Chapter 172: A hasty ending

"Where's my Yunchen? Yunchen, you're here! Come on, follow me to that table, all our good friends are there!" Tian Chou's loud voice echoed through the room, clearly unaware of Jiang Hai's presence. Had he heard Jiang Hai's poem, he might not have been so cocky. The reason he was still getting taken advantage of was simple: first, to show off in front of his old classmates, and second, because of Feng Yunchen.

To Jiang Hai, Tian Chou's tastes were no different from Fu Yuan's—both were drawn to that kind of thing.

Tian Chou had liked Feng Yunchen since middle school, and at first, everyone assumed it was because of her stellar academic performance. But as time passed, people realized that Tian Chou had long since known that Feng Yunchen was not only smart but also quite attractive. Unfortunately, her glasses, old-fashioned clothes, and braces hid her beauty. As the saying goes, "Braces may be charming, but my sister has such strong legs."

After entering university, Tian Chou tried everything to pursue her, but Feng Yunchen would rather be anyone's mistress than be with him, which bothered him the most. What troubled him even more was that he couldn't afford to offend the man beside her.

Though Tian Chou's family was made up of small-time officials, they weren't exactly poor, yet they couldn't compare to the wealthy business magnates. He thought Feng Yunchen looked down on him because of this. After all, she had been developing in the capital in recent years, and he, a lazy toad, had no chance of eating the swan's meat.

However, he believed that today might be his chance. It was New Year's, and Feng Yunchen had nowhere to go; her father was still back in the capital. This was the time when a beautiful woman might feel lonely, and he saw it as the perfect opportunity to shine and win her over in one fell swoop.

This was why he'd decided to host the class reunion and, to his frustration, agreed to be the scapegoat.

As for Jiang Hai, who sat beside Feng Yunchen... well, he had temporarily forgotten who he was.

At first, he had assumed that calling Feng Yunchen over would be a given. But the moment she spoke, he realized he'd overestimated himself. "I won't go. I'm not very familiar with them. I'd rather stay here and chat with my old deskmate. You go ahead and call the others. Don't worry about me."

"Uh..." Tian Chou was stunned. He had thought of many possible responses, but never this one.

For a moment, he was speechless and then glanced at Jiang Hai. He couldn't help but feel that Feng Yunchen hadn't come over just to use Jiang Hai as a shield. Nevertheless, his dislike for Jiang Hai only grew.

"Hey, Mr. Tian, come on. Let's sit over there and come back later." The study committee member, a tall guy named Sun, approached with a sweet smile, guiding Tian Chou toward the main table. Although Tian Chou was reluctant to leave, it wasn't easy to refuse. He could only walk over with an awkward smile and sit down, but his gaze kept flicking toward Feng Yunchen.

Now that everyone had arrived, it was time to start the feast. Three long tables full of food had been delivered, and, naturally, Fu Yuan and Xiang Hua sat with Jiang Hai. They were a small group, so they ended up together. The lavish spread in front of them made everyone quietly exclaim to themselves that they'd definitely gotten their money's worth. The four-star hotel was a well-known institution in Bingcheng.

Naturally, many people had come just for the food, and upon seeing the spread, those who were fawning over Tian Chou became even more excited.

"Boss Tian, look at this lobster! It's huge! This must cost a fortune." A voice from Tian Chou's table exclaimed as they pointed to the giant lobster in the middle.

The dishes Tian Chou had arranged were indeed not cheap. The centerpiece was the massive lobster, accompanied by plenty of other seafood like vermicelli clams, garlic shrimp, oysters, cold jellyfish, sea cucumber fried with scallions, and steamed sturgeon. Additionally, there were several home-cooked dishes: celery with cashews, grilled beef tenderloin, braised pork elbow, cold tiger vegetables, braised lion head, blanched baby cabbage, fried stuffed eggplant, and two platters—one featuring braised meats in a secret sauce, and the other a cold platter of beef, chicken scraps, and red sausage. Excluding the rice, there were a total of sixteen dishes. With ten people at the table, there was far too much food to finish.

The other dishes were fine, but the lobster was something else. At 60 centimeters long (not including its whiskers), it looked intimidating and was, without a doubt, an expensive luxury in China.

"Of course, I had the hotel reserve these three lobsters. Each one is over two feet long—Boston lobsters from Maine, USA. They're quite valuable locally. Here, one costs 4,888 yuan," Tian Chou boasted proudly.

Naturally, everyone at his table flattered him, praising the lavish spread, and ate with even more gusto.

At Jiang Hai's table, however, Fu Yuan looked at the lobster and commented while eating, "Tsk, is this thing really expensive?"

"It's alright, it is indeed a Boston lobster, but the price depends on the timing. A lobster this size would probably cost about fifty dollars in the market, which is roughly over three hundred yuan. But here, you can eat as much as you want. My lobster stock is endless," Jiang Hai casually remarked, comparing it to his usual meals. He really liked lobster but was more accustomed to it abroad.

"Hey, Tian Datou really lives up to his name—4,888 for one lobster? Back home, you could buy sixteen lobsters for that much!" Xiang Hua laughed at Jiang Hai's comment, but no matter how much he laughed, this lobster was still a rare treat in China, so he picked up a claw and began to eat.

Jiang Hai, however, was more fond of the other meat dishes. While he had enjoyed seafood before moving to Boston, he had eaten it nearly every day over the past six months—different kinds of fish and steaks. However, American chefs lacked flair, and beef, whether fried or stewed, was often made from low-quality cuts. At his estate, only high-quality beef was used, so it was always grilled. As for seafood, it was mostly fried, grilled, or made into soups. He wasn't tired of it, but he was eager to try authentic Chinese cuisine once again.

Although the beef in China wasn't up to his standards, it was still real Chinese food—something he hadn't had in a while. Despite his sleepiness, the delicious smells stirred his hunger.

Noticing that Jiang Hai was avoiding seafood and beef, Feng Yunchen, who sat beside him, laughed. "Seems like you really eat these things all the time over there and have lost interest in seafood."

"Well, haha, these things have shells and whatnot, and I'm too lazy to deal with them," Jiang Hai replied, embarrassed to explain his wealth. After a moment of thought, he found an excuse.

"I'll help you. People like us don't get to eat much every day. We're hungry all the time. So, instead of eating, I'll just enjoy the smell." Feng Yunchen smiled as she spoke and, without missing a beat, picked up two shrimps from the garlic shrimp plate, removing the heads, legs, and shells before placing them on Jiang Hai's plate.

When she did this, everyone at the table paused. Jiang Hai became the center of attention. Initially, the boys were happy just to be sitting with Feng Yunchen, but now they felt a little jealous. Fu Yuan and Xiang Hua exchanged knowing looks and smirked.

Although Jiang Hai had nothing going on with her, it felt awkward not to eat the shrimp she had served. After a moment's hesitation, he smiled, picked up the shrimp, and ate it. Seeing him eat, Feng Yunchen's smile grew brighter, and she continued to serve him more shrimp.

The silence caught the attention of the people at the main table, and when Tian Chou saw what was happening, his heart sank. He had spent tens of thousands just to make Feng Yunchen smile, but she smiled at someone else. It was as if he'd arranged a wedding, bought a house, and decorated it, only for Jiang Hai to walk in and take everything. It felt like betrayal, but no matter how angry he was, Jiang Hai was no longer in China.

This tension didn't last long. As the first boy stood up to toast, the atmosphere returned to lively chatter. It wasn't clear if Jiang Hai had become the target of public envy for winning Feng Yunchen's favor, but he handled it all with grace. His resistance to alcohol was almost superhuman, and since he only drank beer, he managed to avoid making a fool of himself.

Time passed, and by 10 p.m., many wanted to go to a KTV or continue drinking until dawn. However, Jiang Hai, feeling sleepy, was ready to leave. Tian Chou, thinking his chance had arrived again, was surprised when Feng Yunchen also decided to leave. This left him alone, drifting in the wind, although several female classmates still showed interest.

To be continued...