Class Reunion

Chen Zhi stood at his own front door, let out a sigh, and turned to the familiar security door next door. He raised his hand and knocked.

Knock, knock, knock.

No response.

This girl had been tossing and turning until midnight last night, then woke up bright and early today to sneak back home. Right now, she was probably sleeping like a log.

Knock, knock, knock!

About half a minute later, the shuffling sound of slippers finally came from inside.

With a click, the door opened a crack.

Lin Wanwan's hair was a bit messy and her eyes were heavy with sleep; she had clearly just been woken up.

She rubbed her eyes. Once she saw it was Chen Zhi standing at the door, she instantly relaxed. Her body went limp as she leaned toward him, mumbling, "Zhizhi, I'm so tired, let me sleep a little longer..."

"Our secret is out. My mom asked me to come get you for breakfast."

"Breakfast..." Lin Wanwan replied groggily, before her eyes suddenly flew wide open. "Breakfast?!"

"Ah! I haven't brushed my teeth or washed my face! And I haven't even changed out of my pajamas!"

She hurriedly ran back into her room, shutting Chen Zhi out.

...

A few minutes later, the front door opened again.

Chen Zhi looked at the person in front of him and raised an eyebrow.

Lin Wanwan was wearing a pure white dress, her long hair cascading smoothly over her shoulders. With a faint blush on her cheeks, she looked like a sweet, well-behaved girl next door.

The dress fell just below her knees—neither too revealing nor too conservative, making her look both youthful and elegant.

"Let's go." Lin Wanwan took a deep breath and tilted her head up with an expression that looked like she was marching to her doom.

Chen Zhi looked her up and down, unable to resist reaching out to mess up her carefully combed hair. "Come on, stop acting. It's not like our families just met today."

"What do you know!" Lin Wanwan swatted his hand away and nervously pulled out a compact mirror to fix her bangs. "Is my status now the same as before? Don't mess up my hair!"

The two of them walked into the Chen household one after the other.

The dining table was already filled with a hearty breakfast.

"Good morning, Auntie!"

As soon as Lin Wanwan walked through the door, her voice turned sickeningly sweet. "Auntie, you look so radiant today! Is this a new outfit? It really brings out your complexion!"

Hearing this, Zhang Guifang, who was serving congee in the kitchen, beamed with joy.

"Oh my, Wanwan is here! Come sit, sit." Zhang Guifang placed a large bowl of congee in front of Lin Wanwan. Her tone was so gentle that it made Chen Zhi wonder if he was adopted. "You're such a sweet talker, I've had this outfit for years."

Chen Zhi silently pulled out a chair and sat down, just reaching out to grab a fried dough stick.

Smack!

Zhang Guifang smacked the back of his hand with her chopsticks.

"Where are your manners? Wanwan hasn't even picked up her chopsticks yet."

Chen Zhi pulled his hand back, looking at the red mark on it, not daring to complain.

"Auntie, don't blame Chen Zhi, he must be starving." Lin Wanwan immediately played along, looking at Chen Zhi with a pained expression while peeling an egg and dropping it into Zhang Guifang's bowl. "You eat first, Auntie. This egg looks delicious."

Zhang Guifang looked at the tender white egg in her bowl, growing more pleased by the second. She shot a sideways glance at Chen Zhi. "Look, just look at how sensible our Wanwan is. Then look at you—what are you good for besides eating?"

Chen Zhi buried his head in his congee, deciding to play dead.

The atmosphere at the dining table was incredibly harmonious, provided one ignored the extra wheel that was Chen Zhi.

Zhang Guifang and Lin Wanwan chatted enthusiastically, going from college entrance exam topics to recent TV dramas, and then to skincare tips. It was a perfect picture of a loving mother and a filial daughter.

Chen Zhi, on the other hand, felt like an outsider.

Just when Chen Zhi thought they had safely passed this trial, Zhang Guifang suddenly changed the subject.

"By the way, Wanwan, did you sleep well last night?"

Zhang Guifang looked at Lin Wanwan with a smile. "The soundproofing in our complex really isn't great. In the middle of the night, I thought I heard a noise coming from the balcony. There was a thud, almost like a big stray cat had climbed in."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Chen Zhi, who was drinking soy milk, almost choked to death and started coughing violently.

Lin Wanwan's little face, which had just been blooming with a smile, instantly flushed beet red. She gripped her spoon tightly, her eyes darting around uncertainly.

"Is... is that so? Haha..." Lin Wanwan let out an awkward laugh. "Maybe, maybe the wind was strong and blew something over."

"Yes, the wind was quite strong." Zhang Guifang nodded pointedly, her gaze drifting lightly over Chen Zhi's neck. "With strong winds come a lot of mosquitoes. Look at how badly our Chen Zhi got bitten. That huge mark on his neck looks painful."

Chen Zhi felt a sharp kick to his leg under the table.

He looked up and met Lin Wanwan's wide eyes, which were filled with mortification.

"Mom..." Chen Zhi put down his bowl helplessly. "Please stop teasing us."

Zhang Guifang gave a soft hmph and set her chopsticks down, her expression turning slightly more serious.

"Alright, I won't tease you two anymore."

She turned around, took a thick red envelope from the cabinet behind her, and shoved it directly into Lin Wanwan's hands.

"Auntie, I can't take this! I'm too old to be receiving red envelopes..." Lin Wanwan jumped in surprise and quickly tried to decline.

"Take it!"

Zhang Guifang's tone was firm. "This is just a little token of my appreciation."

She glanced at Chen Zhi, then back at Lin Wanwan, her eyes softening. "Wanwan, I watched you grow up. You used to call me Auntie, and in the future... although it's a bit early to change how you address me, you understand what I mean."

"If this brat ever dares to bully you, you just tell me, and I'll beat him up for you. Once our Chen family sets our sights on someone, we don't change our minds."

Lin Wanwan was stunned.

"Thank you, Auntie..." Lin Wanwan lowered her head, but she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning up.

Under the table, she sneakily stretched out her cotton-sock-clad foot, gently hooking it around Chen Zhi's calf and rubbing it up along his pant leg.

Chen Zhi stiffened all over.

This girl!

Just a moment ago, she was acting like a wronged little wife, and now that she had the imperial sword of authority, she was instantly starting to act up?

He glared at Lin Wanwan.

Lin Wanwan just stuck her tongue out at him, her eyes filled with a smug sense of victory: How about that? Her Highness now has the Empress Dowager backing her!

...

After breakfast, Zhang Guifang found a random excuse about going to the supermarket to buy discounted eggs, leaving the two young people alone.

As soon as the door closed, Lin Wanwan's well-behaved and elegant facade instantly crumbled.

"Chen Zhi! Why didn't you speak up for me just now!"

She tackled Chen Zhi right onto the bed in the bedroom.

Chen Zhi let out a muffled groan under her weight, his hands instinctively wrapping around her waist to keep her from falling.

"How could I help? You're the one who gave me that hickey, and you're the one who climbed over the balcony. What else could I say?" Chen Zhi lay on the bed, looking at the girl straddling him with an innocent expression.

"But you still shouldn't have just watched me make a fool of myself!" Lin Wanwan reached out angrily, pinching Chen Zhi's cheeks and pulling them outward. "When Auntie mentioned the stray cat, I was so embarrassed my toes could have dug out a three-bedroom apartment in the floor!"

"Ow, ow, ow..." Chen Zhi begged for mercy indistinctly. "You looked pretty happy when you were accepting that red envelope just now."

Lin Wanwan let go and sat on top of him, looking down. Her long hair cascaded down, brushing against Chen Zhi's neck and tickling him.

Their posture was rather intimate.

Lin Wanwan straddled Chen Zhi's waist, her skirt spreading out on the bed like a blooming lily. She had been playing around quite fiercely just now and was currently panting slightly. Her chest heaved, and her bright, watery eyes reflected Chen Zhi's face.

The room was very quiet, leaving only the sound of their breathing.

The sweet fragrance of the young girl floated in the air, mixed with the scent of shampoo and body wash, capturing Chen Zhi's thoughts.

Chen Zhi's Adam's apple bobbed.

Lin Wanwan also seemed to notice the change in the atmosphere.

She stopped messing around. The blush on her face had not yet faded, but her eyes became somewhat hazy, like a pool of spring water.

She slowly leaned down, the distance between them closing until they could feel each other's breath.

"Zhizhi..." she called out softly, her voice sweet and hazy.

Chen Zhi's palms rested against the slender curves of her waist, and his heartbeat began to accelerate uncontrollably.

Just at the moment their lips were about to touch—

"Buzz—Buzz—"

The phone on the nightstand suddenly vibrated, shattering the ambiguous atmosphere.

Lin Wanwan was startled. Her body tilted, and she fell directly onto Chen Zhi's chest.

"Who is it! So annoying!" she hammered the bedboard in frustration, burying her head in Chen Zhi's embrace, refusing to get up.

Chen Zhi also let out a long sigh, calming his restless blood.

He reached over to grab his phone and swiped the screen open.

It was a message from the class group chat.

[Class Monitor - Zhao Kai: @Everyone Notice! Tomorrow night at six o'clock, Haojue Grand Hotel, graduation dinner! This is the last time our Senior Year Class (1) will all be together, so no one is allowed to be absent! The Homeroom Teacher will also be there!]

Below was a series of "Received" messages and emojis.

This kind of graduation dinner was a tradition, so Chen Zhi wasn't surprised.

However, just as he was about to reply "Received," a new message popped up and specifically tagged him.

[Pei: @Chen Zhi Desk mate, remember to bring your significant other tomorrow night.]

Followed immediately by another message.

[Pei: I have a special graduation gift to give to you two. You must come and get it.]

Chen Zhi looked at the word "gift," and his eyelids twitched wildly.

Pei Ningxue's tone didn't seem like she was giving a proper gift at all. Instead, it sounded like she was saying, "I have a bomb to give you, remember to catch it."

Lin Wanwan, still in his arms, also poked her head out and saw the messages on the screen.

Her woman's sixth sense instantly set off alarm bells.

"What is this bad woman up to again?" Lin Wanwan stared at the avatar, gritting her teeth. "Bring a significant other? Is she trying to provoke me to my face?"

Chen Zhi rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache coming on.

The photo posted on his Moments last night had clearly triggered Pei Ningxue. This woman definitely harbored ill intentions.

"Are we going?" Chen Zhi looked down and asked the person in his arms.

Lin Wanwan abruptly sat up straight, tidied her messy hair, and raging flames of war ignited in her eyes.

"Go! Why wouldn't we go!"

She sneered, her fingers tightly gripping Chen Zhi's collar. "Since she wants to give a gift, then I will go and see exactly what kind of waves she can make! It's the perfect chance to let your classmates see who the true leading lady is!"