Chapter 56: One of Us-Reencarnado, parei de bajular a bela da escola, e minha deslumbrante amiga de infância me declarou seu amor.(Através dos tempos, nunca houve beleza tão incomparável.)

Who would have thought? You help me win over a little beauty, and in return, I have to help you win back your first love?

You guys really think highly of me!

However, being right at the age of loving to play and cause a ruckus, he accidentally got treated as "one of us."

Lin Cheng did not belong to the elite circle of the courtyard youths, nor did he intend to force his way in. He wasn't naive enough to think that just because he was classmates with a group of young scions and hung out with them a few times, they would become sworn brothers.

On Friday, Lin Cheng pressed the doorbell of Secretary Zheng Qun's residence.

Zhou Luoyao opened the door, and Lin Cheng was stunned. A girl wearing a *haiba* (a whitish hue) outer garment and a silver-vermilion long skirt suddenly appeared before his eyes.

*Haiba* is a color similar to white, while silver-vermilion resembles red. These are traditional Chinese colors, hard to describe precisely, but simply put, they are traditional Chinese hues embodying understated luxury!

It was utterly breathtaking—a subtle, noble, and vibrant elegance!

It was a far cry from the Zhou Luoyao he had in mind!

Seeing Lin Cheng standing there dumbfounded and blank-faced, Zhou Luoyao flashed a radiant smile, spun around in front of him, and pointed at the pair of little black tasseled boots on her feet. "Do you like them?"

Lin Cheng swallowed hard. "This pairing is practically national-level color blocking; it's enough to touch a person's soul."

Zhou Luoyao looked thoughtful at the first half of the sentence, but upon hearing the second half, she broke into a playful smile.

"Have you got a death wish? I'll kick you."

Turning her head, she shouted into the room, "Brother! Lin Cheng is being improper!"

Zhou Ye was wearing a Fendi outfit, adjusting his buttons as he said, "Oh, then smash him. I support you!"

His perfunctory response prompted Zhou Luoyao to grab a plush toy from the sofa and chase after him with it.

Amidst the chaos, Zheng Nangong finally came downstairs. His shirt was Burberry, and his hair looked like it had been specially trimmed—not overly formal, yet hitting just the right note.

The clothing taste of these three was truly exceptional!

Lin Cheng felt that Zheng Nangong's aura was a lot more subdued today.

When the four of them arrived at the gathering venue, Lin Cheng finally understood why they were making such a grand production of it.

Meilu Mansion—the most famous club in Wuzhou, and also one of the most authentic and high-end restaurants.

They walked into the lobby's reception lounge, not rushing to enter the backyard party area.

After waiting for a moment, the crowd gradually grew larger. They were all friends of Zheng Nangong and the others. Judging from their conversations, some were still in high school, some were a bit older, and others had already ventured out to build their own careers on the backs of their families' influence.

None of these people were ostentatious, and they were all very friendly toward Zheng Nangong.

"Nangong, you guys have been gone for three years, and you rarely spend your holidays in the capital either. Really, you've completely put down roots in Wuzhou now."

Zheng Nangong responded half-heartedly.

"Hey, Zhou Ye, isn't your old man getting here soon? Aren't several military regions holding a meeting here?"

Most of them had childhoods and friendships similar to ordinary kids. The difference was that while ordinary kids might argue over something or get into a fistfight and ignore each other for a few days, these people would drift apart inexplicably due to familial connections, or be drawn closer together by the impetus of their families.

Lin Cheng rested his chin on his hand with keen interest, watching the people coming and going in the lobby.

The cocktail party atmosphere was very relaxed. Scions who had caught wind of the news from Shanghai, Nanjing, and even the capital had deliberately rushed over, some accompanied by their parents.

From Lin Cheng's perspective, none of these people dressed too extravagantly. The girls were dressed just right; some were pretty, while others looked quite ordinary.

At that moment, a few cars stopped at the entrance. A girl in a silver-gray minidress stepped out, surrounded and escorted by a group of men and women. Laughing and chatting, they walked into Meilu Mansion. Zheng Nangong stood up, exchanging a gaze with the girl from afar.

Jiang Yuwan walked over briskly with a pleasantly surprised expression, looking Zheng Nangong up and down. With her red lips, white teeth, warm smile, and long hair cascading over her shoulders like a cloud or a wisp of mist, she possessed a leaping, flame-like tension.

Beneath Zheng Nangong's polite expression, he was suppressing the joy surging in his heart.

Jiang Yuwan clenched her fist and gave Zhou Ye a punch. "Zhou Ye, Luoyao, long time no see!"

Her standard Mandarin carried a faint, distinct Shanghai flair.

With that, she took hold of Zhou Luoyao's hand.

"Oh, this is Lin Cheng," Zhou Luoyao introduced.

"Hello, Lin Cheng, nice to meet you." Jiang Yuwan extended her hand for a shake, projecting a very cheerful demeanor.

Lin Cheng silently praised this girl for possessing a sunny disposition coupled with maturity and charm. No wonder Zheng Nangong was so captivated by her; she felt like a breath of fresh spring breeze without losing the quiet grace of a young lady from a prestigious family.

Jiang Yuwan glanced at Zheng Nangong, smiled with pursed lips, and linked her arm through his. At that moment, it felt just like the days before she went abroad to study.

Only then did the group head toward the cocktail party venue. Zheng Nangong's joyful expression held a trace of panic.

Seeing Jiang Yuwan link her arm through Zheng Nangong's so naturally, both Zhou Luoyao and Zhou Ye frowned.

Jiang Yuwan leaned in closer and whispered into Zheng Nangong's ear:

"Yang Jun's father wants to expand the market for Marriott Hotels, so Yang Jun took it upon himself to invite all these people and put on such a huge display. That person was already so annoying abroad, just an absolute pain."

The cocktail party was being held right beside a giant koi pond.

Jiang Yuwan walked in front with her arm linked through Zheng Nangong's. Zheng Nangong smiled and asked, "Have you been well these past few years?"

Perhaps for people of their age, saying "these past few years" sounded a bit old-fashioned, but strangely enough, neither Jiang Yuwan nor Zheng Nangong found it abrupt.

With Zheng Nangong separated from the girl he loved by an entire ocean—where electronic signals had to bounce off the outer atmosphere—this sense of distant time and space only stretched out his longing even further.

"Not bad," Jiang Yuwan suddenly asked, "Are you still an virgin?"

Seeing Zheng Nangong's stunned expression, she burst into a soft, silvery giggle.

Some things still hadn't changed.

Zheng Nangong was still the shy, flustered little boy he was when she left a few years earlier, easily blushing and getting his heart racing at a bit of light teasing from her.

The lighting effects at the cocktail party were exceptionally well done; not a single light source shone directly into anyone's eyes. Even with so many people present, bathed in the soft illumination, one could dimly perceive the refined elegance of the gathering.

Some people saw them enter and walked up to greet them. "Yuwan, word got out that you were coming, so everyone rushed over!"

"How long are you staying this time? They really pampered you abroad; your skin looks so fair."

Jiang Yuwan greeted them one by one. Some of the young ladies came over to link arms with her, while others sized up Zheng Nangong.

"Nangong finally got to see the person he wanted to see today, hehehe..."

Zheng Nangong smiled in response. "Not really. You look gorgeous today."

"So sweet, giggles..."

One girl rolled her eyes playfully at Zheng Nangong. "Relax, our Yuwan likes the carefree type, oh."

Another girl chimed in with a giggle, "Three days ago, Yuwan and I were still in the capital, oh! So many guys sent her gifts—you better make sure yours is extra special!"

If Zheng Nangong had ever thought he had truly let go of his longing for Jiang Yuwan, seeing her again proved that every single smile and flutter of her eyelashes could once again strike deeply and precisely at the heart of the young man.