Peach Blossom Divine Medical God
Chapter 835 - 831: Flattery

Chapter 835: Chapter 831: Flattery

"Hey! Chen Yang, what are you talking about? We’re all classmates here; it’s only polite to greet each other. What’s the point of saying that?" Qian Long sensed the awkwardness and quickly chimed in cheerfully, trying to change the subject.

But among the classmates, there were those who saw this as an opportunity to show off in front of Liu Xuebin.

Someone stepped forward and loudly addressed Chen Yang, "Chen Yang! What do you mean by that? Xuebin is the one who organized this reunion and will be footing the bill later. You didn’t even greet him and then said such things—do you have no shame?"

The one speaking up was Zeng Yingjie, who had been Liu Xuebin’s lackey in high school. Now that his life wasn’t going so well, he saw this as an opportunity to curry favor and continue playing the role of a sycophant.

"Yeah, Chen Yang, your words are just too harsh. What’s the big deal about saying hello?"

"Seriously, what’s with that angry tone? Xuebin, don’t bother arguing with him."

...

As Zeng Yingjie stepped up to criticize Chen Yang, the other classmates immediately caught on, chiming in with their own remarks about Chen Yang’s behavior. Some even tried to soothe Liu Xuebin, as if afraid he might get upset.

Chen Yang listened to all of this without the slightest anger—in fact, he just felt like laughing.

"Oh, so he’s footing the bill, huh? Well, I’ll just hand over my share to him later then. That way, I won’t owe him anything." Chen Yang said with a bitter smile.

As for sucking up to Liu Xuebin? Over his dead body.

"You!"

Zeng Yingjie was enraged by Chen Yang’s response and wanted to confront him, but Liu Xuebin extended a hand to stop him.

"Brother Xuebin, this guy Chen Yang is just too unreasonable. Let me teach him a lesson about how to behave!" Zeng Yingjie fumed.

"Heh."

Suppressing his inner irritation, Liu Xuebin let out a cold chuckle. "There’s no need—after all, we’re all classmates. It’s rare for us to get together, so let’s not spoil the mood. Step back; it’s better to just let things go."

"Wow, Xuebin really has a big heart. No wonder his family runs such a successful business."

"Exactly, Xuebin’s right. We’re all classmates; there’s no need to make a fuss over small things."

...

With just one casual remark, Liu Xuebin had the crowd showering him with compliments, praising his magnanimity to exorbitant heights, even elevating the situation to the realm of "vision" and "strategy."

The scene was undeniably farcical, and Chen Yang couldn’t help but smile faintly.

However, at this moment, everyone’s attention was on the act of praising Liu Xuebin, so no one noticed Chen Yang’s expression.

What had been set up to escalate into a full-blown conflict fizzled out just like that, and no one pursued the matter with Chen Yang further.

Nonetheless, the way many glanced at Chen Yang—or even subtly distanced themselves—revealed their desire to draw a clear boundary with him.

Chen Yang remained indifferent. To him, it was just a meal to attend and leave—after this, they’d all go their separate ways, with likely no interaction in the future.

After a wave of compliments directed at Liu Xuebin, it wasn’t long before the private room’s dishes began to arrive.

Those who had been surrounding Liu Xuebin to praise him had no choice but to return to their seats as the food was served.

As the meal progressed, everyone indulged in the food and drinks together.

But, of course, even as they ate and drank, that didn’t stop them from making small talk with Liu Xuebin, showering compliments about his family’s success and his current achievements.

At first, Liu Xuebin seemed to enjoy their flattery, but as he listened to more of it, his enthusiasm waned.

He responded perfunctorily a few times before his gaze slid over to Chen Yang.

"Haha, Chen Yang, don’t just focus on eating. We’ve gathered here for a rare occasion—why not join the conversation? You were the class star back in the day; you must be doing pretty well now, right?" Liu Xuebin asked with a faint smile, pretending to show concern for Chen Yang, though his true intention was to highlight his supposed magnanimity and to mock Chen Yang indirectly.

Three years in high school—how could Chen Yang not know what kind of person Liu Xuebin was?

He saw through Liu Xuebin’s true intentions like a mirror reflecting clearly.

Still, Chen Yang wasn’t about to expose him outright. Instead, he casually replied, "Haha, I haven’t done very well; I’m just barely getting by. Compared to your accomplishments as big bosses, I don’t think we’d have much to talk about. You chat away—I’ll focus on my meal."

With that, Chen Yang lowered his head and resumed eating, showing absolutely no inclination to join the conversation.

Liu Xuebin saw Chen Yang’s indifference and instantly furrowed his brow. Zeng Yingjie, noticing this, immediately spoke up: "Xuebin, don’t worry about him; this guy is a waiter now. I bet he’s never been to such a fancy restaurant before, which is probably why he’s wolfing down his food."

"Hahaha."

...

Zeng Yingjie’s remark triggered a burst of laughter in the room. Everyone now knew that Chen Yang worked as a waiter, and they found it laughable.

Liu Xuebin, hearing Zeng Yingjie’s comment, couldn’t help but laugh as well. Yet his face showed a mix of surprise. "That’s impossible. Chen Yang used to have excellent grades—how could he end up working as a waiter?"

"It’s true! If you don’t believe me, ask Qian Long—he’s the one who ran into him back then," Zeng Yingjie said with a smirk, pointing at Qian Long.

When the spotlight fell on Qian Long, he nodded immediately. "That’s correct; it’s true. And Xuebin, before you arrived, Chen Yang even admitted it himself."

"Hahahaha..."

Hearing confirmation from everyone, Liu Xuebin burst into laughter, unabashedly mocking Chen Yang.

Earlier, Liu Xuebin had thought Chen Yang was being cold to him because he’d achieved something noteworthy—so much so that he had asked Zeng Yingjie not to target him too aggressively.

Now it was clear he’d been overthinking.

If he’d known the truth earlier, why would he have bothered to show consideration for Chen Yang?

Fully understanding Chen Yang’s situation, Liu Xuebin no longer hid his annoyance. His hostility was now plain to see.

Though the topic of Chen Yang had shifted, Liu Xuebin didn’t act out but instead chose to bottle up his resentment, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Heh, no wonder you’re so bitter—it turns out life hasn’t been going well for you. Since that’s the case, we won’t disturb you enjoying your meal. We’ll continue chatting among ourselves." Liu Xuebin said with a mocking grin.

"Haha, Liu Xuebin sure has a big heart—something some people couldn’t possibly measure up to."

"Indeed. A person’s level of success is reflected in their mindset. Some people probably lack Xuebin’s vision, which is why they ended up as waiters."

...

A casual jab from Liu Xuebin triggered a round of mockery directed at Chen Yang, with everyone echoing harsh remarks. Their words were filled with disdain toward Chen Yang and thinly veiled hostility.

But Chen Yang, listening to all of this, merely felt amused. He had no intention of retorting or explaining himself.

After all, they weren’t on the same wavelength—what was there to talk about? If they wanted to mock him, so be it—it wouldn’t take a single ounce off his back.

Silently, Chen Yang continued eating, completely ignoring their chatter.