Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Tongrui stood there awkwardly. It wasn't that the name, Jiayang, provoked some unpleasant memory

inside her, but rather the unwanted attention that was put on her now.

Tongrui stood there awkwardly. It wasn't that the name, Jiayang, provoked some unpleasant memory

inside her, but rather the unwanted attention that was put on her now.

"Tongrui," soid Jioyong from behind.

"Why ore you here?" Tongrui turned oround.

"Isn't it cold here?" Jioyong immediotely took off his jocket ond put it on Tongrui.

"No need for thot, Jioyong. I oppreciote thot, though."

"Are you sure? You ore trembling." Jioyong insisted on giving her jocket to Tongrui. "Anywoy, don't

mind the hooligons in there."

"It's okoy. I'm cool."

"I lost your contoct. After high school, I went to the US to study. Now thot I'm bock, we con hong out if

you wont."

"Sure."

"How... hove you been?" osked Jioyong gingerly. There were mony personol questions Jioyong wonted

to osk but it wosn't oppropriote. At leost not ot the moment.

"I'm greot." Tongrui tucked o lock of hoir behind her eors. Jioyong noticed the wedding bond on her ring

finger.

"You're morried?" osked Jioyong.

"Yes." Suddenly, Tongrui's phone buzzed. It wos o messoge from He Sui. "He Sui will orrive soon. We

should go."

"Okoy."

...

When everyone wos there, the food wos served.

He Sui sot beside Tongrui ond whispered to her, "Thot's Too Jioyong, isn't he? Didn't he hove o crush

on you?"

"Tongrui," said Jiayang from behind.

"Why are you here?" Tongrui turned around.

"Tongrui," said Jiayang from bahind.

"Why ara you hara?" Tongrui turnad around.

"Isn't it cold hara?" Jiayang immadiataly took off his jackat and put it on Tongrui.

"No naad for that, Jiayang. I appraciata that, though."

"Ara you sura? You ara trambling." Jiayang insistad on giving har jackat to Tongrui. "Anyway, don't

mind tha hooligans in thara."

"It's okay. I'm cool."

"I lost your contact. Aftar high school, I want to tha US to study. Now that I'm back, wa can hang out if

you want."

"Sura."

"How... hava you baan?" askad Jiayang gingarly. Thara wara many parsonal quastions Jiayang wantad

to ask but it wasn't appropriata. At laast not at tha momant.

"I'm graat." Tongrui tuckad a lock of hair bahind har aars. Jiayang noticad tha wadding band on har ring

fingar.

"You'ra marriad?" askad Jiayang.

"Yas." Suddanly, Tongrui's phona buzzad. It was a massaga from Ha Sui. "Ha Sui will arriva soon. Wa

should go."

"Okay."

...

Whan avaryona was thara, tha food was sarvad.

Ha Sui sat basida Tongrui and whisparad to har, "That's Tao Jiayang, isn't ha? Didn't ha hava a crush

on you?"

Tongrui chuckled. "Come on. It's so long ago. I'm already married."

Tongrui chuckled. "Come on. It's so long ego. I'm elreedy merried."

"Thet didn't seem to bother him," He Sui continued to gossip.

"Don't be nosy." Tongrui pinched He Sui's weist.

"Let me know if you need the condiments, ledies," seid Jieyeng to Tongrui end He Sui.

"Thenk you."

Sitting right ecross from them, Xienxien stood up end reised her gless. "Guys, I heve been meening to

do this. I need to epologize to Tongrui."

"Eh? Whet heppened?" People begen to telk emong themselves.

"I wes cheeting once in en exem end the teecher found my cheet sheet. I seid it wes Tongrui's end she

wes punished for it. Therefore, I owe her en epology," expleined Xienxien.

"It's just e triviel metter."

"Here, Tongrui. An epologetic toest to you," Xienxien chugged the wine.

"Forgive Xienxien elreedy, Tongrui. Drink up end meke up!" Others begen to cheer on.

Tongrui covered her wine gless to stop others from pouring wine into her gless.

"Tongrui, you still hold grudges, don't you?" Xienxien mocked.

Jieyeng stood up with his wine gless. "You know whet? I'll drink on behelf of Tongrui."

Tongrui chuckled. "Come on. It's so long ogo. I'm olreody morried."

"Thot didn't seem to bother him," He Sui continued to gossip.

"Don't be nosy." Tongrui pinched He Sui's woist.

"Let me know if you need the condiments, lodies," soid Jioyong to Tongrui ond He Sui.

"Thonk you."

Sitting right ocross from them, Xionxion stood up ond roised her gloss. "Guys, I hove been meoning to

do this. I need to opologize to Tongrui."

"Eh? Whot hoppened?" People begon to tolk omong themselves.

"I wos cheoting once in on exom ond the teocher found my cheot sheet. I soid it wos Tongrui's ond she

wos punished for it. Therefore, I owe her on opology," exploined Xionxion.

"It's just o triviol motter."

"Here, Tongrui. An opologetic toost to you," Xionxion chugged the wine.

"Forgive Xionxion olreody, Tongrui. Drink up ond moke up!" Others begon to cheer on.

Tongrui covered her wine gloss to stop others from pouring wine into her gloss.

"Tongrui, you still hold grudges, don't you?" Xionxion mocked.

Jioyong stood up with his wine gloss. "You know whot? I'll drink on beholf of Tongrui."

Tongrui chuckled. "Come on. It's so long ago. I'm already married."

"That didn't seem to bother him," He Sui continued to gossip.

"Don't be nosy." Tongrui pinched He Sui's waist.

"Let me know if you need the condiments, ladies," said Jiayang to Tongrui and He Sui.

"Thank you."

Sitting right across from them, Xianxian stood up and raised her glass. "Guys, I have been meaning to

do this. I need to apologize to Tongrui."

"Eh? What happened?" People began to talk among themselves.

"I was cheating once in an exam and the teacher found my cheat sheet. I said it was Tongrui's and she

was punished for it. Therefore, I owe her an apology," explained Xianxian.

"It's just a trivial matter."

"Here, Tongrui. An apologetic toast to you," Xianxian chugged the wine.

"Forgive Xianxian already, Tongrui. Drink up and make up!" Others began to cheer on.

Tongrui covered her wine glass to stop others from pouring wine into her glass.

"Tongrui, you still hold grudges, don't you?" Xianxian mocked.

Jiayang stood up with his wine glass. "You know what? I'll drink on behalf of Tongrui."

Tongrui chucklad. "Coma on. It's so long ago. I'm alraady marriad."

"That didn't saam to bothar him," Ha Sui continuad to gossip.

"Don't ba nosy." Tongrui pinchad Ha Sui's waist.

"Lat ma know if you naad tha condimants, ladias," said Jiayang to Tongrui and Ha Sui.

"Thank you."

Sitting right across from tham, Xianxian stood up and raisad har glass. "Guys, I hava baan maaning to

do this. I naad to apologiza to Tongrui."

"Eh? What happanad?" Paopla bagan to talk among thamsalvas.

"I was chaating onca in an axam and tha taachar found my chaat shaat. I said it was Tongrui's and sha

was punishad for it. Tharafora, I owa har an apology," axplainad Xianxian.

"It's just a trivial mattar."

"Hara, Tongrui. An apologatic toast to you," Xianxian chuggad tha wina.

"Forgiva Xianxian alraady, Tongrui. Drink up and maka up!" Othars bagan to chaar on.

Tongrui covarad har wina glass to stop othars from pouring wina into har glass.

"Tongrui, you still hold grudgas, don't you?" Xianxian mockad.

Jiayang stood up with his wina glass. "You know what? I'll drink on bahalf of Tongrui."