The venue for the farewell dinner was set at the Western restaurant on the second floor of the Platinum Earl Hotel.
It was a self - service buffet, and it cost a whopping 588 yuan per person. Just thinking about that expense made my heart ache.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that this must have been the suggestion of Jiang Yingxue, our class's life committee member.
She always had a penchant for such high - end affairs.
The Jiang family was wealthy. She was the daughter of a well - known real - estate sales manager in our city, Green City. In recent years, with the rapid development of the real - estate industry, the Jiang family's assets had skyrocketed. They had achieved a comfortable life thanks to the housing sales commissions...
Once they had money, they naturally craved power.
Out of the 51 classmates in our class, most had been won over by her money and became the votes that helped her get elected as a class cadre.
As for me, due to my "social anxiety disorder", I deliberately kept a distance from my classmates. In Jiang Yingxue's eyes, this was seen as me being overly proud and disrespectful to her. Gradually, she started to dislike me and frequently made things difficult for me.
"Yo! I thought Lu Xiyu wouldn't come. After all, getting into a vocational school is quite embarrassing."
Jiang Yingxue was wearing a Chanel dress from the current season. Her hair was casually curled, with a few diamond chips subtly dotted within, sparkling under the bright lights of the restaurant.
"Jiang Yingxue, watch your mouth! Lu Xiyu and I are going to the same school!"
Zhao Zifeng, true to her role as my good friend, immediately retorted.
Jiang Yingxue gave her a disdainful glance. "Well, birds of a feather flock together. If you could be friends with good students, maybe your admission notice wouldn't be from a sub - par college..."
"You!" Zhao Zifeng was so choked by Jiang Yingxue's words that she could only stamp her foot in anger.
"Come on, you can never win an argument with her."
I had actually anticipated this situation. I just pursed my lips and smiled. "At least us students going to local sub - par colleges don't have to spend much money. How can we compare with someone who spends millions?"
"Oh, right!" Zhao Zifeng immediately understood my meaning and made an exaggerated expression. "Going all the way to Columbia to study at a so - called foreign sub - par college. That's what they call a fool with money, the so - called 'sucker'!"
This time, it was Jiang Yingxue's turn to change her expression. She hadn't done well in the college entrance exam either and had to go abroad to attend a so - called language preparatory class.
"…Ah, everyone, don't just stand at the door!"
Seeing that Jiang Yingxue was at a disadvantage, the class monitor quickly came over to smooth things over. "Hurry inside. The meal has already started!"
"You two should grab the expensive stuff. The lobsters and abalones are all air - shipped from Australia. If you don't eat more, you won't get another chance. You need a platinum card reservation to come here."
The haughty look on Jiang Yingxue's face was as if she was looking at two country bumpkins.
"Jiang Yingxue," Zhao Zifeng had had enough. "We've paid too. We don't need your advice on what to eat!"
"I'm just giving you a kind reminder. Don't mistake my kindness for something bad." As Jiang Yingxue spoke, her hand involuntarily touched her neck.
My gaze followed her hand and landed on her neck. Suddenly, I noticed a black mark on Jiang Yingxue's neck, faintly floating.
"…Does your neck feel uncomfortable?" I frowned, really unable to figure out what this novel accessory was.
Jiang Yingxue glanced at me and then touched her neck. There was a white pearl - mother - of - pearl four - leaf - clover necklace hanging there.
For a moment, she thought I was jealous of the necklace. There was a sense of superiority in her eyes. "Jealous? Your family's little superstitious shop could never afford this brand in a million years."
The fact that my family ran a superstitious shop was no secret. All the classmates in the class knew about it.
"…"
I was speechless and too lazy to waste any more words on Jiang Yingxue. I grabbed Zhao Zifeng and walked into the restaurant.
When I looked back, Jiang Yingxue had already followed the class monitor to greet other classmates. That black shadow was suddenly flung out as she turned around.
"Ah..."
My pupils suddenly shrank. The shadow that was wrapped around Jiang Yingxue's neck and swaying back and forth was exactly the noose that a hanged ghost would use!
"Xixi, what are you doing?"
Zhao Zifeng was startled by me. She looked in the direction of my gaze, and Jiang Yingxue was staggering towards the corridor in her high - heels.
"Ugh, ugly people always make a fuss!" Zhao Zifeng pouted. "She's jealous that you stole the spotlight, so she's trying to pick on us!"
As she said this, she motioned around, and I then noticed that many classmates in the class were stealing glances at me.
"Hey, Zifeng, are you still going to pursue your big life matter?"
I shrank my neck and tried to hide in Zhao Zifeng's shadow. I pointed at Dong Wenqing, the vice - class monitor, who was chatting with someone not far away.
"Forget it!" Zhao Zifeng suddenly sighed and said dejectedly, "He's already a top student at a double - first - class university. He's on a different level from me, a academic slacker. After much thought, I'd better not humiliate myself."
I couldn't help but laugh, and she pinched my hand hard.
"Come on, the first step in having a buffet is to empty your stomach!"
Zhao Zifeng then grabbed my hand and headed towards the restroom outside the restaurant.
The restroom of the Platinum Earl Hotel was at the end of the elevator corridor. The walls on both sides were decorated with black granite patterns. There were four huge mirrors in front of the sink, showing every detail of the people who entered.
As soon as I entered the restroom, I heard a strange sound, faintly like a woman's painful groan.
"Zifeng, do you hear that?"
I tugged at Zhao Zifeng's arm, not really wanting her to go in.
Restrooms were considered yin - energy places, especially in a hotel where people came and went in a hurry. They were the most likely to hide all sorts of things. This restroom was decorated entirely with black marble, which in my eyes looked particularly like a luxurious "tomb chamber".
Zhao Zifeng nodded.
The groan was coming from the innermost cubicle!!
"Who's in there?"
Zhao Zifeng was usually a careless girl, but she was also kind - hearted and liked to meddle in other people's business.
Before I could stop her, she had already pushed open the cubicle door...
"Ouch!"
As soon as Zhao Zifeng saw the situation in the cubicle, she immediately covered her eyes and jumped back two steps, shouting, "Xixi, don't come over! It's so disgusting. I'm going to get a sty in my eye!"
Through the gap that Zhao Zifeng left, I had already seen that there was a young man in a suit sitting on the toilet in the innermost cubicle.
He was dressed smartly in a suit and tie on the upper half of his body, but his suit pants had been pulled down to his ankles. Jiang Yingxue was sitting on him like a koala, one hand around his neck and the other hand reaching into her own skirt, doing something unspeakable...