chapter 37 Let’s look at the wine in the glass

Ian was on the verge of tears. He didn't want to take the money, but he also couldn't refuse. He picked up the bank card on the table with a trembling hand. "Yes, I understand," Ian said, holding the bank card as if it were a hot potato. Despite his apprehension, he secretly rejoiced. If he could have even the slightest connection with someone as significant as Fernando, he would become more than just the wealthiest man in Jinghai. "Oh, by the way, there's one more thing." "Please go ahead with your instructions." "As far as I know, there's a security guard named Colin and a dishwasher named Nora in your Villa," Fernando said. Ian racked his brain but couldn't recall. As the president of Chushi Group, he rarely paid attention to the lowest-ranked workers. "I'm sorry; I don't know," Ian replied truthfully. Fernando didn't blame him. If Qingteng Mountain Villa hadn't taken in Ella's parents, they might not even have jobs by now. "I've already purchased this Villa, and outwardly, it's now part of your Chu Family's property. I don't care about the positions you assign them, but make sure they familiarize themselves with the Villa's operations. Once the time is right, let Colin become the majority shareholder of the Villa," Fernando said after giving it some thought. Although Colin and Nora deeply resented him, they were still Ella's parents, and Fernando was most grateful for their kindness to his daughter. The Qingteng Mountain Villa originally belonged to the Gu Family, and now it was returned to Colin, a small attempt to make amends for the harm caused over the past seven years. As the sun slowly set, darkness fell, and in a spacious yurt within the Villa, a dozen young men and women were chatting and laughing. A young man in a shirt and tie, obviously a successful white-collar worker, stood up, raised his glass high, surveyed the room, and loudly said, "Classmates, it's so great to see you again. Let me propose a toast." With that said, he raised his glass and emptied it. He introduced himself as Parker Zhang, the only difference being that he hadn't graduated yet and had recently returned from studying abroad. "Parker, I heard you joined Mingshi Company and became a vice president this time," Maya, wearing a low-cut dress, with exposed ample cleavage, remarked. Parker was her secret crush during college, but he seemed indifferent to her and continuously pursued Ella. This was also one of the reasons why Maya had always harbored resentment towards Ella. "Cough, cough... Just a job to put food on the table," Parker waved it off, glancing at Ella not far away. During their university years, although he had a fondness for Ella, her aristocratic background made him feel deeply inferior. Now, even though he's just a vice president, being young, another couple of years could see him becoming the company's CEO. With such a position, he finally had a chance to pursue Ella. "Parker, you're amazing! Mingshi Company is under Chushi Group, after all." A male classmate looked envious. Having a capable friend would make things much easier when help was needed. "Come on, let me toast to you." "Parker, here's to your success." "Mr. Zhang, don't forget us when you make it big." ... In no time, Parker became the center of attention, the target of admiration. Ella sat aside, feeling a bit out of place. She hadn't attended class reunions before, thinking it would be an opportunity to chat and reminisce about their university days. But now... She couldn't help but think of the time when she struggled to borrow money and failed. Suddenly, a phrase came to her mind. "In the busy city, the poor are unnoticed. As for the wealthy, even if they are in the deep mountains, they are still treated as distant relatives. Don't believe it? Look at the wine in the glass; every glass is toasted to the wealthy." After a few drinks, Parker's eyes became a bit unfocused. He stood up and walked over to Ella, saying, "Ella, it's been a long time. Here, let me toast to you." "Huh?" Ella was a bit flustered, lifting her water glass to clink with his. "Ella, we haven't seen each other in over seven years. After such a long time, how can you drink water?" Parker said, pouring a glass of white wine for Ella without asking and handing it to her. Ella looked uneasy; she hadn't drunk alcohol for years. During college, she had only occasionally tasted wine. "Oh, Parker, Ella can't drink alcohol," Maya said sarcastically. "Why?" Parker was puzzled. Maya smirked, "Hehe, Ella has to go home to her child. If you make her drink too much, what about her child?" Parker, still reeking of alcohol, shouted, "We haven't seen each other for so many years. No reason can justify not having a drink. Bringing a child? What kind of reason is that? What?! A child?!" Parker froze in place, and the glass of wine in his hand suddenly fell. The person he had been infatuated with for many years had a child? Among the dozen people at the table, besides Parker, only a few showed surprised expressions. Because Ella had approached most of her classmates to borrow money. For an heiress from a wealthy family to borrow money, especially not a significant amount, struck them as extremely peculiar. A bit of inquiry revealed the whole story. "Yeah, Parker, we truly envy Ella, most of our classmates haven't even gotten married yet, let alone have children. She hasn't even graduated from college and is already pregnant. Calculating it, the child should be around six years old now. It's said that even the child doesn't know who is her father. Tsk tsk..." Maya sneered. "El... Ella, this can't be true, right?" Parker couldn't believe it. Pregnant before marriage, not even knowing who the child's biological father was? His goddess in mind turned out to be so shameless. "Parker, this is true. Many classmates in our class know about this. Gu Family was furious about it and even kicked Ella out of the house," one classmate said. "Really?" Another classmate was unaware of this matter. "How could this be fake? If you don't believe it, ask them. Ella was kicked out of the house, and with a child, her life became problematic. She even called me a few years ago asking to borrow money." "Yeah, that's right. She asked me for money too." "Me too." ... The surrounding classmates discussed animatedly. Ella bit her lip, and a hint of fresh blood oozed out. Parker felt a moment of dizziness as if he heard the sound of his heart breaking. "Classmates, I have something to attend to. I'll leave first," Ella, holding back tears, stood up, ready to go. "Ella, don't go." Maya hurriedly went forward, grabbing her, then pretended to say to the other classmates, "Alright, let's not bring up this matter again. After all, we're all classmates. Let's talk about something else." Having said that, she pulled Ella back to her seat. She still had other special arrangements for today. If Ella left, the good part wouldn't be as interesting.