Original and most updated translations are from volare. Please don't read elsewhere and stop supporting theft.

　　TL: Zhao

　　Editing: Krisaia

　　"Didn't you say that you weren't coming?" Wu Jia asked with a radiant smile.

　　"I had a change of plans." Li Yiming looked at Wu Jia, who was dressed in a splendid blue gown.

　　"I see." Wu Jia's face flushed and looked away as she misunderstood what Li Yiming meant.

　　"Dad…" Yang Wei, who seemed a little embarra.s.sed, greeted the old man who approached Li Yiming.

　　"So you know each other? Why didn't you introduce him to me earlier?" The old man, Yang Yuxiong, was the one who called the shots behind Yang's Jewelry. He searched his mind for someone who looked like Li Yiming, but found nothing.

　　"He's Li Yiming. Wu Jia's cla.s.smate." Yang Wei said, slightly frustrated.

　　"Oh? Yiming? Did you come with your parents?" Yang Yuxiang suddenly took on the tone of an elder.

　　"No, sir. I came here with my friend." Li Yiming nodded and replied politely.

　　"Oh? You came here by yourself?" Yang Yuxiong glanced at Lin Lu, comparing her to Wu Jia out of habit.

　　"Is she your friend?" Wu Jia finally examined Lin Lu from head to toe, and she was a little uncomfortable at seeing Lin Lu's fingers around Li Yiming's wrist.

　　"Lin Lu, this is Wu Jia, my high school cla.s.smate." As Li Yiming introduced Lin Lu and Wu Jia to each other, he concentrated once again on trying to retain the very subtle nostalgia he felt when he saw Wu Jia. For him, any kind of emotion was a way out of the impa.s.se he was facing.

　　Yang Yuxiong suddenly let out a cough, realizing that there was something more going on — he could clearly see the unease written all over his son's face. In fact, in his early years, Yang Yuxiong himself was a playboy, so he had more than enough experience to tell that his son had lost face due to Li Yiming.

　　"So, Yiming, what do you do for a living?" Yang Yuxiong raised his chin proudly as he made ready to back his son up.

　　"I'm the owner of a tea house in the old neighborhood. Please, if you have time…"

　　"A tea house? Pure Water Herb Hall?" Yang Yuxiong was aware of the establishment in particular, since his remembered hearing about it when an old friend complained about someone who refused to emigrate.