Walking back into a familiar yet strange campus, guided by the stimulating sight of those iconic buildings, Chen Hansheng's memories gradually resurfaced. Along the way, he encountered many classmates. Sometimes, he felt like greeting them, but when he opened his mouth, he realized he had forgotten their names.
However, he now remembered who Xiao Rongyu and the boy who tried to show off earlier were.
Xiao Rongyu was said to be the most beautiful student in the history of Gangcheng No. 1 High School since its founding. At last night's senior year gathering, Chen Hansheng, fueled by alcohol, confessed his feelings to her and was unsurprisingly rejected. Xiao Rongyu's reasons hadn't changed over the years: in middle school, she said she wouldn't date in middle school; in high school, she said she wouldn't date in high school; and after finally graduating high school, she switched to saying she wouldn't date until after university.
Gangcheng was a small place, and connections were intertwined in various ways, so Chen Hansheng's mother and Xiao Rongyu's mother knew each other. However, Xiao Rongyu's parents worked at the public security bureau and the power supply company, giving her family a slightly better standing.
Of course, Chen Hansheng was never a complete underdog either. His grades were above average, he was tall and sturdy, not boring in character, and had even fought with local delinquents outside the school. His family wasn't wealthy but was decent enough that he never had to worry about tuition fees.
Logically, such a person didn't seem to have much reason for rebirth. He wondered why he had been chosen. Was it a punishment for drunk driving?
But there's a saying: "From eight to eighteen, it's only ten years. From eighteen to twenty-eight, it's a whole lifetime." Even if Chen Hansheng followed a conventional path, he could still become a millionaire. If he pushed harder, he might add a few more zeros to his wealth and even change the course of history.
As for that guy who tried to step on Chen Hansheng to impress Xiao Rongyu, his name was Gao Jialiang. His father was a real estate businessman in Gangcheng, but the business was unstable, sometimes profitable, sometimes not. In the previous life, during a classmates' reunion more than ten years later, Gao Jialiang's toast to Chen Hansheng was with his glass rim held three inches lower.
"Mr. Xu, where's my admission letter?" Chen Hansheng walked into the teacher's office and called out to a male teacher with a balding head.
Mr. Xu's full name was Xu Wen. He was Chen Hansheng's homeroom teacher during high school, and they got along quite well. Sometimes, when things got casual, they even called each other brothers. Chen Hansheng used to visit Mr. Xu when he first started working, but as things got busy, he eventually forgot. Later, Mr. Xu passed away from lung cancer. At that time, Chen Hansheng was abroad and could only send a white envelope of money; he didn't even have time to attend the funeral.
So, to the "real" Chen Hansheng, seeing Mr. Xu was like a reunion from different worlds, and he couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Mr. Xu turned around, saw Chen Hansheng, and with a smile pulled out his admission letter from a stack, saying somewhat regretfully, "I thought you'd make it into a first-tier university."
Chen Hansheng, being a student who didn't cause much trouble, maintained decent grades, and contributed to the class when needed, wasn't someone teachers disliked, even if he wasn't the teacher's pet.
Chen Hansheng nonchalantly took the letter. "Second-tier is fine, that's my level."
Wang Zibo, on the other hand, was very respectful. "Hello, Mr. Xu, I'm here to get my admission letter."
While Mr. Xu searched for the letter, Chen Hansheng scanned his desk and saw a pack of Red Jinling cigarettes. Red Jinling was the best-selling cigarette brand in Su Dong Province, popular among working-class people. Chen Hansheng's father also smoked it.
"Mr. Xu, you need to cut down on these. Managing the stress of senior classes is hard enough, and smoking will only make it worse," Chen Hansheng said, picking up the pack.
Mr. Xu was taken aback. Most students who came to collect their admission letters just said "thank you" or made empty promises like "I'll visit more often." Only Chen Hansheng sincerely advised him to smoke less, sounding more like an old friend than a student.
Mr. Xu felt touched. Nowadays, teachers were like "one piece of chalk, sleeves of wind, three feet of podium, four seasons of toil." Even if they didn't aim for the ideal of "students everywhere," a student genuinely caring about them warmed their heart.
Mr. Xu even felt he might have cared too little for Chen Hansheng, this charming young man, and readily agreed, "I'll smoke less from now on."
"Talking isn't enough," Chen Hansheng said as he slipped the Red Jinling pack into his pocket. "I'll hold on to this pack for you."
Mr. Xu couldn't help but laugh. Instead of getting a basket of fruit as a gift, he was losing a pack of cigarettes. Still, he liked this kind of relationship. Wang Zibo's overly polite behavior felt stiffer.
The office wasn't just occupied by Mr. Xu and the two boys; other teachers and students were there, too. Among them was the group of bike-riding classmates from earlier. When Gao Jialiang saw Chen Hansheng pocket the cigarettes, he sneered, "Even people like him can get into university. It really drags down the standard of college students."
A girl immediately defended, "Chen Hansheng usually has decent grades. Getting into a second-tier school is actually underperforming for him. Maybe he's smoking because…"
She stopped mid-sentence, realizing she was about to mention "the rejection from his confession," with Xiao Rongyu present.
That slip only made Gao Jialiang more irritated. "He was never a good guy. He even fought with those thugs outside school."
Gao Jialiang wanted to continue smearing Chen Hansheng's reputation, but Chen Hansheng walked over and said, "You're all here."
Gao Jialiang turned away, refusing to respond, so Chen Hansheng greeted the others. Seeing the envelope in Xiao Rongyu's hand, he smiled, "Which school are you going to, Miss Xiao?"
"Donghai University," Xiao Rongyu answered, then asked, "What about you?"
"What a coincidence. I'm going to the finance academy right across the street. We'll be neighbors, so let's stay in touch," Chen Hansheng replied, surprised to learn they'd be studying across from each other. Thinking back, it was a shame he forgot about her when he got carried away with college life and the abundance of attractive girls at his own school.
Just then, Gao Jialiang couldn't resist sneering, "Donghai University is a 985 and 211 university. Your finance academy is just a second-tier school. That's not exactly being neighbors."
Gao Jialiang was also going to study in Jianye, at the first-tier Aerospace University, but his campus was hours away from Xiao Rongyu's. His face couldn't hide the jealousy and displeasure.
Chen Hansheng grinned, thinking, If you keep bragging, I might really pursue Xiao Rongyu just to spite you.
With that thought, he noticed the Siemens mechanical watch on Xiao Rongyu's wrist and asked, "What time is it now?"
Xiao Rongyu instinctively raised her wrist. "5:25."
"Nice watch. Did you get it this summer?" Chen Hansheng casually grabbed her fair hand, pretending to look at the time while subtly touching her skin. Gao Jialiang's eyes blazed with anger. "That dog Chen Hansheng, rejected last night, is now skipping words and getting physical?!"
Xiao Rongyu quickly pulled her hand back, glaring at Chen Hansheng.
Having gotten what he wanted, Chen Hansheng left with Wang Zibo without hesitation, leaving the group speechless.
The time struck 5:30, and the school loudspeakers began playing music. Considering that today was the day for collecting admission letters, the broadcast team played Xu Wei's "Blue Lotus."
"Nothing can stop Your yearning for freedom. The carefree life, Your heart free of attachments. ... Forever blooming, The blue lotus."
Students from Grade 11 who were in summer classes bustled around. Walking among the throngs of young faces, listening to the serene melody, and breathing in the crisp air, Chen Hansheng felt thoroughly refreshed.
"High school life is really something, but, alas, I've graduated!"