Chapter 3: The Past and Present

Although Ye Fan couldn't be said to have achieved great success in his career, he now had some capital in his hands due to certain reasons and experiences. He had recently purchased a Mercedes-Benz, which was more expensive than Liu Yunzhi's Toyota in terms of price, but he felt that it was rather vulgar to judge his status based on this.

After driving for about ten minutes, Ye Fan arrived at the gathering place - the Sea Moon City.

This was a super entertainment city that integrated catering and leisure, located in a prime location surrounded by a bustling area. The main consumers could be seen from the various mid-to-high-end cars in its parking lot.

Just three years after graduating from university, most of his classmates could not be said to have achieved much in their careers. Ye Fan felt that choosing such a gathering place was somewhat extravagant.

As he walked out of the parking lot and arrived in front of Sea Moon City, he quickly spotted several familiar figures. They were all classmates who had come to attend the party, some of whom he hadn't seen in three years.

"Ye Fan!" At this moment, a handsome and gentle-looking young man spotted him and greeted him with a smile, saying, "You're in the wrong here. As a local landowner, you should have organized and initiated this gathering."

The handsome and gentle-looking young man was named Wang Ziwen. He was one of the organizers and initiators of this party. He had been a very active figure in college and had reportedly had a very successful development in another city over the past three years, with considerable assets.

The other people also greeted Ye Fan. Although they hadn't seen each other for a long time, they were very friendly.

It was obvious that Wang Ziwen was waiting for someone here. The limited number of two or three people who could make him stand in front of Sea Moon City to greet them made it easy to guess.

Wang Ziwen was a smart person and did not continue to wait alone here. Instead, he led the way and accompanied everyone into Sea Moon City, chatting and laughing along the way. On the fifth floor, there was a small business center that could accommodate thirty to fifty people for meetings, and it had already been booked.

By now, the sky outside had already darkened, and the classmates who had come to the party were almost all there.

The arrival of several people immediately livened up the atmosphere at the scene. Many people came over to greet them. Being able to gather together again gave them a sense of the passage of time and a feeling of displacement in space. In a daze, it seemed that some scenes from their college days overlapped.

It has been three years since graduation, and everyone is now in their mid-twenties. Some have already gotten married, and two have become young mothers.

Each person has their own different life trajectory, but overall, most classmates are ordinary people. The dreams and aspirations of the past have been polished away by time and are now almost completely gone, returning to mediocrity in their mundane lives.

The dream has long gone, and the vast majority of people are acutely aware that they are just ordinary people.

Wang Ziwen took Ye Fan to the other side and carefully observed that the classmates over there were either successful in their careers or had some background at home.

"Ye Fan, you came so late. We have to punish you with three glasses," someone joked.

"Three glasses are too few. You guys underestimate Ye Fan's drinking capacity," Lin Jia said, sitting on this side with her phoenix eyes slanted and her slender figure curvy and alluring.

"Which beauty wants to punish me?" Ye Fan included a few male classmates in the category of beauties.

"Just came here and took advantage of us. We have to punish you severely!" The group of men and women unanimously replied and began to sharpen their knives.

Liu Yunzhi had some background in this city and was also in this small circle of friends. He casually said, "I thought you would be delayed for a while waiting for a taxi."

As soon as this was said, the atmosphere became awkward. Everyone present knew about Liu Yunzhi's enmity with Ye Fan in college. Now he is doing very well in this city, and inadvertently pointing out that Ye Fan had taken a taxi over here was quite obvious.

The other classmates also noticed the situation over here and looked over, but Ye Fan just smiled indifferently and didn't say anything.

"I'm going to pick up Zhou Yi outside," Wang Ziwen changed the subject and then turned and left.

Lin Jia and two female classmates talked about cosmetics and then talked about a few branded clothing items. The other people also talked about some interesting stories from the past, and the brief cold atmosphere just now was thus resolved, and everyone became enthusiastic again.

However, after the incident just now, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. No one mentioned punishing Ye Fan, but there were more discussions around Liu Yunzhi's words.

Although Ye Fan was a prominent figure in university, everything became unimportant after leaving campus. Now, success in one's career is the most valued.

There were occasional glances cast towards them. This was evidently a special small circle, with all the attendees being currently successful students. At this moment, Ye Fan seemed to be on the verge of being marginalized.

In response, Ye Fan remained calm. However, he ultimately stood up and left, sitting with some other classmates. He did not want to be labeled as part of a special group by the other students.

Cosmetics and branded clothing were always popular topics among female students, while male students chatted about football, current events, and other wide-ranging topics.

Half an hour later, the twenty-five people who came to the gathering had arrived. There were thirty-three students in the class, three of whom were studying abroad, while the other five were unable to make it due to special circumstances.

The initiators and organizers of the gathering gave speeches one after another, and the atmosphere was very enthusiastic. Afterwards, everyone divided into several small groups and chatted away.

It was a long time before everyone left the small business center, about to raise their glasses in celebration of their reunion. There was no deliberate arrangement, and the status and relationships between individuals at each table became apparent.

Ye Fan did not sit with the small group consisting of Lin Jia and Liu Yunzhi, but rather naturally sat at another table.

After the speech, things became more casual. Some people were toasting at different tables, while others were surrounded at their table, unable to move as they were continuously toasted.

In the past three years, many things had happened, and everyone had undergone significant changes. Perhaps due to the stimulation of alcohol, many students talked about their lives, some with pride, while others with disappointment.

Some people hated their bosses for being overly demanding and making them work overtime, while their pay was pitifully low.

One female student mentioned that her boyfriend was a department manager at a famous company, while another student said her husband had been promoted to the position of vice president at their company. Others spoke about their fiancées or spouses with connections to high-ranking positions in banks or other organizations.

However, many remained silent after hearing these stories, as their lives were not going as smoothly as others.

One female student looked particularly worn out, and some said she had married someone she didn't like and was unhappy in her marriage. Her husband drank heavily, and a classmate who had visited her in her city had seen bruises on her body.

"If anyone needs help, feel free to come to me..." Feeling sympathetic towards the exhausted female student, Ye Fan remembered how shy and innocent she was in college, cheering for him loudly outside the football field.

It was evident that her life was not going well. She nodded gratefully, quietly thanking him.

"Ye Fan, why don't you try changing yourself first..." The female student who said her husband had been promoted to vice president was a little rude under the influence of alcohol. "Look at how well Liu Yunzhi is doing now."

Translated into English.

After the speeches were over, the atmosphere became much more casual. Some people went around toasting at different tables, while others were stuck at their own table, unable to move, constantly being toasted.

Over the past three years, many things had happened, and everyone had changed a lot. Perhaps due to the stimulation of alcohol, many students talked about their own lives, some proud and some disappointed.

One person hated their boss for being too demanding and always requiring overtime, while paying a meager salary.

One female classmate said her boyfriend was a department manager at a famous company, while another classmate said her husband had been promoted to vice president of the company. Some people even said their fiancée was the niece of a high-ranking bank executive.

But many people just listened in silence, as their own lives were not going so well.

One female classmate looked particularly haggard, and some people said she had married someone she didn't like, and was unhappy after marriage. Her husband drank all day, and when a classmate passed through her city to visit her, they saw bruises on her body.

"If there's anything you need help with, just let me know..." Ye Fan felt sorry for this haggard female classmate. He still remembered her shy and innocent appearance in college, standing outside the football field cheering him on.

It was obvious that her life was really difficult, and she nodded gratefully, whispering a quiet "thank you."

"Ye Fan, why don't you change yourself first..." The female classmate who said her husband had been promoted to vice president of the company, spoke somewhat unkindly under the influence of alcohol. "Look at how successful Liu Yunzhi is now."

All the classmates at the table looked at Ye Fan, and then over to Liu Yunzhi's table, where there were other successful students.

"Ye Fan, not to be rude, but you were indeed somebody back in college, but everything changes once you leave campus. You have to work hard." Even the male classmate at the table, who said his fiancée was the niece of a high-ranking bank executive, seemed to be lecturing him.

Talking about the people at Liu Yunzhi's table, some classmates sighed and said that there were people who were far inferior to them in college, but now they couldn't compare.

Others were cynical and extreme, drunkly saying that these people were showing off their wealth.

There was even a female classmate joking with Ye Fan, saying that fortunately she had just secretly liked him during college, but now she regretted rejecting Liu Yunzhi's pursuit.

Although they were in the same city with the same people, everyone's state of mind was vastly different after reuniting.