My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 148 Accomplice
In the clear night sky, a hazy cloud drifted slowly by, obscuring the moonlight and dimming the whole world.

Zhou Heming looked at the girl in the duffle coat and understood what she meant.

"It will get cold at night, so don't catch a cold."

He tugged at his collar.

"Is Ah He worried about me?"

Cheng Shuangjiang did not show any disappointment because of Zhou Heming's avoidance of answering; instead, she took a step toward him.

"Want to take a walk together?"

The girl extended an invitation.

Zhou Heming glanced in the direction Fu Yuqing had left and nodded slowly.

He knew that Cheng Shuangjiang's invitation wasn't really about taking a walk, but rather about talking to him about Cheng Lingjun and Fu Yuqing.

"Teacher Fu, my uncle, and Teacher Cui Ming were actually classmates in the same year."

The two walked one after the other on the sandy path at the edge of the playground, bathed in moonlight that illuminated the flower stamens.

"I only learned about these things later in the previous timeline."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Heming looked up at Cheng Shuangjiang's back. In the hazy moonlight, the girl appeared exceptionally petite, making one feel an irresistible urge to embrace her and protect her.

Less than a year ago, such hugs were a daily occurrence for the two.

"The two met, got to know each other, fell in love, planned their future together, and pledged their lives to each other at school."

At this point, Cheng Shuangjiang paused slightly and turned to look at Zhou Heming.

When her eyes met the boy's, her smile held a hint of regret.

"Teacher Fu must have decided long ago to return here and help those poor children who have no access to education. She used her status as a graduate of a prestigious university to attract a lot of funding and clear many obstacles, which enabled her to establish the school."

"This is indeed very difficult."

Zhou Heming watched Cheng Shuangjiang turn back and continue forward, his head bowed as if he were counting his steps.

"Yes, more than 20 years ago, there was no electricity or water here, let alone the internet. The herders didn't earn much money, so sending their children to study here was meaningless to them, because after finishing their studies, they would eventually return to the grasslands to herd livestock."

Cheng Shuangjiang spoke in a gentle, conversational manner.

"At that time, my uncle had already decided to come with Teacher Fu. They agreed to build a school together so that students from year to year could study and see the world."

"Those last two people"

Zhou Heming saw Cheng Shuangjiang stop again, and this time, she turned to face him.

"Because my grandmother was sick, but at that time my parents were stationed in the army, and the family needed someone to take care of her and also needed a stable income to treat my grandmother's illness. So, my uncle stayed and became a teacher. Later, after many twists and turns, he came to Jiangcheng Middle School."

Zhou Heming knew.

In the past, carriages, horses, and mail were all very slow.

Such a distance, which would require a day's flight transfer today, was practically a permanent farewell in that era.

"So many years have passed, are they still the same as before?"

Zhou Heming couldn't help but ask.

There are many stories like this in the world.

The two people who once loved each other so much that they disregarded everything else had to part ways because of the immense challenges of life and the cold reality that stood in their way. The love they once thought would last until death faded and turned into a relieved smile under the wear and tear of time.

He looked at Cheng Shuangjiang.

Lovers who once vowed to spend the rest of their lives together will now be as clearly separated as they are now, even having to be careful when looking at each other.

"Tell me what I know."

Cheng Shuangjiang smiled faintly, turned around and continued walking.

"The reason I know all this is because in the previous timeline, this variety show had a major accident."

"ACCIDENT?"

"Yes, of course. In the previous timeline, this variety show didn't include me, you, or Ah Bai; it featured three other students."

As the clouds dispersed, the moonlight cast the shadows of two people, which intertwined.

“In late September, during an outing, the weather changed and several students were stranded on the grassland. Teacher Fu rode a horse to rescue them. She found the stranded students, gave them her horse, and helped them return home. However, she herself had an accident in the process.”

“The news reported this incident. At that time, I had just been discharged from the hospital and was still being taken care of by my uncle. I learned the story from him.”

"Later, after my condition stabilized, my uncle took leave and came here once."

"He said it later."

Cheng Shuangjiang paused for a moment before continuing.

“My uncle said that when he came here, the remaining students handed over Teacher Fu’s belongings to him. There were twenty-two letters inside, one a year, all addressed to him, but none of them were ever sent.”

Hearing this, Zhou Heming was stunned.

He originally thought that Cheng Shuangjiang had signed up for the variety show just to be with him.

But now, he understands.

This is a girl who was reborn, and she chose to come here to make up for the regrets of those around her.

Do you remember the exact time of that accident?

Zhou Heming inquired.

"of course."

Cheng Shuangjiang nodded.

"Then we need to give advance warnings and make sure no one else goes out."

As Zhou Heming was speaking, he suddenly paused in surprise.

"Wait, if we look at it this way, doesn't your rebirth indirectly foreshadow Teacher Fu's death? If you want her to live, then you must..."

Just as Cheng Shuangjiang had to deceive fate to save Fu Yuqing in order to save Zhou Heming, she would have to do the same.

In other words, no matter what, she has to disappear again.

hum-

Suddenly, a huge surge of emotion swept over him, as if he had returned to that morning, to that helpless and powerless self.

Through loss, the boy came to perceive existence, and he truly realized what the girl in front of him meant to him.

"What does it matter?"

Cheng Shuangjiang smiled gently.

"I was reborn here, saved your future, changed my own destiny, met Ah Bai, and influenced many people. What more could I ask for?"

Her smile was like moonlight, bright and clear, carrying a hint of sadness that she couldn't hide.

"No."

Memories flooded back, and Zhou Heming took a step forward and grabbed Cheng Shuangjiang's wrist.

"I don't care about any of that. I absolutely will not allow you to sacrifice yourself to save others again. I will find a way to help Teacher Fu. I am sure I can find a way that satisfies both sides."

The intense pounding of his heart pounded against Zhou Heming's eardrums, making him feel the palpitations deep within his heart like never before.

He knew he still loved her.

"I absolutely will not allow you to disappear from my sight again."

He spoke in a slightly forceful whisper.

The girl stared blankly at the boy who was so close to her.

The two could feel each other's warm and familiar breaths.

Their eyes met only for each other.

Cheng Shuangjiang raised her face, closed her eyes, and her eyelashes trembled.

Under the moonlight, her pale cherry-colored lips were as smooth and moist as water, making one want to kiss them.

The boy knew that taste; it was sweet as death.

As if hearing Mephistopheles' seductive and decadent whispers, Zhou Heming leaned forward slightly.

He stopped just as their lips were about to touch.

Immediately, Zhou Heming took half a step back.

"I'm sorry, I acted impulsively just now. I can't let Lu Bai down."

He spoke with a guilty conscience, averting his gaze and not daring to look directly at the girl in front of him.

"It's alright, Ahe. It's a good thing that you have your own principles."

Cheng Shuangjiang smiled and raised her hand to gently touch her lips, as if trying to capture the boy's scent from just now.

The two stood there quietly for a while.

Zhou Heming broke the silence.

"Actually, after thinking about it, I think that perhaps it is not necessary for you to disappear in order to break the anchor and the closed loop of fate."

"What did Ah He think of?"

Cheng Shuangjiang blinked.

“You’re anchoring this to my death because I died at the age of thirty-five to save you, and you witnessed my death directly.”

Zhou Heming pondered.

"But you didn't actually witness Professor Fu's passing, did you?"

Cheng Shuangjiang lowered her eyes in thought before raising them and nodding.

"That's certainly true."

“All you know is that something went wrong with the show, the weather suddenly changed, some people were trapped, Teacher Fu rode a horse to rescue them, those people rode back, Teacher Fu had an accident, and later your uncle came here and got twenty-two letters.”

Zhou Heming muttered to himself.

"If, and I mean if, Teacher Fu was just trapped and slightly injured, and the media reported on it, and your uncle came over and saw the twenty-two letters, that would still make sense for your memory, right?" "...Let me think."

Cheng Shuangjiang fell silent.

After a moment, she raised her head.

"It is indeed possible."

"Just like, just like Lu Bai's situation."

Zhou Heming considered his words carefully before speaking.

“You were reborn and changed Lu Bai’s fate, but you only heard about the specific events concerning Lu Bai from me. You knew that Lu Bai was targeted at the sports meet and that Lu Bai would have some scandals, but you didn’t witness them with your own eyes. Therefore, we were able to change Lu Bai’s future, and you don’t need to disappear because of it.”

"It's the same with Professor Fu; we just need to reconstruct the part you learned from the news."

After hearing Zhou Heming's words, Cheng Shuangjiang thought for a moment before speaking.

“But even so, some people will still be trapped. Teacher Fu needs to ride a horse, and we can’t guarantee her safety.”

"There is a way."

Zhou Heming said in a deep voice.

"We only need to write a script."

He seemed to already know what was going on.

A gentle breeze blew, causing the hems of their clothes to sway slightly, and the boy told the girl his "story".

"If what you said is true, Ah He, it is indeed possible to do this, and there are no safety risks involved."

After listening to Zhou Heming's plan, Cheng Shuangjiang nodded slightly.

"This is something we can't tell anyone else, especially those who would have participated in this variety show in the original timeline, whether they are students or members of the production team."

Zhou Heming emphasized one point.

"What about Ah Bai?"

Cheng Shuangjiang inquired.

“I will discuss it with her; this matter will likely require her assistance.”

Zhou Heming did not intend to hide it from Lu Bai.

"Uh-huh."

Cheng Shuangjiang responded with a sound of agreement, then murmured somewhat wistfully.

"The thought that it was Ahe who saved me this time makes me so happy."

This sadness lasted only a moment before the girl revealed a somewhat sly smile.

"In that case, we would be accomplices."

*
Early the next morning.

The six people and the production crew woke up early and began filming.

Today I met the students at the school.

Two-thirds of these children are children of herders from the surrounding area, while the remaining third are children of Han Chinese living in Hanhai Township.

Zhou Heming could tell that although these children seemed somewhat introverted and shy, they were actually very curious and kept looking at them.

The first class was Chinese, taught by Zhou Heming.

He had inquired about the teaching progress with Fu Yuqing that morning, but the result was quite surprising.

Because the students are in different grades, the teaching progress is very slow, and often, older students need to help teach younger students.

General education alone requires a significant amount of time.

Fu Yuqing's goal wasn't even to enable these children to take the junior high school entrance exam, but to finish elementary school.

Because most students don't go to junior high school, after they learn to read and write, they go to herd livestock with their parents.

Standing in the classroom, Zhou Heming looked at the students with some trepidation.

The situation here is complex, unlike regular classes, and we need to take into account the circumstances of each student.

Zhou Heming glanced at the other students sitting in the back, Fu Yuqing, and the program crew's cameras, then picked up the chalk and wrote words on the mottled blackboard.

【happiness】.

Does anyone know how to pronounce this word and what it means?

A slightly older child raised his hand respectfully.

"Happiness means being very, very happy."

After reading it aloud, he thought for a while before answering.

"Great, can you make a sentence using this word? Any sentence will do."

Zhou Heming promptly praised him.

He subconsciously glanced at Cheng Shuangjiang, who was diligently taking notes, and thought of how she had coaxed him.

Child psychology, is it really true?

"I am very happy to be with my mom and dad."

The child answered.

"Very good, that's a great sentence. Hey student next to me, can you make a sentence with it?"

Zhou Heming lit a cigarette for the younger child next door.

"I feel very happy after drinking goat milk."

His eyes darted around, perhaps thinking of breakfast, and he licked his lips as he answered.

"Indeed, drinking goat milk is very blissful, and the teacher thinks so too. What about you?"

Zhou Heming continued to move back a few steps.

Each student used sentence construction to express their views on happiness.

One child said, "I'm so happy to be able to attend classes," which drew laughter from the class, but then a brief silence enveloped the classroom.

Zhou Heming returned to the blackboard and drew a circle around the two words.

"After saying all this, do you all want to be happy?"

The students nodded, bewildered.

Below, Liu Xunzhu pressed his ballpoint pen.

He wondered if Zhou Heming was going to say something like the old-fashioned motivational platitude that one must study to be happy.

"Since everyone wants to be happy, then we must remember one thing."

Zhou Heming looked around, his gaze sweeping over Lu Bai, who was looking at him with great interest and anticipation, and Cheng Shuangjiang, who was listening attentively and taking notes from time to time.

"The purpose of our lives is to make ourselves happy."

"If you feel happy being with your parents, then spend time with them. If you feel happy drinking goat milk, then savor it every time."

"The student who thought class was great just now needs to pay more attention in class."

The students smiled.

"Whether we are reading, herding, or planting trees, we do these things to make ourselves and those around us feel happy. Therefore, when we do these things, we should not forget our original purpose."

The students listened attentively.

Even the students sitting in the back were lost in thought.

For example, Xiang Yunlang.

He was a typical small-town exam-taker, whose parents told him from a young age that only studying could change his destiny.

He studied relentlessly, from the poorest mountain village to the top university in the country. His tuition was covered by scholarships and part-time jobs during holidays. He delivered food, washed dishes, and tutored students.

But gradually, Xiang Yunlang became a little confused about why he was studying so hard.

In high school, he discovered that many of his classmates came from very wealthy families. Even if they didn't go to university and squandered their money for the rest of their lives, they wouldn't have to worry about running out of money.

When Xiang Yunlang arrived at university and got to know his classmates, he discovered that some of them came from wealthier families. The price of one of their backpacks was equivalent to his tuition for four years, and their families owned villas that Xiang Yunlang could never earn in a lifetime.

He's worked so hard for so many years, yet he can't even reach the starting point that others were born into.

Moreover, even if he continues to work hard for four more years, pursue a master's degree, or even a doctorate, it will be very difficult for him to establish himself in a big city after graduation. His impoverished hometown cannot provide him with any financial support. For him, the best option is probably to return to a city or provincial capital near his hometown and find a job in a state-owned enterprise. Even so, there will still be a significant gap between him and the people around him.

Realizing this, Xiang Yunlang was actually a little vulnerable.

He realized that after all these years, he was still the same child trapped in the village.

That's why, when Liu Xunzhu said that these children were living well in their hometown, but would feel bad after they learned about the vastness of the outside world, Xiang Yunlang, though unwilling to admit it, actually felt the same way.

When he was a child, having meat in his rice was happiness. Later, getting a perfect score on a test was happiness. Still later, being at the top of his grade and winning a scholarship was happiness. But now, Xiang Yunlang seems to have forgotten what happiness truly is.

As he experienced more and more things, he drifted further and further away from happiness.

The more you know, the more unhappy you become.

Therefore, his decision to participate in the program this time, besides the money, was also driven by a desire to return to his original roots and rediscover his motivation to work hard.

Upon hearing Zhou Heming's words, Xiang Yunlang was momentarily stunned.

"So, our homework for this class is to go back and write an essay about the happiest thing that has happened to you recently."

As the class was nearing its end, Zhou Heming, starting with the theme of happiness, interspersed the knowledge points with his interactions with the students.

Because the students were in different grades, a unified textbook could not be used. So he simply started with things that happened around them to guide the students to think.

"If there are words you don't know how to write, you can use pinyin instead, or you can look them up yourself."

If creating becomes something students want to do, then they will be motivated to solve the difficulties they encounter in the creative process, and knowledge will flow into their brains in this wonderful way.

He glanced at the time.

"Class dismissed."

*
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(End of this chapter)