Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Misunderstanding

A gleam of surprise flashed in the mixed-race girl’s eyes. She hadn’t expected Zhang Yan to actually finish the quote, which seemed to prove he was genuinely reading the book. However, one sentence couldn’t prove much. He might have just overheard it somewhere. So, she asked a few more questions about the book’s more memorable quotes and concepts.

Riding out the remaining effects of the pill, Zhang Yan gave accurate responses to each one.

Now the girl was truly astonished. She had been a top student since childhood, and after going abroad, she continued to absolutely dominate her peers. Naturally, she had read this book thoroughly. Although science wasn’t exactly her strong suit, she figured she was far beyond the average enthusiast. She knew exactly how difficult this book was. Even her best friend, a bonafide science prodigy, couldn’t read such a dense text with such ease.

"Hello, my name is Sofia. It’s very nice to meet you. I assume this isn’t your first time reading this book? Your reading speed is truly astonishing."

Despite being perfectly fluent in the Huaxia language, she didn’t use a Huaxia name to introduce herself to a fellow compatriot. Zhang Yan’s favorable impression of her instantly plummeted.

"What’s the use of reading fast? This is actually my first time reading this book. I’ve already gone through it twice, but I’m still a step away from fully comprehending it." After saying that, Zhang Yan packed up his things and prepared to leave. After all, the pill’s effects had completely worn off now. If she asked a few more profound questions, his cover would be blown.

Seeing Zhang Yan get up so decisively, the girl was taken aback once more. She had never been treated like this before. Usually, others would be the ones eagerly approaching her. The fact that she could tirelessly respond with politeness was already a testament to her good upbringing. Yet today, she had done something unprecedented by initiating a conversation with a man she just met, only for him to show zero interest in talking and even hurry to leave.

Even if he was somewhat handsome and seemed to come from a good background, there was no reason for him to be so dismissive of her, right? She hadn’t been back in years. Could it be that the beauty she had taken pride in since childhood was no longer up to par with domestic standards?

"Wait a moment. I’ve already told you my name. Out of basic politeness, shouldn’t you at least give me yours?"

Hearing her call out to stop him, Zhang Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, she wasn’t following up with more questions about the book, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

"You can call me Aise, Miss Sofia. I have things to do, so I won’t stay and chat."

Whether it was because she didn’t identify with her own heritage or simply refused to give her Huaxia name to a stranger, Zhang Yan felt slightly annoyed. Therefore, he didn’t give his real name either, choosing instead to make one up on the spot.

Watching Aiser’s back as he walked away without a second glance, Sofia pressed her lips together in exasperation. From the way he had deliberately emphasized the words "Miss Sofia," as well as the blatantly fabricated foreign name, she knew that introducing herself as Sofia had likely displeased him. But she had just returned to the country recently. Before this, aside from her family, she had spent seven years interacting exclusively with her peers in Germany. Due to certain circumstances, she had been forced to abandon her Huaxia name and spend her days using the German name her father had given her. After so many years of subtle influence, it had become a deeply ingrained habit that was hard to change overnight.

However, he was just a passing stranger, so it didn’t really matter. She would take this as a lesson; when she sought out her former classmates and friends, she would definitely have to be more mindful. That is, if she could still find them. Thinking of her middle school desk-mate, for whom she had once harbored a nascent affection, a deep sense of longing and nostalgia filled her eyes. That was her lost youth.

Meng City, Shangri-La Hotel.

As an established five-star hotel in Meng City, the Shangri-La Hotel was currently seeing a decline in its former glory. However, this banquet, held annually on the second Sunday of July, was a tradition passed down by the older generation. Thus, it was only natural to stick to the venue their parents had always used.

The Shangri-La Hotel’s largest banquet hall spanned about eight hundred square meters and could accommodate nine hundred guests. Even though the banquet didn’t actually have that many attendees, they generously booked the entire space every time. After all, it was a gathering of nearly all the wealthy second-generation heirs in Meng City; maintaining that sense of prestige was a must. Besides this main banquet hall, the hotel also featured numerous multi-function rooms of varying sizes, perfectly suited for hosting events ranging from a few dozen to several hundred people.

At this moment, a group of young men and women were gathered in a multi-function room adjacent to the main banquet hall. Many of them were even acquaintances of Zhang Yan.

"Who do you guys think is the richest second-generation heir at Provincial University?"

"It has to be Xia Xiqing! Rumor has it that she can wear luxury jewelry and carry designer bags for a whole month without ever repeating a single piece..."

"I think Si Mingcheng is a strong contender too. He’s just more low-key, but he’s actually filthy rich. Once, I saw him..."

"Fu Hang? Mentioning him is a bit of a joke. His family is upper-middle class at best. He just made a name for himself by being highly visible on campus..."

"Zhang Yan? Who is Zhang Yan?"

"I think Zhang Yan is the bride’s ex-boyfriend. He doesn’t have a dime to his name. If you’re going to bring someone up, at least pick someone credible."

"No, listen. I have a basketball buddy named Da Ban. We were chatting once, and he told me that Zhang Yan only found out his family was rich after he graduated. He’s actually a mega-rich heir."

"You must be misremembering. The guy who found out his family was loaded after graduation and became an overnight heir is Liu Shi, isn’t it?"

Not far away, Liu Shi was glowing with pride as he entertained the classmates and friends who had come to attend his engagement banquet. If one were to briefly summarize his life recently, "riding high" would be the perfect description. After graduation, he had employed a little scheme, swooping in on his long-pursued goddess, Cheng Lu, during her moment of vulnerability—in every sense of the word. After an unexpected incident led her to give herself to him, Cheng Lu agreed to be with him.

When he brought his goddess home to meet his parents, they were incredibly pleased with their sweet-talking future daughter-in-law. They also revealed a massive surprise to him. It turned out that his family was actually quite wealthy, possessing assets worth nearly ten million. His parents had hidden the truth from him all along because they were worried he would grow up to be an idle good-for-nothing, and they feared his honest, naive nature would make him a target for gold-digging girls.

Now, his life was suddenly complete. He had a wife, he had a career, and he spent every day basking in the envy and flattery of his friends and classmates. However, he still harbored one slight regret: he hadn’t been able to mock Zhang Yan—the guy whose girlfriend he had poached—to his face.

Now that his woman was with him, Zhang Yan had to be furious, right? Having his girlfriend stolen away just because of a petty quarrel, Zhang Yan had to be thoroughly frustrated and resentful, didn’t he? But if they were to meet, and Zhang Yan finally learned of Liu Shi’s current status, he would surely be left with nothing but a sense of crushing defeat and helplessness. What a pity he couldn’t see it with his own eyes. Although Cheng Lu said she had sent Zhang Yan a digital invitation, there was no way he would actually show up.

Just as he was thinking this, a handsome young man in a sharp suit walked through the doorway. He glanced at the welcome sign at the entrance, seemed to freeze for a second, and then turned to leave.

Liu Shi’s eyes lit up. Wasn’t that Zhang Yan!

He took a few large strides and walked right over.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.