Chapter 12: Ex-girlfriend and current girlfriend

Xia Xi almost bumped headfirst into the glass door, but Zhao Lei pulled her back just in time. Zhao Lei laughed: "Are you okay? You react so strongly when Xu Yanfeng is mentioned."

"Are you sure you didn't get it wrong?" Xia Xi looked dazed.

"Xu Yanfeng isn't even a classmate of ours, so how could he show up at this alumni gathering? Where did the mix-up happen?" Zhao Lei said, "The class monitor told me, so how could it be fake?" "You might not know, but Ding Wen Qi works at the Xu Clan Group headquarters and occasionally deals with Xu Yanfeng."

"The night before, she privately messaged the class monitor to add Xia Xi's name, which started the conversation. They chatted pleasantly back and forth, and Ding Wen Qi, in a moment of enthusiasm, prematurely revealed to her that the heavyweight guest at the gathering would be Xu Yanfeng."

Zhao Lei's jaw dropped at the time. "Xu Yanfeng? That's indeed heavyweight."

No wonder Ding Wen Qi told everyone in the group to get mentally prepared.

Xia Xi's heart pounded like a machine gun—thump, thump, thump—and a urge to retreat welled up.

Since they hadn't entered the private room yet, she thought, "If not now, when?" She said, "Um, I suddenly remembered I have something to do, so I won't accompany you upstairs. Have fun, I'm leaving first. Bye-bye!" Xia Xi said this quickly, then turned and left.

She couldn't get away; Zhao Lei gripped her arm tightly. "You're on vacation—what could be so urgent?" Zhao Lei unleashed the four Chinese words no one can refuse: "Since you're here, stay."

Xia Xi was dragged into the elevator by Zhao Lei.

"I really have something to do—a family matter, not work. Let me go, and next time I'll treat you to a meal, a big feast, okay?" Xia Xi didn't give up struggling, earnestly persuading Zhao Lei to release her grip.

Zhao Lei stood unmoved, shaking her head like a rattle-drum: "No big feast needed—I just want you to stay with me tonight. You promised me that day; how can you go back on your word?"

"I..." Xia Xi ran out of words, wearing a bitter expression, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears.

Zhao Lei narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her: "You're strange, Xia Xi—whenever Xu Yanfeng comes up, you want to flee. Did I guess wrong, and you two didn't get back together? Well, this is perfect; taking advantage of today's opportunity, let's mend the broken mirror. Back then you two were so loving, enviable to all the students at Nancheng University; if you can't achieve fruition, how many people's regrets would that be?"

Xia Xi was beyond bitter.

They simply had no idea what had happened between her and Xu Yanfeng; a broken mirror could never be made whole again—not in this lifetime.

When the elevator stopped, Zhao Lei clung to Xia Xi like sticky rice candy, fearing she'd slip away at any moment.

They found the private room the class monitor had reserved; the door was ajar, needing no knock, and opened with a light push.

Xia Xi wore a look of despair, not even daring to glance at the people inside the room.

Some classmates had already arrived, raising their cups and chatting lively, when suddenly they heard Zhao Lei at the doorway exaggeratedly adding a sound effect: "Dang dang dang dang, the great beauty has arrived—everyone, make way!"

Xia Xi: "……"

She really wanted to die.

Everyone turned to look at her in unison; after a moment, the conversation revolved entirely around Xia Xi.

"It's really Xia Xi! Damn, the class monitor pulled it off—he even got the campus belle! I saw Xia Xi on the list and didn't believe she'd come, but she actually did!"

"Xia Xi, we haven't seen each other in years—five? Six?"

"About six years."

"How did you suddenly drop out of school back then without even saying hello to anyone? That's really inconsiderate."

"Where have you been struggling these years, and what have you been doing?"

"Are you and Xu Yanfeng still together? When I heard you'd broken up, I wouldn't believe it even if you beat me to death."

"Speaking of that, I remember how you pursued Xu Yanfeng back then—you were really aggressive. Thousands posted on the campus forum betting whether you could catch him; many said it was absolutely impossible, yet who would have thought you actually ended up with him? Tsk tsk, Xu Yanfeng was so aloof back then. The epithet 'flower on the high peak' was coined just for him."

"Time flies—this all happened how many years ago?"

Before coming, Xia Xi had anticipated the questions they might ask, but she was still startled by everyone's enthusiasm. "Come, come, come—give the campus belle a drink, let her speak slowly." Ding Wen Qi brought over a cup of alcohol and handed it to Xia Xi.

Xia Xi smiled as she took it, sat on the sofa, and answered the questions she could: "Back then… because some changes happened at home, I indeed left in a hurry, didn't say goodbye to everyone—please understand. I've been studying abroad these past few years and now work at a design company."

"A design company? Interior design?" someone interjected.

Xia Xi: "Yes."

"Oh, that's also a case of different paths leading to the same destination—we're both drawing engineering plans."

Xia Xi took a sip of the wine; the class monitor had given her a relatively mild cocktail, sweet-tasting with a hint of cherry, hardly different from a soft drink.

By this point, the atmosphere had grown somewhat silent.

Seeing Xia Xi had no intention of continuing, someone pressed: "And Xu Yanfeng? You two……"

Xia Xi knew that what they really wanted to know was this; the previous questions were just lead-ins.

Her expression unchanged, she said, "What you've heard is correct." She paused, took a deep breath, and uttered the long-established fact: "We really did break up."

No sooner had her words fallen than Xia Xi felt an intensely piercing gaze land on her face, almost burning through her.

Her eyelashes fluttered; she slowly lifted her gaze and met Xu Yanfeng's eyes at the doorway of the private room.

His dark eyes were deep and unfathomable; a single glance made one's heart race. Xia Xi hastily averted her gaze, and where no one could see, her fingertips clenched tightly around the rim of the glass.

'"Speak of the devil and he appears.' Someone spotted Xu Yanfeng, rose to greet him, and the others swarmed over."

"So the heavyweight guest the class monitor mentioned is actually our senior!"

"Nice to meet you."

"Do you still remember me, senior?"

"The class monitor has quite the face—he actually managed to invite our General Manager Xu."

Xu Yanfeng undoubtedly became the new focal point.

At that moment, a slender figure emerged from behind Xu Yanfeng, wearing a sweet smile: "Do you mind if I join? I heard A-Feng was attending the alumni gathering, so I thick-skinnedly came along with him."

This is……

Someone recognized her and exclaimed, "Miss Ling?! Good heavens, what wind blew you here? If you're granting us your favor, we certainly welcome you!"

Ling Yan's voice, as gentle as her appearance, said: "What 'Miss Ling'? Just call me by my name."

Xia Xi's hand holding the cup trembled, a drop of wine spilling onto the back of her hand; she seemed not to notice, lifted her gaze to the doorway, and saw Ling Yan standing beside Xu Yanfeng.

Compared to the last time they met, her hair had been curled and straightened, giving her a more mature charm; she wore a black A-line sleeveless dress with a hollowed-out panel at the chest, tied with a small, exquisite bow, the hem trimmed with a thin white wood-ear lace, revealing a pair of fair, evenly proportioned legs. On her feet were champagne-colored wide-mouth flat leather shoes; Ling Yan stands about 1.65 meters tall, not appearing short, yet beside the tall man she gives off a feeling of a little bird leaning on someone.

The class monitor said that guests could bring family members tonight, and some male classmates had brought their wives or girlfriends, so Ling Yan was likely attending as Xu Yanfeng's family member—Xia Xi realized this, and others naturally did as well.

Everyone glanced at Xia Xi, then at the two standing together, their faces showing varying degrees of embarrassment—an ex-girlfriend and a current girlfriend appearing in the same setting looked like a battlefield no matter how you viewed it.

Those who had shipped the Xu Yanfeng–Xia Xi pairing weren't giving up, boldly asking: "Senior, are you and Ling Yan…… together now?"

This is just the beginning; an even bigger battlefield lies ahead!

(End of chapter)