Chapter 0179

Alumni were scattered throughout every corner of the campus.

The history museum, art gallery, sports stadium, teaching buildings… Many students were introducing recent developments of the school to their seniors, while those alumni, in turn, shared the institution's rich history with them.

The morning was spent helping alumni reminisce about their youthful days and witness the rapid changes. The official opening ceremony of the anniversary celebration would only begin in the afternoon.

After that, there would be a live-streamed alumni reunion, followed by a grand closing ceremony in the evening—a spectacular event attended by tens of thousands.

The next day would involve more nostalgia as the older alumni continued their "youth memoirs." All in all, the preparations and festivities for the anniversary would span at least half a month.

Of course, Principal Tang had also reserved a fundraising segment.

After all, such opportunities to "shear the sheep" didn’t come every year.

Lin Ran didn’t need to bother with any of this. As a current student, he knew the school inside out.

So, he headed straight back to his old dorm—the real heart of his youth.

The moment he stepped inside, he was surprised to see Wu Zhishang there as well.

"Old Wu?"

"Brother Lin?"

"I thought you’d be too busy to come back to the dorm," Lin Ran teased.

"How could I not? I just don’t like the noise outside. But you—I thought I’d never see you again."

"Didn’t we just meet at the wrap party last time?"

At the mention of that wrap party, Wu Zhishang’s face twisted as if he’d eaten something foul.

"Brother Lin, is your wife here?"

"Yeah, she went to discuss something with Principal Tang. I didn’t feel like tagging along, but I’ve prepared a surprise for later. You should come and see."

"What surprise?"

"Guess."

Wu Zhishang shook his head. "Guess if I’ll guess or not?"

Watching Lin Ran’s bright smile, Wu Zhishang suddenly found himself reminiscing about all the years they’d shared.

"Brother Lin, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye. We’ve really grown up."

Lin Ran sighed in agreement. "Yeah, we’ve all grown up."

They had known each other since childhood—studying together, getting into fights together, skipping classes together, and even attending university together.

The only difference was that Lin Ran had recently soared to new heights, while Wu Zhishang was still forging ahead.

"Brother Lin, seeing those seniors today made me feel like I’ve traveled through time. Do you think our youth is over?"

Lin Ran gave him a puzzled look. "Or maybe our new lives are just beginning? Old Wu, you don’t strike me as the type to dwell on negativity."

Wu Zhishang’s spirits lifted at Lin Ran’s words, and he pushed back the sadness in his heart.

"You’re right. Our new lives are just starting. Brother Lin, congratulations on your rebirth—on leaving all those past hardships behind."

Lin Ran rolled his eyes but still reached out to shake Wu Zhishang’s hand.

"And congratulations to you—on ditching that toxic ex and finally enjoying life."

Wu Zhishang froze, the image of Zhao Miaomiao flashing through his mind, sending a sharp pang through his chest.

"If you’re going to stab me like that, then I’ll have no choice but to bring up Liu Ruxue."

Lin Ran shot him a sidelong glance.

"Then I’ll have no choice but to remind you of the phone-and-toilet incident…"

"Damn it! Brother Lin, I surrender." Wu Zhishang immediately raised the white flag—that was one memory he’d rather forget.

"Trying to outwit me? You’re still an ocean short."

The two of them spent their time in the dorm reminiscing about the good old days, carefully avoiding any mention of past struggles.

Before long, a knock came at the door.

"Young Master Lin, the opening ceremony is about to start."

Lin Ran nodded. "Got it. I’ll head out after it’s over."

He realized he was feeling particularly lazy—he had zero interest in the ceremony.

Probably because Luo Yao wasn’t there.

So, he decided to skip the opening and only show up later as the student representative for his speech.

As for Luo Yao, she would only appear during the final segment to represent Luo Corporation in making a donation.

This was something Liu Meng could have handled, but Luo Yao had come in person solely because Lin Ran was there.

If she hadn’t had business with Principal Tang, she would’ve been by Lin Ran’s side the whole time.

Wu Zhishang stayed in the dorm, watching the live stream of the ceremony on his phone—something many students were doing.

After all, the world was full of lazy people, including alumni who couldn’t make it back to campus. Countless others, even random viewers, were tuning in.

It was, after all, a centennial celebration for a prestigious university.

Time ticked by until, finally, the opening ceremony ended, and the alumni reunion was about to begin.

Lin Ran, as the current student representative, made his way to the main field.

"Come on, Old Wu. Let’s go meet our youth head-on."

When Lin Ran arrived at the VIP entrance, a wave of excited gasps erupted around him.

Nowadays, he was Jingda University’s top heartthrob, with hordes of admirers.

Lin Ran waved at the volunteers. "Thanks for your hard work, everyone."

"Hello, Senior!"

Soon, a staff member notified Lin Ran to get ready.

The alumni reunion mainly targeted past graduates, with representatives seated near Principal Tang on the stage, chatting warmly.

The students, meanwhile, formed a massive crowd behind them—so dense that it was impossible to see where it ended, just a sea of heads like ants.

"Next, let’s welcome our outstanding student representative—young entrepreneur Lin Ran, who generously donated an entire library to our alma mater—to deliver his speech!"

While others took the stage in pairs or groups, Lin Ran was given a solo spotlight—a special arrangement by Principal Tang.

Having him stand alongside other students would’ve been beneath him.

Lin Ran didn’t care about such things, though. If not for the school’s request, he wouldn’t have bothered appearing at all.

Under the gaze of thousands, Lin Ran stepped onto the stage. The field was packed with students, and the front rows were filled with alumni who were no longer young. Yet, Lin Ran showed no trace of stage fright.

Then, he spotted Luo Yao sitting among them, her eyes fixed intently on him. A warm feeling spread through his chest.

A quick glance further revealed his grandfather, Chen Xiao, smiling encouragingly—probably worried Lin Ran might be nervous.

Lin Ran almost laughed. What a joke. My wife is Luo Yao—who could possibly intimidate me?

Down below, students buzzed with excitement.

"I just read the news a couple of days ago—apparently, Lin Ran is Chen Qingtian’s cousin? And the grandson of Director Chen Xiao from a prominent family?"

"Wait, what? I thought he was the boss of Suran Group?"

"Since when can’t a CEO have a grandfather who’s an education director?"

"But I remember Suran Group’s founder was surnamed Su—Lin Ran’s mother. Did I get it wrong, or are those gossipers just useless?"

"I’ve got an even juicier scoop—Lin Ran is Luo Yao’s kept man."

"Bullsht! Senior Lin would never stoop to that."

On stage, Lin Ran pulled out his phone. Today, he planned to drop a bombshell—to show everyone what a real man looked like.