The warm-toned ceiling light cast a soft glow, enveloping the three of them in a cozy, hazy halo.
The night breeze stirred their hair, bringing a trace of autumn chill, yet making the mont feel all the more real.
Sun Jiayue looked across at her high school classmate in disbelief, mories slowly rising to the surface.
Fleeting flashes of a youthful, vibrant high school life replayed one by one.
That carefree, brash boy had gradually beco a confident, mature, and striking figure,
both unfamiliar and familiar, both distant and close.
“Tang Song?” she murmured.
“It’s , don’t say you don’t recognize ?” Tang Song smiled and nodded, his tone teasing.
“You’ve changed... a lot.” Sun Jiayue tried to calm the ripples in her heart, her gaze refocusing.
She had never been soone who went for looks—appearance didn’t matter to her. What she admired were successful business elites.
Thinking about her montary slip just now, a trace of embarrassnt flashed across her face.
His transformation really was too extre, and yes, undeniably handso—like a male lead straight out of a workplace drama.
“You too, you've slimd down a lot, and you look much prettier. I almost didn’t recognize you. And I’ve heard from Qingning that you’re doing really well now—one of Modu’s high-caliber financial elites. That’s impressive.”
Tang Song looked at the professionally dressed Sun Jiayue in front of him, eyes full of genuine admiration.
He truly ant it.
They hadn’t seen each other for over seven years.
Two months ago, when he returned to their old school, the mories of 2016 were still vivid,
like one mont she was still that chubby, silly girl, and the next, she had beco a textbook example of a professional woman. He couldn’t help but marvel at the passage of ti and the wonders of growth.
“Thanks for the complint, old classmate.” Sun Jiayue unconsciously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her lips curling up slightly.
She was indeed proud of her achievents today.
As for the struggles behind them—only she truly understood.
Tang Song pointed at the casually dressed girl beside her and asked, “Oh right, and this is...? Aren’t you going to introduce her?”
“Uh...” Sun Jiayue turned around, “This is my college classmate and co-renter, Zhang Nuo. She works around here too.”
“Nice to et you, I’m Tang Song. Glad to et you.” Tang Song smiled politely and warmly.
Zhang Nuo was montarily stunned by his smile, quickly lowering her head and stamred, “Hi, Tang Song. I... I was cooking upstairs just now, ca down a bit hastily.”
She forced out an explanation, then discreetly pulled back her feet in red slippers.
On the surface she looked calm, but inside, she was falling apart.
She had believed her bestie who said so dorky programr was dropping by—figured it was just soone to have a laugh at, so she didn’t think much of it and ca downstairs for fun.
Only to find a glamd-up Sun Jiayue and this suit-wearing dreamboat Tang Song...
She had beco a complete clown.
She felt like she wouldn’t be happy for the rest of the year.
Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Tang Song looked at her and said, “No wonder you’re both elites in Modu’s finance scene, you’ve got the aura.”
Hearing his complint, Zhang Nuo blushed instantly, her mood flipping from stormy to sunny.
Oh my god! A heartthrob! If you’re gonna talk like that, just keep going! Love it!
Sun Jiayue pressed her lips together, straightened her back and said, “Co on, dinner’s ready. If we wait any longer, the crab will go cold.”
“Yes, yes! I personally picked the biggest ones at the supermarket. You have to try them.”
“Thanks, let’s go.”
Chatting like that, the three walked side-by-side toward the elevator, their footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway.
Back upstairs, Tang Song placed the fruit gift box he brought at the entrance and glanced around at the décor.
The interior was minimalist yet tasteful, filled with smart appliances and artistic decor—it had a real vibe.
“This place is really nice. You two live pretty well,” Tang Song said sincerely, a note of appreciation in his tone.
“It’s okay, the rent’s just really expensive.” Sun Jiayue responded with a light laugh. “But the location’s convenient, really close to Lujiazui.”
Zhang Nuo glanced at the two of them, then slipped into the bedroom.
Sun Jiayue invited Tang Song to sit at the dining table and asked a few questions about where he was staying in Modu.
When she heard he was at the JW Marriott Hotel, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
Although she hadn’t seen Tang Song in years, she’d picked up bits and pieces from other classmates about how he was doing.
He used to do developnt at igou Tech—a promising path in a major tech firm, possibly even leading to a managent position and a million-yuan salary soday.
However, ever since Liu Qingning left the capital last year, he had also returned to Yancheng and was working at a trade company.
Now he was vacationing in Modu and staying at a five-star hotel. Plus, his outfit...
Sun Jiayue knew a thing or two about fashion and could imdiately tell his clothes weren’t ordinary—at least worth tens of thousands.
All signs pointed to the fact that he was doing much better than she’d imagined.
By the ti Zhang Nuo ca back out, she was completely transford.
Now wearing stylish casualwear, her hair neatly done, and lips painted in a rosewood shade—she looked refreshed and radiant.
The three of them started dinner, and the conversation gradually opened up.
Mostly it was Tang Song and Sun Jiayue chatting about high school mories.
A few familiar nas ca up, so mutually known secrets and fun stories resurfaced.
In just a few words, they were pulled right back into the simple, innocent days of high school.
Zhang Nuo, initially shy and reserved, gradually joined in—throwing in a few playful remarks now and then. The mood beca more and more relaxed and pleasant.
However, as the conversation deepened, the way Sun Jiayue looked at Tang Song grew more surprised and complex.
As a graduate of a top-tier university and a professional woman who had worked in fundraising for over three years,
she naturally had her own way of judging people.
At the very least, this reunion with Tang Song left her feeling like everything about him had been overturned—it reshaped her perception.
His features hadn’t changed much, but his deanor, aura, posture... it was a whole different level.
Of course, the most critical change was his presence.
That inner confidence and ease seed to radiate from within, almost overflowing.
That kind of energy wasn’t sothing superficial changes could bring.
It ant his core had been updated—he was no longer ordinary.
Even compared to the talented young n she knew, he was in no way inferior. In fact... maybe even more attractive.
Yancheng, Beicheng Garden Residential Complex.
The sound of a keyboard echoed crisply in the quiet room.
Shen Yuyan quickly flipped through files, reviewing and fine-tuning the current funding plans, financial reports, and market analyses one by one.
She rubbed her temples—after a long stretch of intense focus, ntal exhaustion was starting to set in.
Ring ring ring— Her phone on the desk started to vibrate violently.
[Mingjian Capital – Wang Yubo]
Seeing the caller ID, Shen Yuyan raised her eyebrows slightly and quickly picked up.
“Hello? Good evening, Yuyan.” Wang Yubo’s calm voice rang out.
Shen Yuyan pulled herself together, her voice resuming its usual professional sharpness. “Good evening, Chairman Wang. I’ve prepared the materials you requested. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
“Hehe, I believe that. I’ve never doubted your abilities.”
“Thank you for your trust, Chairman Wang! And thank you to Mingjian Capital for the opportunity.”
“No need to be so polite. I simply appreciate your capabilities.”
Wang Yubo paused, then said, “Did you book your ticket yet? When are you coming? Tomorrow or the day after?”
Shen Yuyan instinctively glanced at the calendar on her computer. “October 5th, that’s the day after tomorrow. I’ll be taking the high-speed train—should arrive in Modu that evening.”
“Oh? Business class?”
“No, just a standard second-class seat.”
Wang Yubo spoke firmly, “Let’s do this—I’ll have my assistant book you a flight for the 5th. Just fly over. You’re attending as a guest, so travel and accommodations will be on us.”
“No, no, that’s too much—thank you, Chairman Wang. The high-speed train is already fast—only six hours.”
“It’s not too much. It’s settled.” Wang Yubo chuckled, then added, “Once you’re in Modu, I’ll introduce you to so people—including partners from the Big Four firms and top law offices. I’m sure it’ll be worth your trip.”
Shen Yuyan pressed her lips together, hesitated briefly, then agreed. “Alright. Thank you, Chairman Wang.”
They chatted a bit more before ending the call.
Shen Yuyan exhaled deeply, her gaze dropping as she sank into thought.
Gongying Tech’s C round of funding was nearly complete, and preparations for its New Third Board listing were already underway.
As the lead investor, Mingjian Capital was laying the groundwork for the future.
And her early trip to Modu was to present the current investnt status of Youjie Dostic Services to their team, seeking feedback to ensure the second round of funds would go through smoothly.
This opportunity ca from Wang Yubo, who claid to admire her talent.
He would also be introducing her to so high-end contacts—
including even top-level managent from Sequoia Capital and Jingwu Capital.
For soone as ambitious and socially driven as Shen Yuyan, this was an irresistible chance.
In truth, society wasn’t as simple as it looked on the surface.
Money, power, and resources were the real rule-makers.
Ordinary people could only passively accept their influence.
Now, she needed to prove her value—and this was her shot.
Shen Yuyan stood up, her eyes shining as she looked south, full of determination.
“Modu, see you in two days!”
Gurgle— Her stomach suddenly growled, cutting through her thoughts.
She paused, licking her lips. She’d skipped dinner to stay focused and keep her figure.
Now that her work was done and she was in a good mood, her appetite returned.
Thinking quickly, she walked out of her bedroom and opened the fridge.
Then she strode over to the room across the hall and pushed the door open.
Upbeat music floated in the air.
Before her was Xu Qing, lying on her stomach in just her underwear, fully engrossed in sothing on the screen—completely unaware anyone had entered.
Shen Yuyan raised an eyebrow and walked straight in, asking casually, “Qingqing, did you eat dinner?”
“Ahhhh!” A loud scream pierced the air.
Xu Qing scrambled to turn around, her twin ponytails flying—clearly terrified.
(°口°)!
A mont later, she pretended to be calm, sitting up with shifty eyes. “Yanyan... you—why are you here all of a sudden? Done with work?”
As lifelong besties, Shen Yuyan imdiately sensed sothing was off.
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding behind your back? Hand it over!”
Xu Qing’s face instantly turned pale, instinctively scooting backward. “N-no! There’s nothing! Don’t be ridiculous, nothing at all!”
“You’re lying to , aren’t you? Hmph!” Shen Yuyan let out a cold laugh, rushed forward, pounced onto the bed, and reached to grab the thing Xu Qing was hiding behind her back.
“No, no!” Xu Qing shook her head vigorously and struggled.
o(>w
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