Chapter 46: Showing No Regard

Chapter 46: Disregard

Hearing this, Shen An suddenly clenched his fists, a surge of anger welling up inside him.

Zhang Wei was the principal’s grandson—the very person Shen An had fought with and, because of it, had been expelled from school. Later, for reasons unknown, the principal was taken away and his family lost their influence; Shen An never paid them any further attention. Now, to his surprise, this fellow had reappeared—and by the sound of it, seemed to be quite formidable.

The reason he fought Zhang Wei, in retrospect, was almost laughable: it had been over Lu Jing.

Now, according to Zhou Wang’s news, Lu Jing was actually together with Zhang Wei.

Who could have predicted such twists of fate?

Back then, Lu Jing had shown interest in him and had no time for Zhang Wei.

And now...

“Where are you all gathering?” Shen An pondered for a moment before asking.

“At the Imperial Grand Hotel.”

After hanging up, Shen An gazed at the ceaseless flow of traffic, closed his eyes, and let the memories of that time play through his mind.

“Wang Meng, hold off on smashing anything for now—I have something to take care of first.”

He opened his eyes, a fleeting sharpness in their depths.

“Got it, boss,” Wang Meng replied with no hesitation. Since the boss said he was busy, he wouldn’t disturb him.

“Boss, where should we stop?”

“Just pull up at the Imperial Grand Hotel. I’m going in for a gathering; you can wait here. If you get bored, you’re free to head back.”

Shen An had no particular expectations of Wang Meng. Since the man was willing to follow him, the rewards would surely come in due time.

“I’ll wait here for you, boss.”

Shen An said no more.

The car pulled to the curb and Shen An got out.

He stood for a moment, taking in the sight before him.

The gilded letters spelling “Imperial Grand Hotel” gleamed above the entrance, almost as if cast in liquid gold.

The receptionists were strikingly beautiful, their poise and manner of speech setting them apart.

“Mr. Shen...”

One of the women had already heard rumors from other branches, and through internal memos, had learned of Shen An’s formidable reputation. At the mere sight of him, she was about to speak, her face tinged with anxiety.

Shen An cut her off.

“I’m here for a class reunion.”

Just then, a luxurious Rolls-Royce pulled up. Four people stepped out—two men and two women.

Shen An immediately recognized Zhang Wei among them.

At Zhang Wei’s side, Lu Jing was dressed in an elegant, form-fitting outfit, her figure striking as she clung to Zhang Wei’s arm, heading in Shen An’s direction.

As soon as they parked, two more cars arrived—Zhou Wang bringing along the others.

“Well, isn’t this Shen An?” Zhang Wei and his group spotted him at the entrance, chatting with the receptionist, and called out loudly.

At the sound, nearly everyone turned to look.

After several years apart, the classmates took in Shen An’s face, noting how he spoke with the receptionist. His clothes were nothing fancy—just ordinary attire he’d picked up at random.

The receptionist was about to speak, but a single glance from Shen An silenced her.

“What? I thought you weren’t coming,” Zhang Wei said with a smile, striding over as if nothing were amiss.

“I was just passing by,” Shen An replied.

A few more people approached to greet him, but Shen An merely nodded in acknowledgment.

Having dropped out halfway, he could hardly be considered one of them anymore. He truly didn’t understand why they insisted on inviting him to these reunions.

“Shen An, they probably won’t let you in, will they?”

“Look, the rules here say you need to be a member to get inside.”

“Of course, you could always use my name,” Zhang Wei added with a smile.

“That’s right, Zhang Wei is a VIP here. The owner gives him a lot of face. Shen An, just mention his name and you’ll get in,” someone chimed in.

Shen An frowned, casting a look of distaste at the speaker.

“And you are?”

At his words, the jovial chatter of the group fell silent.

The man he addressed looked particularly uncomfortable.

“I remember in college, there was a dog that always followed me around—he used to be very obedient,” Shen An remarked.

Back then, he’d had a lackey who trailed him everywhere, calling him “Brother Shen” at every turn.

“Shen An, say that again!” The man, now changed, was none other than Chai Dong.

“Found yourself a new master?” Shen An continued.

No one spoke.

No one had expected Shen An to be so blunt, so unwilling to play along.

“Enough. This is a reunion; let bygones be bygones,” Zhou Wang quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over and shooting Shen An a meaningful glance.

Lu Jing, who had been quietly observing Shen An, finally spoke: “Shen An, after all these years, you haven’t changed a bit.”

“So, are you and Zhang Wei together now?” Shen An asked.

Chai Jing, beaming with happiness, clung to Zhang Wei and was about to speak.

But before she could, Zhang Wei turned and strode into the hotel, leaving her standing awkwardly, biting her lip, her cheeks flushed.

Zhang Wei, too, cast a dark look at Shen An’s back.

“Let’s go inside.”

All those years ago, Shen An’s conflict with Zhang Wei over Lu Jing had led to a fight that ended with his own expulsion. At the time, Lu Jing had said nothing. Afterward, they had lost all contact.

In hindsight, Shen An felt childish for his actions back then.

He hadn’t intended to come to this reunion, but Zhou Wang’s words made him suspect Zhang Wei had orchestrated the whole thing for his benefit.

He wanted to humiliate Shen An.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Shen An could only sigh.

“Boss, you’re really giving us special treatment this time—private room 888, the supreme suite. There’s only one like it in the whole hotel!” On the upper floor, Zhang Wei beamed as he put his arm around the manager.

Unbeknownst to him, the manager’s gaze kept drifting toward Shen An.

Shen An sat quietly with a cup of tea, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.

“Do your job—don’t bother me.”

Catching the cue, the manager exchanged a few words with Zhang Wei and then excused himself.

The group settled in.

Someone began ordering dishes.

The abalone and seafood dishes all hovered around a thousand yuan each. The women, upon seeing the staggering prices on the menu, fell silent.

Zhang Wei returned, took the menu with practiced ease.

“Oh? No one’s ordered yet?” he said, tossing the menu aside.

He called out a series of expensive dishes to the server, each a rare delicacy the average person would never taste.

While Zhang Wei was ordering, several of the women looked on with admiration.

“Zhang Wei seems so wealthy. I’ll probably never set foot in a place like this my whole life.”

“Right? Who would've guessed he'd be so successful after all these years?”

“And he’s with Lu Jing too—lucky her.”

Shen An sat in a corner, sipping his tea and playing with his phone.

“Shen An, why don’t you order a few dishes? See if there’s anything you like—go ahead,” Zhang Wei said, handing the menu in his direction.

“Yeah, order whatever you want. Zhang Wei’s got plenty of money,” someone echoed.

Shen An glanced at Zhang Wei, reached for the menu, scanned the eye-watering prices, and said, “Anything I want?”