Chapter 1

I heard that Xie Chuan had returned to the country, bringing his fiancée with him-they were going to get married.

To avoid running into him, I quietly tossed the School Reunion invitation into the trash.

The class group chat was lively. Word was that Xie Chuan had generously donated a library to our alma mater.

Many people were shouting to get together after the ceremony.

I silently turned off my phone and ignored it.

I never thought I would see Xie Chuan again, and certainly not in such an unexpected way.

Inside the VIP Room, he sat tall at the head of the banquet table, his beautiful girlfriend by his side, surrounded by flattery.

I froze there, the dish in my hands suddenly felt like a hot potato.

Taking a deep breath, I lowered my head as much as I could and quickly placed the dish on the table.

Just as I was about to step away, an impatient complaint rang out:

“Hey, what’s with this waitress? The soup spilled all over my bag.”

For a moment, all eyes turned to me.

“I’m sorry, how much is it? I’ll compensate you.”

I kept my head down and replied in a low voice.

“Sis, do you even know this bag? How are you going to pay for it?”

Xie Chuan’s young girlfriend, Xu Wei, frowned, her voice tinged with mockery.

Embarrassed, I braced myself and was about to speak.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd called out:

“Oh~ isn’t this Gu Qiao? Didn’t go to the School Reunion, turns out you’re working here as a waitress?”

Whispers spread throughout the room.

Everyone knew I was Xie Chuan’s White Moonlight, the thorn in his heart.

Back then, he was madly in love with me, but I dumped him for being poor.

Now, he was successful, with a beauty by his side.

And I, the former School Belle, had become a joke.

Naturally, everyone was waiting to see me embarrassed.

I forced down my humiliation and replied politely:

“I know this bag, Hermès. Name your price, I’ll transfer the money to you.”

She smiled gently, her voice soft:

“Oh, so it’s Sister Gu Qiao. Xie Chuan did mention you to me.”

She paused, then changed her tone:

“I heard you broke up back then over a 200,000 yuan betrothal gift. What a pity.”

She slowly wiped her hands, her gaze falling on me with a faint smile:

“We’re old classmates after all, and I know Sister Gu Qiao works hard for her money. How could I ask you to compensate me?”

She pretended to be magnanimous, smiling sweetly, then turned to Xie Chuan beside her, speaking softly:

“Isn’t that right, Xie Chuan?”

I’ve seen Xie Chuan in many ways, but never so aloof.

Expensive suit, limited edition watch, even a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose-he looked every bit the successful man.

So close, yet so far away.

His eyes were cold, gaze passing through the lenses, and the moment our eyes met-

I lost my composure, my heartbeat in disarray.

Xie Chuan’s Adam’s apple moved, his gaze fixed on me. After a long silence, he smiled indifferently:

“It’s just a bag. Buy another one.”

His tone was extremely light, his eyes unreadable.

Back then, he scrimped and saved for a month to buy me a knockoff Louis Vuitton.

Times had changed; now he could spend lavishly without a second thought.

The crowd, eager for drama, began to stir:

“Gu Qiao, that bag costs tens of thousands. You should at least toast Xu Wei to thank her.”

“Yeah, yeah, even after breaking up you’re still friends. Since you ran into each other, let’s all get together. This restaurant is pretty expensive, I bet you usually can’t afford to eat here.”

Their jokes always carried a hint of schadenfreude.

Five years ago, mentioning Xie Chuan, everyone scoffed: “That poor kid!”

When we broke up, people whispered: “Should’ve ended long ago.”

Now that he’s climbed to the top, those who once looked down on him have changed their tune.

Mentioning Gu Qiao, it’s all “no taste” and “gold-digger”-especially now, when everyone wants to add fuel to the fire.

I swallowed my embarrassment and smiled faintly.

I pulled up my earpiece and instructed: “Manager Li, bring my bag to the VIP Room.”

Everyone was curious; the hotel manager was quick.

After receiving my bag, I placed it directly in front of Xu Wei, clearly startling her.

I spoke calmly: “Limited edition crocodile Birkin, probably three or four times the price of yours. I didn’t bring much cash today-will this do as compensation?”

Xu Wei was stunned, momentarily speechless.

The crowd fell silent, the air suddenly still.

I collected myself, raised my head, and added:

“Everyone, please enjoy yourselves. The hotel belongs to my fiancé. Business is booming today, so I’m here to help out.”

After another moment of silence, whispers began anew.

Soon, someone tried to smooth things over:

“Haha, Gu Qiao is engaged? Why haven’t you posted about it on your Moments?”

“Mm, it was pretty rushed. I’ll invite everyone when we get married,” I explained.

My engagement to Jiang Cheng was both hasty and ridiculous. The two of us were so pressured to get married that we just lied and said we were together. Our families were so thrilled they didn’t sleep all night, notified all the relatives, and set our engagement the next day, afraid the opportunity would slip away.

If it hadn’t been a weekend, we might’ve been sent straight to the civil affairs bureau.

Someone in the crowd piped up:

“This hotel belongs to your fiancé? I thought the owner was over fifty?”

“So what if he’s over fifty? He’s rich.”

“Gu Qiao, after you broke up with Xie Chuan, did you just marry some old guy?”

The tense atmosphere dissipated, replaced by words laced with contempt and disdain.

The restaurant was opened by Jiang Cheng a few years ago, but since he’s been away, Uncle Jiang has been managing it.

The implication was clear: Gu Qiao had used her looks to marry a rich old man.