Chapter 2

Stepping out of the examination room, the outside was already teeming with people, the area filled with candidates, some excited and some dejected, a vivid display of the myriad facets of human life. Many were discussing the exam questions, comparing answers, and the North Street Elementary School examination site was as noisy as a pond after the rain, with a cacophony of frogs.

For a moment, Xiao Fei couldn't blend into this atmosphere.

He was thinking that the self from his previous life must have passed away, leaving his wife and child behind in that world, not knowing how they would grieve. Thinking about this, his heart felt a bit sour, as they had promised to grow old together, but he had deserted them halfway.

In his previous life, Xiao Fei had read many web novels about reincarnation, and most of the protagonists were orphans, with no parents. At the time, he didn't understand why.

But now, such a clichéd and dramatic event had actually happened to him, and the heart-wrenching entanglement made him realize something.

Being alone meant fewer worries and sorrows.

Xiao Fei frowned and walked slowly, suddenly remembering that Xu Fengjuan had once told him that she took the college entrance exam at North Street Elementary School in 1996. If he stood at the school gate, he might run into her.

This thought excited him.

According to the course of history, at this moment, he and she were still strangers.

Xu Fengjuan should have failed the 1996 college entrance exam and transferred from a high school in a town below to the county's No. 1 High School to retake the exam, and then they became classmates.

If they met now, what kind of scene would it be?

Xiao Fei found this very interesting.

"Xiao Fei, over here!" Wang Lika stood under a sycamore tree at the school gate, waving enthusiastically at Xiao Fei, his face beaming with pride.

Wang Lika was a retake student, and this was his third time taking the college entrance exam.

However, when he retaken the exam in 1996, he was in the third-year liberal arts class at Heyang No. 1 High School, sitting in front of and behind Xiao Fei, and they had a good relationship.

This person loved to run and play, with excellent social skills, and enjoyed the feeling of rallying friends.

To say that as long as a liberal arts student could focus on studying, even if they were a bit slow, they could improve their grades over two or three years, as it was mostly rote memorization.

But Wang Lika, after retaking the exam for three years, still had mediocre results. Who knew what he had been doing all these years.

Xiao Fei's failure in the 1996 college entrance exam was partly due to his own lack of self-control, but Wang Lika also had a negative influence.

Before the exam, Wang Lika enthusiastically invited Xiao Fei to stay at his uncle's house, which was near North Street Elementary School, a three-bedroom, two-living room apartment.

Xiao Fei accepted Wang Lika's enthusiastic invitation.

The day before the exam, they went to his uncle's house in the afternoon, and that night, Wang Lika's hospitable uncle hosted a dinner with beer.

At noon, they returned to Wang Lika's uncle's house for lunch and drank more beer.

Thus, staying at his house for four nights, Xiao Fei drank every day.

Taking the exam with a hangover, it was no wonder his results were poor. So, seeing Wang Lika now, Xiao Fei felt a bit complicated. In his memory, Wang Lika also performed poorly in the 1996 college entrance exam and became a laughingstock.

Xiao Fei knew why Wang Lika was so happy.

It was because he felt he had performed exceptionally well this time, saying that all the questions seemed familiar, and he answered them smoothly, as if guided by a divine hand.

In 1996, after each exam, Wang Lika would loudly proclaim how well he had done, wanting everyone to know his excitement.

Little did he know, it was just self-deception.

Xiao Fei walked over, not in the mood to talk to him, but casually noticed the passing girls, afraid of missing Xu Fengjuan.

"You little guy, you've got some guts! I never thought you'd be bold enough to touch Teacher Qian's chest. How did it feel? Was it good?" Wang Lika winked and grinned.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Xiao Fei tried to explain helplessly.

"Ha! Do you think I'd believe you? Come on, admit it, were you planning this for a long time? Don't deny it, I know what you were thinking. If you don't do it now, you won't have the chance once we're in college, right?" Wang Lika chattered on.

"I didn't do well, I don't think I'll pass this year. Honestly, I'm prepared to retake the exam," Xiao Fei said with a bitter smile.

"Don't worry! You're a first-time candidate, it's normal to retake the exam next year!" Wang Lika patted Xiao Fei's shoulder, in a senior's encouraging manner, his words full of confidence.

Xiao Fei opened his mouth, intending to advise Wang Lika to be more low-key, to avoid a bad outcome.

But after some thought, he felt it would be futile to say anything now.

Wang Lika, as a "Liberation Army soldier" who had retaken the exam three times, had been suppressed for too long and needed an emotional release, even if it was self-deception. Moreover, Wang Lika had mentioned that his mother had prayed for him at a temple, and the fortune told him he would pass the exam this year.

At this moment, it would only upset him to pour cold water on his enthusiasm, and it wouldn't help.

Sometimes, people need to hit a wall before they wake up.

At this moment, the top student in the class, Tian Yongzhi, walked over. Seeing Tian Yongzhi, Wang Lika called out loudly, "How did you do, Yongzhi? History must have gone well, right?"

"Not so good, I'm not confident about a few major questions," the chubby Tian Yongzhi stopped, shook his head, and looked a bit tired.

"Which ones? Tell me," Wang Lika became interested. Even the top student in the liberal arts class, who had always been the top of the grade, thought he didn't do well, which made him even more excited.

The two started discussing.

Tian Yongzhi explained how he answered certain questions, and Wang Lika agreed, saying he did the same, adding his own insights, talking animatedly.

Xiao Fei listened to their conversation while keeping an eye on the girls leaving the school.

He knew that Tian Yongzhi's total score in this year's college entrance exam would exceed 820 points (standard score), making him the top liberal arts student in X City. He also knew that Tian Yongzhi had initially applied to Peking University, but because he thought he didn't do well, his homeroom teacher, Li Tangqiu, changed his application to Wuhan University to be safe. When the scores came out, not only was Tian Yongzhi furious, but Li Tangqiu was also regretful, even considering cutting his hand off.

Knowing the course of history felt great.

Xiao Fei thought it would be good to give Tian Yongzhi some advice for his own good.

As Tian Yongzhi was about to leave, Xiao Fei said, "Tian Yongzhi, I have a feeling that you did very well this year. You might be the top liberal arts student in X City."

"Xiao Fei, don't tease me. I felt terrible during the exam, especially in math and history. Passing the undergraduate line would be a big relief," Tian Yongzhi waved his hand, looking dejected.

He didn't believe it?

Xiao Fei felt a bit helpless.

Li Tangqiu's decision to change Tian Yongzhi's application might have been due to Tian Yongzhi's lack of confidence.

Xiao Fei thought for a moment and then warned him, "Trust my intuition. Your performance this year is outstanding. When applying, remember to apply to Peking University; you'll definitely get in! Also, be firm and talk to your homeroom teacher, don't let him change your application."

"It seems you have more confidence in me than I do in myself," Tian Yongzhi shook his head and left.

After Tian Yongzhi left, Wang Lika nudged Xiao Fei with his shoulder, his eyes sparkling, "What do you think I'll score this year? I'm full of confidence."

Xiao Fei thought, I didn't want to discourage you, but since you asked, I can't be nice.

It's best to wake you up from your dream as soon as possible.

"Really, you?" Xiao Fei looked him up and down, shaking his head.

"Hey! What's wrong with me? You act like you can predict the future. To be honest, I think I have a chance to be the top liberal arts student in the province this year," Wang Lika said boastfully, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

This guy is delusional.

"Wang Lika, I think your good feeling is just a self-deception. It's best to be low-key before the scores come out, to avoid any unexpected outcomes. Do you think I'm right?" Xiao Fei advised tactfully.

What Xiao Fei said was the prudent approach.

It's important to leave room for yourself.

Don't you know that the one who sticks out gets shot?

The more you show off, the faster you'll fall, don't you understand? If not for friendship, Xiao Fei wouldn't bother with Wang Lika, and would have just watched from the sidelines, ready to enjoy the show.

"Damn! Are you jealous of me? I know you didn't do well and are upset. Forget it, I won't take your words to heart," Wang Lika waved his hand generously, looking at the school gate, "Strange, why hasn't my brother come yet?"

These days, Wang Lika's brother, Wang Lifeng, had been picking them up and dropping them off on his motorcycle.

The Wang family had high hopes for Wang Lika.

Probably because of that good fortune.

Xiao Fei looked at Wang Lika with pity. The higher the family's hopes, the greater the pressure on Wang Lika. His self-deception and showboating might be related to this.

Since Wang Lika was determined to act this way, there was nothing to be done.

Xiao Fei observed the students streaming out of the school, especially the girls. In a short time, most had left, and it was the hottest part of the day. Even standing in the shade, he was drenched in sweat, which flowed like a stream.

Xiao Fei felt a bit disappointed.

Perhaps Xu Fengjuan had already left.

Just then, a short-haired, slightly plump girl about 1.60 meters tall walked over with a few other girls. Xiao Fei's eyes lit up, and his heart raced. The girl was dressed simply, wearing a white的确良 (diquelang) short-sleeved shirt and a floral skirt, with bare, white legs, like a delicate and elegant flower.

She wasn't exceptionally beautiful.

But she had a quiet and refined beauty.

However, her pretty face was now clouded with worry.

Xu Fengjuan was in a bad mood. She knew she had done poorly in this exam, and although she hadn't expected to pass on the first try, the sense of disappointment was still strong.

She was a very strong-willed person, with a stubborn determination not to fall behind.

She walked with her classmates, preparing to catch the bus home. Suddenly, a boy stepped out in front of her, calling, "Xiaofeng."

His face was eager, tall and average-looking, but his eyes shone with a love that made her avoid his gaze.

This startled Xu Fengjuan, and her classmates looked at Xiao Fei curiously, their eyes gleaming with gossip.

Xu Fengjuan glanced at him quickly. She was sure she didn't know this boy and didn't understand why he would stop her and call her by her nickname.

"Xu Fengjuan, who is he?" one of Xu Fengjuan's female classmates asked with interest.

"I don't know him, he must have mistaken me for someone else," Xu Fengjuan looked at Xiao Fei, her eyes full of caution, and walked around him, her steps quick, her heart racing.

Xiao Fei was stunned.

Xu Fengjuan's reaction was understandable; they were strangers. But shouldn't there have been a spark when their eyes met?

Memories of their past life flooded his mind.

Now, she was the most precious person in his life.

But she was still unaware of everything.

Xiao Fei wanted to chase after her and tell her not to resist, that their meeting was fate. But he was afraid of being seen as a lunatic.

So, he could only watch her leave.

The greatest pain in life is when the person you love is right in front of you, but treats you like a stranger. Xiao Fei sighed deeply.

"Ha ha ha!"

A loud, unrestrained laugh echoed in his ear. Wang Lika laughed, pointing at Xiao Fei, "You, spring is over, and you suddenly get amorous? Ignoring the harassment of Teacher Qian, you actually dare to stop a girl you don't know and flirt with her. You're really bold."

Xiao Fei was speechless. He had been too hasty!

Stopping Xu Fengjuan so abruptly and greeting her, it was no wonder she thought he had ill intentions.

He mustn't give her a bad impression.

Xiao Fei was anxious when he heard a cold snort. Teacher Qian Meiju glanced at him and walked past. She had just seen Xiao Fei stop a stranger and chat with her, and her dislike for him grew. She had thought the incident in the exam room was a fluke, but now she suspected Xiao Fei was deliberately causing trouble.

This student is really morally corrupt.

"Good afternoon, Teacher Qian," Xiao Fei greeted her awkwardly as she passed.

But she ignored him. Xiao Fei touched his nose, realizing that in just a couple of hours since his rebirth, he had already faced several setbacks.