My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 111 She did not return as expected.

June 25th.

Just after seven o'clock in the morning, Zhou Heming woke up naturally.

Long holidays can make people lose their sense of time.

Before I knew it, more than two weeks had passed since that exam, which was probably the most important one in my life.

During this period, Zhou Heming mostly stayed at Lu Bai's place, and he kept putting more and more of his belongings in the apartment building.

Sometimes, when Zhou Heming woke up in the morning, he did indeed vaguely touch the shape of "home".

Just like today.

Lu Bai held him close, still fast asleep.

Her hair was a little messy. Zhou Heming gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing against her earlobe, causing Lu Bai to frown slightly.

Because of his terrible sleeping posture, Lu Bai's pajamas were lifted up, revealing his toned abs and small belly button.

Zhou Heming helped him get up and sit up.

"what time is it?"

His movement caused Lu Bai to shift his body slightly, uttering a muffled and indistinct sound, like a dream.

"You can continue sleeping at seven o'clock."

Zhou Heming gently stroked Lu Bai's cheek, and the girl pressed her face against his like a docile cat, feeling the warmth of his palm.

"No, I want to get up."

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and got up.

Who would have thought that Lu Bai, who used to sleep until 11 or 12 a.m. on days when he didn't have class, would now wake up almost immediately after Zhou Heming does?

I want a hug.

She opened her arms.

Zhou Heming responded to her.

As if using all the strength from stretching to hug, the girl made a long, drawn-out sound as she tightly embraced Zhou Heming's waist.

"Charging complete, device powered on successfully!"

She laughed like that.

"Congratulations on successfully defeating 90% of the kittens in the launch challenge."

Zhou Heming flicked her nose, stood up, and pulled the girl along.

The two went to the bathroom, and in front of the mirror, one on each side, squeezed toothpaste and brushed their teeth.

"What are you staring at me for?"

Lu Bai noticed that Zhou Heming in the mirror was staring at her and asked.

"No, I didn't. Maybe I just saw myself in the mirror."

Zhou Heming joked.

"go away!"

Lu Bai bumped into Zhou Heming's waist with his body.

"Actually, I just think you're very cute when you first wake up."

Zhou Heming spoke the truth.

"Hmph, I'm cute no matter what."

Lu Bai smiled with satisfaction.

After brushing their teeth together, they placed their cups side by side and washed their faces separately.

Zhou Heming opened his old laptop and added a few lines he had thought of before going to bed last night to the script.

His script is basically finished, but it still needs to be reviewed by the screenwriter teacher whom Lu Bai knows, which will have to wait until they go to Sichuan.

On the one hand, it's about getting professionals to give Zhou Heming advice; on the other hand, the crew includes the director, screenwriter, and producer. If the script is excellent, they might be able to attract investment directly and start Zhou Heming's career early.

In this respect, Zhou Heming truly appreciates the importance of personal connections.

"How about it?"

Because it required a few more steps, Lu Bai, who had just washed and dried his face, hugged Zhou Heming from behind and peered at his screen.

"It's basically finished, now we're just waiting to go to Sichuan."

Zhou Heming looked at the last line of the script.

That was the first line of the script that the young man typed on his computer as he embarked on a new journey after his grief.

[Jiangcheng City Funeral Home, a scene of lingering melancholy.]

This is the end of the story, and also the beginning of the story. Fate is like a Möbius strip, with each part interlocking to form a precise closed loop.

"Great."

Lu Bai responded, his warm breath brushing past Zhou Heming's ear, his soft lips brushing against his earlobe, as if scratching his heart.

"Zhou Heming, will you be nervous going to Sichuan?"

The girl let go of him, straightened up, stretched, went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a half-empty carton of milk, poured it into a mug, and then took out half a bag of bread.

Why would I be nervous?

Zhou Heming saved the document, made a network backup, and then turned to ask.

"Yes, I will see my uncle and all the older sisters I know."

Lu Bai took a sip and handed the milk to Zhou Heming.

"I have nothing to be nervous about, I have nothing to be ashamed of."

Zhou Heming looked at the faint milk imprint on the mug that outlined Lu Bai's lips, took the mug, and took a big gulp.

"When are you guys most nervous?"

Lu Bai took out a piece of bread from the bag and took a bite.

"In the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, Argentina faced England. Maradona received the ball in midfield, dribbled past five players, broke down the opponent's defense, and finally scored."

Zhou Heming thought for a moment and then answered.

"?"

Lu Bai didn't quite understand.

"Would you be nervous if you met my grandmother?"

Zhou Heming countered with a question.

"how is this possible?"

Lu Bai scoffed.

"Well."

Zhou Heming nodded, noticing that it was almost time.

It's almost eight o'clock.

Today is the day the college entrance exam results are released.

Starting at 8:00 AM, you can check your scores online or by phone.

The class group chat started flooded with messages around 6 a.m., with people chatting about gossip, holiday life, college applications, and college entrance exam jokes. Now it's quiet.

"You're checking on your phone?"

Zhou Heming looked at Lu Bai, who had already opened the webpage.

"Yes, but I should be fine."

Lu Bai replied casually, indicating that she didn't care about her college entrance exam results.

Zhou Heming later learned that she had taken the college entrance examination for art students through a special admissions program. Basically, as long as you took the exam and didn't submit a blank paper, you would most likely be directly admitted.

Soon, it was eight o'clock.

Zhou Heming opened the website and entered his information.

The network became extremely slow; I don't know if it's because my computer is too old or because too many people are logging in to check their scores at the same time.

After refreshing the page several times without being able to open it, Zhou Heming felt a subtle anxiety.

"Ah, I've got it, 439 points."

Lu Bai, on the other hand, found the results directly.

"The cutoff score for first-tier universities is 507, and the cutoff score for second-tier universities is 390."

She also checked the cutoff scores.

"So many students have passed the second-tier university cutoff score, it seems like there's no problem at all."

"Yes, this year's exam was a bit difficult, which is actually a good thing."

Zhou Heming is still refreshing.

Many people in the class group had already posted their scores, and he glanced at them.

"Qiao Jinchen scored 530 points, which is probably the best he has ever done in his life."

With a joking smile, Zhou Heming showed Lu Bai their class group chat.

"Wow, Xu Youyou got 647 points, ranking 1500th in the province, that's so high!"

Lu Bai had just come over when he saw what Xu Youyou had posted in the group chat.

Ding Kai also gave several thumbs up.

Zhou Heming remembered that Xu Youyou didn't have such a high score in the previous timeline. It seems that after solving Qiao Jinchen's problem, her mentality improved a lot, and she performed even better.

Thinking about this, Zhou Heming suddenly became curious about Cheng Shuangjiang's score.

The next second, a message popped up in the group chat.

[Fang Ran]: I heard from a friend in the top class that Frost God's score was hidden!!!

What does "hidden" mean?

Lu Bai looked at Zhou Heming.

"That's right, the score was too high, within the top 50 in the province, so it was hidden."

Zhou Heming offered an explanation, a sense of relief washing over him.

Next, I guess top schools like Yan'an, Nanhua, and Tsinghua will come to the school to try and recruit her.

"The scores are out!"

Lu Bai suddenly spoke, pointing to the computer screen.

Zhou Heming was able to see his college entrance examination results.

Chinese 147, English 130, Mathematics 121, Science 218.

The total score is 616 points.

His ranking in the province is close to 5,000.

His score was exactly the same as his mock exam score.

With this ranking, applying to Ningjiang University is nothing short of a pipe dream.

However, Zhou Heming himself has the qualification to be admitted with a 60-point reduction in the entrance examination score. In other words, if we only mention that he applied to Ningjiang University's drama major, his score would be calculated as 676 points, which would rank him in the top 200 in the province.

Basically, the admission is a done deal.

"It looks like it's all settled."

Zhou Heming finished checking the score sheet with a slightly trembling voice, carefully calculated the results, and then looked back at Lu Bai.

But he noticed that Lu Bai was on the phone.

"Hmm, right, or should I have him tell you directly?"

Then he handed over the phone.

"It's Professor Cui from Ningjiang University. I gave him your score and wanted to ask about your admission status."

Lu Bai's eyes were a little red, as if he was too excited.

"it is good."

Zhou Heming took the phone.

"Is this Zhou Heming? I'm Cui Ming from Ningjiang University. Xiaobai already mentioned your score. Based on previous years, there shouldn't be any problem with your admission."

A slightly weary voice came from the phone.

"Okay, thank you, Teacher Cui."

"Fill out your college application as soon as possible, and then have Xiaobai give you my WeChat ID so you can contact me directly if you need anything."

You could tell they were a bit anxious, afraid Zhou Heming might suddenly decide to apply to other schools.

"Okay, thank you, thank you."

Zhou Heming could only keep thanking him.

"When you come to Sichuan next month, we can talk in person. I'm very interested in your script."

The other party then said.

Zhou Heming chatted for a few more minutes, then handed the phone to Lu Bai.

Lu Bai excitedly rattled off a string of words, while Zhou Heming only heard things like "I told you he was fine" and "Teacher Cui, you have to discipline him properly."

Picking up his phone, Zhou Heming sent a message in the group chat informing everyone of his results.

Since Ding Kai will definitely spread the word anyway, it's better to be open and honest.

[Fang Ran]: 6666, Lao Zhou is awesome!

[He Lin]: Oh my god, Zhou Heming is going to a 985 university, there will be a sad barrier between us!
[Li Mingrui]: Old Zhou, if you become rich and powerful, don't forget me!

In a regular class, this score is already quite high. In addition, with Zhou Heming's specialization exam, he is also a student of a 985 university.

Ding Kai must be grinning from ear to ear.

Zhou Heming's phone vibrated; it was a private message from Qiao Jinchen.

[Qiao Jinchen]: Let's go out for dinner tonight and chat about college application?

"Lu Bai, Qiao Jinchen said tonight..."

Before Zhou Heming could finish speaking, Lu Bai hugged him.

"Great!"

She cried tears of joy.

I'm even happier than if I had gotten a high score on the test.

Zhou Heming didn't speak, but gently placed his hand on her back and stroked her.

"I am always here."

He said so.

Through the embrace of the girl in his arms, Zhou Heming could clearly sense that a certain future destiny was rushing towards him.

And he could only keep moving forward.

*
That night, Zhou Heming had dinner with Lu Bai, Qiao Jinchen, and Xu Youyou.

It goes without saying that Lu Bai and Zhou Heming were both directly admitted to Ningjiang University through the early admission process.

Qiao Jinchen and Xu Youyou then have many choices.

After some discussion, Xu Youyou decided to stay in Jiangcheng and list Jiangcheng University as her first choice, with a preference for the science experimental class. She would then choose a specific major in her second or third year.

As for Qiao Jinchen, he also stayed in Jiangcheng with Xu Youyou. His score was actually in a rather awkward position. There weren't many good majors available at first-tier universities, and he felt he would be at a disadvantage if he applied to second-tier universities. In the end, he decided to choose a business management major at a first-tier university.

Although this major is a useless major for most people, Qiao Jinchen's family actually has a company to inherit, so it is quite suitable for him.

The two universities are not far apart, so it's unlikely that the two people would have a long-distance relationship in the same city.

"I never thought we'd be parting ways like this."

Qiao Jinchen felt somewhat emotional.

"It's not really a separation, we still have to go back to Jiangcheng during the summer vacation, right?"

Zhou Heming had just finished speaking when he suddenly realized something.

It seems he really has no reason to return to Jiangcheng. If we're just talking about Zhou Jianjun's house, there's really no reason for him to come back and live there.

"I'll come visit you guys then. I've heard that the sycamore trees at Ningjiang University are very beautiful, but I've never seen them before."

Qiao Jinchen said with a grin.

"By the way, there's something I feel I need to tell you." Xu Youyou adjusted her glasses and hesitated before speaking.

"Today my parents took me to school to talk to Teacher Ding about college applications. Then I heard that Huaqing and Yannan from the top class next door were in contact, um, contacting Cheng Shuangjiang."

She glanced at Lu Bai, but still uttered the name.

"I heard she's guaranteed a score of at least 740."

"With such high scores, she can definitely choose either of these two schools."

Qiao Jinchen said this while serving food to Xu Youyou.

As the two top-ranked universities in the country, Yannan University and Huaqing University are both located in Yannan, which is four hours away from Jiangcheng by the fastest high-speed rail. In contrast, it only takes two and a half hours to get from Jiangcheng to Ningjiang.

"pretty good."

Zhou Heming did not send Cheng Shuangjiang a message to inquire about matters related to the college entrance examination.

Whether as a classmate, friend, or in any other capacity, he had no reason to inquire about these things.

Even though Cheng Shuangjiang, who was reborn, said that she would apply to Ningjiang University with Zhou Heming, now that she is eighteen years old, she would never be able to keep that promise.

She will go to top universities like Yannan or Huaqing, study alongside true prodigies, and have a brilliant life completely different from the previous timeline.

These possibilities for the future could never possibly include Zhou Heming.

"Yes, I just wanted to let you know."

Seeing that Zhou Heming didn't react in any particular way, Xu Youyou felt relieved.

"From now on, we'll also have Yan Nanhuaqing's connections."

Lu Bai smiled and placed a piece of meat on Zhou Heming's plate.

"Yes, maybe when we travel to Yannan in the future, we can ask Cheng Shuangjiang to take us along."

Zhou Heming responded as if relieved.

"Speaking of which, my dad also gave me some homework."

Seeing that the topic had ended, Qiao Jinchen spoke again.

"Still homework? Taking your driver's license test?"

Zhou Heming was puzzled.

"No, he said that in order to let me know how difficult it is to make money through entrepreneurship, he gave me 300,000 yuan, which I could invest or use to start a business within a year, and then we would see how much the return was after a year."

Qiao Jinchen rubbed her head, as if she had a terrible headache.

"Good, very niche assignment."

Lu Bai couldn't help but sigh.

The money she worked so hard to save through acting was less than the pocket money Qiao Jinchen received during a summer vacation that she could easily waste.

The children from wealthy families really eat well.

"I guess my dad wants me to lose a lot of money so that I'll never start my own business again."

Qiao Jinchen watches short videos every day, so he naturally knows that he's not afraid of rich kids indulging in a life of luxury, but rather of stories about rich kids investing and starting businesses.

Give him this money and let Qiao Jinchen lose a lot of money so that he knows his own limitations and won't become arrogant and squander the family fortune.

"So what are you planning to do?"

Zhou Heming's family still owes a huge debt, and he also needs to think about how to make money after going to university.

He couldn't empathize with Qiao Jinchen's troubles at all.

"Or, I can just give it to you directly and help your family pay off some of the debt."

Qiao said this half-jokingly.

"Rounded up, he's a well-known screenwriter who's investing in the future."

"Need not."

Zhou Heming immediately refused.

He could accept small favors like a meal or two without hesitation, but he would never accept such a large sum of money.

"Okay."

Qiao Jinchen didn't insist and turned to look at Lu Bai.

"Lu Bai was going to take you to the film crews in Sichuan to observe and learn, right? If you come across any dramas worth investing in, you can ask me to invest some money."

"Movies and TV series require investments of tens or hundreds of millions of yuan. Do you have enough money to invest?"

Xu Youyou felt that Qiao Jinchen was being a bit delusional.

"sure."

Lu Bai readily agreed and took another sip of water.

"Actually, these days, you can make a very good short drama with just 300,000 to 400,000 yuan. There was even a wealthy female boss of a company who funded the production, starred in it herself, and found handsome male actors to act alongside her."

"Is there still such an operation?"

Qiao Jinchen's eyes lit up, but suddenly her expression twisted.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! I haven't even said anything yet!"

"Hehe, I have no idea what you're thinking."

Xu Youyou gave a cold laugh.

"I was thinking that after the investment, we could make a cameo appearance together, as a kind of memento."

Qiao Jinchen explained in a serious tone.

"Really?"

Xu Youyou seems to be genuinely interested.

"I'll keep an eye out for you guys then, hehe."

Lu Bai gave his assurance.

Zhou Heming glanced at Lu Bai beside him.

"What, you want to play a minor role too?"

Lu Bai puffed out his chest and asked.

Zhou Heming could roughly guess Lu Bai's thoughts; this girl wanted to alleviate Zhou Heming's financial pressure through indirect means.

By having Qiao Jinchen invest the money and then getting Zhou Heming involved, it was essentially a favor to him, and it wasn't exactly a direct financial contribution.

Like.

At the time, Zhou Heming took Cheng Shuangjiang's pride into consideration, and treated her to a meal under the guise of Qiao Jinchen's invitation.

The young man was slow to realize it.

Did Cheng Shuangjiang already realize this at that time?

*
After dinner, Qiao Jinchen and Xu Youyou took a car home. Qiao Jinchen said that after filling out their college applications, the two of them planned to get driver's licenses and then go on a road trip.

The restaurant was not far from Lu Bai's house, so Zhou Heming and Lu Bai decided to walk home.

In July, Wuhan is scorching hot during the day, but the nights are relatively breathable. Walking along the lake, a cool breeze blows, and you can see many families with children or pets out for a stroll, catching small fish and shrimp in the lake with fishing nets. There are elderly people walking slowly, hand in hand with their spouses, and there are also fishermen with excellent equipment, although the buckets next to them are a bit empty.

The two casually held hands and strolled along the road, chatting idly.

"He said he wanted to see if the two of them got along, so he took a walk with her."

Zhou Heming suddenly remembered the path he had walked with Cheng Shuangjiang and smiled.

"Wandering aimlessly, going wherever the road takes me, without thinking about time or destination, just talking occasionally and walking in silence most of the time."

"What?"

Lu Bai didn't understand.

"Because most of life is spent aimlessly, and that time..."

Zhou Heming glanced at Lu Bai beside him, without finishing his sentence.

"Oh~"

Lu Bai smiled meaningfully, seemingly understanding Zhou Heming's meaning.

She slipped her fingers between Zhou Heming's fingers, their fingers intertwined.

"Now that I'm here, I need to go home and get some things."

Zhou Heming slightly averted his gaze and said.

"Okay."

Lu Bai readily agreed and then spoke again.

"After I finish filling out my college application, I'll be going away for a few days. There's a TV series that wants me to have a cameo role."

"When are you coming back?"

"Miss me?"

Lu Bai leaned closer to Zhou Heming's face, his eyes gleaming under the streetlights at night.

"I'm just not used to it."

Faced with a girl who could see through his lies, Zhou Heming chose to remain silent.

"Don't worry, I'll leave on the 28th and be back on July 2nd, or at the latest, the 3rd."

Lu Bai found Zhou Heming's reaction amusing and chuckled.

"That's good."

Zhou Heming nodded.

Fortunately, the streetlights were dim.

Lu Bai couldn't catch his expression.

The two arrived at Zhou Heming's residential area.

Looking up, I saw that Cheng Shuangjiang's room was lit up.

The two went upstairs, and as soon as they reached the corridor, they saw several people standing at the door of Cheng Shuangjiang's house.

One of them was wearing a suit and had a real estate agent's name tag hanging on his chest.

"This house is great, the price is reasonable, and it's fully equipped. More importantly, the girl who lived here before had excellent grades; she was the top student in the province. The feng shui here is exceptional!"

He was talking to the two men in a very informal way, seemingly having finished looking at the house and preparing to leave.

hum-

Although he had anticipated this situation, Zhou Heming's heart still skipped a beat when he actually encountered it.

The real estate agent saw Lu Bai and Zhou Heming and assumed they were also there to look at the apartment. He whispered something to the two people he was with.

"Look, a lot of people are interested in this apartment. If you don't make a decision quickly, it will be snatched up."

The two men exchanged a few words with the real estate agent, then brushed past Zhou Heming and his companions and left downstairs.

Lu Bai glanced at the boy beside him, then pulled him forward to the door.

Where are the people who lived in this house before?

She asked.

"They've already moved out, just a couple of days ago. They've cleaned it up very well. Would you like to take a look?"

The real estate agent glanced at the two of them.

"This place is not far from the university town, and many young couples rent apartments here."

He seemed to think the two were college students from the neighborhood.

"I want to see."

Zhou Heming seemed to be speaking to the real estate agent, Lu Bai, and even more so to himself.

"Here, I have some shoe covers."

The real estate agent gave the two of them shoe covers.

Zhou Heming stepped into the house that left a deep impression on him, the house where his beloved had once lived.

Just as the agent said, the house was cleaned very thoroughly, and there was no sign that anyone had lived there.

Just like Cheng Shuangjiang who was reborn, only Zhou Heming could still remember what she looked like.

Zhou Heming didn't listen to a word of the agent's introduction. He simply walked into the kitchen where the two of them cooked together, the bathroom which was always kept meticulously tidy, the living room where they studied together for countless nights, passed by the old and broken air conditioner, walked into the bedroom where the two of them once shared a bed, and stood on the balcony that was engraved with the golden moments that even Faust couldn't help but want to linger on.

He recalled those promises that were destined to be lies from the start, the future that the girls never dared to hope for, and the everyday moments that were still vivid in his mind.

She did not return as scheduled.

This is precisely the meaning of parting.

Lu Bai followed silently behind him without saying a word.

"Thank you."

Zhou Heming thanked the real estate agent and walked out of the house where he had lived during the Frost's Descent.

Seeing Zhou Heming's somewhat serious demeanor, the real estate agent figured he was probably not a potential customer. After being politely refused when he tried to add him on WeChat, he packed his things, locked the door, and left.

Zhou Heming opened his door and led Lu Bai inside, but he didn't do anything more, just sat in a chair, somewhat dazed.

Lu Bai sat beside him, gently took his hand, and looked at him tenderly.

After a long while, Zhou Heming suddenly smiled.

"Actually, it's quite good, otherwise it would be rather awkward."

He was referring to not being present when Cheng Shuangjiang left.

While laughing, Zhou Heming suddenly coughed.

Then, tears started to fall.

His shoulders trembled, and his voice choked with sobs, like a lost child wailing.

This was probably the most devastating moment for Zhou Heming since she left.

Lu Bai silently stayed by his side, handing Zhou Heming a tissue, pulling him into his arms, gently stroking his back, his face bearing a slightly bitter yet extremely gentle smile.

I don’t know how much time has passed.

Seeing that Zhou Heming had calmed down a bit, Lu Bai cupped his face and used his thumb to wipe away his tears.

"Just cry it out. In front of me, you don't need to suppress your feelings, feel guilty, feel uneasy, or test me."

She spoke sincerely, her eyes fixed on the boy.

"We can stop for a while, or we can keep moving forward, but no matter what, I will always be by your side and will never leave."

Zhou Heming nodded blankly.

He stood up and prepared to pack his things.

Take a step to say goodbye to yesterday.

*
After packing his things, Zhou Heming moved into Lu Bai's apartment for good.

That being said.

The apartment lease expires in mid-August.

If they are accepted into the program, they will immediately go to Ningjiang to find a place to live after returning from Sichuan.

But it's still early, so there's no need to worry about things so far in the future.

What troubled Zhou Heming even more was the birthday gift for Lu Bai.

Most of the gifts mentioned online are from boyfriends to girlfriends, and they're all fancy and extravagant.

Zhou Heming understood perfectly.

What Lu Bai wanted was a pure, unwavering, and steadfast love.

But now, his scales, which measure love, are not yet able to do so.

Perhaps as time goes by and they mature, and as they spend more time together, the scales will eventually reach equilibrium, revealing a seemingly insignificant, yet mutually affectionate, love story.

But at least, not now.

End of June.

While Lu Bai was at the film set, Zhou Heming went to the city center alone to the huge shopping mall where Lu Bai had previously chosen his evening gown.

"Luckily she went to the film set, so I still have time to pick out a gift."

Zhou Heming murmured to himself as he walked into the mall.

*
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(End of this chapter)