361: Chapter 361: High-Profile Without Any Fuss 361: Chapter 361: High-Profile Without Any Fuss “Forget it, forget it, let’s not ruin the harmony over such a trivial matter.
All right, shall we go?” The class monitor quickly stood up to mediate.
Zhou Wenkai then moved aside, and the group continued to stroll through the campus at a leisurely pace.
Mo Xiaoqing bit her lip in the dark, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Tangyu, however, had an indifferent expression, as if nothing had happened at all.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, two screams came from behind, and everyone couldn’t help but turn back to look.
They saw a car out of control heading straight for the two disabled middle-aged spouses they had encountered earlier.
After screaming, the couple astonishingly leaped up from the ground, grabbed the money, and ran.
It was then that everyone saw clearly: the man wasn’t paralyzed at all; his legs were perfectly fine.
And the woman’s arm wasn’t broken either, just hidden inside her clothes.
In that moment of crisis, everything was laid bare.
Seeing this scene, everyone was stunned; it was all a sham.
Especially Zhou Wenkai, whose mouth twitched violently, and his face grew hot as if he had been slapped.
He realized he had been played for a fool, and had prided himself on thinking he had done something remarkable.
Grinding his teeth, he was about to chase after them to retrieve his two thousand yuan.
But the two were running so fast that catching up seemed impossible.
Zhou Wenkai chased after them for a few steps before giving up and returning, his face wearing an awkward and unsightly expression.
The others’ looks towards Tangyu were also filled with embarrassment, as they had thought Tangyu was being overly cautious.
There was no issue yet he had made those unpleasant remarks.
Now they understood that he had seen through the fraud from the start.
Mo Xiaoqing finally felt relieved; she had never doubted Tangyu.
“It’s nothing, these days everyone is in disguise.
Some just hide it better, some less so.
It just shows that everyone has a lot of compassion, and that’s a good thing.
Getting cheated is not something to be ashamed of.
I’m the sort that lacks sympathy, so I’m not easily fooled.
In comparison, I actually admire all of you,” Tangyu said.
His public relations-like response was elegantly put, mocking Zhou Wenkai while praising the others, offering them a way to save face.
“Heh, Tangyu, you’re too modest.
It’s just that we weren’t savvy enough.
Having too much sympathy isn’t good either.
But who cares, at least we can be true to our own consciences,” the class monitor said with a laugh, lightening the mood.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and it was obvious that after this incident, their favorable impression of Tangyu had greatly increased, and they had begun to incorporate him further into their group.
Zhou Wenkai’s face turned a shade of green, as this time he truly ended up with a loss—deprived of two thousand yuan and a slap to his face.
The group of sixteen had toured Donglin University for over two hours before returning to their initial meeting spot.
The first activity of the day concluded successfully.
Today’s gathering consisted of three activities: touring the campus was the first, having lunch was the second, and the afternoon was reserved for singing karaoke.
Basically, these are the common ways to spend a social gathering.
To do anything else would be rather troublesome.
“I’ve already made reservations, let’s go.
Everyone, get in the cars; we have six vehicles, enough for all,” Zhou Wenkai said.
The group followed Zhou Wenkai and half an hour later, stopped at ‘Perfection’ Grand Hotel, a five-star establishment.
Seeing that Zhou Wenkai had chosen a five-star grand hotel made everyone exchange glances, hesitant to enter.
Such places were beyond their usual reach for dining.
With sixteen people eating here, the bill wouldn’t be less than ten thousand yuan.
Even if the cost was split, it would be a significant amount for each person.
But since Zhou Wenkai had already brought them here, it would be awkward to suggest another place now.
They could only think about how much they should prepare to pay.
Zhou Wenkai glanced at everyone and said with a smile, “Today is our class’s thrice-yearly get-together.
Now that we are part of society, we should enjoy ourselves and let loose a little, and stop being stingy.
For lunch, how about some of us who are doing better take the bill, and everyone else can just eat and drink to their hearts’ content.
Mo Xiaoqing, I wonder if your boyfriend has any objections?
He’s the most successful among us, so I believe he wouldn’t mind treating us, his old classmates, to a meal.
Heh, you two are together after all, it’s about time to share some ‘wedding candy,’ isn’t it?”
Mo Xiaoqing was taken aback, not expecting Zhou Wenkai to employ this tactic.
Direct refusal would seem rather inconsiderate.
Tangyu smiled lightly and said, “Of course, I’ll take care of lunch; consider it as Xiaoqing and me treating everyone to a meal.”
“Heh, Tangyu really is generous.
To be honest, I was just joking.
This place was my choice, and I intended to treat everyone.
But—since you are so eager, I can’t very well steal your thunder.
You can handle lunch, and I’ll take care of the afternoon venue,” Zhou Wenkai said, going with the flow.
He had specifically chosen the place and had planned to treat.
However, after seeing Tangyu, he changed his mind.
Although the others felt Zhou Wenkai’s actions were somewhat inappropriate, no one wanted to say anything more, as it would only upset people.
Since Tangyu was willing to treat, they let him.
Upon hearing Tangyu volunteer to pick up the tab, Mo Xiaoqing was startled and looked at Tangyu.
She knew that a meal here could easily cost tens of thousands of yuan, and if they drank on top of that, the price would soar even higher.
She had asked Tangyu to be her temporary boyfriend; if she also had to use Tangyu’s money to treat her classmates, she would feel extremely bad.
But at the moment, with others around, she couldn’t say much.
Seeing Mo Xiaoqing’s look, Tangyu simply smiled, indicating with his eyes for her to remain calm.
Clearly, if you wanted to show off, then I would play along.
People fight for a breath, trees for a layer of bark.
Since I agreed to be Mo Xiaoqing’s boyfriend, I might as well let her shine in front of her classmates today.
Tangyu had planned for this since yesterday, so he was well prepared.
Tens of thousands of yuan didn’t matter to Tangyu.
As long as Mo Xiaoqing could save face, Tangyu wouldn’t hesitate no matter the cost.
Being too low-key can cause people to look down on you.
Sometimes, you need to make a statement.
The group entered the grand and luxurious hotel, and it was truly as its name suggested, ornately decorated to make one feel as if they were entering an Imperial Palace.
It combined the architectural style of Ancient Rome with some modern decorative elements, predominantly featuring golden hues.
The staff here were also dressed in rather peculiar outfits, appearing somewhat striking and unconventional.
Once at the reception desk, Zhou Wenkai said, “Hello, my last name is Zhou.
I called yesterday to reserve a private room.”
“Hello, sir, let me check for you.
Ah yes, sir, you did call yesterday to book a private room.
However, I should have told you that rooms reserved over the phone might be bumped, so I advised you to come by yesterday to pay a deposit.
I’m sorry to inform you now that the room you wanted has been taken by another guest,” the receptionist said with a sweet smile.
“What do you mean, the room is taken?
Are there any other rooms available?
Can you help me switch to another one?
I was too busy to come over and pay the deposit yesterday,” Zhou Wenkai said.
The receptionist shook her head and replied, “I’m sorry, all our private rooms are fully booked.”
“What?” Zhou Wenkai was momentarily stunned, his face showing a trace of embarrassment.
He had brought people here, claiming confidently that he had reserved a private room.
Upon arrival, they found the room had been snatched away, and there were no other rooms available either.
Zhou Wenkai’s expression turned sour once again, already embarrassed, this felt like another slap to the face, triggering the urge to explode in rage.
The others exchanged uneasy glances, wondering if the trip had been in vain.
“If there are no private rooms, let’s just go to another place.
It’s National Day today, so it’s normal for private rooms to be in high demand,” the class president came forward to mediate.
Zhou Wenkai’s face turned a purplish-red, seething with anger.
“Walking in and leaving right away, that’s too troublesome, isn’t it?
Is there really no private room left, beauty?
What about non-private areas?” Tangyu spoke calmly.
Zhou Wenkai’s mouth twitched viciously, aware that Tangyu was deliberately provoking him.
Having found an opportunity to strike back, Tangyu was not going to be polite.
Being low-key didn’t mean he was easy to bully.
Tangyu could take a lot, but he refused to be treated unfairly.
“Hehe, I’m truly sorry, sir, but we don’t have any non-private areas left either, all our seats are fully booked.
Maybe if you can wait a bit, I estimate that some guests will finish in about two hours.
If you can’t wait that long, then I would suggest checking out some other places.
However, it’s mealtime now, and it’s likely that not many establishments have private rooms available,” the server said.
“It seems like having a meal at noon today is going to be difficult.
Could it be that we’ll have to settle for some street food stall?” Tangyu said.
Zhou Wenkai’s face turned darker; he had indeed not handled the matter properly, and didn’t anticipate this sort of issue arising.
He was responsible for organizing the meal, and if it meant everyone ended up with no place to eat, he would bear the greatest blame.
Aside from responsibility, his pride was at stake.
He had wanted to flaunt himself in front of his classmates today; however, due to Tangyu, his plans had been ruined, and he loathed Tangyu for it.
“Nevermind, let’s look elsewhere.
If worse comes to worst, we can eat at the door of Donglin University.
Although it’s a bit lower grade, we have been eating there for four years, and the taste is still decent,” the class president said.
Tangyu shrugged his shoulders and added, “I don’t mind, it’s just that I wouldn’t want to impose on you, because it’s my treat today, and I fear such a place might not be the best hospitality.”
“Hehe, how could that be?
You’ve been gracious enough,” the class president replied.
No one else had any objections; it seemed that was the only option left.
Zhou Wenkai’s face changed expressions rapidly before he spoke to the receptionist again, “I know you still have private rooms available.
Please give me one; money is not an issue.”
The receptionist still smiled sweetly and shook her head, “I am very sorry, sir, but we really do not have any rooms left.
It’s not a matter of money.
I know you are not short on cash, but I can’t create something out of nothing, isn’t that so?
Please understand, sir.”
Zhou Wenkai clenched his fists in frustration, realizing there was nothing he could do but face the loss of face this time.
“Huh, Tangyu, what are you doing here?” a loud voice suddenly called out.
An attractive young man walked their way.
His attire and demeanor alone were enough to make others feel inferior, and anyone with a bit of discernment could tell that his background was not simple.
He was definitely a rich second-generation, and not just an average one.