Covering the Sky: I Prove the Great Dao Through the Gate of Immortality

Led by Wang Ziwen, Ye Fan walked to a table.

Most of the students here are either wealthy or influential, either making great strides in their careers or having a strong family background to support them.

"Ye Fan, you're late. You must apologize with wine. Let's start with three cups as punishment," a classmate suggested with a smile.

Lin Jia was also among them, her figure slender and graceful, her phoenix eyes sparkling, exuding charm.

She immediately replied, "Three cups is a gross underestimation of Ye Fan's drinking capacity. In my opinion, we shouldn't let him off so easily."

Liu Yunzhi was quite influential, so he was naturally part of this small group.

He casually remarked, "I thought it would take you quite a while to get here."

These words were like a cold wind, instantly freezing the previously lively atmosphere.

Liu Yunzhi and Ye Fan had a falling out during their university days. Now that Liu Yunzhi is doing well in this city, his seemingly unintentional but actually deliberate words have a deeper meaning that is self-evident.

Other students also noticed the unusual activity and turned to look inquiringly.

However, Ye Fan simply smiled calmly and said nothing more.

"Pang Bo is here too, I'll go pick him up!" Wang Ziwen quickly broke the awkward silence.

Lin Jia and several female classmates discussed designer clothes, and others also shared various interesting stories from their past campus life. The awkwardness of the moment gradually dissipated, and the atmosphere became lively again.

However, after this ordeal, a subtle atmosphere lingered in the air.

No one mentioned Ye Fan's punishment anymore, while the topic of Liu Yunzhi quietly increased.

Back in the day, Ye Fan was the center of attention and enjoyed immense popularity during his university years.

But once they enter society, their past glory vanishes like a dream.

Today, career achievements have become an important yardstick for people to judge each other.

Glances frequently drifted over, forming a special little circle, where all the students present were doing well.

At this moment, Ye Fan seemed to be being marginalized and excluded.

Ye Fan remained completely calm about this.

The finches know their ambitions!

Ye Fan finally understood why Li Chenzhou was never enthusiastic about parties.

Finally, he got up and sat down next to some other classmates.

The female students remained engrossed in cosmetics and designer clothes, while the male students' conversations ranged from football matches to current events, covering a wide range of topics.

Half an hour later, all the classmates who came to attend the gathering had arrived except for Li Chenzhou.

At the gathering, the initiators, including Wang Ziwen and Liu Yunzhi, took turns to give speeches, igniting a lively atmosphere filled with laughter and cheers.

Immediately afterwards, the group naturally formed several small circles, sat together, and chatted enthusiastically about everything under the sun.

After a long while, everyone finally filed out, still feeling quite excited, ready to raise a glass in celebration of their long-awaited reunion.

The seating arrangements for this gathering were not planned in advance, yet the subtle and nuanced relationships between each table were inadvertently revealed to everyone.

Ye Fan did not join the small group that Lin Jia, Liu Yunzhi and others were in. Instead, he sat down at another table in a very natural and carefree manner, chatting and laughing with the students around him, feeling quite content.

After another round of heartfelt speeches, the atmosphere of the gathering became increasingly relaxed and comfortable.

Some people moved between the tables, toasting and greeting each classmate.

Some people were tightly surrounded by a group of enthusiastic classmates at the table, unable to move an inch, and could only helplessly accept one toast after another from their classmates.

Looking back on the past three years, it has truly been a period of great change, with everyone experiencing both big and small transformations.

Alcohol took effect without them even realizing it, and many students felt a surge of urge to confide in each other, opening up about their life experiences over the past three years.

Some people have smooth sailing and are full of hope and joy; while others face many setbacks and are filled with hardship and helplessness.

Some students frowned and complained with bitter expressions that their boss was simply a cold-blooded capitalist who was extremely harsh on his employees and often required them to work overtime, but the pay was pitifully low. He was like a stingy miser, which filled them with resentment and dissatisfaction.

Three years is neither a long nor a short time, but it is enough for classmates to have vastly different life trajectories.

Some people thrive and are full of pride, while others are saddened and filled with melancholy.

Some male students flaunted that their girlfriends were the daughters of company bosses, and their vanity was greatly satisfied by the flattery of others.

The other group of students remained silent, but one female student stood out from the crowd.

She looked haggard; she had married someone she didn't love.

Her married life was a nightmare; her husband was addicted to alcohol and neglected his family.

A classmate once visited her in the city where she lived and found that her body was covered with bruises.

In this reunion, everyone's stories unfolded like a series of paintings.

Ye Fan's gaze fell on her, and a feeling of pity welled up in his heart, as memories of the past flooded back like a tide.

On the university's sports field, sunlight spilled onto the lush green lawn. That shy and innocent girl always stood in a corner outside the football field, her face flushed with excitement, her hands waving vigorously, her clear cheers piercing through the crowd and straight into his heart.

Liu Yiyi!

"If life is hard to break free from, why not break free of the shackles and chains? You can tell me if you need help," Ye Fan said.

The female student looked up. Her name was Liu Yiyi. Tears welled up in her eyes. She gently bit her lip, trying to suppress the sorrow in her heart.

"Thanks!"

She didn't fully understand Ye Fan's meaning, but she could sense his sincerity.

"Ye Fan, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were some kind of ancient knight-errant!"

"I'm not trying to be mean, but you should focus your energy on your career."

A female classmate suddenly spoke up, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, and her eyes revealing a hint of disdain.

"Look at Liu Yunzhi, he's doing really well in this city now, while you're still indulging in your fantasies from your school days."

"Not everyone is like Li Chenzhou in our class."

Upon hearing this, the students at the table immediately focused their attention on Ye Fan, as if scrutinizing a loser.

Li Chenzhou was detached from worldly affairs, and Ye Fan, for some unknown reason, actually wanted to emulate him.

Then, they all turned their gaze to the circle where Liu Yunzhi was not far away.

There, laughter and cheers filled the air, and everyone radiated an aura of success, a stark contrast to Ye Fan's group.

Sigh, Ye Fan was somewhat disheartened.

You can't talk about ice with a summer insect!

"Ye Fan, don't misunderstand me. You were indeed a prominent figure on campus during your university years, but society is different from campus; it won't pay for your past. If you don't work hard, you'll be eliminated."

A male student pushed up his glasses, his expression serious, looking like someone who had been through it all.

Once the topic was started, everyone's emotions surged like a burst dam. Someone looked at Liu Yunzhi's table, shook their head and sighed, "How long ago was it that those people were far inferior to me in their studies, but now they stand at a height that is beyond my reach. Fate really plays tricks on people."

Some people, their faces full of indignation and fueled by alcohol, shouted loudly: "Hmph, they're just using their wealth and power to swagger around in front of us. Where is the fairness in this world?"

At this moment, a female classmate looked at Ye Fan with a half-smile: "Ye Fan, speaking of which, I secretly had a crush on you back in school. But now that I think about it, if I had accepted Liu Yunzhi's advances back then, things might be very different today."

This city holds their youth and memories, but as time goes by, their former innocence has been worn away by reality.

The same place, the same faces—behind the joy of reunion lies a huge gap in their state of mind and a sense of helplessness in the face of life's unpredictability.