Seeing Pan Qiudong reminded Wang Yue of the child who used to follow him around begging for candy when he was little.
Pan Qiudong was the son of his sixth uncle. When they were young, they lived in the countryside and hadn't moved to the city yet.
Back then, every time Wang Yue visited the countryside, this kid would trail behind him asking for candy. He was so simple and honest.
But later, when his sixth uncle's family's conditions improved and they moved to the city, Pan Qiudong probably fell in with a bad crowd. His personality changed drastically. The simplicity was gone, replaced by a rebellious streak.
After failing twice, he got into an ordinary university. He then got a girlfriend, only to be cheated on. That's when he decided to focus on making money.
Unfortunately, he took a wrong turn and joined a shell company. All his money was scammed away. In the end, he returned home destitute and had to rely on his parents. Thankfully, his sixth uncle and aunt's retirement salaries were enough to support him.
As soon as Pan Qiudong arrived, he gave Wang Yue a bear hug.
He said with a laugh, "Not bad, cousin! I heard you ranked first in the imperial exams. I was so excited I didn't sleep all night. I bragged to everyone that my cousin was the top scholar, but they didn't believe me. We have to take some pictures together later."
Wang Yue pushed him away and said, "Get lost! Don't be so mushy."
"This is a manly hug between friends. What does it have to do with being gay?"
Pan Qiudong pouted.
"Cousin, do you have any secrets to share? My mom told me to learn from you. How do you usually study?"
Pan Qiudong slung an arm around Wang Yue's shoulders.
"Read more books, read more newspapers, eat fewer snacks, and sleep more."
Wang Yue replied.
"Stop joking, I'm serious."
Pan Qiudong sighed. "I've already failed twice. If I fail again, my parents will beat me to death."
"Hang out less with your bad friends and focus more on your studies. Getting into a top-tier university is not a problem for you."
Wang Yue said.
Pan Qiudong's parents were both teachers. His intelligence wasn't lacking; he just spent too much effort on things unrelated to studying.
"Cousin, you don't understand. If I don't fit in at school, I'll be isolated and bullied."
Pan Qiudong clenched his fists. "Instead of being bullied, I'd rather be the kind of man who can control his own destiny."
"Who's bullying you?"
Wang Yue asked.
Pan Qiudong attended the third middle school.
Compared to the first and second middle schools, the third middle school had poorer academic performance and more troublemakers.
Students who didn't study well often focused on how to become the school's boss.
Therefore, relatively speaking, the third middle school had the worst academic atmosphere among the three high schools.
It was actually quite impressive that Pan Qiudong could graduate from the third middle school and get into university.
"Forget it, you wouldn't be able to help me even if I told you."
Pan Qiudong said dismissively. "Besides, I can handle those idiots now. I'm following a big brother."
"Pan Qiudong."
Wang Yue frowned. "I'm telling you again, hang out less with your bad friends. Big brother, little brother, whatever. You'll realize how childish your behavior is in the future."
"Ugh, why are you becoming as naggy as my parents?"
Pan Qiudong said impatiently. "Anyway, I know what I'm doing. I don't want to be bullied."
"Suit yourself."
Wang Yue couldn't be bothered to lecture him anymore.
He wasn't a savior. If Pan Qiudong was determined to be a rebel, so be it.
At this moment, his sixth uncle and aunt walked over.
Seeing Wang Yue, his sixth uncle smiled and said, "Xiao Yue, you were such a handful when you were little. I never expected you to rank first in the imperial exams, but congratulations nonetheless."
"Thank you, Sixth Uncle."
Wang Yue replied with a smile.
His sixth aunt also smiled and said, "Qiudong, learn from your cousin. Ask him for advice. Don't be so idle all the time. I'd be satisfied if you could get into a top-tier university, let alone rank first."
"Mom, I know."
Pan Qiudong replied impatiently.
Because Pan Qiudong didn't want to be nagged by his parents, he stood by the entrance with Wang Yue to greet guests.
He said with some envy, "Cousin, your celebration banquet is so grand! I wish mine could be half as impressive."
"If you study hard now, your future celebration banquet won't be too bad."
Wang Yue said.
"Forget it. I don't see any hope of getting into a key university. I just hope I can get into an ordinary one, then I can mess around in university for a few years."
As he spoke, Pan Qiudong pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and was about to light it.
He had learned smoking, drinking, and fighting in high school.
Wang Yue directly snatched the cigarette from Pan Qiudong's mouth and tossed it into the trash bin. "Smoking is not allowed here today. Go smoke when you get back."
"Then I won't, it's fine."
Pan Qiudong said dejectedly.
For some reason, he felt a little scared of Wang Yue this time.
He hadn't felt this way before.
This feeling reminded him of when he was in elementary school in the countryside. Whenever Wang Yue came to visit, Pan Qiudong felt a sense of apprehension.
Perhaps it was due to an innate sense of inferiority towards his cousin who came from the city.
Later, when he moved to the city, he grew taller and stronger. He no longer had so many reservations about his cousin, sometimes even finding him rather ordinary.
But after this meeting, Pan Qiudong found his cousin almost unrecognizable.
On one hand, he had become taller and more handsome. On the other hand, he had ranked first in the imperial exams.
Such a dazzling halo made Pan Qiudong's sensitive heart feel a trace of inferiority again.
Perhaps that hint of fear stemmed from this blind sense of inferiority.
After standing at the entrance for over half an hour, the guests finally arrived.
Most guests brought red envelopes, hoping for good luck.
Because Wang Yue was the top scholar, no one was stingy. The red envelopes contained at least a thousand yuan each.
Once everyone had arrived.
Wang Yue was finally free.
He had three younger male cousins, two younger female cousins, four older male cousins, and five older female cousins.
He hadn't even met some of them.
Then there were the aunts and uncles from his mother's side, most of whom Wang Yue had never met.
It was only then he realized how many people there were, people he had never met in his previous life.
At this moment, Pan Huiying walked out, holding a microphone.
"First, I'd like to thank all our relatives and friends for coming to my son's celebration banquet today. Seeing so many people here, I'm truly happy. In short, please eat well, drink well, and have fun!"
Pan Huiying didn't say much.
A burst of applause erupted from the crowd.
Then, they started to egg them on.
"Doesn't the top scholar want to say a few words?"
"That's right, let the protagonist speak today."
"I want to hear the top scholar speak!"