Chapter 3

The next day was the last day for freshmen to register, so Lu Yang still had the freedom to manage his time as he pleased.

Since he had only gone to bed around two in the morning the previous night, Lu Yang didn't wake up until half past eight in the morning.

At this time, Lu Yang didn't have a mobile phone, so he couldn't set an alarm like he would later.

When Lu Yang woke up, the other five roommates were still in bed. Some were already awake, while others were still dreaming. Since classes hadn't officially started yet, even those who were awake remained in bed.

After getting up, Lu Yang washed up and then went out with paper, pen, and a teacup, just as he had done the day before.

He first went to the cafeteria to buy some buns and congee, and then went to the classroom on the top floor of Building 3.

Sitting in the same seat as yesterday, he habitually lit a cigarette.

While smoking in silence, Lu Yang squinted and watched the sparse figures of men and women passing by outside the window. In his mind, he was already planning out the chapter for the day.

The outline for the first volume was already in place, but no matter how detailed it was, it couldn't cover every chapter.

By the time the cigarette was almost finished, Lu Yang had the plot for the second chapter in his mind.

He then spat out the cigarette butt and took another cigarette from the pack, putting it in his mouth without lighting it. This was a habit he had when writing.

He always felt something was missing if he didn't have something in his mouth, but smoking one cigarette after another was too harmful to his health, so he often held an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

The pencil scratched on the manuscript paper, one word after another, one stroke after another, forming paragraphs. The handwriting was very simplified, but Lu Yang had no trouble recognizing it.

Before his rebirth, Lu Yang had already written eight works, totaling nearly ten million words. So, he was already very proficient in writing and was considered a mid-level author.

Therefore, writing a new work wasn't much of a challenge for him; the only difference was whether it was exciting or not.

Writing post-apocalyptic novels, which he had read hundreds of, posed no obstacle for Lu Yang, so he wrote very quickly. In the morning, he completed half a manuscript, three chapters, and over ten thousand words.

After lunch, Lu Yang continued writing. His thoughts were still flowing smoothly, but the more he wrote, the more his hands started to feel weak and sore, and his writing speed gradually slowed down.

He took more frequent breaks.

By dinner time, he had managed to write two more chapters, totaling about six thousand words.

Writing sixteen or seventeen thousand words in a day was almost his limit.

Not only were his hands weak, but he was also mentally exhausted.

Putting down his pencil, Lu Yang took out a lighter from his pocket and lit the cigarette that had been in his mouth for over half an hour. He had no intention of continuing to write in the evening.

The minimum word count for submissions to publishers in Taiwan was around sixty-five thousand words. With the three thousand words he had written the day before and the sixteen thousand words he had written today, he had already reached about twenty thousand words.

At this rate, it wouldn't take long to reach the required word count for submission.

So, Lu Yang wasn't in a hurry.

...

After dinner, Lu Yang, with half a cigarette in his mouth and his hands in his pockets, walked around the campus aimlessly, just wanting to take a stroll.

Before his rebirth, he had spent four years at this school and was very familiar with everything here.

Now, after six or seven years, returning to this place and walking on the familiar paths, Lu Yang felt a sense of nostalgia.

When he was studying here before, he didn't feel much, but after graduation, he often recalled and missed his campus life during quiet nights.

He never thought he would have the chance to return here to study again.

As he walked slowly, his eyes wandered around.

Everything was just as he remembered, and the sights he saw made his blurred memories clear again.

As he walked, Lu Yang found himself at the Activity Building.

The Activity Building was newer than Building 3 but much older than Buildings 1 and 2.

It was the home of various school clubs.

The school radio station was also here, and it was where large events like campus galas were held, as it had the largest activity hall in the school.

Before his rebirth, during his four years of study here, Lu Yang had rarely come to this place.

Back then, Lu Yang's mind was only on novels and Feng Tingting.

Apart from reading novels, going to the internet cafe, and writing novels, he spent his time dating Feng Tingting. He never considered joining any school clubs and had no interest in the various galas the school held.

What was it like inside?

Standing outside the Activity Building, Lu Yang suddenly wanted to go in and take a look.

This time, after his rebirth, although Lu Yang still decided to write novels, he didn't plan to live a monotonous life like he did in his previous university days.

At the age of twenty-nine, Lu Yang understood that life shouldn't be so monotonous.

People should pursue happiness.

If one doesn't pursue happiness, what else should they pursue?

Because of this belief, Lu Yang had new plans for his life after rebirth.

—Experience more new things!

At this moment, Lu Yang was curious about what was inside the Activity Building, so he stepped in.

Inside, the first thing Lu Yang saw was the legendary large activity hall.

The ceiling of the hall was as high as two floors, and there were thousands of seats arranged in a stepped pattern, getting higher as they went back.

At the front of the hall was a huge stage.

A few fluorescent lights were on at the front of the hall, and under the lights, a dozen women in bright red dresses were practicing a dance seriously.

A woman who looked like a teacher was gesturing to guide them.

Lu Yang stood at the unlit entrance and watched for a while before leaving.

Lu Yang guessed that these girls were preparing for the welcome party for freshmen in two weeks.

In his memory, all freshmen would start military training in the next two weeks, and the welcome party would be held on the evening after the training ended.

Lu Yang didn't attend the welcome party before his rebirth.

At that time, he was reading a novel he had rented from a bookshop behind the school and wasn't interested in anything else.

However, this time, Lu Yang didn't plan to miss it again.

A writer should experience everything they can, to enrich their knowledge and experience as much as possible.

This was a lesson Lu Yang gradually understood later.

Unfortunately, by then, he had already graduated from university.

...

After seeing the activity hall, Lu Yang continued down the corridor.

He passed by the Calligraphy Club, Dance Club, Foreign Language Club, and the School Basketball Club.

The doors of the activity rooms for each club had small signs hanging above them.

The doors of the Calligraphy Club and Dance Club were locked, and no one was inside.

The Foreign Language Club, however, was brightly lit. Through the window, Lu Yang saw a few girls quietly reading books. He had always respected these girls, who continued to study diligently in the relaxed and free environment of university, both before and after his rebirth.

At least, Lu Yang knew he couldn't do what they did.

After high school, Lu Yang could no longer focus on studying like he did in high school.

After passing the dark School Basketball Club, Lu Yang heard a faint thumping sound coming from a closed door ahead.

What was that place?

Lu Yang couldn't help but feel curious.

As he approached, he saw the words "Martial Arts Club" on the door.

At the same time, his eyes passed through the window and saw a figure inside, continuously hitting a punching bag.