Chapter 143: Blades Hidden in the Dark

Clutching a bottle of red wine, Zhao Tianlong turned to Huang Ya and lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard: "Are you sure it’s really Mr. Jiang who arrived?"

"Absolutely. I saw him with my own eyes; there’s no way I could be mistaken," Huang Ya replied solemnly.

Zhao Tianlong frowned and then asked, "Huang Ya, did you offend Mr. Jiang again?"

"Brother Tianlong, I wouldn't dare!" Huang Ya said with a miserable look on his face.

Zhao Tianlong hesitated for a moment, then set down the wine, took Huang Ya out of the office, and headed straight for the front desk. The receptionist, seeing Zhao Tianlong and Huang Ya approaching in a rush, stood up quickly. "Boss, is there something you need?"

"Did Mr. Jiang just arrive?" Zhao Tianlong asked.

The receptionist nodded and added, "Mr. Jiang came with a woman, who I assume is his wife. They seem to be here for a gathering in a private room on the second floor—Room 204."

Hearing this, Zhao Tianlong finally breathed a sigh of relief. So they were just here to eat! He had been terrified that Jiang was here to cause trouble again. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he turned to Huang Ya and snapped, "In the future, don't be so jumpy... Damn it, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Huang Ya quickly hung his head and apologized.

Zhao Tianlong continued, "Since Mr. Jiang is here, we can't just ignore him."

"Brother Tianlong, how would you like to handle it?" Huang Ya immediately asked.

Zhao Tianlong thought for a moment and said, "Come with me. I’ll give you the most expensive bottle of red wine from my personal collection, and you take it to Mr. Jiang."

"Isn't that... a bit too deliberate?" Huang Ya asked hesitantly. Sending a bottle of wine directly, especially the most expensive one from his collection, did feel a bit excessive.

Zhao Tianlong considered this and said, "How about this: don't say it's for Mr. Jiang. Just say it's a gift from me to a friend. That won't seem so forced."

Upon hearing this, Huang Ya nodded rapidly. "Right, that’s a great idea, Brother Tianlong. I’ll go take care of it right now."

As Huang Ya turned to leave, Zhao Tianlong grabbed him. "Wait, don't be so impatient. Give them a little time. They just went upstairs and will need a moment to settle in. Go deliver the wine in about half an hour."

***

On the second floor of the Tianlong Hotel, in Room 204, Jiang Hao and Su Qingli reached the door. Without hesitation, he reached out and pushed it open. As the door swung wide, a wave of noise and bustling energy greeted them.

"Qingli, you’re here!"
"Long time no see, how have you been?"
"I heard from Jingru that you cut ties with the Su family. What’s that all about?"

The former classmates in the room greeted Su Qingli one after another. She didn't reply immediately; instead, she pulled Jiang Hao into the room, closed the door, and then said with a smile, "I’m doing quite well now. Cutting ties with the Su family hasn't had any negative impact on me."

Hearing this, the old classmates began to offer hollow praise. Jiang Hao scanned the room and realized that out of the forty-plus students from their university class, only about ten had shown up. Most were men, with only two women present—Jiang Jingru and Huang Qian. The class monitor, Li Dong, sat at the head of the table, watching him and Su Qingli quietly.

"Come, come, sit down and talk."
"Everyone’s basically here, no need to stand around."

Amidst the noisy pleasantries, Jiang Hao and Su Qingli took their seats. Jiang Hao sat to Su Qingli's right, while Li Dong sat to her left. As soon as she sat down, Li Dong poured her a glass of wine and said with a chuckle, "You’re late, so no excuses—you have to drink a forfeit glass!"

"I don't really drink," Su Qingli said, looking slightly embarrassed.

Before she could finish, a man with a crew cut leaned over and said, "It’s been so many years since graduation, we aren't students anymore! How can you not drink? Even if you don't know how, you have to learn!"

The smile on Su Qingli’s face grew more strained. Jiang Hao took the glass from in front of her and said, "Qingli really isn't much of a drinker. I'll take it for her." He downed the drink in one go.

However, the classmates were not satisfied. The man with the crew cut looked at Jiang Hao with displeasure. "Jiang Hao, if you want to drink, there’s plenty here. Why are you drinking for Su Qingli? She didn't ask you to help her. Why are you being so self-righteous?"

"Exactly!"
"Nobody asked you to drink!"

The classmates cast unfriendly glares at Jiang Hao, their faces full of disdain. Jiang Hao felt a flicker of anger. He knew this was exactly how the reunion would go. Back in college, when he and Su Qingli started dating, the men in their class were filled with hostility, even threatening him privately to break up with her. He hadn't expected that after four years, they would still be so petty. How could he not feel annoyed?

The man with the crew cut, Chen Wei, had been Li Dong's lackey back then, and judging by the situation, he still was.

"Chen Wei, Jiang Hao is my husband. Is there a problem with him drinking for me?" Su Qingli said, looking directly at Chen Wei.

"That’s not what I meant... I just thought we were all trying to have a good time," Chen Wei said, rubbing his hands together awkwardly.

"Yeah, we’re just joking."
"Qingli, don't be so serious."

The classmates immediately began making excuses. Su Qingli frowned slightly. "Regardless, it’s not easy for everyone to gather today. It’s better to avoid saying things that shouldn't be said." She knew several people in the room were looking to embarrass Jiang Hao, which is why she spoke up for him. Since she had persuaded him to come, she didn't want him to lose face.

"Qingli, you’re just too protective of Jiang Hao."
"They say men are supposed to protect women, but I didn't expect it to be the other way around for you two. Hahaha..."

Laughter erupted in the room, seemingly lighthearted, but anyone with a brain could see the atmosphere was completely wrong. Li Dong, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly smiled and said, "Qingli, I heard you cut ties with the Su family. You didn't do that just for Jiang Hao’s sake, did you?"