Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After a long moment, Gu Yunzhou reorganized his thoughts and continued.

“A Harvard master’s student?”

“Capital University undergrad.”

“And the Shen family of Nancheng—”

The Gu family ruled the north and the Shen family the south. The Shens were indeed Nancheng’s richest family, and rumor had it they kept an extremely low profile. Their children all lived abroad and never appeared in the media.

I twisted my fingers in shame.

“The family of Shen Yunshan. My dad. He has always called me his princess, so I wasn’t lying about that.”

Gu Yunzhou covered his forehead.

“Shen Bailu, after talking to me for this long, was not one thing you said true? You really can lie through your teeth.”

Of course I could.

Had we not been holding a bragging contest all this time?

How was I supposed to know everything he said was true? Now he made me look vain. No, wait—he had not told the whole truth either.

I seized that final lifeline in a desperate attempt to save face.

“Everyone lies online. You bragged too. I just did it a tiny bit more.”

“I didn’t brag. Every word I told you was true.”

“Impossible.”

I smiled faintly and delivered my killing blow.

“You’re really seven inches? You measured?”

Everyone knew seven inches was an adjective. No man could possibly be bored enough to measure such a thing.

To my surprise, Gu Yunzhou froze. A blush slowly spread over his pale, handsome face. He turned away and murmured, “Mm-hm.”

I sucked in a shocked breath.

Why was he agreeing? Had he truly measured?

He had to be lying. Those dimensions did not match the regional average!

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

My gaze traveled downward and stopped at his crotch.

“How did you measure it? Don’t tell me you started at your ass.”

His face turned crimson. Mortified, he stepped forward and clapped a hand over my mouth.

“Shen Bailu, don’t say such things in public.”

There it was—humiliation turned to anger. I had guessed correctly.

Taking advantage of the moment, I wrapped both hands around his arm.

“Since we both lied, we’re even. Our first meeting might have failed, but we’ve talked for so long that staying friends isn’t too much to ask, right? Gu Yunzhou, could you do me a favor? Please—”

I softened my voice, blinked up at him, and shook his arm with both hands.

“Will you come to my reunion with me? Pretty please?”

Gu Yunzhou pressed his lips together thoughtfully.

“Our meeting failed?”

The second he appeared in front of me, I knew our online romance was doomed.

This was reality, not a fairy tale. I did not dare dream of becoming Cinderella. Who was I to date Gu Yunzhou? The gulf between our families was too wide. He must regret everything now.

I continued pleading.

“If you cooperate, I promise I won’t tell anyone we dated online. And after tonight, I’ll disappear and never bother you again. How does that sound?”

Despite my accommodating tone, Gu Yunzhou suddenly became angry.

His face darkened and his brows drew tight.

“Terrible.”

Then he turned and walked away.

I had known it.

We came from different worlds. Even sharing a meal was too much to ask.

I watched his retreating back for a long time, then returned dejectedly to the private room. Everyone else had arrived.

The moment I entered, Chen Lichuan stood nervously.

“Shen Bailu, how do you know Mr. Gu? You grabbed his arm. Are you close?”

The other classmates began whispering.

“Which Mr. Gu? You can’t mean Gu Yunzhou, the richest man in Beijing.”

“My God, Shen Bailu, you know Gu Yunzhou?”

With everyone’s attention fixed on me, Zhou Feifei’s expression soured. Her eyes darted before her face brightened in feigned realization.

“I get it. Shen Bailu works for a financial magazine, and they interviewed Gu Yunzhou last month. That’s when you met him, right?”

My mind was still on Gu Yunzhou. I did not hear her clearly and nodded at random.

Zhou Feifei smiled knowingly.

“You’re awfully bold. Most people would be careful around someone that important, but you went right up and grabbed him. Anyone who didn’t know better might think you were close.”

Everyone relaxed at once.

“That’s just Shen Bailu. She’s always been outgoing.”

“Exactly,” Zhou Feifei said. “I still remember how spectacularly she chased Chen Lichuan. She brought him breakfast every day and even played the piano for him.”

Chen Lichuan added, “Not just that. We took an art-history elective together, and Shen Bailu wrote the assignments for my entire dorm.”

Zhou Feifei giggled, her shoulders shaking.

“Shen Bailu, where’s your boyfriend? Why isn’t he here yet?”

Expressionless, I sipped my wine.

“Something came up. He can’t make it.”