42

The day before the official wedding ceremony was the bachelor party. In the past, the bride and groom would celebrate separately, but since their high school classmates hadn’t gathered in years, they decided to hold it together.

Zhang Youqi booked out the lounge at the Hilton Hotel, which occupied the highest floor of HNA International Plaza, a towering landmark in the heart of Qiongzhou City.

The lounge was located on the hotel’s executive floor, occupying nearly the core section of the building, offering an even better view than most of the scenic guest rooms. From here, one could overlook the city skyline and the picturesque harbor bay.

Unlike nightclubs filled with flashing lights and pounding music, this lounge had no DJ booths or disco balls. Instead, its brick-red and deep brown British-style décor created an atmosphere of luxurious elegance.

Zhou Chaosheng, along with Zhao Xiaohui and three other old classmates, took the elevator up to the fortieth floor.

As the elevator doors slid open, the lively chatter and laughter from inside reached their ears, mingled with the sounds of celebration for the soon-to-be newlyweds.

"Hey, it’s Brother Zhao! Brother Zhao and the others are here!"

"Didn’t expect Brother Zhou to come too!"

"You can’t call them that anymore, now it’s President Zhou and President Zhao."

Everyone turned to look at them, their faces filled with different expressions, but without exception, all wore smiles.

Unlike the purity of eight years ago, everyone had changed in some way after stepping into society. Under the influence of the outside world, their thoughts and perspectives had inevitably shifted.

If an eighteen-year-old was fearless and sharp, like an unsheathed blade, then a twenty-six-year-old was like a polished piece of yellow waxstone, smooth and worldly.

Zhou Chaosheng took the glass of wine handed to him by an old classmate. The distant and unfamiliar feeling that had lingered in his mind earlier seemed to settle as he stepped into the venue. The muscle memory of socializing and networking with clients suddenly resurfaced.

He raised his glass and engaged in conversation with those around him with practiced ease.

Elegant, mature, composed—always courteous.

Any word used to describe the refined noblemen of medieval castles could be applied to Zhou Chaosheng.

Yet no matter how many phrases like "graceful and poised" were stacked upon him, none could fully capture the unique charm and presence he exuded.

The arrival of Zhou Chaosheng and Zhao Xiaohui seemed to ignite an old flame in everyone’s hearts, pushing the party’s atmosphere to its peak.

Jiang Yuanye arrived just in time to see this scene. Zhou Chaosheng at the center of the crowd, surrounded by people showering him with flattery in roundabout ways, praising and currying favor.

"President Zhou, I remember you founded Huajie while you were still in university, right?" someone asked.

Zhou Chaosheng gave a faint nod. "Mm."

That person, as if finding the perfect opportunity to flatter, immediately began heaping praises, commending Zhou Chaosheng for being an exceptional talent at a young age, marveling at how Huajie had grown into a powerhouse, now holding nearly six thousand patents. He even brought up the recent fines imposed on Huajie by the U.S., passionately asserting that their attempts to suppress the company would never succeed.

Before Zhou Chaosheng could respond, Zhao Xiaohui, who had been listening on the side couldn’t take it anymore. Cutting the person off, he joked, "Fang Zhe, all of that is common knowledge on Baidu. Don’t you have anything more original to praise our President Zhou with?"

Fang Zhe was momentarily stunned but didn’t "back down." Instead, he enthusiastically continued, "Of course! I also know that President Zhou started Huajie using money he earned from selling game copyrights."

Hearing this, Zhou Chaosheng’s expression shifted slightly for a few seconds. "How do you know that?"

"That’s not something you can find on Baidu."

Fang Zhe explained, "I work at Daying, and when my boss entertains clients, he often talks about you. After hearing it so many times, I naturally remembered."

Zhou Chaosheng understood now, no wonder he knew.

After studying abroad in the U.S., he had conceived the idea of founding Huajie. Using the money he had at hand, he began investing in stocks on Wall Street. After a few trial-and-error attempts, he grasped the methods and patterns within it. Eventually, he turned one million yuan into one million U.S. dollars.

But that money still wasn’t enough to start a company, so Zhou Chaosheng personally drafted a business plan and project report, concealed his identity, and went door to door seeking investment with nothing but his own eloquence.

Daying was one of the investors he had approached back then.

Recalling the past, Zhao Xiaohui seemed to remember something and suddenly asked Zhou Chaosheng, “Wait a minute, didn’t you tell me back in high school that the game copyright you sold was worth over three million? Why is it only one million now? What happened to the other two million?”

The noisy chatter in the room drowned out the sound of approaching footsteps.

Jiang Yuanye had just been about to speak when it felt as if a handful of sand had been stuffed into his mouth, abruptly stopping him. He slowly came to a halt, standing on the outskirts of the crowd, watching Zhou Chaosheng along with everyone else, waiting for his response.

“It’s gone.”

“Chaosheng, I swear something’s off about you tonight. You keep spouting nonsense with a straight face.”

“…Believe it or don’t. Up to you.”

“Hey, well, I just don’t buy it. Listen to yourself, does that even make sense? Hmm?”

The scattered recessed lighting cast a warm, dim glow, trailing along Zhou Chaosheng’s tousled hair, outlining the sharp bridge of his nose. From his forehead to his brow bone, from the side of his face down to his jawline, the contours were smooth and exquisitely refined.

His long, narrow eyes drooped slightly at the corners, making it impossible to discern the emotions hidden within.

“I think it makes perfect sense,” he said indifferently.

Zhao Xiaohui: “…..”

Bro, who exactly are you trying to fool?

Zhou Chaosheng stood with his back to Jiang Yuanye, his tall, slender frame exuding an effortless elegance. His proportions rivaled that of a male model, making him stand out even in a crowd.

Even just from behind, he emanated an air of aloof nobility, an untouchable presence.

Jiang Yuanye unconsciously clenched his fists, his mind momentarily blanking out, as if it had suddenly crashed.

High school, game copyright, two million gone just like that…

Could there really be such a coincidence in the world?

Back then, he had assumed it was Cheng Yuan who had secretly helped him pay off his debts, since she had lent him a hand several times before. When he went to see her off at the airport, he had even tried to confirm it.

He had told Cheng Yuan, “I’ll pay you back for that money.”

Cheng Yuan had been in a hurry to catch her flight. Dragging her suitcase behind her, she hadn’t even turned her head as she said, “No need, it’s nothing. I’m leaving now, Yuanye, don’t miss me too much!”

Later, when he became successful and made a lot of money, he managed to find Cheng Yuan’s bank account through certain channels and transferred the amount she had supposedly paid for him.

But less than half a day later, she called him back, confused. “Why did you send me so much money? Even if you’re paying me back, the interest doesn’t need to be that high, does it?”

After repeatedly confirming with her, he realized he had been mistaken.

It turned out that when Cheng Yuan had said “no need,” she had been referring to the times she had helped him before, not the two million.

Later, he used every possible method to investigate who had paid off his debt back then. But to his frustration, every inquiry led to a dead end. It was as if that person had vanished without a trace, leaving no leads behind.

Was it Zhou Chaosheng who had helped him…?

No, impossible.

Jiang Yuanye shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought.

That was ridiculous…

He and Zhou Chaosheng were sworn rivals, constantly at each other’s throats. Even if Zhou Chaosheng had once helped him out in an alley, that didn’t change the fact that their relationship had been terrible.

And based on what he knew of Zhou Chaosheng, once his initial offer of help was rejected, he wouldn’t interfere any further, no matter what happened after.

But despite thinking this, when Jiang Yuanye looked at Zhou Chaosheng again, his gaze held a trace of inexplicable complexity.

He couldn’t stop himself from wondering, if Zhou Chaosheng really had been the one who helped him back then…

How was he supposed to face him from now on?

“Yuanye, when did you get here? Why are you just standing there without saying anything?”

Zhang Youqi’s voice came from behind as he patted Jiang Yuanye’s shoulder and asked with a smile.

The people around them, hearing his voice, also looked up.

“Yuanye! Long time no see!”

Voices of surprise and delight rang out. Compared to Zhou Chaosheng and Zhao Xiaohui, who weren’t as familiar to them, Jiang Yuanye—who had spent three years with them—felt much closer.

Jiang Yuanye had been lost in thought, his mind blank. When he heard the greetings around him, he only nodded slightly in response.

In his field of vision, the figure he had been paying attention to all this time slowly turned around and lifted his gaze to meet his.

For some reason, under Zhou Chaosheng’s gaze, Jiang Yuanye felt inexplicably uncomfortable, as if his whole body was stiff. He instinctively wanted to look away.

“…Long time no see, everyone.”

Avoiding eye contact in a panic, he hastily greeted the people around him, trying to cover up his unease.

Zhou Chaosheng: ?

Is something wrong with this guy?

The students from Class One and Class Two each had their own social circles. After catching up, they started drinking and playing games with old friends. Some gathered for a round of "Rogue Killer," some sat at the bar chatting about gossip, and others stood by the floor-to-ceiling wine racks discussing fine wine and work.

The lounge was filled with gourmet dishes meticulously prepared by the hotel, laid out on long tables draped in white cloth. Uniformed waitstaff moved back and forth, constantly refilling empty plates with fresh fruit and desserts.

Zhou Chaosheng walked up behind Jiang Yuanye, who was picking food from a platter. His gaze fell on Jiang Yuanye’s slender neck, which, under the warm lighting, gleamed with a soft white radiance like a swan lowering its head.

Only when Jiang Yuanye had almost finished filling his plate did Zhou Chaosheng finally speak.

“Are you avoiding me?”

Jiang Yuanye’s hand trembled, nearly dropping his plate.

He whipped around, and the moment he saw Zhou Chaosheng, his expression looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

“…Why do you walk without making a sound?”

“You were too focused on getting food,” Zhou Chaosheng replied, his gaze landing on Jiang Yuanye’s overfilled plate. “Did you not have dinner?”

Jiang Yuanye gave a quiet hum. “I came on an empty stomach.”

“Why didn’t you eat something beforehand?”

Jiang Yuanye glanced at him in surprise. “Are you… concerned about me?”

Zhou Chaosheng responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world: “Isn’t it normal for me to care about you?”

Jiang Yuanye fell silent for a moment.

When he spoke again, there was a hint of hesitation in his tone. “You really don’t remember anything?”

Zhou Chaosheng’s gaze swept over the tight line of Jiang Yuanye’s lips, moving from his tensed jaw to his furrowed brows. The dim indoor lighting cast a soft halo over his profile, accentuating his features.

It also made it clear that beneath his subtle expressions.

There was suspicion.

What was he doubting?

Did he realize that Zhou Chaosheng had regained his memories and was lying about it?

Or did he know that Zhou Chaosheng had recovered his memories but wasn’t sure whether he was pretending?

Either way, Zhou Chaosheng wasn’t going to admit it. “No.”

Jiang Yuanye’s eyes lowered in disappointment. “…Alright.”

Zhou Chaosheng: "…"

He suddenly found Jiang Yuanye hard to read.

After a long hesitation, Jiang Yuanye finally asked, “By the way, I heard you guys talking about game copyrights earlier. Did you really make over three million all by yourself in high school?”

Zhou Chaosheng, still remembering that he was supposed to be “amnesiac,” replied indifferently, “That’s what they say, so I suppose it’s true. Why? As my partner, shouldn’t you know?”

“…You never told me about this back then. Since you're asking me now, I want to ask you too, weren’t you afraid that I’d stay with you for the money? Is that why you didn’t tell me? Did you not trust me at all?” Jiang Yuanye raised an eyebrow and retorted.

Zhou Chaosheng didn’t want to get caught up in such details. “What do you want to ask?”

Jiang Yuanye hesitated for a moment. “I want to know... after you got the money, how did you suddenly spend more than two million? What did you invest in to lose that much? Tell me so I can avoid the same pitfall.”

“I don’t remember,” Zhou Chaosheng thought for a moment, then continued, “It shouldn’t have been a loss. My judgment isn’t that bad.”

Jiang Yuanye: “…”

“Then why did you say it was gone?”

Zhou Chaosheng: “I just said it casually. I don’t remember, but based on what I know about myself, I probably put the money in the bank, only using a portion to reinvest and generate more profit. If I failed, I’d still have two million as a fallback.”

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