Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was the National Day holiday two weeks later—also the day that Zhao Yanyan and I were heading to Yan Jing for the Youth Computer Competition.
The travel and registration fees were all covered by the Youth Palace. If I hadn't been reborn, I would have been deeply moved by this, thinking that the Youth Palace was a truly heartfelt place for the well-being of young people. But things were different now. I could clearly see the subtle motives behind this. The amount the Youth Palace spent on us was nothing compared to the fame and recognition we'd bring if we won.
This time, Old Xu himself was leading the team. There was also a quiet, pretty girl traveling with us as a representative of the Youth Palace. She was about my age. She gave off a strange feeling. Although she wasn't as stunningly beautiful as Zhao Yanyan, she had her own charm. If Zhao Yanyan could be called an elegant lady, this girl would definitely be a delicate beauty.
I had never seen this girl before. There was only one other girl in the Youth Palace's computer class—Zhao Yanyan. Even if my eyesight was bad, there was no way I could mistake a girl for a boy, especially a beautiful one like her.
The train tickets were bought by the Youth Palace staff. There was one upper berth, two middle berths, and one lower berth. Old Xu took the lower berth. I had originally planned to take the upper berth and let the two girls have the middle berths, but to my surprise, the other girl beat me to the upper berth.
"Teacher Xu, who is she?" Zhao Yanyan asked curiously, turning to Old Xu, who was eating instant noodles.
"She's my granddaughter," Old Xu said with a smile. "She wasn't interested in the competition at first, but when she heard there was a genius like Liu Lei in the Youth Palace, she couldn't stand it and insisted on participating."
Although Old Xu didn't praise Zhao Yanyan, when she heard him call me a genius, a smile appeared on her face, as if she was happier about that than hearing praise for herself.
"Grandpa, you're so annoying! Stop making things up!" Before Zhao Yanyan or I could say anything, Old Xu's granddaughter poked her head out from the upper berth, looking displeased.
What a rude little girl, I frowned in my mind. But seeing Old Xu's expression, he seemed completely unfazed, so it seemed like he was used to it. Still, I couldn't help but rebuke her, "No matter what, he's your grandfather. Do you really need to teach him how to speak?"
The girl retorted angrily, "Who are you to tell me how to act? Who needs your guidance?"
"Hmph," I sneered, "I'm no one, but I know that respecting the elderly is the most basic virtue of a Chinese child."
"I respect him just fine! You have no idea how close we are! Mind your own business. I hate people who think they're superior just because they have some skills and act like saviors while criticizing others!" She pulled her head back and went back to ignoring us.
What was that all about? What did she mean by me having "some skills"? I was too lazy to bother with her.
Old Xu spoke up beside me, "Little Liu, don't take it to heart. This child didn't have much warmth in her family. After her parents divorced, she's lived with me, so her personality is a little odd. Don't take it personally."
I gave a wry smile and shook my head. I hadn't expected the girl to have such a background. Kids from single-parent families often have some rebellious tendencies, especially those who lack parental care. I had initially thought she was just spoiled, but now I realized I had misunderstood her.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. Old Xu's granddaughter, whose name I learned later was Xu Ruoyun, mostly stayed on her berth reading books, only coming down to grab a snack or use the bathroom.
The next morning, we arrived in Yan Jing, the capital of the New China. Zhao Yanyan was extremely excited, constantly looking around and expressing curiosity about everything. Xu Ruoyun, although seemingly indifferent, had a curious look in her eyes that matched Zhao Yanyan's.
Old Xu took on the role of a tour guide, constantly explaining the sights and culture of Yan Jing. The two girls listened intently, while I couldn't help but feel indifferent. Yan Jing… I knew this city too well. In my previous life, I had lived here for over ten years—from university to work, all the way to the end of my life. Thinking of it now, a pang of sorrow hit me, and I instinctively tightened my grip on Zhao Yanyan's hand.
Zhao Yanyan seemed to notice my sudden change in mood. She looked at me with a concerned expression and carefully asked, "Liu Lei, what's wrong?"
I shook my head. Should I tell her that I was feeling down because I saw her marrying another man?
"I'm just a little tired. Don't worry about me, I'm fine," I lied.
"Then, let's find a place to rest first!" Zhao Yanyan said, noticing that I wasn't feeling well and losing interest in the sightseeing.
"Exactly, health comes first!" Old Xu echoed. After all, he was counting on me to produce results. If I were to fall ill and miss the competition, it would be a huge regret.
Only Xu Ruoyun, pouting, muttered, "A boy like you, sick all the time. How embarrassing."
I ignored her, but Zhao Yanyan frowned slightly, clearly upset, though she didn't say anything.
We arrived at the hotel designated by the Youth Computer Competition Committee. Old Xu had figured out the situation between me and Zhao Yanyan, but since he wasn't our teacher, he didn't say anything.
Old Xu wasn't a rigid person. After all, anyone who could accept computers must have an open mind. So he didn't comment much on my relationship with Zhao Yanyan. In his view, at sixteen, we were both considered adults, and a boy and a girl being together wasn't a big deal. As long as we knew how to balance things and didn't let it affect our studies, it was fine.
From what I could see, both Zhao Yanyan and I were excellent, especially when it came to computers. So Old Xu was even less likely to comment.
Seeing Old Xu's calm attitude, I couldn't help but sigh. If only all teachers were as open-minded. If they could correctly view relationships between boys and girls—those that didn't interfere with normal studies and helped both parties grow—what harm would there be in allowing it?
Originally, the plan was for Old Xu and me to share a room, and Zhao Yanyan and Xu Ruoyun to share another, but when I received the room cards, I took two cards for the same room. Old Xu hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn't. He took the other two cards for himself and Xu Ruoyun.
Old Xu told us to rest for a while and that he would take us out later in the afternoon. I, of course, was very happy, while Zhao Yanyan sat quietly, her face a little flushed, unsure of what she was thinking.
After Old Xu left, the room was left with just the two of us. Although this wasn't the first time we'd been alone together, it was the first time we were staying in the same room, so it felt a little awkward.
"It's just the two of us now," I said to Zhao Yanyan, who was sitting quietly on the bed.
Zhao Yanyan didn't dare to look at me stupidly, her little face was like a big red sun.
I couldn't hold back the desire in my heart anymore, so I suddenly picked up Zhao Yanyan and kissed her on the lips...
"Liu Lei, I'm yours!" Zhao Yanyan said happily, the red tide on her face had not faded.
"Well, you're mine." I say.
"You can't do without me in the future." Zhao Yanyan's tears slipped down gently and dripped in my heart.
is still Yanjing, Zhao Yanyan in the previous life was so far away from me, but this life is close at hand, at this moment history was changed by me, Zhao Yanyan became my justifiable little wife.
She and I didn't expect that in the hotel, this small room, would become our new house. It all came too suddenly, but it seemed so natural, without too many words, everything was so logical.
The communication of hearts is far greater than a thousand words. This moment, deeply imprinted in the memory, unforgettable.
Zhao Yanyan carefully folded the sheets and put them in her backpack.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"It's my first time, so of course I'm going to keep it as a souvenir!" Zhao Yanyan didn't have the slightest scruples, so she swayed naked in front of my eyes, which suddenly made my heart messy again.
Zhao Yanyan didn't notice that I was already lustful behind her, and I threw myself on the bed again...
"Don't pity me at all, it's the first time I've had today!" Zhao Yanyan was very dissatisfied with my brace.
"But it's my first time!" I pretended to be innocent.
The two of us took a hot shower, and when I came out, Zhao Yanyan was already dressed up, and the bed sheets were changed to a new one, and I don't know how she went to negotiate with the service desk.
At noon, Old Man Xu called the two of us to eat. Zhao Yanyan and I were like a newlywed couple, snuggling sweetly and walking out of the room.
was greeted by Xu Zhenyun's disdainful gaze, and coldly dropped a sentence: "How old is it, it's not ashamed!" "I left first.
Old man Xu saw that my face was displeased, and hurriedly came over to play the round: "Don't go to your heart, this girl is like this!" "
I snorted and went downstairs with Old Man Xu.
After lunch, Old Man Xu wanted to take us out shopping. Zhao Yanyan has just changed from a girl to a woman today, and now she has a hard time walking, so she has to stay in the hotel to rest under the pretext of being uncomfortable. Naturally, I'm going to stay too. Only Old Man Xu was left to take Xu Jiyun out of the hotel.
"Does it still hurt?" I asked quietly on the way back to my room.
"Of course, didn't you see that I had to walk hard? Otherwise, go shopping! Zhao Yanyan snorted and leaned on me a little aggrieved.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered, for I didn't know what I was supposed to say at the moment.
"baby-"
"Huh?"
"I don't hurt anymore, why don't we try again" Zhao Yanyan put her whole body over and said to me in a slippery voice.
"...· #¥%...—*"I have nothing more to say.
Zhao Yanyan and I didn't do anything, from the bed in the hotel to the floor, to the bathroom, there were traces of our love everywhere, and I could clearly feel the deep affection in Zhao Yanyan's eyes for me.
Later, when we were all tired, we hugged each other and lay down on the bed. Zhao Yanyan curled up in my arms and told me about her love.
I stroked Zhao Yanyan's smooth back and told her a poignant story. The protagonists of the story are also called Liu Lei and Zhao Yanyan...
When Zhao Yanyan heard that "Liu Lei" in the story died, she was already in tears.
When we woke up, it was already dark outside, and the streets were lit with neon lights.
"Are you hungry?" I asked Zhao Yanyan, who had just woken up next to me.
"A little," Zhao Yanyan said. "What about you?"
"I'm about to starve to death..." I glanced at my watch; it was already 8 PM, and I wasn't sure if Old Man Xu and his granddaughter had come back yet.
By the time Zhao Yanyan and I finished getting ready, half an hour had passed. After locking the door, I noticed that the next room was still pitch dark. It seemed they hadn't returned.
We left the hotel and strolled down the street. Zhao Yanyan's body had obviously recovered, and she was happily skipping along.
"Liu Lei, why is this street called Chang'an Avenue?" Zhao Yanyan asked loudly, pointing at the street sign.
"I don't know. Could it be that this was the Chang'an city during the Western Han Dynasty?" I made up something on the spot.
"What?! You're illiterate! Chang'an was in Xi'an! How did you learn history?" Zhao Yanyan mocked me.
"Heh heh." I knew nothing about history, but if you asked me about the future, I'd probably know a lot more.
"Is this the capital? It's so beautiful!" Zhao Yanyan stopped teasing me about my ignorance and was instead captivated by the bustling scenery around us.
The capital of China in 1994 was worlds apart from the skyscraper-filled, bustling trade center of Yanjing that I'd seen in my past life. But compared to the even more backward Songji City, this was already a top-tier metropolis.
The late autumn evening breeze brushed against our faces, bringing a refreshing chill. I took Zhao Yanyan's hand and led her to a street-side snack stall. The owner immediately came over to greet us. "What would you like to eat?"
"Yanyan, have you ever tried 'ma xiao'?" I glanced at the menu and asked.
"Ma xiao? What's that?" Zhao Yanyan was unfamiliar with the term.
That's when I remembered: only people who had lived in Yanjing would understand what "ma xiao" meant. It was short for "ma la xiao longxia" (spicy crayfish). It was a dish Zhao Yanyan loved in my past life; she would always order it at company gatherings and eat it with great enjoyment. However, due to the rise of unscrupulous merchants, crayfish were farmed using chemical waste, and eating them caused strange illnesses. As a result, neither Zhao Yanyan nor I had eaten it in years.
Suddenly, I was transported back to 1994, when crayfish hadn't yet been contaminated. If I didn't eat it now, I might never have the chance again.
"It's spicy crayfish," I explained.
The stall owner, standing beside us, boasted, "This young man clearly knows his food! Not to brag, but our crayfish are famous in the capital!"
Since Zhao Yanyan had never tried it, and the owner recommended it so strongly, she agreed to order five pieces of ma xiao, along with a few skewers of lamb kebabs.
When the ma xiao arrived, Zhao Yanyan took one bite, then immediately blew out air, exclaiming, "It's so spicy, so spicy! I can't eat anymore! What is this?!"
It seemed Zhao Yanyan hadn't yet developed a tolerance for spicy food. Since she wasn't eating, I didn't hold back and finished off the remaining four pieces, along with the half she had left.
When we returned to the hotel, we happened to run into Old Man Xu, who had returned with his bags. "Typical rural mentality," I thought with a chuckle! But back in 1994, many people took pride in bringing things back home from out of town.
Old Man Xu handed me the competition schedule and gave me some instructions on what to pay attention to during the exams. He finally told me to gather at the hotel lobby at 8 AM tomorrow and not to be late.
I looked at the schedule. The competition was arranged over two days. He had signed me up for two events: typing and programming. Zhao Yanyan only had the typing event.
The competition would take place near Ganjiakou. I didn't understand why we were staying so far away from the venue, but from my experience in my past life, I could tell that there must be something fishy between the event organizers and the hotel. However, that wasn't really my concern, since a shuttle bus would pick us up tomorrow morning.
That evening, Zhao Yanyan and I watched TV for a while. We didn't find any good programs, but many channels were airing I Love My Family, the incredibly popular sitcom at the time.