It was as if she had come back to her freshmen year, when she had come a day early from the rest of the other students and the rest of the students who have not gotten to know each other in the group were chatting up a storm. She popped up and said she would arrive tomorrow and Gu Ci happened to see it. Seeing that he was the class assistant of their class and the fact that it may be her first time in Shanghai, she might be unfamiliar with the place, so he told her he would pick her up.
After that, he messaged her privately, asking for the flight number and the specific time she would arrive in the city.
Unlike now, he was holding a sign with Chen Jinyao’s name with it back then, holding it high until his junior came to look for him.
Time really flies.
Right now, meeting again in this reunion, things have long changed.
Technically speaking, their class reunion doesn’t have much to do with Gu Ci. He is only the class assistant, which is their immediate senior. Since they used to get along so well with them when he was helping at their class, they decided to invite him as well when they had this group activity. When the class president came to look for him, he answered practically without any hesitation.
But Chen Jinyao seemed to have changed a lot. She used to be a quiet lone wolf. If you had to describe her metaphorically, then Gu Ci would say she was like a hedgehog.
She was covered in thorns and curled up so others couldn’t approach her, refusing to let anyone in.
But now, Chen Jinyao was holding her husband’s arm. Under the sunlight, he could see the smile at her lips, her attention undivided as she laughed brightly with her husband.
The tide of people pushed out.
Gu Ci waved his hand and drew up his voice. “Chen Jin Yao!”
The first person to look over in his direction was the man beside Chen Jinyao.
The expression on the man’s face was still gentle while looking at Chen Jinyao, but it changed as soon as he turned over. A cold light emerged in his narrowed eyes, and the coldness was like a piercing blade shooting straight over.
He did not conceal his hostility towards the man in the slightest.
Gu Ci frowned. “…”
Then, he shifted his eyes back to Chen Jinyao.
He calmed himself and had other thoughts in mind.
Gu Ci is a smart man.
From the unwarranted hostility of Chen Jinyao’s husband towards him, and the photo that Chen Jinyao posted a few hours ago, he could guess that Chen Jinyao probably knew that he had a crush on her.
His heart sank. Suddenly, he let out a low, self-deprecating laugh.
Soon after.
Chen Jinyao squeezed out from the crowd and smiled. “Senior! It’s been a while.”
Gu Ci instantly withdrew his drifting thoughts. “Yeah, it’s been a while.”
Chen Jinyao looked around. “Where are the others?”
Didn’t he say he was going to pick up others as well?
Gu Ci, “They went to look for food first. I’ll back you to them right now.”
Chen Jinyao nodded. “Sure. Sorry to trouble you, Senior.”
From beginning to end, Yan Cheng stood still as a human background prop, but his burning gaze was on Chen Jinyao the whole time. He was still standing there so please pay attention! And please introduce him!!!
Chen Jinyao, “…”
“Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is my husband, Yan Cheng.”
Then, she looked over at Yan Cheng, winking her eyes at him. “This is my senior, the class assistant for our class. He got a scholarship each year back then, he’s an amazing guy!”
Yan Cheng, “…”
While the so-called senior in front of him was looking far away, Yan Cheng leaned down and whispered in Chen Jinyao’s ear, reminding her, “Student Chen Jinyao, please show restraint when praising others. Thank you.”
Chen Jinyao’s face was stiff. “Oh, okay.”
The two men shook hands politely.
Gu Ci could feel the strength of the other man’s hand that was about to crush his. He smiled. The moment he let go, he turned back to Chen Jinyao. “Haven’t heard much from you since you graduated. Didn’t think you got married already.”
“Yeah, I kept it low-key.” She smiled.
It was awkward for a few moments like the air had frozen up.
The short conversation was filled with a strange atmosphere.
Yan Cheng pursed his lips and sighed. He thought to himself, an awkward chat like this with nothing happening is completely meaningless!
A few seconds later.
A change suddenly happened.
“Besides, weren’t you abroad the whole time, Senior?”
Honestly speaking, Chen Jinyao didn’t mean anything else with her words. She was just stating an objective fact to loosen up the awkward atmosphere.
The speaker may not have had any thoughts about it, but the speaker might.
At that, Gu Ci turned stiff.
For a moment, he couldn’t find anything to say.