Chapter 32: A Tedious Gathering

Tao Yong’s companion, Zhang Yu, rolled her eyes at him and kept silent.

"Give him a call. He didn't drive here like us; maybe he got on the wrong bus or missed his stop?"

Meng Jianshu’s companion, Lili, chimed in, "I doubt that. Maybe he didn't check his messages while driving? Just give him a call."

Meng Jianshu ignored the certainty in Lili’s tone when she mentioned Chen Xiao driving, saying, "I'll call him."

"Hey, Chen Xiao... You've arrived? Good, we're at the lounge. Just come straight over!"

After parking his car, Chen Xiao stepped out and spotted Meng Jianshu’s BMW 3 Series. Following the directions Meng had given him, he found the lounge and brought Zhao Xiangjun along with him.

"You guys think that when Chen Xiao gets here and sees we all have beautiful dates, he’ll feel awkward? Haha!" Meng Jianshu teased.

"I don't think so. Chen Xiao was so handsome back in high school; there was a whole crowd of girls who liked him!"

"Old Liu, you just don't get it. That wasn't 'liking' back in high school; that was just youthful ignorance. Once you’re out in the real world, what’s being handsome worth? Can it buy a house? A car? A designer bag? You have to look at economic power, right, Lili?"

He spoke with an air of arrogance. Lili chimed in with a "Yes," though she felt skeptical. She remembered that the car Chen Xiao drove that day likely cost over half a million. With that kind of financial standing, plus being young and handsome, he was the definition of a "tall, rich, and handsome" guy. How could he possibly struggle to find a date?

Tao Yong added, "Old Meng is right. In this society, men look at women for their faces, but a man’s face is worthless."

Zhang Yu suddenly interjected, "A face might be worthless, but that doesn't mean you should be shameless!"

None of the others understood what she meant, except for Tao Yong, who let out a dry, awkward laugh.

When Chen Xiao walked into the lounge, he caught them mid-conversation. He greeted them, and as the group turned to look, their jaws dropped.

Chen Xiao knew how much of an impact a beauty like Zhao Xiangjun had on men; that was why she rarely went out, and whenever she did, she was plagued by unwanted advances.

"Holy crap, is that a goddess descending from heaven? She’s even prettier than a fairy!"

"How is a woman who looks better than a celebrity hanging out with Chen Xiao?"

"It’s just unfair how she looks. To be this beautiful and completely natural... compared to her, the money we spent on plastic surgery was a total waste!"

"I can't be around a woman like that. If I’m next to her, no one will even look at me or Nana!"

Zhao Xiangjun followed behind Chen Xiao, greeted them briefly, and then sat quietly by his side.

The group eventually snapped out of their shock. Meng Jianshu was the first to speak: "Chen Xiao, this is your colleague, right?"

"A friend."

Meng Jianshu was incredulous. After a long moment, he said, "Let’s go pick some pomegranates. This orchard belongs to a friend of mine; I’ve already cleared it with him."

As they stood up, Meng Jianshu added, "The orchard is a few kilometers away; we should drive. It’s no big deal for us guys to walk, but the ladies should ride in my car."

Since Liu Bo and Tao Yong had taken the bus, he assumed Chen Xiao had as well, leaving his car to accommodate all four women.

He said this while glancing at Zhao Xiangjun. Seeing she didn't move, he shook his BMW keys boastfully and said, "Beautiful, come on, hop in my car. These guys can walk!"

Zhao Xiangjun frowned and replied indifferently, "I’m with Chen Xiao. You guys go ahead."

Meng Jianshu paused, then turned to Chen Xiao. "Chen Xiao, talk to her. It’s so hot out; the ladies don’t want to get sunburnt!"

Chen Xiao, seeing right through his ulterior motives, replied impatiently, "Old Meng, I have my own car. No need to trouble yourself."

"What, did you bring the company delivery van?"

Chen Xiao shook his head and walked out, with Zhao Xiangjun following.

Meng Jianshu, having been snubbed, told everyone to follow. By this point, Liu Bo and Tao Yong seemed to be taking their cues entirely from him.

Once outside, Zhao Xiangjun said, "Chen Xiao, let’s just head out on our own. You should keep your distance from these classmates in the future."

"Yeah, we aren't cut from the same cloth."

Being with these people was less comfortable than being with total strangers. The high school reunion he had been looking forward to felt utterly dull.

"Come on, keep up! Let’s see what kind of company car Chen Xiao brought. Anyone want to try riding in a 'company vehicle'?" Meng Jianshu, still smarting from the rejection, tried to regain some ground with his words.

Nana played along: "I want to ride in the BMW. I’m not sitting in a company car!"

Zhang Yu also chimed in, though Lili remained silent, knowing that the car Chen Xiao drove was definitely not a company vehicle.

Liu Bo and Tao Yong, looking for a laugh, followed them all the way to the parking lot.

"Holy cow, no way. Did Chen Xiao walk to the wrong car?"

"He’s driving a Mercedes?"

"That car doesn't look cheap."

Nana asked, "Brother Meng, which one is more expensive, his car or yours?"

Zhang Yu, who seemed to know a bit about cars, said, "That’s a top-of-the-line Mercedes CLS. It costs nearly 700,000—enough to buy three of Brother Meng’s cars."

Meng Jianshu was mortified. "Damn! I couldn't tell. Maybe he borrowed it to show off? Looking at how he’s dressed, he doesn't look like the type to drive a Mercedes."

Zhang Yu replied, "That beauty earlier was wearing Descente; that outfit probably cost thousands. And I noticed the watch Chen Xiao is wearing—an Omega, that’s worth tens of thousands!"

Meng Jianshu fell silent, glancing at the Tissot on his own wrist. *What the hell, the world has turned upside down!*

Chen Xiao politely offered them a ride, as there were only two cars and someone would inevitably need to join him. In the end, Tao Yong and Zhang Yu hopped into his backseat.

"Damn, Old Chen, this backseat is so comfortable. This sofa-like seat is so soft, way better than Old Meng’s BMW. His backseat is hard as a rock, and the space is so cramped I can't even stretch my legs!"

In truth, the CLS wasn't that spacious either, but Chen Xiao just smiled without a word.

Zhao Xiangjun kept her head down, scrolling on her phone. But Tao Yong, a chatterbox, continued: "I’m saying, Old Chen, you don't even earn as much as I do, yet you’re driving a Mercedes."

Chen Xiao was speechless, not knowing how to respond. Zhao Xiangjun stared straight ahead, expressionless. Zhang Yu shot Tao Yong a glare and snapped, "He’s driving a Mercedes, and you don’t even have a bicycle. Where did you get the idea that he earns less than you?"

Tao Yong retorted, "He’s just a sales rep! How much can he make? I’m making nearly 400,000 a year!"

Zhang Yu sneered, "Is that 400,000 in Korean Won?"

Seeing Zhang Yu constantly shutting him down, Tao Yong muttered a few times and then went quiet.

The trip to the pomegranate orchard was only a few kilometers. After a short drive, they arrived. Chen Xiao dropped them off and said, "We’re going a bit further ahead. Let’s split up and do our own thing."