On the fifth day of the New Year.
The morning in Xiaoping City was shrouded in thin mist. The streets were still littered with the remnants of last night's firecrackers — red fragnts scattered everywhere like a festive carpet laid out for the city.
Luke stood on the balcony of Tis International, gazing at the distant mountain silhouettes that appeared and disappeared in the haze, and suddenly felt a little dazed.
Class reunion.
This word had once been a nightmare for him.
In the years after university graduation, he had set almost all his classmate group chats to "do not disturb."
Every ti soone organized a reunion, he would find all kinds of excuses to decline… too busy with work, out of town, not feeling well.
The real reason was only one: he had done too poorly and had no face to show up.
While others were buying houses and cars, he was still paying off online loans.
While others were getting promotions and raises, he was sending out résumés.
While others were getting married and having children, he was living off his parents.
It felt like the whole class was standing on the shore while he alone was struggling in the water, sinking deeper the more he struggled.
But it was different now.
Now he was standing on the shore — and he should be the one standing tallest.
The corners of Luke's mouth curved upward slightly as he rembered the famous saying of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu: "To be rich and not return ho is like wearing embroidered clothes at night."
Since he could now "show his face" in front of his old classmates, he naturally wouldn't miss the chance.
He took out his phone, opened QQ… an app he hadn't used much in several years.
There was only one chat box in the ssage list. He typed and sent:
"OK, I'll be there on ti."
The other side replied almost instantly:
"Oh my god, I was just trying my luck — it really is you, Luke! I thought you had deleted all our old classmates' contacts! Since you agreed, you have to co!"
A string of big smiling-face emojis followed.
Looking at that profile picture, Luke's smile deepened.
Wang Yuting, class monitor of Class 1210 and Class 1501 — class monitor for six full years from seventh to twelfth grade.
A remarkable woman.
She was short and not particularly beautiful, but she had excellent social skills and was always the school's announcer and emcee. Although her grades were average, she had managed to unite the entire class like a family for six years.
Back when they were in school, they had been close, and Luke had a deep impression of her.
At eleven in the morning, Luke drove to "Ling's River Fresh Grand Hotel," two kiloters away.
This hotel was quite famous in Xiaoping City — it was the family business of his junior high class beauty, Ling Qingmiao. The year they graduated from high school, Luke had attended one gathering here, but after that he never dared co to any more reunions.
The Range Rover stopped at the hotel entrance.
The mont Luke stepped out of the car, he heard a very exaggerated female voice:
"Holy shit! Who's this handso guy? I feel like I've seen you before!"
Luke looked up.
Two won were standing at the hotel entrance.
The one who spoke was quite short. Even in high heels, she was probably only 1.55 ters tall. The pimples on her face were gone, her skin was much fairer, and she seed to have had so costic work done.
Overall she looked decent — much better than back in school.
It was class monitor Wang Yuting.
Standing beside her was a tall, graceful woman with delicate, beautiful features, wearing a beige coat and carrying an elegant, composed air.
Ling Qingmiao, the forr class beauty.
Luke smiled and walked over. "Yuting, Miss Ling, it's — Luke."
Both won's eyes widened at the sa ti.
Wang Yuting was stunned for several seconds before letting out a sharp squeal: "It really is you, Luke? You've changed so much I didn't recognize you! How tall are you now — at least 1.8 ters? You were only 1.6 ters in high school!"
Ling Qingmiao also looked him up and down with a smile, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents. "As expected of the top student — now you're driving a Range Rover. You've done quite well for yourself!"
Her gaze lingered on him, filled with undisguised admiration.
"That suit looks really good on you. Back in school everyone called you the overbearing CEO because you were so aloof. Who would have thought it would actually co true? Even the CEOs on TV don't have your presence."
Luke waved his hand modestly. "It's nothing, just a small business to make a living. Can't compare to the thriving hotel business of our class beauty's family."
Ling Qingmiao laughed. "You're being too modest. We're the ones just making a living. Every year I rely on Class Monitor Yuting to bring our old classmates here for reunions, otherwise I wouldn't have any business. I'm just a working girl too."
She gestured invitingly. "Please co in. Quite a few classmates have already arrived."
By eleven-thirty, the private room was full.
Class 1210 had fifty-six students in total. This reunion had twenty attendees… all those who lived in the city or had returned for the New Year.
The mont Luke walked in, all eyes turned to him at once.
Several outgoing female classmates started chattering excitedly:
"Wow! Is that Luke?"
"Oh my god, you've changed so much!"
"Who is this handso guy?"
Luke smiled and greeted everyone.
Even after many years, they could still recognize each other.
So had gained weight, so had lost it, so had gone bald, so had aged. But the outlines of their younger selves were still visible in their features.
The one who had changed the most was Luke.
He beca the center of attention in the room — even the rich and beautiful class beauty Ling Qingmiao couldn't compete with him.
Everyone sat together, chatting noisily.
So talked about their current lives: who had gotten married, who had had children, who had bought a house, who had been promoted.
So reminisced about the past: embarrassing stories, gossip, old teachers, forr school beauties and school hunks.
So talked about the future: what they wanted to do, where they wanted to go, how much money they wanted to earn.
There was no competition or face-slapping, no one showing off or feeling jealous.
They were simply chatting and catching up, as if they had returned to those carefree school days.
Luke sat in the middle of the group, a warm feeling rising in his heart.
Back then, the class atmosphere had been especially good. The horoom teacher had been a wonderful person who united everyone like a family. After all these years, that sense of togetherness still remained.
Wang Yuting ca over with a glass of wine and sat beside him.
"Mr. CEO, I have a question for you."
Luke looked at her.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Wang Yuting took a sip of wine, her eyes sparkling with gossip.
The mont she asked, several nearby classmates perked up their ears.
Luke smiled. "I used to do business abroad a lot. I have a foreign girlfriend over there."
Wang Yuting's eyes widened, then she slapped her thigh and laughed. "I knew it! Back then you said you wanted to find an ocean horse, and you actually did it!"
She sighed dramatically, pretending to be regretful. "Sigh, what a sha — the good water flowed to outsiders. We have quite a few single beauties in our class too, like !"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Wang Yuting had this talent — she could easily liven up the whole room.
After the laughter died down, she looked at Luke with a aningful expression.
"Do you still rember Han Shufang?"
Luke's expression paused for a mont.
That na dropped into the calm lake of his heart like a stone, creating ripples.
He rembered a girl.
Malnourished, with yellowish hair that split at the ends. But her eyes were bright, and she had two small dimples when she smiled.
She was lively, a bit mischievous, had poor grades but loved studying, and sotis could be unreasonable.
In their third year of junior high, she had joked with him:
"Luke, will you marry in the future? If you join the army, I'll marry you!"
Back then they were both young. They didn't understand love the way city kids did. They were simple and innocent. Saying those words just made their faces flush and their hearts beat faster.
And then?
Later he got into high school, and she did too — but not the sa one. After that, they completely lost touch.
Wang Yuting's voice pulled him back to the present.
"She's married. She married a retired soldier five years older than her. She's about to have her second child and is currently in the People's Hospital."
Luke swallowed and tried to keep his expression natural.
"I see… Then I'll give her a big red envelope. I'll transfer it to you on WeChat — you can pass it on to her."
Wang Yuting nodded and said nothing more.
Around one in the afternoon, the reunion ended.
After taking a group photo, everyone gradually left. Luke drove Wang Yuting ho.
The car moved slowly along the streets of Xiaoping City. The shops on both sides were decorated with lanterns and festive red decorations — the New Year spirit was still strong.
Wang Yuting leaned back in the passenger seat and suddenly spoke:
"So? Your first love got married. Does it hurt?"
Luke smiled and didn't answer.
He thought of Han Shufang again. Her yellowish hair, the split ends, that joking sentence she had said.
That had been the first ti he felt sothing different toward the opposite sex.
Later in high school he t Li Zijin. She was a bit like Han Shufang… lively and a bit mischievous too.
He had followed her around like a puppy, doing everything for her, tutoring her, making her laugh, never getting tired of it.
Thinking back now, maybe it had been a substitute.
Wang Yuting seed to see through his thoughts and laughed.
"It's fine. The high school reunion tonight is the real main event! Li Zijin will be there too. I heard she's still single!"
She paused, her tone turning playful.
"Back in junior high you followed her around like a dog. I knew she was a substitute for Han Shufang. I'm really looking forward to seeing you two et again."
Luke gave her a helpless look. "Yuting, I already have a girlfriend."
Wang Yuting laughed loudly and opened the car door to get out.
One foot on the ground, she turned back to him, her eyes carrying the insight of soone who had seen a lot.
"Co pick up at five, young man."
She closed the car door and waved at him through the window.
"What you couldn't have when you were young will haunt you for the rest of your life!"
The car started and slowly drove away.
In the rearview mirror, Luke watched that small figure disappear around the corner and suddenly felt a little dazed.
What you couldn't have when you were young.
Would it really haunt you for life?
He didn't know.
He only knew that the regrets from those years, the missed opportunities, the words he had never said, were like a thorn buried in a corner of his heart.
Usually it didn't hurt, but every once in a while when it was touched, it would still sting.
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