Chapter 3: Then and Now

After a long time, everyone finally left the small business center, ready to raise their glasses in celebration of this reunion. Without any deliberate arrangements, the hierarchy and relationships among the tables became evident.

Ye Fan! At this moment, a young man with a refined and handsome appearance noticed him. With a smile on his face, he approached and said: "This is indeed your fault. As the landlord of this city, you should have made your appearance much earlier. It is your responsibility to initiate and organize this gathering."

It is still the same city, still the same people, but after reuniting, everyone's state of mind is vastly different.

When he walked out of the parking lot and arrived in front of the Sea Moon City, he quickly spotted several familiar figures, all of whom were classmates attending the gathering, some of whom he had not seen for three years.

After another round of speeches, the atmosphere became quite casual. Some people were toasting at various tables, while others found themselves surrounded at their tables, unable to move an inch, continuously being toasted.

Ye Fan, you should change yourself first... That female classmate, who claimed that her husband had been promoted to vice president of the company, said somewhat rudely under the influence of alcohol: "Look at how well Liu Yunzhi is doing now."

Liu Yunzhi has a certain background in this city, and naturally, he is part of this small group. He casually remarked, "I thought you would take some time to get a taxi."

Although Ye Fan was a prominent figure during his university years, all of that became irrelevant once he left the campus and the library. What matters most now is whether he has achieved success in his career.

It is evident that her life is truly unsatisfactory; she nodded with a sense of melancholy yet gratitude, softly uttering a thank you

This is a super entertainment complex that integrates dining and leisure, located in a prime area with a bustling environment, as evidenced by the various mid to high-end sedans in its parking lot, which indicates the main consumer demographic

Every individual has their own unique life trajectory, but generally speaking, most students are ordinary people. The ideals and aspirations of the past have been nearly completely worn away by time, returning to the mundane in the simplicity of life

Although Ye Fan cannot be considered particularly successful in his career, due to certain reasons and experiences, he currently possesses some capital. Not long ago, he happened to purchase a Mercedes-Benz, which is priced higher than Liu Yunzhi's Toyota. However, he feels that judging one's social status based on such comparisons is rather vulgar.

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Everyone present was aware of the grievances between Liu Yunzhi and Ye Fan during their university days. Now, Liu was developing quite successfully in this city, and at this moment, his unintentional mention of Ye Fan arriving by taxi was rather conspicuous.

Ye Fan, you have arrived so late; you must be punished with three cups.

Half an hour later, the twenty-five attendees for the gathering had arrived. There are a total of thirty-three students in the class, among whom three are studying abroad, while another five were unable to attend due to special circumstances

Lin Jia and two female classmates talked about cosmetics, and then mentioned several brands of clothing. Others also shared some amusing stories from the past, and the brief moment of silence was thus passed, leading to a lively atmosphere once again.

A female classmate mentioned that her boyfriend is a department manager at a well-known company, while another classmate stated that her husband has been promoted to vice president of his company. There are also those who claim that their fiancée is the niece of a senior executive at a bank

There are also those who are cynical and extremely radical, speaking in drunken rants, claiming that those individuals return home in fine clothes, flaunting their wealth and power

Ye Fan was taken to the other side by Wang Ziwen. Upon careful observation, he noticed that the students here were either those who had achieved success in their careers or came from families with some background.

At this moment, the sky outside has turned dark, and the classmates attending the gathering are almost all present

Other students also noticed the situation here and looked over, but Ye Fan merely smiled indifferently and said nothing

"Which beauty wants to punish me?" Ye Fan similarly categorized several male classmates into the ranks of beauties.

All the students at this table simultaneously looked at Ye Fan, and then turned their gaze towards the table not far away where Liu Yunzhi was seated, which was filled with students who are currently doing quite well in their development

In response to this, Ye Fan remained quite composed. However, in the end, he still stood up and left this place, joining some other classmates. He did not want to be labeled as part of a special group by the other students

Three years have passed since graduation, and everyone is now around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. A few have already gotten married, and two have even become young mothers

Several others also came over. Although it had been a long time since they last met, the atmosphere among them was very warm and friendly

Some female classmates joked about Ye Fan, saying that fortunately, during their school days, they only secretly liked him. However, they now somewhat regret having rejected Liu Yunzhi's pursuit back then

Some people detest their boss for being exceedingly demanding, always requiring overtime, while the compensation is pitifully low

"Three cups are too few; you underestimate Ye Fan's drinking capacity." Lin Jia also sat here, her almond-shaped eyes glancing sideways, her figure tall and slender, with graceful curves, exuding a captivating sensuality.

I will go outside to meet Zhou Yi. " Wang Ziwen changed the subject and then turned to leave

Many things have happened over the past three years, and everyone has changed significantly. Perhaps due to the stimulation of alcohol, many classmates shared their lives, with some feeling proud and others experiencing disappointment

After a little over ten minutes, Ye Fan drove to the gathering place—Haishang Mingyue City

"If you need any help, feel free to reach out to me..." For this very haggard female classmate, Ye Fan felt a pang of sympathy, recalling her shy and innocent demeanor during their university days, standing outside the soccer field and waving vigorously to cheer him on.

Cosmetics and branded clothing are always the favorite topics among female classmates, while male classmates discuss a wider range of subjects, from football to current news and events

The arrival of several individuals instantly enlivened the atmosphere at the scene, with many coming forward to greet them. Being able to gather together again evoked a sense of the passage of time and spatial dislocation, as if certain scenes from university days overlapped in a moment of daze

"Just arrived and already taking advantage of us, punish, we must punish you severely!" The group of men and women united against the outside, beginning to "sharpen their knives".

However, many people remained silent after hearing it, as the lives of many are not very satisfactory

Among them, a female classmate appeared particularly haggard. Some said she married someone she did not like and was unhappy after the marriage. Her husband drank heavily every day. When a classmate passed through the city where she lived to visit her, they noticed that she had bruises on her body.

The several initiators and organizers of this gathering delivered speeches in succession, creating a very lively atmosphere. Subsequently, everyone formed several small circles and began to chat freely.

However, after the recent events, the atmosphere has become somewhat delicate; no one mentioned punishing Ye Fan anymore, while discussions surrounding Liu Yunzhi's words have increased.

Wang Ziwen is a clever person; he did not continue to stay here waiting alone, but instead led the way while chatting and laughing, accompanying everyone into the City of Bright Moon on the Sea. The fifth floor has a small business center, which can accommodate 30 to 50 people for meetings and has already been booked.

This refined young man, named Wang Ziwen, is one of the organizers and initiators of this gathering. He was a very active figure during his university years, and it is said that over the past three years, he has developed quite successfully in another city, amassing considerable wealth.

The dream has long since faded, and the vast majority of people are acutely aware that they are merely ordinary individuals

It is evident that Wang Ziwen is waiting for someone here, and the number of people who could make him stand in front of Haishang Mingyue City specifically to greet them is limited to just two or three individuals, making it easy to guess.

Having just graduated from university three years ago, most of his classmates have yet to achieve significant success in their careers. Ye Fan felt that choosing such an extravagant venue for the gathering was somewhat excessive

Ye Fan did not sit together with Lin Jia and Liu Yunzhi's small group, but rather naturally took a seat at another table

Regarding the table of Liu Yunzhi, some students here expressed their sentiments, stating that during their school days, there were individuals who were far less capable than themselves, yet now it is no longer possible to make comparisons.

"Ye Fan, I must say, you were indeed a remarkable person during your university days, but once you step out of campus, everything will change; you must put in the effort." This was the tone of the male classmate who claimed that his fiancée was the niece of a senior executive at a certain bank.

From time to time, glances are cast in this direction; it is evident that this is a special little circle, comprised of classmates who are currently doing well in their development. At this moment, however, Ye Fan seems to be trending towards marginalization