I really like your sand sculpture group friends

Mo Xiangwen pushed open the door and entered. The office was well-heated, and several teachers were working at their desks or talking quietly.

The middle-aged man who had responded to him, who looked to be around fifty years old, looked up, saw him, and immediately smiled with delight: "Oh! It's you, young man! Mo Xiangwen!"

Although half a year has passed and teacher turnover may have sent some faces to lower grades, most of the people in this office are still the same familiar faces.

When they saw him come in, the teachers all greeted him with smiles.

"Hey, isn't this our school's 'dark horse' who came from behind the curve?"

"H's top student is back?"

"You look much more energetic! University life must be great!"

Mo Xiangwen remembered that the middle-aged man was his former grade leader. He had already walked to the door with a smile: "Why did you suddenly come back? You can't be dissatisfied with H University and want to come back to retake the exam, right? This is not the time."

Mo Xiangwen smiled wryly and said, "Class monitor, please stop joking with me. I only need to go through senior year once. I don't want to experience it a second time."

A female teacher nearby chimed in with a laugh, "Hey, he's not the grade head anymore, you have to call him vice principal!"

"Oh? Congratulations! Hello, Vice Principal!" Mo Xiangwen readily changed his address.

"Hey, speaking of which, we have to thank you in part for our outstanding college entrance exam results last year." The new vice principal waved his hand with a smile, clearly in a very good mood. "Don't stand at the door, come in and sit for a while?"

Mo Xiangwen followed him into the office, placed a small bag of finely packaged fruit and New Year's gifts on the vice principal's desk, and then took out several pre-packaged small gift bags, respectfully distributing them to the other teachers in the office: "Hello teachers, this is a small token of my appreciation, Happy New Year."

"Oh, you even brought gifts! Why are you being so polite!"

"You've really grown up and become more sensible."

The teachers accepted the gifts with smiles, and the atmosphere in the office became even more lively.

Mo Xiangwen chatted with the teachers for a while about university life and his major. During the conversation, he casually asked, "Vice Principal, where is my former class teacher, Mr. Xiang Ming? Is he here today?"

"Old Xiang, he should be teaching right now. He's the homeroom teacher of the top class now, he's really busy!" The vice principal said, pointing in one direction down the corridor. "His office is over there, by the window. But you probably won't run into him if you go over there now. Or... why don't you go check the classroom? He's been talking about you all the time, using you as an example!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Xiangwen felt a chill run down his spine: "Huh? This..."

"What's the big deal? You've already graduated, what are you afraid of? Let him show off in front of the current students!" The vice principal laughed heartily, clearly pleased to see this scene.

“Okay… I’ll go take a look. Is it okay if I take these things to the classroom?” Mo Xiangwen pointed to the gifts he had prepared for the homeroom teacher.

"It's alright, it's alright, go ahead!"

As Mo Xiangwen walked out of the office, the two people waiting outside immediately came to greet him.

"We also need to go to the senior high school classrooms," Mo Xiangwen explained.

Yan Nuoya nodded: "Then let's go."

Bai Shishi's eyes lit up, and her tone was full of anticipation: "Okay, okay, I also want to see what a high school classroom looks like!"

Bai Shishi's words made Mo Xiangwen pause for a moment, and a complicated feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

Yes, if it weren't for her health condition, Bai Shishi should have been sitting in a bright classroom like them, striving for the college entrance examination and experiencing youth.

Even if this youth is painful, it is still a rare experience.

Perhaps some people are unwilling to experience it, while others want to experience it but have no way to do so.

He sighed inwardly, "Alright, let's go then."

Chapter 200 Public Execution (Part Two)

The three of them arrived at the senior high school building and found the honors class that the vice principal had mentioned.

Even from a distance, a familiar and engaging lecture voice could be heard coming through the doors and windows. Bai Shishi curiously peered through the window at the classroom: desks piled high with books, students engrossed in writing, and the figure on the podium.

The voice continued, "...I'm telling you, although you're all students in the top class and have a good foundation, learning is always like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind! If you don't work hard, others will, and the gap will widen quickly! Don't just focus on your own class; you're competing against millions, even tens of millions, of students across the province and the country! You need to broaden your horizons!"

"Even if we don't go that far, just within our own school, never underestimate the students in regular classes! Are there no hidden talents in regular classes? One of my students from the previous year—yes, the one you all say I'm bragging about, Mo Xiangwen—he genuinely came from a regular class! In the last month, he went from barely making it to a second-tier university to a 985 university! What does that show? It shows that as long as you have the right methods and are willing to work hard, anything is possible! So never give up easily..."

Outside the classroom, Mo Xiangwen was so embarrassed that he wanted to turn around and run away immediately.

Yan Nuoya smiled meaningfully at him, her lips slightly parted as she silently repeated the words in her mouth.

Bai Shishi also turned her head, her big eyes filled with admiration and curiosity as she blinked at him.

Mo Xiangwen felt his cheeks burning, and quickly lowered his voice, clasping his hands together in a pleading manner as he said to Yan Nuoya, "Yan, Miss Yan, please, please, could you take Shishi to the stairwell and wait for me? I'll be done quickly! I'll be done soon!"

Yan Nuoya's original intention was just to tease him a little, and she didn't really want to embarrass him too much. Seeing his expression, she decided to stop while she was ahead, nodded slightly, whispered something to Bai Shishi, and then led her towards the stairwell.

Seeing the two leave, Mo Xiangwen took a deep breath and knocked on the classroom door: "Report!"

"Come in..." The lecture paused for a moment, and the homeroom teacher, Ms. Xiang, turned to look at the door as she spoke.

When his gaze fell on Mo Xiangwen's face, his eyes lit up instantly, his face immediately filled with a smile, and he strode over almost impatiently.

"Oh! It's you! Mo Xiangwen!" Teacher Xiang Ming's voice was loud and clear, filled with undisguised joy: "Why are you back so suddenly? What a rare guest!"

Mo Xiangwen felt a chill run down his spine; he had reason to suspect that the homeroom teacher was deliberately calling him by his full name.

In an instant, dozens of eyes from the entire class focused on him.

This feeling, as if he were back in his senior year of high school, with the whole class staring at him, instantly increased his pressure.

He quickly gestured to the homeroom teacher and then retreated to the corridor outside the classroom.

Teacher Xiang Ming followed with a smile, closing the classroom door behind him to shut out the curious stares from inside.

"How are you doing? Are you adjusting well to university? Are you keeping up with your studies?" Teacher Liu asked with concern, her eyes full of satisfaction.

"It's great, teacher. I can keep up." Mo Xiangwen replied respectfully, handing over the gift in his hand at the same time, "Happy New Year, teacher, this is just a small token of my appreciation."

"Oh dear, you're back already, why bring anything! Really..." Teacher Xiang Ming said politely, but still happily accepted the gift. "How is it? University life is very different from high school, isn't it? You need to adapt as soon as possible and start planning for your future..."

The master and apprentice chatted for a few minutes in the corridor, asking about each other's recent situations, and he also received some advice from his elders.

Whether it's useful or not, it's still a sign of the teacher's concern for me.

Finally, Teacher Xiang patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, I won't take up any more of your time. Come back and visit often in the future."

"Okay, teacher, I'll be going now. You're busy."

As Mo Xiangwen turned around, he heard his homeroom teacher push open the classroom door behind him, his booming voice ringing out again, seemingly even louder than before: "See that? Speak of the devil, and he appears! That guy who just went out is Mo Xiangwen, the senior you all always doubt I'm bragging about! He's studying at H University now, and he came back to see me today..."

Are you coming again?!

Mo Xiangwen didn't dare listen to what was said after that, and hurriedly walked towards the stairwell as if fleeing in panic.

Seeing Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi waiting at the stairwell, he quickly waved and said, "Let's go, let's get out of here!"

The three of them quickly went downstairs and walked back towards the school gate along the way they had come.

As he approached the door, Mo Xiangwen finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the heat on his face subside slightly.

Who knew that coming back would result in public humiliation? I should have come back secretly and not let Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi know, then they wouldn't have followed me.

When he got to the car, he opened the door and let Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi get in first.

Just as he was about to walk around to the driver's seat, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a somewhat familiar figure from the direction of the school gate.

The man was wearing a black coat, and his back view seemed somewhat dejected as he slowly walked into the school gate.

Mo Xiangwen was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and immediately called out in that direction, "Cai Yibin!"

Upon hearing the shout, the figure paused, stopped, and turned to look at the source of the sound in confusion.

When he saw Mo Xiangwen, his face instantly lit up with a delighted smile, and he jogged over.

"Holy crap! Mo Xiangwen? What are you doing here?" Cai Yibin laughed and patted Mo Xiangwen on the shoulder familiarly.

Cai Yibin was his deskmate in his senior year of high school, and the two had a good relationship. He often asked Cai Yibin for help with many things back then.

For example, buying snacks.

"Just came back to see my teacher," Mo Xiangwen replied with a smile. "And you? Just got back too?"

“Yeah, I just happened to be passing by and thought I’d drop by.” Cai Yibin shrugged. “But I’m not like you, a student at H University, so I feel a little embarrassed to come back and visit.”

"Come on, stop teasing me." Mo Xiangwen shook his head with a smile: "How have you been lately?"

"Hey, don't even mention it." Cai Yibin shook his head and patted his shoulder several times, as if only in this way could he soothe his emotions: "So, are you free tonight? It's been a long time since we last met. How about we grab some late-night snacks? I know a new barbecue restaurant that's pretty good. My treat."

Mo Xiangwen thought for a moment, glanced back at the two people in the car, and nodded: "Okay! Send me the location later."

“No problem! It’s settled then!” Cai Yibin punched him again: “I’m going to find the old teacher now, I’ll call you later.”

"Okay, see you later."

Chapter 201 Having Dinner with Old Classmates

Around 9 p.m., Mo Xiangwen drove alone to the place he had arranged to meet Cai Yibin.

He naturally didn't bring Yan Nuoya and Bai Shishi with him.

Bringing two girls you're not very familiar with to a gathering of classmates or friends can actually make the atmosphere feel awkward.

Moreover, from their brief encounter that morning, he vaguely sensed that Cai Yibin seemed to be in a low mood. After all, they were high school classmates and deskmates, so he had to ask if he could help.

The car was parked near a barbecue restaurant that looked very nicely decorated.

Even before you get close, you can smell the enticing aroma of cumin, chili powder, and various meat skewers grilled over charcoal.

The shop is small, with a separate shed set up at the entrance, furnished with low tables and plastic stools, which are almost full of people.

Mo Xiangwen suddenly had a thought: Mengyao really liked barbecue. If she were here, he could take her to his favorite old-established restaurant to satisfy her craving before going back.

Although the South is not as famous for barbecue as the North, he thought the taste of that time-honored restaurant was quite good.

The price is a bit high, but it's worth it as long as she enjoys the meal.

Although the new store was beautifully decorated and clean, he had little desire to visit it.

However, since Cai Yibin was hosting tonight, he naturally couldn't be picky.

Mo Xiangwen walked into the store and quickly found Cai Yibin at a table further inside. Cai Yibin had already ordered some skewers and two bottles of beer and was looking down at his phone.

"You're here?" Cai Yibin heard the approaching footsteps, looked up and saw him, smiled, and pointed to the empty seat opposite him, "Sit down. I just ordered some things. Do you want anything else? Order whatever you like, don't be shy."

His family owns a factory, so a late-night snack is really nothing to him.

Mo Xiangwen didn't stand on ceremony. After sitting down, he picked up the menu, checked off a few more of his favorite dishes, and waved to the waiter to place his order.

"How have you been lately?" Cai Yibin handed over an opened bottle of beer.

"No, drinking is bad for your health, and I still have to drive. I'll have a soft drink later." Mo Xiangwen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately shook his head and declined his offer.

Cai Yibin smiled and didn't press him.

Just then, the waiter brought over the Coke.

Mo Xiangwen opened a glass, poured himself a drink, and took a sip: "What else can you do? That's just how university life is. Classes, projects, and the occasional fun. What about you?"

"I'm just so-so." Cai Yibin smiled, picked up a skewer of grilled butter and took a bite, then asked casually, "By the way, have you found a girlfriend yet? You're handsome and smart, you must be quite popular in college, right? If you haven't found one yet, how about I introduce you to my cousin?"

Mo Xiangwen chuckled, "I appreciate your kindness. But your cousin... isn't she several years younger than you? That's inappropriate; she's probably still in high school."

"Yes, she's a junior in high school." Cai Yibin chuckled. "Perfect, she's not doing so well academically, so it's good to have you, a top student from H University, tutor her. How about it, consider it?"

"Goodness, so you were waiting for me here, huh?" Mo Xiangwen said, both amused and exasperated. "Really, no need. But you, anything's up?"

Cai Yibin's smile faded slightly as he picked up his wine glass and took a large gulp: "I'm talking to someone, someone from S City. But... I feel like the pressure will be quite high in the future. Our families live far apart, and a lot of things are uncertain. So I'm not thinking about it too much right now; I'll focus on building my career first."

"Starting a business?" Mo Xiangwen was somewhat surprised. "You've already started a business?"

"Just messing around, doing some small business, consider it training before taking over the family factory." Cai Yibin waved his hand and said casually, "Unlike you, always getting into high-tech stuff, making games. How's it going?"

Although Cai Yibin spoke casually, Mo Xiangwen could clearly sense the fatigue in his tone.

"That's all I'll do, just enough to cover tuition and living expenses," Mo Xiangwen said modestly.

"Making games is good, but it feels like the overseas market is declining right now, so it's risky. Is it safer to focus on the domestic market? But I don't know if the domestic environment will be affected by the overall economic climate..." Cai Yibin said, then sighed.

So there are already signs?

Mo Xiangwen was slightly taken aback, then he asked half-jokingly, "How did you know? Are you so well-informed?"

“You know about my family’s factory, right?” Cai Yibin glanced at him, his tone somewhat helpless. “Didn’t my mom tell your mom? There haven’t been many orders for the employees lately, so everyone’s salaries have been reduced. The factory mainly does foreign trade wholesale, but things aren’t doing too well right now. Everyone’s trying to find some domestic orders to barely stay afloat.”

"Domestic orders are hard to come by because everyone is vying for them. Now we have to rely on acquaintances."

Mo Xiangwen was stunned. His mother did work as a supervisor at Cai Yibin's factory, but she seemed quite idle at home lately, so he assumed it was just the off-season and never considered that business might be bad.

"What does the factory mainly do now?" Mo Xiangwen asked.