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Access the Google Doc Here!Shang Jue walked out of the general manager's office after a two-hour conversation, feeling extremely thirsty. He leaned against the wall for a moment, loosened his tie a bit, then stood up straight and headed towards his department.
It was Saturday, and not many people were working overtime in the office building. Shang Jue only ran into two subordinates heading downstairs for a meal.
"Boss." Upon seeing Shang Jue, the two greeted him hurriedly.
Shang Jue smiled and nodded slightly, then turned into his office.
The two young employees, who had only recently entered the workforce, couldn’t help but glance back a few times before pressing the elevator button.
One of them asked, “Is our boss really leaving?”
The other replied regretfully, "President Lin has already talked to him several times, trying to keep him. Seems like it's true.”
Shang Jue was only twenty-eight, and he had already made it to the position of department manager. As the company's youngest department manager, his future looked promising if he stayed. No one expected him to suddenly resign at this point. The two employees sighed, speculating that Shang Jue had likely found a better opportunity elsewhere. They also began worrying about who might take over as the new department head, their conversation trailing off only when the elevator doors opened.
In his office, Shang Jue sat down, chugged two glasses of water, and then slumped over his desk for a few minutes, no longer concerned with maintaining his image as a leader.
Since he was leaving soon, he wasn't in any rush to finish work by the end of the day.
He picked up his phone, skipped past the work group chats, and opened his old QQ account that he hadn’t used in a long time. His high school class group had been quite active recently because it was their tenth anniversary since graduation. A few classmates were planning a reunion to mark the occasion.
Ten years—a milestone that often evokes a certain nostalgia.
Shang Jue had spent the past several years working in the south. After graduating from university, apart from occasionally visiting his hometown A City during the holidays to meet with He Yang, he had hardly had the chance to see any of his old friends. Now, it just so happened that he was planning to quit his job and return home for a while.
The reunion was set for a month later, right after Shang Jue would have wrapped up his work handover and vacated the apartment he had been renting. He would be back in A City by then.
When he arrived in A City, his first stop was the Shang family home. Since he had declined to take over the family business after graduating, his relationship with Shang Xinrong had become strained. So Shang Jue had simply left, moving to a city over a thousand kilometers away and working there for six years, rarely returning even for holidays. When he did come back, it was just for a brief, awkward meal or two.
However, his timing this time wasn't ideal. It seemed like Min Hong and Shang Xinrong were in the middle of a fight, as there were fresh scratch marks on Shang Xinrong’s face. Shang Jue didn’t know the full story, but he had a pretty good guess. He was surprised that at Shang Xinrong’s age, he could still find the energy to be involved with other women.
Originally, Shang Jue had only planned to stay for a day, but given the drama, he decided to happily extend his visit to watch the chaos unfold.
On the day of the reunion, he arrived at the venue shared in the group chat, a quaint teahouse.
After ten years, everyone had gone their separate ways. Even so, only about twenty people had the time or inclination to attend the reunion.
When Shang Jue entered the private room, he greeted everyone and quickly scanned the group. Most of the attendees were men, and some had already let themselves go physically. Shang Jue had a good memory, but for a moment, he couldn’t recall all their names.
Luckily, among them was someone who had kept his figure unchanged. Shang Jue spotted Wang Yuanzhou, sighed in relief, smiled, and went to sit beside him.
Wang Yuanzhou looked at him with surprise for a long moment.
Shang Jue thought the other hadn't recognized him. He glanced down at his still flat stomach and felt a bit perplexed.
He lightly tapped Wang Yuanzhou’s knee and said, "Hey, you can't possibly not recognize me, right?"
Wang Yuanzhou shook his head, "No, I was just going to say..."
Suddenly, someone called out, "Hey, Professor Lu is here too!"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the room turned to look at the tall figure who had just walked in.
Lu Yuxing had gone straight from undergrad to a PhD program without needing to take the entrance exam, finished his doctorate in four years, and had just graduated two years ago. This year, he had already been promoted to associate professor.
Though he kept a low profile, Xiao Mifeng, who was also working on his PhD at A University and struggling with his own graduation, had posted a jealous rant about it on social media. Soon, the news spread throughout their old classmates' circles.
The room grew livelier, with voices of admiration and flattery filling the air.
Shang Jue calmly sipped his tea, his gaze fixed on his own little corner, uninterested in what was happening elsewhere.
He and Lu Yuxing were no longer on the same path. Even if Lu Yuxing became the president of A University, Shang Jue wouldn’t feel a thing.
He was just surprised that someone like Lu Yuxing would even bother attending such a reunion.
Without lifting his head, Shang Jue vaguely sensed a fleeting glance directed his way, then quickly withdrawn.
Lu Yuxing arrived late, and the only available seat left was next to Shang Jue.
Some people tried to offer to switch seats, but Lu Yuxing paused for only a second before walking over to sit beside Shang Jue.
Shang Jue glanced at him and, in that brief moment of eye contact, couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed: why hadn’t this guy gained any weight?
Not only had he not gained weight, he looked almost the same as when he graduated from A University six years ago—except now his demeanor was more mature and colder. Even the loosely tied warm-colored scarf around his neck did nothing to soften his aloofness.
Lu Yuxing also looked at him, initially intending only a brief glance, but his gaze lingered longer than expected when it landed on Shang Jue’s face.
His expression mirrored the same surprise that Wang Yuanzhou had earlier. Shang Jue’s appearance had changed quite a bit—he was much slimmer than when Lu Yuxing had last seen him.
Shang Jue forced a polite smile, ending the eye contact, and turned back to Wang Yuanzhou. “What were you about to say?”
Wang Yuanzhou snapped out of it and refocused on Shang Jue.
“I was just going to ask, how have things been these past two years?” he asked, concern evident in his voice. “You’ve gotten so thin…”
Shang Jue curled his lips slightly. "Working overtime every day, drinking with a bunch of idiots. It's no wonder I’ve lost weight."
"Most people gain weight from drinking, but you seem to be doing the opposite," Wang Yuanzhou said, reaching out to squeeze Shang Jue's bony shoulder. "Your health is the most important thing. If you ruin your body for a bit of money, it’s not worth it."
"I know," Shang Jue replied.
Wang Yuanzhou sighed, "You could have just stayed home and inherited your family business. Why did you insist on going out there to struggle?"
If he were born into the Shang family, Wang Yuanzhou would have happily taken it easy for life.
Shang Jue just smiled and said nothing.
When he turned his head back in silence, he realized that Lu Yuxing was still watching him.
Lu Yuxing’s eyes were strikingly sharp when he focused on someone, which made Shang Jue uncomfortable under his intense gaze.
Raising an eyebrow, Shang Jue asked, "What’s the matter, Professor Lu?"
"…"
The title "Professor Lu" was something Lu Yuxing had heard a lot recently, mostly in tones of politeness and flattery. But when it came from Shang Jue's mouth, there was a faint hint of mockery.
Lu Yuxing was momentarily at a loss for words, surprised that even a prestigious title could one day be ridiculed. Yet, it felt oddly appropriate that the one doing the mocking was Shang Jue.
"… Nothing," Lu Yuxing finally responded, shifting his gaze from Shang Jue's sharply defined jawline. He wisely decided not to engage in a verbal sparring match with Shang Jue. When it came to quick wit, he knew he could never outmatch him.
"Isn't Mi Feng still at the university? Why didn’t she come?" Shang Jue asked casually.
"She’s been really busy lately and couldn't find the time."
Shang Jue nodded, then added, "You must be pretty busy too, right?"
For Lu Yuxing to be promoted to associate professor, he not only had to achieve significant results in his research but also balance teaching and public service. The workload and expectations were undoubtedly demanding, and Shang Jue could only imagine how Lu had managed over the past few years.
"Yeah."
Shang Jue smiled. "Yet Professor Lu still found time to attend a class reunion?"
Shang Jue, thinking the worst of him, assumed that Lu Yuxing was doing so well in life that he carved out a bit of time just to flaunt his success.
Lu Yuxing, already irked by the sarcastic repetition of "Professor Lu," clearly sensed the ill intent behind the question and responded coldly, "Yes, I came specifically to show off that I’ve been promoted."
"…"
After exchanging a few barbs, both of them were left with sour expressions.
Wang Yuanzhou, having listened to the entire exchange, was speechless. These two grown men still acted like they were in high school whenever they saw each other. The only difference was that their jabs had become slightly more subtle.
Wang Yuanzhou quickly steered the conversation away from Lu Yuxing, trying to prevent the two from escalating things further.
As evening came and people started to leave, Lu Yuxing excused himself to use the restroom.
After washing his hands, he stared at his reflection in the mirror, lost in thought for a moment.
Quite a few of the students from Class 7 had stayed in A City, and small reunions were held every year or so. Lu Yuxing usually attended because Class 7 held special meaning for him.
In contrast, Shang Jue, their class president, had organized several gatherings during their university years. But ever since Shang Jue left A City after graduation, Lu Yuxing hadn’t seen him at a single Class 7 reunion.
Thinking of how much weight Shang Jue had lost, Lu Yuxing couldn’t quite shake the strange feeling it gave him.
Bending down, he splashed some cold water on his face.
He suddenly remembered that he had left his scarf draped over the back of a chair. When he returned to the private room, everyone else had already left, and it was quiet inside. Just as Lu Yuxing was about to reach for the door, it opened from the inside.
Shang Jue nearly bumped into him.
"You’re still here?" Shang Jue asked after a brief pause.
"I went to the restroom," Lu Yuxing replied. He recalled how, back in university, Shang Jue also had a habit of lingering until the very end after class.
Looking down, Lu Yuxing noticed that Shang Jue was holding his scarf.
"Good timing. I was wondering what to do with your stuff," Shang Jue said, raising his arm in disdain to indicate Lu should take it.
Lu Yuxing took the scarf. "You could have just texted me. I would’ve come back for it. Don’t you have my WeChat?"
"Do I?"
"Yeah, I used to send you rent payments at the end of each semester."
"Oh…"
"Did you delete it?"
"Maybe."
It wouldn’t have been surprising if he had.
Lu Yuxing had nothing more to say, and after retrieving his scarf, turned to leave. Shang Jue also needed to head out, and by coincidence, they ended up walking the same path.
Seeing that Shang Jue wasn’t driving, Lu Yuxing asked, "Are you here on vacation?"
It wasn’t vacation; he had resigned.
Shang Jue smirked inwardly. This guy was now "Professor Lu," while he had just quit his job and was technically unemployed...
He didn’t feel embarrassed about resigning, but he knew that saying it would lead to more questions. Not wanting to explain further, he simply stayed silent.
When he didn’t get a response after a long pause, Lu Yuxing regretted asking. It made him feel as if he was trying too hard to start a conversation with Shang Jue.
They walked in silence for a while, turning a corner, and still found themselves on the same route.
Originally, Shang Jue had planned to take the subway, but he couldn’t stand walking alongside Lu Yuxing any longer. So, he stopped at the curb to call a cab.
"Did you park here?" Lu Yuxing asked with a slight frown.
"No," Shang Jue said, giving him a sidelong glance. "I parked my helicopter here."
Lu Yuxing took a quiet breath. "You can’t park here. You’ll get points deducted from your license."
Shang Jue grinned. "I told you, I parked a helicopter."
"… You can't park helicopters here either."
Shang Jue’s phone screen was still lit up, showing the ride-hailing app, waiting for a driver to accept the order. Lu Yuxing noticed. "You didn’t drive?"
"No."
"… I see."
Lu Yuxing’s nonchalant response caught Shang Jue by surprise. He had expected a bit more reaction to his sarcastic remarks.
From the beginning, it seemed like Lu Yuxing was awkwardly trying to make conversation. Shang Jue had picked up on it to some extent.
Standing at the curb, Shang Jue lit a cigarette while waiting for his ride. Glancing to the side, he saw that Lu Yuxing still hadn’t left.
After a moment of thought, Shang Jue canceled his ride request and called out, "Hey."
Lu Yuxing heard the shout and walked over. As he approached, he caught the scent of smoke on Shang Jue, which, frankly, wasn’t very pleasant.
Shang Jue gave him a once-over and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."
Lu Yuxing hesitated. He did have something to ask but wasn’t sure how to phrase it.
Seeing his hesitation, Shang Jue suddenly realized something. "Oh, you want to borrow money?"
"…"
Shang Jue chuckled softly, "Given our relationship, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to borrow money from me?"
After saying this, Shang Jue thought to himself that Lu Yuxing probably wouldn't ask for money unless he was really in a tight spot.
Reluctantly, he asked, "How much do you need?"
Lu Yuxing stared at him quietly for a few seconds before answering, "Twenty million."
The cigarette between Shang Jue's fingers almost dropped. Shocked, he asked, "What exactly are you planning to buy?"
"A helicopter."
"…"
Shang Jue responded, "Professor Lu, everyone’s pretty busy." In other words, If you’ve got nothing better to do, can you stop wasting my time?
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