Chapter 3: Past and Present
Although Ye Fan could hardly be called a successful career man, due to certain reasons and experiences, he had some capital on hand. He had recently happened to buy a Mercedes, which in terms of price was higher than Liu Yunzhi’s Toyota. But if he were to judge his status and identity by that, he felt it was rather vulgar.
Ten minutes later, Ye Fan drove to the gathering location—Sea and Moon Bright City.
This was a super entertainment complex combining dining and leisure, located in a prime area, surrounded by great prosperity. From the various mid-to-high-end cars in its parking lot, one could easily tell the main consumer base.
Having just graduated from university three years ago, most classmates could hardly be considered successful. Ye Fan felt that choosing such a gathering place was somewhat extravagant.
When he walked out of the parking lot and arrived in front of Sea and Moon Bright City, he soon spotted several familiar figures—all classmates attending the gathering, some of whom he hadn’t seen in three years.
“Ye Fan!” At that moment, a young man with a clean, scholarly appearance spotted him, walking over with a smile on his face. “This is your fault. As the local host, you’re showing up late. You should be the one organizing and leading this gathering.”
This scholarly-looking young man was named Wang Ziwen, one of the organizers and initiators of this gathering. He had been a very active figure in university, and it was said that over the past three years, he had developed very smoothly in another city, amassing considerable assets.
Several others also came over. Although they hadn’t seen each other for a long time, everyone was very warm.
It was obvious that Wang Ziwen was waiting for someone here. The people who could make him stand in front of Sea and Moon Bright City to welcome them were only a limited few, easy to guess.
Wang Ziwen was a smart man. He didn’t continue waiting alone but instead chatted and laughed while leading the way, accompanying everyone into Sea and Moon Bright City. On the fifth floor, there was a small business center that could accommodate thirty to fifty people for meetings, which had already been booked.
By now, the sky outside had darkened, and most of the classmates attending the gathering had almost arrived.
Their arrival immediately livened up the atmosphere. Many people came over to greet them. Being reunited gave a feeling of time passing and space shifting, as if some scenes from university days were overlapping.
Three years after graduation, everyone was now twenty-five or twenty-six years old. A few had already married, and two had even become young mothers.
Each person had their own different life trajectory, but overall, most classmates were ordinary people. Their past ideals and ambitions had been nearly worn away by time, fading into mediocrity in plain lives.
Dreams had drifted far away. The vast majority had soberly realized that they were just ordinary people.
Wang Ziwen led Ye Fan to another side. Observing carefully, Ye Fan noticed that the classmates here were either those with successful careers or those with some family background.
“Ye Fan, you’re so late. You have to be punished with three drinks.”
“Three drinks are too few. You’re underestimating Ye Fan’s capacity,” Lin Jia also sat on this side, her phoenix eyes slanting, her figure tall and slender, curves graceful, sexy and alluring.
“Which beauty wants to punish me?” Ye Fan jokingly included the male classmates in the “beauty” category as well.
“Coming in and taking advantage of us right away. Punish him, we must punish him harshly!” The group of men and women united against the outsider, sharpening their knives.
Liu Yunzhi had some background in this city, so he naturally belonged to this small circle. He said casually, “I thought you’d be delayed waiting for a taxi.”
This remark caused a brief awkward silence. Everyone present knew about the grudge between Liu Yunzhi and Ye Fan from university. Now that Liu Yunzhi was developing smoothly in this city, his casual mention that Ye Fan had come by taxi was quite revealing in intent.
Other classmates also noticed the situation and looked over. But Ye Fan just smiled indifferently and said nothing.
“I’ll go outside to pick up Zhou Yi,” Wang Ziwen said, changing the subject before turning and leaving.
Lin Jia started talking about cosmetics with two female classmates, then mentioned a few designer brands. Others brought up some funny stories from the past, and the brief awkwardness was glossed over, the atmosphere warming up again.
But after that incident, the mood was somewhat delicate. No one mentioned punishing Ye Fan anymore, while the conversation around Liu Yunzhi increased.
Although Ye Fan had been a prominent figure in university, none of that mattered after leaving campus. Now, career success was what truly counted.
Occasionally, glances came their way. This side had become a special little circle, consisting of classmates who were doing well now. Yet Ye Fan seemed to be on the verge of being marginalized.
Throughout this, Ye Fan remained calm. But in the end, he stood up and left, sitting with other classmates instead. He didn’t want to be labeled as part of that special group by the others.
Cosmetics and designer brands were always the favorite topics for female classmates, while the males talked about everything from football to current events, covering a wide range.
Half an hour later, all twenty-five classmates attending the gathering had arrived. The class had thirty-three students in total, three of whom were studying abroad, while the other five couldn’t make it due to special reasons.
Several of the gathering’s initiators and organizers gave speeches one after another, the atmosphere very lively. Then everyone split into several small circles and chatted freely.
It was a long time before everyone left the small business center, ready to raise their glasses in celebration of this reunion. Without any deliberate arrangement, the hierarchy of closeness and distance among the tables was clearly revealed.
Ye Fan didn’t sit with Lin Jia, Liu Yunzhi, and their small group. Instead, he naturally took a seat at another table.
After another round of speeches, things became more casual. Some people went around toasting at different tables, while others were surrounded at their own tables, unable to move an inch as they were repeatedly toasted.
Three years had brought many changes. Everyone had changed a lot. Perhaps spurred on by alcohol, many classmates talked about their lives—some proud, some disappointed.
Some complained bitterly about their bosses being extremely harsh, always demanding overtime while paying pitifully low salaries.
One female classmate said her boyfriend was a department manager at a famous company. Another said her husband had been promoted to deputy general manager of a company. Someone else said his fiancée was the niece of a high-ranking bank executive.
Many others just listened in silence. A lot of people’s lives weren’t going very well.
One female classmate in particular looked haggard. Someone said she had married a man she didn’t love, and her marriage was unhappy. Her husband drank all day. When a classmate passed through her city to visit her, they had seen bruises on her body.
“If you ever need any help, feel free to come to me…” Ye Fan felt sympathy for this haggard female classmate. He still remembered her shy, innocent look in university, standing outside the football field, waving hard and cheering for him.
It was clear her life was really not going well. She nodded sadly and gratefully, whispering a soft thank you.
“Ye Fan, you should change yourself first…” The classmate whose husband had been promoted to deputy general manager said somewhat bluntly, fueled by alcohol, “Look at how smoothly Liu Yunzhi is developing now.”
Everyone at this table looked at Ye Fan, then at Liu Yunzhi’s table not far away, where the classmates who were doing well now were seated.
“Ye Fan, I’m not criticizing you, but in university, you were indeed someone. After leaving campus, though, everything changes. You have to work hard,” said the male classmate whose fiancée was the niece of a high-ranking bank executive, in a lecturing tone.
Mentioning Liu Yunzhi’s table, some classmates sighed, saying that back in school, some people were far worse than them, but now they couldn’t even compare.
Others were cynical and extreme, drunkenly muttering that those people were returning home in glory, flaunting their wealth and power.
Some female classmates even joked with Ye Fan, saying it was a good thing they had only secretly liked him back in school, but now they somewhat regretted turning down Liu Yunzhi’s pursuit.
It was still the same city, still the same people, but after reuniting, everyone’s state of mind was vastly different.
--Welcome all readers to visit, the latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all on Original Creation!