Chapter 54 – Equal Social Rank

Saturday evening, 8PM.

Song Yu opened the door.

He’d changed into an elegant white suit paired with a blue tie. The suit fit his body well and slimmed his figure, making his entire person appear tall and noble. His features were exquisite and handsome, and when his face was expressionless, it held a kind of arrogance and coldness that could only be seen on those who’d lived luxuriously from childhood.

He sat in the co-pilot seat.

Song Yu frowned and asked, “When did Qin Mo come to Jing City? What’s he doing in Jing City?”

Meng Guang wasn’t very clear about this either. “He came a few days ago. Actually, I’m quite curious about it too. Why didn’t this big young master who was living well in A City remain there? What’s he coming here for? Do you two know each other? If you do, then you can ask him about it.”

Song Yu: “Forget it. Getting to know him is annoying.”

Meng Guang laughed out loud, “Yet you insist that there’s nothing between you. Your tone’s clearly bitter and hostile. In fact, if you don’t want to go, we can just head back. I’ll take you to a good place instead.”

Song Yu had been tricked by him last time. He looked at him with suspicion, then shook his head, “Compared with listening to you singing, I’d rather be annoyed by him instead.”

Meng Guang: “……”

The car drove towards Fuguang Hotel.

The garden at the entrance to the hotel was elegant and fresh, and the water flowing from the fountain sparkled with the lights from the street lamps.

Meng Guang led him inside after stopping the car. There were reception staff standing at the gold-and-silver entrance.

They accepted their invitations and led them to the lounge on the second floor.

“Speaking of which, this is the first time you’ve appeared in the public eye since coming to Jing City.”

After mentioning this, Meng Guang grew curious, “Actually, I can’t figure it out. You transferred schools and came to Jing City as soon as you left the hospital. What for?”

What for?

It was for Xie Sui.

However, this answer certainly couldn’t be spoken out loud.

Song Yu: “Switching environments to study at ease.”

Meng Guang: “???”

Meng Guang: “How fierce, cousin.”

This welcome banquet for Qin Mo was hosted by the Wang Family. Although the Wang Family and the Meng Family had some disagreements between them due to Wang Ci, they were both powerful families in Jing City. A superficial level of respect had to be maintained, so they’d still sent over an invitation letter.

Since the main character of this banquet hadn’t arrived, it hadn’t yet begun. Even so, many people in the hall had started to exchange conventional greetings.

Those who’d come to participate all wanted to establish some sort of relationship with Qin Mo. If they had children who were of a similar age to Qin Mo, then they would bring them along; their intentions weren’t openly declared, but they were tacitly understood.

“Sit here for now. I’m going to go meet with a few people.”

“Okay.”

The lounge consisted of a few connected rooms that shared an open balcony.

The adults were all negotiating amongst each other downstairs, and those on the second floor mostly consisted of the children they’d brought along. A burst of laughter sounded from outside the glass doors.

Song Yu sat back on the sofa and played with his cell phone. His cell phone was almost out of battery after playing for a while, so he started looking everywhere for a phone charger. He’d originally planned to go out to find a waiter and ask, but he unexpectedly ran into Bai Xuexin when he went out to the stairwell.

Bai Xuexin was also stunned when she saw him.

She was dressed up very glamorously today. Her dress was gorgeous, and her makeup was perfect. It was clear with a glance that she’d prepared well.

There was an indescribable shock in her tone.

“Song Yu? What are you doing here?”

There was another equally wealthy girl standing beside her. She frowned, “Xinxin, do you know him? This person… how come he looks quite unfamiliar?”

There were only so many powerful families in Jing City, so everyone was basically familiar with each other after going back and forth and attending various occasions together since childhood.

Song Yu’s impression of Bai Xuexin was ‘a girl that had a problem with her brain who wanted to chase Xie Sui and had therefore come to ask him about it’. He didn’t feel much goodwill towards her, but neither did he feel much disgust. He glanced at her and nodded, which could be considered a polite response.

Then, he went downstairs to look for a phone charger.

Bai Xuexin’s expression wasn’t particularly good.

The girl beside her grew interested, “Is he called Song Yu? His name sounds good, and he’s also quite handsome. Xinxin, why didn’t you introduce me to this handsome guy?” Her words were spoken to Bai Xuexin in a pretty tone, but her line of sight was blatant and bold as it followed Song Yu.

After the previous incident in the canteen, Bai Xuexin was really fed up with Song Yu. She thought of some of the rumors at school and her tone grew cold and disdainful, “He seems to be a relative of the Meng Family. He came to Jing City during summer vacation, but nobody introduced him when he arrived.”

The two phrases ‘relative’ and ‘nobody introduced him’ were enough to dispel any interest the nearby girls had. After all, these girls who hung out with Bai Xuexin all had similar world views. A poor relative of the Meng Family wasn’t worth paying attention to.

“Oh, so it’s like that.”

Song Yu borrowed a phone charger from a waiter then went back to the second floor lounge. However, others had taken over the lounge while he was gone.

He could only settle for the second best alternative, so he went out to the balcony outside and found himself a corner where he could sit and continue playing on his cell phone. This area was very big, and his spot was very far away from the crowd, ensuring that others wouldn’t come over to disturb him.

He was so bored that he started to harass Xie Sui.

[ Your Husband, Brother Yu: We change seats after the monthly exams. Do you know about this? ]

[ Xie Sui: Mm ]

[ Your Husband, Brother Yu: Do you have any thoughts about it? Do you want to continue being deskmates? ]

He tossed out an olive branch.

[ Xie Sui: I don’t have any opinions. Whatever works [smile] ]

[ Your Husband, Brother Yu: …… ]

The olive branch broke with a snapping sound.

Song Yu held his cell phone between his fingers and was momentarily filled with anger; it was the type where he grew angrier the more he thought about it.

Whatever works? To hell with your whatever works!

Do you know that I went up against Wang Ci back then in order to become your deskmate?!

[ Your Husband, Brother Yu: You’re really arbitrary! ]

Xie Sui was sitting in the back of a taxi.

The neon lights swept backwards, and the night was deep.

The fierce temper in his heart that had been triggered by certain things faded away, and his lips began to curve upwards.

[ Xie Sui: To be exact, it’s whatever works for you ]

[ Song Yu: ? ]

[ Xie Sui: I do have an opinion, but I’m afraid you won’t be willing. ]

Song Yu’s fingertips paused, and he stared at that line of text for a long time. He didn’t know why, but he thought of Xie Sui’s hoarse voice when he spoke into his ear that day at the KTV.

He fell into a trance.

Wasn’t it just about changing deskmates?

Why was he talking about it so strangely.

[ Your Husband, Brother Yu: ??? ]

[ Your Husband, Brother Yu: Just directly say that you’re willing, hey. Actually, the teacher asked me before about whether or not he should continue arranging for us to sit together. I don’t mind, so it’s up to you. ]

[ Xie Sui: Mm. I don’t mind ]

[ Xie Sui: Where are you now? ]

Song Yu was stunned for a moment. How did the topic change so quickly? He looked back behind him at the lawn and the fountain that was shining in the moonlight and lights.

[ Song Yu: I’m at Fuguang, a hotel. ]

[ Xie Sui: I’ll come find you. ]

[ Song Yu: ??? ]

[ Song Yu: Are you looking for me for something? ]

[ Xie Sui: I want to see you. ]

These words sent Song Yu into another daze. He held his cell phone and was thoroughly confused. What was going on with Xie Sui? Why did he want to come find him in the evening?

But when he thought about how he would blindly look for topics to talk about when he didn’t have anything else to say, Xie Sui’s reason for coming to find him didn’t seem too overboard…

Also, could it be that something had happened to Xie Sui? Was he in need of his comfort?

In any case, he’d only come to this party because he wanted to see the Gong #1 whose scum-like behavior in the book had made him so angry that his liver hurt.

He’d leave after seeing him. He’d be suffering for nothing if he stayed.

[ Your Husband, Brother Yu: Okay ]

[ Your Husband, Brother Yu: People without invitation letters can’t come in tonight. Wait for me at the entrance, I’ll go out to find you at nine. ]

Xie Sui quietly laughed out loud when he received Song Yu’s message. He’d already made up a whole set of statements, yet in the end, Song Yu didn’t ask him any questions and had agreed directly, even taking the initiative to suggest coming out to see him.

Xie Sui was laughing, but his eyes seemed to grow colder?

He’d only learned the news that Qin Mo had come to Jing City tonight, including the news about the banquet at Fuguang.

He was worried that Song Yu would encounter Qin Mo, so he’d obtained an invitation letter for tonight, wanting to go and pick Song Yu up and bring him out.

The way he’d been treated during high school in his previous life was still deeply embedded in his memories.

Even when Qin Mo had been crying and shedding bitter tears of regret right in front of him as he’d made his apologies later on, Xie Sui had only felt disgusted.

There was really no need to apologize.

After all, he would repay all of it.

He’d had dealings with Qin Mo before.

Knowing the inferiority he felt in his bones, Qin Mo liked to play with people’s hearts, liked trampling on other people’s pride, and liked pretending to be gentle and considerate when pursuing his prey, then tossing them away when he was tired of them.

He didn’t want this child of his to meet such a madman at all. Even just one glance would dirty him.

*

“Brother Yu?”

Song Yu suddenly heard someone calling out to him. He lifted his head and saw Jiang Chunian standing nearby, looking at him with surprise and shock. Her hair had been lightly curled and she was wearing an aqua-blue dress.

Wasn’t she their Chinese class representative who acted like a prophet?

Although they weren’t familiar, Song Yu would still show respect to a fellow classmate. He even pulled out a chair for her when he saw that she was coming over.

Jiang Chunian sat down next to him, her eyes bright, “Is it really you? Originally, I wasn’t sure.”

Song Yu: “Mm.”

Jiang Chunian: “Brother Yu, were you just sitting here for a long time playing on your cell phone without going out to chat with anyone?”

Song Yu replied languidly, “The signal is good here.”

Jiang Chunian showed an understanding expression. She’d long classified Song Yu as a little pitiful person who was attending a banquet in Jing City for the first time, didn’t know anyone, and was awkwardly left on his own. She felt that Brother Yu was too miserable, so she took out her cell phone very righteously and said, “I’ll keep you company. I don’t have anything to talk about with them anyway.”

Song Yu glanced at her. He always had the feeling that she was coming up with some messy scenarios in her brain.

At this time, there was a disdainful sneer from the group of girls who surrounded Bai Xuexin like stars around the moon.

Bai Xuexin originally hadn’t wanted to pay any attention to Song Yu, but now there were two people she disliked sitting together. She’d really be wasting this great opportunity if she didn’t take advantage of it to make trouble.

In fact, she and Jiang Chunian hadn’t seen eye to eye for a long time. They were both from similar backgrounds and of similar ages, but while she’d always looked down on this type of silly and sweet character, that group of old women all preferred it.

Her red lips formed words of mockery.

“Jiang Chunian, have you finally found a suitable place for yourself?”

Jiang Chunian rolled her eyes.

Everyone on the balcony knew each other. Jiang Chunian had always gone head-to-head with them and hadn’t integrated into their group, and Song Yu had just arrived at Jing City. The two of them were out of place here and the situation seemed especially embarrassing when they became the focus of everyone’s attention,

Bai Xuexin was holding a glass of wine in her hand. She smiled as she sipped from it, “This is great. The daughter of a nouveau riche and a poor relative of the Meng Family sitting together—it’s really quite a good fit.”

Jiang Chunian grew angry when she heard the words ‘nouveau riche’, but her anger instantly disappeared when she heard the words ‘good fit’. She glanced at the exquisite and elegant young man beside her and blushed, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Since God Xie wasn’t here, she could quietly indulge her young girl’s heart for a moment!

Song Yu: “……”

Bai Xuexin: “……”

She was really helpless against this silly and sweet character!

Her snide remark was rendered ineffective, but Bai Xuexin wouldn’t stop there. She sneered, “Do you think I’m praising you? Don’t you feel embarrassed? You shouldn’t try to integrate into a circle you don’t belong to. You’re both like two ugly ducklings, did you come here just to become the butt of a joke? There’s no way for you to join in on the conversation, so you went over here to play on your cell phones—don’t you know, the more you try to cover up your uneasiness, the more pathetic you appear.”

The people around her all laughed out loud. Bai Xuexin dared to say these kinds of words because there weren’t many pure and good-hearted people left in the area.

Song Yu slowly turned off his cell phone, his actions steady. There was a shy, red-faced companion beside him who had zero combat effectiveness, and it was clear that there was no hope of relying on her to fight back.

He asked lightly—

“Which circle is it that I shouldn’t integrate into?”

Bai Xuexin slowly set down the goblet in her hand.

“It’s not exactly a circle.”

Her tone of voice held a sense of superiority that couldn’t be hidden.

“The Meng Family brought you to this banquet, but it doesn’t mean that you’re someone from the Meng Family. Can you understand the topics we talk about? A social class that you can’t integrate into is something you won’t be able to join in this lifetime. You shouldn’t come to participate in this kind of event next time.”

“Don’t blame me for saying so much. There aren’t very many people here now and we’re all of similar ages, so the current situation isn’t too shameful for you. I only wanted to remind you of this out of respect for Xie Sui. My words might not be nice to hear, but they’re still reasonable. Social rank should be considered when marrying into a proper family, and it’s the same concept when it comes to social intercourse.”

She smiled meaningfully after she finished speaking, her eyes filled with disdain.

Song Yu got it. He sneered, “How fierce. In that case, it’s really difficult for me to have a conversation with you.”

Bai Xuexin’s smile hadn’t yet fully formed on her face.

Song Yu continued indifferently—

“I’m afraid that I’d have to cut off the father-child relationship with my father or have him stop operating a dozen or so companies in order to be of equal social status and engage in social intercourse with you.”

“…………”

The reaction from the crowd of people watching the excitement.

Although she clearly knew that he was exaggerating, his tone was enough to make her half dead from anger and disgust.

Bai Xuexin was unable to control her fury, “You—!”

Jiang Chunian finally recovered from wallowing in her young girl’s heart. Her small face grew cold and icy and her tone was irritated, “Do you know what I hate about you the most? It’s this disgusting attitude where you act like you’re so lofty and superior.”

Bai Xuexin was so angry she was smiling. She raised her glass again, “How am I acting lofty and superior? I’m kindly advising him to go home, yet you’re judging me? You’ll understand the pains I’m taking now when he makes a fool of himself in front of everyone later on. Jiang Chunian, is it because you always sit by yourself and do nothing but eat every time you attend a banquet, with nobody paying attention to you, that you want to find someone to join you and keep you company in your embarrassment?”

“People with low self-esteem always make things difficult for others and act superior. Let’s just talk about the wine in my hand. Can you say what it’s called? Do you know how much money it costs per bottle? You only know how to study from books, I bet your teacher never taught you this, right?”

“I won’t talk about you. I’ll just talk about Song Yu. A child from an ordinary family. You likely won’t even be able to buy a single bottle or drink a single sip of this wine in your lifetime.” She smiled slightly, then poured the wine onto the floor. “But I’m different.”

“If I talk to you about where it was made or how it tastes, we won’t be able to hold any sort of conversation at all.”

“Champagne, music, cakes, design—they’re all things you’ve never seen before. After saying so much, Song Yu, do you understand what I mean?”

Song Yu: “……”

Song Yu: “666.”

Bai Xuexin: “???”

She was so angry that she almost crushed the wine goblet. She’d spoken so much! Yet Song Yu just sent her a bunch of 666?!!!

“Why are you all here? What are you guys talking about so happily? Go downstairs quickly, the party is about to start.”

This gentle voice that seemed to hold laughter came from a tall young man in a blue suit.

Song Yu felt that he looked familiar, then soon remembered who he was. He was the Young Master of the Wei Family who he’d met back then in Linshui.

He was part of his elder cousin’s disreputable gang.

The Wei Family was the leader of Jing City’s service industry, and Linshui and Fuguang were both businesses under their banner.

Bai Xuexin’s proud appearance disappeared with a glance. She smiled bashfully, “Big Brother Wei.”

Song Yu’s tone was very natural.

“I’m listening to Miss Bai show off her wealth.”

Bai Xuexin: “……”

Wei Ze: “???”

Jiang Chunian burst out laughing.

“The wine that I can’t afford in my lifetime was poured directly onto the ground. She really has a lot of money.” Song Yu closed his cell phone and said lightly, “So I propose that Miss Bai pay for all the spending during the banquet this evening. Everyone should be alright with that, right? If nobody has any opinions, it’s decided.”

Bai Xuexin: “…………”

“Pfft—”

The light sound of laughter rang out. It came from the young man who’d walked out behind Wei Ze.

He wore a silver suit and his hair was cut short. His laughter felt like a spring breeze.