CHAPTER 147: CHAPTER 147: ISOLATED

He immediately ran a hand through his hair, revealing a charming smile.

"Then let’s go up together."

"Sure."

Xia Liang didn’t refuse.

The two of them chatted sporadically on their way up. As Jin Xinqiao observed Xia Liang’s watch and the brands of his clothes, her initial assessment was further solidified. She became even more attentive toward him, her words laced with flirtatious hints.

But Xia Liang’s mind wasn’t on her. He just replied perfunctorily with, "Oh," "Hmm," and "Okay."

Although Jin Xinqiao was annoyed, she didn’t let it show. Soon, they arrived at private room number ten. Xia Liang pushed open the door and entered first. A quick glance confirmed that most of the attendees were already there.

"Yo, what’s everyone talking about?"

At the sight of Xia Liang, many of the faces in the room turned unnatural, some even disdainful. When Luoyang saw Xia Liang arrive, a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Not much. Just reminiscing about some of the interesting stories from our school days," he said, putting heavy emphasis on the word "interesting."

"Oh!" Xia Liang nodded, not taking it to heart. His eyes were still scanning the crowd, searching for someone.

Seeing how Xia Liang completely disregarded him, Luoyang felt a surge of anger. "Xia Liang, what took you so long? Did you bike here?"

As Luoyang’s loyal lackey, Lin Ye immediately understood the signal and stood up, speaking as if he were just joking. "Brother Yang, you shouldn’t say that. I rode a motorcycle here too. Mine is a 400,000 Yuan H2, though. Didn’t you say Xia Liang is a food delivery driver? He probably came on a little electric scooter."

Xia Liang had yet to react to their taunts, but the woman behind him, Jin Xinqiao, beamed.

Isn’t this the perfect scenario for a beauty to save the hero? she thought. If I step in and resolve this awkward situation for him, it will at least leave a good impression.

She immediately walked forward and cleared her throat. "Actually, Xia Liang is—"

"Missy!"

What the hell!

The cringe-worthy nickname made Xia Liang shiver. Then, his face lit up with excitement as he looked toward the restrooms. Sure enough, he saw a beautiful woman with short hair.

Name: Tong Dongnuan

Age: 23

Occupation: Manager of the Encounter Chain Milk Tea Shop

Income: one-tenth of a currency unit

Appearance: 94

Harmonious Value: 0

It really is her! Xia Liang called out the name he hadn’t used in years. "Romeo!"

"Ugh..." Hearing that blasted nickname, Tong Dongnuan stiffened before rushing over to give Xia Liang a punch. "How many times have I told you not to call me Romeo!"

Feeling the familiar energy between them, Xia Liang just chuckled. "Well, who told you to call me ’Missy’?"

"It’s a habit, okay?" Tong Dongnuan said, rolling her eyes at him.

Seeing them interact, everyone present—men and women alike—felt a pang of envy and jealousy. They had been like this back in high school, but now Xia Liang had become a handsome man, and Tong Dongnuan had blossomed into a great beauty. The fact that their dynamic was still the same made the men in the room regret not getting closer to Tong Dongnuan back then. They were filled with envy for Xia Liang.

This kid’s been playing the long game.

The bond between Xia Liang and Tong Dongnuan felt like fate, all because of their names. One was Tong Dongnuan (Winter Warm), the other Xia Liang (Summer Cool). They were teased endlessly about it in high school. However, Tong Dongnuan had been a carefree tomboy back then, looking and acting just like one of the guys. With her short hair and delicate features, she had even used her boyish charm to get a bunch of girls’ phone numbers for Xia Liang, leaving their hearts in a flutter.

Instead of being mistaken for a couple, they had become more like brothers. After the college entrance exams, they went their separate ways. Contact was lost after Xia Liang’s phone broke. The main reason he had even come to the reunion was to see if Tong Dongnuan would be there. She had come for the same reason.

Watching them, Jin Xinqiao, who stood just behind them, was naturally displeased. In the past, she wouldn’t have cared, but now Xia Liang was both handsome and rich. She had to at least try.

"Ahem, ahem..."

Her coughing fit drew everyone’s attention. Only then did the others seem to notice her presence. Before anyone could speak, Jin Xinqiao announced, "Xia Liang and I came here together."

As soon as she spoke, the way everyone looked at Xia Liang changed again. If his close relationship with Tong Dongnuan inspired envy, this new development sparked pure jealousy. While Tong Dongnuan was prettier than Jin Xinqiao, her tomboyish personality was hard for anyone to handle.

Jin Xinqiao was different. She had been the school beauty in their senior year, the dream girl of countless boys. She was the fantasy companion who got many a pure-hearted boy through their lonely nights. And now she came to the reunion with Xia Liang? Didn’t that mean...

For a moment, even Tong Dongnuan gave Xia Liang an indescribable look. She nudged him lightly with her elbow. "Yo, Missy, not bad. You managed to hook the class beauty?"

Xia Liang shot her a look. "No, we just ran into each other on the way."

Tong Dongnuan believed him. There was no reason for him to lie to her about something like this.

Still... if they aren’t together, why did she stick up for him? Could it be? Looking at Xia Liang’s handsome appearance, Tong Dongnuan had a pretty good guess.

Meanwhile, Luoyang grew excited seeing Jin Xinqiao. Like most of the guys, he had a thing for her. He had helped organize this reunion because he heard she’d broken up with her boyfriend and wanted to see if he had a chance. But here she was, defending Xia Liang the moment she arrived.

Luoyang’s expression turned ugly. He took a couple of deep breaths to compose himself before forcing a smile and inviting her over. "Xinqiao, you’re finally here! Come, sit over here."

But Jin Xinqiao only gave him an indifferent glance. "No, thanks. I’ll just sit over there."

Without another word, she walked over to Xia Liang. Just like that, the two women flanked him, one on each side.

Watching this scene, Luoyang seethed with anger.

A delivery guy, a ’three-no’ person with no money, no car, and no house. How could he possibly compare to me? Why are these two so special to him?

His face darkened. From his Armani clutch, he pulled out a pack of soft-case Zhonghua cigarettes and began passing them around. He offered one to every guy, but when he got to Xia Liang, he deliberately ignored him, simply taking one for himself and lighting it.

The guys who got a cigarette started praising him.

"Nice, Brother Yang! Smoking Zhonghua these days!"

"So classy!"

"You guys don’t get it. Our Brother Yang’s annual salary is two Yuan now. He has to smoke Zhonghua; anything else gives him a cough!"

Everyone noticed Luoyang’s hostile attitude toward Xia Liang. Besides, they were also annoyed that the two most beautiful women were huddled around him. They began to subtly distance themselves from Xia Liang. Those who were sitting near him quietly shifted their chairs away, creating a noticeable gap.