(Special thanks to the new squad leader [Sai Clan's Little Fish] brother, for the strong support, and to all the brothers who offered rewards, this is a special addition!)

Listening to He Zhexia and Bai Jie's recounting of past events, Li Yan remembered the youthful memories that had been forgotten in the corners of his mind. Although he couldn't clearly recall how everyone looked back then, he did have a tiny impression of Qiao Huanxuan, such a peculiar girl.

But... that's all! He didn't remember having a secret crush, perhaps it was an admiration for an exceptional girl during his youth, or maybe because she was the prodigy and he was the class monitor, it was magnified in others' eyes.

Now hearing Qiao Huanxuan's self-deprecating joke made Li Yan hesitant to say much. He couldn't very well say it like this: Sorry, classmate, you spread your peacock tail, but I don't feel anything for you now, nor did I have a crush on you back then.

That would be a slap in the face, and it's estimated that Qiao Huanxuan would get out of the car immediately.

But if he said nothing, he would suffer, and she might misunderstand. This put Li Yan in a dilemma, but since Qiao Huanxuan mentioned his little girlfriend, it gave him a perfect excuse: "Haha, being reserved and constrained isn't necessary, but as you can see, I am a person with a girlfriend. If I am too enthusiastic towards Qiao, you'd probably look down on me."

The words "classmate Qiao" fully highlighted the estrangement!

This made the atmosphere go cold instantly, He Zhexia was driving seriously, not caring about his business, whether they had anything back then or the possibility of rekindling now, it was up to them.

The young architect was not stumped by his intentional neglect, he smiled lightly and took the initiative to say: "Having a girlfriend and still being overly enthusiastic and favoring a female classmate certainly invites disdain. However... if someone doesn't even dare to engage in normal nostalgic chats with old classmates, it inevitably arouses suspicions of a guilty conscience. And why a guilty conscience? That is also worth questioning."

The mature, charming woman naturally had no need to pretend to be coy, her direct and bold style might even give a teenage pure-hearted boy the sense of being flirted with.

To deal with her continuing, Li Yan decided to tell a lie. In his life, he had lied and would lie countless times, and this one would be the most melodramatic one...

"Sigh... there are only you two now, let me be honest with you. I actually once had a fall, hit my head, and as a result lost my memory. So, of the five of you, I can't recognize anyone at all. The past events you mention, I am trying to force myself to recall and pretend to have some impression. I have no memories at all, how do you expect me to fake enthusiasm? I simply can't rekindle old times!"

Li Yan said, "painfully" closing his eyes. It is said that even Liang Chaowei's back could act. At this point, Li Yan wanted to give them a melancholic back view, but inside the car, it was impossible, so he could only close his eyes to prevent his eyes from giving him away. Isn't there a song called "Your Eyes Betrayed Your Heart"? This means eyes aren't trustworthy.

This melodramatic lie, though quite old and heavily used in the Cloud Island films of the 80s, still had a certain emotional impact given the appeal for melodrama. Listening to his words, along with his previous behaviors, He Zhexia and Qiao Huanxuan believed it to some extent. If he was acting before, it was too fake, wasn't it? They exchanged glances and saw Li Yan closing his eyes helplessly, all they could do was smile wryly.

It's rare to see an old classmate with no news for more than ten years, and he turns out to be the amnesiac version!

"I'm sorry... I didn't know you..." Qiao Huanxuan changed her attitude, no longer as assertive as before.

Li Yan opened his eyes, smiled bitterly, and said: "It's okay, I'm used to it, and I've already adapted to my new life."

"...let us talk more about the things that happened when we were students, maybe if you hear more, you might regain your memory." Qiao Huanxuan looked at Li Yan, a deeper story seemed to be hidden in her eyes, unsaid.

Li Yan felt a bit of a headache, as what was meant to be a shield was now encouraging more conversation!

But fortunately, she wouldn't talk about any crush she had on him, just retelling past stories, which only required listening and was relatively worthwhile.

They had three years of middle school together, and then when they entered the high school at the same school, they were still in the same class, so they spent quite a bit of time together. In that era, at that age, the stories and experiences were limited, but picking some representative things to talk about over several years of time was still quite easy.

As time went by, even Qiao Huanxuan didn't remember too much, sometimes forgetting as she spoke. Sometimes she reminded He Zhexia, who then added onto the story.

Earlier, He Zhexia and Bai Jie introduced everyone's different situations, mainly summarizing their life trajectories after Li Yan left. Now it was straightforward reminiscence of campus life's bits and pieces, one little story after another, past events that happened in his life, starting to evoke Li Yan's long-suppressed memories, making him hazily recall some vague impressions from that time.

Recalling and recounting past events always leaves one sighing, yet it also exhilarates the mood. The car finally arrived at the scheduled hotel; those who left first were already waiting in the front after parking.

"We won't mention about your memory loss later, and you don't need to bring it up either. After all, you've been out of touch with everyone for over ten years, it's okay if you can't recognize people." Before getting off the car, Qiao Huanxuan reminded both Li Yan and He Zhexia.

...

Including Li Yan, there were eleven people in total, with only two female classmates, Qiao Huanxuan and Bai Jie. Perhaps because there were fewer female classmates in nearby cities, or perhaps married women were less willing to come to gatherings.

The appearance of Qiao Huanxuan attracted a wave of admiration and praise, everyone saying the beautiful classmate looked more gorgeous and graceful. Li Yan's entrance also drew admiration, though with noticeably less enthusiasm.

Recollecting school days can only happen privately, or when the atmosphere is right. At the dining table, everyone "lives in the moment," sharing their current situations, discussing how everyone has been over the years — whether they've been promoted, gotten rich, or started families.

Since some of them keep in touch regularly, they are clear on each other's situations, making the topics less intriguing. Eventually, everyone shifted their focus to Li Yan, curious about how this seemingly vanishing old class monitor had fared over a decade.

In response to everyone's expectations and goodwill, Li Yan spoke, though his decade-long journey boiled down to less than a few words, merely using wanderings as his excuse.

When asked where he worked, he chose not to elaborate; these old classmates, now unfamiliar, were treated as strangers. Hence, he didn't mention Paradise Group, only vaguely saying it was a small company of no significance. He then took the chance to comment on how well they were all doing, suggesting they take care of him in the future.

Those attending the reunion were all based in S City or nearby cities, doing quite well. Without anyone in poor circumstances to compare, the gathering mostly consisted of bragging, showing off, or discussing current events. Now, the unexpected appearance of Li Yan, who had dropped out years ago and been out of contact, added an element of mystery that piqued everyone's interest.

Given that eight out of the ten here were male, a sense of comparison naturally prevailed. Li Yan, a former class monitor and quite prominent in his youth, now seemed to be faring worse than expected. On the surface, they expressed sympathy and recognition, but deep inside, they felt quite pleased — evoking a sense of "what goes up must come down."

'Hey, people, success in youth is not as good as maturing late!'

'Being popular at school, so what? Succeeding in society is the real deal!'

'No wonder he's so low-key! Indeed, one needs power. He used to boldly woo and flatter Qiao Huanxuan when he was the squad leader, and now she has grown even more beautiful, with a better status, yet the old class monitor fades into the crowd. Tsk tsk... such a meeting, how can one face it!'

...

In everyone's hearts, there was a trace of schadenfreude. It wasn't that they were inherently bad, but in such settings, even though most attendees were well-off, there was still social hierarchy. For instance, those in managerial roles didn't want to be outdone by directors, nor did those earning a thousand want to be outdone by those earning ten thousand. Comparatively, although these graduates and now successful professionals were doing well, they still couldn't match He Zhexia, who was already running his own business.

Thus, Li Yan's presence acted as a bottom rung, ensuring that others would not be the least successful. Moreover, he had been the class monitor, creating quite a contrast!

Beyond this aspect, there was also the factor of Qiao Huanxuan!

Back in middle school, youthful and outstanding female students always stood out. Qiao Huanxuan was someone many male classmates admired, albeit secretly. Now, things have changed; she remains outstanding, brilliant in appearance, figure, and temperament, a standard beauty.

In the presence of such a beautiful female classmate, regardless of marital status or having a girlfriend, every man would strive to maintain and display his best side. This male instinct as part of their nature! Thus seeing Li Yan's downcast state boosted their own sense of pride.

After expressing sentiments and sighing, in front of Qiao Huanxuan, everyone became generous, each handing Li Yan their business card, promising heartily that if he wanted to change jobs, a single call would ensure the best arrangements! They all seemed so chivalrous, implying Li Yan was barely getting by, waiting for them to support or rescue him.

Li Yan was amused and helpless, yet said nothing to refute. Anyway, he didn't plan on keeping in touch with them much later, so he appeared grateful as he accepted their business cards.

(Current monthly pass: 233, can it reach 240 tonight? Pitiful expectation...)

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