Chapter 12 Banquet

The private room sparsely seated four people, two boys, and two girls, all looking well-dressed and seemingly from affluent families.

One of the boys even had a cigarette in his mouth and was about to light it when he saw Xu Ke enter. He promptly took it down.

"Hi, Keke is here."

"Now that Keke is here, we can start ordering," said another girl, her makeup rather thick, sitting close to the boy with the cigarette, smiling.

"It's rare for us to gather like this. Oh, who is this?" the other girl with dyed brown long hair asked curiously as she looked towards Lin Fei standing beside Xu Ke.

Vivi and Xiaoping pulled out high-backed chairs and sat down,

Xu Ke first pulled out a chair for Lin Fei to sit down, then took his own seat. He smiled when his friend inquired.

"Lin Fei, my boyfriend." Lin Fei opened his mouth but did not deny the statement.

"Oh," the girl with brown hair paused slightly. Although she had been prepared when she saw them both walking in together, she was still surprised by Xu Ke's blunt admission.

The girl's gaze fell on Lin Fei, who had now taken his seat. His eyes were covered in contact lenses, faintly emanating a shade of light blue.

"Hello, my name is He Wenwen. Everyone calls me Wenwen. Since you're part of Keke's family, you're not an outsider," she said softly, smiling gently at Lin Fei.

Lin Fei was somewhat surprised to encounter such a polite girl. However, the others nearby made no effort to hide their indifference, barely giving Lin Fei a proper look.

Everyone understood that Lin Fei's inclusion in their circle was only due to Xu Ke's connection. Without it, he was just another ordinary student from the school, not worth befriending.

Lin Fei nodded politely towards Wenwen in response.

The group chatted briefly, and soon the dishes began to arrive.

Although the dinees were all young men and women of similar age, their topics of conversation varied widely and covered an extensive range.

Especially the girl named Wenwen, who seemed to effortlessly connect with people from any school, whether it be the supposed elite Shencheng High School or various other schools. Her extensive social network was evident. She occasionally smiled politely at Lin Fei during the conversation, keeping him from feeling awkward for not being able to chime in. This made Lin Fei feel slightly fond of her.

The first dish was a platter of lettuce beef rolls. The green lettuce combined with sesame-sprinkled beef was followed by dishes like stir-fried crawfish and Lizhuang White Meat, served in large portions.

The two boys also ordered a box of beer. The group seemed quite adept at this, clearly not their first meal here. Only when Xu Ke thoughtfully served Lin Fei his fourth bowl of Ginkgo Soup did Lin Fei finally speak up, unable to bear it any longer.

"I'm going to use the restroom," he whispered to Xu Ke. The latter paused, realizing his mistake. A faint blush appeared on his face. He quickly nodded, glancing over at the table where his friends were enjoying their meal. He whispered, "Shall I accompany you?"

"No need." Sweat nearly broke out on Lin Fei as he thought, needing accompaniment even to the restroom... Ridiculous. He pushed back his chair, and while the others were laughing over some funny story, no one noticed him.

Stepping out of the private room, the hallway was nearly full, a mix of noisy dining, drinking, and conversation sounds blending together, a stark contrast to the quiet inside.

It seemed that Qingyuan Restaurant was doing great business. Lin Fei asked a waiter for directions to the restroom and followed the white tiled aisle there.

After using the restroom, Lin Fei did not want to return to the private room immediately. He disliked that atmosphere; apart from the girl named Wenwen, Xu Ke's friends looked at him as if he had only come to freeload.

He wasn't foolish, inclined to be scorned by others. If it weren't for promising Xu Ke, he wouldn't bother wasting time with these kids.

After drying his hands under the air dryer, he saw Wenwen, who had also left the private room, walking down the corridor while fixing her long hair.

Wenwen seemed to spot Lin Fei as well, raising her face in slight surprise.

"Hey, why are you standing here?"

Lin Fei smiled and rubbed his hands together, saying, "Just getting some air."

Wenwen walked briskly past him without a word, her face alight with a smile, hugging a girl behind him.

"Wenwen, long time no see?" The two girls joked and laughed as they walked past the stunned Lin Fei. Wenwen now completely lacked the decorum she had shown in the private room.

As the two girls walked past Lin Fei, who was just out of the restroom, the curious girl cast a glance at Lin Fei, probably finding it somewhat funny.

The passing crowd noticed the scene, and many couldn't help but laugh out loud, with some waitstaff covering their mouths as they quickly walked past him. Dozens of eyes searingly focused on Lin Fei, seeming to watch how this awkward young man would handle the situation.

Taken aback for a moment, Lin Fei pocketed his hands, sighed, and smiled wryly to himself. He walked up to a window in the hallway and leaned against it, looking outside.

The sky was gradually darkening. In the parking lot below, among a row of small cars, a black Volkswagen slowly pulled out of a spot and took to the road.

Most people might mistake the car for a common Santana, but car enthusiasts could recognize it at a glance as a Volkswagen Phaeton, a model worth nearly a million, inconspicuous in the bustling traffic. As it drove onto the road, the side facing Lin Fei's window slowly rolled down.

A delicate-looking young man's face appeared from the car window.

Lin Fei's gaze unintentionally met the man's. In the moment their eyes locked, both were simultaneously taken aback. They both sensed a familiar scent emanating from each other.

Sharp and undisguised, looking down on everything with superiority. That innate sharpness, a desire and ambition hidden deep within their souls.

Lin Fei shuddered, leaning against the window, his eyes faintly swirling with a blinding brightness as the incessant flow of car lights swiftly streaked past his side profile.

"Interesting." The smile on the man by the window curved into an unexplained arc.

"To encounter a Sword Dao master in such a trivial place." The car window was slowly rolled up, and the man's sharp, blade-like gaze was gradually concealed.

In the dim car interior, only the dashboard in front of the driver emitted a soft glow, the only source of light. In the darkness, a gentle and magnetic voice slowly rose.

"Xiaofeng, please cancel my flight tonight, I want to stay here a few more days."

"Okay," someone responded.

Lin Fei quietly watched the black Volkswagen slowly drive away, feeling a premonition that he would definitely see that man again.

"Do you... know Zhang Minghui?" a disbelieving woman's voice suddenly rose from behind him.

"I don't know him," Lin Fei answered indifferently, turning his head. The questioner was a intellectual beauty in glasses and office lady attire. Her face was full of astonishment as she looked at Lin Fei, clearly having witnessed the extended eye contact between Lin Fei and the man.

Hearing this answer, the woman naturally looked incredulous. However, the moment Lin Fei turned back, the lingering brightness in his eyes made the woman feel as if she had seen a cold blade.

"What's your name?" Lin Fei asked gently.

"Kong Que," the woman almost instinctively blurted out her own name.

Regaining her senses, the Lin Fei by the window had already disappeared from where he was standing.

**********

The eye contact had unintentionally used the art of Soul Capturing, which left Lin Fei slightly tired. A lot of his energy had been consumed in the battle of gazes with that man.

This was the first time he had come across someone whose skills in Soul Capturing were similar to his own. Since he started his cultivation of Soul Capturing, it was the first time someone could maintain eye contact with him so composedly.

He had tried it before; if he used Soul Capturing, even people with slightly firm wills could be instantly captivated, just like the woman just now named Kong Que. Those with even slightly weaker willpower might even implant a seed of fear deep in their souls with just one look.

In the private room after eating, the two men were somewhat drunk.

"Keke, come on, Xu Jie is back just this once. It's bad if you're the only one missing when everyone else is here tonight," Vivi whimpered as she shook Keke's hand back and forth.

"I heard that the party was specifically for you, Keke. If you don't go, how can we feel comfortable going?"

"Yeah, dear Keke~~~ think of it as keeping us girls company, okay?" Xiao Ping and the other girls surrounded Keke.

Lin Fei watched as Keke, surrounded, looked in his direction for advice. He opened his mouth and silently mouthed 'I'm heading back first.'

Upon seeing this, Keke's face instantly tensed, and she squeezed out from between the three girls to get closer to Lin Fei.

"You guys go ahead. I'm going back with Lin Fei. Apologize to Sister Xu Jie for me,"

On the side, Wenwen and the others didn't expect Lin Fei to hold such a high position in Keke's heart. The atmosphere immediately cooled down.

"Let's leave it, Keke wants to be with her boyfriend, let's not disturb their world," Wenwen gently clapped her hands, "Let's go."

Vivi and Xiao Ping dared not continue the conversation, and the two men also found it hard to comment. In their circle, it had always been centered around Wenwen and Keke. Whether in terms of family background or personality, these two were absolutely central figures in the group. Wenwen was clearly displeased with Keke now; they felt uncomfortable being caught in the middle.

Watching the group get into two cars that pulled up, Keke held Lin Fei's hand, sadness flitting across her eyes. It was evident that she did not want to quarrel with Wenwen, but she couldn't let go of Lin Fei either. For some reason, whenever she saw Lin Fei, a special kind of shyness and closeness would surge from deep within her.

Lin Fei smiled, pulling her hand and softly said, "Friendship isn't only about understanding and giving from one side."

He had also noticed that the seemingly gentle Wenwen hid an extreme desire for control and to be the center of attention; such people couldn't tolerate their surroundings not revolving around them. They had an obstinate persistence about being the center and focus of any group.

Within Wenwen's eyes, Lin Fei saw Keke's reflection tinged with a light disdain. It was a silent patronizing view of ignorance and naïveté, which made Lin Fei uncomfortable.

Keke bowed her head, silent for a moment before lifting it again to smile and say, "Let's go, we're heading back." She clung tightly to one of Lin Fei's arms. "Actually, I know they only hang around with me because of my family background, willing to listen to everything I say."

The girl paused, then added, "Sometimes, it's not that I can't see it, I just don't want to."