The previously delayed orientation and the welcoming ceremony was fast approaching.
The Business School and Jin City University were hosting their welcoming ceremony at the same time. The Business School had spent a great fortune and invited a few famous pop singers to perform at the event. The Business School always had the best welcoming ceremony due to its incredible financial income.
However, Chen Fan didn’t go to the ceremony with Qiu Yilun, instead, he walked into the Jin City University.
The Jin City University’s welcoming ceremony was much less extravagant than that of the Business School. While it lacked the professional performers and singers, it made up with its refined taste in shows.
Chen Fan stood under a street light and watched the show from afar.
A girl dressed in a flowy white outfit walked onto the stage with a Guzheng. As the girl plugged along, it became evident that she was very skilled in playing the instrument. The music flowed through her finger like a gurgling spring that cleared the earthly thoughts on the listeners’ minds.
The song ended on a high note, and a tsunami of applause erupted from the listeners. Although not every audience member was an expert musician, they still felt the performance was exceedingly enjoyable.
“It’s just so so. I haven’t played it for years.” The girl in the white outfit said under her breath.
“Whatever, Xiao Qiong. You used to win national awards for your Guzheng performance. Even experts think you are good at it.” her BFF said.
The national award was called the Golden Bell. Only professional performers were qualified to compete for the award.
The two girls chatted on as Xiao Qiong changed her outfit. Afterward, they walked out of the changing room together. However, they were greeted by a smiling young man at the exit. “Hey pretty good job! Do you want to go out and celebrate your successful performance?”
“Just three of us?” Xiao Qiong asked with furrowed brows.
“No, I also invited a few seniors as well as a few of our classmates from Junior High. They are already waiting by the gate.” The handsome young man replied.
“Fine then.”
Xiao Qiong hesitated for a second. However, hearing her former classmates were already waiting for her, she agreed.
As the three started toward the school’s gate, Xiao Qiong’s BFF glanced at the pair surreptitiously. She felt that they were meant to be together.
“I kinda feel bad for Xiao Qiong’s childhood friend though. Humph… who knows. Maybe he is holding some other girls in his arms right now. Why should Xiao Qiong care about him?”
The girl thought to herself.
As soon as they reached the main road that leads to the school entrance, Xiao Qiong saw someone and then stopped walking altogether.
“What’s up?” Her BFF asked curiously.
Xiao Qiong kept her silence and stared at a young man standing in a wash of dim light. Despite the poor lighting, she recognized right away the childhood friend who she hadn’t seen for six years.
“Xiao Fan? Is that you?” Xiao Qiong asked incredulously.
“Yes, it is me.” Chen Fan stepped out of the street light and toward Xiao Qiong.
Zhong Yaoyao couldn’t make out the young man’s face until he was close.
“Uh? Why do you look like Professor Chen Beixuan?” Zhong Yaoyao covered her mouth to stifle a surprised cry.
Chen Fan looked ordinary, however, anyone who saw him and Professor Chen Beixuan would come to the same conclusion: they were the same person. Although the difference in their looks was obvious, a few key features on their face remained the same. Looking at Chen Beixuan and Chen Fan was as if looking at the before and after comparison of a photoshopped portrait.
The handsome young man accompanied the two girls suddenly tightened his face as if he felt threatened.
He had never seen such light in Fang Qiong’s eyes. There were longings, excitement, and hesitation like that of a housewife who finally saw her husband who had been away from home for years. The moment Fang Qiong saw the man, Zhong Yaoyao and the other young man suddenly became irrelevant, they might as well be nonexistent.
“After so many years, you finally found me.” Fang Qiong said softly.
“Yes, it has been a long time.” Chen Fan cracked a smile.
For you, it was six years, but for me, it was five hundred years and a lifetime.
The two looked at each other in silence. Chen Fan didn’t seem to change much, but Fang Qiong had changed from a cute little girl to a drop-dead gorgeous lady. The sight of Fang Qiong even reminded Chen Fan of the future Zi Qiong Goddess.
“Can you two find a room please?” Zhong Yaoyao could no longer hold in her surprise and shock. She realized that her BFF seemed to have already forgotten that she was here.
Zhong Yaoyao grabbed hold of Fang Qiong’s arm and asked hotly: “Are you Chen Fan from the countryside? I have heard that you grew up with Fang Qiong. You know, I could not find out why Xiao Qiong cares so much about you, and after seeing you in person today, I still don’t.”
“Zhong Yaoyao!” Fang Qiong flung back at her BFF hotly.
“Fine, fine, I will stop.” Zhong Yaoyao said ruefully.
Fang Qiong had never raised her voice at her ever since they became best friends until Chen Fan showed up. Zhong Yaoyao felt as if her friend had abandoned her already.
“ah, Xiao Qiong, this is my BFF Zhong Yaoyao and this one is my classmate Shen Junwen.” Fang Qiong finally introduced the other two.
Fang Qiong knew how bad jealousy could get among boys, so she paused a second when she was introducing Shen Junwen and chose her words carefully.
“My name is Chen Fan, and I am a good friend of Fang Qiong.” Chen Fan said with a slight smile.
The handsome young boy before Chen Fan was the rival of his last life: Shen Junwen.
Sheng Junwen was the instigator of the series of events that eventually lead to the collapse of Chen Fan’s family business. The Wan Rong Group eventually acquired Jin Xiu Group and the defeat drove Chen Fan back to Chu Zhou City. After Chen Fan was gone, he pressured Fang Qiong through her family to marry her and nearly succeeded.
“However, as fate would have it, Cangqin the Immortal cultivator saved me at my lowest point and saved Xiao Qiong from you.”
Chen Fan suddenly felt light-hearted as he looked at the handsome and stately looking young man.
In his past life, Shen Junwen was away out of his league. Try as he might, Chen Fan could not avoid the fate of being crushed by his opponent. Whenever tragedy happened in Chen Fan’s life, he always seemed to be able to find Wan Rong Group lurking in the shadows. This was the case even during the death of his mother, Wang Xiaoyun.
However, in this life, Shen Junwen was about as powerful as an ant to him. He could crush the young man with a single finger.
“However, powerful and rich you are, you are no match against me.”
Chen Fan’s gaze slowly grew indifferent as he thought so.
There was no bad blood between him and Shen Junwen yet, but Chen Fan was aware that as long as Fang Qiong kept on seeing him, he remained a thorn in the side for Shen Junwen. The rise of Jin Xiu Group would also pose a problem for Wan Rong Group, therefore, their final showdown was inevitable.
“A friend of Xiao Qiong? Great, why don’t you join us for dinner?” Shen Junwen let out a charming and warm smile.
Fang Qiong paused a second and then looked toward Chen Fan.
Many things had changed in six years. The Ming De Group had grown from a small company in Chu Zhou City to the top pharmaceutical company in Jin City. Fang Qiong had also transformed from an innocent little girl to the goddess of the Jin City University.
However, Chen Fan didn’t change at all, including his fashion choices, if that was even a thing. He still wore cheap knock-off T-shirts that he bought from dingy little shops.
Fang Qiong knew that Chen Fan would stick out like a sore thumb among the other friends, and therefore, she was about to refuse the invitation for Chen Fan. She knew the other dinner guests were spoiled brats who were high on themselves and were loaded with cash from their parents. They were extremely unfriendly, rude and condescending toward people outside of their clique.
“Sounds like a plan to me!”
Chen Fan agreed readily and gave Fang Qiong a comforting look.
Fang Qiong heaved a sigh of relief and was surprised by how sharp that silly little boy’s mind had gotten. As her nerves eased, she started to think more about the situation and many questions sprouted out in her mind. Why was he here? Did he get into the Jin City University? Did he have a girlfriend yet?
However, Fang Qiong kept her questions to herself. The four of them walked in silence toward the exit.
Zhong Yaoyao and Shen Junwen had many questions as well. They looked to Chen Fan from time to time and failed to find anything extraordinary about this run-of-the-mill college student. Everything about him was so… bland and average.
The heirs of rich families could put on a cheap T-shirt and still look charming and stand out from the crowd thanks to the sense of nobility and pride instilled by their upbringing. However, Chen Fan could easily blend in with other people on the street. The only thing special about Chen Fan’s appearance was a sense of indifference.
“He looked as calm and indifferent as an old man who had lived through troubled times!”
Shen Junwen exclaimed in his mind.
He had only seen such a peaceful state of mind on a few old men who had seen everything the world has to offer. Why did Chen Fan possess the same indifference?
A few luxury cars were already waiting for them at the school entrance. They were not the ostentatious and loud sports cars, but low key Cadillac and Lincolns.
“Goddess Fang! Enchantress Zhong! Young Lord Sheng.”
A few young men and women got out of the cars and greeted them.
Chen Fan scanned the crowd and recognized many faces. Although most of them were in their early twenties, they represented half of the future elites in Jin City. Unlike Chen Xu, these heirs of elite families were well mannered and well educated.
Some attended the best schools in Jin City and some had already graduated from renowned institutions overseas. Many of them were already working for their families, being groomed to be the next boss.
“Xiao Fan, these are all my high school seniors.” Fang Qiong introduced.
Everyone looked to Chen Fan curiously after they had learned that Chen Fan was Fang Qiong’s childhood friend. They had heard in passing that Fang Qiong choose to stay in Jinlin City because she was waiting for someone, however, to their surprise, the man who she was waiting turned out to be a no-body.
Despite their well-hidden contempt, they remained friendly toward Chen Fan since they were trained to hide their real feelings ever since they were children.
“Goddess Fang, let’s go to the Green Vines Club! Sister Yifei is there too.” A young man wearing a glittering watch said with a smile.
“Sister Yiwei is back? ” Before Fang Qiong could answer, Zhong Yaoyao asked in excitement.
Chen Fan listened to their conversation quietly and didn’t say a word.
The streetlight beside Fang Qiong cast her under a wash of creamy white, giving her hair a pale and ashen look.