Ignoring Ke Fei’s protests, I returned to the private room. Chu Ke Huan’s face came back into view. Like everyone else, he seemed puzzled by my abrupt departure earlier but maintained a polite smile.
“Hello, I’m Zhou Wei Wei. We met at the Business Management Student Association, didn’t we?” I deliberately brought up the club—not to build rapport, but because that’s where I had first met his girlfriend, Gao Zi Yuan. The mention of it was a subtle warning: I know you have a girlfriend, so don’t try anything here.
For a split second, surprise flickered across Chu Ke Huan’s face. He stared at me, perhaps calculating whether he needed to silence me or buy my discretion. But just as quickly, his expression returned to its calm and composed state.
“We must have a lot of mutual friends, then. Why don’t we add each other on Facebook and verify?”
Disgusting. I had been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but here he was, shamelessly suggesting we become “friends.”
For the sake of appearances and the other people in the room, I suppressed my irritation and gave him a faint smile. “No need to verify. I’ve heard plenty about you. Are you going to silence me now?”
“You two know each other? That’s perfect! You should sit together and chat!” The 2891 guy seized the opportunity, pressing me into a seat next to Chu Ke Huan. I could feel how badly he wanted to sit next to Ke Fei—or better yet, whisk her away for a private continuation of the evening.
But Ke Fei’s expression soured. My unpredictable behavior had completely derailed her plans for the night. I, however, didn’t regret my actions. By my standards, a man like Chu Ke Huan—who had a girlfriend yet still attended mixers looking for flings—deserved no courtesy whatsoever.
“Chu Ke Huan, you just got off work and haven’t eaten yet, right? Order whatever you like. Or how about some tequila from last night? The specialty cocktails here are amazing!” Ke Fei jumped in to salvage the situation.
“No drinks for me; I’m riding my bike later,” Chu Ke Huan said, his gaze fixed on me. Then, with an air of complete confidence, he dropped a bombshell: “I just remembered—I’ve seen you on my girlfriend’s Facebook.”
Girlfriend?
Girlfriend?!
Girlfriend?!
No matter how hard I tried to parse the words, my brain kept telling me the same thing: girlfriend. Chu Ke Huan wasn’t even bothering to hide his relationship. He openly admitted he had a girlfriend while casually seeking excitement elsewhere?
I shot a shocked glance at Ke Fei, who returned it with a “told you so” look. My eyes swept across the room, a chill running through me. How many people here, like Chu Ke Huan, had stable partners waiting for them at home?
“Wow, being handsome really is an advantage! Even after openly admitting he’s taken, he can still charm the ladies,” 2891 guy said, the first to applaud Chu Ke Huan’s brazenness.
“I’m just here to network,” Chu Ke Huan replied with a disarming smile.
“Yeah, right. What networking do you need when you’re at 2882? Your company’s rich enough to sponsor the NBA, and those year-end bonuses are fat enough to last you until retirement!” 2891 teased.
“It’s still necessary! Office politics can get intense, so you need something to keep you going after work. Catching up with old classmates and showing some appreciation to the women you like—that’s networking too. Can’t have a future without friends to drink with!” Most men might scramble to hide their intentions, but not Chu Ke Huan. Instead of defending himself, he shifted the focus to camaraderie, as if the women in the room were irrelevant. Then, as if to top it off, he casually turned the spotlight on me: “Wei Wei, I imagine you’re doing the same tonight. If I recall, you also have a steady boyfriend—someone at 2317, right?”
His words hit like a thunderclap, and the room froze.
“...Wei Wei, didn’t you say you just broke up?”
“So, are you single or not?”
“Don’t ask—it’s scary.”
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