Chapter 21: Past Events of Old

  When leaving the Zi Yuanjing Kong, it was already 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The gathering time was around 7 o'clock, near the Third Middle School where Zuo Xiaoyao attended high school, which was still a considerable distance from her home. Not only did she need to take the subway for half an hour, but also transfer to a bus and ride it for three or four stops. Traffic congestion in S City was a common occurrence, so to avoid being late, it was best to make preparations ahead of time.

  She and her grandmother used to live in the same neighborhood as Wang Zi Jia, but during their senior year of high school, the entire area where their old house was located was demolished and they had to rent a temporary place to live for almost a year. It wasn't until after Zuo Xiao Yao graduated from high school that both families received their respective compensation houses, which were quite far away from the original location of their old house.

  Since moving away, Zuo Xiao Yao has basically never come back to this place where she used to live and study, at most just passing by when necessary. Compared to five years ago, the area has undergone a huge transformation, with newly built high-rise buildings everywhere, wide roads crowded with cars, and under the dazzling neon lights, the city's prosperity is even more evident.

  It turns out that the house prices here are much higher than those in her new home, and the old house compensation for Zuo Xiaoyao's family is not just this 60-square-meter apartment. Unfortunately, at that time, she and her grandmother were weak and did not want to cause any trouble, and their demands were not high, so they were already satisfied with having a place to live, and they didn't argue about it anymore, besides, it was also impossible to get more.

  We arrived at the Hongsheng Building just before seven o'clock. This is a five-star hotel with a classic and elegant decoration. Under the leadership of the service staff, we walked into the hall with one hand holding the gift box and the other hand holding the wine glass. The host warmly welcomed us and introduced himself. We exchanged business cards and sat down at the table. The waiter poured us a glass of red wine and we toasted to our cooperation.

  Standing at the door, she casually swept her eyes over the five or six tables in the hall, which were almost full of people. She saw those slightly unfamiliar yet familiar faces, and although she felt a sense of nostalgia, the warm smile on Xiao Xue's face didn't change at all. Seeing that the crowd in the hall had fallen silent for a moment due to her arrival, she jokingly said, "What's wrong? Haven't seen each other for years, and nobody recognizes me anymore? I feel like I haven't aged that fast!"

  "How could it be? Everyone is just surprised at how you...how you're still the same as we remembered...it's great to see that you can come!"

  Ling Zhen Xiao smiled and looked at Zuo Xiao Yao, but subconsciously couldn't express his true thoughts, even though he knew that everyone present would have the same idea when they saw Zuo Xiao Yao for the first time in five years.

  Time has left no mark on her, and her face without makeup still looks the same as when she was seventeen or eighteen years old. The only difference is that the greenness of youth has faded away, replaced by a calm and composed demeanor unique to mature women, which adds a touch of professionalism to her already elegant temperament. As a result, wherever she goes, she effortlessly captures people's attention, yet she herself seems oblivious to this, making it even more... unexpectedly heart-stirring!

  "Really, Xiaoyao, looking at you makes us feel old. How do you do it? You look just as young and beautiful as in high school, no, even younger than back then! It's been ages since we last saw each other, I'm so glad to see you! What have you been up to all this time? We couldn't get in touch with you, and we couldn't find your contact info!"

  Zhang Jingning, with a doll-like face that looked no different from the past, immediately stepped forward and hugged her arm, with affection overflowing from her words. If one didn't look closely, they would have missed the flash of envy in her eyes as she confirmed at close range that Xiao Xue's skin was indeed better than it had been five years ago.

  Although she had seen this scene with her own eyes, Zuo Xiao Yao's face didn't show any unusual color as she smiled warmly and replied, "Nothing, just like everyone else, after graduating from university, I was busy working and accidentally lost my classmate record when moving house, so I couldn't contact anyone. Being able to see all of you again, full of energy and spirit, knowing that you're all doing well, this feeling is really great!"

  When she found herself truly facing those who had brought her joy and harm, although there was a slight ripple in her heart at the very beginning, she could really calm down afterwards. Feeling the change in her emotions, Zuo Xiaoyao was quite satisfied with herself.

  Then Yang Pei, who also stood up to welcome her, gently scolded in a soft voice, "You're really something, even if you can't remember the contact information of other classmates, you shouldn't forget mine and Jingning's. This time, be sure to leave your phone number, mobile phone number, QQ number, and email address, so we don't lose touch again."

  "It's just, it's just, Xiaoyao, you have no idea, both Jingning and I are in art school, studying majors related to painting. You're good at drawing anyway, why did you go study administrative management in college? What a waste!" Zhang Jingning chimed in, her sincere tone filled with regret!

  "The art school is too expensive, my family can't afford it!"

  The two of them exchanged a glance, seemingly unintentionally, with a smug expression on their faces. Xue Xiao continued, feigning nonchalance, "Besides, I've been painting since I was young, and my teacher's level is even higher than those university professors. It would be a waste of time and money to go there and learn, don't you think? Grandfather Wang Shu-ting knows about this, he's the one who suggested it to me!"

  Since they were from an art academy, they naturally knew that S city had a contemporary painter Wang Shutting who was quite prestigious. He is still a guest professor at their academy, even though he is low-key and rarely holds exhibitions or attends grand events, so his reputation is not obvious to outsiders, but in the industry, he is a master-level figure worthy of admiration. Even when their teacher mentioned him, it was with extraordinary respect. The two couldn't help but look uncomfortable, never expecting that Left Xiaoyao, who had not been seen for many years, would suddenly become so sharp-tongued and aggressive, a far cry from her usual gentle demeanor.

  She has always been gentle and moderate in her dealings with others, like her smile. For three years as classmates, almost everyone has never seen her quarrel with anyone or say anything harsh to anyone. Now, hearing her sharp retort that was neither soft nor hard, the people present were surprised again. After all, their impression of the relationship between these three people was the same as Yang Pei and Zhang Jingning's, thinking that they were still Zuo Xiao's best friends in class.

  Even now, after experiencing the polish of society, other classmates can also hear that Zhang Jingning's words just now would easily make Zuo Xiaoyao lose face. However, the impression Zhang Jingning has always given everyone is that she is straightforward and simple-minded, and when paired with her cute doll-like face, it makes her seem even more innocent and uncomplicated, not making people think too much about whether there's any other meaning behind her words.

  So, after the surprise had passed, except for a small number of classmates who seemed to have other thoughts, most of the students' gazes at Xue Xiao turned somewhat unpleasant, thinking that she was being petty and not giving her former good friend face in public, which was too heartless!

  The attitude of the people on the scene towards her changed, and Zuo XiaoYao naturally understood it in her heart. However, she really didn't want to pretend to be close with these two people again, nor did she feel like explaining things or bringing up old matters. Fortunately, there were still over a dozen classmates including Lian LingZhen who hadn't ostracized her, allowing her to maintain her composure until the end of dinner.

  After turning down the invitation to go sing at a nearby KTV with them, Zuo Xiao Yao was about to leave first when she heard a clear and crisp voice filled with grievance beside her ear saying "Xiao Yao, I thought for an entire night but couldn't figure out where I had wronged you. In the past, we kept your fake painting business a secret, never telling anyone else, so why are you treating me and Xiao Bei like this now, becoming so...?"

  PS: Hehe, I've already written the ending of this chapter ahead of time. The second update will be released together, and it'll be gone tonight!