After the Divorce, I Could Hear the Voice of the Future-Chapter 89: Reunion with an Old Friend

The next afternoon, Lu Liang went to Yingdi Hotel according to the address on the invitation.

As he drove into the parking lot, he realized he'd forgotten to bring money, having gotten used to scanning codes and swiping cards; his wallet only contained a little over a thousand yuan in cash for emergencies.

When Lu Liang got married, Liu Mingxuan had given him an 1,800-yuan red envelope, the most generous gift from among his friends.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Lu Liang looked around and saw an ATM across the street, where he withdrew 2,000 yuan and then bought a red envelope from the small shop next door, upon which he wrote his name.

Upon leaving the shop, Lu Liang ran into a female classmate who looked familiar, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall her name.

The woman also seemed to be in deep thought, but then suddenly clapped her hands together and exclaimed with surprise, "Lu Liang, am I right?"

"Are you also here for Mingxuan's wedding?"

Lu Liang chuckled awkwardly, the most embarrassing part of reunions being when someone remembered him but he couldn't remember them at all.

Although her name seemed on the tip of his tongue, he still couldn't remember it.

"Looking at you, you couldn't possibly still be trying to remember who I am, could you?" the female classmate said with a less-than-friendly look in her eyes.

"Little Huang, how could I ever forget you?" he said, as he suddenly remembered her upon hearing her familiar catchphrase.

Huang Lihui was thrown into nostalgia upon hearing this and said with a sigh, "What a name to remember, but now they all call me Big Huang."

"Well, it looks like you're living the good life, free from worries about food and clothing, so it's only fitting to evolve a bit," Lu Liang teased with a smile.

The main reason he couldn't remember her was that his former classmate had become more and more affluent-looking over the years.

At a height of around 1.6 meters, her weight looked to be about the same as his, he guessed roughly 150 pounds.

Dressed in gold and silver with jade for decoration, she was the picture of a wealthy lady.

"Your mouth is still as sharp as ever," she retorted, giving him a harsh stare. "I just heard you might have gotten divorced?"

She had arrived half an hour earlier and had been upstairs catching up with old classmates for a while.

She had just come downstairs to move her car at the request of a phone call and decided to buy something at the store on the way.

Lu Liang nodded. "Lu, how have you been doing recently, been making money somewhere? Still selling houses?" Huang Lihui asked.

"After the divorce, I lost the mood to work, so I quit my job. Now I'm doing some small business to make ends meet," he replied.

"That's a pity, I was actually planning to buy a few houses in Modu and wanted to consult with you," she said with a nonchalant air, her peripheral vision keen on Lu Liang, as she secretly gauged his reaction.

At weddings and funerals, old acquaintances reunite, some to catch up with old classmates, and others to satisfy their vanity and show off.

She had been unremarkable during college, never experiencing the fresh rain of youth, so she was always keen to attend reunions and weddings.

The saying "Thirty years on the east bank of the river and thirty years on the west bank, do not take the poverty of youth lightly" undoubtedly serves as the driving force for every ordinary person's progress.

"If you really need it, I'll introduce you to some former colleagues later," Lu Liang offered absentmindedly, looking toward the lobby's display board and noting Liu Mingxuan's wife's name was Liu Yuzhen. "It's on the third floor, right?"

Huang Lihui grunted, already feeling a bit upset.

When she had mentioned buying several properties in Modu earlier, her former classmates had all been extremely eager, asking her where she made her fortune and actively handing out business cards.

Lu Liang's lukewarm attitude was a blow to her proud self-esteem. Huang Lihui then asked with a smile, "Lu Liang, what kind of small business are you running recently? My husband's in the building materials business in Puxin District, fairly well-known; maybe there's a chance to support each other."

"Well, please thank your husband for me, but selling grilled gluten at the subway entrance rarely involves partnerships," Lu Liang replied with a faint smile, noticing Big Huang's eager desire to boast, so he simply played along.

It had been ten years since graduation, and the only classmate he was still in touch with was Liu Mingxuan; the others didn't really matter.

After today's meal, the next meeting might be in three years, five years, ten years, or perhaps there might never be another chance to meet again.

Lu Liang didn't care about the impression he'd leave; he just wanted to offer his best wishes to the newlyweds, eat his meal and leave—that was his sole purpose for this trip.

"It's good to be the boss, right? One person full, the whole family isn't hungry. You can set up shop when you want to and rest when you don't. Unlike us, from the moment we wake up, we're responsible for the livelihood of hundreds of people. The pressure is real," said Huang Lihui, her pride immensely satisfied.

"Indeed," Lu Liang replied, offering sporadic responses as they reached the third-floor banquet hall and saw Liu Mingxuan and his wife, both dressed in traditional Chinese red wedding attire, warmly greeting guests at the door.

When Liu Mingxuan saw Lu Liang, he came forward with big strides and whacked him on the back, "Making a grand entrance, aren't you? Playing the star of the show?"

"Who dares? I just had a few more words with Big Huang downstairs," Lu Liang gestured with his mouth, signaling him to look behind.

Liu Mingxuan showed a strange expression on his face and asked in a low voice, "Didn't she boast about her construction-materials tycoon husband or talk about how she's about to buy several more properties?"

Lu Liang nodded with a smile, "She did."

"And you didn't deflate her tires?"

Liu Mingxuan looked gleefully schadenfreude, completely disregarding the fact that today was his own wedding.

"Can't be bothered."

Lu Liang gave him a look, walked up to the bride, and revealed a smile, "Happy wedding, it's the first time we meet. My name is Lu Liang, and I'm Mingxuan's good friend."

The bride seemed a bit shy, returning a bashful smile, "Hello, I frequently hear our Mingxuan talk about you."

Lu Liang turned back to look at Liu Mingxuan and patted his shoulder, "Happy wedding, no need to entertain me, I'll go over myself."

He spotted a few familiar faces at the classmates' table, left a red envelope, signed his name, and then walked over.

Liu Mingxuan eyed the thickness of the red envelope and revealed a satisfied smile, "No need to entertain acquaintances, go enjoy yourself."

Around two thousand, never less, only more, he felt quite content.

A true friend is about heartfelt connections and mutual respect, not about neglecting the other person's feelings after having money and giving whatever amount you want.

Lu Liang being wealthy was his own business; Liu Mingxuan enjoyed hanging out with him because they shared everything from the very beginning, from smoking the same cigarette to now casually having drinks and late-night snacks without fussing over the costs.

After more than a decade of friendship, what he valued was his character.

When he truly needed help, he would ask, rather than expecting Lu Liang to bestow charity on him whenever he wanted.

Luckily, Lu Liang also understood this.

"Lu, you're late."

"It's been a few years, and you seem to be getting younger."

"The belly is gone, and even the skin is getting better. Could this be what they call reverse aging?"

Upon arriving at the classmates' table, Lu Liang immediately became the center of attention.

Being thirty is rare, not just physically but spiritually too. Tied down by family, one loses autonomy.

Engulfed in work, afraid to quit; sick, yet afraid to take a break. With parents to support above and young children clamoring to be fed below, not to mention looking after the wife's emotions, one could hardly be considered a complete person but rather a mere tool, barely hanging on by a thread.

Almost buried neck-deep in the yellow soil, the time will come to send off the parents and raise the children until they are settled. By then, it's almost time to rest in peace.

One's own priorities get pushed far back, to the point where most have no sense of self, unconcerned about appearance or physique.

Hence, a balding pate and potbelly become the norm.

Knowing everyone's life conditions were similar, yet to see Lu Liang seemingly living a "second life" in reverse, how could they not be envious?

Huang Lihui was both envious and spiteful; she went from Little Huang to Big Huang, so why could Lu Liang still seem so youthful?

"Maybe it's because I've had more time to work out recently. Losing weight does make one look younger."

Such cases like Huang Lihui's were rare, and when Lu Liang shared his experience, everyone started to share their differences between then and now.

Someone mentioned a stark decrease in digestive capacity—able to devour two pounds of meat in one meal without needing staples or vegetables in their youth, but not anymore. Overeating now caused discomfort and even constipation; they had to eat fewer portions along with staples and veggies.

Another lamented that the most painful moment of the day was washing hair, watching the white foam mixed with dozens of black strands slide away, fearing that soon each hair might be allotted its own number.

After sharing ailments, they started to discuss causes and remedies, from daily routines to dietary supplements, and even old family recipes.

Li Luang listened, smiling.

This was the scene that should unfold when old friends reunite, speaking freely about their lives, temporarily breaking free from the pressures of life and work, reminiscing about their youthful days.

Huang Lihui was quite frustrated; she was so wealthy and yet nobody was fawning over her, what was the point of money then?

"In my opinion, it's still best to visit the beauty salon and gym more often, spending some money on professional personal trainers to tailor-make your workout programs."

Huang Lihui spoke casually, hinting that she spends at least several hundred thousand, if not millions, every year on such expenses.

This yearly expense alone could equal the entire income of an average person for two or three years.

However, before her tablemates could exhibit their envy, Lu Liang interjected with a laugh, "But it doesn't seem to be very effective, does it?"

At that remark, the old classmates couldn't help but burst into laughter.

It seemed true; if those things were effective, Little Huang wouldn't have become Big Huang.