Chapter 14: Ex-Classmates

Mu Rong Shu and I went to Hong Xing, which was a fairly well known restaurant that served dim sum. We had managed to book a table there, just barely. When Mu Rong Shu called, the waitress told her that almost the entire place was booked and we were lucky to get a table.

Fortunately, the Mu Rong family had connections and so Mu Rong Shu was able to get a VIP table. Unlike the regular tables that had been reserved in mass by whatever group, the VIP tables were still free. Apparently VIP tables were not available for mass bookings. Whatever the case, Mu Rong Shu secured us a VIP table and we went there to celebrate the tournament results.

"Congratulations on your win, wife," I told her as we walked hand in hand toward the restaurant. She smiled and leaned against me, her head on my shoulder.

"You did a great job too!"

"I got lucky, that's all."

"You give yourself too little credit."

"Well, most of it is thanks to you. Without your help and support, I wouldn't have gotten this far."

"Aw…you're so sweet, dear." Mu Rong Shu gave my arm a squeeze. Then she let go. "I've to go to the ladies' for a bit. Wait for me here, okay, dear?"

"Yes, wife."

I saluted and watched her go. Leaning against a wall, I patiently waited for her. While I did so, I heard someone call out to me.

"Hey, isn't that Zhao Huan Shi?!"

Turning around, I caught sight of a large group of people sauntering into the restaurant lobby. I immediately recognized them as my ex-classmates from high school.

"Tong Xue. It's been a while."

"It has indeed! I didn't think you'll show up for the class gathering!"

"What class gathering?" I asked blankly. Tong Xue looked confused, only for another ex-classmate, Duo Lin, to speak up.

"We didn't invite him. We sort of lost contact with Zhao Huan Shi a few years ago."

"Yeah." A female classmate, Ling Ruo Xue, added with a sneer. "After Zhao Huan Shi was kicked out of his family three years ago, we kind of thought he was dead."

"Yeah," Mei Hua added. "A loser like him, we didn't think he was worthy of inviting to this high school class gathering."

"Then what is he doing here?" Qiang Da demanded, glaring at me with his hands on his hips. "How did you find out about the class gathering? Tong Xue, did you tell him about it?"

"Eh? No, I didn't. I assumed you guys already invited him…"

"Nobody invited me," I interrupted. My former classmates glared at me. Most of them, anyway. Poor Tong Xue was still looking confused.

"You…!" Ling Ruo Xue jabbed a finger at me. "You were stalking me! That's the only reason! Zhao Huan Shi, I told you that you're not worthy! I've rejected you over and over again! Stop stalking me and leave me alone!"

"Uh, I didn't stalk you. I didn't even know you were here. Besides, I moved on years ago."

Listening to Ling Ruo Xue ranting, I couldn't help but sigh and cringe at my dark past. Back in high school, I used to have a crush on her because she was the most beautiful girl in class. She cruelly rejected me in front of everybody, humiliating me by reading out my love letter and then tearing it. Then she got Qiang Da and the other guys to beat me up. They failed, of course, but because I wasn't allowed to use cultivation techniques on regular people, I didn't beat them up either. I escaped unhurt, and they ended up believing that I was only good at running.

They didn't realize I was trying to show them mercy.

"You moved on years ago?" Ling Ruo Xue scoffed. "What a tall tale? Yet you somehow show up wherever I go!"

"This is the first time I've seen you since graduating from high school," I replied, annoyed. "Running into you once in like seven years can't be anything other than a coincidence."

"Well…" Tong Xue cleared his throat, trying to diplomatically stop the rest of the class from harassing me. He forced a smile. "You look well, Huan Shi. Seems like you've improved since the last time we spoke…what was it, three years ago?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm doing fine."

Unlike the others, I had maintained contact with Tong Xue periodically. But even then, I sort of lost touch after I was exiled from the Zhao family and got married. In fact, most of my former classmates cut off contact with me after I was disowned by the Zhao family.

"Heh…I thought you would be suffering after being kicked out of your family," Mei Hua said, studying my clothing. "But you still seem to be enjoying life. You must have gotten a good job or something."

"Huan Shi has always been smart," Tong Xue pointed out. He was the only guy on my side. "It makes sense that he would climb up in his career quickly."

My career actually consisted of reclaiming ancient relics and treasures while running an antique store as a front, but I couldn't exactly tell them that.

"Hmm…"

Perhaps Ling Ruo Xue recognized the brand of my clothing – I certainly didn't. Most of my clothing was bought for me by my wife. I allowed her to choose my clothing, with some exceptions. She knew my favorite color, black, but she chided me about it and picked clothing of other color. By and large, I wore whatever she told me to wear, and today was no different because it was a special occasion. Apparently the brand of clothing I was wearing was well known, for Ling Ruo Xue looked impressed.

"I'll let you have the honor of asking me out," she said, greed glinting in her eyes. She was after my money, I could sense it.

"Uh, sorry." I shook my head. "I'm already married. I'm not going to cheat on my wife."

"What?"

"You're already married?"

"Since when?!" Tong Xue asked, his jaw dropping. "Why didn't you invite us to the wedding?!"

"Since three years ago. And…we didn't exactly hold a wedding ceremony." Mostly because I had no family to invite to the ceremony and Mu Rong Shu and I agreed to keep a low profile.

"Impossible!" Ling Ruo Xue snapped, glowering at me. "You can't possibly be married! A pathetic loser like you! A wimpy nerd like you has no appeal at all! No girl will ever like you, let alone be willing to marry a spineless trash like you!"

"Dear, I'm back…" Mu Rong Shu paused when she spotted the ex-classmates surrounding me, their expressions in disbelief. She frowned in puzzlement. "Who are these people?"

"Just some people I knew from high school," I replied. "Ex-classmates. This is Tong Xue."

"Uh, hi." Tong Xue was dumbstruck, probably by how beautiful Mu Rong Shu was. "Um, you are…?"

"Oh, I'm Mu Rong Shu. I'm Huan Shi's wife. Nice to meet you." Mu Rong Shu took the hint when Tong Xue was the only one I introduced to her, and she shook his hand while ignoring the rest. The effect was more than enough, for everyone began murmuring amongst themselves in disbelief.

"How can this be?!"

"Did you see Zhao Huan Shi's wife?! She's even more beautiful than our class flower, Ling Ruo Xue!"

"Lucky bastard…!"

"When did they get married!? He said three years ago, but how come none of us knew about this?"

"We cut off all contact with him after he was kicked out of the Zhao family…but something must have happened in between!"

"This can't be true!" Ling Ruo Xue shrieked. Then she jabbed a finger at me. "I know! You must have hired this slut to put on act with you! You somehow found out about the class gathering, stalked me, and then decided to hire this slut and perform, just so you can get back at me for rejecting you! To embarrass us!"

"You think too highly of yourself," I said dryly. "Why the fuck would I waste so much time, effort and money just to…I don't know, show off? And like I said, I didn't even know you were holding a class gathering here. Nobody told me."

"Ah, I recognize your voice." Mu Rong Shu stared at Ling Ruo Xue icily. "I heard you earlier. Something about how no girl would marry Huan Shi?"

She then produced a marriage certificate and showed it to my ex-classmates, who were rendered dumbfounded.

"Here's our marriage certificate. Is this not enough proof for you? And look at the date. Three years ago. So unless you're suggesting my husband somehow predicted that you would hold a class gathering right here, right at this time in three years after marrying me, I'll have to say that you're completely deluded."

"T…that doesn't mean he…he isn't stalking me!" Ling Ruo Xue spluttered stubbornly. She turned on me. "So you decided to bring your beautiful wife to show her off and gloat over us?! You arrogant…!"

"I'm not sure you have the right to condemn anyone for arrogance," Tong Xue muttered under his breath.

"You telling us this is a coincidence?" Mei Hua snapped. "I find it hard to believe."

"It's the truth, though." Mu Rong Shu shrugged. "I was the one who called and reserved a table here in this restaurant. I was the one who suggested that we eat here." she turned to me. "Sorry, dear. I didn't think we would run into such…people. If I had known, I would have booked a different restaurant."

"Hah!" Ling Ruo Xue crowed, jabbing a finger at us triumphantly. "You lie! I caught you red handed! You're lying!"

"How are we lying?"

"We already booked the tables in the restaurant! There's no way you would have been able to make a reservation! It's fully booked!"

Mu Rong Shu glanced at me, bemused, and I shook my head before telling her. "There's no point arguing with them. It's a complete waste of time. Let's just go in."

"Yeah."

"Still acting until the very end?" Ling Ruo Xue laughed cruelly. "We'll see how your performance falls apart when the waitress turns you away at the entrance!"

"We're here for the VIP table," Mu Rong Shu told the waitress, who checked through the tablet and confirmed our identity. She nodded and bowed politely.

"This way, please."

"What…what?!" Ling Ruo Xue spluttered. The rest of my classmates watched in disbelief when the waitress led me and my wife to the VIP table, which was located in a private room separated from the rest of the restaurant.

"VIP room?!" Qiang Da exclaimed incredulously.

"Who the hell did Zhao Huan Shi marry?!" Mei Hua demanded. "Who is that woman!? Her background can't be simple if she has access to the VIP room in Hong Xing Restaurant!"

"Why would someone of her background and status marry a loser like Zhao Huan Shi?!" Ling Ruo Xue shrieked.

At that moment, Mu Rong Shu poked her head out of the door of the VIP room to smile at her.

"Oh, you claim to be the girl who rejected my husband back in high school? I must thank you." She bowed mockingly. "If you didn't dump him, I would never have a chance to marry such an amazing person like him. Thank you very much. You essentially gave him to me! This is a debt of gratitude I can never repay."

Then she disappeared back into the VIP room. Outside, Ling Ruo Xue sank to her knees, clutching her face in speechless incredulity.

"This can't be!" she wailed.

"That's what you get for looking down on other people," Tong Xue sneered scornfully before turning away and leaving our former classmates in disgust.