The Rogue Villager Chen Erbao

Chen Erbao left the coffee shop with Lin Zhiqing. They wandered the streets for a while before he took her back to the apartment she was renting near the factory.

She and Bai Xiaoqing had rented a large, two-bedroom apartment near the factory. It was a full two hundred square meters, and never mind the price—the interior decoration alone was something most people could only dream of.

"Where are you going tonight?"

Lin Zhiqing pushed the door open and tossed the clothes they had bought onto the sofa.

Chen Erbao certainly couldn't tell her he was going to see his idealized first love. He couldn't even mention the class reunion; if he did, Lin Zhiqing would say she wanted to go with him. 'What would I do then?'

His expression remained normal as he picked up a cherry from the table and took a bite.

"I'm going to sort out some things with the security company. Once we're back from our trip, things are going to get busy."

"Alright, you go ahead. Will you be back tonight?"

Chen Erbao hesitated for a moment.

"I should be. If I am, I'll call you, and we can stay somewhere else."

'He wasn't sure how soundproof the apartment was, but with Bai Xiaoqing living right next door, things might get awkward if they fooled around.'

"Okay. I'll pack our clothes. We leave tomorrow morning."

"Mm-hmm."

He had already bought the plane tickets. Their flight was at ten tomorrow morning.

Chen Erbao closed the door and checked the time. It was only five in the afternoon, so he dialed Zhang Yiyi's number.

"Hey, old classmate. What are you up to?"

"Chen Erbao! I'm just relaxing at home. Are you in the city?"

"I'm over by Huachen Square. I'm going to buy an outfit in a bit, and then I'll head to the hotel."

Wang Yong had booked a mid-range hotel. While it wasn't the most high-end place in Hongyuan City, it had a great reputation.

"Then let's go together… Or how about I come pick you up?"

Zhang Yiyi was as thoughtful as ever. She probably figured Chen Erbao didn't have a car and would have trouble getting around.

Chen Erbao smiled.

"How about I pick you up instead?"

"Sure. I'm at home. Give me a call when you get here."

After hanging up, Chen Erbao opened his navigation app and headed straight for Zhang Yiyi's place.

He didn't own a proper suit yet, so this was a perfect chance to get Zhang Yiyi's opinion and buy a decent one. After that, he'd get himself a watch.

After all, he was worth several hundred million now. He couldn't go without the right accessories to look the part.

Due to the evening rush hour, Chen Erbao was stuck in traffic for over half an hour before he finally arrived downstairs from Zhang Yiyi's apartment.

He made a quick call, and a moment later, a girl in a simple white dress appeared in his line of sight.

Her hair was tied back in a simple high ponytail, and she wore a clean, elegant white dress. Like a lone orchid in a secluded valley, her presence seemed to brighten the entire street.

Her delicate, lightly made-up face made men passing by turn their heads for a second look.

She was as stunning as ever. Just by standing there, she became the center of attention.

Chen Erbao rolled down his window and waved from a distance.

Zhang Yiyi walked over unhurriedly, leaned down slightly, and smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Long time no see, Chen Erbao!"

"Long time no see."

Chen Erbao felt a little dazed.

The last time he had seen her, he was just a broke kid from an average family who would get nervous for ages just thinking about saying a word to her.

But now, all he felt was a profound sense of peace and a hint of melancholy at how much things had changed.

'If I had been braver back then, maybe things would have been different…'

'Of course, the more likely outcome was that we wouldn't have even ended up as friends.'

Chen Erbao shook off those messy thoughts, got out of the car, and opened the door for Zhang Yiyi.

"It's been years, and you're still as beautiful as ever!"

He said it sincerely.

Zhang Yiyi giggled, covering her mouth.

"You're the one who's different. I feel like… you're more confident than before. And funnier, too!"

"You think so? Heh, I was just too young back then…"

He got back in the car, started it, and asked:

"Where are we headed?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to buy clothes? Let's go shopping first. It won't be too late to head to the hotel around seven."

"You pick the place. I'm not too familiar with the city."

"What kind of clothes are you looking to buy?"

Zhang Yiyi felt a little strange. 'I've never gone clothes shopping with a guy before. I think this is a first…'

"A suit, I think. I'm not a kid in my early twenties anymore. I should have a suit to wear."

Zhang Yiyi nodded, looking at Chen Erbao with a smile in her eyes.

"You're still so handsome; you look good in anything. In that case, let's go to May Square. There are several good suit shops there."

Hearing Zhang Yiyi say that, Chen Erbao's heart skipped a beat, and he laughed heartily.

"Hahaha, if our old classmates knew that Miss Zhang was praising me like this, they'd be so jealous!"

Zhang Yiyi's face flushed slightly.

"You really have changed. You've become such a smooth talker now!"

'He's become more charming, too!'

Zhang Yiyi thought to herself.

Chen Erbao stepped on the gas, and the Range Rover slowly pulled away from the residential complex.

"When did you buy a car? And a Range Rover, no less! You've really been holding out on us!"

Zhang Yiyi came from a relatively well-off family, so she recognized it as a Range Rover Vogue. 'That car must cost one or two million!'

Chen Erbao said modestly:

"I just started a small business of my own."

He had a few facial masks in his trunk that he planned to give to Zhang Yiyi after the reunion.

Zhang Yiyi laughed with theatrical surprise.

"Whoa, look at you, old classmate! You've turned into a big boss overnight! And you used to say you were from the countryside and your family wasn't well-off!"

"My family's background is pretty average. This is money I earned from starting my own business."

"You started your own company? What do you do?"

Zhang Yiyi asked curiously.

Chen Erbao waved his hand dismissively.

"It's a small business. I sell cosmetics. I'll give you a set of my company's products after the reunion so you can try them out."

"Cosmetics, huh? That's pretty impressive… Isn't there some Dream Fantasia mud mask that's been really popular lately?"

Zhang Yiyi was thinking of the commercial she had seen so many times on the news.

Chen Erbao was slightly surprised.

"You know about the Dream Fantasia mud mask too?"

"Of course I do! A single treatment costs a thousand yuan, and I heard the effects are amazing. It supposedly blows every other cosmetic product on the market out of the water…"

Zhang Yiyi chattered on and on the whole way there.

Chen Erbao barely said a word, content to just be a listener.

Seeing Zhang Yiyi again, it felt as if a string had been plucked deep inside him. His memories drifted back to those four wonderful years of college.

He was truly happy and carefree back then.

Except for Wang Yong, who was a bit of a creep, all his other classmates had been great.

"Who's all going to be there tonight?"

Chen Erbao asked.

Zhang Yiyi thought for a moment, tilting her head.

"I'm not sure. Wang Yong contacted most of them. It seems like not many of our classmates are in Hongyuan City. Zhao Hai, Qin Qin, Bai Ze… I don't know about anyone else."

Hearing those familiar names, Chen Erbao couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.

It seemed like no one had kept in touch after graduation. Occasionally, he'd scroll through his social media and see a post about someone traveling, feel a pang of envy, and then go right back to being a corporate drone.

In fact, if things hadn't turned out the way they did, it was unlikely that someone with a family background like his would ever have had the chance to interact with people from other social classes outside of college.

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