Yun Huaizhu Comes to Pick Her Up

When Wen Ting saw who had arrived, she hesitated for a moment, then walked over with delighted surprise. “Well, if it isn't Pang Min! It really is you! You've changed so much these past few years—did you strike it rich somewhere?”

Pang Min smiled at the flattery and nodded. “Just got lucky, that's all. It's been ages since our class got together. Since the class monitor organized it, of course I had to come.”

The people around her heard this and crowded in to chat. Lin Meng watched as her classmates flocked to the newcomer and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Wow! Who's this little beauty beside you? She's gorgeous!”

Pang Min glanced down at the woman on her arm with a smug expression, then let her gaze sweep across the private room, as if searching for something.

Meanwhile, Lin Meng—relaxed in her corner—felt thirsty. She casually grabbed a glass from the table that looked like juice and took a sip, but the moment it hit her tongue, it burned with a sharp kick.

It was alcohol!

Lin Meng coughed and set the glass down. Just then, the person from before made her way through the crowd, girlfriend on her arm, and stopped right in front of her.

The mouthful of liquor had left Lin Meng dazed, so several seconds passed before she registered the shadow falling over her.

She looked up to find Pang Min beaming down at her with a triumphant smile. Puzzled, Lin Meng asked, “Excuse me, classmate—did you need something?”

Pang Min let out a disdainful laugh, assuming Lin Meng was pretending not to recognize her. Then she pulled her girlfriend close and gave Lin Meng a provocative smile. “Lin Meng, I have a new girlfriend now. Aren't you going to congratulate me?”

Lin Meng was baffled. She didn't even know this person—why would she need to congratulate her for getting a girlfriend?

Still, for the sake of classmate harmony, Lin Meng politely stood up and spoke with apparent sincerity. “Really? That's wonderful! Then I wish you two a happy life together, and an early... an early wedding—when the time comes, I'll bring a gift to your wedding!”

She'd meant to say “a baby soon,” following the traditional blessing, but on second thought that seemed inappropriate—she honestly couldn't remember which of her classmates were alphas and which were omegas. What if this person didn't have the right biology for it?

So she'd changed her words at the last second.

It was clearly a blessing, yet the moment Pang Min heard it, the humiliation and fury on her face practically became tangible.

Wen Ting sensed the tension and hurried over, positioning herself between Pang Min and Lin Meng. “Anyway, the dishes everyone ordered should be arriving soon. Pang Min, is there anything you'd like to eat? I'm covering the whole reunion dinner tonight—everyone can order whatever they want!”

“Awesome! Long live the class monitor!”

Pang Min glared at Lin Meng resentfully for a moment before following Wen Ting to sit elsewhere.

Lin Meng grew even more confused. Pang Min had been glaring at her just now, hadn't she?

From the very first moment Pang Min laid eyes on her, it was as if she harbored some kind of grudge. Lin Meng racked her brain but couldn't figure out where she'd offended her.

And she'd even given Pang Min the blessing she asked for—so why had the resentment in her eyes only deepened after hearing it?

Once that little interlude passed, two people sitting not far from Lin Meng began whispering to each other. “Hey, do you know why Pang Min treats Lin Meng like that?”

“Apparently Pang Min pursued her back in university and got rejected. So love turned to hate, and then to rage...”

“Heavens, how does something like that even happen?”

“Right? Those two don't look compatible at all. And I remember Pang Min is an alpha—Lin Meng is just a beta, isn't she? Why would Pang Min go after a beta?”

Back in school, Pang Min had been one of those rich second-generation kids. Rumor had it her startup failed later, but in recent years she'd somehow struck luck again and become a small business owner. So the little clique that used to run with her back in the day started needling Lin Meng too. “Lin Meng, I heard you're still just an office clerk. Got a girlfriend yet?”

Lin Meng felt like a student caught daydreaming when called on in class. She looked up, prepared to answer seriously. “Oh, I...”

Wen Ting's expression turned displeased. “Alright, enough—why ask so many personal questions? It's been so long since we all got together. We should just catch up on how everyone's doing.”

“That's what catching up on someone means.”

“Exactly, haha.”

Lin Meng felt the atmosphere in the private room growing more and more uncomfortable. She stood up and headed toward the restroom.

After Lin Meng left, the people who'd always disliked her gathered around Pang Min and whispered, “She's still as stuck-up as ever. She was blind before—now she shouldn't even dream of climbing her way up to our Sister Min.”

Pang Min laughed and pulled her omega closer. The omega looked a little embarrassed. Lin Meng hadn't said anything just now, despite all the malice from the group. Weren't they going too far?

...

Lin Meng didn't know why, but the moment she stepped into the restroom, she couldn't help but dry-heave. Maybe the mix of perfumes and the noise in the private room had gotten to her.

Combined with the strong drink, her head was genuinely spinning now. She pulled out her phone and opened her chat with “Class Monitor Wen Ting”: [Class Monitor, I'm not feeling well. I think I'll head home first.]

Wen Ting replied immediately: [Where are you now? What's wrong? Do you need me to come help?]

Lin Meng: [No, no, I just feel a bit dizzy. It's nothing serious.]

Wen Ting: [I see. How about you wait a little longer? The surprise I prepared for you is almost here. Also... Pang Min has always been blunt and outspoken, even back in school. Don't take her words to heart.]

Lin Meng: ?

Her head was so foggy by then that she'd already forgotten what Pang Min had said to her.

Since Wen Ting had put it that way, Lin Meng didn't want to embarrass her. She thought for a moment, then replied: [Okay, I'll rest a bit and come back.]

Lin Meng splashed cold water on her face in the restroom, barely managing to clear her head. She walked out on unsteady feet.

The moment she disappeared from the hallway, a familiar figure at the other end hurried over, talking on the phone. “Are you sure she's here?”

“Yes, Miss. She's in a private room in the central hall on the third floor right now. You can go straight there and see her.”

“Good. Make the arrangements first—if I'm late getting back, create a little commotion to keep Su Yutang from coming over.”

“Understood, Miss.”