At that moment, a group of people suddenly surged in, and the lively atmosphere immediately pushed me and Elena into a corner. Elena stood up, hands on her hips, glaring at them with frustration."What took you so long?"

It turned out she had invited people after all, I thought to myself, no wonder she reserved such an extravagant booth and ordered so much alcohol. Adrian led the group, smiling as he said,"It's Julian and the others, they drive as slowly as snails." Adrian was also my high school classmate, and when I took a closer look, I realized that all four women and three men were old classmates as well. However, I pretended not to recognize them and refrained from greeting them.

When Adrian saw me, his eyes lit up, and he smiled slyly, like a fox."Ryan, why are you hiding over there? It's been years, and you haven't contacted us once. Are you afraid we're going to eat you up?"

I awkwardly scratched my head, forcing a smile."Busy, mainly with work." After all, I wasn't the same as before; I no longer had the luxury to hang out with them. Just like tonight, the alcohol on the table was equivalent to my entire monthly salary—I couldn't afford to play.

Julian sneered from the side."They're playing at a higher level, not like us, the riff-raff."

Lila quickly tugged at him and shot him a glare."Don't talk nonsense. You're already slurring your words before you even started drinking. Tonight is for us friends to gather, so let's have a toast first."

"Cheers." Everyone raised their glasses, and the atmosphere grew instantly lively.

I realized that I felt out of place in this environment, as if a heavy stone was pressing on my chest, making me uneasy. I wanted to leave, but since I had promised Elena, I had no choice but to stay and endure.

Adrian winked at Elena and teased,"Elena, looks like you've managed to win Ryan over. When can we celebrate with wedding wine?" At this, Julian's expression visibly tensed, his face turning pale.

Elena giggled and said,"Not yet, this stubborn fool just won't agree."

Adrian turned to me and said,"Ryan, with Elena's good qualities, you still won't say yes? Are you trying to defy the heavens?"

I could only force a bitter smile."I'm not worthy. I'm a toad who dares not dream of eating swan meat." Laughter erupted from the group, and the teasing continued.

After a few drinks, Elena's cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes became hazy. Suddenly, she clung to my arm, acting coquettishly."I want you to eat me up."

I didn't want to embarrass her, so I let her cling to me and fell silent. When they saw that I wasn't responding, they started having fun on their own, and Elena joined in, laughing and making noise, creating a lively scene. I excused myself to use the restroom and quietly slipped out.

Outside, there were no deafening sounds of music, no dizzying lights, and no passionate atmosphere, but the air, thick with exhaust fumes, brought me a sense of relief. I took a deep breath and felt much clearer.

I took out my phone and sent Elena a message:"I'm going home." Then I hailed a taxi and left the bustling nightclub. I had only been inside for less than half an hour, but it felt like a long and torturous experience. I no longer wanted to interact with these old classmates, and perhaps it was simply that I was growing older and didn't care for the neon lights and alcohol-soaked lifestyle anymore.

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The nightscape outside the car window sped past, neon lights flickering, and the streets were bustling with people, full of vitality. I leaned back in my seat, closed my eyes, and Elena's mischievous eyes and playful smile appeared in my mind. Perhaps, I truly no longer belonged in her world.

Once home, I lay on the bed, reflecting on the events of the night. A sense of mixed emotions overwhelmed me. Perhaps, the distance between people is not something that time and space can change. Some people are destined to be mere passersby, and no matter how hard one tries, there are those with whom we can never truly merge.

Late at night, when the world was still and quiet, I had long since drifted into a deep, peaceful slumber, immersed in sweet dreams. Suddenly, the shrill ring of my phone shattered the tranquility of the night. Rubbing my eyes, I groggily glanced at the caller ID—it was Elena. Irritated, I didn't want to answer, so I simply turned off my phone and turned over to continue sleeping. That sleep was unusually peaceful, as though I had returned to the carefree days of my childhood.

When I woke up, sunlight had already filtered through the curtains and filled the room. I stretched lazily, picked up my phone, and only then remembered I had turned it off the night before. A wave of panic struck me, and I quickly turned my phone back on to check the time."Ten o'clock!" I jolted upright in bed, my heart racing with alarm. I was late for work, and that was a serious problem.

I debated whether to call in sick, but at that moment, I didn't even remember which department I belonged to. After some thought, I decided to call my manager and try my luck."Manager, I need to take a sick day. I'm unwell, cough, cough." I deliberately feigned weakness and coughed a few times, hoping to evoke some sympathy.

On the other end, my manager's voice was filled with irritation."Take a sick day? Do you even hear yourself? Chairman Summers saw you weren't at work and went into a rage. He scolded both the HR department and me. He said if employees want to work, they should work. If they don't want to, they shouldn't show up, and he specifically mentioned you. He said you worked one day as a cleaner and didn't come in today, so he wants HR to treat it as an absence."

Hearing this, my anger flared up instantly. Absence, huh? Fine, let him handle it. I'll just stop going to work altogether. What's a month's salary to me? I steeled myself and made a bold decision."Alright, manager, thanks for letting me know. I'm sick, I can't come in, and I don't care how she handles it. I'm not coming back to the company."

It seemed my manager was taken aback by my resolve, and his tone softened."You're willing to forfeit your salary?"

"I don't want it," I answered firmly.

"Ryan, I think you should come back to work. Chairman Summers is still holding the assistant position for you," my manager's voice carried a note of helplessness.

"I'm not coming. Whoever wants to go can go. I won't be going back to work," I said decisively, unyielding.

"Ryan, I'll go report this to Chairman Summers," my manager sounded reluctant.

"No need, just pretend I never made this call," I said.

"Alright, I'll pretend I don't know anything," he sighed in resignation.

"Thank you, manager." I hung up, and surprisingly, felt a sense of relief.

I decided to quit my job and focus on driving for a while, slowly looking for another job. Once I had made up my mind, I got up, freshened up, retrieved my car, opened the app, and prepared to take orders. At that moment, Elena called again.

"Ryan, what was that last night? You just left without a word, leaving me with no face in front of everyone," Elena's voice was filled with reproach.

See, our natures are simply different. I dislike those kinds of occasions, but she thrives in them."It's nothing. I just wasn't comfortable there," I tried to keep my tone calm.

"They're all old classmates, what's so uncomfortable about it? I even invited them all to join us, and then you ran off," Elena's voice was tinged with dissatisfaction.

I spoke with sincerity,"Elena, I'm not like you, so don't come looking for me again, alright?"

Without waiting for her to respond, I decisively hung up. True enough, she called back immediately. I simply blocked her number and deleted her from my messaging app. She had always been high and mighty, never understanding the thoughts of someone like me, a person of humble means. Though I may no longer count every penny, I have become meticulous with my resources. We were never from the same world—why force an unnecessary connection?