Just as Zhang Shaozhong was catching up with his roommate and lamenting the fickleness of fate, a sarcastic voice, clearly tinged with mockery, came from not far away:
"Hey!! Isn't this our Brother Chong? You're really tough! That hellhole Cloud Mist Mountain didn't kill you, did it??"
The sound was loud and piercing, instantly shattering the relatively harmonious atmosphere.
Zhang Shaozhong frowned and turned to look.
A young man dressed in designer casual clothes, with slicked-back hair and an arrogant smile, walked over with a well-dressed and beautiful girl in his arms.
It was Zhao Kun, the famous rich kid in their class, and the girl he was embracing was Lin Weiwei, the class beauty who used to have a somewhat ambiguous relationship with Zhang Shaozhong and was later stolen away by Zhao Kun.
Zhao Kun's family is a little rich, and he usually acts arrogantly in class, often bullying classmates like Zhang Shaozhong who come from ordinary families.
Upon seeing Lin Wei, Zhang Shaozhong's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.
During his first two years of university, he and Lin Wei did have a vague crush on each other. They studied together, chatted, and almost became a couple.
But then Zhao Kun interfered, using money and relentless pursuit to win Lin Wei away.
Zhang Shaozhong was quite depressed about this for a while.
I never expected to run into him here today, and Zhao Kai immediately brought up the very thing I didn't want to talk about, clearly here to cause trouble.
He was very unhappy when Zhang Shaozhong and Lin Weiwei got close.
Upon this chance encounter with Zhang Shaozhong, who had "survived a great calamity," he naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to boast and humiliate him.
Lin Weiwei, being held by Zhao Kun, looked at Zhang Shaozhong with a complicated expression, a hint of guilt and unease flashing across her face, but she quickly concealed it, lowering her head and remaining silent.
When Da Liu and Wang Hao saw that it was Zhao Kun, their expressions also darkened.
Da Liu had a fiery temper and was about to retort when Wang Hao stopped him.
Looking at Zhao Kun's face, Zhang Shaozhong felt disgusted, but after experiencing so much, he was no longer the hot-headed young man he used to be.
He was too lazy to waste words on such a person, and simply said, "I'm lucky, you don't need to worry about me."
Seeing Zhang Shaozhong's calm reaction, as if he had punched cotton, Zhao Kun became even more energized.
He hugged Lin Weiwei tighter, deliberately kissed her on the cheek, and boasted, "That's right! Evil lives on forever! Look at me, I don't have to go on adventures in those desolate and dangerous places. I can just go shopping with my Weiwei and enjoy life. Isn't that great!"
His words were both a mockery of Zhang Shaozhong's poverty, implying he couldn't afford nice places and could only climb wild mountains, and a boast that he had won the heart of a beautiful woman.
However, before Zhang Shaozhong could say anything about his performance, Lin Weiwei in his arms couldn't take it anymore. She struggled slightly and whispered, "Zhao Kun, say less..."
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Zhao Kun, with his arm around Lin Weiwei, glared at her with dissatisfaction. Just as he was about to continue showing off, his gaze finally passed over Zhang Shaozhong and his two "unremarkable" roommates and landed on Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier behind them.
With just one glance, Zhao Kun froze completely, as if he had been frozen in place!
The arrogance and mockery on his face vanished as quickly as ice and snow melting away, replaced by an extreme sense of amazement, greed, and disbelief!
Zhao Kun boasted that he had been with many beautiful women, and Lin Weiwei, who was by his side, was considered a beauty in the department. But compared to the two in front of him, she was like a firefly compared to the bright moon, not even in the same league!
The woman in white was aloof and ethereal, seemingly untouched by worldly concerns; the woman in purple was naturally alluring, every smile and frown captivating and mesmerizing!
What incredible luck did Zhang Shao Chong have?!
Where did I get to know two such stunning beauties?!
Zhao Kun's mind raced instantly, and his expression underwent a complete 180-degree turn, switching from mockery and disdain to a fawning and even obsequious smile.
He shoved Lin Weiwei, who was still nestled beside him, aside as if she were some kind of troublesome trash, and rushed over to Zhang Shaozhong, his tone as warm as that of a longtime friend:
"Oh dear! Brother Chong! Look at my mouth, I just can't say anything right! I was just joking with you! Don't take it to heart!"
As he spoke, his gaze swept intently towards Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier, "These two... these two fairies are...?"
Without waiting for Zhang Shaozhong's introduction, he straightened his collar, struck what he thought was his most handsome pose, and extended his hand to Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier, his face beaming with smiles:
"Hello, ladies! I'm Zhao Kun, Shao Chong's classmate. My family is in real estate! May I ask your names? Would you be interested in making friends? Tonight, I'll treat you to a meal at 'Royal Dynasty' to welcome you both!"
His rapid change of expression and sycophantic attitude left Da Liu and Wang Hao speechless and disgusted.
Lin Weiwei's face turned deathly pale. She bit her lip, and her eyes instantly reddened. She felt like a complete joke.
However, Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier's reactions to Zhao Kun's enthusiasm and outstretched hand stunned everyone.
Ling Qingxue didn't even lift her eyelids, as if Zhao Kun, who was buzzing in front of her, was just an insignificant fly. Her gaze remained calm as she looked into the distance, radiating a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.
Ye Meier did glance at Zhao Kun, but her eyes were filled with undisguised disgust and contempt, as if she were looking at a filthy piece of garbage.
She scoffed, completely ignoring his outstretched hand, and instead turned to Zhang Shaozhong, speaking in a voice that wasn't loud, but was enough for Zhao Kun to hear:
"Hey kid, these flies around here are so annoying! They're buzzing and making so much noise."
Zhao Kun's hand hung stiffly in mid-air, neither extending it nor retracting it.
The carefully crafted, obsequious smile on his face, meant to win favor, froze instantly as if it had been rapidly frozen, his muscles stiffening and contorting into an extremely strange and unsightly expression.
His expression was a mixture of bewilderment at being rejected, shame and indignation at being humiliated in public, and a kind of ferocity that comes from the sensitive and fragile self-esteem of a nouveau riche who has climbed up from the bottom, after being severely hurt.
Ling Qingxue's complete disregard made him seem like nothing more than a colorless and odorless cloud of air. Ye Meier's undisguised and piercingly contemptuous scrutiny was like two invisible slaps delivered with all her might, echoing sharply as they struck his cheeks and, more importantly, his heart.
It hurts like fire.
Especially in front of Lin Weiwei, whom he had just dumped in his eagerness to climb the social ladder!
Especially in front of Zhang Shaozhong, whom he had always looked down upon and believed could have his dignity trampled on at will!
This double humiliation stripped away all false pride, leaving only the unbearable truth within.
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