C40 Xiu'er I will Take You up

Upon arriving at the hotel, Le Lin quickly took care of the cab fare.

"Thanks for letting me hitch a ride; I would've been late otherwise. I'll cover the taxi," Le Lin offered.

Lee Yu waved off the gesture. It was no big deal. No need to ask who he was; he was like a red scarf hero, doing good deeds anonymously.

"Yu, over here!" Huang Xiu called out from the entrance. She hadn't expected another girl to emerge from the taxi and frowned slightly. As Lee Yu approached, she asked, "Who's she? Why isn't she joining us for dinner?"

"I don't know her. It was just a convenient carpool," Lee Yu explained with a dismissive wave, then glanced around. Only Huang Xiu was there to greet him, which made sense since he didn't really mingle with the others, who had probably already made their way to the private room.

"Oh, I see," Huang Xiu remarked, noticing the woman from the taxi stride off on her own. Clearly, Lee Yu was telling the truth; she was just a stranger they had met by chance.

Together, they headed straight for the private room.

Inside the private room, two tables were set, bustling with guests. As Lee Yu and Huang Xiu entered, Lee Gang, a man about 1.7 meters tall, clad in designer attire, stood up to welcome them.

"Huang Xiu, why are you so late?" Lee Gang inquired with a polite tone, then, turning to Lee Yu with undiminished warmth, he said, "And you are... Yu, right? It's been a while."

Though they shared the surname Lee, there was no real connection between them. Lee Gang's eyes betrayed a chill toward Lee Yu, and the reason was simple: a woman.

Huang Xiu had always been fond of Lee Yu, even setting his university as her own aspiration.

For Lee Gang, who harbored feelings for her, this was a bitter pill. Despite his own impressive credentials, both in family heritage and academic achievements, he felt no sense of superiority in the presence of Lee Yu, a classmate he'd only known for a month.

Lee Yu had not only made it to university after just a month of school, but he had also captured the heart of Huang Xiu, the object of his secret affection, leaving Lee Gang to contend with her indifference.

"Eh?" Lee Yu glanced around and noticed that each table had exactly one seat remaining.

Huang Xiu saw this too, but since she wasn't well-acquainted with the people at either table, she was at a loss for what to do.

Lee Gang caught the scene and couldn't help but smirk with satisfaction. He had orchestrated this deliberately. Moreover, his table was predominantly girls, while the other table was all boys.

This setup meant that if Lee Yu and Huang Xiu wanted to sit down, they'd have to do so separately. The empty seat at Lee Gang's table, though adjacent to him, was surrounded by girls, making it highly likely that Huang Xiu would choose to sit there.

"No more seats, huh?" Lee Yu scratched his head. Spotting a staff member passing by in the hallway, he waved him over. "Hello, could you add a table for us here? Make sure the dishes are the same as the others."

Hotels often had events like weddings or housewarmings, where the number of guests could awkwardly exceed the available seating, so each private room typically had space reserved for an extra table.

"Hi, you can just take a seat here," the waiter suggested after a quick look around the room. "If we're short on stools, I'll just bring some more over. There's no need to spend extra money on this."

He assumed there was a spat among the youngsters and offered his advice out of concern. Adding a table wasn't cheap; he knew the menu prices well, with a table costing upwards of 20,000 yuan. With two seats available, he didn't want the kids to unnecessarily spend that much.

"Exactly, just come and sit down. It's just sitting apart, right? No big deal," chimed in a boy, egged on by Lee Gang. "Plus, today's on Brother Gang. No need to act all high and mighty."

"Seriously, you've dropped out and still trying to act tough?"

"Taking someone's money and acting big—how shameless!"

"And wearing a 200-yuan outfit, how can you even show your face?"

...

Several of Lee Gang's buddies joined in the jeering. They were all privy to Lee Gang's intentions towards Huang Xiu and had heard the stories he'd told about Lee Yu. They were well aware of Lee Gang's motives.

At that moment, they certainly wouldn't miss the chance to show their heartfelt intentions.

Lee Yu's brow furrowed, but considering Huang Xiu still had a few months left in the class, he responded icily, "Who said I wasn't going to pay? This meal's on me today."

Could money really be considered an issue?

With those words, the previously boisterous group fell silent, having nothing more to say.

Huang Xiu glanced at Lee Yu, feeling somewhat embarrassed. After all, it was she who had invited him, not anticipating the turn of events.

"Why are you acting like this? We're all classmates," Lee Gang interjected, chastising the earlier speakers. He then suggested, "If you two want to sit together, just let us know. Make some room, let Huang Xiu and her friend sit together."

Following his words, a space was quickly cleared.

The waiter discreetly closed the door behind them as they exited.

As everyone settled in, Lee Yu noticed Lee Gang's hand busy on his phone beneath the table. Shortly after, the group began to converse.

"Still not giving up?" Lee Yu realized they were up to something underhanded. He glanced at Huang Xiu, surprised by her popularity in the class. It seemed his absence over the past few years had inadvertently made him a target of resentment.

Shaking his head, he was curious to see what these people would try next.

The volume of the group's conversation grew, their words implying that someone who hadn't been around for years had the audacity to show up, freeload a meal, and even have the gall to act high and mighty. To the uninformed, it might appear as though he was the host of the meal.

It was as if they were pointing directly at Lee Yu.

Upon hearing their comments, Huang Xiu's face fell. She had been the one to insist on inviting Lee Yu, so why should he be the subject of such talk? Moreover, she had made the invitation clear beforehand—why were these comments not raised then?

Lee Yu gently held Huang Xiu's hand to calm her, preventing her from standing up to argue. He shook his head; he was still interested in hearing what else they had to say.

Lee Gang didn't engage with the gossipers, but when he noticed Lee Yu holding Huang Xiu's hand, his grip on his chopsticks tightened audibly.

For three years he had observed those hands, yet never once had the chance to touch them. Now, to see them clasped by another man?

And Huang Xiu didn't even pull away!

Lee Yu found the repetitive chatter of the group mind-numbingly dull. Just then, the waiter arrived with the dishes. He gestured and said, "Hello, I'd like to pay the bill."

Nothing silenced a room quite like settling a tab.

Especially once the payment went through, the room fell utterly quiet.

Since Lee Gang had organized the dinner, most attendees were inclined to support him. A handful of Lee Gang's close friends indulged in some teasing, but the majority simply observed with detached amusement.

Most were there just for a free meal, after all.

When Lee Yu effortlessly took care of the bill, the looks he received were tinged with newfound respect.

Here was a man of intellect and means. Setting aside his academic achievements, he had just casually dropped tens of thousands of yuan. Several girls were already pondering whether they had deleted Lee Yu from WeChat and, if so, whether they should re-add him during this opportune moment.

Lee Gang, with a calculating glint in his eye, announced, "There's an auction upstairs today, invitation-only. I booked this hotel specifically to check it out later—might find something I fancy."

His words shifted the focus of the room.

"An auction? I've never been to one."

"An invitation-only auction? Sounds quite exclusive."

This was the reaction Lee Gang was hoping for. He turned to Huang Xiu and said, "Huang Xiu, you've been wanting to attend an auction, right? Today's features many fine antiques. I can take you up; I have a plus-one spot."

He emphasized "one," knowing full well Huang Xiu's family was soon celebrating a significant birthday and that she was likely looking to purchase antiques as gifts.

Huang Xiu seemed intrigued but hesitated as she glanced at Lee Yu. She was about to decline when Lee Yu spoke up.

"What a coincidence, I'm also planning to visit the auction. Xiu'er, why don't I take you?"