“Chaochao, it’s from the high school group chat—are you going or not?” Su Jiani called to ask her.
Lin Chaochao had no idea what it was about, since she had long ago muted the group chat. She opened it specifically to take a look.
She thought to herself, what’s the point of going? How boring. So she replied to Su Jiani, “Not going.”
But Su Jiani was someone who loved a lively scene, and she dragged Lin Chaochao along, insisting they go. In truth, Su Jiani was also trying to “get revenge” for Lin Chaochao, hoping to make Wang Xue’er uncomfortable.
The venue was set at North City Grand Hotel. Lin Chaochao dressed very casually and went to the gathering with Su Jiani. By the time they arrived, a few classmates were already there. Seeing the former class beauty walk in, they greeted her warmly.
Ten people trickled in one by one, gathering in small groups. Wang Xue’er spotted Lin Chaochao the moment she walked in, and with a disdainful look and a mocking tone said, “How come just anyone can show up at a reunion these days?” The implication was clearly aimed at Lin Chaochao.
Of course, Lin Chaochao paid it no mind—such a clown wasn’t worth her attention. But Su Jiani, standing beside her, couldn’t help but fire back. “Oh my, where did this fly come from, buzzing around so annoyingly?”
Wang Xue’er knew that Su Jiani had been someone not to mess with back in school, so she could only stomp her foot in frustration.
The person organizing this gathering was class monitor Yang Zhan. He immediately stepped in to smooth things over, saying, “We’re all classmates here. When we meet, let’s not bicker like we did as kids. Give everyone a little face.”
Yang Zhan was well-liked by everyone, so no one said anything more and they all sat down properly.
The waiter served the dishes. Reunions like this were never short of people bragging and showing off, or trying to network.
Over the years, Lin Chaochao had been abroad and had never attended a high school reunion.
The reason Yang Zhan had organized this gathering was because he’d heard recently that Lin Chaochao had returned to the country.
Back in school, Yang Zhan had had a crush on her, and now that they were both in Jingbei, it felt like fate—quite the coincidence. He wondered if he still had a chance.
Yang Zhan’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward Lin Chaochao.
“I heard our class monitor is now a lawyer. Congratulations, congratulations! From now on, if anyone needs help in that area, we can come to you,” Classmate A spoke up first.
“I’m just a small, unknown lawyer. If you don’t mind, feel free to reach out—I’ll help however I can,” Yang Zhan said modestly.
“Su Jiani, aren’t you a photographer now? Seems like you’re the most famous one in our class, making it into the fashion circle. I heard you often photograph celebrities,” Classmate A continued. He’d been a chatterbox back in school, and everyone knew that about him.
“I’m just average, keeping a low profile. The truly impressive one is my deskmate Lin Chaochao—she’s an outstanding graduate from a top American institution. After returning to the country, she went straight into the Huo Corporation. She even designed jewelry for the American royal family before,” Su Jiani said, deliberately making a grand introduction of Lin Chaochao.
In truth, Lin Chaochao couldn’t care less about any of this. Others’ opinions never affected her. But after hearing Su Jiani’s words, Wang Xue’er couldn’t sit still: “Don’t brag so much. Who knows if any of that’s true. I heard the tuition there is ridiculously expensive.”
Su Jiani continued, “Some people just can’t handle others’ success and call the grapes sour. Our Chaochao was someone who earned a scholarship every single year.”
Since high school, Lin Chaochao had been beautiful and often received love letters, but she never paid them any attention. Years passed, and she had grown even more graceful and poised. The male classmates present were all curious whether she was single.
Finally, male classmate B couldn’t hold it in any longer: “Lin Chaochao, now that you’re back in the country, are you still single? Do you have a boyfriend?”
As soon as this question was asked, the male classmates all pricked up their ears to listen, especially Yang Zhan. They all wanted to hear how Lin Chaochao would answer.
Lin Chaochao replied politely, “I’m single, but I’m not considering dating right now.”
The small flame that had just been lit was instantly extinguished. Yang Zhan glanced at Lin Chaochao, lowered his head, lost in thought, then continued chatting with the people beside him.
Wang Xue’er deliberately made a sound: “You just know how to say nice things to string men along. Just the other day, I clearly saw you having dinner with a man at an upscale restaurant.”
Lin Chaochao didn’t deny it, but she only said that he was a friend.
Su Jiani, who was nearby, took the opportunity to speak up: “Wang Xue’er, what were you doing there that day? Could it be that you were also having dinner with a lover? Was that lover around forty-something with a receding hairline?”
Actually, Su Jiani had also happened to see Wang Xue’er being all lovey-dovey with a man while shopping one day. Their relationship looked very abnormal.
Wang Xue’er, having been called out, instantly turned red in the face and immediately denied it. But who was Su Jiani? She repaid grudges without fail and exposed all of Wang Xue’er’s secrets. It was utterly satisfying. Wang Xue’er was too ashamed to stay any longer and made an excuse to leave.
The meal went fairly smoothly. Apart from the annoying Wang Xue’er, Lin Chaochao chatted openly and generously with everyone. A few classmates asked for Lin Chaochao’s phone number, and one of them was Yang Zhan.
As for his intentions, Lin Chaochao had some idea, but she had no intention of giving him a chance.
Finally, everyone dispersed and went their separate ways. Since it was still early, Lin Chaochao decided to go shopping with Su Jiani.
Meanwhile, at the old Huo residence, Huo Nanting was playing chess with his grandfather.
Having taken over the Huo Corporation for some time now, and seeing his grandson’s outstanding abilities and impressive demeanor, Elder Huo felt both gratified and a little heartbroken.
Because when Huo Nanting was seven years old, his parents had both died in a car accident, leaving him and his grandfather to depend on each other.
During that period, Huo Nanting refused to talk to anyone. He saw many psychologists both domestically and abroad, and it took a long time before he slowly came out of it. After that, Huo Nanting threw himself into studying with a frenzy, scoring first place in every exam, self-disciplined and self-driven, all the way up to now.
Elder Huo was getting on in years now. He no longer had to worry about the company, so he had started worrying about his grandson’s marriage.
“Nanting, you’re not getting any younger. You should seriously start thinking about your personal matters,” Huo Zhanhai reminded him.
“Grandfather, there’s no rush.” Huo Nanting took another sip of tea.
“You’re not in a rush, but I am. I’m afraid that when I reach the Yellow Springs, I won’t be able to answer to your parents. If you find a girl who catches your eye and comes from a decent family, bring her back for your grandfather to meet.”
Elder Huo was not a stubborn old man. He didn’t necessarily insist on matching family statuses. He gave Huo Nanting plenty of space and respect because he trusted his grandson’s judgment.
“Grandfather, you’re healthy and will live a long life. You’ll still be playing chess with your great-grandchildren.” Huo Nanting coaxed his grandfather.
“You little rascal, you sure know how to make your grandpa happy. Alright, I’ll be waiting.” The old man was delighted.
“However, that Zhao girl seems quite nice to me. You should take the opportunity to get to know her better—even just as friends is fine.”
“Grandpa, I don’t have any feelings for her.”
“I’m just telling you to get in touch with her, not to marry her right away. Besides, her parents are good people too—they helped us out quite a bit back then.”
Huo Nanting refused outright: “I can help them more in business, but that’s where it ends. You don’t need to worry about it—I have my own plans.”
Seeing how stubborn his grandson was, Elder Huo felt both anxious and frustrated.
He thought to himself: Forget it, forget it. Each generation has its own blessings. Let him do as he pleases.
Leaving the old estate, the man returned to his residence, Yunshen Villa.
At that moment, while working out, Huo Nanting found himself thinking about Lin Chaochao—her adorable, petite, captivating, alluring, and pure qualities. Every version of her was her.
Perhaps it was the lingering effect of that kiss, but these past days, the woman kept occupying his thoughts.
After showering and drying his hair, he answered a call from his assistant, who informed him that his secretary Linda would be going on maternity leave in the next couple of days, leaving the secretary position vacant, and asked how he wanted to handle it.