Cheng Xing felt disoriented, as if someone had placed a thousand-watt lightbulb right in front of him. When he opened his eyes, he saw a blazing red sun hanging high in the sky, glaring down at him.
His eyes stung a bit, so Cheng Xing squinted and looked away. He noticed he was holding a basketball, and not far away stood a basketball hoop.
The basketball court seemed so familiar. Looking around, he saw Zhou Yuan, Sun Li, and the others. Only, they all appeared younger, looking like seventeen or eighteen-year-olds.
He could vaguely hear Zhou Yuan calling out, "Brother Cheng, hurry up and shoot! Shoot!"
Cheng Xing subconsciously threw the basketball in his hand. With a bang, the basketball landed on the ground, not even touching the rim.
"Brother Cheng, what's wrong with you today? You can't even hit the rim from this close," Sun Li asked in confusion. Cheng Xing was really good at basketball, especially shooting.
It was less than a meter away from the hoop. Missing was understandable since everyone did occasionally, but not even touching the rim? That was way off for someone of Cheng Xing's skill level.
"It's probably because of the love letter you wrote to Chen Qing this morning. Chen Qing must have seen it by now," Zhou Yuan teased with a grin.
Cheng Xing was still dazed when the basketball court suddenly became lively. Other people who had been playing basketball rushed over. Instinctively, Cheng Xing turned around and saw three girls, seventeen or eighteen years old, walking towards them.
The leading girl wore a light blue floral dress, her black hair tied into a ponytail. Her fair and tender legs seemed even whiter under the sunlight. She wore a pair of white canvas shoes, and her expression carried a hint of anger as she approached Cheng Xing.
"Cheng Xing, can you explain this love letter? Everyone thinks we're dating now. I told you I wouldn't date until after college, so don't write me these things anymore. I won't agree to it," she said, holding up a piece of paper and glaring at Cheng Xing.
The girl was very pretty, with delicate features and fair skin. Her face was slightly flushed from the heat and haste, and her beautiful eyes were filled with anger as she stared at Cheng Xing.
Cheng Xing recognized the girl instantly—Chen Qing, the one he'd pursued since high school. As for the other two girls, they were Wang Yan and Li Dan.
Cheng Xing frowned, the scene growing eerily vivid. At first, he thought he was dreaming, but dreams didn't feel this real. He hadn't seen Li Dan since graduating from high school, yet her face was as clear as the one he remembered from back then.
He bent down, picked up the basketball, and touched it. A bold guess came to mind—it felt real.
He tossed the basketball to Zhou Yuan and said, "Zhou Yuan, throw the ball to me."
"Huh? Alright, Brother Cheng." Zhou Yuan looked puzzled but followed Cheng Xing's instructions. He threw the basketball back.
This time, Cheng Xing didn't catch it. Instead, he let the ball slam into his chest. The sharp sting confirmed his suspicions. A smile spread across his face. His bold guess was right.
Somehow, after years of dreaming about high school late into the night, he had returned to that moment on the basketball court thirteen years ago.
The dilapidated court, sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Zhou Yuan, and the seventeen-year-old Chen Qing rejecting his confession with a love letter on this very spot—it all came flooding back. September 6, 2010, Monday. This day was forever etched in his memory.
"You want an explanation, don't you?" Cheng Xing asked with a calm smile as he looked down at Chen Qing.
Chen Qing froze. Something about Cheng Xing seemed different, though she couldn't pinpoint what.
No matter how Cheng Xing had changed, Chen Qing was determined to make him clarify things today. Ancheng No. 1 High School strictly prohibited early romance. If this misunderstanding reached the teachers—or worse, her parents—she'd be in big trouble. And she had nothing to do with Cheng Xing. The more the rumors spread, the worse it would be for her.
"Yeah, explain it clearly," Chen Qing insisted. "It's better for everyone. We should focus on our studies now. If there's anything, we can talk about it in college."
Cheng Xing's attention shifted. Among the crowd was a quiet figure, her presence understated yet impossible to ignore. Her calm demeanor seemed otherworldly, as though she didn't quite belong in this mundane scene. Even her glasses couldn't hide her stunning beauty.
In his previous life, she had left behind only faint traces of her existence at Ancheng No. 1 High School before vanishing like a fleeting dream. By the time anyone realized it, she had withdrawn from the world entirely. Cheng Xing had to know if this life could be different.
Taking the love letter back from Chen Qing, he walked past the crowd. Wherever he went, the students parted, giving him a clear path.
Finally, she came into view—Jiang Luxi. Her quietness was almost ethereal. She stood apart from the chaos, a world unto herself.
"Morning self-study starts soon," she said softly. "The teacher told everyone to return to class." Without waiting for a reply, she turned to leave.
"Wait," Cheng Xing called out.
She stopped, her gaze questioning but calm.
Cheng Xing held up the love letter. Smiling faintly, he addressed the crowd. "Chen Qing asked me to explain, right? Yes, I wrote this letter. But the person I wanted to give it to isn't her. It's Jiang Luxi."
Then, without hesitation, Cheng Xing handed the letter to Jiang Luxi and walked away.
This time, he thought, things would start differently.
Jiang Luxi, let's start from here.
Let's get to know each other.