Jiang Luxi tidied the books on the desk, placing them neatly in the drawer. She turned off the classroom lights, locked the door, and walked downstairs. According to the rule, the last person to leave had to turn off the lights and lock the door. Zhang Huan, however, didn't need to wait for everyone to leave before securing the door and taking the key. He could unlock it in advance and leave the key on the door for the last person to lock.
Jiang Luxi had hoped to do more homework, but time was tight. She had to go home early to avoid worrying her grandmother. However, she couldn't take her test papers home to finish them, as her grandmother wouldn't allow her to stay up late. So, every night, Jiang Luxi would do a few more questions in the classroom before riding home a little faster.
In the early 2000s, Ancheng still offered glimpses of the night sky, with stars sparkling overhead. Moonlight and starlight intertwined, casting long shadows of pedestrians on either side of the road. The arrival of autumn had transformed the city into a golden tapestry. Golden leaves, tinged with the season's hues, carpeted the streets, enhancing the beauty of the scene.
"Brother Cheng, this is the first time we're heading home together after school," Zhou Yuan said to Cheng Xing, his tone playful.
After a brief pause, he sighed and turned to Cheng Xing. "Brother Cheng, after chasing her for so many years, are you really going to give up?"
While others knew that Cheng Xing had harbored a two-year crush on Chen Qing during high school, Zhou Yuan knew the truth. It had been more than five years, and he doubted it would be easy for Cheng Xing to forget her. Moreover, from what Zhou Yuan knew about his best friend, Cheng Xing wasn't the type to give up easily. In fact, Zhou Yuan was convinced that Cheng Xing was the closest male friend Chen Qing had made in high school. With her family background and looks, she had plenty of suitors, yet only Cheng Xing had walked her home all these years.
"Give up on what?" Cheng Xing, lost in thought, hadn't heard Zhou Yuan's question.
"Give up on Chen Qing," Zhou Yuan repeated.
Cheng Xing smiled. "There's nothing to give up or not give up. We're not a good match."
Zhou Yuan didn't believe him. "It's okay, Brother Cheng. I think Chen Qing still likes you. Your sudden confession might have caught her off guard. It's understandable she'd need some time to think."
No matter how hard Zhou Yuan tried, Cheng Xing remained unconvinced. He knew better than anyone that, in his previous life, Cheng Xing hadn't given up after being rejected by Chen Qing. He didn't walk away; in fact, when he saw her waiting for him at the school gate, he was moved and reconciled with her.
From that point, things returned to normal. Every night, Cheng Xing would walk her home, and each afternoon, if she didn't feel like going out to eat, he'd bring food for her and her friends.
How long did that last? Until they were on the verge of parting ways after the college entrance exam.
At that time, Cheng Xing had confessed to her once more. And Chen Qing had finally told him they weren't a good match, that they came from different worlds. Afterward, although they stayed in touch, their meetings became rare. They saw each other only on the occasional holiday when their families gathered for dinner. By then, Chen Qing was already in college, attending a prestigious university, while Cheng Xing was still struggling with a bad reputation for getting into fights.
Their lives had grown further apart, and they had fewer opportunities to talk. Their relationship, while still friendly, was distant.
But Chen Qing had been right. They weren't a good match. It was only too late in his previous life that Cheng Xing realized what he had missed—a chance with another girl who had appeared in his dreams countless times before his regression.
"Hey, Brother Cheng," Zhou Yuan suddenly asked, "what kind of future do you think people like us will have? Sometimes I envy those who study hard. I want to do the same—achieve good results and make my parents proud."
"Then why not start now?" Cheng Xing asked with a smile.
Zhou Yuan went to college after the entrance exams, but he didn't finish. He later moved south to work with a few friends, and eventually, Cheng Xing made money from writing books and brought him over. Initially, Cheng Xing had planned to give Zhou Yuan significant responsibilities. However, due to his limited education, Zhou Yuan struggled with more complex tasks. So Cheng Xing assigned him a more supportive role, providing him with housing and a car despite the modest salary.
Cheng Xing and Zhou Yuan had known each other since their first year of high school, but they didn't become close until their second year. Though they shared similar backgrounds, they hadn't spent much time together before that. Zhou Yuan had once been an above-average student, which was why he had been admitted to Ancheng No. 1 High School. But like many others, his grades had fallen sharply. It's easy to go from good to bad, but harder to reverse that trend.
Cheng Xing wanted Zhou Yuan to study more so he could help him in the future.
"I'd believe that from anyone else, but not from you, Brother Cheng," Zhou Yuan said with a knowing smile.
"Alright," Cheng Xing said with a grin. "If I get into the top fifty of the class in the final exam, you'll study hard. Deal?"
"Deal," Zhou Yuan replied with a smile.
Getting into the top fifty was no small feat. Though there were only about seventy students in the class, excluding the ten or so underperforming students, the remaining fifty or sixty were top-tier students who would be highly sought after by other schools. For Cheng Xing to break into the top fifty in just half a year seemed nearly impossible. Zhou Yuan thought Cheng Xing was joking.
Just then, a bicycle zoomed past them, kicking up dust in its wake.
"Damn, who's riding so fast at night? Aren't they afraid of hitting someone?" Zhou Yuan muttered, about to continue cursing when he suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, Brother Cheng, that's Jiang Luxi."
Cheng Xing looked up and saw it was indeed Jiang Luxi.
"Hey!" Cheng Xing called out.
Jiang Luxi, pedaling furiously to get home, glanced back when she heard the shout.
"Don't ride too fast. Slow down," Cheng Xing called out, his voice filled with a smile.
Jiang Luxi only responded by pedaling faster.
Was he trying to go back on his word and beat her up? She wasn't stupid. She wasn't going to stop and let him catch up. Besides, she had already helped him this afternoon.