Chapter 427: Chapter 427

At five thirty, all the teachers and students gathered in the restaurant on the seventeenth floor.

Dinner was buffet-style—everyone could take whatever they wanted to eat.

So far, everything had gone relatively smoothly.

Guo Hui was discussing something with Zhou Qun when she saw someone walk in through the door and immediately went up to greet them.

"Manager Li, sorry to bother you."

Li Zonghong smiled warmly and said, "Not at all, Mr. Guo. It’s an honor for you all to have chosen to stay at our hotel. If there’s anything you need, feel free to contact me anytime."

There were four five-star hotels near Lanya High School, and the fact that Qingzhou’s teacher-student group had chosen to stay at the Blue Sky Hotel was thanks to Guo Hui.

Guo Hui’s brother-in-law was a college classmate of Li Zonghong. Leveraging that connection, Guo Hui sought some preferential treatment, while Li Zonghong reaped the benefits—his monthly performance exceeded the target, and his bonus would double.

The two exchanged pleasantries, tacitly understanding each other.

As Li Zonghong glanced around the room, prepared to leave once assured everything was in order, his gaze suddenly landed on a girl in the corner, and his brows furrowed.

She was experienced in hosting and observing, with a sharp eye no less—this girl struck her as oddly familiar.

Guo Hui followed her gaze. "Manager Li, what are you looking at?"

"The girl wearing glasses—what’s her name?"

Guo Hui replied without hesitation, "Her name is Shen You’an. She’s a well-known figure at Lanya High School, always scoring first place, a top-tier student."

Guo Hui’s tone carried unmistakable pride.

Li Zonghong seemed momentarily lost in thought.

The mysterious guest who had stayed in the presidential suite on the top floor this summer—even after all this time, her impression of that figure remained vivid.

She never expected the girl was from Qingzhou, nor that she was a high schooler.

But, knowing that Lanya High School was Qingzhou’s foremost aristocratic school, where all the attendees were children of wealthy families and elite circles, it wasn’t entirely surprising.

"What’s the matter? Do you know Shen?"

Guo Hui asked curiously.

"There’s something striking about her temperament—it’s uncommon, carefree, and natural. That’s a disposition that only a privileged family could cultivate."

It was the product of immense wealth.

Guo Hui nodded in agreement. "Shen is indeed remarkable, but you’ve got one detail wrong. She comes from a poor family—a bad situation, really. Fortunately, she’s incredibly smart and was admitted to Lanya High School due to her outstanding academic performance. Over the years, she’s lived up to Lanya Group’s expectations and cultivation."

Poor family background?

Could someone who used a Tianlu Bank Supreme Card be a regular person?

Could someone who stayed in the presidential suite for more than a month without hesitation be from a struggling household?

People could fake wealth, but the aura they carried couldn’t lie.

Li Zonghong prided herself on having a discerning eye—was it possible she’d misjudged this time? The source of this content ɪs novel[f]ire.net

Guo Hui wouldn’t lie about something , but just in case, Li Zonghong cautiously asked, "Are you sure her background is modest?"

Guo Hui chuckled. "What’s there to lie about? Shen’s family situation is common knowledge among the students. Her parents passed away when she was young, and she was raised by her uncle and aunt. Her aunt is quite harsh, so Shen endured her fair share of hardships growing up. To maintain good grades despite all that—it’s already an impressive feat. However..."

Guo Hui’s tone shifted.

"Lanya High School’s scholarships are incredibly generous. Shen wins the special scholarship every year, which amounts to tens of thousands annually. I wonder if her aunt has siphoned off some of that money."

Suddenly, Li Zonghong asked, "Do you know how much staying in the presidential suite on the top floor of our hotel costs per night?"

Guo Hui found the question odd, but since she’d need help from her later in the week, she decided to humor her. "How much?"

Li Zonghong held up two fingers.

Li Zonghong shook her head. "Add a zero."

Guo Hui cooperated and put on a surprised expression. "That expensive?"

"Staying for over a month—guess how much it costs?"

Guo Hui did some mental calculations. "Around seventy to eighty thousand?"

"Our hotel offers discounts for long-term stays. Even after the discounts, it’s still over fifty thousand."

Guo Hui felt an ache—her perception of the world of the wealthy was completely overturned.

Of course, anyone who could afford the presidential suite surely wasn’t lacking in property ownership.

Li Zonghong’s gaze took on an inexplicable depth as she looked toward the girl quietly eating in the corner. "Do you think someone from a normal family would splurge like that?"

"Of course not. No one’s foolish enough to spend that money when they could use it as a down payment for a house instead."

Li Zonghong’s lips curled into a smirk, releasing a cold laugh.

So young, yet wasting her time on this?

Last time, during the incident with Tian Wei, she’d quietly suffered an unexpected loss due to Shen You’an. Assuming that her background was formidable, she had swallowed her pride to avoid stirring up trouble.