After Rebirth, the Celebrity Daughter is the Medical Expert!-Chapter 263 - 187: Banquet

The ring, just like that, was deeply hidden by him.

If Ze Wu hadn’t mentioned it today, he would have almost forgotten.

Now it can be given away, quite timely indeed.

...

After the hosts made their speeches, the event moved into the guest dining section.

At this stage, dining was secondary; it was more about the guests taking the opportunity to meet others present whom they didn’t know.

Following the hosts’ speeches earlier, all the guests were already acquainted with the two bosses of the "MM Investment Fund" company.

A large group had already gathered around Ze Wu, eager to exchange business cards and get acquainted with him.

Shi Wangyue, on the other hand, stayed by Ning Youguang’s side every step of the way.

In the hall, many people curiously observed them from the sidelines, but no one dared to gather around them.

It was really because Shi Wangyue’s demeanor was noble and aloof, with his entire focus on the female companion beside him, making him seem not easily approachable.

With no one else gathered around, and the two of them having little interest in meeting others present, the only thing left to do was to eat.

The two walked over to the buffet table, picked up plates, and started adding food to their plates. Once they had enough, they found a somewhat quiet corner and began eating earnestly.

Ning Youguang took a bite of pasta and, observing the lively chatter and laughter of others in the hall, smiled and said to Shi Wangyue next to her, "We look like we’re here just for the food."

Shi Wangyue elegantly finished the steak in his mouth, "No."

Ning Youguang: "?"

Shi Wangyue glanced back with a cool demeanor, "They’re the ones here for the free meal."

Ning Youguang: "???"

"We’re eating what’s ours."

Ning Youguang thought about the earlier speeches and introductions by the hosts and laughed, "Makes sense, let’s eat more then."

Shi Wangyue’s eyes filled with a hint of a smile, and he placed a fried shrimp from his plate onto Ning Youguang’s, "This one’s not bad, give it a try."

Ning Youguang naturally picked it up with a fork and ate it.

The two of them were so absorbed in eating that they weren’t paying attention to their surroundings, and thus didn’t notice the two people who had been silently watching them for quite some time from a short distance.

...

"So, what do you think?" Zhao Sui nudged the extremely unpleasant-looking Ming Chao, "Would you feed your childhood friend?"

The idea was unbelievable.

Ming Chao sipped his red wine with a gloomy expression, looking at the seemingly intimate pair not far away, staying silent.

"Not going to ask?" Zhao Sui continued.

Ming Chao took another sip of his red wine, moved his steps, intending to head towards the two who seemed oblivious to everything around them.

...

Just at that moment, a young man with glasses walked up to Ning Youguang and Shi Wangyue.

From Ming Chao and Zhao Sui’s vantage point, the young man was seen handing his business card to Shi Wangyue while talking to the two of them.

From Ning Youguang and Shi Wangyue’s perspective, it was an old classmate they hadn’t seen in seven or eight years and weren’t very close to even back in high school. After exchanging a few opening pleasantries, the man began passionately recounting his achievements over the years, rattling off a long list of titles before finally steering the conversation towards Ning Youguang.

"Ning Youguang is a professor now, how’s your job going these days?"

"It’s just the usual professor duties that you all know about, which I do mostly," Ning Youguang paused her eating.

"Ning Youguang is being modest," the young man marveled, "Several of our classmates are doing well in the capital, and I’m in contact with everyone. You’re one of them."

His familiar demeanor made it seem to outsiders as if he was very well-acquainted with the pair in front of him.

It even made some of the onlookers who had overlooked him earlier take a slightly higher opinion of him.

The young man seemed very aware of those around him and their little thoughts.

As Shi Wangyue’s schoolmate and Ning Youguang’s former high school classmate, he indeed had the right to be proud.

He hadn’t expected that the focus of so many people’s attention at this banquet would be his high school "study god," and that his "study god"’s companion for the evening was his old classmate.

This opportunity made him secretly smug.

Ning Youguang chuckled softly, "Really."

"Of course." The young man got more and more into his spiel, "Being a female professor at National University of Science and Technology, that’s respectable work and social status. Even though the salary isn’t high, the pressure isn’t great either, so that leaves more time to focus on other things."

He raised his glass towards Shi Wangyue, "Study God, don’t you think?"

His outward appearance was rather elite.

Based on the lengthy titles he had just listed, in the eyes of ordinary people, he was indeed considered quite successful.

But... Ning Youguang really didn’t like his worldly demeanor.

Despite maintaining a gentle and elegant smile on her face, her interest evidently waned.

"I’m so thirsty, craving some lime juice," she whispered to Shi Wangyue.

Shi Wangyue cast a cold glance at the old classmate, "Sorry."

Then he said to Ning Youguang, "I’ll go get you the juice. Do you want anything else, or would you like to come with me and see?"

Ning Youguang, wanting to get away from this old classmate, nodded, "Sure."

...

After politely saying goodbye to the old classmate, the two of them headed towards the dining area.

Shi Wangyue leaned down and quietly said to Ning Youguang, "Seems like your old classmate knows quite a bit about you."

"..." Ning Youguang felt a moment of awkwardness.

Seeing the change in her expression, Shi Wangyue continued to ask, "A story I don’t know?"

Ning Youguang sighed, "He once asked me out for a meal, but I declined."

Shi Wangyue’s gaze lowered slightly, "Asked you out for a meal?" His voice turned a bit cold.

Ning Youguang said, "We might’ve had a meal once, but nothing after that."

From the way the young man approached her at the time, there might have been other intentions.

But after dining with him once, she decided against continuing that old classmate friendship.

Time—truly alters people.

It can turn a once spirited youth into a worldly, opportunistic young man whose mind is filled with thoughts of money and fame. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

When paths differ, there’s no need to seek common ground.

Recognizing this made Ning Youguang realize she didn’t need to maintain this social connection based solely on the remnants of their old classmates’ relationship.

"There really is no need for further interaction," Shi Wangyue said mildly.

Though he had a naturally distant personality, he typically wasn’t so quick to dismiss someone.

The reason he particularly disregarded this old classmate was because of his values.

In just a few brief words, it was clear that in his eyes:

"Success and fame" were the hallmarks of "extraordinary."

Such a person, rich in money, was forever poor in spirit. 1314