Old Friend

She and her cousin entered the bar street of East Ring Road, walking with familiarity until they reached "The Seek Bar." The place was bustling with people coming and going. They exchanged a smile and stepped inside together. Upon entering, the bar counter came into view, leading into a spacious hall furnished with deep blue leather sofas. At that moment, the bar was playing "Are You the One" by Pommypaged, which added a touch of melancholy to the ocean-blue ambiance and dim lighting.

As she gazed at the familiar yet strange surroundings, Mu Qingxi felt a bittersweet pang in her heart; it had been a long time since she last visited.

"Hey, you two! Crazy Girl, Ah Xun! You’re here! You didn’t even tell your big brother! Come on, let me show you around! Ah Xun, and those guys, they…" A lean man in his thirties approached, excitedly grabbing her and her cousin's hands, chattering away.

"Stop! Old Monkey!" she called out hurriedly.

Her cousin, with eager anticipation, said, "Old Hou, I want to check out the discussion board; we’ll gather later."

As Old Hou led them further in, he remarked, "Ah Xun, your spot hasn’t changed; many have answered questions, but none have your answer."

In the discussion room, she wandered around while her cousin headed directly to his section. After a while, he returned, disappointment etched on his face, and said, "Let’s go."

Seeing her cousin's sadness, she comforted him, "Brother, don’t be discouraged; with so many discussion boards, you’ll definitely find it."

Her cousin managed a smile, reverting to his usual cheeky grin. She rolled her eyes at him, saying, "Brother, your smile is so annoying!"

Noticing his smile was a bit stiff, she burst into laughter and quickly slipped away while he was distracted; getting caught would be the end of her fun. She ran outside, calling, "Old Hou, the usual; you know what I want."

"Of course, Crazy Girl and Ah Xun can go first; we’ll catch up." Old Hou snapped his fingers and walked away cheerfully.

Her cousin and she entered the private room numbered 1314, and before long, Old Hou and a few others arrived, carrying a box. After they set it down, the group rushed towards her and her cousin, excitement evident.

“Crazy Girl, you and Ah Xun finally decided to come!” Wow, what a big hug!

As this embrace ended, just as Mu Qingxi prepared to catch her breath, another shadow swooped in for a hug. Oh, such a bear hug! She heard a dissatisfied voice say, "Crazy Girl, you really have no conscience; you haven’t come to see us in so long."

"Exactly, and you won’t let us visit you," echoed another voice expressing discontent.

Unable to hold back any longer, she exclaimed, "Wahhh… Old Two, Old Three, Old Four, you’re killing me; let me go, or else…"

Before she could finish, she suddenly felt her surroundings open up. In front of her stood three people, along with Old Hou, who wore a mischievous grin, and her cousin, who looked gleefully amused. She felt annoyed; what kind of people were they, hmph!

Sitting on the sofa, she stretched out four fingers and declared, "Today, we multiply by four!"

"Ah, Crazy Girl, spare us! With your luck, we can’t play!" Old Two yelled.

"If you have objections, finish this box of drinks, and you won’t have to play," she replied triumphantly, thinking they dared to bully her, but why not bully her cousin instead? They picked on her, but she wouldn’t let them get away with it.

What were they doing? Naturally, they were playing mahjong. But they weren’t aiming to win; winning was too mundane, and besides, it would turn into illegal gambling, which none of them wanted, especially not in that cold, four-walled space.

Given her usual good luck, Old Two and the others were filled with resentment as she consistently cleaned them out. Occasionally, they would concoct various odd schemes to annoy her, but as long as her cousin stayed quiet, she played without hesitation.

Truth be told, her cousin spoiled her tremendously. He said, "Little Mu, we are family, we are friends. You helped me through my hardest times; to me, you are an angel. I will never let you be unhappy. Anyone who is unkind to you is unkind to me."

She gazed at a pair of items on the table, chuckling, "Hehehe… Brother, look at this; I like it! Thanks to Old Two, Old Three, and Old Four; remember, next time I come, we’ll stick to the same rules!"

"Little Mu, please don’t come to torment them again. Old Hou, do a good job; from now on, this bar will listen to Little Mu," her cousin said.

"Alright, from now on, we’ll listen to Crazy Girl," Old Hou replied with a beaming smile.