At the party.
*Clap, clap, clap!*
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*
As Chandler, dressed in women's clothing, displayed his masculinity and embraced Susie (who was dressed as a man) in a French romantic gesture, the atmosphere in the venue reached its peak.
"*Sob, sob, sob!*"
While Monica and Rachel covered their mouths, their eyes shimmering with tears of emotion, Joey was already crying uncontrollably.
"This is so touching! I can't take it—I want in too!"
Saying that, he spread his arms wide and was about to rush onto the stage.
"Enough already!"
Adam grabbed him by the collar, stopping him. "Don't make a scene!"
"Joey!"
Monica, eyes red, glared at him. "If you keep this up, I swear I'll kick you! If you want to practice a kissing scene with a guy, why must it be Chandler?"
"I wasn't…"
Joey tried to deny it, but seeing everyone staring at him, he had no choice but to give up. He let out a dramatic wail: "Ugh, I'll never find a better scene partner than Chandler!"
Lately, Joey had been preparing for a movie audition where his character had to kiss the male lead. He was struggling to get the nuances right.
As a dedicated actor—so committed that he even wanted to embody his character's emotions while being a body double—he was determined to find a male partner to practice with.
Adam, Ross, and Chandler had all been targeted by him. He tried every chance he got to steal a kiss.
But every time, they blocked him outright.
No way. They weren't actors, and they weren't about to entertain that idea.
Even a professional like Tang Xiaoyou, who thought kissing scenes were no big deal, would only be so casual if it were with a handsome guy like Guan Gu Shenqi.
Ask her to kiss Hu Yifei instead?
Whether she was willing or not was one thing, but she'd probably get hit with a lightning-fast slap before she even tried.
Joey never gave up, and tonight, seeing Chandler—dressed as a woman—passionately kissing a male-dressed Susie, he was completely overwhelmed. The feeling described in his movie script rushed over him in full force.
Caught up in the moment, he wanted to take Susie's place, screaming in his heart: "Let go of that Chandler—let me do it!"
But before he could take a few steps, Adam had already seen through him and stopped him.
"Chandler is amazing," Rachel said, covering her mouth, touched by the scene.
"Yeah, if a man were willing to do something like this for me, I'd do anything for him," Phoebe agreed.
"*Sob, sob, sob!*"
That was it—Monica couldn't hold it in anymore. She threw herself into Adam's arms and started crying.
Adam smiled helplessly, understanding that this was just the usual post-breakup emotional spiral.
Take Ross, for example.
After being dumped by his lesbian ex-wife Carol, everything reminded him of her.
Holding a can of beer? He'd think about how Carol loved this brand but never drank it from a can—regretting that he hadn't realized sooner that she was a lesbian.
Seeing a store display women's boots? He'd remember that Carol wore the same ones the first time they were together.
Spotting a peach pit on the ground? It reminded him of the time they ate peaches together.
Noticing a wet seat? He'd recall that it was the first frost that night.
Looking at a light? He'd reminisce about how the moonlight shone on their bed that evening.
If he were from the East, he'd probably break into poetry:
*"Before my bed, the bright moonlight,*
*Looks like frost upon the ground.*
*I lift my head to gaze at the moon,*
*Then lower it to see a pair of boots."*
Monica was clearly going through something similar. Seeing Chandler and Susie's romantic moment made her think about her breakup with Richard—the love of her life.
And that wasn't an exaggeration.
In the original timeline, if you looked at all of Monica's past relationships, Richard was the one she loved the most. If it weren't for the issue of having kids, Chandler wouldn't have even been in the picture.
Even after she got together with Chandler, they both avoided the topic of Richard because they knew—Richard was Monica's true love, while she and Chandler were a mix of friendship, family, and romance.
Chandler had been jealous before, and Monica never denied her feelings for Richard.
She just said that love isn't about destiny—it's about having a connection and continuously nurturing it over time.
That kind of love was more like friendship and family—warm and enduring.
It wasn't the intense, unforgettable kind she had with Richard.
And ironically, the love that leaves the deepest impression on women is often the dramatic, passionate kind.
As the saying goes: "Women love bad boys."
That's exactly why.
Of course, whether that type of love is better than a friendship-family-romance blend is subjective.
Young people tend to prefer passionate, all-consuming love.
But in the original timeline, when Monica and Chandler got together, they were already in their mid-thirties, past their youthful romantic ideals.
Both had experienced failed relationships and had started to believe they might end up alone.
At that point, a relationship built on friendship, family, and love was exactly what they needed.
Chandler understood this too, which is why he didn't dwell on Richard.
After all, everyone has a past.
He had once been fully devoted to love before as well—Monica had seen it firsthand. And she never brought it up either.
Adam held Monica, letting her cry into his $20,000 suit.
Rachel and Phoebe joined in, hugging Monica.
Then Ross.
Joey, ignoring Adam's glare, joined the group hug too.
This time, he behaved himself—knowing that this wasn't the moment for antics. He simply joined in the embrace with everyone else.
The six of them huddled together, with Adam and Monica at the center.
Meanwhile, Chandler and Susie finally pulled away from their passionate French kiss, gasping for air.
They locked eyes and smiled warmly at each other, their hearts filled with warmth.
Then Chandler noticed the six of them hugging in a tight circle.
Though he had no idea what had happened, he immediately jumped off the stage and ran over to join them.
*Click!*
Someone in the crowd captured the moment with a camera, a delighted expression on their face.
Emotions are contagious, and this heartwarming scene gave them a surge of inspiration—it would be perfect for an ad campaign in the future.
It was a guaranteed highlight.
"Alright," Adam finally said after a long while, noticing that Monica had stopped crying. "Let's loosen up, or we're gonna suffocate."
"Okay."
Ross and Joey were the first to respond.
Men have a limited tolerance for extended hugging.
Like when Ross and Rachel were dating—Rachel loved sleeping while being held, but Ross, like most men, preferred sleeping on his own after the deed.
Still, he faked liking it for the sake of keeping her happy.
But it was just too hot and uncomfortable to sleep like that.
So Ross invented a trick—he'd hold her until she fell asleep, then gently roll her over to her side and slip his arm out from underneath her.
"*Wahhh, Chandler!*"
As soon as Joey let go, he spotted Chandler in the hug, with Susie nowhere in sight.
His eyes lit up, and—pretending to be emotional—he spread his arms wide and charged at Chandler.
As an actor, he was a true professional.
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