Chapter 33: Kept
When Shen Zhuying pushed open the door of the private room, her timing was just right.
Inside were about twenty people, their expressions varied as they looked at her.
But overall, warmth and surprise prevailed.
Shen Zhuying’s eyes curved with a smile. “It’s been so long, everyone.”
At the doorway stood a girl in a high-waisted woolen long skirt paired with a white cropped sweater, showing a waist so slender it could be held in one hand.
She wore only light makeup, her bangs parted three-seven, her hair gathered into a low princess bun, adorned on the left side with a few small white flowers.
It was clearly a soft, gentle style of dress, yet once she smiled, her entire presence became bright and mischievous.
As always, she drew everyone’s attention, making them unconsciously overlook the tiny hearing aid on her ear.
“Zhuzhu, it’s been ages, how do you keep getting more and more beautiful?”
“Zhuzhu baby, come sit next to me, let me take a good look at you.”
Several girls pulled Shen Zhuying over, surrounding her in the middle of the group.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qinqin, who usually basked in the limelight, was noticeably neglected.
Her expression carried a trace of displeasure.
All these years, and this person was still just as annoying as ever.
Huang Yixuan finally managed to find a chance to whisper to Shen Zhuying. Her face was full of exasperation. “Didn’t you say you were going to carry your latest Gucci bag and dominate the whole scene? Where’s the bag?”
And now, what’s slung over her shoulder was this thirty-yuan pxx bag anyone could buy, what the hell.
Shen Zhuying looked slightly embarrassed. “That bag didn’t match what I wore today.”
“Besides, everyone’s been so kind to me. Plans change. What matters most now is enjoying this wonderful time with friends.”
“Wonderful for you maybe! Didn’t you notice Zhou Qinqin’s eyes were practically eating you alive?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Shen Zhuying wasn’t bothered at all. “She’s always been like that, hasn’t she? I’m not money; I can’t expect everyone to like me.”
“Since everyone’s here, let’s start serving the dishes,” said a man as he stood.
He wore silver-rimmed glasses, his features well-defined, his demeanor cultured and refined.
He raised a hand to the waiter. “Order whatever you like, don’t be shy.”
“Class monitor, so generous!”
“He Ban, we love you to death!”
Huang Yixuan shook her head in admiration. “People always say men show up to reunions either balding or with beer bellies, but our class monitor just keeps getting more handsome. And richer too, he’s treating us all to two tables tonight.”
Some classmates chimed in.
“Two tables at Shengjing Hotel, that must be at least a hundred thousand, right? Where did the class monitor strike it rich?”
“I heard Class Monitor He is now a director at Difeng Group. This kind of money is nothing to him.”
As they spoke, their gazes drifted back and forth between Shen Zhuying, Zhou Qinqin, and He Yiming.
Back in high school, handsome boys and pretty girls were always the favorite subject of gossip.
And the love-hate entanglement among those three in Class Three had been so exaggerated it shook heaven and earth, even making ghosts weep, or so it was said. Someone had even written a whole novel about it. Of course, the homeroom teacher eventually confiscated that novel.
Because of this, Shen Zhuying, Zhou Qinqin, and He Yiming were all summoned to the office for a talk.
In that novel, it was written that Shen Zhuying and He Yiming were in love, even agreeing to apply to the same university.
Zhou Qinqin, meanwhile, played the role of the girl who loved but could not obtain, bitterly entangled.
When Shen Zhuying found out about it back then, she was completely dumbfounded.
No wonder Zhou Qinqin always disliked her, who could endure that?
At that time, all Shen Zhuying could think about was getting into Hua University. To bring her grades up, she often asked He Yiming about math problems. Later, when she learned about the ridiculous rumors in class, she stopped going to him as much.
But Zhou Qinqin’s attitude never changed; she still looked at her with disdain.
Shen Zhuying was a face enthusiast. She thought Zhou Qinqin was beautiful, so she really wanted to be friends with her. From time to time, she would go over and chat with her.
One day a hoe, the next day a pestle, she worked diligently, trying to loosen the walls around Zhou Qinqin’s heart.
Until one day, she saw Zhou Qinqin throw the flowers she had given her straight into the trash can.
After that, she never sought her out again.
So much so that all of Class Three came to firmly believe in an eternal truth: Shen Zhuying and Zhou Qinqin didn’t get along.
Because of He Yiming.
Perhaps because on the school forum, speculation about Shen Zhuying’s marriage was filled with conflicting rumors, most of them negative, no one brought up the fact that she was already married, and the atmosphere remained fairly pleasant.
“He Ban, you’ve been single for so many years, still haven’t found a girlfriend?”
He Yiming glanced discreetly at Shen Zhuying, then smiled lightly. “I have one. We’ve recently been discussing marriage.”
The conversation had reached its peak, the wine flowing freely, and someone’s words slipped past the bounds of tact.
“Back then we all thought you and Zhuzhu would end up together. You two were such a good match. Who’d have guessed now, one’s married and the other’s about to be. Life is so—mmph—”
The classmate sitting next to him didn’t hesitate to stuff two shrimp into his mouth. “Eat more shrimp, good for calcium, and talk less, okay?”
The boy knew he had misspoken, so he obediently swallowed the shrimp shells whole, nearly choking himself.
The atmosphere grew subtly awkward.
Indeed, when the college entrance exam scores came out, Shen Zhuying had scored even higher than He Yiming. Many classmates thought she would apply to Shen University along with him.
She hadn’t expected it, but she repeated a year and the next year got into Hua University with a score more than twenty points higher.
Shen Zhuying seemed unaware of the sudden awkwardness in the air. She kept calmly picking up the dishes she liked to eat, and even asked with open curiosity, “Why did you all think I was a pair with the class monitor? Back in high school, apart from asking him math questions, I hardly interacted with him.”
Everyone thought back for a moment.
Huh, that did seem to be the case.
Shen Zhuying’s attitude toward He Yiming hadn’t been much different from the way she treated anyone else.
Maybe high school rumors were just that inexplicable.
The mood relaxed again, and the group started reminiscing about their youth, laughter and chatter filling the room once more.
Except for He Yiming. His face had darkened somewhat.
Midway through, a client called. Shen Zhuying gestured an excuse and stepped out to answer.
It was a big order. She talked with the client for about ten minutes, confirming the types and quantities of flowers and setting a delivery time, then hung up.
As she pushed the door open halfway to go back in, she overheard people talking.
“Hey, does anyone dare to go ask Zhuzhu if she really married Fu Sizhuo?”
“We’ll ask in a bit. What’s there to be afraid of?”
“Married? More like kept by some rich old man. I’m telling you, I’ve seen plenty of these types in the workplace, relying on their looks to climb into beds. Our boss, for example, has several mistresses. One time his wife even came into the office…”
No one in the private room responded. They all just looked at the one still rattling on, faces full of disbelief.
So this was what they meant by knowing a face but not a heart?
“I think all that wine’s gone straight to your head. How can you spout such watered-down, brainless crap?”
Huang Yixuan wasn’t about to tolerate it. She slammed her chair down and was the first to curse.
