"Elder Brother Mu, why don't we go together?" Liu Zijian asked, his eyes pleading.

Lin Mu was taken aback for a moment, then sneered, "Liu Zijian, did you already agree on my behalf?"

Afraid of angering Lin Mu, Liu Zijian hurriedly explained, "I didn't! It was Song Wenrou who accepted for you. It has nothing to do with me."

"Elder Brother Mu, Tao Shiyu is getting married. You can't still be hung up on her, can you?" Liu Zijian added, a hint of indignation in his voice. "Besides, Song Wenrou doesn't even mind, so why are you overthinking it?"

Lin Mu shook his head and smiled. "That's not the reason."

"Then what is it?"

"Elder Brother Mu, I've already promised them," Liu Zijian said. "Can't you do me this one favor?"

Liu Zijian knew the history. Back in school, Song Wenrou had a crush on Lin Mu, but as an orphan from a poor family, Lin Mu had rejected her kindness. Instead, he grew close to another girl: Tao Shiyu. Her situation was similar to his; she came from a single-parent family and struggled financially. During their second year of high school, Tao Shiyu's mother fell gravely ill, leaving no money for her education. Yet, Tao Shiyu's dream was to get into a top university. So, Lin Mu dropped out of school and gave her all of his savings. After that, he left Han River Province and set off on a different path.

In his previous life, Lin Mu had heard that after they parted ways, Tao Shiyu got together with another boy from their class and was living a happy life. That same boy had claimed that it was he who had given Tao Shiyu the money to help her. The man she's marrying now must be him. For that reason, Lin Mu didn't want to interfere. It's better to let this beautiful misunderstanding continue.

"Don't be like that, Elder Brother Mu. We're all classmates. Tao Shiyu was upset for a long time after you dropped out and left," Liu Zijian said. "I later heard that she asked about you more than once, though I never knew why." He scratched his head. "I don't know what happened between you two, but it was obvious that she..."

"Zijian!" Lin Mu cut him off. "I'm married now, and she's about to be. Let's not talk about things like that anymore."

"Got it, Elder Brother Mu," Liu Zijian said cautiously. "So, you'll go, right? Besides, that guy Yu Fei heard I know the secret owner of Coiling Dragon Bay and has been pestering me for an introduction."

Lin Mu didn't actually want to go. It wasn't just because of Tao Shiyu; with the experiences of two lifetimes behind him, he had long since moved on from such matters. Deep down, he was reluctant to shatter the pleasant memories of the past. There was a saying that class reunions were just an excuse to show off, and he worried this one would be no different. As for me, I have nothing worth showing off.

But Liu Zijian wore him down with constant pleading, determined to drag him along. Left with no other choice, Lin Mu reluctantly agreed.

Since he had just arrived in Jiangling, Liu Zijian planned to take Liu Xiaolin out for some fun, arranging to meet Lin Mu at the reunion spot that evening.

Soon, it was time for the gathering. Lin Mu took a taxi to Sovereign's Cottage, a restaurant in Jiangling that was somewhat famous for its signature dishes. He arrived with half an hour to spare before the reunion was scheduled to start. His plan was to make a brief appearance and then leave, as Qin Luoli had called to ask him to have dinner with her.

"Hello, sir. Are you here alone?" a waiter at Sovereign's Cottage greeted him politely.

"Yes. I'm meeting some classmates here. I think the room is..."

Before Lin Mu could finish, the waiter said, "I know the one. It's in Private Room No. 6." He gestured. "This way, sir. Please, let me show you."

Lin Mu shook his head. "No, thank you. I can find it myself."

He then made his way toward Private Room No. 6. That kid Zijian... it's a class reunion and he couldn't even bother to show up early.

Shaking his head, Lin Mu walked into the private room.

Several people were already seated inside. The young man at the head of the group wore a dark blue suit and sunglasses, with his hair slicked back—the very picture of a successful man. A BMW key sat on the table beside his hand, looking as if it had been placed there deliberately to show off. That must be Yu Fei, our old class monitor, Lin Mu thought.

He remembered how Yu Fei had looked down on him throughout high school. When rumors started spreading about him and Song Wenrou, Yu Fei had used it as an excuse to cause him even more trouble. Back then, Lin Mu was short and dark-skinned, a far cry from his current appearance. Yu Fei, however, came from a well-off family, was tall and imposing, and often bullied other students.

The others in the room were also dressed in expensive, designer brands. After all these years, it seemed every one of them had become more successful than the last. In contrast, Lin Mu's attire was strikingly casual. He wore a pale tracksuit, so worn it looked faded, making him appear shabby and out of place.

At that moment, a few people were gathered around Yu Fei, chatting and laughing. After high school, Yu Fei had gone to a university and later used his family connections to start his own construction team. He had always been wealthy, even back in school—eating the best food, wearing the best clothes, and sometimes even being dropped off by a private car. He was the envy of everyone and always had plenty of girls around him.

The only reason Yu Fei had come to this reunion was that Liu Zijian had claimed to know the mysterious owner of Coiling Dragon Bay. The Coiling Dragon Bay development was now a massive, well-known project in Jiangling. Although the units were already for sale, many of its buildings still required ongoing construction and maintenance. Furthermore, Yu Fei had recently started transitioning into the property management business. If he could secure the management rights for Coiling Dragon Bay, he would make a fortune.

Besides them, Lin Mu noticed a girl sitting quietly in a corner, her head bowed. She was dressed plainly, and her hair was dull and dry. Hearing someone enter, she instinctively looked up, and her gaze froze on him. The girl had an oval-shaped face. While not exceptionally beautiful, she had the demure charm of a girl next door, making one feel protective. However, all Lin Mu could see on her face was exhaustion and the wear of a hard life.

For some reason, my heart aches seeing her like this.

It's Tao Shiyu!

Tao Shiyu opened her mouth, but no words came out. The guilt and regret in her eyes, however, were plain for anyone to see.

Yu Fei and the others noticed Lin Mu as well. When they saw what he was wearing, they couldn't help but sneer.

Has this guy really fallen on such hard times?

Just because Lin Mu had let go of the past didn't mean Yu Fei had. Back then, this guy had the audacity to send a love letter to Song Wenrou, the class beauty—an incident the whole school knew about. Although Song Wenrou had rejected him, the two became quite close afterward, which always left a bad taste in Yu Fei's mouth.

Glancing over at Tao Shiyu, Yu Fei stood up, a mocking smile on his lips. He extended a hand toward Lin Mu. "Well, if it isn't Lin Mu. Long time no see."

But just as Lin Mu started to reach out his own hand, Yu Fei pulled his back. "Oh, my bad," he said, looking at his hand. "It's a bit dirty."

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