Life Varies, It All Depends on Your Choices

After Chen Mo's group of four entered the restaurant, they went up to the second floor according to the instructions and saw that almost everyone in the class had arrived, over fifty people. Adding in those who brought family, the total was over seventy.

Many people were calling out to friends, but Chen Mo's presence in the class was too low for most to notice his arrival. Li Rui and his group, however, were greeted by many. Fine, Chen Mo finally realized that four years of cultivation had also made his personality somewhat unsociable. Fortunately, the other three in his dormitory didn't mind and had always gotten along well with him. It seemed he needed to reflect on himself.

Wang Lisheng, with Gong Hui in his arm, went straight to the head table where class cadres, the class advisor, and some substitute teachers were seated. It seemed that as the students were about to leave campus and enter society, the teachers had also come to celebrate.

Chen Mo actually didn't want to leave school. He had worked for several years outside and rented a place for over a year, so he was very clear about the actual situation in society. If he hadn't needed a private space for cultivation, he wouldn't have rented a place outside.

Where could one find a place for 1000 yuan a year that not only included utilities but also had a supermarket, laundry, and bathroom all in one, and didn't require self-cleaning? Where could one eat their fill for 12 yuan a day, with free soup included? Where were there clean badminton courts, basketball courts, and football fields available for free use? Where could one spend 50 yuan to swim all summer, watch a movie for 2 yuan, and take a shower for 1.5 yuan! Where were these things provided? Nowhere but school, so school was indeed better.

But then he thought, he couldn't think like this. His parents were old at home, and his younger brother still needed money for school. He could only bid farewell to campus life and strive in society.

However, looking at his classmates around him, they were all boasting about their future ambitions. It seemed they hadn't been hit by reality yet. If he hadn't started working and earning money early, he might have been like them.

Chen Mo smiled, raised his wine glass, and after clinking glasses with Oldest Brother and the others, he downed the drink in one gulp, earning cheers from the crowd. Drinking was about having fun, and drinking like him naturally made others happy.

He himself knew that although he was smiling and playing along, his heart was somewhat calm. He wondered what it would be like when they met again in a few years. Thinking about it was also a major life lesson.

After a few drinks, he felt an urge to use the restroom, so he excused himself from Oldest Brother and the others and went to the bathroom. After a refreshing relief, as he was washing his hands, he heard a voice behind him.

"Chen, Chen Mo, thank you for what you did earlier," Gong Hui said, standing behind him. The bathroom was on the first floor, around a corner, while the party was on the second floor. Seeing Chen Mo go downstairs, she had found an excuse to follow.

"You're welcome," Chen Mo replied, not wanting to say much. It was just the last bit of friendship from knowing each other.

"No, I still need to thank you," Gong Hui said.

"Mm!" Chen Mo responded, perhaps.

"I know you might know some things about me, but what you saw might just be the surface, without truly understanding," Gong Hui said, feeling distressed but holding back her tears.

"Perhaps! But often, the first step to understanding something is seeing its surface. Besides, what's the point of understanding clearly? Can it be changed?" Chen Mo retorted.

"That's right, it can't change anything." Gong Hui realized that Chen Mo must have seen her returning to school that morning, which was why he had distanced himself from her later and hadn't contacted her since.

"Sometimes life has many unavoidable circumstances. It's not something you can avoid just because you don't want to do it. When many things come your way, you just have to do them," Gong Hui said.

"I can understand!" Chen Mo thought of the part-time jobs he had taken over the past year and the grievances and hardships he had endured. He nodded in understanding.

"When I got together with Wang Lisheng, I only told him that we had dated before, but we never even held hands, and you were always pursuing me!" Gong Hui explained.

"I could guess! But why are you telling me this?" Chen Mo asked. He shook his hands, pulled out a tissue, wiped his clean hands, and threw the used tissue into the bin.

"I hope you can help me maintain this lie. I have unavoidable reasons. It would be like you helping me, okay?" Gong Hui spoke slowly, but her eyes were fixed on him.

Chen Mo took out a cigarette, lit it silently, and took a few deep drags. He didn't usually smoke, but sometimes he would smoke a few cigarettes to relieve his inner distress.

"Alright! As long as Wang Lisheng isn't too much, I won't refute anything," Chen Mo said.

"Thank you, thank you!" Gong Hui said repeatedly, a happy smile appearing on her face.

"As a classmate and friend, I hope you know what you're doing, and I wish you happiness." Chen Mo extinguished his cigarette, said this to Gong Hui, and then turned to leave, returning to the second floor.

Gong Hui stood at the entrance of the bathroom on the first floor, gazing blankly at Chen Mo's retreating back, lost in thought. She knew in her heart that Chen Mo still considered her a friend. She had liked Chen Mo before, but due to her own issues, she had to let go. As for Chen Mo, she could only hope for an opportunity to repay him in the future, as she was currently powerless.

"Thank you!" Gong Hui said inwardly.

After Chen Mo came up, he was once again drawn into the boisterous atmosphere of the table. Gong Hui came upstairs after some time, sat beside Wang Lisheng with a sweet smile, and began to play the role of his girlfriend.

He caught a glimpse of her from afar and simply shook his head. His feelings for Gong Hui might just end there, with no future interactions. He wished her well!

There was a large screen on the second floor. The Class Monitor organized some classmates to go up and offer their blessings, singing a few songs, which made the gathering livelier.

At this moment, a group of about seven or eight people came up from the first floor.

The leader, a gangster with a dragon tattoo on his left arm and a tiger on his right, shouted directly, "MMP, all of you stop what you're doing! Did you hear me? All of you stop! Turn off that speaker too!"

The classmates were all surprised, looking at these thugs with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

"Hurry up, pack your things and get out! I need this place today," the leading gangster said arrogantly.

"Excuse me, big brother, we booked this place for the entire afternoon," the Class Monitor, proving himself to be a man, stepped forward and said to the leading gangster.

"I told you to leave, so just leave! Why are you talking so much nonsense?" The leading gangster directly slapped the Class Monitor and yelled.

The Boss of the restaurant came up at this time and said to the Class Monitor with some difficulty, "Student, you should finish up quickly. At most, I won't charge you for the booking. I didn't expect this to happen, I'm truly sorry."

Hearing the restaurant Boss's words and seeing the Class Monitor get slapped, the classmates immediately started to murmur amongst themselves.