Chapter 18

The seminar had already ended past six o’clock.

Shao Guangming had one hand on Xu Zhou’s shoulder and the other holding his phone, scrolling through messages.

“Xiaopang said he’d swing by after work to pick us up and head to the restaurant together.”

Xu Zhou’s eyes fell on a silver Lamborghini parked not far away.

When did Shen Yan get here?

Wasn’t he supposed to be in a cross-country online meeting?

Seeing Xu Zhou silent, staring straight ahead, Shao Guangming glanced over curiously.

Then he patted Xu Zhou’s shoulder and forced out a comment. “Don’t envy him… you’ll have one like that someday.”

Xu Zhou could only laugh and shake his head.

He was just about to tell him that someone was here to pick him up when, in the next moment, he saw Shen Yan opening the car door and walking toward him.

Xu Zhou’s eyelid twitched; he turned to Shao Guangming, a little nervous.

“Holy sh—?!”

“That’s Shen… Shen Shen… Yan???”

“Am I seeing things?”

Shao Guangming rubbed his eyes hard, face pale with shock. “I didn’t see him inside at all.”

“After all these years, he still looks so cold…”

“I feel like if I get close to him, I’d freeze solid… Should we go say hi? Even if he… probably doesn’t remember us, at least we could get our faces recognized. Maybe then he’d…”

Shao Guangming nudged Xu Zhou’s arm, seeking his opinion.

“Uh, I think—”

Before Xu Zhou could finish, a voice cut through their conversation.

“President Shen?”

The person walking over was stopped mid-step.

Shen Yan turned his head slightly.

Duan Yichen quickly stepped forward, extending his hands politely.

“I thought I must be mistaken. How is President Shen here?”

Shen Yan glanced out of the corner of his eye at the two people being pushed into a car nearby.

“I’m here to pick someone up.”

“Oh, I thought President Shen was interested in our seminar. I was going to sincerely invite you to give a speech, but then I realized with your busy schedule, you wouldn’t have time for such a small seminar, so I didn’t dare deliver the invitation. After meeting last month at the M Country financial conference, I didn’t expect to run into you again so soon—it’s really fate. I wonder if President Shen would like to participate?”

Duan Yichen was extremely earnest. Having Shen Yan join wouldn’t just be a huge opportunity for him—it would be a major advantage for his entire group.

The Duan Group had been expanding overseas, and Shen Yan’s company had considerable influence both domestically and abroad. Securing a collaboration with Lingqi early would be invaluable…

“Whatever President Duan hopes for can be discussed another time.”

Shen Yan said this, then glanced toward the two people waiting at the door, now being helped into a car. His mood immediately darkened.

“In that case, we’ll arrange another time. My apologies for disturbing your personal time, President Shen.”

Duan Yichen, seeing the subtle glance Shen Yan gave, wisely ended the topic. The people Shen Yan had come for—if he had a chance to meet them, it might accelerate the collaboration…

Meanwhile, Xu Zhou, pushed into a car by Shao Guangming, closed his eyes in resignation.

“I was going to get close to Shen Yan, but now I think I’ll just rely on myself… Even someone like Duan Yichen has to bow politely to him. Better to stay out of it.”

“Did you guys see Shen Yan?” Xiaopang, acting as the driver, asked curiously.

“Just now. Your car passed right by him…”

…

Xu Zhou pulled out his phone, intending to send Shen Yan a message to explain.

He’s in someone else’s car—Shen Yan wouldn’t be angry, right?

Probably not… Shen Yan definitely isn’t petty.

The restaurant for the reunion was near Lanfeng High School.

By the time the three of them entered, most of the people had already arrived.

Shao Guangming immediately started greeting everyone one by one. Typical social butterfly behavior.

“Xu Zhou, sit here.” Xia Mu Xun waved at him, pointing to two empty seats nearby.

As Xu Zhou’s basketball partner in high school, though many years had passed, the friendship remained.

Xu Zhou walked to the seat and was about to sit down.

“Xu Zhou, long time no see.”

Chu Xuanxuan, sitting across from him, gave a warm smile.

Xu Zhou nodded politely.

“Long time no see.”

He had only known about her liking him from other people.

In three years of high school, they barely interacted, barely spoke.

To Xu Zhou, they weren’t familiar at all.

“By the way, I reserved a KTV room nearby. Anyone who wants to go later, come along.” Xia Mu Xun stood up and announced.

“Sure, I’m off tomorrow. Tonight, we go all out.”

“I have the day off too, let’s go.”

“I have to pick up my wife after work, so I’ll leave after dinner…”

“I’ll go…”

…

The private room gradually became lively.

“Xu Zhou, after all these years, you’ve gotten a lot calmer,” Xia Mu Xun teased.

“Really?” Xu Zhou laughed in return.

“Let’s see if your tolerance for alcohol has improved, haha. Shall we try tonight?”

Xia Mu Xun put a bottle of liquor in front of him.

Xu Zhou: “Unfortunately, my tolerance is still the same as always…”

After a few rounds of drinking, more than half the group went to the KTV.

Xu Zhou, slightly tipsy, wanted to find an excuse to slip away, but Shao Guangming and Xia Mu Xun pestered him to stay.

He glanced at the time—already past eight. He wondered if Shen Yan would come.

He casually sent Shen Yan the KTV location, then was pressed onto the sofa by Shao Guangming.

“Everyone finally got together; how can you leave?”

“Come on, drink! I’ll cover it all tonight; drink as much as you want…”

“Here, Xu Zhou…”

Across the sofa, Chu Xuanxuan and Li Wei held microphones, singing a song about unrequited love.

“I once had a diary hidden away,
Carefully writing down everything about him,
The scattered handwriting…”

Chu Xuanxuan’s gaze never left Xu Zhou.

Xu Zhou, oblivious to her intense eyes, kept chatting and drinking with Xia Mu Xun and others.

“Xu Zhou, look at Chu Xuanxuan’s eyes—they’re practically glued to you. You should at least respond a little,” Shao Guangming nudged him, gossip written all over his face.

“Respond… how?” Xu Zhou looked at them, confused.

“Seriously, already drunk? Xu Zhou, your tolerance is dropping, not improving.”

Chu Xuanxuan finished her song and was gently pushed in front of Xu Zhou.

Before she could speak, everyone else began cheering him on.

Xu Zhou, confused, stood up and headed for the door, stepping outside as the noise buzzed around him.

“Quick, say it! The opportunity’s right in front of you.”

“Yes, seize the chance!”

“….”

Chu Xuanxuan, blushing, looked at Xu Zhou standing by the door. She opened her mouth. “I…”

Xu Zhou gently pushed through the crowd and reached the private room’s doorway.

Xia Mu Xun cleared his throat and gestured outside. “If you want to say something, better go outside.”

“Yes, yes, go outside and talk, haha.”

“I guess Xu Zhou was just too shy to say it here…”