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As the sun set on the following day, Xiao Rui arrived at Su Jingâs home, ready to take him to the party venue. They were headed to a KTV box located in Zhongyun City District, and upon arrival, they were greeted by a bustling crowd.
Su Jingâs presence caused quite a stir as they obviously didnât expect Su Jing to come, and as he made his way inside, all eyes were on him.
Suddenly, a tall woman caught sight of Su Jing and was momentarily taken aback. Recovering quickly, she strode over to Su Jing with an air of confidence. Behind her, several other women followed suit, each moving gracefully despite their brisk pace.
âThird Brother, let me introduce you. This is todayâs birthday star, Lu Lu.â Xiao Rui gestured toward the tall and stunning woman at the center of the group before turning to Su Jing. âXiao Lu, this is one of my college roommatesâŚâ
âHehe, I am sure he needs no introduction. Who doesnât know the Great Su Jing?â Lu Lu let out a soft chuckle and flashed a charming smile as she spoke.
âHi, Great God Su,â The girls around Lu Lu exclaimed, their excitement palpable and some even blushed. They obviously not only knew Su Jing but also admired him and they were clearly smitten by Su Jingâs presence.
It was no secret that Su Jing had amassed a large following of female fans, each with their own unique obsession â some are obsessed with his zither song, some are obsessed with his appearance, figure, and skills, and some are obsessed with his cooking skills, some are obsessed with his pets, some are obsessed with his paintings.
The gathering of adoring fans was a common sight for Su Jing.
âHello.â Su Jing smiled lightly as several girls continued to chatter excitedly around him as if vying for his autograph or a group photo. Lu Lu, meanwhile, maintained a calm demeanor but she was clearly pleased by Su Jingâs arrival.
Observing the scene, Xiao Rui couldnât help but feel a twinge of envy, jealousy, and even resentment.
The contrast between his own presence and Su Jingâs was stark, and he regretted having brought Su Jing to the party, feeling as though his own light had been overshadowed.
âMaster Su, long time no see,â An intellectual woman in a black dress standing next to Lu Lu said with a smile on her face.
Her smile was aloof, and she regarded Su Jing with neither admiration nor disdain, it was as if she were simply greeting an old acquaintance.
âMu Ting, I didnât expect to see you here. Please, call me Su Jing. âMaster Suâ makes me feel ashamed and undeserving,â Su Jing replied calmly, though he was taken aback by Mu Tingâs presence here.
Mu Ting was Wang Yanâs best friend, and Su Jing knew her from their college days. When Su Jing first began spending time with Wang Yan, she often brought Mu Ting along with her.
After graduation, they had only met once more â at the finals of âGood Chef China.â Su Jing hadnât seen her since then and certainly hadnât expected to run into her at this party.
âXiao Lu is the junior sister that I lead in class. Itâs only normal for me to attend her birthday party. I just never expected to see you here. Itâs a small world.â Mu Ting said plainly.
âI came here with Little Rui, the world is indeed so small.â Su Jing responded and stopped talking.
His acquaintance with Mu Ting was based on Wang Yan as a bridge, and now that his relationship with Wang Yan has developed like this, the relationship with Mu Ting felt a bit awkward.
Lu Lu had heard about the relationship between Su Jing and Wang Yan for quite some time. She was also aware of Mu Tingâs connection with Wang Yan.
Therefore, when she saw Mu Ting and Su Jing interact, she wasnât surprised. In fact, Lu Lu could even sense the underlying tension and awkwardness between the two.
After being welcomed by a few girls, Su Jing and Xiao Rui took their seats. Several girls gathered around Su Jing, giggling and chatting away, making the other boys present feel envious and jealous.
On the opposite side of the room sat a group of young people. Among them was a handsome young man with a slicked-back hairstyle.
He cast a fleeting glance at Xiao Rui and Su Jing before curling his lips and muttering under his breath, âWhat a general case of a fox borrowing the tigerâs might.â (The idiom refers to a situation where someone of lower status or strength pretends to have the power or authority of someone of higher status or strength.)
The group of young individuals huddled together closely, their voices barely above a whisper, as they shared their thoughts with each other.
âDid you hear the news? Xiao Rui actually managed to get Su Jing to come here.â
âIt seems like they are quite close, huh?â
âI heard that Su Jing had something to do with Xiao Ruiâs sudden growth spurt.â
âThe Museum of Wonders has been in chaos lately, with countless foreign experts arriving to investigate. I wonder why Su Jing would even bother with something like coming here.â
âI mean, isnât it kind of like bullying, him supporting Xiao Rui like this?â
Despite their support for the young man with the distinct hair, their voices trembled with fear at the mere mention of Su Jingâs name. His immense wealth and his power loomed over them, making them feel small and insignificant in comparison.
They knew they could never truly oppose him, and so they held their tongues and kept their distance.
The young man with a broad frame spoke up, âCan you guys show a little courage? Why are you behaving like cowards? Su Jing is Su Jing and Xiao Rui is Xiao Rui. Donât mix them up. Whoever can catch up with Lu Lu depends on their own abilities. Can Su Jing still force her choice?â
Several people chimed in agreement, âYes, Brother Xiang is absolutely right.â
Being a gathering of young folks, there werenât any strict rules or procedures for the birthday party. Some sang karaoke, some played games, and some simply chatted away. The atmosphere was lively.
As most guests arrived, they presented small gifts while some didnât bring any at all, which was entirely casual.