A lot of the people inside were friends Yu Jiaying had invited. Shanghai is only so big and there are only so many elite private schools in it, so plenty of them already knew Zhao Ming, and asking him to help host was no trouble at all.

Xu Ye, on the other hand, was left standing there awkwardly, because apart from Yu Jiaying he didn't know a single one of the women in the room.

And every one of them was forward, calling him cutie every other word, and the bolder ones put their hands on him.

Luckily Yu Jiaying saw it and stepped in for him. She planted her hands on her hips with the air of the woman in charge. "Hey. You thirsty bunch. Don't lose the use of your legs every time you see a good-looking guy."

"Jiaying, where'd you pick up this young thing?"

"Young thing nothing. This is my business partner. His name is Xu Ye."

"Business partner?"

Yu Jiaying pointed at a cluster of women somewhere between twenty-five and thirty. "He's only twenty this year. Don't any of you go getting ideas about an old cow eating young grass."

"Oh, please. You've got some nerve saying that to us."

Yu Jiaying gave a small huff. "I'm eighteen forever."

"Ha ha. You're the star today, so eighteen it is."

Once they were all happily talking, Zhao Ming pulled Xu Ye off to one side. The time went quickly, and a little past nine somebody came over to let Yu Jiaying know.

The opening ceremony was a traditional one.

Four parts to it: the guests signing in, then the lion dance, then the cake cutting, and a group photo at the end.

When the gongs and drums started up at the door, everyone inside came out to watch, and only then did Zhao Ming lower his voice to Xu Ye. "Zheng Bin is here too."

Xu Ye said quietly, "I saw him a while ago."

Zhao Ming: "Looks like the guy hates your guts. Even the way he looks at you is off."

Xu Ye: "Heh."