Rebirth of the thief who roamed around the world (BOOK 1)

Chapter 140 - It's Always the Quiet Ones

As the pair walked into the Jaderiver Dining Hall, they were greeted by a fairly spacious and luxurious lounge. The ceiling, constructed out of a special glass, refracted the incoming sunlight in a peculiar way, causing the various plant life surrounding the rock garden fountain to flourish with vibrant colours.

After passing through the lounge, they walked across a winding hallway before arriving at the meeting place.

It was an outdoor tea garden specially designed to host gatherings of this sort. Right now, a large group of people were lounging in the area, drinking tea and chatting among themselves. They all appeared to be eighteen or nineteen years old, youthful and full of energy. Nie Yan scanned over the crowd with his eyes and recognized several familiar faces, Hao Cheng, Zhao Li, and Guo Huai. Even when he had hit rock-bottom in his past life, these three were among the few who didn't abandon him, which was why he never forgot them. Along with Tang Yao, they were inseparable during their time in middle school.

"Tang Yao, Nie Yan! You two finally arrived." Hao Cheng was the first to spot them and immediately walked over to greet them. As his eyes fell on Nie Yan, a trace of surprise flashed across his face as he bumped his fist into Nie Yan's chest. "Wow, Kiddo! You've grown sturdier, taller as well! I remember you were such a shrimp back in middle school. Have you been working out recently?"

The Nie Yan in front of him barely resembled the frail and timid boy he knew from the past. Be it his height, figure, or temperament, everything seemed to have undergone a drastic change. He couldn't help but feel somewhat startled.

Nie Yan smiled and said, "And you haven't changed at all. You're still built like an ox."

Hao Cheng was very tall and quite robust as well. Back when the both of them were in middle school, he had earned a reputation for himself as a fighter by putting quite a few arrogant fellows in their places and served as the captain of the school's mixed martial arts team.

Glancing back at Tang Yao, Hao Cheng broke into a smile and said, "Tang-boy! You've gotten even fatter! Haha!"

"Damn, can't you be a little more tactful," Tang Yao jokingly cursed.

A short while later, Zhao Li and Guo Huai walked up as well. Zhao Li was a little shorter than Hao Cheng. He had a slightly darker complexion and a square chin but was still passable in terms of appearance, making him quite popular among the ladies to the point where he had no lack of admirers during middle school. Guo Huai was the type of person who appeared outwardly cold but cared deeply for others on the inside. With a cold gaze that pierced through his glasses, he looked like a refined intellectual.

"Nie Yan, you came." Guo Huai smiled.

"Hey, Nie Yan, long time no see! The gang's finally back together, eh?" Zhao Li exclaimed in excitement.

Guo Huai pointed at a nearby sofa and said, "Come, let's sit over there."

They sat comfortably on the sofa and resumed their conversation.

While they chatted, a nearby group of girls were constantly shooting glances in their direction. A bit of their chatter leaked out and entered Nie Yan's and the others' ears.

"Ah? Is that really Nie Yan?"

"Seems so."

"Wow, he's really changed."

"Right? He looks a lot more handsome now. I remember he used to be so scrawny."

Nie Yan glanced over at the girls who appeared vaguely familiar and then acknowledged them with a smile. They were caught off guard by this gesture but soon regained their composure; slightly blushing, they smiled and nodded back. It seemed he was no longer the timid and quiet boy they remembered.