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Whether it was for a toast or a photo, Lu Chen never turned anyone down.
These were all classmates he had known for years, or their friends and relatives. Whether they were true fans or not, Lu Chen didn't need to act aloof or keep his distance, because their warmth toward him was, for the most part, free of ulterior motives.
A few years from now, if they hold another reunion, things might be different. But at least for now, Lu Chen didn't need to overthink it.
Among the classmates, the guys were a little more reserved, but the girls were much bolder, some linked arms with Lu Chen, some hugged his waist. They snapped photo after photo with him, left and right, until Lu Chen's smile nearly froze on his face.
Just as the photo-taking frenzy was wrapping up, a middle-aged woman in hotel uniform entered the Rose Hall, led by a waiter. She walked up to Lu Chen with a smile and said, "Mr. Lu Chen, good evening. It's an honor to have you at our Jinhao Grand Restaurant. I'm the client services manager here."
Lu Chen nodded politely. "Nice to meet you."
The woman said respectfully, "We have a rather bold request, would you be willing to sign your name and take a photo for us to hang on our celebrity wall? If you agree, tonight's expenses here in the Rose Hall will be fully covered by the hotel."
Lu Chen chuckled at that.
Well-known or upscale venues often have a "celebrity wall" to boost their prestige, framing photos of famous visitors and displaying them prominently. Of course, the use of such commercial images always requires the subject's consent.
Tonight's high school reunion took up four tables. Based on Jin Hao's pricing, the total bill would be around twenty to thirty thousand yuan, not an astronomical amount, but not trivial either.
Of course, for the current Lu Chen, that kind of money didn't mean much. He had no intention of taking advantage of the situation, especially since the reunion was being paid for AA-style (split evenly).
But because it was a class reunion, and he had been to this hotel many times in the past, Lu Chen gave it a bit of thought and agreed. "Alright, but the photo can only be used for display, not for any other promotional purposes."
The manager was overjoyed. "Of course, no problem at all! Thank you so much!"
Binhai, being economically developed and wealthy, had a large consumer market. In recent years, several five-star hotels had opened, creating fierce competition. Jin Hao Grand Restaurant was actively seeking ways to attract customers.
Being able to feature a hometown-born, nationally famous celebrity like Lu Chen, even if it wasn't a formal endorsement, was a huge bonus for them. Compared to the small price of comping a meal, it was absolutely worth it.
And Lu Chen's classmates, seeing this unfold before their eyes, genuinely felt the power of fame.
Just a signature and a photo, and the entire bill, tens of thousands, was waived!
Naturally, everyone was delighted, it meant they saved money! That was precisely the effect Lu Chen wanted. What mattered most was that everyone was happy.
Someone joked, "Ah, Lu Chen, you have to sign a few more for me, I bet they'll be worth more in the future!"
Everyone laughed and joked around.
The reunion lasted until 9 PM. Afterward, there were plans to go sing karaoke, but Lu Chen didn't join.
Even though everyone was familiar classmates, the distance between them now was something that couldn't be bridged. Lu Chen's current position was one that everyone looked up to, and with him present, it was hard for others to truly relax and be themselves.
Lu Chen understood this. He valued his old friendships, so he chose to quietly leave early. Before leaving, they all gathered on the small stage in the Rose Hall and asked a waiter to take a group photo.
As things were wrapping up, one female classmate said reluctantly, "Lu Chen, can you sing us a song?"
Everyone chimed in enthusiastically, "Yeah! Sing one before you go!"
Even the waitstaff looked eager, this was the real singer in the flesh! Lu Chen smiled and said, "Alright then. What would you like to hear?"
The girl bit her lip and said loudly, "Those Flowers!"
This was a song Lu Chen had first performed on the night of his college graduation. Later, he sang it again on Singing China. It had become very popular among students and was considered a "graduation anthem."
Lu Chen nodded. "Alright, I'll sing that one."
The Rose Hall was equipped with AV equipment for live performances, and their karaoke system had Those Flowers in its catalog. Lu Chen didn't mind that the MV playing on the screen was a low-budget bootleg version. Holding the mic, he listened to the familiar intro and began singing once more.
"That burst of laughter reminds me of my Those Flowers,
Quietly blooming in every corner of my life..."
"I once thought I'd always be by her side,
But now we've drifted apart."
All of his classmates stood before the stage, quietly listening to him sing. Many of the female classmates leaned against one another, holding hands, softly humming along to the melody.
"La la la... Missing them,
La la la... Are they still blooming?
La la la... Move on!"
"They've already been carried away by the wind, scattered to the ends of the earth!"
Humming turned into quiet sobbing.
…
The day after the reunion was the third day of the Lunar New Year. That morning, Lu Chen drove to the Municipal People's Hospital to visit his former homeroom teacher, who was currently hospitalized.
Lu Chen's high school homeroom teacher was named Ye Xiaolian. She was nearing retirement age. Though not some nationally renowned educator, her decades-long career had nurtured generations of students.
Back when Lu Chen attended Binhai No. 2 High School, he hadn't exactly been an easy student to deal with. But Teacher Ye had always treated him with patience and meticulous care. Without her guidance, he might never have made it into Jianghai University.
One must never forget the kindness of a teacher. Now that Lu Chen knew she'd been hospitalized, he was morally and emotionally compelled to visit. Huang Shan had already told Lu Chen which room Teacher Ye was in, so he took the elevator straight up and quickly found the correct room.
She was staying in a standard ward, shared with three beds, all occupied.
Lu Chen didn't recognize the patients in the first two beds near the door and in the middle. But the third bed, by the far end, was surrounded by five or six people, both men and women, locked in an intense argument.
Although they were speaking in low voices, their agitation was clear. Their expressions were charged, drawing the wary, disapproving eyes of the nurses nearby, who kept glancing over with guarded suspicion.
Through the gaps in the crowd, Lu Chen caught sight of a familiar face, Teacher Ye.
She had aged noticeably. Her face was lined with exhaustion, her hair graying, her eyes tightly shut as if deeply asleep. Yet, the sorrow etched on her face revealed that her heart was far from peaceful.
Lu Chen didn't walk in right away. Instead, he stood quietly at the door, listening.
From the murmurs of the people surrounding the bed, he caught words like "expenses," "care," "splitting costs," and "fairness."
It reminded him of rumors he had heard in the past about Teacher Ye's family. Things began to fall into place in his mind.
A wave of unexplainable anger welled up inside him!
(End of Chapter)