C5 Classmate!

Du Chen reclined on the plush sofa in his office, gazing at the ceiling above.

His thoughts drifted to his mother-in-law and wife, Lin Ying'er. What would they think if they knew about his vast wealth? Would they accuse him of flaunting his success?

He could easily dazzle his avaricious mother-in-law into fawning over him if he chose to, but Du Chen was preoccupied with staying under the radar.

He had no intention of revealing his financial status to his mother-in-law or Lin Ying'er, especially with his cousin's unresolved issues looming over him. His fortune could vanish in an instant.

*Click*

The office door swung open, and a woman slipped in stealthily.

Du Chen, still lounging on the sofa, watched her skulk around and raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

The woman let out a startled yelp, "Oh! I'm so sorry, boss, so sorry. I'm a waitress here. I was looking for... you!"

"Hmm? Lee Yan?" Du Chen's surprise mirrored hers.

Lee Yan was his ex-girlfriend from his school days, who had pursued him for his academic prowess, only to deceive him into sharing his homework and swindling months of his living expenses before leaving him for a wealthier suitor.

Du Chen had been heartbroken for months and had even accumulated debts because of her, making his life incredibly challenging.

Upon seeing Du Chen, Lee Yan paused, then sneered, "You're working as a waiter here too?"

She couldn't fathom Du Chen as anything more than a lowly employee, let alone the boss.

Du Chen shook his head instinctively, "No."

She smirked, "I didn't think so. At a prestigious place like the Golden Age Entertainment Center, not just anyone can be a waiter."

Her pride in her job was evident, and Du Chen, though taken aback, respected her sense of dignity in her work. Ambitions varied, and every field had its champions.

However, Lee Yan, settling into a chair, mocked him, "I heard you became a live-in son-in-law? After all these years, you're still the same pushover. You're not here to apply for a job, are you?"

"I'm warning you, don't even think about working here. I can't stand the sight of you, and I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea that we're still attached at the hip!"

Du Chen replied with resignation, "Relax, it's not going to happen. I'm not cut out for waiting tables."

Lee Yan's face darkened, "Are you mocking me? That's rich! Take a good look at yourself before you judge. I pull in eight grand a month, and with bonuses, I'm easily clearing ten thousand! And you? Surely you're not living off your wife's earnings!"

Du Chen just shook his head, finding her assumptions far-fetched, and said firmly, "I've got other matters to attend to. If you're not busy, please leave."

Lee Yan scoffed, "You're the one who should leave. You don't work here, so what gives you the right to hang around in our boss's office? Get out, or I'll call security!"

At that moment, Du Chen frowned as the Finance Manager entered, "Boss, I've secured the Creekside Bistro for you and arranged everything as you requested. Here's the top-tier VIP card for the place."

Du Chen preferred to keep a low profile, but the Finance Manager needed to be aware of his identity to assist with the arrangements.

Thus, the Finance Manager made a beeline for Du Chen, extending the card to him.

Lee Yan's eyes bulged in disbelief, exclaiming, "Who's the boss?!"

"You've got the wrong person," Du Chen indicated with a gentle shake of his head to the Finance Manager.

"Oh, my apologies. I was mistaken; the boss isn't here," the Finance Manager said, quickly correcting himself, though clearly puzzled.

Lee Yan exhaled in relief and clutched her chest, "I thought as much. There's no way this deadbeat could be the boss."

The Finance Manager frowned at her words and gave Lee Yan a chilly look. "And who might you be? What business do you have in the boss's office?"

Lee Yan began to panic. She had come to request a raise from the boss, an action that could be seen as overstepping her bounds and potentially offending someone.

If she had upset the Finance Manager, there was a chance her salary could take a hit instead of a hike!

"It was him!" Lee Yan blurted out, pointing at Du Chen. "I caught this guy sneaking into the office. I thought he was up to no good, maybe even stealing, so I followed him in!"

Du Chen paused, a wry smile crossing his face. This woman truly hadn't changed her ways.

She had duped him once and was trying for a second round?

Thankfully, he was on his own turf here at his company, or the situation might be hard to clear up.

The financial manager's expression turned icy upon hearing Lee Yan accuse her boss of being a thief. "Do you realize what you're saying? This man is..."

"He is the thief!" Lee Yan burst in, yanking open Du Chen's shirt to reveal a solid gold lighter. "Manager, from what I understand, he's nothing but a leech living off others. How could he afford such an extravagance? He definitely stole it from his boss!"

"Who would have thought, Du Chen, that you'd stoop to thievery? Weren't you the model student? The one with such pride?"

"Ha, just as I thought, a lowlife from the sticks, always stealing from others!"

"What's that saying? 'A scoundrel comes from a destitute village.' You truly are a three-handed thief without shame!"

Lee Yan hurled insults at Du Chen, desperate to deflect blame for sneaking into the office.

But she didn't stop there. She snapped a photo of Du Chen with the lighter and blasted it to their classmates' group chat. "I'm going to expose you, so everyone knows you're a thief!"

Du Chen frowned, feeling Lee Yan had gone too far, and shot the financial manager a meaningful glance.

The financial manager, pale with shock at her outburst, barked at Lee Yan, "Enough! You're fired!"

Lee Yan's mouth fell open in disbelief, staring at the financial manager. "Why? I'm trying to help you catch a thief!"

"We don't need your kind of help!" the financial manager retorted, his patience worn thin. "Just leave, now!"

"I... I'm not going anywhere. You think you can push people around because you're rich? That's despicable!" Lee Yan resorted to playing the victim, throwing herself on the floor, wailing and cursing.

Watching Lee Yan's disgraceful display, Du Chen sighed. "There was really no need to fire her. Just don't let it happen again."

The financial manager shot Lee Yan a withering look. "Apologize this instant, and while you're at it, thank Mr. Du for not holding this against you!"

When Lee Yan heard she wouldn't be fired, she dabbed at her tears and stood up, glaring at Du Chen with venomous eyes. "Sorry... Thank you..." Her words were tinged with reluctance, and her resentment only deepened when she saw Du Chen and the financial manager exit the office together. "You lowlife, teaming up with the financial manager to make a fool of me. Don't think you've won any respect by making me grovel. The class reunion is just around the corner. Just wait and see how I'll get back at you. For now, I'll start by collecting some interest!"

Fuming, Lee Yan took to the class group chat and spitefully spread rumors, claiming Du Chen was living off a woman and had been caught stealing. Her words quickly stirred up a storm of reactions.

"Damn, this guy's got some nerve!"

"Alas, the former class genius is now the dregs of society. It's quite the fall from grace."

"Ha, why the long faces? I knew he was no good from the start. I just feel sorry for the poor girl who ended up with him... Oh wait, she didn't end up with him, he ended up with her, hahaha!"

Lee Yan reveled in the jeers flooding the group chat, her sense of triumph swelling.

But she overlooked one detail: Lin Ying'er was also a classmate of theirs.

Lin Ying'er, in the midst of deciding whether to dine with Zhao Sheng at Creekside Bistro, caught sight of the messages on her phone and her expression turned grim.

Despite her distaste for Du Chen's lack of backbone, she was convinced he wasn't a thief. Compelled by this belief, she stepped forward to defend and vouch for Du Chen.