Meet Again
“Miss Wen, your mother’s medical bills are still short by twenty thousand yuan. The hospital has already given you a one-week grace period. If the payment isn’t made soon, we’ll have no choice but to halt the treatment.”
In the restroom, Wen Yu emptied her stomach, nausea surging through her.
She glanced down at her phone, thick lashes casting shadows over her eyes, veiling the emotions within.
She quickly replied to the hospital’s message, pleading, “Please, just give me two more days.”
The mirror reflected a haggard woman, utterly drained of color. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a lipstick and touched up her lips.
Wen Yu’s complexion was porcelain pale. With her makeup washed away, she wore no adornment save for the vivid hue of her lips. By all logic, it should have looked out of place, yet on her, it was perfectly natural.
Her features were strikingly exquisite—her peach blossom eyes slightly upturned, her crimson lips effortlessly alluring. With her defined brows and high-bridged nose, the contrast of her fair skin and deep red lips appeared innate rather than cosmetic.
Leaving the restroom, she joined the other waitstaff in delivering drinks and fruit platters to a private lounge. The moment she pushed open the door, her steps came to an abrupt halt.
“Well, well, isn’t this our Miss Wen? What brings you here as a waitress?”
Li Wanzhuo’s voice rang out, loud and clear.
A wave of cold stiffness coursed through Wen Yu’s veins, a numbness creeping across her cheeks.
Tonight, Li Wanzhuo was hosting a high school reunion here. She had even invited Wen Yu, who had declined.
Yet, fate had other plans…
The private lounge was spacious, filled with over thirty people—former classmates from Class 5, Senior Year, No. 13 High School.
Wen Yu had little recollection of her old classmates, but in this moment, it was as if memories were forcibly unearthed, flooding back into her mind against her will.
Silence fell as everyone turned to look at her, momentarily stunned.
After all…
Wen Yu’s face had once been famous throughout No. 13 High School in Yan City.
Even without makeup, even without an expensive dress, she still stood out in any crowd.
Dressed in a waitress’s uniform, she outshone even Li Wanzhuo, who was clad in a designer suit worth hundreds of thousands.
“Holy s**t, isn’t that Miss Wen? The mayor’s daughter? Never thought she’d actually show up at the reunion.”
“Maybe she’s just playing cosplay, experiencing the life of commoners as a waitress? Haha.”
“Her father, Wen Huacheng, jumped to his death after being exposed for embezzlement seven years ago. Their mansion was seized, their assets frozen… what a downfall.”
“Mayor’s daughter? What kind of mayor’s daughter ends up serving drinks here?”
“I remember Li Wanzhuo used to fawn over Wen Yu, following her around all the time. Her father was a secretary back then, wasn’t it him who reported Wen’s father?”
Li Wanzhuo heard the remark and frowned, shooting a glare in that direction.
The student immediately fell silent.
After all, those in the know understood—when the Wen family fell, the one who trampled on Wen Yu the hardest was none other than Li Wanzhuo.
Wen Yu had been like an elegant, untouchable swan—dazzling and proud. Even in a school uniform, she carried herself like she was wearing haute couture.
Wherever she went, she became the center of attention. Li Wanzhuo, despite coming from an affluent family, had always been overshadowed, her radiance dimmed beside Wen Yu’s.
Even as she trailed after Wen Yu, admiration in her eyes, resentment simmered in her heart.
Now, scrutinizing gazes fell upon Wen Yu, lingering, some with curiosity, others with ridicule—particularly a few male classmates whose eyes roamed over her body.
“So, Miss Wen is really here to serve drinks? Tsk tsk…”
“I heard some of these waitresses don’t just sell drinks, but also…”
“Not gonna lie, that face, that body—still top-notch. I wonder how she tastes.”
“Damn, weren’t you the one crushing on her back in high school? The mayor’s daughter didn’t even look your way. Why don’t you ask her now—see how much for a night?”
“Mayor’s daughter? Who knows how many men she’s been with by now?”
“That skirt’s so short. Who’s she trying to seduce?”
Male voices jeered, punctuated by snickers from a few women.
Laughter rippled through the room.
Wen Yu had thought her heart had long since turned to steel, but hearing the crude words from those she once knew sent a fresh tide of blood surging through her veins.
Seven years had forged her into something unbreakable—yet left her riddled with scars.
Like a magnanimous queen bestowing mercy, Li Wanzhuo took her arm. “Oh, Wen Yu, if we’d known you worked here, we’d have come sooner to support you! We’re old friends, aren’t we? I even heard your mother is in a vegetative state… You should’ve told us! We could’ve organized a donation.”
Wen Yu let out a cold laugh, wrenching her arm away. Without looking back, she turned to leave.
“There’s no need.”
Once, they had indeed been friends.
Li Wanzhuo had followed Wen Yu around in high school, but Wen Yu had never treated her as a mere lackey. She confided in her, brought her gifts. When Li’s father was investigated, Wen Yu had even begged Wen Huacheng for help…
But when the Wen family collapsed, the first to betray her had been this so-called friend.
As Wen Yu reached the door, her phone rang.
The supervisor’s voice came through, indifferent and firm.
“Wen Yu, your task tonight is to take care of your former classmates. Your pay remains unchanged. But remember, that’s Mayor Li’s daughter—you don’t want to offend her.”
Li Wanzhuo smirked as Wen Yu hesitated.
“That’s more like it. Everyone’s here now… Since we have such a special guest, why don’t we play a game?”
A game of truth or dare commenced.
A girl who lost was dared to ask a stranger for his WeChat—a cliché punishment. Laughter filled the room as they continued.
Then, it was Wen Yu’s turn.
Li Wanzhuo’s eyes gleamed with malice.
“Kiss the next guy who walks through that door.”
Several male classmates had stepped out to smoke. By now, they should be returning. Their gazes, filled with unspoken intent, flitted over Wen Yu’s body.
“Oh, come on, it’s just a kiss! We’re all adults here.”
“Or, you could answer a question instead.”
“Wen Yu, who was your first?”
The moment the question was uttered, the room fell silent.
A provocative hush.
Under the crystal chandelier, Wen Yu’s face remained as flawless as porcelain, unreadable, untouched.
Li Wanzhuo pressed on.
“Was it Jiang Yang? Or Lu Jiashao? You were close with both in high school. Jiang even slipped condoms into your bag in sophomore year—don’t tell me nothing ever happened.”
One was a banking heir, the other an heir to a medical empire.
Both had chased after the mayor’s daughter.
Wen Yu listened, then suddenly chuckled.
Such a childish trick. It held no power over her now.
Then, she recalled Li Wanzhuo’s long-standing crush on Lu Jiashao.
Smirking, she replied, “Lu Jiashao.”
The door, slightly ajar, revealed a tall, imposing figure standing just beyond.
A man’s hand, pale and elegant, gripped the doorknob.
Upon hearing her words, his knuckles went white.
His handsome face turned dark as the depths of a storm.
