It was a high-end hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows made of one-way glass. Fake flowers sat atop meticulously designed slate dining tables, while extravagant crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. On one wall, there was an oil painting of a young girl holding a bouquet.
Gu Yu knew He Yu’s family was wealthy and had expected that the party she organized wouldn’t be at some ordinary street-side restaurant. However, upon walking inside, he was still shocked by the opulent furnishings.
Every student in the class had received an invitation, and almost everyone had shown up. Clothes made the man; after swapping their school uniforms for casual wear, everyone looked much more mature, having shed the childishness they carried at school.
Half of the girls were wearing makeup, ranging from heavy to light. With their slender eyebrows and powdered faces, they looked several degrees more beautiful than they did at school.
But the most eye-catching was still the girl who wore no makeup at all. She was clear, pure, and untainted—the most beautiful jasmine flower in the peak of summer.
Gu Yu spotted her instantly, but he didn’t linger. He chose a table with mostly boys he was familiar with and sat down. Several of the boys were excitedly discussing their summer plans and various fun activities, but he couldn’t find a way into the conversation. He held his phone, acting like a ghost on the sidelines.
Suddenly, the noisy chatter around him fell silent as a faint scent of lotus drifted closer. Curiously, Gu Yu looked up. He Yu was standing right beside him, and the other boys at the table were watching them quietly.
She was wearing the same white cotton dress she had worn on the first day of school. Beneath her slender neck were exquisite collarbones, her chest rose with a proud, full curve, and her legs were fair and delicate.
Her face was devoid of any cosmetics, yet she remained excessively beautiful, with a hint of cuteness between her fine brows.
“Come with me. You’re sitting at another table.”
“Oh.”
Gu Yu responded and stood up to follow He Yu. When they reached the table, however, he was a bit hesitant to sit down.
It was an eight-person table, but only five people were seated. Including Gu Yu, there were six, and the rest were all girls.
He Yu had already taken her seat. Noticing Gu Yu’s hesitation, she asked, “Sit down. What’s wrong? Do you want me to call two more boys over for you?”
Gu Yu looked at the other tables where the male students were chatting happily and shook his head. “No, it’s fine.”
He sat down properly and gave the other girls at the table a polite smile, trying his best to appear calm and composed.
He Yu patted his shoulder. “Don’t be so nervous. A class reunion is just for relaxing and eating. You should know all these girls, right?”
Gu Yu looked at them. The girls smiled back; they were all classmates he had talked to at least a few times, and two or three of them had even asked him for help with Mathematics problems. They were also the girls He Yu was closest to.
“Yeah. So, Boss He, why did you pull me over here?”
“Just to chat. What else? You’re the only guy I’m really close with, so I had to pull you over.” After saying that, He Yu leaned closer to Gu Yu’s ear and whispered a reminder, “Don’t worry. Luo Ming’s table is quite a distance from here. She won’t hear us.”
One of the girls couldn’t help but ask when she saw this, “Still whispering secrets? Is there something going on between He Yu and Gu Yu?”
“Exactly! He Yu, you usually don’t get close to boys. Why is Gu Yu the exception?” another girl added.
“Maybe. There are plenty of girls who like Gu Yu; I might be one of them.”
“Really? He Yu, you like Gu Yu? Since when?”
“I said ‘maybe,’ and you immediately take it as a fact? You little brat.”
…
He Yu and the girls started fooling around. Since Gu Yu couldn’t participate, his gaze subconsciously drifted toward the distance, landing once again on Luo Ming, who was smiling and chatting with her neighbor.
She was wearing a plain white mid-sleeve shirt with a thin jacket over it. On her lower half was a white skirt that barely covered her knees and blue-and-white canvas shoes. Her calves were slender and fair, looking like translucent, polished jade.
Gu Yu took a couple of glances before withdrawing his gaze. The girls had stopped their rowdiness, and a new topic was directed at him.
“Gu Yu, where are you planning to go for college?” one of the girls asked.
“Linyang. I’ll be satisfied if my grades can get me in there.”
“Linyang is pretty good; it’s a key university. But why not aim a little higher? Who knows, you might end up at the same school as He Yu.”
“I don’t think so. Boss He’s grades are so good; there’s no chance.”
“Then do you mind a long-distance relationship? Let me tell you, our little Yu has a bit of a temper and high standards. You’re the only guy she’s on good terms with; you have to seize the opportunity.”
“Yu Hua, why are you so concerned about my love life today? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tear your mouth apart later?” He Yu pointed her chopsticks at the girl, baring her teeth in a mock-angry expression.
“Gu Yu, look at her. She’s so scary. How is she ever going to get married like this? Why don’t you consider it?”
Gu Yu chuckled awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.
He Yu tugged at his sleeve. “Ignore her, Gu Yu. This girl has a severe case of Love Brain.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I don’t mind.”
“Then, Little Yu, what kind of guy do you like? Should Sister find one for you?”
“I like someone who isn’t too smart, is handsome, and doesn’t mess around with other girls. Know anyone like that?”
Yu Hua covered her mouth and let out a few giggles, glancing at Gu Yu. “Regarding those points… other than being smart, Gu Yu seems to fit them all perfectly.”
“How is he smart? He’s as dense as a block of wood.”
“Fine, fine. So Gu Yu isn’t smart. Doesn’t that mean he perfectly meets your requirements?”
“I am definitely going to tear your mouth apart later and then sew it back shut,” He Yu said huffily.
“There she goes again. What about you, Gu Yu? What kind of girl do you like?”
“Me? I…” Gu Yu glanced sideways, his eyes instinctively landing on Luo Ming. He happened to meet the girl’s gaze. It was as calm as a pool of still water—transparent at a glance, yet seemingly hiding something deeper.
Gu Yu looked back and answered, “I think I like someone who is a bit more gentle.”
“I think Little Yu is quite gentle with you,” another girl chimed in.
“Yu Xin, do you want to lose your mouth too?”
“I’m Boss He’s subordinate. How could I have any improper thoughts about her?” Gu Yu replied with a joke.
Apart from being so lively that she was sometimes a bit eccentric, the girl was almost perfect. She was beautiful, sensible, easy to talk to, and a little rich girl to boot. If it weren’t for Luo Ming, his feelings for He Yu—which were already more than just friends—might have actually upgraded into those of lovers.
But he would only like her; he would not accept the young girl’s feelings. She was far too dazzling. Being her friend was already a relationship he had never expected; to go a step further felt like a transgression. The inferiority complex deep in his bones would always make him retreat.
“Alright, alright. Stop teasing this dummy.”
He Yu stopped the girls from continuing their jokes and waved to a well-dressed waiter by the door. Soon after, several male waiters entered pushing food carts.
Gu Yu scanned his surroundings and realized his position was indeed conspicuous. Sitting next to the host at the main table as the only male, he frequently received ambiguous glances from others.
“Do you want me to call Luo Ming over?” He Yu whispered into his ear.