My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 91 There is no clock that goes backwards.

Zhou Heming thought for a moment, then walked confidently to the seat that used to belong to him.

"I just don't want to sit next to a stranger."

Cheng Shuangjiang lowered her head and looked at her phone, offering a brief explanation.

"Oh."

Zhou Heming responded and put down his schoolbag to sit down.

Because everyone was wearing a lot of clothes in winter, the two of them were sitting a bit cramped. Their arms accidentally touched, and the girl immediately shrank back.

I glanced at the girl beside me. She was looking at questions on a problem-solving app on her phone. Sunlight fell on her eyelashes, reflecting a hazy rainbow.

Zhou Heming felt a bitter taste on his tongue. He opened the problem-solving app, found a set of very difficult questions, and tried to focus all his thinking on them.

A faint fragrance wafted over; it was the shampoo Cheng Shuangjiang used, mixed with the faint scent of shampoo on her clothes—a scent Zhou Heming was very familiar with.

In a daze, Zhou Heming seemed to have returned to the past, to the time when the two of them were still together.

Unfortunately, the boy couldn't travel through time; there's no clock in this world that goes in the opposite direction.

The two remained silent, like classmates who had bumped into each other by chance, until the bus arrived at the station. They walked through the crowd one after the other, and went their separate ways at the stairwell.

As Zhou Heming approached the classroom door, he couldn't help but look back. The girl arrived at their classroom door almost at the same time.

The only difference was that she didn't turn around.

The first class is Chinese.

After class, Zhou Heming was called out by Ding Kai.

There were few students in the corridor, only the wind was making noise.

Ding Kai didn't leave the two of them to starve; instead, he took them to the teachers' preparation room in the stairwell.

"Zhou Heming, how's your study going lately?"

Ding Kai rubbed his cold hands and asked casually.

"Fortunately."

Zhou Heming knew, of course, that Ding Kai must have heard about his relationship with Cheng Shuangjiang before coming to find him.

This is the uncertainty of puppy love.

Since Zhou Heming could improve by 90 points because of being in a relationship, he could also regress by 100 points because of a breakup. The final exams haven't come yet, so no one knows what the result will be.

"Let me tell you, the teacher used to be a terrible student, and even with all his efforts, he only managed to get into a second-tier university."

Ding Kai gestured for Zhou Heming to sit down, casually flipped through his lesson plan, and looked at him.

"Later, during my sophomore year, I went for a stroll in a park near the school and met a girl who was drawing. We got to know each other and I learned that she was a student at the neighboring 985 university."

"She encouraged me to study hard, so I told her that I actually wanted to take the postgraduate entrance exam at her school and asked if I could borrow her study materials."

“She actually lent me her review materials. We’re not in the same major, and she even went to the school’s print shop to buy a thick stack of them.”

"I secluded myself for two years to prepare for the entrance exam, and finally got into their graduate program."

"But after enrolling, we couldn't find her anywhere. Later, we learned from her classmates that she had gone abroad to study after graduating with her bachelor's degree because of her family's requirements."

"After graduation, I remembered that she had mentioned that she had attended high school here, so I took the teacher qualification exam and became a teacher here."

Zhou Heming listened quietly as Ding Kai finished speaking.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally asked.

"Teacher, did you see her later?"

"Actually, at this point in the story, whether or not we meet her is no longer important."

Ding Kai shook his head.

"The reason your teacher is telling you this story is to tell you that no matter what your initial motivation is, as long as it ultimately leads to self-improvement, you should keep going, because at the very least, you can become a better version of yourself."

"Ah."

Zhou Heming responded.

"I've heard about what happened to you from Teacher Cheng. I can't say that I understand or empathize with you. If you want to take a break, that's fine, but I still hope you can come to school normally, talk to your friends and teachers, and not stay alone and overthink things."

Ding Kai said in a deep voice.

"Teacher Ding."

Zhou Heming looked at his homeroom teacher, who was usually joking around but was now very serious.

He rubbed his nose, nodded, and said very solemnly.

"Thank you, I will continue to work hard, you can rest assured."

"Alright, go back and prepare for the next class."

Ding Kai waved his hand.

He looked in the direction Zhou Heming had left, remained silent for a long time, and then packed up his lesson plan and got up.

*
Since being alone, Zhou Heming feels that time has passed much faster.

In the evenings, Lu Bai would occasionally make him a voice call when he had some free time, or chat briefly when he was busy.

During voice calls, they didn't talk the whole time. Most of the time, Zhou Heming was doing homework or writing scripts, while Lu Bai did his own thing, and there was silence in the voice call.

For some reason, this silence actually gave Zhou Heming a sense of security.

This reminded him of the time he studied with Cheng Shuangjiang. For a long time, they didn't exchange any words; they just silently worked on their own problems.

But the feeling that as long as you call out, the other party will respond at any time left a deep impression on Zhou Heming.

As a result, it didn't snow in Jiangcheng when the final exams arrived.

After finishing their English exams, many senior high school students breathed a sigh of relief.

There's only one week left until the Spring Festival. Although there will be make-up classes and parent-teacher meetings after the holiday, at least there won't be any exams for a long time to come.

"Then we're off, see you in a couple of days."

In examination room number two, Xu Youyou waved to Zhou Heming and jogged towards Qiao Jinchen, who was waiting at the door.

Although Qiao Jinchen remained silent, Zhou Heming had a gut feeling that the two of them were probably dating much faster than he and Cheng Shuangjiang.

"."

Zhou Heming gave a wry smile and slung his schoolbag over his shoulder.

He glanced subconsciously at exam room number one, trying to find someone, but it was already empty.

After thinking about it, he decided to go to the cafeteria.

Halfway there, my phone suddenly rang. It was a voice call from Lu Bai.

No, are you just assuming I'll receive it?

Zhou Heming mentally scoffed and pressed the answer button.

"Have you finished the exam?"

"Ah."

"Don't tell me you've already eaten."

"I'm about to go to the cafeteria."

"Don't go to the cafeteria. My scenes are finished, and I'm going back to Jiangcheng. Come with me to eat something nice tonight."

"Can't you eat by yourself?"

"Can you try saying something again?"

What do you want to eat?

"I'll send you an address. Go there now. That's all. Bye."

After hanging up the call, Zhou Heming quickly saw Lu Baifa's address.

There's a small shop called Afang Beef Offal on the basement floor of Jiangcheng Food Station.

Zhou Heming remembered that it was a bustling pedestrian street with a wide variety of food, not far from where they had rented clothes last time, both located on the same main street.

He rarely goes there himself; he only went once for a junior high school reunion.

It seems that Lu Bai, this outsider, is more knowledgeable about Jiangcheng's cuisine than he is.

Zhou Heming had just taken the bus and was still at his stop when he received another message from Lu Bai.

[Lu Bai]: Go queue up and buy some roasted chicken wings and fried duck necks from the stall next door. I'll transfer the money to you first.

She sent a voice message directly; she was probably on her way and couldn't type.

After accepting the money transferred by Lu Bai, Zhou Heming got out of the car and searched around the basement.

It's cold now, but because it's Friday and the Spring Festival is approaching, the streets are bustling with people, and even the wind isn't so cold.

Zhou Heming saw some students from other high schools wearing school uniforms. They were in groups of three or five, and there were also young couples holding hands, holding fried skewers or milk tea, enjoying their hard-won holiday.

He subconsciously smiled and went down to the basement.

The place was bustling with noise, and almost every shop was full of people. Zhou Heming was wondering which of the many chicken wing shops Lu Bai was talking about.

But as soon as he came in, he saw a long queue. He asked a question and found out that they were indeed queuing to buy roasted chicken wings.

"Is it so delicious?"

Zhou Heming followed the queue with some skepticism, and sent a message to Lu Bai, telling her to go directly to the store and reserve a seat if she came.

[Lu Bai]: Don't worry, I'll be there within fifteen minutes.

A reply came immediately.

Since he had nothing better to do, Zhou Heming put on his headphones and opened a practice app to work on a set of questions.

Passersby who saw this all showed approving expressions, thinking that this student was quite hardworking, even thinking about studying while eating.

When he had completed three-quarters of the task, Zhou Heming suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder.

Looking up, he saw Lu Bai dragging a small suitcase covered with cute line dog stickers.

She wore a navy blue plaid cotton coat, gray casual pants, dark casual shoes, and carried a black shoulder bag. As always, she wore her hat, this time a knitted beanie.

This might sound a bit out of place, but Zhou Heming was genuinely curious whether he wasn't cold dressed like that.
"are not you cold?"

"How can you make such a judgment about a girl's outfit, just like my grandma? Besides, this dress only looks thin; it's actually very warm!"

Lu Bai raised her hand to show her, and it can only be said that even winter clothes could not hide her figure.

Zhou Heming looked away.

How much longer do I have to wait?

Lu Bai glanced at the long queue.

"Estimated, ten minutes."

Zhou Heming glanced at the time.

"Why don't you go to the store first? When I came, I saw that there were quite a few people sitting there."

"Then I'll go buy some roasted duck necks, and then I'll wait for you at the shop."

Lu Bai left with a single sentence, then pulled his suitcase, which looked like it belonged to someone who hadn't even graduated from kindergarten, and left.

"Hey bro, your girlfriend is pretty, and she looks kind of familiar."

Behind Zhou Heming, two girls who looked like college students with clear eyes suddenly struck up a conversation.

"We're just classmates."

Zhou Heming gave a slightly awkward explanation, thinking that the two girls probably remembered Lu Bai because they had seen him in a drama.

"Hey, is this the video that's been going viral lately?"

The melody that Zhou Heming found somewhat familiar came from the two girls' phones.

"A Girl's Prayer".

Apologizing inwardly, Zhou Heming glanced rather impolitely at their phones and was shocked to discover that it was Lu Bai's.

To be precise, it was on the day of the Double Egg Festival, in front of the piano in the school auditorium, that Lu Bai played. It was probably uploaded by some student, but the source is no longer traceable, and marketing accounts have forwarded it countless times.

"Yeah, it does look a bit like it."

"This looks like the auditorium of Jiangcheng Middle School?"

The two girls chattered amongst themselves, comparing the girl they had just met with Lu Bai in the short video.

Zhou Heming quietly opened the video and searched for it.

Good guy.

Zhou Heming exclaimed, "Wow!"

The most popular video has hundreds of thousands of likes.

The comments below were naturally plentiful.

[Is this an amateur performance? I feel it's completely at a professional level!]

What's the name of this piece? It feels very fateful, and it's really beautiful!

[The girl playing the piano is sooooo beautiful! She's the epitome of a "white moonlight"!] [I think I've seen this girl before. Is she an actress?]

[If I had a girl like that as my girlfriend during my school days, I'd be willing to get into Tsinghua University!]

[Jiangcheng Middle School is a top-tier high school, right? This girl is so good at playing the piano, her grades must be excellent too. She's a top student and a talented girl!]

The top student in exam room number twelve said so.

Zhou Heming sneered inwardly.

But when he saw the recommended video, he suddenly felt a jolt, and his heart skipped a beat.

Because those were videos of Cheng Shuangjiang and Lu Bai playing together, as well as videos of Cheng Shuangjiang playing solo later on.

He opened the video, and the familiar melody came through his headphones.

Zhou Heming glanced at the comments section.

That's how friendships are in your youth, always pulling each other along; it'll definitely become an unforgettable memory for them.

This girl is so pitiful. She must have been very good at playing the piano before, but now all she can do is play like this.

Both girls are so pretty! Cute girls are truly the world's treasures. I love the sweet, soft bond between girls!

[This Canon in D is really beautiful. Although the playing wasn't perfect, it was very moving. That's what music is like; we usually overlook it, but it can touch our hearts at certain moments.]

[I'm really curious about how this girl played before she was injured. Does anyone in the comments section have a link to it?]

However, he searched and couldn't find the part about him sending flowers.

The students who took the photos probably didn't choose to upload them, but instead kept them as their own unique memories.

Looking up, Zhou Heming realized it was already his turn in line.

He bought four skewers of grilled chicken wings as Lu Bai had instructed. After checking his phone, Lu Bai told him to go directly to the store.

The beef offal hot pot has been served, steaming hot, and contains braised lotus root slices and dried tofu. A box of roasted duck necks is placed next to it.

"Give."

Zhou Heming placed the two cups of milk tea he had bought on the table.

"Eating hot pot and drinking milk tea is so sinful!"

As Lu Bai spoke, he casually picked up a cup and glanced at the label.

"How did you know I wanted it with a little sugar?"

"The one you bought last time was the one with less sugar, the one you rented clothes for."

Zhou Heming's own cup was also slightly sweet, and the taste was exactly the same.

“You actually still remember.”

Lu Bai was pleasantly surprised, inserted the straw, took a sip, and enjoyed the warm drink.

"Come on, try this little gem of a shop of mine. I absolutely love the braised lotus root slices, they're an extra order."

Zhou Heming picked up his chopsticks and tasted a piece.

"I feel like it's alright."

he commented.

"lie."

A smile appeared on Lu Bai's lips as he picked up a slice of lotus root and put it in his mouth.

"."

Having dinner with this person is a bit of a hassle.

Zhou Heming picked up a chicken wing, a little curious about just how delicious the small shop with so many people queuing up must be.

He ordered medium spicy as Lu Bai had suggested. The chicken wings were sprinkled with some ground chili peppers. After taking a bite, he found that the chicken wings themselves were slightly sweet honey-glazed chicken wings. Combined with the spiciness of the chili peppers, they had a unique flavor.

"Is it delicious?"

Lu Bai asked with a grin.

Zhou Heming remained silent, simply munching on the chicken wing on the bamboo skewer.

"Try the roasted duck neck too. You've lived in Jiangcheng for so long, you must have had it before, right?"

Lu Bai pushed the cardboard box containing the roasted duck necks in front of Zhou Heming.

The chili peppers on this duck neck would be a lethal dose for people in a certain southern province. Even Zhou Heming suspected that Lu Bai was playing some kind of prank.

He put on gloves, picked up a stick, and took a small bite.

"so spicy."

He immediately took a sip of milk tea.

It's really spicy, but it's also quite delicious.

Zhou Heming had to admit that Lu Bai was still better at eating.

"This radish is the essence of this soup; it tastes even better than the meat."

Lu Bai then tried to sell it.

"Why do I feel like you're lying to me?"

Zhou Heming picked up a hot piece of radish, blew on it twice, and then ate it.

Then he fell silent again.

As for this dried tofu.

Lu Bai seemed about to speak but then hesitated, as if he wanted to.

How do you usually find these places to eat?

Zhou Heming was curious. Although Lu Bai looked sunny and cheerful, she didn't often go out with her classmates because of her job as an actress. She didn't have any close friends before, so she usually ate these things alone.
"I wander around aimlessly, try things based on online reviews, and sometimes post a vlog or something."

Lu Bai answered casually, then looked at Zhou Heming.

"Did you come here for dinner and not even follow my account?"

"what?"

Is this a requirement for dining with you?

Zhou Heming took out his phone and searched.

"I couldn't find it."

"It's a different app. Sometimes I even wonder if you're even the same age as me, since you never watch short videos."

Lu Bai pointed to the short video app next to the old video website.

"But now that you mention it, verifying your old video website account is also an option. Multiple platforms mean more opportunities."

“I’ve paid attention.”

Zhou Heming quickly found the account 【Actor Lu Bai】, which had less than 30,000 followers, a rather dismal number.

Besides videos of the film crew's daily life, the account also features many food reviews and restaurant visits.

Moreover, Zhou Heming discovered that the number of views for the store visit videos was significantly higher than that for the film crew's daily routine.

Perhaps it's because Lu Bai is still a relatively unknown actor, so even if he joins a production, he won't encounter any big stars.

But watching a beautiful girl eat is indeed a delightful experience.

"Thanks."

Lu Bai nodded in satisfaction and picked up a piece of beef offal into his bowl.

Where are you planning to go tomorrow and the day after? Are you going to study at home?

After the school holiday, the classrooms were closed for self-study, and the school was completely sealed off. Zhou Heming either had to stay at home or find a place with heating.

"To the library?"

Zhou Heming was unsure.

At home, on the one hand, the air conditioning and heating consume a lot of electricity, and the electricity bill is a real headache. On the other hand, he will be more or less distracted when he is alone. It is more efficient to go to public places and accept the gaze of others, even if they are not there.

"Jiangcheng City Library?"

".Um."

Zhou Heming nodded.

"Then I'll come too."

Lu Bai answered without hesitation.

"Huh? What are you going to do? Do you need to study?"

Zhou Heming's cat is confused.jpg
"Isn't there a coffee shop in Jiangcheng City Library that shows movies on weekends? I've heard from others that their desserts are pretty good, so I'd like to try them and maybe film a video while I'm at it."

Lu Bai spoke frankly.

Zhou Heming was stunned.

Memories were stirred up at this moment, and the scene of him and Cheng Shuangjiang in the coffee shop appeared in his mind. He thought of another timeline, where Cheng Shuangjiang, who was physically disabled and disfigured, was one of the disabled employees of this coffee shop.

"what happened to you?"

Lu Bai waved his finger in front of his eyes.

"without"

Zhou Heming was about to say it was nothing, but then he remembered that Lu Bai could see through his lies, so he had no choice but to tell the truth.

"I only went there with Shuang and Cheng Shuangjiang before."

"Oh, I don't mind, I'll go by myself another day."

Lu Bai took a sip of milk tea.

"Okay, it's alright, let's go together."

Zhou Heming paused for a moment, then said to Lu Bai.

"On the bright side, this is called desensitization therapy in psychology."

Lu Bai muttered something, put down the milk tea, and picked up a piece of radish and put it in the bowl.

“I know a very good psychologist. She was even saying that if you were really depressed, she would introduce you to her.”

"That shouldn't be the case."

Zhou Heming smiled with a slightly bitter expression.

He also took a sip of milk tea.

Indeed, it's not that sweet.

*
Saturday.

The eve of the Lunar New Year in the North.

In general, Jiangcheng celebrates the festival according to southern customs, with the eve of the Lunar New Year tomorrow.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the weather is getting colder and colder. Today is also a bit gloomy. I wonder if it will snow.

When Zhou Heming and Lu Bai met at the library, his face was already a little frozen, and even his smile had become numb.

"Thanks to the fact that the university is also on holiday, there are not so many people in the library."

He saw Lu Bai at the door.

Today, Lu Bai was wearing a pair of dark black platform leather shoes, beige jeans, a red plaid layered T-shirt, a gray duffle coat, and a brown bag slung across his shoulder. He was still wearing his usual beret, and for some reason, he was also wearing sunglasses.

Are you afraid of being recognized?

Zhou Heming was curious.

"This is about styling, styling. You've been in relationships before, but you haven't learned anything about it. You don't know how to compliment a girl's outfit."

Lu Bai condemned.

"So lovely."

Zhou Heming replied immediately.

"You should just be yourself."

Lu Bai scoffed and placed his handbag on the security scanner.

The two quieted down after entering the library and looked for seats.

As for Zhou Heming, it would be best to have a place with a power outlet, because he wanted to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi in the library to type out a script on his old laptop, which was many years old and whose battery had aged so much that it could only last for less than forty minutes without being plugged in.

Of course, these seats were the most precious. The two searched the second and third floors but couldn't find suitable seats for two. When they got to the fourth floor, Lu Bai's eyes suddenly lit up and he pointed ahead.

There were two empty seats in the middle of the table, but one person was already sitting in the outermost seat.

Lowering his voice, Lu Bai jogged quickly to the location.

Zhou Heming followed closely behind. Just as he put down his backpack, he noticed that the girl in the next seat looked up and met his gaze.

Yes, Cheng Shuangjiang.

*
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(End of this chapter)