Ying Ni had become accustomed to being the center of attention, but at that moment, she felt strangely uneasy when Chen An gave her a subtle, almost imperceptible glance.

The reason was mainly because his eyebrows were thick, his eyelids thin, and his pitch-black pupils seemed sharp when they locked onto her.

Rather than admiring her beauty, it felt more like he was scrutinizing her.

“What are you talking about? You look so happy.” Lu Shengzhi, who had been walking alongside Chen An, quickly closed the distance and inserted himself into the conversation with a cheerful expression.

The group exchanged playful remarks, piecing together the events that had occurred.

Lu Shengzhi was quite adept at reading the room. When they mentioned the term “public service student,” he let out a mock “ah” and said, “We don’t talk about that among classmates.” Then, he turned to Chen An with a raised eyebrow and shifted the topic, “Are you still trading stocks? How about sharing a little with the old classmates?”

This comment naturally shifted the focus away from Ying Ni and Luo Zan’s argument and back to the past friction between Ying Ni and Chen An.

He patted Chen An on the shoulder and teased, “It’s understandable for a boyfriend, right?”

Chen An was standing very close to the back of his chair, almost pressed against it.

He stood there with his hands hanging by his sides, offering a faint smile that seemed almost superficial, leaving people unsure whether his smile was genuine or a mere fabrication.

A trivial matter surrounded by the once and now famous figures, with onlookers eagerly scanning their faces, waiting for the next development.

At this point, Ying Ni felt a headache coming on, her mind in a haze. Ignoring Lu Shengzhi’s lighthearted attempt to ease the tension, she straightened her back, crossing her legs with one foot propped up. A strand of hair fell across her face, partially obscuring her delicate, long neck.

Her tone was flat, without any fluctuation, and to the group, it came off as cold and hard.

“I don’t remember.”

Lu Shengzhi let out a laugh, “With your memory, what can you remember?”

Ying Ni ignored him and put her phone away, uncrossing her legs and turning to face forward. She called out, “Chen An.”

Their eyes met, and the air around them seemed to freeze. She raised her face and asked, “Did I lock you out of the equipment room?”

Chen An responded with a calm, “No.”

Ying Ni nodded in satisfaction, “Good.”

Lu Shengzhi, seeing the exchange, extended a finger and gestured at the instigator, “Yu Jiaojiao, looks like your memory’s not great either.”

Yu Jiaojiao smirked but didn’t retort. She knew everyone was on Ying Ni’s side, so there was no point in arguing.

Ying Ni observed Yu Jiaojiao’s reaction and figured she most likely had “bullied” Chen An back in the day.

It was certainly the kind of thing she could have done—back in high school, she was proud, quick-tempered, and arrogant, never holding back her anger.

The skinny Chen An was an easy target for her to vent her frustrations on.

Ying Ni glanced at Chen An. He was casually leaning against his chair, one hand in his pocket, standing relaxed and at ease. His gaze was directed elsewhere.

He occasionally spoke to his classmates and flashed a smile. His demeanor was a stark contrast to the silent, withdrawn person he once was. Now, in social settings, he was surrounded by people, managing effortlessly.

She lowered her eyelashes, silently reflecting on how time had changed things.

The conversation came to an end with Chen An’s answer, and the waitstaff cleared the board games. People began chatting in pairs or groups.

Yu Jiaojiao, seated next to Ying Ni, was pulled away by other girls, who began asking about her bag and clothes, and they even made plans to attend a high-end fashion show together.

In the middle of the conversation, one of the girls suddenly remembered Ying Ni and asked, “How about coming with us on Saturday to D’s summer fashion show?”

Ying Ni didn’t have an invitation and casually replied, “No, I have things to do.”

“What do you have to do on Saturday? You’re not… By the way, where are you working now?”

The girls, who had been chatting amongst themselves, stopped and turned to listen, clearly more interested in her answer than the fashion show.

Ying Ni had been expecting this moment to come, it was just a matter of time. With several pairs of curious or judgmental eyes on her, she answered, “Huaxing.”

“That’s a coincidence! I’m also at Huaxing, how come I haven’t seen you around?” one of the women asked. “Which department are you in?”

“We’re not in the same company.”

“Huh? Isn’t it Huaxing?”

Ying Ni said, as she had predicted, “Huaxing Trading, not Huaxing Electronics. Huaxing Electronics is one of the top companies in the country, Huaxing Trading is a small operation.”

They both share the same name, but they are worlds apart.

The woman’s voice trailed off, “Oh…”

“Trading? My mom’s been working in trading, but I haven’t heard of Heze having a company like that,” another woman who had previously invited Yu Jiaojiao to the show interjected.

Before Ying Ni could respond, she leaned forward with a smile, “Why don’t you come work at my company? I can talk to my mom about it.”

Ying Ni replied, “Thank you, but no need.”

The woman laughed innocently, “Why not? It’s definitely better than out there.”

Ying Ni replied, “Then you go help me out.”

The woman fell silent.

Yu Jiaojiao nudged her, and her voice rose as always, “Ying Ni’s carrying an Hermes bag, do you really think she needs that little bit of money? She doesn’t even understand what it means to experience life!”

“Ah…” The girl looked at her, stunned for half a second, her voice dripping with exaggerated seriousness. “Is that so?”

They played along like it was a scene in a play, and Ying Ni forced a smile, “You can think that if you want.”

After saying that, her phone’s alarm finally went off. It felt as though a century had passed. Ying Ni pretended to answer the phone and stood up to leave.

She went to the restroom to wash her face, then stepped into the lounge to get some air. Even with all the windows open, she still felt suffocated, and anxiously paced around the room.

When she saw a WeChat message, she couldn’t hold back and punched the wall.

It was from a classmate she had just added, a large-bellied man who comforted her briefly before asking if she was free the following evening. He wanted to meet at the newly opened Rose Restaurant at the TV tower to catch up.

Ying Ni remembered that he had once pursued her but was now married.

This wasn’t the first time.

After her family ran into trouble, many male friends and old classmates reached out to offer their concern. At first, she appreciated the warmth, but when her mother needed a large sum for surgery, a classmate who she didn’t have much of a connection with offered to lend her money. When the surgery funds were transferred, Ying Ni received a string of addresses.

Touched, Ying Ni asked if it was a mistake.

He replied, “Come over, you don’t have to pay me back.”

It was then that Ying Ni realized, she was no longer the goddess high above—life would no longer hand her anything on a silver platter.

…

After smoking two more cigarettes, Ying Ni leaned against the windowsill, her shoulders slightly slouched. She rested her feet on the opposite ankle, releasing the pain from standing for too long.

Her phone on the windowsill buzzed.

Yu Jiaojiao: [Where are you?]

Yu Jiaojiao: [You better not leave.]

Yu Jiaojiao: [Let’s take a group photo together later.]

If it weren’t for Yu Jiaojiao arranging Lin Rongyuan’s transfer to another hospital, she wouldn’t have come to this reunion. Since she was already there, she wasn’t planning on leaving early.

Ying Ni bit her cigarette and typed out a reply with her thumb.

• I know, I’m coming soon.

Yu Jiaojiao sent a cute emoji: “Waiting for you!” Ying Ni glanced at it but didn’t bother replying. She opened the window and flicked the ashes.

At that moment, she heard soft footsteps behind her. Ying Ni finished the last drag of her cigarette and stubbed it out. She guessed it was a classmate, most likely a male classmate, but she never expected it to be Chen An.

His phone was pressed to his ear, his eyelids slightly lowered. He obviously hadn’t noticed Ying Ni in the corner. As he walked in, he loosened his tie, his tone calm but his expression serious.

It was clear this phone call was important.

Ying Ni remained in her position, her elbow resting on the windowsill, watching him.

When he reached the coffee table, he paused as if noticing someone, and when their eyes met, he said nothing, only gestured at his phone with his fingertip, then walked to the other side.

The lounge wasn’t large, but it wasn’t small either. There were three windows facing outward, and Ying Ni was standing by the far right while Chen An moved to the farthest corner.

His voice was deliberately low, as if trying not to disturb anyone. The room was quiet, and Ying Ni caught snippets of words like “cooperation” and “supply chain.”

Perhaps he didn’t want to run into Yu Jiaojiao’s group immediately and was just killing time.

Ying Ni leaned further, twisting her body to look around the corner.

The man was tall, his body half hidden behind a pillar. His suit fit perfectly, and the light falling on his side made him appear less dark-skinned than usual.

His features were sharp, with a high nose and well-defined jawline. How could she describe his looks?

Ying Ni racked her brain.

After a long pause, she finally came up with a fitting description—”Refined roughness.”

After a couple of glances, there wasn’t much to look at. With that skin tone, he just wasn’t her type. Ying Ni pulled her gaze away and resumed smoking.

A few minutes later, Chen An’s voice sounded behind her.

“Not coming?”

Ying Ni didn’t look back, still watching the distance. “Later.”

She leaned on the windowsill, her right arm half-raised. Chen An watched her flick the ash and couldn’t help but frown. No wonder there was a strong smell.

“They said they want to take a group photo. Come over.”

Ying Ni half-turned, her elbow still on the sill, her body in an S-shape, tapping her cigarette. “You go first.”

She had no idea why Chen An hadn’t left yet. He just stood there, briefly lowering his gaze before looking back at her.

He stared at her for several seconds.

Ying Ni knew she was attractive, but she hadn’t expected this reaction from Chen An.

After all, he didn’t seem like the type to be interested in women.

But at the same time, past experiences had taught her one thing—never be fooled by a man’s appearance.

Ying Ni asked, “Why aren’t you leaving?”

Chen An didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “The dress looks nice.”

He was just like those other men, except his approach was clumsy.

Ying Ni nodded dismissively. “I know.”

Chen An continued, “Especially the side view.”

“Mm, I think it looks nice too.” Ying Ni’s impatience was palpable. “You should go now.”

Chen An’s gaze lowered a little, and then he said, “What I meant to say was—”

At that moment, he hesitated, lips pressed together as if there were some unspoken reason.

Ying Ni’s confusion turned into irritation and then into dislike.

Just as she was about to snap, Chen An raised a finger.

“Your zipper’s undone.”

“……”