Ch 25: The World’s Number One Resort

“At Tianjin Port? Okay, I’ll get in touch on the 20th.” After getting off the plane, Tang Huai purchased a high-speed train ticket to Shengze. It was the off-season for rail travel, so the train wasn’t crowded. After placing his luggage on the overhead rack, he dialed Pang Dafu’s number.

Pang Dafu’s cable company, named Pangda Cable, was located in Binhai New District, Tianjin. The Young Lady cruise ship was docked at Tianjin Port. The call was answered by Pang’s secretary, who informed Tang Huai that Pang was currently on a business trip in Sichuan Province and would return around the 20th. Tang calculated the timeline: he could stay in Luo Hai for two days, then head to Tianjin, which fit perfectly with his schedule.

It was now 5 p.m., and Tang Huai opened his Weibo account.

“Where’s the small shop owner? Feels like it’s been a while.”

“Boss, please release more discount coupons! The last ones have expired.”

“Has the shop assistant changed? The previous girl looked grumpy, but the new one seems friendly.”

Tang Huai’s Weibo handle was @GreatTangFruits. Normally, he posted updates every two days, often including discount coupons to attract customers, keeping his follower count at around 500—half of which were likely bot accounts.

Since Tang Huai had been busy with matters related to Sora Island, he hadn’t updated his Weibo. To his surprise, there were still fans inquiring about coupons. After some thought, he opened the editing page.

@GreatTangFruits: “Out on vacation, highly recommend Sora Island—amazing scenery! 【Pictures】X9.” Tang Huai never missed an opportunity for self-promotion. He selected nine carefully chosen scenic photos from his gallery and praised the island.

Within half an hour of posting, Tang Huai checked: 19 views, 0 comments, and 5 likes. This was the usual engagement for @GreatTangFruits, with two-digit views and zero interaction. Now, at least he had a few likes.

After scrolling through Weibo for a while, Tang Huai opened a video app and started watching a popular drama titled My Wife and Mom, which revolved around small domestic issues. It was a nice way to pass the time.

…

“Hongxia, why haven’t you been to the square these past two days? Everyone’s waiting for you to lead the dance.” While Tang Huai was on the high-speed train, an unexpected visitor arrived at Zhao Hongxia’s home in Guanghai Donghe City.

“I’ve been busy at home lately. Why didn’t you give me a heads-up? Look, I don’t even have proper fruit to offer.” It was now 6:30 p.m., just after work hours, and Zhao Hongxia, wearing an apron, was preparing dinner. She hadn’t expected Chen Fenglian to drop by at this time.

Zhao Hongxia wiped her hands on the apron, feeling a bit embarrassed. She was the leader of the square dancing group but had been neglecting rehearsals since returning from her trip abroad.

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t come for fruit. You know, as we get older, I just want to visit old friends more often…” Chen Fenglian, with her short hair in permed curls, spoke with her usual boldness.

“How about some tea?” Zhao Hongxia took off her apron and brewed a pot of chrysanthemum tea. The two women then settled into a casual conversation. With Chen Fenglian’s lively personality, the conversation never fell flat.

“Is that a new TV? Looks like it’s 75 inches.”

After chatting for a while, Chen Fenglian pointed at the television in the living room. Zhao Hongxia and her husband, Xiao Shengguo, had made a good living. Their son was also doing well, and they had never been financially constrained. Zhao Hongxia’s home spanned over 170 square meters. When Chen Fenglian had visited two months ago, the TV wasn’t this large, but now it had been upgraded.

“85 inches. I didn’t want it, but my son insisted on buying it,” Zhao Hongxia said with a hint of helplessness. She and her husband had been out of the country for a month, and when they returned, they found that half of the household appliances had been replaced. While she appreciated her son’s thoughtfulness, she didn’t want him to overspend.

“Must be nice,” Chen Fenglian said with a tinge of envy. An 85-inch TV cost at least 20,000 yuan. Between her trips abroad and her son’s filial gestures, Zhao Hongxia was living the good life, much to the envy of her friends. After all, not everyone was fortunate enough to marry someone like Xiao Shengguo, who was so successful at making money.

“I arranged a free body checkup for you at Aierjian. Nobody is there right now. Let’s have dinner first, and then we can go together,” Chen Fenglian mentioned, a hint of envy in her voice as she brought up the real reason for her visit.

“Maybe I shouldn’t go…” Zhao Hongxia hesitated. Both Xiao Shengguo and her son weren’t too keen on her getting involved with Aierjian, and she wasn’t sure what to do.

“We’re sisters! I’m only looking out for you. Look at Xiao Wang, so young, but already sick… We need to be proactive! Plus, it’s free. We’re just checking to see if anything’s wrong,” Chen Fenglian cut off Zhao Hongxia’s hesitation with her usual fiery energy.

“My son and daughter-in-law are coming over today. How about I go with you the day after tomorrow?” Zhao Hongxia didn’t want to offend Chen Fenglian and eventually agreed.

“Morning or afternoon?”

“Afternoon…”

Satisfied with the answer, Chen Fenglian left shortly after their chat.

“What are you cooking? Smells so good!” Chen Fenglian asked curiously as she reached the door, her nose picking up the enticing aroma wafting from the kitchen.

“Blue Sea Fish, brought back from Sora Island,” Zhao Hongxia responded with a hint of pride. She and Xiao Shengguo had each brought back five fish. The Blue Sea Fish was tender and flavorful, and they had been reluctant to eat them right away. Last time, they even brought five fish to their son’s house.

“Not bad,” Chen Fenglian remarked, feeling another wave of envy. Most people bring back bags or baby formula when they go abroad, but the Zhao couple had simply brought back a few inexpensive fish. How extravagant.

Shortly after Chen Fenglian left, Xiao Shengguo returned. Zhao Hongxia considered bringing up the Aierjian topic but ultimately decided against it.

She’d go check it out the day after tomorrow and see what happens.

…

“Old Tang, looks like you’re doing pretty well! Running a shop, investing abroad—you’re living better than the rest of us,” Ma Chuan joked. It was August 17th, and after spending a day in Shengze, Tang Huai arrived at the Jindian Hotel at 10 a.m. the next day.

The hotel had been booked in advance and was of a five-star standard. When Tang Huai arrived, Ma Chuan was already waiting at the entrance.

“Tonglu didn’t come?” Tang Huai asked with a smile as he placed his luggage at the front desk. Yang Tonglu was Ma Chuan’s wife, and the three of them were college classmates.

“She’s seven months pregnant now, so I didn’t want her to go through all the trouble,” Ma Chuan replied somewhat bashfully.

“Congratulations,” Tang Huai said, surprised but quickly understanding what “seven months” meant. He hadn’t expected Ma Chuan to be a father so soon after just a year out of college.

“I brought a few Blue Sea Fish from abroad. I’ll give some to Tonglu when I visit.” After congratulating him, Tang Huai continued. He didn’t have many close friends, and the five fish were specifically brought for Ma Chuan.

“Haha, you’re too kind, man! I knew I wasn’t wrong to count you as a brother! By the way, everyone else is staying at the Guobin Hotel. Are you sure staying here won’t be awkward?” Ma Chuan, grateful for Tang Huai’s gesture, mentioned that everyone else was at the Guobin Hotel, sounding a bit hesitant.

Song Qing had money, so he booked rooms for out-of-town classmates at the Guobin Hotel. All they had to do was show their ID cards to check in. About 30 people from their class were already there, playing cards and chatting.

“No need, I’m staying here for two days,” Tang Huai waved off the concern. He didn’t want to get too entangled with Song Qing. After being forcefully paired with him for three years, he didn’t want to be dragged back into it. With a million dollars in his pocket, paying for two nights in a five-star hotel was no issue.

“Alright,” Ma Chuan, knowing Tang Huai had his reasons, didn’t press further. After grabbing lunch together, Ma Chuan returned to the hotel in the afternoon, while Tang Huai wandered around the area before heading back to his room.

In his room, Tang Huai went over the detailed specifications of the Young Lady cruise ship and got a good understanding of its overall performance.

That night, he slept soundly.

…

The next morning, Tang Huai packed lightly and took a cab to the Guobin Hotel. It was five kilometers from the Jindian Hotel, and both were five-star establishments located in the city’s economic district.

Ten minutes later, Tang Huai got out of the cab. In front of the Guobin Hotel was a long, elaborate wedding arch with the words “Congratulations to Mr. Song Qing and Mr. Zhou Xingzhao on their union.” The arch was both grand and elegant, with colorful balloons hanging on both sides, a clear sign of the organizer’s effort and attention to detail.

The wedding was held in the banquet hall on the third floor. After informing the staff of his purpose, Tang Huai followed them upstairs.

The banquet hall was grand and spacious, and a considerable number of guests had already arrived. Tang Huai estimated that with families included, there were over 600 people at the wedding.

“Tang! Over here!” As soon as Tang Huai walked in, Ma Chuan, seated in the northeast corner, stood up and called out loudly. Tang Huai walked over. There were three tables reserved for their classmates from Communications Class Six, and most of the classmates had already arrived when Tang Huai got there.

“The class heartthrob has arrived! A year’s gone by, and you’re still just as handsome.”

“I’m feeling a bit self-conscious. I might have to switch tables—sitting with the heartthrob is too much pressure.”

“Haha, I remember back during the school sports event…”

“How’s life been for the heartthrob lately?”

“Let’s have a drink first!”

…

Tang Huai took a seat next to Ma Chuan, and as soon as he did, his classmates began teasing him. It had been a year since they graduated, but if nothing else, Tang Huai’s good looks were still a big topic.

“I’ve been doing alright,” Tang Huai clinked glasses with an old classmate and joined the casual conversation. He had always been easygoing, and during their university days, he got along well with everyone.

“We young people must have ambition! We can’t just live ordinary lives. Take, for example, that guy over there… imagine being so young and going off to sell apples—doesn’t that embarrass our whole school?”

As Tang Huai was enjoying his conversation, a rather pointed voice interrupted from the next table. Tang Huai turned to look and saw the speaker, a tall man about 1.8 meters in height, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt. His face was slightly flushed, likely from too much alcohol.

Tang Huai frowned. The man was none other than Lu Dayu.

“Dayu,” someone tugged at Lu Dayu. The group chat of Communications Class Six was lively, and thanks to Lu Dayu’s constant chatter, everyone knew that Tang Huai had opened a fruit shop. Lu Dayu’s remark was clearly aimed at mocking Tang Huai.

“Why are you pulling me? I wasn’t the best student, but I still got a job at a state-owned enterprise after graduation. Sure, 8,000 yuan a month after taxes isn’t much, but there’s great potential. If I work hard, I could make 500,000 a year in no time. And you—what’s your salary like these days?” Lu Dayu ignored his classmate’s tugging and gave Tang Huai a provocative look.

The wedding hadn’t started yet, and the atmosphere in the banquet hall was lively, but over at the northeast corner, tension was brewing.

A few classmates tried pulling Lu Dayu again, but he shook them off.

“Are you asking me?” Tang Huai didn’t beat around the bush. He took a sip of water and responded directly. The malice from Lu Dayu was undeniable.

“Of course I’m asking you. You were really popular in the skating club, weren’t you? What do you think those girls would think if they knew how far you’ve fallen?” Lu Dayu finally spoke up about the grudge he had held for years.

“Fallen? How exactly?” Tang Huai was speechless. He finally understood why Lu Dayu had such animosity toward him—it all boiled down to something as trivial as the skating club.

“You know what I mean,” Lu Dayu muttered after taking another swig of his liquor.

Lu Dayu and Tang Huai were classmates. When they first started university, joining student clubs was the trend, and they both joined the skating club. Tang Huai wasn’t very active, often skipping meetings, while Lu Dayu, on the other hand, was a devoted member, showing up regularly and excelling at skating.

But during the election for club president in the second semester of their first year, all the votes from the female members went to Tang Huai, and Lu Dayu received less than half the votes Tang Huai did. The loss hit Lu Dayu hard—it was a harsh reminder that in this world, looks could trump everything.

Tang Huai had little interest in the skating club and quit shortly after declining the president role. As a result, Lu Dayu became the president by default. However, even as president, because he was in the same class as Tang Huai, many girls would approach him to ask about Tang Huai. When he finally became the head of the club, the younger female members would join and immediately ask him about the “handsome senior” in his class.

Lu Dayu spent his years in the skating club living in Tang Huai’s shadow.

Determined to regain his pride after graduation, Lu Dayu was thrilled when he heard that Tang Huai had opened a fruit shop. The idea of today’s reunion, where he could humiliate Tang Huai, had been playing out in his mind for quite some time.

“Tang Huai, this world is all about capital and connections. The way you’re going, you won’t make it…” Lu Dayu poured himself another drink, feeling superior as he gave his unsolicited advice.

“Eight thousand yuan a month, is that so great? Meanwhile, Great Tang Fruits earns a net profit of 30,000 yuan per month. By the time you’re making half a million a year, Great Tang Fruits will have opened a hundred branches. Oh, and by the way, Tang Huai also owns a piece of land overseas…” Before Tang Huai could respond, Ma Chuan, who had grown increasingly irritated with Lu Dayu, stood up and cut him off, explaining Tang’s achievements.

From the start, Ma Chuan had found Lu Dayu annoying. He didn’t expect someone with so little ability to boast so much.

“You must be joking…”

“Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, good afternoon!”

Just as Lu Dayu was about to retort, seemingly stunned by the mention of monthly profits and land ownership, the emcee’s voice filled the room, announcing the beginning of the ceremony. It was nearing 11 a.m., and the wedding was about to start.

Reluctantly, Lu Dayu swallowed his words for now.

The lights dimmed as the wedding proceeded according to schedule. After the emcee’s opening remarks, Song Qing and Zhou Xingzhao, both dressed in black tuxedos, stepped onto the stage.

Although their classmates from Communications Class Six were seated in the northeastern corner, their position near the stage gave them a clear view of Song Qing and Zhou Xingzhao. The two, with their poised demeanor and formal attire, looked every bit the perfect match.

“Wow, Song’s way ahead of us—by a good ten years,” several classmates sighed in admiration. While everyone else was still trying to make a name for themselves, Song Qing had already raced far ahead.

As they shared their thoughts, they couldn’t help but glance at Tang Huai, knowing about his long-standing crush on Song Qing. They wondered what he must be feeling right now.

Tang Huai, focusing on the wedding, ignored their looks as best he could. The matter of his old crush was something he couldn’t easily explain.

“Sorry I’m late.” Just as the ceremony was starting, a clear, feminine voice interrupted from the side. The guests turned to look.

Despite the dim lighting, it was clear that the woman who had just arrived was wearing a burgundy dress, with long hair cascading over her shoulders and bold red lips. She exuded a mix of youthful charm and sensual allure.

The woman in the burgundy dress took a seat at Tang Huai’s table, two seats away from him.

“Su Wei? Wow, you’ve really transformed! People say girls change as they grow, but you’ve changed by leaps and bounds in just a year,” one of the male classmates remarked, clearly surprised.

The woman was Su Wei, a classmate from Communications Class Six. No one had expected such a dramatic transformation from someone who used to be so ordinary.

Su Wei greeted everyone politely, but her gaze lingered on Tang Huai, her expression complex.

“Tang Huai,” Su Wei raised her glass toward him.

Tang Huai clinked glasses with her. He hadn’t expected Su Wei to attend the wedding. Su Wei was the short-haired girl he used to know. They had been on good terms, but after an incident on the rooftop, they had drifted apart. To be more precise, Su Wei had been avoiding Tang Huai ever since.

Now, seeing her at Song Qing’s wedding was a surprise.

Su Wei took another long look at Tang Huai before downing her drink in one go.

The wedding continued smoothly.

…

“Haha, to liven up the event, our groom has added a special segment called ‘Scent and Beauty.’ In this box, we have over a hundred cards with the names of the groom’s classmates. Now, each of our two grooms will draw a card…” Halfway through the ceremony, the emcee brought out a large box and enthusiastically explained the game.

The rules of ‘Scent and Beauty’ were simple. Twenty guests would hold bouquets and stand on stage with Zhou Xingzhao, while Song Qing, blindfolded, would walk past them and, based on his instincts, try to find Zhou Xingzhao.

“Haha, this is great!”

“Let’s do it, let’s do it!”

After the emcee explained the rules, the crowd burst into applause. Everyone, regardless of age, loved watching fun and entertaining segments like this.

Once the rules were clarified, Song Qing and Zhou Xingzhao each stepped forward to draw ten cards.

“Gao Shangwei, Zhao Minghe, Xu Xiaofen…” the emcee read off the names on the cards one by one.

Everyone focused intently.

“That Lu Dayu guy…”

“Ma Chuan.”

At the classmates’ table, Ma Chuan was just complaining to Tang Huai about Lu Dayu when his name was suddenly called out by the emcee.

“Congratulations,” Tang Huai teased, giving Ma Chuan a mock bow. Ma Chuan instantly grimaced. Like Tang Huai, he wasn’t very familiar with Song Qing and had just come for the food, not expecting to be part of such a segment.

“Tang Huai.” Before Tang Huai could finish teasing, his own name was called out next.

Tang Huai: …

“Congratulations,” Ma Chuan joked back, returning the favor.

Tang Huai had no choice but to go along with it.

A minute later, the names were fully announced, and Tang Huai and Ma Chuan headed to the stage. It was a fun segment for the wedding, and though Tang Huai wasn’t particularly close to Song Qing, he wasn’t about to disrupt the wedding. Plus, with Ma Chuan joining him, it wasn’t too bad.

“Now, will our honored guests line up with Zhou Xingzhao… We have twenty-one bouquets here, and the groom will familiarize himself with them first,” the emcee instructed. Following the directions, Tang Huai and Ma Chuan each held their bouquets as they lined up.

Ma Chuan held a bunch of lilacs, while Tang Huai had a large bouquet of peonies.

Song Qing walked past them, carefully inspecting each bouquet before signaling to the emcee that he was ready.

“Now, we’ll blindfold the groom, shuffle the line… Alright, groom, turn around,” the emcee expertly guided the proceedings as Tang Huai and Ma Chuan swapped positions according to the instructions.

After three minutes of rearranging, the line was set. A black blindfold was placed over Song Qing’s eyes, and soft background music began to play as Song Qing was gently guided to one end of the line to start the ‘scent and beauty’ game.

The participants held their bouquets firmly at chest height, though Tang Huai felt a bit silly doing so. However, since everyone else was playing along, he followed suit.

“And now, let’s witness this romantic moment,” the emcee’s voice filled the room, raising the excitement.

Standing on stage, Tang Huai’s attention naturally fell on Song Qing. Song Qing walked slowly and deliberately, his steps firm as he leaned in to smell each bouquet before moving on to the next person.

Tang Huai and Ma Chuan stood at positions fifteen and sixteen, respectively, while Zhou Xingzhao was at nineteen.

Song Qing quickly passed by the first few participants and then arrived at Ma Chuan. Ma Chuan nervously held up his lilac bouquet as Song Qing bent down to sniff it, then moved on. Next, he reached Tang Huai.

Tang Huai raised his peony bouquet, expecting Song Qing to move on just as quickly. However, Song Qing paused, took another deep sniff, and then slowly raised his hand.

Tang Huai: … What is he doing?

The soft music continued in the background, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Song Qing’s hand hovered just two centimeters from the bouquet, causing Tang Huai to frown. He definitely didn’t want any awkward situations to arise during the wedding.

As Tang Huai adjusted his tie, preparing to discreetly clear his throat as a reminder, Song Qing suddenly lowered his hand and moved on without hesitation.

After passing by positions seventeen and eighteen, Song Qing finally selected the right bouquet and removed his blindfold, indicating he had found Zhou Xingzhao.

Tang Huai sighed in relief and, at the emcee’s signal, left the stage with the other participants.

“There are even red envelopes,” Ma Chuan said in surprise, shaking the envelope he had received. The emcee’s staff had handed them out to all the participants, each containing a thousand yuan. Tang Huai also received one.

With the envelope in hand, Ma Chuan’s mood improved significantly. Tang Huai chuckled, feeling that the experience had been both surprising and amusing.

As Tang Huai returned to his seat, he noticed someone at a nearby business table watching him intently, their gaze filled with surprise.

As the wedding progressed, dishes were continuously served at the hotel. Guests enjoyed the meal and chatted among themselves. About ten minutes after the ceremony ended, most people had finished eating, and the couple began making their rounds to toast each table.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️