A very fashionably dressed Zhao Le led everyone into the Red River Restaurant.

This place was a renowned, upscale establishment in Northern Mountain City, with lavish decorations and delicious, high-class cuisine. As such, many wealthy people and dignitaries liked to dine here. Naturally, it wasn't cheap; an ordinary table was likely to cost two or three thousand yuan at the very least.

From this, one could see that their class president, Wang Kai, was indeed doing quite well, because the two tables they had reserved were in a private room, where the price was even higher.

"Wow, isn't that our arts committee member, Zhao Le? You've gotten even prettier, truly charming! And Hua Zhinan, Zheng Kaige, and Chen Fei are here too. Come sit, come sit!" As soon as the classmates in the private room saw them arrive, they called out enthusiastically.

Indeed, the arrival of a beautiful woman was the surest way to excite the men present, especially the few from modest backgrounds. On a normal day, they would never have the chance to strike up a conversation with Zhao Le.

"Damn, this private room is huge, and so luxurious! Our great class president must be spending a fortune on this reunion," Zheng Kaige exclaimed, startled by the lavish scene before him.

Although he drove a taxi and earned a good deal of hard-earned money throughout the year, he would still be reluctant to spend it in such an extravagant place.

"Of course! You have to remember who our class president is. He's about to start working at the Northern Mountain City Central Hospital. He's a capable man," said a cute, chubby-faced girl, laughing. Her eyes were practically sparkling with adoration.

She once had a major crush on their class president, Wang Kai, but he hadn't returned her feelings, which had left her feeling down for a long time. Even so, she had always been a loyal 'fan' of his. She would never miss an opportunity to praise her Prince Charming and would always be the first to jump at the chance.

"I have to say, Tan Juan, the class president isn't even here yet, and you're already singing his praises. It's a bit much, don't you think?"

Zhao Le suddenly interjected with a smile. "But this Red River Restaurant is seriously expensive. The last time I came here with a friend, the meal cost him over eight thousand."

"What? Over eight thousand?!"

"You've been here before, Zhao Le? That makes sense. You're so pretty, someone would definitely be willing to treat you to an upscale restaurant like this," the classmates exclaimed in surprise.

A single meal costing over eight thousand yuan was an extravagance far beyond what they were used to. It was just too expensive.

However, they also picked up on the hidden meaning in Zhao Le's words. The implication was that she had been doing quite well for herself lately, frequenting such high-class venues, and on someone else's dime, no less. How enviable!

"Ah, it's always someone else treating. If it were my own money, I would never bring myself to spend it at a place like this. It's just too pricey," Zhao Le replied with a graceful laugh. Suddenly, her gaze shifted toward Hua Zhinan and Chen Fei, who had just taken their seats. She asked with a playful smile, "Hua Zhinan, Chen Fei, I saw you two pull up in a Mercedes. You must have been doing pretty well in the few months since graduation, right?"

The fact that Hua Zhinan came from a wealthy family was a secret known only to his three roommates, including Chen Fei. So Zhao Le naturally assumed they had gotten lucky and struck it rich.

"Oh, it's nothing. My dad just recently handed over a few of his shops in Northern Mountain City for me to manage. I made a little extra cash, so I bought a car to get around. It's no big deal, haha," Hua Zhinan laughed nonchalantly, playing his part perfectly.

Even back in the day, when his family had cut him off financially, this guy's talent for showing off was second to none in their dorm. His ability to posture was truly remarkable, as natural and effortless as the wind.

"What? Hua Zhinan, you… I can't believe it! You were the hidden second-generation heir in our class all along!" As expected, his classmates were floored.

After all, to be able to afford a Mercedes after managing a few shops for only a couple of months, the business had to be quite substantial.

"Hua Zhinan, if you don't mind my asking, what kind of shops are they?" Zhao Le's eyes lit up. She feigned curiosity, elegantly brushing a strand of hair from her forehead as she spoke.

"It's nothing, really. Have you guys heard of Jinnan Jewelry? My dad owns it," Slickhead said with a beaming smile, glancing at her.

"Wow, what? Jinnan Jewelry is your family's business? Hua Zhinan, you really are rich! The last time I was traveling in Tongzhou City, I bought a jade bracelet there. If I'd known it was your family's shop, I would've definitely asked for a discount!"

"Good heavens, to think we had a hidden 'tall, rich, and handsome' in our class this whole time. What do you say, Tan Juan? Hua Zhinan is the young master of Jinnan Jewelry. That's way more impressive than the class president. Maybe you should give him a shot."

After a moment of stunned silence, the room erupted in a buzz of envious chatter and teasing.

Most of them were locals from Northern Mountain or Jiangnan Province, so of course they had heard of Jinnan Jewelry. While it might not have compared to the large national chains, it was easily in the top ten in Jiangnan Province. That was incredibly impressive, suggesting a family fortune worth tens of millions at least.

"Get out of here! What nonsense are you talking?" the chubby-faced Tan Juan retorted with feigned annoyance, her cheeks flushing. All the while, her eyes kept darting toward the 'tall, rich, and handsome' Hua Zhinan.

While it was true she liked Wang Kai, a large part of her affection was due to him being successful and wealthy. Now, with a super-secret, second-generation heir to the Jinnan Jewelry fortune suddenly appearing, he was certainly worth her serious consideration. After all, even if the class president got a job at the City Central Hospital, it was unlikely he'd ever earn millions. The difference was just too vast.

Chen Fei watched this unfold with a wry smile. He knew his friend had always enjoyed this kind of attention. If his father hadn't been so strict with him back then, he probably would have been showing off like this a long time ago.

"Hello, everyone!" Just then, a man with a cool hairstyle swaggered into the private room. He was dressed in a black suit with a striped tie and gleaming leather shoes.

Everyone looked up and saw that it was their former class president, Wang Kai.

"Everyone, it's been too long." This guy was as obsessed with appearances as ever. The moment he walked in, he started spouting official-sounding pleasantries like some kind of leader, which made more than a few classmates frown. Only the lovesick clique, led by Tan Juan, looked on with sparkling eyes, instantly thrilled.

"Class President, you're finally here! We've been waiting for you for so long," Tan Juan said with a coquettish pout, her eyes glued to Wang Kai.

He frowned for a split second before quickly smoothing his expression into a smile. Looking around at the crowd, he said, "I, Wang Kai, really appreciate all of you coming here for this reunion today. Thank you, thank you. It looks like almost everyone is here. Shall we have them bring out the food?"

"Start now? Aren't there still a few people missing?" Chen Fei asked, taken aback. A few people definitely hadn't arrived yet, so starting the meal now seemed a bit rude.

"Hm?" Hearing Chen Fei, Wang Kai's face immediately soured. "Oh, it's you, Chen Fei. Long time no see. It's fine. Since most of our classmates are here, we can start serving. I'm sure those who are late will understand, right?"

"Since the class president is treating today, whatever he says goes. Right, Chen Fei?" Zhao Le interjected, trying to smooth things over.

"Well, if it isn't our arts committee member, Zhao Le. It's only been a few months, but I almost didn't recognize you. You've gotten even more beautiful," Wang Kai said, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the stylishly dressed Zhao Le. He started to move closer to 'reconnect' with her.

Seeing this, a flicker of distaste appeared in Zhao Le's bright eyes. Pretending not to notice Wang Kai's approach, she elegantly walked toward Chen Fei in her high heels, raised her glass, and smiled. "Chen Fei, it's been a long time for us, too. Remember we used to be deskmates? Come on, let's have a drink."

I can't believe she's using me as a shield, Chen Fei thought. But we were deskmates, after all. Even though we weren't close, it's been a long time. Helping her out a little is no big deal.

With that in mind, Chen Fei immediately raised his glass and replied with a smile, "Since our arts committee member is proposing a toast, it would be my honor to accept. Zhao Le, I'll drink first."

Seeing this, Wang Kai became visibly displeased. His face darkened as he turned to Chen Fei with a sneer. "Classmate Chen Fei, it's been a long time since graduation, hasn't it? How have you been? I trust you've found a decent job?"

"You bastard…" Slickhead's temper flared at Wang Kai's tone. Who did this guy think he was, talking to his brother like that?

But Chen Fei discreetly held him back with a shake of his head. He looked at Wang Kai calmly and said, "It's nothing special. I'm just a junior doctor."

"Oh, a doctor? That's great. Given your grades back then, Chen Fei, becoming a doctor is certainly fitting. As it happens, I'll also be starting at the City Central Hospital soon. We'll be in the same field, so we should definitely keep in touch," Wang Kai said, his tone growing even more mocking when he heard Chen Fei was just a 'junior' doctor.

In his eyes, Chen Fei was at most working in some small clinic or hospital, far too low-class.

He, on the other hand, had the opportunity to work at the Northern Mountain City Central Hospital. As the largest, best-equipped, and top-ranked Class A hospital in the entire city, it was a place where even top graduates from prestigious medical schools struggled to get a job. This was the source of his pride, what made him hold his head so high and feel superior. He believed he had earned that right.

After saying this, Wang Kai's attitude became even more arrogant. He felt that his old classmate Chen Fei was no longer on his level and was now beneath his notice. He turned away and smiled at Zhao Le. "Zhao Le, how about we grab dinner together in a few days? We're classmates, we should get closer."

"Dinner?"

Zhao Le's eyes betrayed her disgust.

Undeniably, she was envious of Wang Kai's connections and opportunity to work at the Central Hospital, but she truly despised such a hypocritical person.

"I'm sorry, I'm quite busy for the next while. Let's talk about dinner some other time," she said. Her words were a clear rejection, something even a fool could understand.

"Zhao Le, that's not right of you…"

Wang Kai's expression turned gloomy, his face full of displeasure. But just then, his phone suddenly rang.

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