The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

I didn't tell her where it happened or who was involved, thinking she would be satisfied with that answer. But I saw her eyes light up with interest, and I realized she might have developed a much stronger interest in the answer. Usually, at this point, she would just ask directly.

"Going out to see a girl so late? That's impressive. Honestly, I was worried that with your personality, you wouldn't be able to find a girlfriend even after graduating from college. Now it seems like I don't have to worry about that, right?"

She was very perceptive about this, while I was surprised that she knew I was going to meet girls.

Why do you think it's a girl?

"Isn't that right? Society's views on puppy love are surprisingly consistent these days. If you want to meet up alone, it's probably only at night, right? Besides, you're a senior in high school, so it makes perfect sense. Are you trying to say that you were actually meeting a boy? Although I'm not particularly against that kind of thing, as your brother, I still hope you can be more normal..."

“Not a man.” I frowned and retorted. Although it was mostly a joke, I didn’t want to be suspected of being gay, especially since such suspicion came from my sister, who was related to me by blood.

"That's settled then. Hehe, you're quite capable." She patted my shoulder instead, and I didn't know how to respond.

"It's not the kind of relationship you're thinking of." I didn't want her to misunderstand either. Ye Yuqing and I never had that kind of relationship. To me, she was just a pitiful girl who would have died at such a young age if I hadn't saved her. And to her, we probably didn't have a harmonious romantic relationship. Her entire impression and affection for me came almost entirely from a few brief exchanges and her so-called "dates." If I hadn't filled that void, she might already be a corpse. I don't know exactly what her impression of me was, but I could guess some things from her attitude. This is worlds apart from a normal romantic relationship.

"Even if it's not true, it doesn't matter. We've already been able to meet alone together at night. If you just try a little harder, you'll succeed, right? Girls are much simpler than you think. Do you want me to teach you how to pursue girls?" She seemed more concerned about this than I was; girls are probably naturally more interested in these kinds of things. I just shook my head and didn't say anything more. This was actually fine. If she could accept this answer, it would save me the trouble of explaining further. Even if she found out later that there really wasn't anything between us, I could just say we didn't get along. I'd probably get scolded by my sister for this, but that would be enough.

"Don't you believe me? I have a lot of experience when it comes to pursuing girls."

I don't believe what she said. Although I don't know her very well, from what I know, she doesn't seem to have any similar experience. She's not into following celebrities, and she's not interested in popular stars. I've never seen her researching things like dating; she seems completely uninterested in such matters. That's my impression of her.

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Coming Tomorrow

Some say girls are born masters of romance, seemingly possessing an innate talent for matters of the heart. Even without firsthand experience, they can analyze and respond to such issues, displaying an almost undiminished enthusiasm. However, I'm not swayed by such rumors. Like the internet myth that "sweets reside in a girl's other stomach," I don't believe them whatsoever. I trust the answers my own experience provides more. Practice doesn't lie, and the experience gained from practice is the most direct and effective reference. My sister claims to be very experienced, but that's different from firsthand experience; it's likely just experience gleaned from the internet or novels.

She only said that out of curiosity. My relationship with Ye Yuqing wasn't the kind she expected, and I didn't need any experience. Her online experience was even more unnecessary for me.

She pouted and looked at me with dissatisfaction: "How annoying! I finally wanted to give you some advice, and you don't even appreciate it. Next time you ask me for advice, I'll charge you."

"Hmm." I nodded, even though I didn't think there would be such an opportunity.

She and I chatted for a while longer, asking about Ye Yuqing's name, what she looked like, and whether I had a picture of her. I did tell her her name, though; she probably wouldn't go to my school to find her—that would be too much. But she wanted to know what Ye Yuqing looked like, and I couldn't describe it. I'm not good at describing someone's appearance, and my sister's gaze made me hesitant to do so. She tried to get a picture of Ye Yuqing, but I didn't, and she immediately looked down on me.

"Shouldn't there be at least one or two photos?"

"No." I shattered her illusions, and she looked disappointed.

"Alright, alright. Since you're my brother, I'll help you with this."

I didn't have any expectations of her, and that's from the perspective of not needing her help in any way. However, I didn't have a better excuse to maintain a good relationship with her, so I didn't say it aloud. Anyway, aside from being a bit of a nuisance, nothing else bad would happen.

I looked up at the clock on the wall. Before I knew it, it was past midnight. Those slightly long minutes had quietly passed while I was talking to my sister. Although I was pretty sure nothing strange had happened at midnight, I still checked my phone to confirm. The time was—September 13th, 12:03 AM. I had indeed arrived at the next day and hadn't gone back. I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, my whole body relaxing. The drowsiness that I had been fighting off now surged into my brain without any resistance. I yawned; I was already feeling quite sleepy.

"Are you already going to bed? You need to exercise more," my sister teased me. I looked at her.

"It's getting late, and you have class tomorrow. You should go to bed early too."

"I know, I know. I'll go take a shower and go to bed by myself in a little while, don't worry about me. You go to sleep first."

I stood up, gave my sister a few quick instructions, like making sure she dried her hair after her shower, and then went into my room. I lay down on the bed, and within seconds, sleepiness overwhelmed me like a flood, and my consciousness completely vanished into darkness. I rarely dream; dreaming is one of the characteristics of entering deep sleep. Usually, because my schedule is quite regular, I don't force myself to do anything, and fatigue is practically nonexistent for me. But this time, I did exert a little effort, and perhaps that's why I had a dream, something I hadn't done in a long time.

I saw myself sitting in the classroom, in my own seat. The classroom was completely empty except for me, and it was pitch black outside the window; I couldn't see anything. I also saw the classroom door, which had been closed, being pushed open, and a girl walked in. I recognized her; she was Ye Yuqing, who had left an indelible impression on me in just a few days. She walked into the classroom, towards my seat. She kept her head down, so I couldn't see her face or her expression, but her clothes and hairstyle gave me the answer. I watched her walk to the seat next to me and sit down. She still kept her head down and didn't make a sound, so I still couldn't see her face. I looked at her, not intending to disturb her, but suddenly she raised her head, startling me. But when I saw her face, my shock turned into panic. I felt my heart pounding, and I felt unable to make a sound or move. I could only watch her, watch Ye Yuqing's mutilated, twisted, bloodied, and crazed face as it approached me…

I woke up with a start in my bed, the fright jolting me awake from my half-asleep state. I gasped for breath, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. Slowly, I regained my composure and heard my phone ringing incessantly beside me. I picked it up and saw it was my alarm clock going off. I couldn't believe I'd actually need it. I casually turned it off. Instead of tossing it aside, I checked the time: September 13th, 6:00 AM. Finally, I completely relaxed. I hadn't gone back to the past; I had successfully arrived in today. I put the phone down and lay back down in bed.

I haven't been this happy in a long time. That unknown farce finally ended today, at this time. I couldn't help but laugh out loud, sighed, then sat up again and got out of bed. That cycle is over, and I must return to my previous life trajectory. To achieve that, I must maintain the state I was in at the very beginning. Although it's not appropriate for me to say this, I am truly happy today—

"Today doesn't seem too bad."

Chapter 49 Future Goals

Knowing that yesterday's events wouldn't be repeated, I started thinking about today's lessons. According to the schedule, I should have English class this morning, but since I usually leave my books at school, I didn't need to pack my bag. I changed my clothes and washed up as usual, then left home; my destination was school. I intentionally observed my surroundings, but since I hadn't observed or recorded what had happened this morning, I didn't notice anything different. I walked along the path I'd taken countless times. The sky was still dark, as usual; it would probably be a while before brighter light appeared. I made my way through the darkness to the school gate.

I had no appetite for breakfast today. I stood briefly at the school gate, glancing at the barely noticeable section of the wall Ye Yuqing had smoothed out to climb over. It hadn't vanished into thin air. Such a thing couldn't possibly happen, because this wasn't a dream. If it were, it would be the most terrifying nightmare of my life, and I didn't want to experience it again. I continued walking towards the senior high school building. It would take some time to get from the school gate to my classroom, so I had to walk at my usual pace. Along the way, although I didn't consciously try to remember what happened, that strange sense of familiarity didn't arise either, and my mood became increasingly relaxed.

I started from the first floor and climbed up, floor after floor, until I reached the floor where my classroom was located. I glanced at the casually closed door of the lecture hall next to the steps, then ignored it, walked past it, and arrived at the classroom door. My arrival time was probably no different from usual, as I recognized most of the people sitting at the front of the classroom. Although this recognition stemmed more from the fact that those seats were occupied when I arrived in the morning than from any tangible recollection of any particular person, I could still roughly remember their seating arrangements. I entered the classroom through the front door and walked towards my seat. Just as I was about to reach my seat, I discovered that someone had already arrived before me.

I looked at Ye Yuqing, and she looked at me too. After I got closer, she said to me in a voice as soft as a fly's wings, "You, you've come."

I could tell she was a little nervous around me, but looking at her, I wasn't much better off. I'm usually pretty good at managing my time; I can roughly tell what time it is even without specifically checking. But this judgment isn't based on some vague feeling; I determine the time based on other people's behavior, including Ye Yuqing, who always arrives just in time. Her presence here was unexpected, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was already time for class, and I was late again. But the classroom was just as empty as it always was, so I didn't think there was anything wrong with me. The one who had changed was Ye Yuqing herself.

"Why are you here so early today?"

She stood up, making room for me to go inside, and said to me, "Because you said yesterday you wanted to see me at school..."

She spoke very softly, probably only I could hear her clearly. Thank goodness, I knew what had happened, so I didn't care much. But if someone else overheard her, it would bring me endless trouble at this time. This is a time lacking in entertainment options. As long as there are ways to entertain them, most of them wouldn't mind, and reporting students who might be involved in early romantic relationships would almost certainly be correct.

I went into the seat she had given me and sat down in my own. Perhaps because she hadn't received a response from me, Ye Yuqing seemed flustered again. I glanced at her: "Sit down first, the teacher will be here soon."

She responded and sat down obediently. Ye Yuqing's current state could be described as slightly troublesome. She possesses a complete individual consciousness, but lacks the corresponding autonomy. Or rather, because I achieved her goal of "finding someone willing to talk to her," she shifted her focus of thought and action onto me, but only I understand that this was merely an accident. If yesterday's cycle were to repeat itself, I could use other methods to accomplish this better, at least preventing Ye Yuqing from harboring such absolutely abnormal feelings and thoughts towards me. However, the constant repetition of time is not what I desire, and I have already broken free from that cycle. Even if there were a plan to start over, there is no way to do it again. Rather than thinking about these meaningless things, it's better to broaden my perspective and look to the future.

But now I have to deal with this matter related to Ye Yuqing. She has made me the main focus of her thoughts and actions, and I need to shift her focus away from me. Although it is difficult to make her completely like a normal person, I can at least provide some help for her to return to a normal life.

"Is there anything you want to do right now?" I asked her, and she shook her head.

"Then what do you want?" She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

This is not good. Although the unlimited expansion of desires may lead to some extremely foolish problems, it is undeniable that the reason why mankind can move forward is precisely because of the influence of desires. Without the desire to live a better life, how could we have made such rapid progress in this world? It is because people have things they want that they can work harder. This is also used by most parents as a reason to persuade their children to study.

"Alright then, I can promise you that if you get a ranking within the top 20 in the class in the midterm exams a month from now, I'll grant you one request. The only requirement is that it can't be too unreasonable, and it has to be something I can actually do. What do you think?"

If there is no desire, then create one for her yourself. It doesn't need to be too specific; as long as it exists and can give Ye Yuqing a goal to continue living, that's enough.

It did have some effect; I saw Ye Yuqing's heart flutter.

Chapter Fifty Forgotten Homework

After making a new agreement with Ye Yuqing, she immediately began studying with great enthusiasm. Although she said she wasn't particularly smart, with a clear goal, her efforts could bridge the gap in talent to the greatest extent possible. Moreover, I don't think her personal abilities are as bad as she claims. Although, upon closer examination, Ye Yuqing's ability to come and go from school and climb over the wall with ease was largely due to the school's negligence, this relatively simple yet comprehensive plan was implemented by her for a full year or two. No one can deny this effort, but it naturally also reflects Ye Yuqing's excellent personal abilities.

Whether she is truly bad at studying cannot be determined solely by her current situation. Academic performance is influenced by more than just comprehension ability; it also includes enthusiasm and desire for learning. Without motivation, even the most expensive cars, high-speed trains, or airplanes are nothing more than scrap metal. All conclusions require the test of time and practice.

Ye Yuqing quietly started reading, while I took out the textbooks I needed for the morning and placed them on the desk, waiting for the teacher to come in from outside the classroom so my life could get back on track. However, just as I wanted to sit quietly in my seat for a while, a commotion arose at the front of the classroom. I looked up and saw someone I vaguely recognized. She was standing at the very front of the vertical row, probably talking to the students sitting in front. I vaguely remembered her, not much more than I remembered Ye Yuqing, but she was probably quite well-known to others. After all, she was the class monitor, and even just handling student-teacher matters garnered her a considerable network of connections. However, like Ye Yuqing, I didn't remember her name either.

At this moment, she was holding one arm around the other, talking to the girl sitting in the front row. Although her voice wasn't loud, it was clear that not everyone could speak as gently and calmly as she did. I didn't particularly like this way of speaking; it felt a bit drawn out and time-consuming. But perhaps this way of speaking would win over other people more. Ye Yuqing's manner was already the limit of what I could barely accept. Although she wasn't exactly fluent when speaking to me, and often found herself speechless, surprisingly, she almost never said anything unnecessary. She either answered every question directly and got straight to the point, or she remained silent, not even wanting to express her own opinion. She was more reserved than I had imagined, and I thought that was quite good.

Because of the exaggerated screams from the girls in the front row, I overheard some things that weren't particularly interesting. Basically, the math teacher had something come up, and the afternoon math class was replaced with geography, meaning the entire afternoon would likely be spent in geography. And coincidentally, our geography teacher didn't have any other classes that afternoon, so he didn't refuse and accepted the change. But knowing his methods, besides lecturing, he'd definitely include a practice test—perhaps one he created himself—or a copy of past exam questions. For most people, this afternoon wouldn't be pleasant. I lowered my head. Their discussion was irrelevant to me. My attitude towards any teacher was the same: I wouldn't force myself to listen. I'd only remember what I needed and then fill in the gaps later. I knew better than anyone that I wasn't suited for studying, at least not in this kind of environment. My learning efficiency at school wasn't that much different from when I tutored myself at home, but the time I saved was inevitably much greater.

Ye Yuqing, sitting next to me, also seemed uninterested in this issue. She appeared to have made the goal I'd set for her the only important thing at the moment, completely oblivious to the commotion ahead, engrossed in her book. Perhaps even without my goal, Ye Yuqing would have ignored what had happened, because it wasn't a circle she could easily intrude into. Their conversations were irrelevant to her; the only information she needed was what she heard from her teachers, and she didn't have to worry about rumors or misinformation. I was similar. Whether they discussed it or not, I could eventually get the answers from the teachers. Whether I listened to their gossip or not was irrelevant.

I stopped looking at them, continuing to prop myself up on my hands, lost in thought, until the school bell rang. All the students returned to their seats, and the teacher finally appeared in the classroom before class began. The daily morning reading time had begun. English, as one of the core courses, is very important in terms of reading, writing, and memorization. The English teacher also placed great emphasis on the morning English study time. She spent the entire morning reading time walking around the classroom, supervising the students as they read English. Thanks to her, my planned time for daydreaming was gone. I could only join the others in reading English, but I wasn't very interested and couldn't concentrate. Ye Yuqing, on the other hand, was reading very attentively next to me.

The morning reading time, neither short nor long, passed by in a blur. Afterwards, it was simply used for students to eat breakfast. Since I hadn't bought any this morning, I was feeling a little hungry. Just as I was about to get up from my seat to go to the cafeteria, I saw a girl carrying a bunch of notebooks walking towards me. It was the class monitor who had been talking to the girls in the first row earlier. She stood next to Ye Yuqing's desk, looking at me, and said, "Homework is due."

I was taken aback: "Homework? What homework?"

"It's the corrections the teacher assigned yesterday, to be written down on paper. There aren't many. Do you want to take a look?"

Ye Yuqing handed me the paper she was about to give to the class monitor. I glanced at it briefly; I recognized it, and I had indeed finished mine, which was currently in my bag. So much had happened these past two days that I'd forgotten about such a small thing, but it didn't matter. I took my homework out of my bag and handed it to the class monitor, who then took it and continued walking towards the back of the classroom. I quickly left my seat, while Ye Yuqing remained seated, reading her book.

Chapter 51 The Invitation to Lunch

After finishing breakfast, I returned to the classroom. Ye Yuqing was still reading. Just as I was about to walk back, I saw the class monitor, whom I had just met, sitting in the front row, looking towards the back of the classroom. She was also one of the academic superstars in the class; although not the strongest, she was certainly among the top students, as evidenced by her position—the middle seat in the first row. It must be said, this system was indeed very convenient for assessing students' academic abilities.

I wouldn't normally have noticed her, but at this time, many people were still out having breakfast, and the classroom was relatively empty. Most of the high-achieving students in the front row had left, and there was no one sitting next to the class monitor. If you walked into the classroom from the main entrance, she would be the first person you would see. I'm usually used to ignoring certain people, but she just gave me a strange feeling of familiarity, which made me take a second look.

I immediately found my own feeling ridiculous. It was probably because I'd been through a lot lately, which had affected me to some extent. Like Ye Yuqing at the beginning, I didn't even know the class monitor's name, so how could I possibly feel familiar with him? It was just an illusion.

I put those feelings aside and walked towards my seat. The short distance didn't take me long, and I quickly reached Ye Yuqing's side. Before I could even speak, Ye Yuqing had already noticed me and made way for me, her words of encouragement turning into a simple thank you. I went in and sat down. I glanced at Ye Yuqing, who was sitting down and continuing to read, and struck up a conversation with her.

Aren't you going to have breakfast?

"Huh? Me? I already ate when I came to school this morning."

I remembered seeing her buy steamed buns at a nearby shop when I followed her before, and assumed she was probably eating something similar on her way here, so I didn't think much of it. Seeing that I didn't say anything, she seemed to want to say something, opened her mouth slightly, but ultimately remained silent. I noticed. This wasn't what I expected of her, and I tried to make her feel more relaxed and comfortable around me.

"Just say what you want to say, I won't do anything to you."

My words did have some effect on her. After hesitating for a while, she looked at me and said, "Can we have lunch together today?"

My initial intention was to refuse, because eating is simply a necessary act for me to replenish the energy required for survival. I don't have any particular demands regarding my appetite; my only requirement is that it be quick and simple, and everything else is secondary. Therefore, I don't really enjoy eating together. If the difference in our eating speed isn't significant, it's fine, but if the difference is too large—one person finishes eating several minutes before the other has even finished, and the one who finished has to wait for the other—it's just a pointless waste of time. It's much better to finish eating and leave.

However, I was undecided about Ye Yuqing. Firstly, because of everything that had happened, I held a different attitude towards her than towards others. I couldn't treat someone who had once killed me and once saved me the same as anyone else. Secondly, I personally hoped she could return to a "normal" state. There wasn't much I could do, but there were things I could. Refusing her would significantly impact my goal of reshaping her personality. Having reached this conclusion, I nodded to her, and I saw a smile appear on her face.

A person's progress requires goals and motivation, and the greatest source of motivation is one's own yearning for that goal. The stronger the yearning, the greater the power it can unleash, which is the fundamental reason why a person can strive for something. However, this is not the only source of motivation. If one's enthusiasm is completely exhausted before achieving the goal, then no matter how wonderful the future one yearns for, it is nothing more than a non-existent utopia. After giving her a goal, helping her maintain her enthusiasm for action is also one of the things I need to do.

Furthermore, her request wasn't something difficult for me to fulfill. If it was something that could be done, I wouldn't mind agreeing. That's one of the reasons I agreed. Although I hope Ye Yuqing can return to a "normal" state, that's just a hope. In other words, my attitude towards this matter can only be described as relatively concerned. It would be best if it could be accomplished, but even if it couldn't, it wouldn't be a loss for me. As for the driving force behind my actions, I don't have a strong enough desire to support my efforts.

Ultimately, although Ye Yuqing and I were connected by some twist of fate, this connection would eventually break down. It originated from a misunderstanding and developed because of Ye Yuqing's special state. This relationship would collapse when the misunderstanding was cleared up or when Ye Yuqing returned to "normal". I did not have any expectations for her beyond that.

Doing what you are "capable of" and "willing to do" is enough, that's my thinking. Ye Yuqing's happy expression didn't significantly change my opinion, but she seemed more energetic, albeit in a completely opposite way. Even though I haven't had a similar experience myself, I could still feel her current seriousness and effort. Her desires are too small and too easily satisfied, which is a good thing for her sense of satisfaction, but if she wants to continue moving forward, this level of desire alone is insufficient to sustain her progress.

But everyone has their own way of living. Ye Yuqing comes from a well-off family, and perhaps in the future her parents will find her an easy job, and she should be quite happy. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. If my own family background and current situation didn't prevent me from doing the same, I might end up like her. This isn't about looking down on anything; it's just stating a fact.

I saw Ye Yuqing continue reading her book with her head down, so I turned my head and looked out the window, continuing to stare blankly.

Chapter Fifty-Two: A Relaxing Day

Today was indeed a very relaxing day. There were plenty of things I wanted to explore and things I normally needed to do, but I didn't want to do them right now. I was immersed in this brief peace, without many thoughts running through my mind. Aside from slightly different mealtimes, the rest of the day was exactly as I "usually" experienced. At lunchtime, the situation I had anticipated did indeed occur.

Ye Yuqing doesn't eat quickly; she has a good habit of chewing slowly and carefully. But I don't. I eat very fast, finishing in just a few minutes. Perhaps because I ate too quickly, Ye Yuqing became a little anxious after seeing that I had finished and sped up her eating. However, people like her who are used to chewing slowly and carefully find it difficult to adapt to such a fast eating speed, and she soon choked.

The cafeteria didn't sell bottled water or anything like that, and Ye Yuqing didn't ask for any soup, so I could only reach out and gently pat her back, trying to make her feel better.

"There's no need to eat so fast, I'll wait for you for a bit."

Since it was something I expected, I had no other thoughts besides feeling a little helpless. Ye Yuqing's original eating habits were very good; she wouldn't hurt her esophagus, wouldn't easily swallow hard objects, and it aided digestion. Chewing slowly and thoroughly is indeed helpful for eating. As for me, due to a long-standing habit, I just chew a few times and then swallow. Although it's fast, it has caused more problems in the past, and it's quite troublesome. It's good that Ye Yuqing stays the way she is now.

"Yes, I'm sorry..."

She seemed to have gotten over it, and said in a slightly apologetic tone, looking somewhat dejected.

"There's no need to apologize. It's normal to eat slowly, and you don't need to change anything just because of me. It's fine as it is."

"OK……"

Although she responded that way, the dejected look on her face didn't disappear. She probably took my words as insincere comfort. I didn't know what to do, so I looked at her for a while, then turned away to look elsewhere. It was better not to look at her than to continue putting pressure on her. Sure enough, eating together never ends well.

I looked around, but apart from groups of students eating, I didn't see anyone else. Even if there were others, I probably wouldn't recognize them in such a large crowd. So, I simply remained in that position, observing my surroundings and spacing out. After a short while, I felt a gentle tap on my arm. I snapped out of my reverie and looked at Ye Yuqing.