Chapter 54 May You Be Happy

Chapter 54: May You Be Happy

Unlike ordinary barbecue joints known for being messy and poorly maintained, Master Ma’s Barbecue featured upscale interior design, immaculate cleanliness, and food that easily surpassed the average standard. Gao Yun’s class reunions were almost always held here—it was practically their designated spot, and they were on a first-name basis with the owner.

Familiar with the route, Gao Yun drove straight to the entrance of the barbecue restaurant. After parking his Ferrari on the street, he stepped out, walked inside, and headed directly for their private room.

“Look who’s here, the trainee has arrived!”

To his surprise, despite being two minutes ahead of the scheduled time, everyone else was already present, making Gao Yun the last to arrive.

As he entered the room, Li Yanming stood up, clapping his hands as he announced, “Hushi’s biggest internet celebrity has graced us with his presence. Let’s give him a round of applause, everyone!”

Right on cue, Cheng Song put on a solemn expression and delivered his speech, “We thank Brother Yun for clearing out eight hundred endorsement deals just to carve out this precious time to dine with us. We are truly grateful, dear kinsman.”

“Come on, sit here.” Liu Qi stood up, stroking Gao Yun’s shoulder to guide him into the empty seat reserved for him in the middle. “Give me an autograph later; my younger sister is a big fan of yours.”

Gao Yun laughed, waving a hand dismissively, “Call the waiter for paper and pen right now. Our sister’s request must be fulfilled.”

“You got it.”

Liu Qi actually went outside to flag down a waiter, bringing back a notepad and pen. Gao Yun gracefully scribbled his signature in bold, sweeping strokes and handed it back. “Want a photo?”

“What for?” Liu Qi folded the signature carefully, tucked it into his wallet, and then pulled out his smartphone. Aiming the camera straight at Gao Yun, he started recording a video while saying, “Don’t move, I’ll just shoot a quick few-second clip for her and we’re done.”

Du Yuan and her boyfriend, Sun Qi, sat close together, whispering to each other as they watched the scene unfold.

“He’s actually your classmate? He’s been getting quite popular lately.”

Du Yuan didn’t care to elaborate. “Yeah, just a minor internet celebrity.”

Sun Qi clicked his tongue in amazement. “Twelve million followers on Douyin, over four million on Bilibili—that’s not small at all.”

Hushi wasn’t a huge city, and Gao Yun had always been quite well-connected. As his video-making career took off, his notoriety had skyrocketed. Pretty much all the young people in the city—regardless of whether they regularly browsed short-video apps or visited Bilibili—knew who he was and had heard the story of his rise to fame. He had practically become an urban legend.

“Sun Qi, my boyfriend,” Du Yuan introduced him indifferently.

Sun Qi had a tall, slender build, paired with short hair that gave him a sharp and energetic look. He wore black casual trousers with a white button-down shirt, and on his wrist was a Rolex Daytona watch priced at around two hundred thousand yuan. His entire aura exuded the exact same wealthy-second-generation vibe as Du Yuan.

Gao Yun shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Gao Yun.”

Sun Qi was extremely warm and welcoming. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve known of you for a long time, just never had the pleasure of meeting in person. It’s an honor today.”

“You’re too kind.”

After a brief flurry of commotion, everyone took their seats, and the waiters began bringing out the dishes in succession.

Over the past two months, Gao Yun’s hair had grown out a bit longer, and he still casually tied it into a man bun. Knowing it was just a gathering of old classmates, he hadn't bothered wearing any luxury brands.

A slim-fit white short-sleeved tee paired with grey athletic jogger pants and silver-grey Nike sneakers—this was his most common outfit from back in the day.

The ash-grey color palette gave him a refreshing and high-end aesthetic. Combined with Gao Yun’s muscular and flawless physique, even the cheapest clothes radiated an upright and dashing aura when worn by him.

Zhao Jianing sat diagonally across from him, watching him the entire time. She silently marveled to herself that this guy seemed to have gotten even more handsome. Could it be the passive charm buff of having Ferrari keys?

Regarding this former classmate who had walked step-by-step from five years ago to where he was today, not a single person present could fail to admire him, whether for his external transformation or his career success—and Zhao Jianing was no exception.

“What about Dariya? How is she lately?”

“We’ve already broken up.”

Silence fell over the room. What was meant to be a casual, nostalgic inquiry from Zhao Jianing had inadvertently dropped a massive bombshell.

Du Yuan almost burst out laughing. She covered her mouth and faked a cough to suppress her amusement, then asked with feigned concern, “How did you guys break up?”

“Long distance. She focused on her stuff, I focused on mine, and we just drifted apart like that.”

Seeing that four plates of meat skewers had been served but no one was touching them, Gao Yun took charge. “Come on, dig in, everyone.”

Zhao Jianing played along, picking up a skewer with a smile. “Well, I guess the two of us have great synchronicity. I got divorced, and you got dumped.”

“What?”

“You’re divorced?”

The revelations just kept getting more explosive. The people sitting around the table looked at each other, utterly at a loss for words.

Zhao Jianing had been married for less than a year. All the classmates had attended her wedding banquet. They could still vividly remember how sweet the newlyweds had been on stage, dressed in wedding gown and suit, exchanging deeply affectionate glances and making lifelong vows to one another. Who would have thought that in less than a year, they’d be divorced?

“Yeah, we split up,” Zhao Jianing sighed. “Things were great when we were dating, but after marriage, living together brought a mountain of trivial bullshit. Both of us changed, and every single day turned into shouting matches and fights. I figured, before we have kids, I’d better make a clean break.”

The atmosphere at the table grew slightly oppressive. Li Yanming, the organizer of the gathering, felt a severe ache in his gut, thinking to himself that these folks must be conspiring against him, Fat Tiger. He rattled off a few jokes to warm up the room and quickly steered the topic back to the couple, Du Yuan and Sun Qi.

Much like Du Yuan, Sun Qi’s family was also in the swimwear manufacturing business. Their asset scales were roughly comparable, making it a true match of equals in terms of social and financial standing.

The two had been introduced by relatives. After interacting a few times, Sun Qi launched a fierce courtship, and they officially established a relationship.

If they kept dating for a bit longer and nothing unexpected happened, both sets of parents would soon meet to set the wedding date.

Everyone offered a few words of congratulations, lifting the mood once again as they resumed discussing the awkward blunders of their junior high days and the current whereabouts of other classmates.

A class reunion, after all, inevitably revolved around such topics. Unable to chime in, Sun Qi focused entirely on picking food and placing it on Du Yuan’s plate, simply smiling good-naturedly whenever the others teased him.

Seeing that Sun Qi didn't mind, the other classmates lost interest in teasing them and went back to their own conversations.

Cheng Song, who worked as a dentist at the municipal dental hospital, suddenly revealed his thoughts about wanting to venture out and try his luck in a bigger city. His reasons were twofold: first, to broaden his horizons, and second, to make more money.

Gao Yun expressed his support. “You should go out and see the world. I’m planning to head to the capital for a spin myself before long. Hiding out here all the time isn't very interesting.”

Li Yanming asked, “What do you plan to do over there?”

Gao Yun replied, “I made a mentor-like connection online some time ago—he’s both a teacher and a friend, a psychology professor at Peking University. I’m heading there mainly for him, so I’ll meet up with him first and figure things out from there. As for which specific city I’ll settle in for long-term development, I haven’t decided yet. I’ll scope things out first. My main focus will still be the fitness industry and self-media.”

Liu Qi praised admiringly, “Brother Yun has wide connections. It’s one thing that you know so many pretty girls, but you even know a Peking University professor.”

Cheng Song didn't take it too seriously and joked, “Does my Brother Yun happen to know any executives at first-tier city dental hospitals? Help me out and get me placed directly.”

Gao Yun waved his hand. “I really don't have that kind of pull. If you’re talking about borrowing money, though, I can spot you.”

These days, how many friends would dare to proactively say, “I can lend you money”?

Hearing this, Cheng Song felt a warmth spread through his chest. “Such a boss move, Brother Yun. When I’m strapped for cash, I’m definitely coming to you.”

With the meal nearly finished and everyone thoroughly satisfied with the conversation, Li Yanming excused himself to the restroom and discreetly settled the bill. Afterward, the classmates drove off to their respective homes.

As soon as Gao Yun arrived home, he noticed a WeChat message from Du Yuan. It was a rather long paragraph. After reading through it carefully, a wave of warmth surged through his heart, deeply moving him.

Du Yuan: “May you have warmth in the depths of winter, and may your springs be free of chill. May you have a light when darkness falls, and an umbrella when it rains.”

“May you have a good companion walking the roads by your side, may all your happiness require no pretense, and may you live this life to the fullest—sincere and kind-hearted.”

“May time slow its pace, and may old friends never scatter; may someone accompany you through the roughest storms, may the one you miss wish you a good morning, and may the days you walk alone never feel lonely.”

“May you be treated gently by this world, may everything your eyes behold and your heart desires be filled with love, and may you possess both vulnerabilities and armor, blooming endlessly without ever withering.”

Gao Yun pondered for a long time, then typed out a reply: “May you strive all your life, be loved all your life, possess everything you truly desire, and let go of what you cannot have.”

Just as he was about to hit send, he hesitated, deleted the text, and instead edited a much simpler sentence before sending it over.

Gao Yun: “May you be happy, Xiao Yuan.”

Writing this chapter left me quite emotional. Back in the day, out of my own personal preferences, I rejected too many girls from very well-to-do family backgrounds. Yet now, I’ve fallen into the trap myself...

The protagonist in the book stays true to his principles and rejects sugar mommas, but I don’t have a system, and right now I might genuinely need to surrender to a sugar momma. Some people tell me to submit to a sugar momma, quit my three jobs, and focus entirely on writing...

But if you really think about it, if I surrender to a sugar momma, pay off my debts, and live free from financial worries for the rest of my days, what's the point of writing books anymore...

In the end, I still want to find someone I genuinely love. Therefore, I beg for votes, tips, and support.

(End of Chapter)