C56 A Gift

Xu Wanhua hesitated before asking in a hushed tone, observing Qin Hu's courteous demeanor toward Lin Xuan, "And what about the others?"

Shih Manli, Hu Jiajun, and Pei Qiusha all bore the look of utter dejection, understandably so, as they had come to welcome her, leaving Wanhua with a touch of concern.

Lin Xuan responded with a nonchalant air, "Qin Hu will handle it."

Others saw Qin Hu as an untouchable figure, yet Lin Xuan had the audacity to address him so casually.

Instantly, Lin Xuan's stature in Xu Wanhua's eyes soared.

Qin Hu eagerly agreed, "Rest assured, Mr. Lin. I'll immediately arrange transportation for them to the hospital."

Lin Xuan gave a nod, exchanged no further words, and, holding Pei Qiuyu's hand, left the private room.

Exiting Heroes Manor, Xu Wanhua found her emotions in disarray, unable to settle for a long while.

Yet, witnessing Lin Xuan's composed manner, she found him enigmatic and elusive.

Once Lin Xuan and company had departed, Qin Hu saw to it that his men took Hu Jiajun and the rest to the hospital.

He also had Boss Qiang notify Hu Jiajun's father.

The CEO of Da Ming Company, upon learning of his son's beating, was too distraught to utter a word and slunk off to the hospital to visit his son.

Shih Manli's face was virtually beyond recognition, and no amount of expensive treatments could restore her former looks.

Pei Qiusha, having been struck as well, kept it from her family, having stormed out in a huff with her grandmother.

After Pei Qiuyu drove Xu Wanhua to the villa, Wanhua couldn't help but thank Lin Xuan for his intervention that day, mentioning, "I've just returned and arranged to meet with some of my closest classmates. Tomorrow, I'm planning a reunion to catch up with our university friends."

Pei Qiuyu wasn't too keen on the reunion; her connections with most classmates had dwindled since graduation.

Showing little interest, she replied, "Maybe I should skip it."

Xu Wanhua insisted, "Oh, come on, you can't miss it. You were the face of our Propaganda Department and the class beauty in college. The classmates would be upset if you weren't there."

"Anyway, it's all in good fun. I heard Guo Zipeng just opened a new restaurant, so let's go show our support for his grand opening."

"You've got such an impressive husband; you've got to let your classmates turn green with envy!"

While talking, Xu Wanhua whipped out her phone: "I've set up a group and added you to it."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Pei Qiuyu's phone chimed with notifications.

Pei Qiuyu checked her phone and found over twenty new contacts in the group, most of whom weren't even on her WeChat friends list.

"Long time no see, everyone!"

Then, a group member named Susanna posted, "I've opened a nail salon. For all you beauty lovers, don't miss out!"

Another, going by Super Liang's Mom, chimed in: "I've started a maternity and baby goods store. If any of you need something, come on by—I've got discounts for all of you."

The WeChat group was buzzing in no time.

Out of the blue, someone dropped a two-hundred-yuan red packet into the chat.

It was gone in under two seconds.

Following that, Guo Zipeng, whose profile picture was a BMW steering wheel, posted a smiley face with sunglasses.

"Thanks, boss!"

"Guo's the man!"

"Come on, Guo, drop another one!"

...

The group was abuzz with comments.

Guo Zipeng released another red packet, which was snapped up in a flash.

He then announced in the group, "Dear classmates, I've opened a Japanese restaurant that will officially open tomorrow at ten in the morning. It's a welcome back celebration for our classmate Ms. Xu Wanhua, who has returned from abroad. I hope to see you all there."

His message was followed by a flurry of replies:

"Wanhua's back? She was everybody's crush back in the day!"

"Looks like the guys in our class might have a shot now."

"A shot? Didn't you notice Guo was the first to know? He's clearly got a special connection with Xu Wanhua."

Guo Zhipeng couldn't help but post a smug smiley face after reading the comments.

"And what about our other class beauty, one half of the legendary duo?"

"Qiuyu, right? I heard she's married now, and rumor has it her husband's a bit of an oddball."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the message was retracted.

Yet, it had already caught the eyes of many.

"Is that for real?"

"Isn't that just a flower stuck on... you know what?"

Xu Wanhua, quick on the draw, swiftly typed out, "Stop spreading rumors. They're a happy couple. Qiuyu's husband is not only perfectly fine, but he's beyond your wildest dreams."

"Whoa, Wanhua's joined the chat!"

"Spill it, what's so unimaginable?"

In no time, a throng of people swarmed her with questions.

Playing coy, Xu Wanhua teased, "You'll find out tomorrow."

Then, Guo Zipeng chimed in, "It's settled then. Let's all meet up at my place tomorrow for a good time!"

Seeing Xu Wanhua's response, Pei Qiuyu felt it would be rude to decline and reluctantly accepted the invitation.

On the way home, Pei Qiuyu mentioned to Lin Xuan, "Guo Zipeng has always been generous, even back in our college days, and his family is wealthy."

"He's not going to let us pay tomorrow, so we should bring a gift."

Lin Xuan, with a smile, asked, "Oh? You want me to come along to your class reunion?"

"Absolutely, why not? Is my husband any less than the others?" Pei Qiuyu replied, her smile brimming with renewed confidence.

Lin Xuan, delighted to see his wife's self-assured grin return, said, "Honey, let me handle the gift for tomorrow. You've got to head to the office in the morning, right?"

"Sure," Pei Qiuyu agreed, nodding. "We can't show up empty-handed. They run a fancy Japanese restaurant, so our gift has to be impressive."

She then pulled out a card from her purse, adding, "There should be three thousand yuan on this card. Use it to pick something appropriate."

Lin Xuan accepted the card from Pei Qiuyu but had no intention of spending it.

His wife had worked hard to save that money, and since it was their first time being hosted, as the husband of the campus beauty, he knew he had to select a gift of substance.

The following morning, after breakfast, Lin Xuan called Wang Baifa to request a Ukiyoe painting.

Guo Zipeng owned a Japanese restaurant, and a Ukiyoe would enhance any wall it adorned.

Besides, Japanese antiques and paintings typically aren't highly valued.

Even gifting an original from a master artist, only connoisseurs could discern its true worth.

In this way, one could convey their sentiment while maintaining subtlety.

Before long, Wang Baifa drove over and delivered to Lin Xuan an Edo-period masterpiece by the renowned artist Bird Wenzhai, titled "The Picture of a Beauty."

Lin Xuan glanced at it and couldn't spot anything remarkable.

But Wang Baifa informed him that the Ukiyoe was valued at two hundred thousand.

Lin Xuan appreciated Wang Baifa's effort; he himself couldn't see what was so impressive.

Should anyone inquire about the Ukiyoe, Lin Xuan could offhandedly claim it cost just over a thousand yuan, easily deflecting curiosity.

As Pei Qiuyu arrived to pick up Lin Xuan, she inquired, "Have we gotten our gift?"

"Right here," Lin Xuan replied, showing her the Ukiyoe.

"What's this?" Pei Qiuyu was equally puzzled.

"They say it's a Ukiyoe," Lin Xuan chuckled. "Your friend runs a Japanese restaurant, right? I thought this would be quite fitting."

Pei Qiuyu agreed with a nod, "Makes sense. How much did it set you back?"

"Just over a thousand yuan, found it at a stall right outside the Decorative Arts Center," Lin Xuan explained.

"Oh," Pei Qiuyu mused, suspecting Lin Xuan might have been swindled, yet she held her peace. The thought counted most, after all.

"Let's get going," she said. "We should head out now, Wanhua's waiting for us to pick her up."