My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 109 Mine
Do you want to kiss me?

The slightly nasal murmur, like Mephistopheles' whisper, entered Zhou Heming's ears and spread like wildfire, attempting to ignite a raging inferno in the wasteland of his heart.

Faced with such an almost pleading inquiry, Zhou Heming remained silent for a moment.

He released Lu Bai's hand, propped himself up, and sat up.

Lu Bai looked at him with a mixture of confusion and melancholy.

"This is your first kiss."

Zhou Heming's voice was hoarse, but it contained a certain firmness.

"I hope it was a kiss born of irrepressible love, a kiss that I will never regret recalling."

Lu Bai remained silent.

She naturally understood the implication behind the other party's words.

"Sorry, I might be a bit clueless about romance."

Zhou Heming looked away.

"No."

Lu Bai also sat up, wrapped his arms around Zhou Heming's waist, and rested his head on Zhou Heming's chest, listening to the rapid heartbeat that could shake mountains and rivers.

Sensing the girl's equally rapid heartbeat, Zhou Heming cleared his throat and spoke as if to make amends for a mistake.

"The photos we talked about before can be taken now."

Lu Bai raised his face in his arms, his expression radiant.

"Okay, I'll take the picture."

She picked up her phone from the sofa, hugged Zhou Heming, and brought their faces close to the camera frame.

The two, dressed in pajamas, acted with the natural chemistry of a couple who had been living together for a long time.

click-

Shot with a mobile phone.

There are two photos of people smiling at the camera.

There is a photo of Lu Bai with his arm around Zhou Heming's neck, snuggling close.

There is a photo of Lu Bai pulling open Zhou Heming's lips, making him reveal an awkward smile.

There are photos of Lu Bai secretly kissing Zhou Heming's cheek when he wasn't paying attention.

"Many memorable moments have been captured."

Putting away his phone, Lu Bai smiled slyly.

"These photos can be taken anytime, right?"

Zhou Heming didn't understand why Lu Bai was so happy.

"The most meaningful photos are those taken when you want to capture the moment; taking photos later simply doesn't capture the same feeling."

Lu Bai explained, picked out a picture, and prepared to post it on his WeChat Moments.

"You really sent it?"

Zhou Heming held down Lu Bai's hand.

The previous two bowls could be considered somewhat subtle, but now Lu Bai has directly posted such a photo, which is no different from officially announcing their relationship.

Moreover, the photo was taken while the two of them were wearing pajamas, which inevitably leads to speculation.

"If you don't agree, then I won't send it."

Lu Bai put down his phone.

"I'm fine with it, but won't this affect your acting career or anything?"

Zhou Heming himself didn't care about that; he was more worried about Lu Bai. Celebrity scandals and such seemed to affect their careers to some extent.

"I'm not an idol, so I don't have a no-dating agreement. In fact, these kinds of photos can help me ward off some tactless guys."

Lu Bai raised an eyebrow.

"Besides, jobs that require you to maintain a single image don't sound very appealing."

Considering that in Cheng Shuangjiang's reborn world, Lu Bai also plays the female lead, without even a romantic scene involving holding hands, her statement is consistent with her personality.

"That's okay too."

Since it could help Lu Bai, Zhou Heming didn't care anymore.

In the past, he would definitely have cared about what others thought.

But now, Zhou Heming can only say that how others are doing is none of his business, and vice versa.

Lu Bai quickly posted that message on his WeChat Moments.

Zhou Heming refreshed his WeChat and saw a picture of Lu Bai with his arm around Zhou Heming's neck and kissing his cheek.

The caption is:

【mine】

It is indeed concise and to the point, expressing one's true feelings directly.

Why don't you give me any likes?

Lu Bai protested when he saw Zhou Heming log out of WeChat.

"Likes are only visible to mutual friends, so it shouldn't make much difference whether you like them or not, right?"

Despite saying that, Zhou Heming reopened his WeChat Moments and gave it a like.

Afterwards, he put down his phone and read a novel he had brought from home for a while. At 12:30, Lu Bai yawned repeatedly, so the two turned off the lights and went to sleep.

Before going to bed, Zhou Heming checked that he had turned off all the alarms and noticed a red dot on WeChat.

When I clicked on it, it was a notification from my WeChat Moments.

Cheng Shuangjiang left a comment under Lu Bai's post.

【Cheng Shuangjiang】: Congratulations.

Zhou Heming looked at the photo and the comments he had liked and Cheng Shuangjiang had left below it.

Beside her, Lu Bai made a whimpering sound and hugged her.

He locked his phone, put it down, and turned to embrace the girl beside him.

Feeling Lu Bai's body temperature, Zhou Heming suddenly spoke in a deep voice.

"The answer to the question from tonight."

"what?"

Lu Bai's voice was sticky, like intoxicating honey.

"The answer is, I think."

Zhou Heming's biggest flaw in life is that he can't lie.

Lu Bai was taken aback.

Then, her cheeks flushed, and she hugged the boy tightly with a grin, even wrapping her legs around him, allowing him to clearly feel the beautiful lines of her body.

The boy understood perfectly.

At this moment, if he were to ask for anything, the girl would be willing to grant him any wish and give him everything she had.

Even the past, present, and future—all of myself.

Therefore.

He can't do anything.

Until the scales of love are completely balanced, Zhou Heming will never be able to escape the self-imposed prison he has built for himself.

He longed for a mutual affection, a true love that would last a lifetime, and a love that would never fade until death.

But now, he couldn't give the girl in front of him that kind of response.

"I'm waiting for you."

However, the girl answered in a muffled voice from inside Zhou Heming's clothes.

The two said nothing more.

Lu Bai was unusually clingy tonight, his softness enveloping Zhou Heming, making him forget everything else and drift off to sleep amidst the faint scent of citrus.

*
Summer is not over yet.

The cicadas chirped incessantly, and the unbearable heat made even the wind feel scorching.

There's a joke circulating online that summer tourism to Wuhan is a very niche activity. To this, Zhou Heming can only say that the weather forecast hasn't even reached 40 degrees Celsius yet, so the future looks promising.

He and Lu Bai walked side by side under the shade of the trees, occasionally passing by the elegant shops on the street, where the air conditioning brought a touch of coolness.

Because it was so hot, the two of them didn't even hold hands.

Zhou Heming was wearing a white printed T-shirt, dark green shorts, sneakers, and carrying a large Lu Bai shoulder bag.

Lu Bai wore a fitted off-white T-shirt, a purple sun-protective shirt, denim shorts that showed off his long legs, canvas shoes, and his usual hat—a gray fisherman's hat today, perfect for sun protection.

"This is it, right here in this shopping mall."

The two arrived near Jiangcheng University, intending to go to the performance training class of Lu Bai's acquaintance.

This is a somewhat old shopping mall, and you can tell it's been around for a while. The layout is a bit similar to the place where Lu Bai rented clothes before; they might be buildings from the same period.

Located next to Jiangcheng University, business here is quite good. On the first floor, you can see some chain fast food restaurants. Walking into the mall, the not-so-strong air conditioning temporarily relieved the summer heat. People come and go. Zhou Heming took Lu Bai's hand.

"On the fourth floor."

They took the escalator to the fourth floor and saw many clothing stores selling affordable clothes and shoes, as well as small restaurants that offered good quality food at reasonable prices, catering specifically to college students.

The shops on the fourth floor are all larger, including gyms, internet cafes, board game shops, art studios, vocal training classes, etc. For some reason, there is also an unknown shop called "Science Exploration Editorial Department", which is closed.

Lu Bai led Zhou Heming inside and saw a large crowd gathered in front.

"Refund! Refund! Refund!"

A group of people who looked like parents were shouting.

It attracted the attention of many people from neighboring shops and college students passing by.

"what happened?"

Zhou Heming and Lu Bai went over to investigate, wondering which family was so unlucky as to have their door blocked.

"It seems that their child enrolled in a performance training class, but didn't perform well in the art exam, so the parents came to ask for a refund."

A woman wearing an apron with paint smears on her clothes was enthusiastically cutting melons for Zhou Heming and Lu Bai, looking like she was selling melon seeds and soda in the front row.

"Wasn't the art exam last December? Why are they only starting now?"

Zhou Heming was puzzled that he had stumbled upon a melon in his own home.

"I guess the child didn't do well on the college entrance exam. Look, the one who was leading the charge, she must have instigated him."

The woman in the art studio pointed to the woman at the front.

These parents all brought their children, but most of the children looked awkward, their eyes darting around, and they didn't stand with their parents. Instead, they gathered to the side and whispered among themselves.

It's embarrassing enough to fail an exam, but now your parents are bringing you here demanding a refund. You probably feel like crawling into a hole and disappearing into the ground.

"And it's registration time now. Look over there, there are people registering. These parents are probably thinking that this will drive some students away, right?"

"That's what the art studio lady said calmly."

"It would be nice if a few people came to learn to draw."

So, the real intention wasn't in the wine.

Zhou Heming looked towards the parents, unsure how to end the situation.

"However, it's quite shameful for a group of people to be yelling at a girl like that."

"That's what the art studio girl muttered."

It was only then that Zhou Heming and Lu Bai noticed the girl surrounded by her parents.

The girl had long, soft, slightly wavy hair, a delicate and aloof face, and wore a light green dress-style top and jeans. She held a paper bag of food in one hand and a half-eaten donut in the other.

"Sister Xi Ya?"

Lu Bai seemed to know her.

"acquaintance?"

Zhou Heming was curious.

"Yes, Senior Joshia, she usually works as a teacher here, so she's practically a boss."

Lu Bai explained, trying to push his way through the crowd to get in, but Josiah had already spoken.

"Dear parents, I understand your feelings, but with so many people taking the art exam every year, and only a small number being admitted, it's impossible for everyone to pass."

Her voice was slightly cold, carrying an unquestionable quality akin to a magical incantation.

"Moreover, out of the twenty students in our training class this year, twelve achieved high scores. Based on their scores, at least eight of them will be admitted, and four of them will be admitted to top universities. This is already a very high admission rate."

Zhou Heming did some quick calculations and realized that what Qiao Xiya said was indeed correct.

"What about our children?"

The woman in charge retorted.

"Let me state upfront that I'm not saying your children are less talented. I just want to remind everyone that in the performing arts, talent is more important than hard work. It's crucial to be realistic. Why didn't some parents come to make a fuss even though their children's grades weren't ideal, but you did? Don't you know the situation?"

Her words caused an uproar, including among the onlookers.

"So arrogant, isn't she afraid of getting beaten up?"

Zhou Heming muttered to himself and looked at Lu Bai.

“Sister Xiya has a black belt in Taekwondo, she comes from an action film background, she’s a proper trained fighter,” Lu Bai replied with great interest.

"That's okay."

Since that's been said, Zhou Heming continued to watch the show.

The parents were red-faced with embarrassment and began to protest.

“My child works so hard and is quite talented. He has been able to sing and dance since he was little. How could he not get into college?”

"Yeah, mine too. She's so pretty, it must be because your training center taught her terribly that she failed the test!"

"My Zihan can do anything if she works hard. I think she's just being held back by your unscrupulous training program!"

As their emotions ran high, the circle surrounding Josiah shrank a little further.

Passersby wondered whether they should help the parents, fearing that a fight might break out and things would be damaged.

The students who had registered and were waiting in the training class also peeked out to gossip.

"I'm sorry, but in this line of work, hard work is the least important thing. Sigh, it's all because Teacher Feng is kind-hearted and wanted to discover the children's potential, which is why she let you enroll. If it were me, I would have let them go after just one lesson if I could tell they weren't cut out for it. Oh, by the way, Teacher Feng must have said all of this to you parents when you were enrolling your children, right?"

Josiah exuded an imposing aura, and despite her short stature, she made the parents, who were in their forties, take a step back.

Just as the parents were exchanging bewildered glances, about to offer further rebuttal, Josiah's expression suddenly lit up.

“Teacher Feng, you’ve finally arrived. You should handle this matter. I’m worried that if I tell too much truth, they won’t be happy.”

Her words carried across the crowd, drawing everyone's attention to the back.

Zhou Heming also turned around and saw a somewhat familiar face.

"Parents, we still have a class to attend later. How about we talk in the office next door?"

Looking at the elegant female teacher, who was only in her early twenties, Feng Yu smiled gently at the parents.

This was the same interviewer Zhou Heming had encountered at Ningjiang University who had asked her strange questions during her interview.

Whether it was some kind of peculiar magic or not, the parents who were almost furious calmed down after Feng Yu said that, and followed Feng Yu to the office next door.

The onlookers scattered like birds and beasts.

"I'd rather see rivers of blood; this is boring."

Just as the art studio girl was about to go back, she looked at Zhou Heming and Lu Bai again.

"Are you high school students? Do you want to learn to draw? There's a summer sale going on now."

"We're going to the performance training class over there. We'll come back to visit you later if we have time."

Lu Bai politely declined with a smile.

"Alright then, but as you've seen, performing isn't easy."

The art studio girl waved and turned to go back to her own shop.

Zhou Heming and Lu Bai went against the flow of the departing crowd and arrived at the entrance of the performance training class.

"Sister Xi Ya."

Lu Bai greeted him warmly.

"Good morning, Xiaobai."

Josiah, who was eating a donut, was not as dignified as before, but instead exuded a serious and indifferent aura.

"You acted so well just now. Those parents were so angry. I'm worried about their safety."

Lu Bai praised again.

"Acting?"

Zhou Heming glanced at Qiao Xiya, then at the office Feng Yu led the parents into, and suddenly understood.

"So, Xi, was Senior Qiao deliberately acting that sarcastic and domineering manner just now, so that another teacher could step in to ease the situation and resolve the issue?"

"Yes, if we show weakness from the start, won't that just embolden the other side to take advantage of us?"

Lu Bai nodded and pushed Zhou Heming forward a little more.

"This is Zhou Heming, the friend I mentioned before who will be going to the film crew with me during the summer vacation."

Josh looked at Zhou Heming, then at the hands he and Lu Bai were holding.

"Boy friend?"

"Just take it as such."

Lu Bai didn't explain much.

"Here, this is for you."

Josiah immediately ate the last of the donuts she had, then took a donut from the paper bag and handed it to him.

"what?"

Zhou Heming didn't understand.

“Very delicious.”

Josiah persisted.

"Thanks?"

Zhou Heming took the donut and looked at Lu Bai.

"Would you like a taste?"

"Okay."

Lu Bai stretched out his head and took a big bite.

"It's really delicious! Where did you buy it, Sister Xia? I want to buy a bag to take home later."

"It's in the bakery downstairs. You'd better go early, or they'll sell out. I usually have to rush to buy it right when it's fresh out of the oven."

I don't know if it's just Zhou Heming's imagination.

When food was mentioned, Josiah became much more talkative.

Could it be that Lu Bai's habit of carrying snacks with him originated from this senior?

As he thought about it, he ate half of the donut that Lu Bai had bitten off a third of, and then fed the other half to Lu Bai.

"Please come in and have a seat."

When Josiah saw the interaction between the two, she let them into the training classroom.

Today, everyone was supposed to be here to register, but surprisingly, none of those who had witnessed the earlier commotion ran away.

Perhaps hearing about the acceptance rate that Josh had mentioned before gave him more confidence in this training program.

However, Zhou Heming glanced at the applicants and felt that they were not high school students, but rather adults.

The guy sitting next to Zhou Heming and his friends was still wearing the striped shirt from the convenience store outside.

"High school students in classrooms 1, 3, and 5, and adults who want to be actors in classrooms 2, 4, and 6—today, everyone should be an adult."

Lu Bai explained in a low voice.

Because Feng Yu hadn't returned yet, the other applicants around them were chattering excitedly. Zhou Heming counted, and there were more than fifty people sitting in the classroom.

"Are you college students? You look so young."

The convenience store clerk next to them looked like a shady character and immediately struck up a conversation with Zhou Heming and Lu Bai.

"That's it."

Lu Bai answered before Zhou Heming could explain.

"My name is Wang Can. I worked as an extra in the film studio next door for a year. If you have any questions, you can ask me."

Upon seeing that there were indeed newbies, he enthusiastically introduced himself.

"So, what brings you to this training course?"

Zhou Heming didn't understand.

"Didn't you know? Teacher Feng, who runs this training course, is a student of Teacher Cui Ming. The girl, Qiao Xiya, who was dealing with parents outside just now, has acted in many movies and TV series. I heard that she also has a boss who is a director. They have a lot of connections in the industry. If we perform well, we might get a recommendation and an audition opportunity."

Convenience store clerk Wang Can earnestly explained the ins and outs of the business.

Zhou Heming glanced at Lu Bai, who was listening intently, which made Wang Can even more excited.

Is this also a kind of emotional value?
Zhou Heming felt that Lu Bai had gotten into acting after seeing Qiao Xiya's performance and had started acting as well.

Audition? Do extras need to audition?

Zhou Heming really didn't understand anything.

"Of course not an extra. If you want to be an extra, you can just wait at the film studio, but you can only be an extra for the rest of your life. It's meaningless. Besides, you can't add scenes for yourself if you're playing a passerby. Do you really think you're Soldier B? You know what the Soldier B meme is, right?"

Convenience store clerk Wang Can spoke eloquently, completely immersed in his own world.

At this moment, Feng Yu and Qiao Xiya walked into the classroom, seemingly having resolved the parents' issue.

Feng Yu stood directly in the middle of the classroom, making room specifically for his performance.

"Dear students, as you all saw just now, acting requires some talent to some extent. On the one hand, we have limited energy and can only teach a maximum of twenty students. On the other hand, to avoid the situation just now, which would waste everyone's time and training fees, we need to conduct a simple audition assessment as a preliminary screening. I hope you understand."

So she said.

The classroom became noisy again.

"This is a fish prepared in three ways."

Zhou Heming pondered for a moment.

It's clearly a bad thing for parents to come and cause trouble, but through Feng Yu and Qiao Xiya's manipulation, they not only solved the parents' problem but also boosted the applicants' confidence and made the audition selection seem natural and rigged.

He noticed that Feng Yu glanced in their direction while speaking.

It was unclear whether she had noticed Lu Bai or was looking at herself.

"If I fail the audition, it will be a bit of a blow to my self-esteem."

Wang Can, the convenience store clerk standing nearby, immediately felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

Others also looked at each other.

While everyone was discussing it, Josiah wrote something on the blackboard.

"I've prepared a few topics. You can find a few classmates around you and come up together to act out a short segment of no more than five minutes. I don't think anyone will be nervous, right?"

Feng Yu spoke softly, like a teacher giving a lesson to elementary school students.

Zhou Heming looked at the blackboard.

[The undercover agents meeting in secret]

Unrequited love that can't be spoken.

[Close friends who have completely broken off relations]

Reunited family members after a breakup.

Most of these are scenes that can be performed by two people, and they often involve intense conflicts, making them suitable for evaluating acting skills.

The audience erupted in excitement. Students who had been getting to know each other earlier suddenly became nervous, pulling others in and discussing topics and performances.

Convenience store clerk Wang Can also started using his social skills to strike up conversations and form teams.

Zhou Heming glanced at Lu Bai.

"You wouldn't be thinking of going up there to act, would you?"

"why not?"

Lu Bai smiled broadly.

"Let me state upfront, I can't act."

Zhou Heming made a statement on space security.

“It’s okay, just be yourself, I can help you get into character.”

Lu Bai was very confident.

"Then what topic should we choose?"

Zhou Heming looked at the four.

"A crush? I doubt anyone would choose that, and you can play yourself."

The girl answered without hesitation.

How can I play myself?

Zhou Heming didn't understand.

"Don't worry, leave it to me, give me the bag."

Lu Bai took the bag from Zhou Heming and took out a small packet of chocolate biscuits from it.

"You just ate a donut?"

"What do you know? This is a prop!"

Lu Bai emphasized this point and then looked at Zhou Heming.

"Let me tell you how to act later."

A few minutes passed.

Feng Yu arrived at the open space in the middle.

"Everyone is almost ready and can come up and perform. There's no need to feel pressured; just do your best."

She looked around.

Who's in the first group?

*
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(End of this chapter)