Saturday morning.

Out of a need to familiarize herself with the ins and outs of the company, Chen Yinuo headed to work early. Meanwhile, Ye Chen took little Ye Youyou to the amusement park. It wasn't until the afternoon that he reluctantly managed to coax the joyful little girl back home.

After a stroll through the wet market to pick up ingredients and prepare dinner, Ye Chen waited until Chen Yinuo returned from work before driving his Mercedes G-Class to the gathering at the Antai Hotel.

Although the scheduled time was 6:00 PM, the large private room, which could accommodate 50 to 60 people, was already half-filled by 5:00 PM.

"Old Xu, you're doing great! Just a few years into your startup, and you're driving a BMW. Does your company need more people? Give me a job to get by!"

"President Liu, come on now. You're doing perfectly fine in a state-owned enterprise with a rumored annual salary of 200,000 RMB. Why would you be interested in my little company? Besides, it's just a BMW 5 Series—nothing to brag about."

"Speaking of our class, you guys are clearly the top achievers. Take my situation, for instance—I've been married for five years, and after much saving, I finally managed to scrape together enough for a city apartment. With a mortgage over 10,000 RMB per month, the pressure is crushing. I was even thinking of selling my Audi A4 to upgrade, but that's not happening anytime soon."

"Hey, at least you're doing fine. My husband and I lost 300,000 to 400,000 RMB in our clothing business last year. Luckily, the market has improved, and we've just managed to recover the losses this year."

Inside the private room, the conversation was a mix of mutual flattery and humblebrags. The attendees were dressed to the nines, sporting flashy gold chains, watches, rings, and jade bangles—anything that could be worn as a status symbol.

Those in less glamorous professions, trying to fit in, hovered around the more successful classmates, chiming in with affirmations and compliments to ingratiate themselves.

As the conversation heated up, someone suddenly brought up a new topic.

"By the way, where's Goddess Mengxi? She hasn't shown up yet, has she?"

The question came from Old Xu, the startup founder with the BMW 5 Series.

"She sent her location in the group chat earlier—she's on her way and should be here soon. What's the matter, Xu? Still carrying a torch for Goddess Mengxi?"

"Who wouldn't? Mengxi has the looks and the figure. I ran into her a few months ago, and even as a woman, I was drooling. I heard she's still single!"

"With your qualifications, Old Xu, you should go for it. She probably wouldn't say no. Want us to play matchmaker for you? Haha!"

The banter quickly turned into lighthearted teasing. Someone else chimed in:

"Speaking of Mengxi, how can we forget about Ye Chen? Remember when he confessed to her back in the day? Haha, I laughed so hard! I teased him a bit, and he actually took it seriously—he really thought Mengxi liked him. It was hilarious!"

This triggered a cascade of memories, and the conversation shifted to Ye Chen.

"Ye Chen? Don't get me started. Back then, everyone thought this academic star would soar high, but look at him now—almost ended up homeless under a bridge. Thinking about his top-tier university entrance exam scores, it's just sad. Haha!"

"I heard he tried to start a business a few years ago but lost everything. Honestly, with his lack of self-awareness, he probably can't even navigate the workplace, let alone succeed in business."

"Still, living carefree, gambling, and drinking sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Haha!"

"Why don't you trade places with him, then? You could enjoy that carefree lifestyle too!"

"No thanks! I heard he got cornered by loan sharks in an alley a few months ago—groveling, kowtowing, and begging for mercy. Rumor has it he nearly wet his pants. Remember how he used to say in class, 'My dream is to become an entrepreneur'? I laughed so hard I cried!"

"And that's not all. A friend of mine saw him down an entire bottle of 52-proof liquor for 500 RMB. When my friend told me, I couldn't even admit we were classmates—too embarrassing!"

"Wow, he can drink that much? Isn't he coming to the reunion today? We should pay him to show off his drinking skills!"

"But don't pay him right away. Let him run a few errands first, then pay him to perform. He's just a pushover—he wouldn't dare complain. Haha!"

Even before Ye Chen arrived, these classmates were plotting how to make him the butt of their jokes.

Back in school, Ye Chen had been the epitome of excellence, the model student every teacher praised. His good looks and "class heartthrob" status attracted a mountain of love letters, making him a target of envy among the boys and scorn among the girls he turned down.

Years later, seeing him down on his luck filled them with schadenfreude. For the girls he once rejected, his downfall was a bittersweet reminder of their lucky escape from what they now considered a disgraceful association.

As laughter echoed through the room, Lin Mengxi entered, her faint perfume trailing behind her.

"The Goddess Mengxi is here!"

"Mengxi, we've been waiting for you!"

Lin Mengxi's arrival immediately made her the center of attention.

Despite being just a real estate salesperson, her stunning beauty and charm commanded respect. Everyone knew she had the potential to marry into wealth with little effort.

"Hello, everyone! Long time no see!" Lin Mengxi greeted them with a forced smile, scanning the room for Ye Chen but not finding him.

As she casually chatted, she noted the shock on her classmates' faces when she mentioned property prices in her area reaching tens of thousands per square meter.

Inwardly, she sneered.

"These people have the audacity to mock Ye Chen? Someone who casually paid in full for a 200-square-meter apartment?"

Lin Mengxi couldn't help but question what had become of this world.

Even the most successful among them only had assets worth a few million—a far cry from Ye Chen's level. Yet here they were, posturing like big shots.

Of course, Lin Mengxi kept these thoughts to herself, hiding her disdain behind a composed smile.