"The patient seems to have had a myocardial infarction, the situation is quite complicated," the male doctor said.
"Right, we just had a cardiology intern report for duty today, should I call them over on the PA system?" the female nurse asked.
"Go quickly!"
Ji Yun tilted his head, his blurred vision catching a glimpse of his own EKG.
The troughs in the EKG were becoming more and more subdued, and he clearly knew that this represented his lifeline, which, once calmed, would also signify his departure from this world.
He could feel the urgency and professionalism of the surrounding doctors and nurses as they tried to save him.
But it seemed that he was a bit unlucky.
Outdated equipment, professional doctors busy resuscitating another patient, interns that seemed to lack experience…
"Defibrillator, ready!"
"Three, two, one!"
The surging electricity hit his chest without stirring his dying heart.
"Again!"
"Three! Two! One!"
"Beep~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"
A straight, flat line of life ran through Ji Yun's existence, with only violent fluctuations at the very end, but ultimately subsiding into eternal stillness.
"10:07 am."
"The patient shows no vital signs."
...
For some reason, Ji Yun could hear the doctors making their final judgment on him.
It was like a stern teacher glancing at his watch, unwilling to prolong the lesson any further, finally allowing the class to end.
Ji Yun lay there in a daze, and it seemed only this kind of voice could give him a slight boost in spirit.
Outside the window, strands of fresh summer breeze brushed in, mixed with the familiar scent of wildflowers from behind the mountain.
After the breeze had circulated the room and returned to Ji Yun, it brought with it an even more entrancing aroma of books.
It was so nostalgic, so familiar, yet so strange.
Was this him revisiting the most unforgettable summer of his life on the brink of death?
So it seems those people were right.
Gradually, Ji Yun became aware.
His soul and body finally reconnected.
He felt his somewhat numb arm, apparently pillowed under his own head.
His head felt slightly groggy, but he was slowly coming to.
He tried to open his eyes and indeed saw a classroom.
He had once sat in a classroom feeling time crawl by, always relishing the thought of how fast life would move once he left this place.
Yet since truly leaving, each restless night he would dream of falling back here, forcibly merging into his younger self's body, where his tired, scarred heart could finally find a bit of peace.
Yeah, very real.
This time was much more real than any dream.
Worthy of the experiences one has at death's door, the last extravagant meal for the senses!
The sunlight spilling onto the desk, the full aroma of ink and books, the noisy yet vibrant classroom, and all those youthful, beautiful figures weaving through his half-open, blurry vision like butterflies and colorful swallows.
It's like...
It was just a long nap, a long dream.
"Hey, don't lean on my desk!" An unfriendly voice came from behind him, tinged with reprimand.
After waking up, Ji Yun, too comfortable, subconsciously leaned back, not realizing that he touched the desk of the classmate sitting behind him.
Ji Yun turned to look and saw a freckled boy.
Curly black hair, the expression could be kindly described as rebellious, or more bluntly as "who do you think you are?"
That was Ji Yun's immediate thought.
The guy didn't get along with him, having fought on the soccer field.
What was his name again...
He definitely attended the 10-year class reunion yesterday.
Why can't I remember?
"If I want to lean back, I'll lean back!" Ji Yun shot back without indulgence.
The curly-haired boy's temper flared immediately, like a provoked black German Shepherd!
"Fine, if it wasn't for you having heatstroke, I'd slap you!" the curly-haired boy eventually refrained and sat back down, moving his desk backward a bit.
Watching this, Ji Yun suddenly was struck by a familiar feeling.
The suddenly submissive curly-haired boy seemed like someone he had seen before.
And such a dialogue had also taken place before.
Ji Yun touched himself and looked around the classroom.
Involuntarily, the word "rebirth" sprang to mind.
I really wanted to be reborn!
Did it happen?
In an instant, Ji Yun already planned to kiss Qiu Ya, cheat in games, and invest in little horses to climb the peak of life!
For a moment, Ji Yun's eyes roved hungrily around the classroom again!
Suddenly, a green soccer ball flew in from outside the window, heading straight for a girl with a mushroom head reading in a corner.
Mushroom Head didn't react in time and took a hit to the head.
As if she barely felt any pain, the girl looked at the bouncing ball on the ground with her sleep-drunk, dazed expression, only then did she hold her head a few seconds later.
At that moment, another fairly attractive fair-skinned girl by the window immediately stuck her head out and scolded the boys on the playground loudly.
"Can't you guys be more careful? You hit someone!" the fair-skinned girl fumed, standing up for Mushroom Head.
Laughter from the boys outside followed instantly; clearly, they had done it on purpose.
The fair-skinned girl argued with them for a few more sentences before walking over to Mushroom Head.
"Don't mind them; they just think you're easy to bully. It's about time; let's go for rehearsal." She took Mushroom Head by the hand and left.
Before Mushroom Head left the classroom, she glanced over in Ji Yun's direction, and he happened to catch her eye.
But Mushroom Head immediately shyly turned away, then fled the classroom.
"Lou Yu?" Ji Yun racked his brains and finally remembered the name of the girl whose head had been hit by the ball.
Ji Yun had occasionally heard some old folks on Craftsman Street mention that Lou Yu would do very well in the future.
However, Ji Yun found it odd. The ten-year class reunion had been just last night; why hadn't she been there?
Because of a TV show??
Otherwise, Ji Yun might have witnessed her transformation from an ugly duckling into a swan!
"Smack!"
Suddenly, someone slapped Ji Yun heavily on the shoulder.
"Aren't you just fine, buddy?"
Without turning around, Ji Yun knew who it was.
Wu Kai from Craftsman Street, the child left behind!
"Thought you had heatstroke or something. Since you're okay, let's go flip those punks from Class 7, to avenge our previous shame!" Wu Kai picked up the soccer ball and pulled Ji Yun up from his seat.
Wu Kai, a sturdy and powerful guy, dragged Ji Yun outside practically by force.
Being on the first floor made it a breeze for the students to start playing soon after class ended.
The inner side was a semi-open activity area in the H-shaped teaching building, where most played badminton or shuttlecock.
The outer side was covered with grass, where the football fans were already sweating under the fierce sun.
Under the shade of trees, several students held their books, studying intently.
In the distance, a patch of red earth and green mountains adorned several solitary graves nestled among lush grass.
A youthful and melodious song flowed from the broadcast station, reached Ji Yun's ears, and somehow made every cell in his body come alive, as if baptized and reborn.
Everything was so wonderful.
Oh, take off!
"Did you see Qiu Mo?" Ji Yun shook off Wu Kai's hand and asked.
"She's right there!" Wu Kai pointed towards the shade under a nearby banyan tree.
The tree's dappled shadows and gossamer light wove into a beautiful curtain of shade that served merely to set off the girl sitting beneath it.
It was obvious from the sight that the boys on the small soccer field were playing extra hard, each looking her way every time they made an impressive move.
In another classroom building, countless greedy eyes were fixed on this beautiful scene.
As for some, in order to get a better look, they deliberately walked past the nearby snack store multiple times, unable to put down their mineral water bottles.
"Dude, if you want to buy everyone water, you don't have to buy it one bottle at a time!"
"I just love to."
Regardless, no matter how much they watched from afar, that beautiful patch of light and shadow always contained only her, undisturbed by anyone, without a hint of playful intent.
It had to be said that whether it was the young Qiu Mo or the mature Qiu Mo ten years later, she radiated an aura so dazzling like the midday sun, yet exuding a chill that made people hesitate to approach.
"Why do you have to know the answer, ruining the beauty we hold in our hearts for each other?"
That's what Qiu Mo told Ji Yun at the ten-year class reunion last night.
Ji Yun just wanted an answer, after all, it was a regret in his heart.
Ji Yun remembered that he once confessed his feelings to his White Moonshine, and he could feel her hesitation.
If it had been an adult woman hesitating, Ji Yun wouldn't have dwelled on it.
But hesitation during their student days often signified that the other person also had feelings for him but was held back by other factors from giving a clear response.
At that moment, Qiu Mo sitting alone under the tree made Ji Yun suddenly realize...
It was this day!
After he had confessed his feelings, she told him that she needed three days to consider and would give him an answer then!
Today was the day she was supposed to answer him!
She wasn't just reading under the tree; she was waiting for him!
Ji Yun remembered that he had been sick with heatstroke at the time and had just missed her response.
Ten years later, which was yesterday at the reunion, he had bluntly asked for this long-lost answer while drunk!
"Come on, if we don't get on the field, we'll miss the chance to show off our soccer skills in front of Qiu Mo." Wu Kai gave Ji Yun a nudge.
"I'm not feeling well today, I won't play, you go ahead," Ji Yun said.
"Fine, looks like today's campus hero will be none other than myself, Wu Kai!"
He sent Wu Kai off.
Ji Yun still walked over to the banyan tree.
As he approached Qiu Mo, catcalls and whistles started echoing from the windows of the surrounding teaching buildings.
Hearing the whistling around him, Ji Yun couldn't help but smile, enjoying that naive high school vibe.
"Qiu Ya..."
"Hmm?"
"Qiu Mo!" Ji Yun quickly corrected himself and sat next to Qiu Mo.
————————————————
(Special thanks to the lovely and charming brothers and sisters on the fan leaderboard, this chapter is for you! Stuck with an author who won't provide benefits for his League's family, must be hard... If I get a chance to livestream, I'll perform my special skill for the top one and two leaders—typing while standing on my head.)
(Anyway, many thanks to: Red Snow, Just You Called Tianyi, Little Cabbage Isn't Green, Cutest Cat, Mo Jia Mo, Cold Crow Over Clear Pond, Silent Fish zzz, ERZ, The Stranded Foreshadowing, Furnace-Fire Cooking 11, Three Lives Beyond the Shore… Thank you to every reader who has contributed, collected, read, and commented; your chaotic chubby, chaotic uncle, and chaotic handsome are back.)