Du Chuyun sent the location and room number of the gathering to Jiang Ning’s WeChat early on.
Jiang Ning walked through the lobby and stopped in front of the door to Room A. Before she knocked, she could hear the lively sounds from inside.
She raised her hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" A voice quickly responded from inside.
However, Du Chuyun, who had been chatting with other classmates, raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help standing up to look at the door: "That’s not how the waiter knocked earlier. Could it be Jiang Ning has arrived!"
Among the classmates who promised to attend the reunion, apart from three who messaged that they couldn’t make it last minute, everyone else had arrived, except for Jiang Ning.
As soon as she said this, everyone immediately turned their heads curiously towards the door.
The door, which wasn’t fully closed, was pushed open by someone from the outside, revealing a familiar yet slightly unfamiliar figure at the entrance.
Jiang Ning’s outfit today was quite androgynous: a loose sweatshirt paired with light-colored cargo pants and white sneakers, clean and simple, with bright eyes that gave off a particularly comfortable vibe.
If she had a backpack slung over her shoulders, people might even believe she was a university student.
Du Chuyun had seen Jiang Ning recently, so she wasn’t surprised by her clear and bright appearance today.
However, everyone else hadn’t met Jiang Ning in person since graduation.
Their most recent impressions of Jiang Ning mostly came from the news and short videos circulating on the internet lately.
Seeing someone through videos lacks a certain sense of reality.
Now, seeing Jiang Ning appear before them in person, and noticing that she hadn’t changed much since school, everyone was somewhat shocked.
"Jiang Ning, you really haven’t changed at all!"
"How can you say there’s no change? She looks better and more graceful than when she was still a student!"
One male classmate, who was gradually balding from working overtime, stared at Jiang Ning for a while. He couldn’t help but touch his own head and lamented, "It’s only been a little over a year since graduation, but why does it feel like you’re still young, while we’ve all aged?"
"Hey, didn’t you guys forget to notice someone else?" Du Chuyun took a step forward and pulled the half-open door wider.
Instantly, everyone saw the tall figure standing beside Jiang Ning.
The man had strikingly handsome features, with a prominent brow, a strong nose, and a sleek jawline, yet his clean and gentle eyes gave him a soft, non-threatening aura.
From watching variety shows, everyone knew that Qi Xingzhou was taller than the other male guests, but seeing him in person, they were surprised just how tall he was!
He must be at least 1.88 meters!
Fan Xin raised an eyebrow, her eyes inevitably landing on Qi Xingzhou.
With a good family background connected to the entertainment industry, she was familiar with many celebrities. She knew well that many stars, who seem glamorous on stage, are often unrecognizable without makeup, filters, and effects, even to their own fans.
Yet Qi Xingzhou, as the standout for looks in "Survive for 30 Days," lived up to the audiences’ expectations, looking even better in person than on the show—a refined and handsome presence, quietly charming.
The two standing together were a visual feast.
"Du Chuyun, did you know all along that Jiang Ning would bring Qi Xingzhou?" someone asked.
Du Chuyun raised her chin proudly and nodded slightly.
Seeing the shock on everyone’s faces, she felt satisfied, feeling it was worth keeping the secret for a whole week without telling anyone.
Qi Xingzhou’s appearance made the attention in the room even more fervent.
The class president, Fu Fangzhou, proposed this gathering, but Du Chuyun was the one who reached out to everyone.
During college, Du Chuyun was the class’s entertainment committee member. After graduation, she stayed in Capital City for work and maintained close contact with most classmates.
Many classmates decided to attend the reunion only after hearing from Du Chuyun that Jiang Ning would be there.
No one expected the surprise that not only would Jiang Ning be present, but Qi Xingzhou would also be there!
Jiang Ning and Qi Xingzhou were warmly welcomed inside.
Once they sat down, someone squeezed in next to Jiang Ning, happily holding up a phone and saying, "Jiang Ning! I’ve liked you and Qi Xingzhou for a long time! Haha, after seeing you on the variety show, I became a fan. I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you today. Can we take a photo together? Please, please!"
Jiang Ning turned her head, her gaze landing on the girl’s lightly made-up face, a pretty but unfamiliar face she didn’t recognize.
Moreover, when she first entered the room, Jiang Ning noticed that about half of the faces were unfamiliar to her.
They were likely family members or friends of the classmates, just like how she brought Qi Xingzhou to the gathering.
Jiang Ning didn’t know that actually three months ago, there was also a class reunion organized.
That time, it was a barbecue outing in the suburbs, organized for classmates living in Capital City or nearby.
However, at that time Jiang Ning was being harshly criticized online, so she was not included in the invitation list. The number of participants at that reunion was much larger than this time.
This time, everyone had heard from Du Chuyun early on that Jiang Ning would also attend the reunion. Except for a few classmates who were delayed by other matters, all those who received the news came, almost all bringing family members or friends.
It’s obvious who everyone is here for.
Jiang Ning’s fame on the internet over the past few months eclipsed even top celebrities, and everyone’s been curious about the changes in this former classmate.
With this girl starting the conversation, many people in the room took out their phones, immediately expressing their interest in taking a photo with Jiang Ning and Qi Xingzhou.
"Jiang Ning, Jiang Ning, I was wondering if you would really come today, and it turns out Du Chuyun wasn’t lying to us! Let’s take a photo together!"
"Me too, I heard you would be here today, so I specifically took a day off to come! When I told my colleagues we were classmates, they didn’t believe me! We have to take a photo today!"
Everyone was chattering, all wanting to get closer to Jiang Ning and Qi Xingzhou.
Jiang Ning hadn’t expected the so-called class reunion would turn out . She slightly turned, shielding Qi Xingzhou behind her, and was about to speak when a pair of hands suddenly stretched out beside her, blocking those who wanted to get close.
"What are you all doing?" Fu Fangzhou said with a casual smile, his voice clear: "This is a class reunion, not a fan meeting."
Fan Xin, who hadn’t moved from her seat the whole time, said bluntly: "So many of you want a solo photo with Jiang Ning. Who do you think you’re exhausting? You say you like her and support her, but you’re just causing trouble for her. It’s definitely you guys!"
"Alright, alright, let’s eat first, everyone’s here." Du Chuyun said, trying to smooth things over.
Fu Fangzhou glanced at the time on his watch and also reminded the server to start serving the food.
Fu Fangzhou booked a very large room with three big round tables, more than enough to accommodate everyone.
Perhaps due to the earlier incident, no one deliberately directed the conversation towards Jiang Ning after that.
Everyone was old classmates, with a bit of shared camaraderie. In reminiscing, many school topics emerged.
Overall, the meal was relaxed and harmonious.
After eating, it was only seven o’clock. Under Fu Fangzhou’s arrangement, everyone changed locations, directly taking the elevator to the sixth-floor entertainment area—singing karaoke, playing board games, mahjong... various entertainment activities were available.
"Wow, this is really luxurious. Class monitor, can I record a video to post online?" Zhang Jingjing asked, somewhat unable to contain her excitement.
Although she is an internet celebrity, this was her first time stepping into such a fancy, upscale place.
If she couldn’t make a video to show her fans, it would be a real shame!
"Sure, thank you for promoting me." Fu Fangzhou replied with a smile.
It was this answer that made other classmates present realize something: "Class monitor, are you... the owner here?"
Fu Fangzhou neither confirmed nor denied, he just said: "Everyone enjoy, I’ll cover all the expenses today."
Isn’t that just as good as confirming?
Everyone cheered: "Very generous, class monitor!"
What Fu Fangzhou didn’t mention is that this entertainment building is a key investment project of the Fu Family in the past five years, a new type of multifaceted consumption venue designed specifically for young people, integrating dining, accommodation, and entertainment activities.
Even without him saying it, the people present could see the uniqueness of this luxurious building.
After exclaiming over the place, small groups formed, and everyone went to find the projects they’re interested in to try out first.
"Jiang Ning, we’re heading to the game room for mahjong, we’re missing one. Are you coming?" Someone invited Jiang Ning.
"I’m not very familiar with it, you go ahead." Jiang Ning shook her head.
She hadn’t attended previous class reunions and thought it would just be a meal and some simple catching up. Unexpectedly, there were other entertainment activities after dinner.
Although Jiang Ning isn’t as socially isolated as Qi Xingzhou, in truth, her social life isn’t much more active.
During school, she was busy with part-time jobs, focused on earning money to support herself, and her relationships with classmates were neither good nor bad, not having close friends or much time for leisure.
After graduation, she spent most of the year being used as a stepping stone by Huo Miao, criticized online, and mocked publicly.
With her reputation ruined, she couldn’t even find a decent job.
Before meeting Qi Xingzhou, being a loner was the norm for Jiang Ning’s life in the past twenty-three years.