou Wang had no idea he had offended Du Dandan and continued to ask with a grin.
“Mind your own business!”
Du Dandan snapped back at the confused Lou Wang, feeling her stomach churn again, and hurriedly got up to run to the restroom.
Feeling dizzy and unable to run straight, she bumped into someone and immediately could no longer hold back the nausea, letting out a loud “wow” as she vomited on the floor, splattering the contents on the person’s pants.
The person, also irritable, immediately cursed and shoved Du Dandan hard, causing her to stumble and fall flat on her back.
“What the hell, where are you throwing up?”
The middle-aged man, dressed in a caramel-colored suit, looked at the mess on his pants and became even angrier, unable to resist kicking Du Dandan, who was just getting up.
After throwing up, Du Dandan felt much clearer-headed. She wasn’t even angry about being pushed; she just felt an overwhelming sense of shame. She got up and immediately apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Before she could finish her second apology, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and the next moment, she was shoved down again.
Du Dandan had always been a favored girl, never having experienced such humiliation, and she immediately burst into tears.
“What the hell!” The boys at Lou Wang’s table were a bit far away, but upon seeing this, they immediately became furious and rushed over, shouting.
The middle-aged man’s table also had four or five men stand up, grabbing the bottles on the table and engaging in a brawl with Lou Wang and the other two young men.
Du Dandan, crying, stood up as the situation turned one-sided. Lou Wang was just someone who usually talked big; he had a tough personality but lacked the physical strength to back it up. The other two were college students, no match for these seasoned men. The middle-aged men were clearly experienced fighters, and within minutes, the three young men were beaten to a pulp, collapsing to the ground, bloodied and weak.
The remaining girls desperately pulled at the men who continued to beat the boys, repeatedly trying to calm them down.
Perhaps fearing things would escalate, the middle-aged man ordered his companions to stop. The girls, crying, helped the three limp boys up, all looking a bit dazed.
The restaurant owner also came over, and upon seeing both sides stop, he awkwardly tried to mediate.
It was clear the owner knew the leading middle-aged man, and he smiled, saying, “Dao Ge, these are just young people who don’t know better. You’re a bigger person, let it go. Just let it go.”
Dao Ge laughed, “Aren’t you just worried about your business? It’s fine, it won’t escalate.”
After saying that, he pointed angrily at the tearful Du Dandan and said, “I won’t even mention how much my clothes cost, but you students can’t afford to pay for them. Come here, clean this up and get lost!”
Lou Wang’s eyes turned red as he struggled to get up, but Su Juan held onto his arm tightly. In a fit of anger, he opened his mouth to curse, but another girl, fearing they would provoke the men into continuing the fight, quickly covered Lou Wang’s mouth, stifling his words.
Du Dandan trembled with anger, desperately trying to calm her emotions.
“Big brother, I’m sorry.”
Du Dandan bowed in humiliation and then looked up to say slowly, “Big brother, would you let me make a phone call?”
Dao Ge laughed heartily, thinking who would come to this place to eat, but he still sized up Du Dandan. Seeing her ordinary appearance, he felt more at ease.
“Not convinced? Fine, go ahead and call, but don’t forget to tell him I’m Li Dao from Nanguan Street!”
Du Dandan, sobbing, walked to the phone by the restaurant, her trembling hands quickly dialing the number.
“Hello, hi.” A familiar voice came through, and Du Dandan could no longer hold back, bursting into tears.
“Dandan?”
“Yeah, help me, Bad Guy Brother.” For some reason, she suddenly felt relaxed, and the nickname “Bad Guy Brother,” which she had mentioned countless times in private, slipped out.
(Thanks to Gu Wang Jin Lai for the reward, the author is deeply grateful. I will try to write more today as a thank you.)