Era: Rise from the Wilderness

Hearing the commotion, Lü Ruoxi, who was not far away, stopped jumping rope, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and walked over with three female companions.

"Li Yunjing, are you alright?"

"Why did you decide to buy me water today?"

She asked with concern, her bright eyes scanning his face.

This is truly the first time. Although Li Yunjing wasn't exactly shy before, and they had a lot of interaction at school, he had never bought anything for me!

Even those cheap, sweet ice packs!

Several girls behind him chimed in, "Li Yunjing, thank you!"

"It's nothing!"

Li Yunjing waved his hand casually, his face showing a composure unlike anything he usually displayed.

His nonchalant demeanor startled Lü Ruoxi slightly.

You have to understand, back in the day when an ice pop cost only 15 cents and a bottle of soda cost 50 cents, treating four girls to drinks was no small sum.

But judging from his expression, it was as if he had just casually bought a piece of candy.

Li Yunjing knew exactly what was going on.

He had only been reborn for two days and hadn't fully shaken off the mindset of earning five or six thousand a month.

A dollar or two is nothing to him.

Moreover, it would be a lie to say that he didn't have any thoughts when he saw the youthful and beautiful Lü Ruoxi again.

In this life, he was reborn with memories of the next thirty years.

Why can't Li Yunjing pursue a mere school beauty?

"Is everything really alright yesterday?"

Lu Ruoxi still asked one more question, her gaze lingering on the back of his head for a moment.

"It's really nothing."

"Ruoxi, do you think I've really been knocked senseless?"

"Look at me, I'm as lively and energetic as ever!"

Li Yunjing grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. "I was just thinking that school is starting soon, you'll be going to university, and we'll be going our separate ways. I don't know when we'll see each other again, so if I don't buy you some water now, who knows when we'll see each other again?"

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on him.

The boy's tall and straight figure and confident smile made Lü Ruoxi momentarily dazed.

Li Yunjing seemed different today, actually saying something like that.

Similarly, a ripple stirred within her heart.

Yes!

By mid-August, the notification letters arrived, and everyone was going their separate ways.

Some chose to pursue further studies at university, while others entered the workforce, and their life trajectories began to diverge from there.

Lu Ruoxi comes from a well-off family. Her father is a bank manager and enrolled her in an art major at a young age.

By being an art student, she could get admitted to a good school with a relatively lower score.

Parting is imminent.

"Thank you for the water!"

Lost in thought, she smiled faintly, a gentle blush rising on her cheeks.

"Oh dear, something's up!"

"Li Yunjing, you're amazing!"

"He even dares to flirt with our school's most beautiful girl!"

Seeing Lü Ruoxi's flushed cheeks, the boys next to her immediately perked up, whistling and shouting rising and falling.

The girls next to them were also whispering among themselves, looking quite gossipy.

In the past, Li Yunjing would probably have blushed with embarrassment.

But now, he has the soul of someone who has been through the ups and downs of society for many years. What kind of situation hasn't he seen?

When he's shameless, he doesn't even consider himself a human being, let alone others!

In his eyes, this little commotion was nothing more than children playing house.

"I heard you applied to a technical university?"

Instead of dodging, he calmly took another half step closer to Lü Ruoxi and asked in a natural tone, "That's strange, it doesn't fit with your artistic style at all!"

Lu Ruoxi was initially a little embarrassed, but seeing his composure, she gradually relaxed and nodded gently: "Well, there's nothing I can do. It's very difficult for me to get into other art schools."

Li Yun nodded in agreement.

Lu Ruoxi is a poor student. Apart from being beautiful, she seems to be at the bottom of the class in terms of grades, even worse than herself.

The two of them started chatting as if no one else was around, which made the students who were expecting to watch the show feel bored.

"They're gone! They're gone!"

"Being a third wheel on such a hot day, isn't it hot?"

Ma Xingyuan scratched his head and gave the others a wink. They then wisely dispersed, sitting in twos and threes under the shade of the trees to rest, wiping their sweat while waiting for Ma Guofeng to return with water.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the young men and women.

Li Yunjing listened attentively as Lü Ruoxi recounted her aspirations for university life, occasionally interjecting with a few well-timed remarks.

At this moment, he seemed to have truly returned to that innocent era, yet he possessed a composure beyond his years.

Under the shade of a tree not far away, several boys were winking and glancing in this direction, but no one went forward to disturb them.

Perhaps even they themselves didn't realize that Li Yunjing had an indescribable aura about him at that moment, making people afraid to joke around.

"Oh, right."

As if suddenly remembering something, Lü Ruoxi's eyes lit up. "A few of us are planning to climb Dongshan Mountain tomorrow. Do you want to come along?"

As she spoke, she pointed to a few girls under the shade of a tree not far away: "Just the few of us, plus Ma Xingyuan and the others you know."

Li Yunjing smiled upon hearing this.

Dongshan?

That was a place he knew all too well.

He lives at the foot of the mountain and has climbed it countless times since he was a child. He knows exactly which path is closest and which grove has wild fruits.

"Sure."

He readily agreed, "I happen to know a few scenic trails, I'll be your guide tomorrow."

Lü Ruoxi smiled happily: "Then it's settled. We'll meet at the shop at the foot of Dongshan Mountain at seven o'clock tomorrow morning."

"no problem!"

Li Yunjing nodded and smiled, "It'll be hot, remember to bring water!"

Just then, Ma Guofeng returned on his bicycle, with two heavy plastic bags hanging from the handlebars, filled with ice packs made from food coloring and saccharin.

The boys swarmed forward, laughing and joking as they divided up the cheap coolness.

Li Yunjing took the four ice packs and handed them to Lü Ruoxi and her female companion.

The ice pack emitted wisps of white steam in the hot air, and the condensed water droplets slid down the plastic bag.

Lu Ruoxi took the ice pack, and her fingertips inadvertently touched his fingers. The icy temperature made her shiver slightly.

"Everyone, please be quiet!"

After distributing the water, Li Yunjing clapped his hands and, once everyone was looking over, said, "Ruoxi just suggested we climb Dongshan tomorrow. Anyone interested can sign up now."

These words immediately caused an uproar.

"Hiking? That's just asking for trouble in this sweltering heat!"

"I have to help with chores at home tomorrow."

Count me in!

Ma Xingyuan was the first to raise his hand, "Anyway, I'm just killing time."

Ma Guofeng hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll go too."