Chapter 472: She Looks Down on Me!
"Lin Mu, you’ve gone too far!"
Seeing that Lin Mu’s retort had actually made Gu Jie cry, Yu Fei said with a displeased expression.
Glasses chimed in, "Yeah, Lin Mu. We’re all classmates. Is it worth getting so worked up over a joke?"
Lin Mu laughed. His smile was cold.
Looking at the group, he said indifferently, "Classmates? If we’re all classmates, why did you humiliate Tao Shiyu like that? Have you ever treated her like a classmate?"
A flicker of embarrassment passed over everyone’s faces.
Yu Fei glared at Tao Shiyu in annoyance. We’re all targeting Lin Mu, so why are you butting in?!
Originally, when Yu Fei heard from Liu Zijian that Lin Mu was coming, he had already discussed with everyone how they were going to humiliate him. That was the only reason he recognized Lin Mu the moment he walked in. Otherwise, with everyone having changed so much after so many years apart, it would have been impossible to recognize him at a glance.
"Come on, Lin Mu. Gu Jie’s a girl, after all. Just apologize and we’ll let this drop," Yu Fei said with a smile. "Right, everyone?"
"Yeah, just apologize."
"Lin Mu, hurry up and apologize. We’re all classmates, why make things difficult?"
The smile on Lin Mu’s face remained, but his gaze grew even colder.
"Apologize?" Lin Mu looked at Yu Fei impassively. "You want me to apologize to her? Fine. But first, all of you have to apologize to Tao Shiyu."
"What?"
His words caused an uproar.
Yu Fei pointed at Tao Shiyu in disbelief. "You want me to apologize to a... to her? Are you insane?"
"Exactly! Lin Mu, this is too much!"
Xiao Juan pointed at Lin Mu and said, "Lin Mu, who do you think you are? What right do you have to make us apologize?"
"Too much?" Lin Mu’s tone was dismissive. "When you were all verbally abusing a classmate, you didn’t think you were going too far? But now that the tables have turned, you cry foul? Don’t you think a little too highly of yourselves?"
"Lin Mu..." Tao Shiyu stared at him, dumbfounded, tears welling in her eyes. It felt like she had a million things to say but didn’t know where to begin.
"Hmph, we’re not like her!" Xiao Juan said coldly. "Everyone knows Tao Shiyu didn’t finish high school. She ran off with a classmate and didn’t even take the college entrance exam. How could she be the same as us?"
As Xiao Juan spoke, an irrepressible look of superiority appeared on her face. It wasn’t just her; Yu Fei, Glasses, and the others all felt the same. They were people with a higher education, unlike someone from the bottom rungs of society like Tao Shiyu.
"Oh, my mistake. It seems you didn’t go to college either, did you?" Xiao Juan said, as if suddenly remembering something. She looked at Lin Mu. "I heard you dropped out too. You probably never even went to college. No wonder the best you can do now is work as a doorman!"
This Xiao Juan was viciously sharp-tongued, shamelessly humiliating Lin Mu.
"If Lin Mu is only fit to be a doorman, then you aren’t even qualified to carry his shoes!"
Just then, a cold voice cut in.
Three young women walked in from outside. The one in the lead had a well-proportioned figure and stunning features, but it was her gentle aura that truly stood out, making one want to pull her into an embrace and cherish her.
It was Song Wenrou.
Following behind her were Ye Tong and another woman with large, wavy hair.
The one who had spoken was Song Wenrou.
She walked into the private room, glanced at Gu Jie and Xiao Juan’s group with a coolly arrogant look, and snorted. "Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you. Has no one ever taught you that? Since we’re all classmates, why be so aggressive? Why deliberately try to embarrass someone? Is this your so-called friendship?"
Song Wenrou’s tone grew heavier. "If that’s the case, then you’re the kind of classmates we’re better off without!"
With that, she took Tao Shiyu and Lin Mu by the hand and turned to leave.
"Oh, right," Song Wenrou said, suddenly turning back to Xiao Juan, a gentle smile on her face. "I heard you opened your own clothing store. In that case, you should have some knowledge of world-famous brands, right?"
Xiao Juan subconsciously nodded.
Song Wenrou gave a faint, mocking smile. In her presence, Xiao Juan lost all confidence and could only lower her head subconsciously. Gu Jie didn’t dare to utter a word, and neither did Yu Fei. He knew the Song family had some pull in River City.
"Let it go, Wenrou," a voice cut in. The woman with large, wavy hair standing beside Song Wenrou tugged at her arm. Smiling, she said, "It’s rare for everyone to get together. No sulking is allowed."
After she finished speaking, she put her hands on her hips and said to the room in mock anger, "Today, if anyone doesn’t give me, Tang Man, some face, you’ll have to answer to me!"
Tang Man was Yu Fei’s girlfriend, and the two were about to be married.
Out of respect for Tang Man, Song Wenrou didn’t press the issue.
"Don’t be angry, Wenrou, okay? It’s a rare get-together, so let’s just eat and chat."
Tang Man was a natural diplomat. With a few words of apology and comfort, she instantly defused the awkward atmosphere. Seeing how she handled the situation, the others were even more envious of Yu Fei.
To find a woman like that, Yu Fei must have saved the entire galaxy in a past life!
One of the guys spoke up. "I really envy President Yu for finding such an amazing girlfriend."
"Yeah, absolutely."
Everyone chimed in with agreement.
Yu Fei and Tang Man exchanged a look, both of them breaking into blissful smiles. He took her hand and said affectionately, "To be honest, I’m quite envious of myself too."
Everyone paused for a second before bursting into laughter, the tense atmosphere vanishing completely. Clearly, Yu Fei’s joke had cleared the air.
"My, my, Lin Mu. Who would have thought," Tang Man teased, "you’ve gotten more handsome than you used to be."
Indeed. The Lin Mu they all remembered had dark skin and a short, scrawny frame; he had looked completely malnourished. But the Lin Mu before them now was tall and upright with a handsome face. His skin even seemed to have a mysterious luster. He was a completely different person. It was only after Tang Man’s comment that everyone else finally took a proper look.
He really had changed a lot. That calm and composed aura of his was especially unforgettable. If it weren’t for their preconceived notions, they might not have even noticed.
Lin Mu just smiled and said nothing.
Song Wenrou and Ye Tong, sitting beside him, sighed inwardly. A huge change? It was a complete rebirth. He was like an entirely different person now. After all, this was a man who now wielded terrifying power and held a frighteningly high status.
"By the way, Lin Mu, do you have a girlfriend?" Tang Man suddenly asked, propping her chin on her hand.
Yu Fei’s expression flickered. "A man should establish his career before starting a family. Right, Lin Mu?"
His words were a clear jab, mocking Lin Mu for not having a respectable job and therefore being unqualified to have a girlfriend.
"Who says?" Tang Man shot Yu Fei a dissatisfied glare. "I think Wenrou is wonderful. She and Lin Mu are a match made in heaven. Don’t you all agree?"
Everyone exchanged strange glances. They all knew that back in school, Yu Fei had a crush on Song Wenrou. But then rumors started that Lin Mu had confessed to her, and the two became very close afterward.
Tang Man knows all this. Is she bringing it up on purpose? Is it a warning for Yu Fei, or is she trying to make some other point?
All eyes turned to Lin Mu and Song Wenrou to see how they would react.
Lin Mu’s expression was calm, utterly unchanged.
Song Wenrou, however, said with a trace of melancholy, "Unfortunately, he doesn’t fancy me."