Volume Two: The Anbei Consortium Chapter Three: Xiu’er, Let Me Take You Upstairs

After arriving at the hotel, Le Lin hurried to pay for the taxi.
“Thank you for letting me ride with you, otherwise I’d have been late. I’ll cover the fare,” Le Lin said.
Li Yu waved his hand dismissively; such a petty matter wasn’t worth mentioning. Don’t ask who he is—he’s the unsung hero, the red scarf doing good deeds without leaving a name.
“Yu, over here!” Huang Xiu waited at the entrance, but she hadn’t expected another girl to emerge from the taxi. Her brows furrowed, and when Li Yu approached, she asked, “Who is she? Why isn’t she joining us for dinner?”
“I don’t know her. She happened to be heading the same way, so we shared the ride,” Li Yu replied, waving his hand. He glanced at the door—only Huang Xiu was waiting outside, which made sense; he had little interaction with the others, and they were likely already in the private room.
“Oh, oh,” Huang Xiu murmured, watching the woman walk away. Li Yu’s explanation appeared true: she was just a stranger passing by.
The two walked directly toward the private room.
Inside, two tables were set up, already bustling and full of guests. When the door opened, a tall man—about one meter seventy-eight, dressed in expensive clothes—stood up to greet them.
“Huang Xiu, you’re late,” Li Gang said with eager hospitality, then turned to Li Yu, his enthusiasm undiminished. “And you’re... Yu, long time no see.”
Though they shared the same surname, the two had little connection. In truth, Li Gang’s gaze toward Li Yu was cold, for one simple reason: a woman.
Huang Xiu had always been attached to Li Yu, even setting his university as her goal.
This was a tragic situation for Li Gang, who liked Huang Xiu. He was outstanding, not just in family background but also in academic achievement, yet he felt no sense of superiority over this classmate he’d only known for a month.
Li Yu had not only left for university after just one month of high school, but had also bewitched Huang Xiu—the object of Li Gang’s secret affection—leaving her indifferent to Li Gang himself.
“Huh.” Li Yu glanced around, noticing there was exactly one vacant seat at each table.
Huang Xiu saw it too. She wasn’t familiar with most at either table, so she didn’t know what to do.
Li Gang smiled smugly; this was his deliberate arrangement. His table was mostly girls, the other was all boys.
That meant Li Yu and Huang Xiu would have to sit apart if they wanted seats, and with the empty spot at Li Gang’s table surrounded by girls, Huang Xiu would likely end up sitting there.
“No seats left, huh?” Li Yu scratched his head. Just then a hotel staff member passed by in the corridor, so Li Yu called him over. “Hello, could you add another table for us, with the same dishes as the others.”
Hotels often reserve extra space in private rooms for occasions—weddings, housewarmings—when the guest count is awkward.
“Actually, you can just sit in here,” the server said, glancing at the room. “If there aren’t enough chairs, I’ll bring more. No need to waste money.”
He saw the room was full of young people and assumed there had been some disagreement. Kindly, he tried to dissuade them from spending unnecessarily. The menu for this private room was expensive—over twenty thousand per table. Since there were seats available, he didn’t want the kids to waste their money.
“Yeah, just sit inside. So what if you’re sitting apart? It’s not a big deal,” a boy, prompted by Li Gang, spoke up. “Besides, today Li Gang is treating. Don’t act so high and mighty.”
“Exactly, you already dropped out—how can you still be so arrogant?”
“Pretending to be rich with someone else’s money, shameless!”
“Wearing clothes that cost two hundred yuan—how do you have the nerve?”
…
A few of Li Gang’s friends started making a scene. They all knew how Li Gang felt about Huang Xiu, and had heard some stories about Li Yu from him, so they understood his intentions.
Now, they wouldn’t miss an opportunity to show their loyalty.
Li Yu’s brows furrowed, but since Huang Xiu still had months left in the class, he replied coldly, “Who said I wouldn’t pay? Tonight’s dinner is on me.”
Money was hardly a problem.
With that said, the troublemakers had nothing else to say.
Huang Xiu looked at Li Yu, a bit embarrassed. After all, she was the one who had invited him, and hadn’t expected things to unfold this way.
“We’re all classmates. Why act like this?” Li Gang stepped in to scold those who had spoken, then said, “If you two want to sit together, just say so. Come on, let’s make space so Huang Xiu and Li Yu can sit together.”
With that, a spot was quickly cleared for them.
The server thoughtfully closed the door and left.
As they took their seats, Li Yu noticed Li Gang manipulating his phone under the table. Soon, several people began chatting.
“Still not giving up,” Li Yu realized they were planning something. He glanced at Huang Xiu, surprised that she was quite popular in the class. Despite his own long absence, he was still attracting resentment.
He shook his head, curious to see what tricks they had up their sleeves.
Soon, their conversation grew louder, the implication being that someone hadn’t been in class for years but still dared to show up, freeloading and putting on airs. Anyone listening might assume he was the host.
They stopped just short of pointing at Li Yu directly.
Huang Xiu’s expression changed. She had insisted on inviting Li Yu, so why was he being blamed? Besides, she had informed everyone beforehand—why hadn’t anyone objected then?
Li Yu pressed Huang Xiu’s hand, keeping her from standing up to argue. He shook his head, wanting to see what else they would say.
Li Gang didn’t join in, but when he saw Li Yu holding Huang Xiu’s hand, he gripped his chopsticks so tightly they creaked.
He’d watched those hands for three years, never once able to touch them, yet now another man was holding them—and Huang Xiu didn’t resist!
Li Yu grew bored of their repetitive remarks. As the server came in with dishes, he signaled, “Hello, I’d like to pay the bill.”
There was no better way to silence them.
Especially once the payment went through—the room fell silent.
Since Li Gang had organized the meal, most people were on his side, but only his close friends dared to openly mock and taunt. The rest merely watched from the sidelines.
After all, most were just here for a free meal.
When Li Yu swiftly settled the bill, many gazed at him with changed expressions.
He was a learned and wealthy man. Never mind his accelerated studies—these two tables cost tens of thousands, and he had paid without blinking. Some girls wondered if they’d deleted Li Yu’s contact; if so, perhaps it was time to add him back.
Li Gang’s eyes flickered. “There’s an auction upstairs tonight. You can’t get in without an invitation. I booked the hotel here so we’d have a chance to go up and see if there’s anything interesting.”
With that, he drew everyone’s attention.
“An auction? I’ve never attended one.”
“An auction that needs an invitation—that sounds so fancy.”
Li Gang wanted exactly this reaction. He looked at Huang Xiu and said, “Didn’t you say you wanted to see an auction? Tonight there’ll be lots of antiques, and I can take you up. I have one extra spot.”
He emphasized ‘one’. Recently, he’d seen Huang Xiu researching antiques, and knew her family’s elder was about to celebrate a birthday. She was surely hoping to buy some antiques as a gift.
Huang Xiu was tempted, but glanced at Li Yu and was about to refuse when Li Yu spoke.
“What a coincidence—I’m heading up to see the auction too. Xiu, let me take you.”