Gu Xuejiao was going too?!

Yi Tianyu froze, still holding the basketball, standing stiffly in place.

After a moment, he stiffened his neck and said rigidly—

“I’ll go with you after all. You’ve had no children accompanying you to the annual meeting these past few years, which must be quite awkward.”

Yi’s mother: “…”

She swallowed and said coldly, “Well, I should thank you then.”

“Mom, no need to be polite. Your good son has an obligation to show filial piety.” Yi Tianyu bounced the basketball a few times, laughing cheerfully, looking very happy.

He hadn’t even realized that just hearing Xuejiao was going made his mood soar.

Yi’s mother couldn’t help herself and threw an apple at him—

“Get out of here!”

He was bouncing the basketball, preparing to go upstairs when he paused at the staircase.

“By the way, Mom, how do you know she’s going?”

Yi’s mother leisurely picked up another apple and said, “Mom and your dad went to pick up clothes today and happened to run into her. We even helped her choose a dress, bright red with a halter neckline. It looks so good! Especially beautiful! Xuejiao is so slim, with her shoulders exposed…”

“Hmm—” Yi Tianyu tilted his head up and rushed upstairs.

He made such a commotion that even Yi Dafa was startled and rushed out of his room asking, “What happened?!”

Yi’s mother blinked, and after a while said—

“Young people have strong internal heat. Starting tomorrow, we’ll eat bitter gourd—”

Yi Dafa: “…”

Damn, I don’t like bitter gourd either!

On the twenty-ninth day of the last lunar month.

“Son! Are you ready yet?” Yi Dafa called from downstairs.

“Almost, almost!” Yi’s mother came down wearing elegant makeup and a beautiful gown. Yi Dafa went up to drape her coat over her shoulders.

“Why is this kid taking so long?”

Yi’s mother shook her head helplessly, “This kid is just like you were back then, getting so nervous about seeing the person he likes that he keeps trying on different clothes.”

Yi Dafa chuckled, “How else would he win over a good daughter-in-law!”

After waiting a while longer, Yi Dafa asked—

“Has he tried on something suitable yet?”

“He’s wearing a blue suit, probably fussing with his hair now.” Yi’s mother was also helpless; this kid was more troublesome than girls when going out!

Yi Dafa was surprised: “Hasn’t he already styled his hair? And doesn’t he dislike blue suits?”

“Who knows what he’s thinking!”

Upstairs.

Yi Tianyu adjusted his brand-new blue suit. The young man in the mirror looked dashing and spirited, full of vitality.

He smiled at his reflection—

Since ancient times, red and blue make a perfect couple.

Very good, very handsome.

——

At the Cheng household.

“Jiaojiao?”

“Coming, coming!” Xuejiao walked out holding her dress. “Mom, would it be troublesome to wear my hair down? Can I tie it up?”

There was no response. Xuejiao looked up and saw all three of them staring at her in amazement.

“What’s wrong?” she felt a bit uncomfortable.

“Beautiful! My daughter is so beautiful!” Li Sitong walked over.

She had tried on the dress before, but that day they were outside, and her hair was tied up. She had even looked a bit tired from walking.

But today was different. The red feathered dress reached her calves, with a waistband that emphasized her tiny waist, making her look extremely petite.

Her hair was loose, her shoulders faintly visible, her black hair nearly reaching her waist, casually flowing down.

She smiled shyly, looking graceful despite her embarrassment, her eyes as beautiful as a painting.

Cheng Mingze was stunned for quite a while before asking, “Did you put on makeup?”

Before Xuejiao could answer, Li Sitong said with a smile, “No, I just shaped her eyebrows a bit. Our Jiaojiao’s eyebrows are naturally dark, so shaping them makes them look like they’ve been drawn. And her eyelashes are thick, so they curl up with just a light squeeze.”

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and took out a lipstick, lightly applying it to Xuejiao’s lips.

“Here, press your lips together. You’re young, so just a little bit of color is enough,” Li Sitong said.

This was Xuejiao’s first time wearing lipstick, and she pressed her lips together somewhat shyly.

A face that was already as beautiful as a painting instantly became radiant.

Sometimes Li Sitong thought that her daughter was even more beautiful than she had been in her youth, and the genes were certainly partly thanks to Gu Jingxu.

That guy’s character wasn’t great, but his face was certainly nice.

When she was young, a pampered young lady, she had fallen for that man because of his face.

The happy days in the latter half of her life were few.

But she was grateful that in the second half of her life, she had met someone truly suitable, and Jiaojiao was still by her side…

“Put on your coat,” Cheng Mingze said.

“Yes, yes, it’s still cold outside. Wear your coat and take it off when we get there,” Li Sitong added.

After Xuejiao put on her down jacket, Cheng Mingze immediately turned away.

“Let’s go.” He felt he had been staring too intently, which was clearly inappropriate.

After coming to his senses, he could only turn away.

The Cheng family got into the car heading to the venue for the annual meeting. It was quite far, so it took a while to arrive.

As soon as they got out of the car, several people came to greet them. Cheng Suo handed the keys to the doorman, and Li Sitong took out the invitation card and handed it to the elderly man in the middle.

The man didn’t even look at it, just smiled and said, “Mr. Cheng, Ms. Li, and young Mr. Cheng, Miss Gu, please come in.”

Li Sitong nodded with a smile. Cheng Suo shook his hand and said, “Uncle Jin, don’t trouble yourself. We’ll go in first.”

“Please!”

As they entered, Cheng Suo explained in a low voice to Cheng Mingze.

Li Sitong whispered in Xuejiao’s ear, “This is the secretary of the W City Chamber of Commerce. Almost everyone in business circles needs to show him respect. His surname is Jin, the same as Mr. Jin, the organizer of the Chamber of Commerce. He was a family servant in the early years, but after the reform, he became an adopted son and has been working for Mr. Jin ever since, very loyal. Mr. Jin is the head of the Chamber of Commerce. His father was among the first batch of businessmen in China, leaving behind a huge fortune. Mr. Jin is also very good at business. You can just call him Uncle Jin later.”

Li Sitong had initially not wanted to tell Xuejiao about these business circle matters, but Cheng Suo had instructed her to do so before they left.

He felt the child was grown up and should know these things. The family was part of this circle, and whether the child cared or not, they didn’t know, but they should mention it anyway.

Xuejiao nodded. In her previous life, she had never seen these things, and in this life, she had no plans to go into business, but listening to the gossip was still acceptable.

The group was led in by a server. As the temperature rose, a man and a woman came to take their coats.

Then they walked into the main venue.

“Oh! Old Cheng! You’ve come!” A middle-aged man with a large beard approached.

“Hahaha!!” Cheng Suo quickly hastened his pace to meet him. “Mr. Jin! Long time no see!”

“It’s because you, Old Cheng, are too busy to pay attention to me!”

“Not at all, not at all. It’s Mr. Jin whose schedule is too busy, and I can’t fit in!” Cheng Suo joked. This kind of “complaint” didn’t cause any offense at all.

The two were still shaking hands, seeming extremely close.

Only then did Xuejiao realize what Uncle Cheng was usually like.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Mrs. Jin came over to shake hands with Li Sitong, and then they all turned their attention to Cheng Mingze and Xuejiao.

“Your son and daughter are really quite talented! Old Cheng, you’re truly blessed!”

“Not at all, not at all. Mr. Jin, your daughter is the real legendary figure!”

“Uncle Cheng, you flatter me.” A woman in a fishtail dress walked over with a wine glass in her hand, evidently having just exchanged pleasantries with someone else.

“This is your Jin Sui sister. Jin Sui, take care of these two young people a bit, especially Xuejiao. The young lady is still quite young,” Mr. Jin patted Jin Sui’s shoulder.

Jin Sui smiled and said, “Sister Xuejiao, hello.”

“Hello, Sister Jin Sui.” Xuejiao smiled lightly, looking poised despite her shyness.

The Jin family members nodded to themselves in approval.

This stepdaughter of Cheng Suo, appearing at a banquet for the first time, seemed quite good—attractive and well-mannered.

The group clinked glasses and drank a little. Jin Sui was truly thoughtful, having already arranged for someone to bring Xuejiao juice.

Mr. Jin finished his drink and excused himself to greet other friends.

Li Sitong tilted her head slightly and explained to Xuejiao beside her—

“Jin Sui graduated from Peking University, did a two-plus-three program, and studied for three years at Oxford. After returning, she joined her father’s company and will take over from him. Though she’s young, she’s very formidable.”

Xuejiao was slightly shocked. So impressive?!

She didn’t look very old but was already so accomplished?

At this moment, more people came over, all with their families. Xuejiao couldn’t leave, so she could only follow along and socialize.

In the distance.

“Hey, hey, old man Yi.” Yi Tianyu called softly, then bumped his father from behind.

Yi’s mother turned around and glared at him, “Don’t mess around. Your father is socializing.”

Yi Tianyu didn’t say anything, just nodded toward the distance.

Yi’s mother looked over in confusion, froze, then turned back to glare at him.

Then she turned back with a smile and said, “Definitely, definitely. Let’s chat more later.”

The person across from her understood and immediately smiled and excused himself.

“What’s the matter?” Yi Dafa asked.

“Your son’s desk mate has arrived, and now he’s restless.”

Yi Dafa: “…”

“I’ve only heard of girls being outward-focused, but how is it that you, a boy, are also…”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Yi Tianyu was embarrassed and angry.

“Alright, I won’t say more. You go over there yourself. In this setting, if I’m too enthusiastic, people will gossip that our two families are planning to form a marriage alliance, which wouldn’t be good for anyone,” Yi Dafa said, then let Yi Tianyu go on his own.

Yi Tianyu hesitated a bit, then awkwardly approached.

After three groups of people had passed, Cheng Suo said to Cheng Mingze and Xuejiao, “If you’re too tired, you can rest in the corner over there where there are sofas. Or Mingze can take Xuejiao to meet some friends—you’ve been here a few times before. Oh, and remember to get Xuejiao something to eat.”

“Alright.”

Cheng Suo led Li Sitong into the crowd.

“Let’s have some cake first,” Cheng Mingze looked at Xuejiao.

It sounded like a question, but it was actually an imperative.

“…Alright.”

But in reality, as soon as the two of them walked to the area with various cakes, someone stopped Cheng Mingze.

“Mingze! You finally decided to come. Don’t you bookworms meet up at all during the year?” It was a young man about Cheng Mingze’s age, with several other young men and women behind him.

Gu Shiyun was among them.

She was wearing a white long dress, looking like a little fairy.

“I’ve been busy, you know,” Cheng Mingze smiled. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

Seeing that they were about to chat, Xuejiao walked ahead a little by herself, stopping in front of the food.

In this kind of setting, one shouldn’t eat too messily, so Xuejiao took a very small piece of cake—really very small—and put it directly into her mouth.

Not bad.

She reached for a second piece.

“Hey—” someone suddenly called out next to her ear, nearly scaring Xuejiao to death.

“Yi Tianyu!!!”

“Hey, why are you calling me ‘brother’?” Yi Tianyu chuckled, tossing a piece of the same cake Xuejiao had just eaten into his mouth.

“So sweet? You like eating this kind of thing?” he asked.

Xuejiao was still angry and glared at him, “None of your business!”

Yi Tianyu continued smiling and moved closer to her—

“You’re dressed… okay. Still as rude when you speak though. Bookworm, why do you have the leisure to attend this? Not studying today?”

He smiled, his gaze falling on Xuejiao’s lips, and he froze.

Her lips were well-shaped and small, now slightly red, looking…

Really pretty.

Yi Tianyu picked up a glass of red wine from nearby and gulped down two mouthfuls.

Xuejiao glared at him with puffed cheeks—

“I’ll come if I want to.”

After saying this, she continued eating a small piece of cake. This Yi Tianyu was what you’d call—

Asking for a beating.

“Hey hey hey, don’t dress up so nicely when you come here in the future, it’s pointless.”

“Huh?” Xuejiao raised an eyebrow.

“I used to hate coming here the most!”

“Then why did you come today?” Xuejiao asked.

Yi Tianyu: “…My mom begged me.”

“Jiaojiao!” Cheng Mingze’s voice had a hint of urgency. Xuejiao turned around to see him hurrying over.

“You scared me to death!” His voice even had a touch of nervousness.

Xuejiao smiled apologetically, “Um… sorry. I saw you were busy, so I came over first.”

Cheng Mingze’s voice held resignation, “Don’t do this again in the future.”

“Okay.”

“And this is?” Cheng Mingze turned his gaze to Yi Tianyu.

Xuejiao quickly introduced them, “This is my desk mate Yi Tianyu, and this is my brother, Cheng Mingze.”

Cheng Mingze frowned slightly. Yi Tianyu grinned—

“Brother, hello, I’m Yi Tianyu.”

Brother?

Cheng Mingze’s face became a bit unpleasant, but he was dignified and only nodded with a smile, saying nothing.

“Mingze, why did you slip away so quickly?” The man who had stopped Cheng Mingze earlier came over. He glanced at Xuejiao from the corner of his eye. “Your sister won’t get lost. Look how nervous you are.”

For some reason, Xuejiao felt this man wasn’t very friendly toward her.

Cheng Mingze smiled and explained, “This is my friend Zheng Lijin. This is my sister Gu Xuejiao, and this is her classmate, Yi… Yi…”

“Yi Tianyu.” Yi Tianyu flashed a smile. He was naturally good-looking, and his smile was sunny and handsome. Plus, his surname was Yi…

“Hello, Tianyu. You can call me Brother Lijin. We’ve met before.” He smiled attractively, seeming very approachable, but he hadn’t greeted his friend’s sister.

No one was stupid.

Cheng Mingze frowned slightly.

Yi Tianyu raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Why don’t you just let me call you Brother Jing?”

What thick skin.

Zheng Lijin was taken aback, unsure of his meaning, and only said, “Tianyu really knows how to joke.”

Yi Tianyu said nothing, hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his toes.

“Minmin, come over here, all of you.” Zheng Lijin waved gently to the others, and the two men and three women, including Gu Shiyun, walked over.

“This is my sister Zheng Limin, and these are her friends Qiu Yijia and Gu Shiyun. These are friends of mine and Mingze’s, Jiang Yijin and Yu Weiping.”

After introducing everyone, Zheng Lijin looked at them and explained about Xuejiao and Yi Tianyu.

Jiang Yijin smiled and said, “Sister Xuejiao is so pretty! Tianyu, long time no see.”

“Long time no see!” Yi Tianyu smiled, being quite polite.

Xuejiao just smiled lightly, not joining the conversation.

“By the way, Mingze, do you know where Mu Xuan went?” Zheng Lijin asked.

“I don’t know. Didn’t he come?” Cheng Mingze responded.

“I think I heard something,” Gu Shiyun said.

“What’s going on?”

“He…”

…

The group started chatting about people Xuejiao didn’t know. Xuejiao was getting a bit impatient, especially since Zheng Lijin and Zheng Limin’s exclusion was quite obvious, with Zheng Limin and Qiu Yijia warmly surrounding Gu Shiyun.

Xuejiao didn’t feel much, just thought it was boring.

Cheng Mingze also clearly felt they were excluding Xuejiao and frowned, about to say something.

But Yi Tianyu had already spoken—

“Bookworm.”

“What? Depressed one.” If you can give me a nickname, I can give you one too!

“Why don’t we go chat over there? Your brother’s friends seem to have some issues.”

Xuejiao: “…”

His voice wasn’t quiet, and those in the group who were paying attention to them heard it clearly.

Having issues…

Immediately, Zheng Lijin’s expression turned unpleasant.

Gu Shiyun’s face didn’t look good either. After several times of Xuejiao publicly embarrassing her, she no longer hoped to maintain even a superficial harmony with Xuejiao.

This Gu Xuejiao was no longer the fool from years ago!

“How dare you talk like that?” Zheng Limin had a temper and couldn’t help but get angry after hearing Yi Tianyu’s words.

Yi Tianyu raised an eyebrow, “What did I say? Weren’t you all chatting happily? How did you hear what I said? Are you that interested in me?”

His words were somewhat provocative, but his face was so handsome that somehow it didn’t seem too offensive.

“You—”

“Limin!” Zheng Lijin spoke up, pulling her back. “Don’t cause trouble.”

The Yi family held a high position in business circles, and Yi Dafa was known for fiercely protecting his child, so much so that their family had been instructed to avoid major conflicts with Yi Tianyu if possible.

They fell silent. Jiang Yijin smiled and looked at Cheng Mingze, “Mingze, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. Let’s chat a bit.”

Cheng Mingze instinctively shook his head, “Let’s make plans for another time. I’ll keep Jiao—”

Before he could finish, Xuejiao interrupted, “Brother, you go ahead. I’ll chat with my classmate too.”

She smiled adorably, her eyes curving into crescents.

But Cheng Mingze knew she was angry and wanted them to stay away from her.

“Alright… come find me if you need anything…” That was all he could say.

“Okay.”

Cheng Mingze left with them. Gu Shiyun turned back, giving Xuejiao a victorious look, as if she had won something.

Xuejiao just found it amusing.

“Hey, bookworm…” Yi Tianyu bumped her with his body.

“Hmm?”

“If they won’t play with you, big brother will play with you!”

“Huh?” Xuejiao was startled.

Yi Tianyu grabbed her wrist and headed in one direction.

“Stop!” Xuejiao gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to go play at all!!

Yi Tianyu pulled her, quickly circling around to an area with sofas. Currently, several people were seated there, some older than them, some younger.

Jin Sui was clearly among them.

“Tianyu, who are you dragging along? So pretty?” A man sitting next to Jin Sui raised an eyebrow, looking only about twenty-something.

“This is Uncle Cheng Suo’s daughter, Xuejiao,” Jin Sui explained for them.

She had changed her outfit at some point, still looking beautiful with a noble aura.

“Oh! So it’s Sister Xuejiao!” The man looked as if he had just realized something.

Xuejiao: “…” She would bet a hundred points that this person didn’t remember anything about her.

After all, Gu Xuejiao had never appeared here before.

“She’s also my desk mate,” Yi Tianyu pushed Xuejiao toward a sofa to the side. “Make some room, make some room.”

Someone moved over to create a space, and only then did Xuejiao and Yi Tianyu sit down.

She smiled at the woman who had made room and said gratefully, “Thank you.”

The woman was also startled for a moment and quickly replied, “It’s nothing!”

“Desk mates, huh! Being so protective?” The man was still teasing.

“Xiao Chi, just shut up, will you? Talking nonsense!” Yi Tianyu rolled his eyes.

Feeling that wasn’t convincing enough, he added, “This bookworm needs looking after or she’d be completely clueless.”

Xuejiao reached out and, where others couldn’t see, pinched Yi Tianyu hard.

“Ah—” He had just opened his mouth, but remembering where they were, he stopped abruptly.

Being pinched in public was a bit embarrassing. Yi Tianyu managed to endure without crying out.

Xuejiao smiled at everyone, “Don’t listen to his nonsense.”

Yi Tianyu endured the pain, stubbornly asking, “Then why were you being bullied by that group? Those people disgust me.”

Only Yi Tianyu would dare to say this directly, considering those people were quite prominent.

“I wasn’t being bullied…”

“That exclusion was way too blatant!”

Xuejiao smiled, “If a dog bites me, can I bite back?”

Yi Tianyu: “…”

“Hahaha!! Little sister has character!” Xiao Chi laughed.

“Who’s your little sister?!” Yi Tianyu reached out, making a hitting motion.

“Alright, alright, I won’t call you that.” Xiao Chi surrendered.

He turned to Xuejiao and said, “Xuejiao, what a beautiful name, and you’re beautiful too.”

“Smack—” Yi Tianyu really hit him this time, though from a distance, it was more symbolic than anything.

“Wah wah! Everyone, be my judge, this guy hit me!” Xiao Chi jumped up, raising his voice so others could hear.

Jin Sui started laughing. When she laughed, she looked very attractive, with a certain appeal.

“It’s because you’re bullying her. The little sister is still young, don’t think we didn’t see!”

“Sister Sui!” Xiao Chi put on a shocked expression. “Even you start disliking me when there’s a pretty little sister around?!”

“Hmm, dislike, always have.” Jin Sui took a sip of wine, looking completely in agreement.

“Hahaha!” Everyone burst into laughter.

Xuejiao also smiled along. The atmosphere with these people made her feel more relaxed than with the previous group, who hadn’t left a good impression.

They continued chatting and laughing. These people were all good conversationalists, never letting the conversation lag, and making sure everyone was included.

When others asked Xuejiao questions, she would answer briefly. The rest of the time, she just held her glass and listened.

“Come on, this is the first time we’ve met Jiaojiao, let’s have a toast.” Jin Sui raised her glass.

“Yes, yes, Jiaojiao, you should participate more in the future! We can make plans to meet up!” Xiao Chi smiled and winked.

Yi Tianyu rolled his eyes but said nothing this time.

“Thank you, Sister Jin Sui, thank you everyone.” Xuejiao smiled gently. Generally, quiet girls were rarely disliked.

Everyone clinked glasses, with Xuejiao still drinking juice.

After welcoming Xuejiao, Jin Sui and the other older ones started discussing some business matters.

Xuejiao somewhat marveled—

“Sister Jin Sui is really impressive!”

Her voice was very soft, only Yi Tianyu heard it.

Yi Tianyu frowned slightly, tilted his head, and moved closer, whispering in her ear—

“Don’t underestimate this woman. Don’t get too familiar with her. Bookworm, with your intelligence, she’d sell you and have you count the money for her!”

“Hmm?” Xuejiao was taken aback.

Yi Tianyu lowered his voice even more—

“She has an older brother, an illegitimate half-brother, and a younger sister, all of whom don’t get along. Her brother’s reputation was ruined, the illegitimate one went to prison, and in the end, the only one who joined the company and became the successor was this middle sister. What does that tell you about her methods?”

Xuejiao was stunned.

“My dad says she’s purely profit-driven. As long as there’s benefit, let alone selling relatives and friends, she could even sell herself.”

Xuejiao’s eyes widened slightly. Could such a person really exist!

She didn’t think she would have much of a relationship with Jin Sui and wasn’t sure what this person was really like, but compared to Jin Sui, she naturally trusted Yi Tianyu more.

She had no schemes herself; in the future, she’d just study well and stay away from these circles.

Jin Sui and the others were still chatting. They weren’t lowering their voices, so Xuejiao could naturally hear them.

“By the way, Xiao Chi, what happened to your family’s previous collaboration with the Xie family?” Jin Sui asked casually.

Xiao Chi’s mood became somewhat irritated, though of course, this irritation wasn’t directed at Jin Sui—

“Oh, it fell apart long ago. The Xie family is gone, now taken over by the Lin family.”

Lin?

Xuejiao was startled.

Was it the Lin character she was thinking of?

Perhaps because she knew someone with the surname Lin, she was sensitive to this character.

“The Lin family didn’t take over?” someone asked in confusion.

“Lin Zhihua is always ruthless and absolutely won’t take on projects with legacy issues. My dad tried to meet him several times but couldn’t even get to see him!”

“Indeed, that’s Lin Zhihua. He’s a significant figure even in the capital now. No one in our city can afford to offend him.”

Lin Zhihua!

Xuejiao was shocked!

She couldn’t help herself: “Lin Zhihua?”

Several people looked over, puzzled: “What’s the matter, sister Xuejiao?”

Xuejiao quickly forced a smile and shook her head: “It’s nothing, I just thought the name sounded familiar.”

“Hahaha, you admire him too, right? All of us grew up hearing about his legendary stories!” Xiao Chi laughed, not at all surprised.

Jin Sui, however, gave Xuejiao a curious look. For some reason, she felt this “good girl’s” reaction to the name… didn’t quite seem like admiration?

Xuejiao smiled with narrowed eyes: “Yes, he’s too impressive. I’ve heard many stories.”

Afterward, Xuejiao just smiled and didn’t join the conversation anymore.

Lin Zhihua!

It really was Lin Zhihua!

The business genius they were bragging about was the Lin Zhihua she knew!

Xuejiao’s feelings were very complicated at this moment.

But mostly she felt regretful. If this person was really a big boss, she had probably taken up a lot of his valuable time with all her questions?

She had an indescribable feeling, but he hadn’t lied to her, he just hadn’t mentioned it.

She just wondered… how did this legendary big boss find time to chat with her for a bit every night?

“What’s wrong with you?” Yi Tianyu bumped her.

Xuejiao shook her head.

After thinking for a moment, she asked him: “If someone around you whom you thought was ordinary suddenly turned out to be extraordinary, how would you interact with them?”

Yi Tianyu was also taken aback, then slapped his forehead!

“Isn’t that exactly what happened with you and me?!”

“Hmm?” Xuejiao was confused.

Yi Tianyu turned his head with an indignant expression: “I initially thought you were a poor student like me!! I thought I finally had someone worse than me! But then you shot straight to first place!!! Do you know how I felt?!”

His voice was angry, indignant, and depressed!

Xuejiao: “…”

She reached out and pinched him, then gritted her teeth: “If my grades weren’t good, how could I help you? Would your grades improve? Would you have the good days now where your parents indulge you?!”

The expression on Yi Tianyu’s face instantly changed.

“Oh, that’s right!”

Xuejiao: “…”

Well, whatever complicated emotions and worries she had been feeling were completely gone after Yi Tianyu’s provocation.

“Esteemed guests, good evening everyone, welcome…”

Mr. Jin went up to give a speech, and Xuejiao’s group all stood up and moved toward the center.

This kind of annual meeting was simple. Mr. Jin wasn’t one who liked complications. He briefly looked back at W City’s business circle’s past, then looked forward to the future, and let everyone freely chat and dance.

Xuejiao almost immediately spotted Li Sitong and Cheng Suo dancing in the crowd.

Xuejiao: “…”

She didn’t go over to greet them, instead moving to the side and going back to sit on the sofa.

Yi Tianyu exchanged a few words with his parents and then followed her.

On stage, Jin Sui was playing the violin.

Xuejiao watched absently, and Yi Tianyu didn’t disturb her, also casually observing the scene.

She wanted some peace, but others wouldn’t leave her alone.

Shortly, more people came over. Cheng Mingze arrived, followed by Zheng Lijin, Gu Shiyun, and others.

Xiao Chi and his friends returned, and even Jin Sui, who had just come off stage, joined them.

Great, everyone was gathered.

“Let’s play a game!”

“What shall we play?” As soon as he heard about playing, Xiao Chi became excited.

“You tell me, I can’t think of anything at the moment.”

“Truth or dare?” Zheng Lijin suddenly suggested.

“That works! I’m in favor, what about you all?”

“I’m in too, haven’t played in a long time!”

“Agree, agree!”

“Shall we use dice then?”

“Sure!”

…

“Please bring us some dice.”

“Of course.”

Soon, the server brought all the dice, one cup per person.

Though Xuejiao didn’t know how to play, she didn’t want to spoil everyone’s fun.

“The rules are simple. Each person has three dice. There are thirteen of us, so thirty-nine dice in total. The first person calls out how many of a certain number, and the second can either increase the number or the count. If the next player thinks the previous call is reasonable, they continue; if not, they challenge! Got it?”

Most of them had played this before, so once Xiao Chi explained, everyone understood.

Xuejiao was a bit confused, so Yi Tianyu explained it to her once more.

And so, the first round began.

In the first round, the person sitting next to Xiao Chi lost. Xiao Chi stirred things up: “Quick, quick! Truth or dare?”

“Truth, I guess.” Generally, people thought truth was simpler.

“Hehe, you think we’d let you off easy just because you chose truth?” Xiao Chi grinned. “Tell us, do you like Sister Jin Sui!”

The person’s face reddened, and others egged him on: “No lying! Say it!”

That person’s face turned completely red, and it took a while before he spoke.

“Umm…” His voice was as faint as a mosquito’s.

“Hahaha, so it’s true!!!” Xiao Chi laughed loudly.

Jin Sui maintained a proper yet helpless smile throughout, flawless in her demeanor. One could only praise her—composed.

The second round began, and this time Gu Shiyun lost.

“Perform something!!” Zheng Lijin said, and others joined in.

Gu Shiyun blushed a little embarrassedly and said softly, “Then I’ll play the piano.”

Conveniently, the piano was on the stage near them.

Gu Shiyun was at a professional level, having passed piano grade exams. She played smoothly and beautifully.

The adults continued dancing or chatting. Those who glanced over merely showed a slight resignation, letting the young people have their fun.

“Shiyun!! That was amazing!!!” Zheng Limin excitedly applauded, and others also complimented her.

“Alright, stop praising me.” Gu Shiyun smiled shyly. “Let’s continue playing.”

Then the third round began.

Xuejiao didn’t know how to play. She had been lucky enough to avoid losing in the first two rounds, but she lost this one.

“Sister Xuejiao, truth or dare?” Xiao Chi smiled and winked, looking eager.

“Why don’t we all just do dares? Some of us aren’t that familiar yet, so the truth might be awkward, and we wouldn’t know what to ask, right?” Gu Shiyun’s friend Qiu Yijia suddenly said.

“I agree, let’s all do dares, just nothing too extreme.” Zheng Lijin also smiled and said.

“I have no objection. What about you, sister Jiaojiao?” Xiao Chi asked Xuejiao.

Xuejiao immediately swallowed the words “truth,” as it was clear these people wanted to play dares again.

“Either is fine.”

As soon as her three words landed, someone across from her said—

“We’re not familiar with Xuejiao yet, so why doesn’t Xuejiao play the piano too!”

Xuejiao’s eyes narrowed slightly. If at this point she couldn’t see that Gu Shiyun’s group was targeting her, she would be a fool.

“Jiaojiao doesn’t like the piano.” Cheng Mingze frowned and explained, giving Zheng Lijin’s group a sharp look.

“It’s alright! Just play anything, it’s a dare after all!” Zheng Limin said with a smile as if just making a casual suggestion.

“If she doesn’t know how to—” Yi Tianyu had just begun his angry response when Xuejiao stopped him.

“Fine.” She stood up and walked toward the stage, her attitude calm, showing no emotion.

The others froze in surprise.

Was she going up there? Planning to just play anything?

Cheng Mingze’s gaze toward Zheng Lijin cooled, while Yi Tianyu was more direct, letting out a cold laugh.

This group dared to mess with the bookworm.

Fine, he, Yi Tianyu, would remember this!

Gu Shiyun turned her head to watch Xuejiao, the corner of her mouth curling up slightly.

She went up after her and was going to play random notes—just to embarrass herself.

“Old Cheng, what is Xuejiao doing?!” Li Sitong was horrified.

Cheng Suo was also stunned for a moment: “Doesn’t Xuejiao know how to play the piano?”

“No, she doesn’t!” Li Sitong gritted her teeth. “She doesn’t know how to play but is going up there now, what game is she playing?!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, everyone knows the kids are just playing games, no one will mind.”

But Li Sitong’s eyes were getting a bit moist. She had been truly embarrassed by Xuejiao in the past!

Bringing her out this time, was it going to happen again…?

Xuejiao didn’t know about the commotion below.

By now, she was sitting at the piano on stage, extended her fingers, and a melodious sound emerged.

Cheng Mingze and the others were immediately stunned. Li Sitong was also dumbfounded.

Xuejiao knew how to play the piano.

She only played for a moment, then withdrew her hand and came down from the stage.

When she reached Gu Shiyun, Gu Shiyun couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t you say you couldn’t play?!”

Her voice was somewhat urgent and had a hint of hostility, which made those present give her strange looks.

Hostility?

Xuejiao’s lips curled slightly: “I really can’t play. This was my first time playing the piano.”

“Nonsense! It can’t be like that on the first try!!” This was Zheng Limin; she was agitated.

Even others began to doubt. This didn’t seem like someone playing the piano for the first time. Was this girl… a liar?

Xuejiao calmly sat down and looked at Gu Shiyun: “I don’t know how. I wasn’t playing the piano; I was playing mathematics.”

Everyone was stunned.

Xuejiao briefly explained: “Piano notes follow a geometric sequence. Two geometric sequences can be derived into a formula. The result is music that fits most people’s aesthetic preferences. The normal value people appreciate is between 2 and 3. Pressing the keys according to the geometric sequence produces what I just played.”

Xuejiao winked playfully: “Didn’t sound bad, did it?”

“…”

After a moment, Xiao Chi swallowed and gave a thumbs-up—

“You’re awesome.”

That round passed, and most people gained a newfound respect for Xuejiao, but their attitudes toward Gu Shiyun, who had “questioned” her, became meaningful.

Being watched with such gazes, Gu Shiyun couldn’t help but call out: “Sister…”

Her voice was hesitant and sad, and Zheng Lijin looked pained.

The others’ expressions changed even more, especially Jin Sui’s, whose eyes flashed with disdain.

All were old foxes; why act out scenes from Strange Tales?

Whose family didn’t have an illegitimate child?

With a family company, who ever got along well with an illegitimate child?

Still calling her “sister”…

More like an enemy sister!

Sensing the change in everyone’s attitude, Gu Shiyun immediately became more subdued.

It seemed Xuejiao’s luck was truly bad, as she lost again in the next round.

Xuejiao: “…”

“Hahaha!! Sister Jiaojiao! This time we won’t go easy on you!”

Xuejiao resigned herself, saying, “Count me unlucky. Go ahead.”

Xiao Chi stroked his chin: “Come on, pick a guy here, take a photo together, and post it on your social media!”

He continued heavily implying: “You can choose me!!”

Xuejiao: “…”

Accepting the consequences of losing, Xuejiao took out her phone, planning to take a photo with Cheng Mingze, since they were “siblings” after all.

Posting a photo wasn’t a big deal, and besides, she didn’t have many friends anyway.

Just as she took out her phone, Yi tianyu’s head was already leaning in—

“I’ll help you! Principle of proximity!”

Xuejiao: “…”

Resigned, she opened the camera and quickly took a shot.

“Wait, wait, you made me look ugly!” He took the phone, held it up, and said, “Smile!”

Then he took a nice picture.

Xuejiao: “…”

He handed the phone to Xuejiao, who took it and clicked to post it on social media.

Yi Tianyu then displayed his QR code. “Here, add me as a friend too.”

Xuejiao: “…”

After they added each other as friends, Yi Tianyu, while Xuejiao was putting away her phone, clicked into her social media.

Open—Save—Complete process.

Hehe.

After that, Xuejiao’s luck improved. They played many more rounds, and she never lost again.

They played until nine o’clock, by which time Xuejiao was getting impatient.

“How much longer until we can leave?”

Yi Tianyu turned his head, “Leave? Probably around ten o’clock when it ends.”

He paused, “Not having fun? Want to walk around? Or are you hungry?”

Xuejiao shook her head, “It’s fine, let’s wait a bit longer.”

Just as she said this, something significant seemed to have happened in the hall, and the dancing stopped.

The young people who had been playing immediately stopped and stood up. Jin Sui walked directly toward Mr. Jin.

Before she could get close, Mr. Jin was already hurrying toward the entrance.

Not just him, many people in the center were heading that way, whispering something.

“I think I heard someone arrived?”

“Who came at this hour?”

“Mr. Jin went over!”

The young people on their side also stood up, discussing in surprise—

“Who came?”

“Mr. Jin seems quite eager.”

“Is it some important figure?”

“Or maybe there’s some urgent matter?”

“It’s impossible for someone to arrive at this time, right?”

“Yeah, who would be so impolite as to come this late?”

“Look, look, look.”

…

Mr. Jin had reached the entrance. The previously closed doors were opened.

Before anyone even entered, Mr. Jin was already greeting them with a full smile, his attitude very respectful.