"You're trying to sow discord, and I won't fall for your tricks."
Although Zhou Dan said this, she couldn't help but think that way in her heart.
She had always considered Zhang Guo'er her best friend, but Zhang Guo'er kept her boyfriend a secret from her. Was she really being guarded against her?
Zhou Dan caught up with Zhang Guo'er and, seeing her upset, tried to comfort her.
"Guo'er, it's just a dress. There's no need to be angry. It's not like your boyfriend dislikes it, or that you can't afford it."
These words sounded different to Zhang Guo'er.
"I didn't buy a dress. Do you also think I can't afford it, just like Tang Xiao'min?"
"Guo'er, I didn't."
"Heh, you say you didn't, but you must be thinking it in your heart."
"Guo'er..."
"You don't need to say anything more. I understand."
Zhang Guo'er shook off Zhou Dan and left on her own.
Zhou Dan watched Zhang Guo'er's retreating back, feeling utterly speechless.
She had always stood by her side, yet now she was inexplicably angered and abandoned.
It seemed Zhang Guo'er didn't truly consider her a good friend, or she wouldn't have just left her like this and walked away.
"She just found a rich boyfriend, what's so great about that? And she's keeping it a secret, what is there to be ashamed of?"
Driven by Zhang Guo'er's attitude and her own curiosity, Zhou Dan decided to investigate Zhang Guo'er's boyfriend.
Zhou Dan first went to the five-star hotel Zhang Guo'er frequented. She had dined there a few times with Zhang Guo'er, who had told her at the time that her rich boyfriend had booked it and treated her to lunch.
Since the man had booked it, the hotel should have a record.
Zhou Dan had been to the hotel with Zhang Guo'er before. Using the advantage of having visited a few times with Zhang Guo'er and being recognized by the staff, Zhou Dan discreetly inquired about the person who booked the meal.
The information she obtained, however, left her in shock.
"Zhang Guo'er used a lunch voucher to book lunch. It's a new promotion we're running this year."
The waitress's words made Zhou Dan frown.
"Lunch voucher?"
"Yes, our hotel's official WeChat account periodically distributes lunch vouchers to promote the hotel. Using a lunch voucher gives a 10% discount, which is very cost-effective."
Following the waitress's instructions, Zhou Dan registered a new account and also received a lunch voucher.
A meal worth over a thousand yuan now cost only a hundred yuan with the discount, allowing her to enjoy it in a private room.
Zhou Dan left the hotel with mixed feelings.
When she returned to the classroom and saw people surrounding Zhang Guo'er, chatting and laughing, she found it incredibly ironic.
Zhou Dan walked up and, in front of her classmates, announced loudly,
"Everyone, I'll be treating you to lunch at a five-star hotel this noon."
Hearing this, everyone looked at Zhou Dan with curiosity.
"Why are you suddenly so generous? Are you also dating a rich boyfriend like Guo'er?"
The mention of a rich boyfriend clearly changed Zhang Guo'er's expression, and she remained silent.
Zhou Dan realized, belatedly, that she seemed to have been deceived by Zhang Guo'er all along.
She had never met her boyfriend, and every time Zhang Guo'er claimed to be calling him, she would deliberately avoid her.
Zhou Dan laughed, her tone arrogant.
"No need to ask. I'm treating the entire class to lunch at a five-star hotel today. It's settled."
"Zhou Dan, there are over twenty people in our class. Can you afford to host us? I remember your parents are quite strict with your allowance."
"You don't need to worry about that. Just show up."
...
Soon, the news of Zhou Dan treating the entire class to lunch at a five-star hotel spread through the group chat.
While onlookers were curious, some joined in the fun, specifically tagging Zhou Dan.
"Generous host, can you invite me too?"
"Seconded."
"Seconded."
There were indeed quite a few interested people, but no matter how many, Zhou Dan only replied with two words: "Ok."
Tang Xiao'min, who was silently observing, smiled knowingly.
Friends stab you in the back, and Zhou Dan struck precisely. She was more capable of stirring things up than expected.
This would be quite a show.
At noon, a group of fifty to sixty people descended upon the five-star hotel.
They went directly into a banquet hall, with six people per table, occupying about ten tables.
The lunch offered the same exquisite dishes, and everyone seemed very satisfied.
After they had eaten their fill, Liu Feng, unwilling to let Zhou Dan, a girl, bear the entire cost, stepped forward to suggest,
"Listen up, everyone. Although Zhou Dan said she's treating, with so many people showing up, this meal must cost at least seventeen to eighteen thousand. How about we split the bill?"
Zhou Dan shook her head.
"Young Master Feng, don't worry. I can afford this meal, and it won't cost much."
"Are you sure?" Liu Feng gave Zhou Dan one last chance to back down.
He had come to join the fun out of boredom, with Qian Lili. It was Qian Lili who couldn't stand it and told him to speak up for Zhou Dan.
"Young Master Feng, it's only over a thousand yuan. I can handle it. However, I'll need everyone's cooperation."
The group was bewildered. Didn't it cost over ten thousand? How did it become just over a thousand in Zhou Dan's words?
A thousand yuan, in the eyes of these students who paid millions in tuition fees, was equivalent to a pair of ordinary shoes.
Zhou Dan cleared her throat and announced loudly,
"Please open your phones, download the app, register, and log in to receive a 10% discount lunch voucher. I'll be using this voucher to get a discount on today's lunch. The meal, originally over a thousand yuan per table, will be just over a hundred after the discount."
"I'll use ten lunch vouchers to pay for it. The rest, you can keep for yourselves for next time."
These rich second-generation individuals usually disdained using coupons.
After each person received a voucher, they were greatly surprised.
"There's such a thing? I've learned something new. No wonder you were so generous today. It turns out you could get a 10% discount."
"Yes, I didn't know that before."
Zhou Dan smiled meaningfully.
"This is all thanks to Zhang Guo'er for bringing me to this hotel for lunch. Otherwise, how would I have known this hotel has such good deals to be exploited?"
Zhou Dan's words revealed too much information.
"That's not right. Doesn't Zhang Guo'er have a powerful boyfriend? He could spend ten billion on a flower sea for her, and she'd buy a hundred-thousand-yuan bag on impulse. Does she use vouchers when she dines at this hotel?"
"It's mainly because getting this voucher is too troublesome, having to download and register. If I had known it was for a voucher, I wouldn't have bothered downloading it. It's too much trouble."
"Exactly, it takes up phone storage and affects gaming."
"Zhang Guo'er used a voucher for lunch? Didn't she say earlier that her boyfriend booked it for her? Could it be that she was lying?"
"Ah, could it be that she doesn't have a rich boyfriend at all and is just pretending to be rich and deceiving people?"
Realizing this belatedly, everyone turned to look at Zhou Dan.
"Zhou Dan, you and Zhang Guo'er are good friends and often together. Have you ever met her capable boyfriend?"