"Thank you, Director Zhao!"
"Thank you for the teacher's encouragent."
"I owe all my achievents today to your guidance and cultivation."
As Li Peifeng spoke, the classmates also caught on, chiming in with their thanks, and stood up to clink glasses with Zhao Qingge.
Old Zhao was also very cooperative. After having a round of drinks with the students, she started from the left and toasted with each student at the table individually, offering words of care or encouragent, chatting a bit…
"Xiaohui, this sester is relatively easy for you, but it'll get busy soon. You're the main force for the next project, so no slacking off."
"Yes, yes."
"Hongyuan, how's your graduation thesis coming along? Feel free to ask if you have any questions."
"Actually, I've wanted to ask you sothing about..."
"Rui i, have you gone through the book list I gave you last ti? Did you gain anything from it?"
"I've finished it! But there are parts in 'Debating the Dao' that I don't quite understand. Could you help with them..."
Zhao Qingge chatted with the students she ntioned while eating, while others chatted among themselves.
Seeing her naturally drinking with the students, Li Peifeng didn't pressure her, chatting idly with two junior classmates while making sure to refill Old Zhao's wine glass whenever it was empty.
Occasionally, Li Peifeng had to pick up his phone to deal with Wu Wenyue and Xu Manning, like proactively taking a short video to post in the "[Happy Family]" WeChat group, to dodge their check-ins.
An hour later, after Zhao Qingge had gone around the table chatting and drinking with the students,
Everyone was nearly full and satisfied. She finally rembered that she hadn't talked with Li Peifeng on her right side, glanced at the empty wine glass, then at Li Peifeng who was pouring her wine, and casually asked, "Are you full?"
"Yes, full!"
Li Peifeng put down his phone, glanced at Zhao Qingge while pouring wine, chuckling, "I didn't know you had such a good tolerance for alcohol."
He figured that his plan to get Director Zhao drunk was probably not going to work. Two bottles of red wine were almost finished, and Zhao Qingge had drunk at least half a bottle, but besides having a slightly flushed face, her eyes were still clear.
"There's a lot you don't know." Zhao Qingge raised her wine glass, nodding slightly to signal Li Peifeng to raise his glass as well, about to say sothing, when the phone on the table rang with a chi.
Caller: Mother Li Xin.
"..."
The crowd at the table fell silent. Zhao Qingge glanced at the screen, decisively swiped it away, and then turned off her phone, smiling, "It's okay, continue."
Only then did the classmates dare to continue speaking out loud.
Li Peifeng put down the decanter, reminded, "Don't you want to step out to return the call?"
"Reminding to et a blind date."
Zhao Qingge gave him a sidelong glance, "Are you sure you want to call back?"
She spoke quietly, and amid the chaos, only Li Peifeng could hear.
"Better not to return, of course."
Li Peifeng lowered his voice, taking a breath, "Did you skip the blind date to co to this gathering?"
"I didn't skip."
Zhao Qingge took a sip of wine, calmly said, "To be precise, I stood them up."
"..."
Li Peifeng was stunned, and a sentence imdiately ca to mind.
"Silver hair gleams under the sun and moon, while the crimson heart nourishes fresh blooms."
Director Zhao is truly great, sacrificing so much for education, including personal feelings and important life events!
Li Peifeng resisted the urge to clink glasses with Zhao Qingge, raising his glass emotionally, "A teacher's love is like a candle, lighting up life; the grace of a teacher is as vast as the ocean. I will forever rember your teachings!"
Zhao Qingge gently swirled her wine, indifferently said, "Then fill up your glass, bottoms up."
"Okay!"
Li Peifeng was decisive, imdiately grabbing the decanter and filling his wine glass to the brim, then downing it in one go.
"Wow~"
"Not bad!"
"Senior is impressive!"
The capacity of the wine glass is considerable, and red wine isn't typically drunk like this, making Li Peifeng's boldness bewildering and quite shocking to the classmates.
Zhao Qingge also finished her glass, looked at Li Peifeng, shaking her head with a smile, "Silly, you actually drink when told?"
The lady is as fair as creamy jade, smiling as rosy as a rose.
Li Peifeng was stunned, at this mont, inspiration struck him, and he suddenly wanted to write a love poem.
One wouldn't be enough, he'd want to write many.
Not to carve history, but to write for love!
...
After the al, it was already eight, as Li Peifeng predicted, it was Zhao Qingge who picked up the tab, so he suggested going to karaoke, trying again to get Old Zhao to drink more, but was refused.
"Singing is too chaotic, how about going to the movies instead."
"Yes! Let's go see a movie, so new films have just co out, I heard two of them are quite good."
"Movie 1!"
"Watching 007 or 'Dune' will do. Hey, 'Dune' is about to start soon, if we go now, we can still catch it!"
More people were keen on watching the movie than karaoke, leaving Li Peifeng slightly disappointed but he went along with it, "Fine, let's go watch the movie!"
The nearest theater is about two or three kiloters away, for safety's sake, they called four cars, heading over in groups.
Li Peifeng pre-ordered 'Dune' tickets online for ten people, reserving eight tickets for the best spots in the middle, rows six, seven, and eight.
He put the remaining two tickets at the empty last row, centered and right next to each other.
"As a good student, I naturally want to sit closer to Director during the movie, to discuss so academic matters, isn't that reasonable?!!"
Upon arriving at the theater and nearing the ticket check, Li Peifeng scanned the code to collect tickets, distributing them to the classmates one by one, leaving two tickets in hand for the last center row seats.
"This one's for you, Director!"
Smiling, Li Peifeng handed one over. Zhao Qingge didn't think much, took a glance at the seat number, and put it in her pocket.
Plan successful!
Then, Li Peifeng bought so snacks and drinks, distributing them among others, leaving so for himself; a tub of popcorn and two cups of iced Coke.
"This is for you, a bit of relief from the wine."
"Thank you."
Zhao Qingge took the iced Coke, took a small sip, and glanced at the entrance, "Is it ti for the ticket check?"
"Yeah, let's go, let's go!"
"Ticket check is starting!"
Everyone got up and walked towards the entrance. Watching Zhao Qingge drink the iced Coke, Li Peifeng nodded to himself.
Great, she can drink cold stuff, the plan continues!
"Row 6, Seat 10... here!"
"I've got seat 8 in row 7, hey, Xiaohui, what's yours?"
"Next to you."
Passing through the ticket check, they entered the screening hall, finding their respective seats, each taking their places.
Besides the ten students and teacher, there were also about a dozen others, all young people, sitting mostly around the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth rows.
The last row, which was the tenth, except for Zhao Qingge and Li Peifeng, was completely empty…
"You're sitting here too?"
Zhao Qingge glanced at Li Peifeng sitting beside her, frowning slightly.
"I like sitting at the back."
Li Peifeng softly explained, "Arranging you here also considers that, being our teacher, sitting too close with them might be awkward, and students might feel restrained, so better to keep a distance."
"Click~"
Zhao Qingge placed down the armrest between them, glancing at him, "Sitting next to , you can relax more?"
Holding back laughter, Li Peifeng replied, "Most definitely."
"Click~"
At this mont, the lights dimd, the big screen lit up, beginning to play pre-movie ads. The hall beca several tis dimr than before.
"..."
Zhao Qingge lightly bit the straw, drinking her beverage.
"Click~"
Li Peifeng placed his Coke into the cup holder, right hand holding the popcorn, left hand subtly lifting the armrest she'd put down, leaving nothing between them.
'Dune'
An epic tale of science fiction, adventure, and action was about to begin…
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