ell-connected bureau chief was sitting at the end of the table."Director Li, here are the documents!" As soon as he entered the room, Chen Qing handed over the materials to that young director.This yo...Chapter 69: Between Classmates

With the previous experience in mind, Xiao Yu arrived at the Ancient City Hotel at ten forty. He had planned to go up and change clothes, but upon taking a look, he deemed his current outfit acceptable and decided against changing.

Around eleven forty-five, Yun Xi arrived at the entrance of the Ancient City Hotel. Spotting Xiao Yu standing there, she quickly approached him: "Did you have to wait for long"

"No, I just got here too. You look really beautiful today!" As soon as Xiao Yu saw Yun Xi in front of him, he was instantly impressed. She wore a white undershirt with a light pink jacket over it, black skinny jeans below, and a pair of high-heeled leather shoes which made her appear mature yet attractive.

"Thank you!" Yun Xi's face turned slightly red as she lowered her head to look at her feet, as if they contained some treasure.

As the two entered the Ancient City Hotel, Yun Xi took the initiative to hook her arm through Xiao Yu’s. Xiao Yu was momentarily taken aback and glanced at Yun Xi; she had her head down with a blushing face.

Yun Xi herself found it somewhat helpless. During college, she studied in the Ancient City, where many of her classmates remained after graduation. Some started dating during their university days, while others continued to date or got married after graduating. As for herself, who was once considered the class beauty, she still remained single until she met Xiao Yu.

Last year during the New Year’s gathering organized by fellow students, almost everyone brought along a boyfriend or girlfriend except her. She was left alone and even teased by her classmates as a result. Since getting to know Xiao Yu, Yun Xi not only didn’t feel aversion towards him in her heart but also felt a hint of familiarity; hence when invited to attend the wedding ceremony with a date, she immediately thought of Xiao Yu.

Upon entering the ancient city hotel's lobby, a large poster photo catches the eye. To one side of it stands an arch made of pink balloons. On the other side of the arch hangs a golden-glowing wooden board that reads: "Congratulations to newlyweds Wu Qingzhi and Luo Jiao." Next to this sign is a table where three young people are sitting around, chatting while eating sunflower seeds. A list of gifts is almost full.

“Yunxi, 500.” Before Xiao Yu could reach for his wallet, Yunxi had already taken out an envelope with prepared money and placed it at the reception desk.

One of the young people took a look inside the envelope before another quickly wrote Yunxi’s name on the list of gifts.

Xiao Yu was stunned when he saw that Yunxi gave 500 yuan, which in an ancient city where average income is around two thousand yuan per person is considered a generous gift. In this city, classmates and colleagues usually give 100 yuan each; occasionally, close friends or high-income units might give up to 200 or 300 yuan. Giving 500 yuan is typically the standard for gifts intended for leaders. Actually, Yunxi was told by her classmate over the phone that everyone had agreed to give 500 yuan as a gift.

Yunxi knew they were just buttering up Luo Jiao because it’s said that her father is the number one deputy secretary of the municipal committee and holds significant power.

"Hey, isn’t this Yunxi Long time no see!" Just as Xiao Yu and Yunxi were about to head in, a rough voice came from the entrance. When Xiao Yu and Yunxi turned their heads to look, a woman around twenty-five or six walked in. At first hearing her voice, Xiao Yu thought it was a man; he never would have expected it to be a woman. This lady is roughly 5 feet tall but weighs about 150 pounds, waddling with her bulky waist and hips towards them.

The woman's looks are not bad, though her voice isn't very pleasant. Behind her comes a bald man around fifty years old. His head is almost completely devoid of hair, save for a few strands covering his shiny scalp; he carries a briefcase under one arm, standing at about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with an abdomen like that of someone four to five months pregnant.

The bald man walked over to the heavyset woman. Seeing her talking to Yunxi, he approached and gave Yunxi a lustful look upon first seeing her. Yunxi frowned slightly, feeling repulsed by these two people. And whenever Xiao Yu felt this way about someone, it meant that person had ill intentions towards them.

The woman walked up to Yunxi and said, "Yunxi still doesn’t have a boyfriend! I’m telling you, Yunxi, it’s not that I’m criticizing you. You’re already quite old now; don’t be so picky. A man's appearance is the least important thing; looks can’t eat or drink. What matters is his capability! Look at Old Ma from my family who has been promoted to deputy director of the district industry and commerce bureau." She pointed to a bald man in his fifties as she spoke.

"Or... I could introduce someone for you. Although he’s older, he definitely has capabilities. He owns property, a car, and savings. How about that" The woman didn’t give Yunxi a chance to speak but continued on her own, with an expression suggesting she was doing this out of kindness.

Although the woman's words seemed like they were meant for Yunxi’s benefit, Xiong Yu frowned upon hearing them. He noticed that Yunxi also had a frown and looked quite disgusted. Seeing this woman’s behavior, Xiong Yu couldn’t help but sigh; indeed, there was always some kind of conflict in the world. The woman not only envied Yunxi for her good looks, but also knew she would attract attention from men at school. The woman had to puff herself up by mentioning her deputy director husband.

When Yunxi was in college, her quiet and pretty nature made almost every male student in the class infatuated with her. Some senior students even came to their class during break times just to watch her, which left Wu Yali envious and jealous.

Although her husband was nearly fifty years old and had a son in his twenties, whenever she mentioned that he was a deputy director, it would always elicit admiration from classmates. This woman, who used to be the least noticeable in class, enjoyed being looked up to and flattered by her peers. Yet, Yunxi never mentioned anything about her husband's position as a deputy director, which made Wu Yali feel frustrated.

The woman didn’t even look at Xiong Yu when she arrived; she assumed that he was just a helper who was assisting at the registration desk and came to chat with Yunxi because of her good looks. She pulled out a red envelope from her bag and handed it to him without giving him a proper glance.

Seeing the woman hand Xiong Yu a red envelope, Yunxi finally reacted. "Wu Liliya, this is my boyfriend," she said, interrupting the woman's continuous chatter.

Then, she linked her arm through Xiong Yu’s as if to emphasize what she had just said. Despite still being somewhat shy in front of classmates, Yunxi was more confident and open about it now.

Wu Liya glanced sideways at Xiao Yu, pursed her lips, and put back the red envelope she had been about to give him. It was evident how powerful Yun Xi's classmate must be for Wu Liya to say so many things in front of her boyfriend without feeling awkward.

"Wu Liya, you go ahead with your gifts! We're going up now!" The disgust Yun Xi felt towards Wu Liya was overwhelming, and she said this to her classmate before taking Xiao Yu's arm and walking toward the wedding hall.

Seeing Yun Xi walk away as soon as she turned around, Wu Liya stamped her foot and, with a plump figure, walked towards the reception desk.

Holding onto Xiao Yu’s arm, Yun Xi entered the bustling wedding venue which appeared to be filled with two or three hundred people. The loud chatter of adults and playful laughter of children mixed together to create an energetic atmosphere. By the entrance of the hall stood a newlywed couple welcoming guests.

"Luo Jiao!" Yun Xi shouted toward the bride as she walked in with Xiao Yu, but the bride didn't seem to hear her; instead, she was talking to a bridesmaid beside her. Frowning slightly, Yun Xi approached the bride. Given their proximity, even if Yun Xi's voice wasn’t loud, one should still be able to hear it clearly, of course, there was always the possibility that the bride genuinely didn't hear her.

"Luo Jiao!" Yun Xi and Xiao Yu walked up to the bride and called out again.

Only then did the bride turn around and look at Yun Xi with a smile. "Yun Xi is here! Come in quickly; all our classmates are in the Brocade Hall!" Although the bride named Luo Jiao seemed friendly when talking to Yun Xi, Xiao Yu could see arrogance and disdain in her expression. The groom's expression was somewhat awkward.

Yun Xi trusted her intuition very much, so as she approached Luo Jiao, a faint sense of disgust arose within her, making her pause for a moment.ha, it's really refreshing today. Old Wang, just get the alcohol and I’ll buy the food!""Haha... These four rascals finally got what’s coming to them... Great...Xi Yu stood on the steps and, by listen...