“We’re having a get-together at the lakeside restaurant. You better get over here!”
The city of Florida boasts a scenic lake called Blue Cypress Lake, known as a national attraction.
Developers have built numerous residential complexes around the lake, with property prices skyrocketing to levels that leave people stunned.
The lakeside restaurants, offering views of the lake, are far from cheap; any room with a view is priced accordingly.
Sophia quickly took a cab to the location and found that Barbara and the others were already there, along with a few other interns from the hospital.
“Sophia, you made it!”
Sophia smiled as she joined them, noticing that, apart from her, Barbara and Jennifer, everyone else had brought their boyfriends.
Anna’s boyfriend had even brought a friend, making for a lively, full table.
Since the original owner of this body had been married, she rarely stayed at the dorm and hadn’t spent much time with them in social settings. So, Sophia’s familiarity with them wasn’t that deep, and there was little risk of her being found out.
“Sophia, you’ve met my boyfriend before; we ran into you at the supermarket last time,” Anna introduced.
Sophia greeted him with a smile.
Anna’s boyfriend was quite handsome. Despite Anna’s short hair and purple highlights that gave her a slightly dark, Japanese-inspired style, her boyfriend seemed gentle and wholesome.
“My name’s Nathan.”
Nathan didn’t attend the same university but was Anna’s high school friend, and they shared a strong bond. His voice had a magnetic quality, likely the type that many young women found appealing.
“This is my friend, Calvin.”
Calvin, with a buzz cut and a short stature, had a hip-hop style and a somewhat carefree demeanor.
Meanwhile, the boyfriends of Scarlett and Isabella were rather ordinary-looking but seemed genuine and honest. Sophia exchanged greetings with everyone.
Their reserved room was right on the lake, with a transparent glass floor revealing the water below. Stepping onto it felt like walking on water, and the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows, with the lake’s shimmering waves surrounding them, was incredible.
“My boyfriend did well picking this spot, right?” Anna laughed.
Sophia nodded, “The view is amazing.”
“Yes, it took some effort to book it.”
As dishes were served and drinks poured (thanks to the guys being present), Calvin suddenly stood up and raised a glass toward Sophia.
“Here’s to you, beautiful,” he said.
Sophia picked up her cup of water. “I’ll drink tea instead.”
“Tea instead of alcohol? That’s not how it works,” Calvin laughed. “We’re all adults here—how can you skip the alcohol? Come on! Just one drink to show respect!”
With that, he tried to pour wine into her glass, but Sophia blocked him with a smile. “Sorry, I really don’t drink.”
Firstly, for health reasons, she rarely drank hard liquor; secondly, although her own tolerance was high, she didn’t know how strong the original Sophia was when it came to drinking. If her tolerance was low, she risked giving herself away by suddenly drinking, which wasn’t worth it.
So, she smiled and said, “I only drink medicinal wine; I can’t handle anything else.”
“Come on! Don’t be like that. If you don’t drink, you’re disrespecting me!”
Calvin, with his air of bravado, seemed determined to make her drink. Initially, everyone assumed he was just joking; after all, Nathan had brought him along, and they all seemed to be well-educated enough to know better than to pressure a girl to drink. But as the banter went on, Calvin’s persistence started to feel real, and he grabbed Sophia’s arm, insisting that she drink. He even declared that not drinking would be a sign of disrespect.
His expression grew sour, as though he was offended by Sophia’s refusal.
The atmosphere around the table became tense; no one had expected such an uncomfortable situation to arise.
Sophia, however, maintained a calm smile, studying Calvin without saying a word.
“What? Getting cold feet, beautiful?” Calvin laughed. “Don’t make me lose face. If you really can’t, just call me ‘bro’ and I’ll let you off.”
Hearing this, Barbara discreetly tugged at Sophia’s sleeve, signaling her not to give in.
But Sophia simply smiled, gently moved her hand away, and called over a nearby server who was observing the scene.
“This gentleman insists on drinking with me, so I’ll join him for a drink or two. Bring a few bottles of medicinal wine!”
In traditional medicine, medicinal wine is prepared by infusing alcohol with specific medicinal herbs to extract their beneficial properties, promoting wellness and beauty.
Everyone was stunned by Sophia’s response, and Calvin looked visibly surprised, too. Although he drank, he’d never tried medicinal wine.
Experienced drinkers know that medicinal wine is quite bitter and has a strong aftertaste; it’s not particularly enjoyable.
Those who like medicinal wine are either very good drinkers or don’t drink at all otherwise.
Evidently, Calvin assumed Sophia was the latter.
He frowned. “Why medicinal wine? Regular liquor is enough!”
Sophia’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. “Regular liquor isn’t sophisticated enough. If you want me to drink, it has to be on my terms. What’s wrong, scared? Or is it that you’ve never had medicinal wine and don’t dare try it?”
Bring it on, Calvin chuckled.
“What’s there to be afraid of? It’s just medicinal wine! I refuse to believe you can outdrink me!” He then called out, “Bring the medicinal wine! I’ll have a couple of drinks with the beautiful lady!”
The server soon returned with several bottles, and even a few other servers gathered outside, peeking in to watch the scene unfold.
“Sophia, don’t feel pressured to drink. I’m sorry; I didn’t realize Nathan would bring someone like him,” Anna apologized.
“It’s fine; it’s just a drink,” Sophia replied with a smirk as she opened a bottle and poured a glass in a wine cup.
A full glass.
The server couldn’t help but stare.
“Does this young lady think it’s red wine? Medicinal wine has a strong kick!”
“Is she being too reckless? Going up against a guy like that won’t end well!”
“Exactly! If she gets drunk and he takes advantage, it won’t be good.”
When Calvin saw her pour a full glass, he sneered.
“Have you ever had alcohol, beautiful? That’s a wine goblet! Medicinal wine isn’t meant to be poured like that!”
