"Chen Mo's wedding guest list revealed!"
"Exclusive scoop: Venue for Chen Mo's wedding finally confirmed!"
"Insider leak: Check out the luxurious wedding menu prepared for Chen Mo's big day!"
"Full guest list unveiled—A gathering of celebrities!"
...
As time passed, the hype surrounding Chen Mo's wedding only grew. Media outlets were relentless, churning out real and fake reports alike. Anything related to the wedding became headline material, spreading rapidly through countless channels.
News sites began copying each other's content in a rush to grab attention, often listing celebrities at random. This led many to suspect that some were using the wedding to stir up publicity. The March Ant Group quickly denied many of these claims.
One livestream platform even approached March Ant to buy the full broadcasting rights to the wedding—but was flatly rejected.
Ever since Chen Mo went public, every little piece of news about him had become headline-worthy. Now, his wedding had turned into a national sensation, rivaling even the hottest celebrities.
All eyes were on the upcoming ceremony. Media crews tried every trick in the book to get updates, but Chen Mo never said a word.
The wedding was just two days away.
Chen Mo sat on the living room sofa, flipping through a book while occasionally replying to Xiao Yu's messages. Most of the preparations were already done. Xiao Yu had moved into a small villa with her parents to await the ceremony.
Zhang Fengyun had already reported in—everything was set. The venue was arranged, catering finalized, hotel bookings confirmed, and transportation ready.
With all the details taken care of, Chen Mo could finally relax and wait for the big day—and for Xiao Yu to return to his side.
As he read, the ink girl notified him of guests arriving.
The robot led three people into the villa—his old university roommates: Zhu Gang, Li Zilong, and Wu Puyuan.
Back in the day, Zhu Gang was tall and thin like a bamboo pole. Li Zilong was nicknamed "Black Fat" because he loved gaming late into the night. Wu Puyuan, the smallest of the bunch, was affectionately called "Master Puyuan."
Now, their appearances had changed quite a bit.
Zhu Gang, now 1.95 meters tall, had gone from lanky to solid and imposing—quite handsome, too. Li Zilong had lost a lot of his old weight and looked sharp in a suit, exuding the aura of a boss. As for Master Puyuan, he was still short and skinny, with a slightly sneaky, nerdy look.
Five of them used to share a dorm. Three had shown up. Liu De was preparing to study abroad, while Amin—who had a close relationship with Chen Mo—had taken up a job sailing ships across the world, making him hard to contact.
"Chen Mo Shizhu, long time no see," said Puyuan dramatically, pressing his palms together in mock reverence.
"Master, where's your 'female disciple'? You didn't bring her?" Chen Mo played along.
"Ah, she's doing fine. Didn't need any guidance," Puyuan replied.
"Hahaha..."
The old banter immediately brought laughter. Time may have passed, but the vibe was still the same. Chen Mo hugged each of them, leading them to the living room.
"Whoa! You've got the 'Hero' game in holographic projection?" Fat Dragon's eyes lit up.
This game had been a big part of their college life—four years of late-night matches and trash talk. It represented their youth.
Now fully holographic, the "Hero" battlefield projected into the room like an ancient war map. The canyon terrain appeared clearly, with fog covering unexplored zones. This was one of the most popular features after holographic projectors hit the market.
Whenever Chen Mo felt bored, he'd occasionally play a match or two.
"Come on! Let's play a round!" Zhu Gang rolled up his sleeves and reached for a keyboard.
"Amitabha! Donors, wait for me!" Puyuan dashed to grab another keyboard and mouse.
Seeing his old friends behaving so freely put Chen Mo at ease. He had worried that his current status might make things awkward. But clearly, nothing had changed.
He joined them in a match, and soon the room buzzed with laughter, trash talk, and stories from the past. Reuniting with old friends always brought out endless conversation.
...
Meanwhile, Xiao Liwei sat in a car, gazing at the seaside view of Binhai City. After receiving Chen Mo's invitation, he rushed back from Zhejiang University to serve as a groomsman.
Seeing Chen Mo's name everywhere stirred his emotions. The friend he once studied, struggled, and fought alongside had become a household name.
It felt like a dream.
"Is your brother really Chen Mo?" asked the girl beside him.
She had long hair, a slightly retro style, and carried an air of artistic flair. Her name was Shangguan Yaner.
Even now, she found it hard to believe that the guy she'd dated for six years—her so-called "brother"—was actually that Chen Mo. She'd had no idea.
"Yeah," Xiao Liwei nodded with a smile.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" she asked.
"What was there to brag about? Saying 'Chen Mo is my brother'—people would think I was making it up."
"I'm not 'people,'" she said, clearly displeased.
"No, no, not you," Xiao Liwei quickly waved his hands.
The car stopped at the villa. A robot led them inside.
"Liwei, long time no see!"
Spotting him, Chen Mo ended his game and greeted him with a hug.
After high school, they'd gone to different universities. They hadn't seen much of each other since. Later, Xiao Liwei pursued postgraduate studies in Zhejiang—too far away to visit often.
But now, it felt like nothing had changed.
"Long time no see. Should I start calling you 'Big Boss Chen' now?" Liwei joked.
"Call me anything but that," Chen Mo laughed, then turned to the girl beside him. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"
"This is Shangguan Yaner. She's currently doing her master's at the Capital Conservatory, majoring in guzheng."
"No wonder. That refined vibe makes sense now. I used to see her in your friend circle and thought she looked like someone who could move mountains. How'd a guy like you land her?" Chen Mo teased, shaking hands with her. "Make yourself at home."
"Thanks." Yaner gave a polite smile.
"You talk like I'm the only one keeping secrets. You suddenly announced a fiancée and I only found out through the news. You sure kept that quiet."
"You never asked."
Chen Mo grinned and waved them to the sofa.
"I'll introduce you. These three are my college buddies: Zhu Gang, Li Zilong, and Wu Puyuan. We bunked together, gamed together, and even rated girls together. And this is my high school friend Xiao Liwei—and his girlfriend, Shangguan Yaner."
"You rated girls together?" Yaner gave Liwei a sideways look.
Chen Mo ignored Liwei's pleading eyes. "Back in high school, we sat by the window. Whenever a cute girl from the next class walked by, we'd judge her legs, her figure, her face—full commentary."
Liwei winced as a sharp pain hit his waist—clearly a pinch from Yaner. The others burst out laughing.
After the jokes settled, they continued chatting, catching up like old times. For men, friendship often comes down to shared hobbies, a few drinks, and good stories.