Reunion with Old Classmates

The entire morning, I worked on finalizing the plan. Since there was no computer at home, I had to go to an internet cafe outside the neighborhood.

Around noon, I received a call from Seraphina Bloom. However, she apologized and explained that she had urgent matters to attend to out of town, postponing our meeting until the next day.

I accepted her explanation without hesitation, as it gave me ample time to complete the entire program design.

This order had to be secured. Despite the modest amount of 250,000, it was my only chance for a turnaround.

The internet cafe was noisy, filled with gamers, while I remained focused on unrelated tasks.

Once fully immersed in my work, time slipped away, and I skipped lunch, working straight through the day.

The plan was nearly complete, and I reviewed it, making some minor adjustments.

As I stretched lazily, my phone rang again.

Answering, I found it was an unfamiliar number. Nevertheless, I answered the call.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Alex Phoenix, it's me! Ava."

Hearing that name, my brain buzzed.

Ava, my college classmate and crush. She was the beauty of our department, known for her openness and sensuality.

Although she never agreed to be with me, it was more accurate to say that I was too poor at the time, lacking the courage to approach her.

After graduation, we lost contact, but during my prosperous years, she appeared again, trying to seduce me. However, I was already married, and I remained faithful.

Later, we became business partners, with her introducing me to clients. But after my bankruptcy, we lost touch, which was understandable.

"Hey, Alex Phoenix, can you hear me?" She asked again when I didn't respond.

"Yeah, I can hear you. What's up?"

"Surprised, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

Ava, being straightforward, said, "Oh, I just missed you. How about meeting up?"

I was puzzled. What did she want?

Knowing about my financial troubles, why contact me now? What was her agenda?

Before I could refuse, she added, "Don't reject me. We were the closest among all our college friends. I'm in a tough spot now, and I don't have anyone to talk to. You can't refuse me."

In a state of decline?

I hesitated. "What's wrong?"

"Come out and find out. Don't worry; I'm not a monster. I won't eat you."

Thinking about it, I agreed. She suggested meeting at a popular hot pot restaurant.

After hanging up, I found Ava's behavior strange. Why contact me after so long, especially now?

Her tone also seemed a bit ambiguous.

I had no intention of having any affairs, even if my wife was unfaithful. We were still married, and I wouldn't engage in such behavior.

However, Ava was a good person. At least, she never belittled me, even when I was poor. She was just a bit pragmatic.

In reality, women like Ava represented the majority. At 6:30 in the afternoon, we met at the agreed-upon hot pot restaurant.

Ava was beautifully dressed, wearing a short skirt and a trendy T-shirt with delicate makeup.

Despite being only a year younger than me, at 29, she looked around 25.

Her well-maintained skin seemed as smooth as high-altitude protein, and she exuded an alluring and bold charm, both in her attire and makeup.

Notably, her chest was quite ample.

She had been sexually active since junior high, as she openly admitted, breaking that barrier early.

Women like Ava were a reflection of many in reality.

In the private room of the hot pot restaurant, we sat across from each other.

Ordering various dishes, Ava started chugging beer, claiming it had been a while since we last met and she wanted to enjoy a drink.

Ava was good at drinking, outclassing many male classmates in college.

However, today, she seemed to have overdone it, finishing a whole bottle of beer in one gulp.

I watched her in amazement and, as she reached for a second bottle, I finally stopped her. "Have something to eat! Drinking so much on an empty stomach isn't good for your stomach."

Ava laughed, a bitter expression on her face. She finally put down the bottle, saying, "It's been a long time since someone cared about me like this, really, a long time."

I observed her without saying a word.

Ava muttered to herself, "I'm just cheap, really cheap!"

It dawned on me that her invitation today wasn't as simple as it seemed. She probably came to me to vent about something that had happened to her.

She grabbed the bottle again and started drinking.

This time, I didn't stop her. I wanted to see what she had to say. In a short while, she had drunk half the bottle, still not touching the food.

I ignored her and waited, curious about what she wanted to talk about.

After paying the bill, I helped her outside, planning to find a nearby hotel for her to stay the night and sort things out.

Little did I know that what happened next would overturn my understanding of the situation.