Tungmei was the first to arrive at the scheduled meet-up location.
The young lady was already very impatient for having been waiting for a little over 5 minutes.
On the table before her, there was a glass of water and a bottle. Because of her current emotion, she needed something that would keep her busy while waiting for Zhang Liling.
Not long after, Zhang Liling arrived. She was panting heavily as she made her way into the spacious restaurant.
Inside, there were a few guests sitting at the table designated for two.
Zhang Liling had chosen this restaurant mainly because if the table for two. She liked this sort of arrangement just so she could sit closely to Tungmei.
Zhang Liling was putting on a black jean trousers and a sleeveless rainbow coloured top. Her hair was in a ponytail.
Today, she was putting on a minimal makeup. Her lips were a natural pink already, so she only had to highlight it with a colourless lipgloss.
As Zhang Liling went to confirm her table, the corners of her lips curved, expressing just how excited she was.
There was a designers shopping bag in her left hand as she gestured with her right hand while conversing with the waiter at the desk.
Soon, she was shown the way her table.
Had it been the building was structured the way it was, Zhang Liling would have been able to see Tungmei as she stepped inside but unfortunately, she had to take a turn before seeing the rest of the guests.
The moment she took a turn with the waiter leading the way, her eyes darted around, searching for a familiar someone.
Tungmei who was sitting, was equally searching the large room with her eyes hovering around her surrounding.
There was a look of anticipation on her face as she shifted nervously on her seat.
But as soon as Zhang Liling stepped into her line of sight, she screamed without reservation, instantly disrupting the peace of other guests as they all turned their gazes to her direction with creased brows.
Tungmei was unaware of the commotion she had caused and unhurriedly got off her seat with a big smile plastered on her face.
As soon as Zhang Liling heard her name being called, she didn't need any soothsayer to tell her that voice belonged to her friend, Tungmei.
Instinctively, her sight landed on the familiar figure dressed in a cotton plain white dress that was rushed out from her seat and was heading toward her direction.
"Tungmei." She called out and bolted to meet up with her midpoint, as the waiter that was leading the way for her, stood aside and watched with a half-smile on her face.
She was torn between stopping the ladies from causing a commotion in the restaurant, and watching the reunion between them.
Not just her, almost everyone that was paying attention to Zhang Liling and Tungmei, could tell that they hadn't seen each other in a long time.
This was indeed a happy reunion.
"Liling!" Tungmei screamed one more time as she ran into Zhang Liling's open arms, embracing the life out of her.
Wrapping their arms around each other, they cried out together in excitement, totally forgetting where they were.
If they were not stopped, they would have recountered all they have been upto while in each others embrace in the middle of the restaurant, with all eyes on them.
Fortunately, the waitress that was leading the way for Zhang Liling, had to come up to their side to disrupt their loud reunion.
"Excuse me, Miss. Please take your seats, you are actually disturbing the other guests." The waitress reminded in a soft tone, while meeting their gazes.
At her reminder, the noise erupting form their lips died down as their eyes darted around their surroundings.
They didn't even need to study the pull of emotions swirling in the men and women in the room, who had their gazes on them.
"Tungmei, I think we should continue this at our table..." Zhang Liling uttered in an almost inaudible tone, with her eyes moving amongst the guests.
"Yeah, I think so too..." Tungmei forced a smile as her eyes darted around.
She was so embarrassed for making so much noise there by attracting that much attention to herself.
If there was a way she would have dragged Zhang Liling out of the restaurant so she could have her peace of mind again, she would have done it.
She was so tempted, but she couldn't do it. Where would they go?
With her heart racing in her chest, she retracted her gaze from the guests. Pulling Zhang Liling by the arm, she dragged her to the table she reserved for them.
The waitress that was waiting at the side, sighed in relief as she watched them walk to their table, while the other guests shook their heads in disapproval before turning their gazes back to their partners and the food served before them.
"Liling, it's so nice to see you after a few centuries." Tungmei said with the corners of her lips stretching so wide that it could tear if she went on smiling like a lost fool.
"I missed you too!" Zhang Liling said whilst giggling to herself.
Tungmei gave her a scrutinizing gaze with the never ending smile plastered on her face. "You look more fresher." She commented, taking note of her clear complexion, and the little flesh yhstvwas added to her body.
Zhang Liling waved it off as her shoulders shrugged. "That's because there is a thing called 'school stress' that is no longer existing in my world."
Hearing that, Tungmei chuckled softly with a hand over her mouth to stiffled her laughter.
"You... can't be serious... Liling." She said in the middle of laughter.
Zhang Liling stared seriously at her with a wink. "You look more human now. Before, we were all looking lost because of lectures and exams. But now, we have a little freedom."
She was also examining the changes her friend had undergone, and noticed that she was not looking bad herself.
Although they used to facetime each other when she was away, but the feeling back then, could not be compared to seeing her real life.
There was just a different touch to it.
"Well, you are right. I think when you start to look after yourself a bit more, there are bound to be changes." Tungmei said in response to her comment.
She was not arguing about the fact that her looks had indeed changed. Obviously, she looked better than before, even though she was still a bit stressed because of work.
"Tungmei, we have so many things to catch up with, but let's order our food first and while waiting for them to serve it, we will continue chatting." Zhang Liling suggested, and Tungmei immediately agreed.
She didn't doubt that they could forget about eating and end up chatting late into the night.
She knew them, they were very capable of doing that, hence, she agreed to her suggestion.
Now in agreement, Zhang Liling turned her body as her head tilted to the side.
Seeing a passing waiter, she gestured for him to come over immediately their eyes met.
After the waiter came and took their food and drink order, he left, after asking them to give him a few minutes to return with their order.
Zhang Liling shifted her gaze to Tungmei. The smile on her face bloomed ever brightly the more she stared into her friend's happy eyes.
Before their chat could go on, Zhang Liling picked up the brand name designers shopping bag she came with from next to her feet.
Putting it on the table in front of her, her right hand pushed it to Tungmei. "I got you a gift from Paris."
"Awwnnn..." Tungmei rubbed her hands together with a grin sitting on her face.
Her eyes threatened to close as the smile on her face reached her eyes.
The kind of happiness radiating from her, could not be hidden from the tables next to them, even though there was a four-step long stride before the next table.
Touching the handle of the bags, Tungmei lowered it as she pulled it toward her, but then pauses in her action as her eyes slowly landed on Zhang Liling's face.
"Can I open it here?"
Smiling, Zhang Liling asked, "Why?"
Tungmei shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just so curious as to know what you got me this time around, that's all."
A smirk turned up at the corners of Zhang Liling's lips as she leaned her back on her chair.
"Well, you are not allowed to open it until you get to your house. That reminds me, how those it feel to stay in a shared apartment with someone you don't know?"
Tungmei was quiet for 2 seconds before responding. She had to think about her experience with her housemate before replying.
"Well, it's not bad." She said, as a sigh escaped her lips.
"At first, it was a bit annoying even though I'm used to living with people. But with time, as two adults, we had to set rules for ourselves, and things started to work out between us."
During their college days, Tungmei lived in the school dorm with three different people, so she had an experience of learning to tolerate people, and have then in her living space.
But Zhang Liling who was used to owning things, and having her own living space, just couldn't get used to this lifestyle.
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