Chapter Eleven: A Melodramatic Soap Opera

The group arrived at a restaurant near the university called "The Dining Room." It was a mid-to-high-end establishment with a charming, antique-style decor that was very popular with local students. It offered a nice atmosphere at a reasonable price, and most importantly, the food was excellent, keeping it consistently busy.

The girls had clearly given careful thought to their choice of venue. If they hadn’t booked a private room in advance, they would have had to wait a long time to get a table at this hour.

...

After they were seated in the private room and the waiter had finished serving the tea and retreated, the air remained silent for a moment. Then, a girl with a ponytail, looking quite capable and spirited, took the initiative. "Let’s introduce ourselves so we can get to know each other."

"I'm Xu Ying," she said, her straightforward and generous demeanor making a striking impression.

"I’m Luo Xiaoluan." She was a very cute girl with a small, heart-shaped face, clear, doe-like eyes, and a small dimple when she smiled. She was clearly the most beautiful of the girls present.

"I’m Wu Ya." This girl received the most attention from the older students, as she was the one their brother was interested in.

"I’m Zhang Jiajia." She was a tall, long-legged girl with a stunning figure.

Once the girls had introduced themselves, it was naturally the boys' turn. After a lively round of introductions, the food began to arrive.

...

Although they had only just exchanged names, they were all young, attended the same university, and had a few lively personalities among them, so they quickly warmed up to each other.

Just as the atmosphere was at its best, a commotion broke out outside.

Zhao Lüzheng, who was sitting closest to the door, opened it a crack out of curiosity to peek outside. The noise seemed to be coming from right outside their room. A glance revealed the door of the opposite private room wide open, with two groups of people confronting each other. People from other rooms along the hallway had also opened their doors to watch the spectacle.

Suddenly, "Ouch!" Zhao Lüzheng cried out. Someone had stumbled into the door he had just cracked open. Caught off guard, he tried to lean back but was a step too slow, and he was hit squarely. Zhao Lüzheng kept gasping, his nose turning bright red and tears welling up, barely noticing that someone had fallen into their room.

"Youngest, are you okay?"
"Zhao Lüzheng, are you alright?"
The others gathered around him, looking concerned.

Zhao Lüzheng waved them off. He wasn't badly hurt, just suffering from a stinging nose, and he would be fine once it subsided. Fortunately, his nose hadn't bled, or it would have been truly embarrassing. What a disaster! Zhao Lüzheng gingerly touched his nose, feeling a bit resentful.

Just as the others were about to speak, they were interrupted by a sudden voice. Turning around, they realized their private room door had been pushed wide open, and a group of people was standing at the entrance.

The leader was dressed in designer clothes and wore an arrogant expression, clearly the young master of a wealthy family. He was cradling a girl whose head was bowed, hiding her face, though her slender and delicate figure suggested she was a beauty.

The young master held his chin high, his eyes sweeping over the boy who had been knocked into their room with unconcealed disdain and impatience. "Xiao Rou is my woman. Stop pestering her."

"Look at yourself and what kind of person you are."
"Next time, I won't let you off so easily."

With that, the young master turned to leave, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Xiao Rou, why?" The boy on the floor didn't get up, nor did he care about the young master's mockery. He stared intensely at the girl in the young master's arms, his voice hoarse and trembling slightly. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You were my girlfriend!"

"Hey, what are you saying? Your girlfriend? The sister-in-law belongs to Young Master Zhu; who do you think you are?" Seeing the young master's face darken, his followers immediately chimed in with sycophantic zeal.

"Why? Just look at your status compared to Young Master Zhu's!"
"You're not even fit to carry his shoes."
"A toad wanting to eat swan meat!"

Zhang Bo had been rolling up his sleeves, ready to give the person who caused the "Youngest" to get hit a piece of his mind, but upon seeing the situation, he couldn't help but shoot a sympathetic glance at the boy with his back to them.

Wasn't this just a classic, cliché scene of someone stealing another man's love? Tsk tsk, Zhang Bo and the others watched with interest. Besides, since this group had occupied their doorway, they had no choice but to watch.

...

Xiao Xiao rubbed his brow and looked again at the girl huddled in the young master's arms. He felt that something was not quite right. What could it be?

Just then, a low, gentle, and seductive voice drifted through the air, and the entire room suddenly went quiet.

"Brother Zhao, I'm sorry. It's my fault."
"But I like Young Master Zhu now."
"Please, don't come looking for me anymore."

The girl's voice, tinged with a sigh, stirred pity in the hearts of those who heard it. No one could bear to reproach her or refuse her request. Even the hearts of the boys—and girls—present softened, and they turned their gazes to the boy on the floor with a hint of reproach.

...

After a moment of daze, Xiao Xiao's mind cleared, and he snapped back to reality. A chill ran down his spine. What was going on?

The girl's voice was strange. Xiao Xiao’s gaze sharpened, then he lowered his eyes, masking his vigilance and coldness, as well as a faint, subtle golden glimmer.

When he looked up again, the girl had raised her head. She possessed a stunning face that lived up to her voice. Perhaps from staying in the young master's arms for so long, a rosy flush had spread across her cheeks, making her look incredibly tender and delicate. She was truly a great beauty.

However, because Xiao Xiao had already grown wary of her, he only paused for a second at her beauty before regaining his composure. His eyes clear, he scrutinized the girl, only to find that the sense of dissonance had grown even stronger. Where exactly was the problem?

As for Zhang Bo and the others, along with the other onlookers, they gasped as her face was fully revealed. For a moment, the sound of sharp intakes of breath echoed through the space.

"Hmph!" The young master tightened his arm around the girl's waist, looking at the crowd with smug contempt.

...

"Excuse me, please make way." The restaurant manager finally arrived, directing the waiters to disperse the crowd.

"Young Master Zhu?!" The manager was startled to see the young master and immediately approached with a sycophantic smile.

The crowd slowly dispersed. The young master cast one last look of disdain at the disheveled boy, then, surrounded by his followers and flattered by the manager, he walked away with his beauty in his arms.

The boy on the floor, deeply shaken by the girl's words, had completely shut out the world, sitting there in a daze, looking utterly dejected.

...

Zhang Bo felt a bit sorry for him and stepped forward to pat the boy's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Get up, buddy," Zhuge Yun said, reaching out to pull the boy to his feet.

The boy looked listless, his eyes vacant. After a hurried word of thanks to Zhang Bo and the others, he staggered out of the private room. Watching his unsteady back, the group felt a bit of sadness. But they were strangers, after all, and there wasn't much they could say.

"Sigh, there are plenty of fish in the sea; why pine for just one?" Zhuge Yun shook his head.

"Especially one that's had a change of heart," Zhao Lüzheng added.

"Still, that girl was so beautiful," Wu Ya sighed.

...

After this unexpected incident, the rest of the meal went undisturbed, and they finished their dinner quite happily.