After sometime, Lu Feng looked at Lu LiJun and said, "You should go back to the hall. Lu Qiang must be there now. I’ll be there soon."
"Ok brother Lu Feng." And Lu LiJun and Wang Peng headed back to the hall.
Lu Feng got up from his seat and went to the tree which was close to the bench. He took out the cigarette and lighter again. He lit up one cigarette and stood under the tree resting his back on the tree trunk with his one leg bent backward. He was busy in his thoughts while smoking, finishing the cigarettes one after another. After sometime he saw a girl in a pink dress, who was entering into the shade which was exactly opposite and perpendicular to him. That girl stood there with the support of railing. She looked frustrated and was pressing her temples with her fingers. She was far away so he couldn’t see her face.
As he was observing her, a cigarette in his hand finished. He opened the cigarette packet again just to find out that there is none inside. He threw that packet into nearby dustbin and headed in the direction of washroom through the corridor. He wanted to get fresh before going back into the hall.
As he took left turn to corridor, just then Lu Qiang came out of the hall. Both missed each other by just few seconds. Lu Feng went towards the washroom and got fresh. When he got out of the washroom, his phone rang and he stopped in the corridor to attend the call. It seemed like an important call, as this another ’man of few words’ from Lu family spent long time on it. He finished the call and was about to walk, just then a girl bumped into him.
His chin got hit hard to her head. He held her involuntarily to protect her from falling. He was about to drop her down, as so many girls tried this kind of tricks to get close to him but he couldn’t do that. He looked at her face. Her eyes were shut tightly with her lips pressed in a thin line. She was tightly holding his arms almost burying her nails in his skin.
As he was staring at her face, she opened her eyes. Pair of deep golden-brown eyes looked at him with shocked expressions. They were shining like bright stars in the night and looked innocent like the eyes of a scared kitten. Suddenly that girl started to cough.
She sniffed and coughed again then asked, "Did you smoke? L..Let me go. Cough**Cough."
He was stunned with her sudden and odd reaction, as he was busy in admiring her face specifically her bright and innocent looking deep golden-brown starry eyes.
Her reaction brought him back to his senses and he helped her to get up. She immediately got away from him while coughing and entered inside women’s washroom. He was surprised to see her reaction as she didn’t react like other girls. She didn’t say sorry or thank you and didn’t look back at him even once.
He just stood still at his place, looking at the retreating back of this strange girl. He then sniffed his arms and his jacket around the chest area and said, "Is it that bad?" As she entered the washroom, he turned around and started to walk on his way, just then he stopped after few steps in his track like remembering about something and said, "Jiang YuYan?" with surprised expressions on his face.
As Lu Feng entered the hall, everyone started to ask him where he was? Lu LiJun came to him and took him to where all the siblings were present. Jiang Yang was there too. Lu Qiang and Jiang Yang recognised each other. Lu Feng was surprised too see him after a long time. They smiled and shook hands.
Lu Qiang, Lu Feng and Jiang Yang were best buddies in the past. After Jiang Yang moved to the states, everything changed. Life of these three friends took a different turns and all three were busy to cope with it. Finally they had met but they could feel the distance between them. If it was in the past, these three must be jumping with happiness while hugging each other.
In the washroom, Jiang YuYan sat there while cursing herself. She spent a long time sitting there and didn’t want to come outside. But after sometime, she got fresh and walked outside of the washroom and headed towards the hall.
In the hall everyone was busy in chatting with each other and most of the guests moved towards the buffet section to enjoy the tasty dinner.
When Jiang YuYan reached inside the hall, Jiang Yang called her where everyone was sitting. She went there and felt awkward to see Lu Qiang. He just smiled slyly and didn’t show any traces of the deed on his face. Lu Lijun was still starting at her with an unhappy gaze which she ignored. Jiang Yang asked her to sit beside him and introduced her to Lu Feng.
They were sitting in a Circle. As so many guests left the hall, they were able to arrange the chair in a big circle to accommodate everyone, the current and young generation of Lu’s, Jiang’s and Wang’s.
Jiang Yang : "Sis, meet Lu Feng. Did you remember him?"
She looked at him and was quite surprised to see the same man from the corridor. She gave him a smile awkwardly and he smiled back. They both didn’t mention about the incidence in the corridor.
In the past, Jiang YuYan used to stick to these three friends like a glue. These three always protected and took care of her more than anything else. It was like she was the centroid of the triangle made by them. Jiang Yang took care of her, Lu Qiang Loved her and Lu Feng always protected her. But after all these years, things were different for her too.
After sometime of chatting these all had a dinner too. The guests started to bid farewell and left one by one. Now it was a time for Jiang family to bid farewell too. Party was over and everyone left to their homes.