174: Chapter 172: Mo Xiaoqing’s Old Classmate 174: Chapter 172: Mo Xiaoqing’s Old Classmate The incident just now had the restaurant waitstaff no longer dare to be indifferent towards Tangyu and his companion, instead showing utmost respect as they brought the dishes and kindly asked if they needed anything else.
This change made Mo Xiaoqing shake her head with a smile, even a small waiter has such a sense of power.
The food was served quite fast, of course, that was also because there weren’t many customers, and soon all six dishes were on the table.
Just as the two were about to start eating, a voice interrupted their atmosphere.
“Eh, Mo Xiaoqing!” A somewhat surprised voice came over, it was a man’s voice.
“Wow, what a coincidence, Mo Xiaoqing.” Immediately after, there was a surprised voice from a female student.
Upon hearing these two voices, Mo Xiaoqing was also briefly stunned, and after she turned to look and clearly saw the two people, her face also revealed a bit of surprise.
She quickly stood up and said, “Zhou Wenkai, Ning Xinhua, it’s you guys, what a coincidence to run into you here.
Hehe, when did you two—get together?
It seems quite a lot has changed after not seeing each other for years.”
Tangyu also sized up these two people, both appearing to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.
The man was dressed quite formally, akin to a white-collar worker.
He was, indeed, quite handsome and rather tall as well.
The woman was dressed very sexily, revealing where it should and even a bit where it shouldn’t.
She couldn’t be considered extremely pretty, but she wasn’t bad either.
Of course, she paled in comparison to Mo Xiaoqing.
However, Tangyu noticed a hint of unfriendliness in the eyes of the woman named Ning Xinhua, it seemed this woman wasn’t very fond of Mo Xiaoqing.
Zhou Wenkai’s gaze also quickly fell on Tangyu, a glint in his eye that went unnoticed by others, but not by Tangyu.
Within that brief spark of light, there was clearly some hostility.
A first meeting and already harboring such fleeting hostility towards oneself, it was quite clear this man must have pursued Mo Xiaoqing in the past and spectacularly failed.
And the unfriendliness from the woman towards Mo Xiaoqing was obviously out of some jealousy that her boyfriend had once chased after Mo Xiaoqing.
Of course, it could also just be a bit of female envy.
“Hehe Xiaoqing, we haven’t seen each other in two or three years, right?
You’ve also found a boyfriend; how come you didn’t introduce him to us old classmates?” Zhou Wenkai squinted and smiled.
Mo Xiaoqing glanced at Tangyu, initially wanting to explain, but then a thought flashed through her mind, causing her to swallow back the words she had on the tip of her tongue and instead said, “His name is Tangyu, he’s my friend.”
“Oh, friend, I thought he was your boyfriend.
I was saying, you’ve always been very picky about boyfriends, how could you have found one so quickly?
How’s it going, where are you working now?” Zhou Wenkai curled his lips and said with a light smile, outright ignoring Tangyu.
“I’m a teacher at Linshan Middle School, how about you guys?” Mo Xiaoqing said.
Ning Xinhua smiled and said, “Mo Xiaoqing, how come you decided to become a teacher?
You graduated with a master’s degree, you know.
With your qualifications, you could easily land a good job at any big company.
What future is there in being a teacher, let alone at a small middle school?
To make a big deal out of a few thousand yuan a month, in a place like Donglin City, what can a few thousand yuan do?
Wenkai and I spend ten to twenty thousand a month.
Hehe, but my family’s Wenkai is good at earning money; even if I don’t work, he can still provide for this home.
I’m at the same company as Wenkai, with bonuses and such, I make ten thousand a month.”
In saying this, Ning Xinhua seemed to be sympathizing with Mo Xiaoqing, but more so it seemed like she was showing off.
In university, Mo Xiaoqing’s grades were always the best in class, and she was directly recommended for postgraduate studies by the school.
Whether it was grades, looks, or popularity, Ning Xinhua couldn’t compare to Mo Xiaoqing.
Therefore, during their university days, Ning Xinhua always harbored some hostility towards Mo Xiaoqing, especially since her current boyfriend, Zhou Wenkai, had once crazily pursued Mo Xiaoqing—an affair known to the whole class.
This made her uncomfortable every time she met a classmate, as they would look at her with a different gaze.
Zhou Wenkai, hearing Ning Xinhua boasting about him in front of others, quite enjoyed it, and his face revealed a thick smile, looking rather pleased with himself.
Men like to save face, particularly in front of a girl they used to like.
They always want to show off their superiority, hoping the girl would regret not agreeing to be their girlfriend.
“Hehe, everyone has their aspirations, I like being a teacher.
It’s okay if the salary is lower, as long as it’s enough for my own living.
The most important thing is that I enjoy it.
I can’t compare with you guys; you must all be white-collar workers.”
Mo Xiaoqing didn’t care about Ning Xinhua’s words in the slightest.
She never liked comparing herself to others and didn’t have a strong sense of vanity.
She had a very indifferent attitude towards these things.
Seeing that Mo Xiaoqing wasn’t bothered by her words at all, Ning Xinhua felt a bit thwarted.
Her goal to show off had not been achieved at all, which left her feeling somewhat aggrieved.
“Hehe, being a teacher is also pretty good.
Not to mention anything else, at least you get more holidays, right?
And the work is simpler, not like in the workplace, where it’s very complicated, and maybe not suitable for you.
Women, after all, should be good to themselves; it’s alright to live a relaxed life as long as it’s enough to support oneself.
After all, women still have to rely on men, as long as their men are capable, that’s all that matters.
I wonder, your friend here, where does he work?” Ning Xinhua then shifted the conversation to Tangyu.
Mo Xiaoqing, of course, could hear the implication in Ning Xinhua’s words.
She didn’t really have much of a relationship with Ning Xinhua before, although they were classmates, they hadn’t spoken much.
And perhaps because of Zhou Wenkai’s pursuit of her, Ning Xinhua might have held some bitterness in her heart.
Mo Xiaoqing looked apologetically at Tangyu.
A faint smile crossed Tangyu’s heart; there will always be those who enjoy being superior, especially among so-called classmates.
Moreover, given the emotional entanglement between these three individuals, the inclination to compare was even stronger.
“The responsibility of a ‘senior’ is too much for me; I can’t compete with you all.
I’m just a humble school doctor,” Tangyu said indifferently.
“Oh, a humble school doctor from Linshan Middle School, huh?
No wonder you’re so close to Mo Xiaoqing; turns out you’re colleagues.
Haha, that’s nice, both working at the school, both with relatively easy jobs.
Even though it earns a bit less money, it’s certainly enough for a decent life.
To be honest, being a white-collar worker isn’t easy either.
Take our Wenkai for instance; the amount of time he works every day is insane, plus he frequently has to work overtime on weekends, constantly entertaining clients and leaders.
Even though he can earn twenty to thirty thousand a month, it’s all hard-earned money.
I’m somewhat envious of you guys, having plenty of time to do as you please.
Unlike us, it’s either he’s not free, or I’m not free.
Today was a rare opportunity, so we thought of coming to this old place for a meal, to recapture some of that feeling from the past.
Haha, I didn’t expect to run into an old classmate by such a coincidence,” Ning Xinhua said with a genuinely happy smile.
“Yes, being a teacher is quite nice, definitely one of the more relaxed and comfortable jobs out there,” Zhou Wenkai agreed.
Mo Xiaoqing could clearly detect the underlying jealousy in their words.
She didn’t mind it for herself; she just felt awkward that Tangyu was being dragged into it.
“Xiaoqing, since it’s such a rare opportunity to see you today, let me treat you.
Let’s book a private room and eat,” Wenkai offered.
Mo Xiaoqing shook her head and said, “No need, our food has already arrived; we won’t disturb you.
It’s a rare chance for you to dine out as well, so we won’t impose.
We’re all in Donglin City, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”
“If that’s the case, then okay, you guys go ahead and eat.
Here’s my business card, perhaps we can get in touch sometime,” Wenkai said, handing his business card to Mo Xiaoqing.
Mo Xiaoqing accepted the business card and nodded, “Alright.” She glanced at the card and saw the words ‘Department Manager’ on it.
It appeared Wenkai had indeed done quite well for himself, rising to the position of a department manager in just a couple of years.
As for these two, Tangyu preferred not to pay them much attention and just let it go with a smile.
“Yo, you little slut, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?
I didn’t expect to run into you here,” a voice suddenly rang out.
Zhou Wenkai and Ning Xinhua hadn’t walked far before they were bumped into by two men coming down the stairs, reeking of alcohol, clearly having just come from dining and drinking upstairs.
The speaker was a burly middle-aged man, appearing almost forty years old and weighing at least 180 pounds—his presence was somewhat intimidating.
The other, also in his thirties, had a cold and handsome appearance.
Seeing these two men, Ning Xinhua’s face turned ashen, her complexion shifting dramatically as she tugged at Wenkai, attempting to leave immediately.
Wenkai, naturally infuriated that someone had cursed his girlfriend, fixed a stare on the burly man, yet also showed some fear.
The aura alone made it clear this guy wasn’t one to be trifled with.
“Why are you cursing at people like this?” Wenkai still retorted, unable to hold back his anger.
With a derisive sneer, the burly man glanced disdainfully at Wenkai and mocked, “Me, curse her?
Did I curse her?
She’s inherently a slut; how can you say I’m cursing her?
What, you’re this little slut’s boyfriend?
Don’t you know what dirty things she’s done in the past?”
“Wenkai, let’s go, I don’t know them,” Ning Xinhua said with a pale face, desperately trying to pull him away.
While Wenkai was furious, his brow furrowed deeply at Ning Xinhua’s excessive reaction, rousing further suspicion in his mind.
Ning Xinhua wasn’t someone who’d retreat so easily—could it be that what the man said was true?
“What do you mean?” Wenkai asked.
“Haha, looks like you really have no idea.
Let me tell you, then: you’ve been fooled by this little slut.
She’s nothing but a whore, a woman who earns her living by selling her body.
I’ve had her myself; many have had her,” the burly man chuckled.
“What?” Wenkai felt as if his head had exploded, a ringing noise in his ears from the shock.
Ning Xinhua’s expression turned even uglier, as if she wished she could bury herself.
She tried to pull Wenkai away, but he held on tight.
“Wenkai, don’t listen to his nonsense; none of this is true, you have to believe me.” Seeing the accusatory look in Wenkai’s eyes, Ning Xinhua shook her head desperately in denial, but her defense was patently feeble.
“Haha, still pretending.
Oh right, I remember now; your name is Ning Xinhua, isn’t it?
You used to frequent those places.
Yangzi, you must remember too; you almost had her once.
This bitch said she’d let me take her virginity for five thousand yuan, but when it turned out she wasn’t a virgin, I beat her up,” the burly man boasted.
“Oh, now I remember, that’s right, that did happen,” Yangzi nodded in acknowledgment.