Chapter 275: A Secret Incident During College

Xiao Qidi circulated Internal Strength to protect his body in an instant.

Only a muffled thud was heard.

The alloy baseball bat struck his head.

Yet he stood unmoving, while the greasy-haired man felt his palm go numb from the shock and the baseball bat slipped from his grasp.

The greasy-haired man's right hand had two fingers broken; his left hand ached and went numb, making him suffer terribly, but compared to the shock to his spirit, these pains were nothing.

Xiao Qidi touched his hair messed up by the baseball bat and said, as if nothing had happened, "Now we're even, right?"

"You... you're human or..." the greasy-haired man stammered, stepping back two steps in fright, glancing at Xiao Qidi's shadow beside him, and swallowed the word "ghost."

Xiao Qidi ignored him further, turned and walked toward the hotel entrance.

The greasy-haired man stared fixedly at his back, spat, and snarled, "You gave me a start; as long as you're not a ghost, it's fine to talk, damn it... you know internal strength, right? Wait for me!"

Once he confirmed Xiao Qidi had entered the hotel ahead, the greasy-haired man ignored his female companion, started his sports car, and sped off.

The abandoned curly-haired woman struggled to her feet, tidied her dress a bit, and hurried into the hotel.

——

Inside a large private room of the hotel, five large round tables were set up.

Six or seven people sat at each table, totaling over thirty, all young men and women in their twenties.

These were Ning Jinli's classmates from university.

Aside from a few who couldn't be reached, basically everyone came.

It happened to be right after the Spring Festival, so everyone was basically free, and having graduated less than a year ago, many classmates still kept in touch.

During university, Ning Jinli rarely took part in social events or gatherings due to family circumstances, so over the four years she was practically half-invisible, her relations with classmates being ordinary, and she could count only two female classmates as friends.

Those two friends, after graduating last year, chose to go abroad for further study; they have been busy day and night for the past six months, and only now, having finally found time to return to China, they got in touch with Ning Jinli.

Had it not been for their invitation, Ning Jinli would not have planned to attend the class reunion.

At this moment everyone was dining, each table occupied by people who were on good terms or acquainted.

Ning Jinli and her two friends sat at the outermost table, which also had three males; because their relations with other classmates were average and they weren't notable figures in university, they chose to sit with Ning Jinli.

In the luxurious grand private room, aside from the table where Ning Jinli sat, the other four tables buzzed with lively atmosphere, drinking and chatting with great enthusiasm.

"Jinli, it's been half a year; I feel you've become even more beautiful than before," said the girl on Ning Jinli's left, wearing black-rimmed glasses, staring at her intently.

Ning Jinli felt a bit embarrassed, "Huh? Maybe it's just your imagination..."

The round-faced girl on her right giggled, "Although Xiao Yan's eyesight is usually poor, this time she's not wrong; I can vouch for it, Jinli, you really are more beautiful now—unlike me, who went abroad and picked an exhausting specialty, tormenting myself into looking old before my time."

Speaking of this, the girl called Xiao Yan also vented her grievances, saying that her chosen program was not only tough but its job prospects have worsened in recent months; she truly doesn't know whether she'll find work after completing her studies in a few years.

Ning Jinli pondered briefly, then asked, "Why not wait until you obtain your advanced degrees, then seek employment domestically? I believe China's development prospects are far better than those of any other country."

"Well, we'll see later," Xiao Yan said, adjusting her glasses, then changed the subject: "Jinli, Ting Ting, have you two found partners? Let me first declare that I'm still single, and I still hold the belief that no man in this world is good enough for me, and I've prepared myself to remain single and unmarried for life."

The round-faced girl wore a helpless expression, "Don't ask me; I've never had luck with the opposite sex. Jinli, you must keep your eyes open—don't ever misjudge again and end up with a scumbag like your ex-boyfriend."

Ning Jinli had already told her two friends about her breakup with her ex, so the girl called Ting Ting would remind her like that.

Before Ning Jinli could say anything, the private room door was suddenly pushed open.

"Sorry sorry, traffic held me up, I'm late..." a pleasant voice rang out.

Everyone fell silent and turned as one to look at the doorway.

What met everyone's eyes was a curly-haired beauty wearing an exquisite red high-end gown.

"Yah! Our class belle has arrived!" someone shouted.

"Si Ya, come, sit here," then a man in a suit stood up to greet her.

The few people at that man's table immediately helped move chairs, all showing great enthusiasm.

Her appearance instantly drew everyone's gaze.

Back in university, she was indeed regarded by most of the class as a great beauty, and thus in private they gave her the title of class belle.

Si Ya smoothed the strands of hair by her ears, took a quiet deep breath, and walked toward the table that had greeted her with a smile.

Ning Jinli couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

It wasn't because of her looks, nor because they had much prior interaction, but because she noticed an abnormal red mark on her cheek.

Although deliberately concealed by heavy makeup, it still didn't escape Ning Jinli's notice.

Si Ya sensed Ning Jinli's observing gaze, frowned slightly, and looked over.

Ning Jinli returned a polite, friendly smile.

Si Ya, however, flashed a cold look, exchanged a brief glance, then sat beside the man in the suit.

"Jinli, did you offend her?" Ting Ting whispered, "That look of hers is clearly off."

Ning Jinli looked bewildered, "Impossible; during the four years of university I never had any private contact with her—even if we crossed paths in class, when I greeted her she ignored me, and the number of times we've spoken can be counted on one hand."

Ting Ting glanced at Xiao Yan, "Ah... maybe she was actually looking at you just now?"

"Me?" Xiao Yan laughed, "I just, in that practical course once, couldn't stand her dawdling and affecting the team's progress, so I argued with her; it's been so long, and we're not kids anymore, surely we wouldn't still hold a grudge over that."

"Cough cough, maybe... I know the reason," said a male classmate with a square face sitting at the same table, speaking cautiously.

The few people at this table were never as lively as the others; from the start of the meal, only Ning Jinli and her two friends chatted softly, while the three males buried themselves in their food without uttering a word.

Now one of them suddenly spoke up, immediately piquing the interest of the three girls.

"What reason?" Ning Jinli asked.

The square-faced male glanced furtively around, then lowered his voice further: "Do you know why Si Ya is privately called the class belle by many in our class?"

Ning Jinli and her two friends looked at each other.

Ting Ting thought, then said, "What special reason could there be? Isn't it just because she has a good figure, knows how to dress, and is pretty? Think back when we first entered university—we freshmen were all country bumpkins, especially after military training, tsk tsk, we were tanned like monkeys, while only she remained radiant."

"Hehe..." another gentlemanly-looking male scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Actually I think, Jinli, you're far better-looking than she is..."

As soon as he said that, Ning Jinli froze, and her two friends immediately shot her gossipy looks.

Xiao Yan adjusted her glasses, staring at the refined male student who said Ning Jinli was prettier, "Jinli is prettier than her, that's beyond doubt, but don't you guys all like that flashy type? You suddenly saying this… could it be because you have a secret crush on our Jinli?"

The refined male student's face instantly turned red, and he hurriedly waved his hands, "No no no, don't misunderstand……"

Ting Ting immediately interjected, "Oh, you mean, with our Jinli being this pretty, you didn't even take a liking to her?"

The refined male student grew even more embarrassed, scratching his ear and cheek to indicate he didn't mean that.

Ning Jinli said, "You two, stop teasing him, or the topic will go off track—let's talk about something serious."

The square‑faced male student then continued, "It's like this: not long after the start of freshman year, our class monitor fell for Si Ya, and the title 'class belle' came from his mouth. He even privately asked the guys in our class whether she was the prettiest, and the result… over half of the guys said that Jinli, who doesn't dress up and just has her plain noodle hair, is actually prettier. The monitor got angry about that, you know—his family is wealthy and influential, we can't afford to offend him, so in the end we just went along with him and said Si Ya is our class belle……"

Ning Jinli stared, mouth agape, "There's actually something like that?"

Xiao Yan and Ting Ting spoke in unison, complaining, "You guys are really boring."

The other bare‑headed male student, who had been silent the whole time, now joined the conversation, continuing from what the square‑faced guy said: "Later, the monitor finally got Si Ya as he wished, but once when he celebrated her birthday and called us guys over to cheer, for some reason they had a falling out. The monitor got drunk, got angry, and blurted out that, in our class, the universally acknowledged prettiest person isn't her—it's Ning Jinli."

As this little inside story was spilled by the three guys, Ning Jinli and her two friends finally understood why Si Ya had been giving them that hostile look earlier.

However, Ning Jinli didn't take it to heart, indicating that the topic should end here and not be discussed further.

The refined male student, his face flushed from holding it in, summoned his courage and asked in a low voice, "Jinli, are you… still dating that someone?"

He was referring to Ning Jinli's ex‑boyfriend from college.

Ting Ting hehehed, "What, you want to go after our Jinli?"

The refined male student's ears turned red as well, and he stammered, not knowing how to speak.

The other two guys added, "Actually, this guy has liked Jinli for a long time already, but he's just too shy to show it. This time, it's because we two encouraged him that he dared to ask that."

So, his intention is quite clear.

Xiao Yan bluntly said, "Jinli and that bastard broke up ages ago; as for whether she has a boyfriend now, I was just asking earlier but haven't gotten an answer yet."

The refined male student's eyes instantly lit up with anticipation as he looked at Ning Jinli, "Well… how about after we eat, I… I'll take you three to KTV or play a murder‑mystery game?"

Ning Jinli sincerely said, "Thank you for your kindness, but I already have a boyfriend."

The refined male student froze, the light in his eyes quickly fading; his two friends also showed a look of regret, silently patting his shoulder.

Xiao Yan and Ting Ting were both surprised, and hurriedly asked Ning Jinli who her boyfriend was and why she hadn't told them sooner.

"Well… uh…" Ning Jinli showed a troubled expression, "It's a bit of a long story; I'll tell you both slowly when I have time……"

The existence of this boyfriend really puts her in a difficult spot.

She hasn't figured out how to make it up yet.

Surely she wouldn't tell her friends the truth, would she?

Tell them her significant other is Profound Ancestor Emperor Xiao Qidi?

The refined male student suddenly said, "Jinli, are you using this as a way to let me down gently? Actually… it's fine; even if you don't have a boyfriend, you're not into me, and I… can accept it—you don't need to go out of your way to spare my feelings."

Upon hearing that, Xiao Yan and Ting Ting both gave Ning Jinli a doubtful look.

Actually, that possibility is quite plausible, and the fact that Ning Jinli, when pressed by them, said it's a long story makes it even more suspicious.

"Let me say this, Jinli," Xiao Yan said solemnly, "People have laid it all out like this—shouldn't you also clarify things? If I remember correctly, those three all came from out of town to study at university in Xinghan City, after graduation they went back to their hometowns to develop, and now they've come all this way just to attend the alumni gathering—it's obvious they're here because of you."

Ning Jinli had no choice; she could only pull out her phone, unlock it, and show the wallpaper, "Look, this is a photo of me and my boyfriend—I'm telling the truth."

Xiao Yan and Ting Ting immediately leaned in.

The three male students sitting opposite at the round table stood up and walked over to take a look as well.

"Wow!" Ting Ting let out an exclamation.

Her voice even surpassed the chatter from the other tables, and instantly someone glanced over this way.

Ting Ting hastily covered her mouth and whispered, "Good heavens… Jinli, your boyfriend is so handsome. Xiao Yan, what do you think?"

Even Xiao Yan, whose eyes are usually especially picky, was a bit dazed this time, and she uncharacteristically said, "There are lots of handsome guys, but this one isn't just handsome—his aura is truly one‑of‑a‑kind… Jinli, does your boyfriend have any brothers? A cousin would do too—could you introduce me?"

Ning Jinli could barely keep herself from laughing, "Alright, alright, I've already shown you proof—can we talk about something else now?"

Behind them, the refined male student's expression shifted from curious, to shocked, and finally became as calm as still water.

His two friends patted his shoulder, one on the left and one on the right.

The square‑faced male student said earnestly, "Bro, although you're also somewhat refined and handsome, and as your good buddy I ought to back you up, this time… sorry, bro, I really can't speak against my conscience. Jinli's boyfriend leaves you in the dust by more than eighteen blocks."

The bare‑headed male student also consoled, "With his looks and aura, you probably couldn't find a second like him in the whole world, bro—you're not losing by any unfair margin."

"Thanks, guys," the refined male student said, laughing through tears, "I still have some self‑awareness."

"Move aside, let me take a look," a cold‑toned voice suddenly sounded from behind them, "Heh, hearing you all hype up her boyfriend like this, I'd also like to see just what kind of deity he is!"

Before they could react, a hand reached past them from the side, rudely snatching Ning Jinli's phone.