A little while later, inside the sports car.

"Jiang Chen, I need to remind you that, even though we've got our marriage certificate, we have an agreement—it's a sham marriage. You can't take it seriously and keep calling me 'wife' as if it's real."

Ye Jingyi frowned, clearly dissatisfied with Jiang Chen's recent behavior.

Jiang Chen chuckled, "I know, but sometimes, in front of others, you could at least give me some face, couldn't you?"

Ye Jingyi's frown deepened as she glanced at Jiang Chen.

Ah, really didn't know whether choosing Jiang Chen was right or wrong. How come no matter how you look at it, he seems like a freeloader, a good-for-nothing?

In her gloominess, Ye Jingyi stepped on the gas, zooming off into the distance.

…

Having arrived at the hotel, Jiang Chen got out of the car and waved to Ye Jingyi, "You should head back early too; you look exhausted. Get some rest."

"Okay, then I'll be going first."

Ye Jingyi nodded and drove away.

Seeing Jiang Chen still watching her car from the rearview mirror, Ye Jingyi murmured to herself, "Let it go, I shouldn't be too harsh on Jiang Chen. He's actually a decent person and he's doing this to help me. I can't demand too much."

Once home, Ye Jingyi changed into her slippers and walked into the living room.

"Jing Yi, why are you back so early?" her mother Zhou Ru, who was watching TV in the living room, eyed Ye Jingyi suspiciously.

Ye Jingyi spoke indifferently, "There was nothing to do at the company, so I took the afternoon off."

"Nothing?" Zhou Ru blinked, "Has the company's funding shortfall been resolved? What about the bank credit issue?"

Ye Jingyi didn't speak.

Zhou Ru walked around the couch to face Ye Jingyi, speaking earnestly, "Jingyi, you don't need to put on such a brave front. How wonderful it would be to marry Young Master Yu. You could enjoy wealth and not have to work so hard. Isn't this the life we women want?"

"I..."

Ye Jingyi furrowed her brow, intending to tell Zhou Ru about the marriage, but after opening her mouth, she still lacked the courage to say it. Sighing inwardly, she thought better to wait until Jiang Chen comes tomorrow to discuss it.

"You don't need to worry about this!"

Ye Jingyi replied calmly to Zhou Ru and then went upstairs to her bedroom.

"No, that girl is hiding something from me."

Watching Ye Jingyi's retreating figure, Zhou Ru frowned and muttered to herself.

…

In the evening, after taking a taxi, Jiang Chen rushed to the Happy Encounter Hotel, where their high school classmates' reunion was taking place tonight.

"This is the place." Standing at the hotel entrance, Jiang Chen surveyed the surroundings.

The Happy Encounter Hotel was a three-star establishment with reasonably luxurious decor. At the entrance stood a man wearing glasses, looking around.

"Jiang Chen," the man called out with a light laugh when he saw Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen greeted him with a smile, "Class monitor, Zhou Chunjian."

Zhou Chunjian came over and playfully punched Jiang Chen, "You guy, vanished after senior year. We used to be such close buddies, and you didn't even keep in touch."

Zhou Chunjian was a child from the countryside, and Jiang Chen's family also wasn't well-off. The two shared similar hardships in high school and thus became good friends. If you were to ask about any good friends Jiang Chen had during his high school years, Zhou Chunjian would be the name that came up.

A bit embarrassed, Jiang Chen smiled and said, "Sorry, I..."

"Ha, no need to say more, tonight we'll drink to our heart's content."

Zhou Chunjian didn't let Jiang Chen finish because he also knew about Jiang Chen's difficulties. He patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder with a smile and said, "Let's go, almost everyone is here, but two beauties are still missing. By the way, where's your golden flower, Li Liyun?"

Jiang Chen blinked and said softly, "Divorced!"

"Div..."

Zhou Chunjian was stunned for a moment, then patted Jiang Chen's shoulder again, falling silent with an 'I understand' look on his face.

Jiang Chen knew Zhou Chunjian had misunderstood, thinking that it was Li Liyun who looked down on him and initiated the divorce, but he chose not to explain.

"Let's go, let's go inside. If it's over, then it's over. You're a good guy and handsome too, you'll definitely find someone who truly cares for you," Zhou Chunjian comforted Jiang Chen, pulling his arm as they walked into the hotel.

The hotel's third floor banquet hall.

The third floor's banquet halls were all small-scale, each hall able to accommodate around forty to fifty people. Zhou Chunjian led Jiang Chen to banquet hall number 3 where the gathering was set to take place.

At the entrance to the hall, they encountered a man dressed in a suit and tie.

As soon as the man saw Jiang Chen, they recognized each other.

"Class monitor?"

Jiang Chen quickly stepped forward to greet him. The man was none other than their high school class president, Wang Guoliang.

"Oh wow, Jiang Chen? I didn't expect you'd dare to show up looking like this. Bravo, quite loyal of you." Wang Guoliang sized Jiang Chen up, sneered sarcastically, and then walked into the hall with his head held high.

Jiang Chen's face showed his embarrassment, his warm greetings met with cold indifference; it was infuriating.

Zhou Chunjian was equally resentful, "Don't be angry Jiang Chen, Wang Guoliang has always been that way, since we were kids—bullying the weak and fearing the strong, always chasing after those with power. The rest of our classmates are much better, let's go inside."

Jiang Chen nodded and followed him in.

The entire banquet hall number 3 was nearly full, everyone mingling with each other. The wealthy flaunted their incomes while those in big business or governmental positions boasted about their jobs. When Jiang Chen entered, he glanced around; most people had arrived, except for Li Liyun.

Jiang Chen understood that Li Liyun, having just divorced that morning, couldn't possibly attend, especially in case she ran into him, which would be unbearably awkward for her. Being coerced into a divorce by him was far different from her forcing him into one.

But scanning the room again, he noticed something else—Deng Fangcheng was absent too. Could it be that he didn't dare come, frightened away by Jiang Chen's treatment of him?

"Hey, isn't that Jiang Chen? Long time no see." At that moment, two classmates near the door saw Jiang Chen and his companion enter. One of them exclaimed with a tone of obvious contempt, "I'm telling you Zhou Chunjian, you're quite capable, managing to dig this guy out from some godforsaken place."

Zhou Chunjian frowned and said discontentedly, "Li Feng, what kind of way is that to talk? We're all old classmates, do you really need to start with insults the second we meet?"

Another classmate beside them laughed disdainfully, "Zhou Chunjian, Li Feng is right. You have your ways, getting him to come. I admit I admire Jiang Chen for that. To think he would dare show up in his current state, he's got quite some courage."

Zhou Chunjian was so angry his teeth clenched. He had just reassured Jiang Chen that the other classmates would be better, but no sooner had they arrived than they faced such mocking and ridicule.

"It's fine." Jiang Chen said with a bitter smile, patting Zhou Chunjian's shoulder before moving on to greet a few classmates whom he had a decent relationship with during school.

However, all he was met with were looks of disdain and scorn which led Jiang Chen to feel a profound sense of regret.

Time really had changed everything, everyone had entered society and become so pragmatic. It seemed that the bonds from the past were hardly remembered by anyone.

Glancing at Zhou Chunjian again, Jiang Chen sighed inwardly, thinking that at least Zhou was genuine.

As for the others... well, never mind...

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