Chapter 27: University hotel party
During my University years, I was busy earning money to support myself. As a result, I had never been to any of the so-called class parties before. In my mind, a University party meant everyone would sit around a table to chat and drink beer. Then, perhaps they would go karaoke. After they were all hyped up from singing, they would probably end the night by going to a bar.
So when the taxi stopped at my destination, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The taxi fees alone was almost 100 rmb. In addition, this was probably the city’s five star hotel?!
The splendid majestic neon lights made the entire building look exceptionally radiant. On this dark night, it illuminated the surroundings. I lifted my head and couldn’t help but open my mouth from shock. This type of place…?
“Driver, are you sure this is the address I gave you?” Once again, I gave the driver the invitation card the girl handed to me. “Are you sure you are at the correct location?”
“This is correct. I inserted the address you gave me.” The driver pointed to his GPS. “Miss, are you trying to default on a payment?”
“No, that’s not my intentions…” I retracted the card from my hand. I had no other choice but to hurriedly pay the taxi driver and exited before further misunderstandings occurred. When I got off, I stood in front of the hotel in a disarray. From time to time, luxury vehicles would stop by my side and ladies with evening attires would step out.
I was wearing a white blouse with jeans. In addition, I had no makeup on. In this group of beautiful women, I was extremely conspicuous. After staring attentively at my invitation card, I finally realized what was going on.
Earlier, I thought it was a bit ridiculous that the University students would create an invitation card for a normal class gathering. But it was actually a formal event….
If there weren’t any crack I could drill myself into, I might as well just go home.
“Bai Silu classmate!” While I was debating whether I should call a taxi to go home or enter the hotel, someone called me by my fake name. I had no idea I was being called until someone touched my back.
“Bai Silu classmate!”
I suddenly turned around. The person that was calling me was Kevin. He looked different from this morning. Currently, he was wearing a casual suit that made him appear informal but not too shabby. He was young but respectable.
Kevin seemed to be astonished by my reaction. His hand hovered in mid air and his smile became stiff, “What’s wrong?”
I asked him instead, “You’re asking me? How come you scared me from the back?”
“I called your name so many times but you didn’t reply…”
After Kevin resumed back to normal, he pursed his lips as he sized me up and down. He had a hand near his mouth to suppress his laughter, “Bai Silu classmate, you sure dress with a lot of personality…”
My face immediately felt like it had been splashed with boiled water. It was scorching hot.
Laugh! Laugh as much as you want! I thought to myself. Tonight, being ridicule was going to be unavoidable. This was simply a forewarning. Relax your heart. Relax your mind. You can do it.
Thinking of this, I gently touched my head as I comforted myself, “You’ll be able to get over this.”
“What did you say?”
“I said… I didn’t realize it was this type of party. Hence, I wore the wrong clothing…” Is it because I’m not in tuned with the current trends? I didn’t expect the University parties to be so high class nowadays…
Suddenly I felt like the gap between me and the word youth was very very wide.
“It’s alright. I just thought you looked very out of the ordinary today. Being different is beauty.” Kevin gave me a killer pretty boy smile. Deep down I thought to myself, “Damn you, youngster. Trying to shock me with electricity now, eh?”
“Oh…really?” I shook my head. Honestly, I didn’t have anything else to say to him. So the two of us just stood there. I felt a breeze of cold wind, and it made the atmosphere even more awkward.
“We shouldn’t stand here. Let’s go in!” Kevin suggested.
I hadn’t decided whether I wanted to stay or not. But Kevin grabbed my arm so I really had no choice.
“Kevin!” The moment we entered the hotel’s banquet hall, a bright female voice called Kevin’s name. Both of us turned towards the source. It was the girl that gave me the invitation card and phone number this morning.
Thanks to her voice, it broke the awkwardness between me and Kevin. I felt a breath of relief.
The girl was wearing a black dress. There was an unique rose on her left shoulder strap. She walked over with a complicated expression and looped her arm over Kevin’s as she slightly tilted her chin and coldly glared at me.
Compared to this morning, she was much more aggressive. How should I say it? She was domineering to the bones. In any case, she seemed much more natural now than before.
Based on their intimate gesture, they were probably a couple. No wonder the girl’s expression changed. It’s fine. I understand.
“My name is Xu Weishan. Do you still remember me, Silu classmate?” Xu Weishan half leaned on Kevin as she fakely smiled at me, “How come you came dressed like this?”
Ok. Now I was starting to feel uncomfortable by her hostility; especially since my outfit didn’t fit the venue.
“I didn’t know it was this type of party…” Do I have to explain to every single person? Just as I was about to say goodbye to this couple, the ghost that had sat next to me this morning suddenly popped out from behind Xu Weishan. It was as if she had plastered herself on Weishan’s body. Two of her hands were tightly gripping her by the shoulders, and she exposed half her face. The ghost gawked at me with a hidden bitterness.
“Ah!” I was so scared by her face that I sprouted cold air as I continuously backed away.
However, my legs couldn’t keep up with the speed I was going. When I was just about to trip over myself and fall onto the ground, two hands steadily supported me by the shoulders.
I looked up and saw Suyang’s face. His face appeared colder than his usual. Why was he here?
I’m so unlucky…
But if it weren’t for him, I would probably have fallen over with four limbs in the air.
“When will you not make me lose face, Goldfish?!” Suyang quietly muttered so only the two of us could hear. After he straighten my position, he used a deceptive tone as he smiled at me, “Are you alright, student?”
Hearing this, I wanted to puke.
Xu Weishan and Kevin were surprised by my reaction. They both looked at each other in confusion.
“What happened?” Xu Weishan began to approach me.
“Don’t come over here!” I hid behind Suyang. I wanted to keep a distance from Xu Weishan. The moment she comes near me, the ghost will follow along. Since they both have the same face, I was very disturbed.
It was like a person with two heads…
Although I knew there was something fishy about this, I wasn’t bored to the point where I want to find trouble for myself.
After all, dealing with one Suyang was already enough work.
After I calmed myself down, I used my left hand to tug Suyang’s suit as a signal, “I’m fine. Xu Weishan classmate and Kevin classmate, you two enter first…. I-I’m waiting for someone.”
“Alright…” Xu Weishan gave me an odd expression as she left with Kevin looped in arm.
While they walked by me, the female ghost’s glare never left me….in addition, her head made a 180 degree turn! Seeing her made me nauseous.
After those two left, Suyang used two hands to straighten my collar and pulled me in front of him. He looked at my fearful face and asked, “Why are you here?”
Before I could reply, he continued sarcastically, “I knew Bai classmate is a bit different, but I didn’t know Bai classmate would stand out so much from the masses. Above all, your taste in clothing is truly out of the ordinary.”
“There’s only the two of us, can you speak normally?” I avoided Suyang’s eyes as I stared at the western painting on the hotel wall. I knew I was an embarrassment.
Suyang glanced left and right as he gnashed his teeth, “We definitely need to find a good spot to talk!” Then, he forcefully dragged me along.
“I can walk!” I fought back. But Suyang was much stronger than me; I couldn’t pull out of his grasp.