Chapter 95

Zheng Wen looked at Liu Meng and said very seriously, "Liu Meng, when you have nothing to do, why don't you go to math class? Teacher Kong has been asking about you."

Liu Meng thought about it and realized he hadn't been to math class for a long time. After being provoked by Du Yi, he solved the math conjecture and submitted it without even having the chance to tell Teacher Kong. He replied earnestly, "Sure, I'll go to math class next week if I have nothing to do."

Zheng Wen was very happy; she had been trying to create opportunities for Liu Meng and Gu Pan.

Taking advantage of Gu Pan going to the restroom, Zheng Wen whispered in his ear, "Recently, many boys from other colleges have been coming to our class, all trying to confess their love to Pan'er. You need to be competitive. My cousin is very virtuous and has a great sense of life once you get to know her. Come on, I support you!"

Liu Meng had always avoided and not wanted to think about his feelings for Gu Pan. After his relationship with Zhao Linlin, he no longer wanted to invest his heart in a relationship, so he deliberately avoided it.

Today, seeing Gu Pan again, watching her spirited and graceful demeanor, and seeing her smile, his heart did stir. Sitting together to watch a movie, he felt very comfortable and even slept soundly.

After some thought, he decided to let things take their natural course. He didn't want to consider emotional matters at the moment, as it would only tire him out.

Without a career, how could he talk about feelings, especially with someone like Gu Pan, who had a background like hers and with Du Yi watching closely. Even if he were a top student, it wouldn't help much.

He nodded at Zheng Wen, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Zheng Wen gave him a very dissatisfied look, as if she was disappointed in his lack of effort.

Feeling a bit mischievous, Liu Meng also leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Our leader really likes you, he's preparing to pursue you wholeheartedly. Give him a chance, will you?"

Zheng Wen spat, "Get lost, I wouldn't even consider a classmate, it would be too awkward."

Though she said this, she thought to herself, "I already have someone I like, I won't have feelings for anyone else. Marrying Brother Du is my greatest wish in life. So, Liu Meng, I beg you, take Cousin Pan away."

Liu Meng wouldn't know about Zheng Wen's little schemes.

The leader was indeed drunk, mumbling incoherently before falling asleep. After chatting for a while, Liu Meng suggested they take the leader back. As they parted, he helped the leader up, who, with blurry eyes and a wobbly gait, still managed to wave goodbye to Zheng Wen. Liu Meng supported him and called a taxi to take them back to school.

Gu Pan and Zheng Wen continued to stroll down Central Street, which was still crowded with people, especially Russian beauties who, despite the cold weather, still wore belly-baring tank tops, seemingly unaffected by the cold.

"Earlier, what were you and Liu Meng whispering about? Wenwen, do you like Liu Meng? I saw Deng Jinyao also chasing after you. How did you manage to date both of them at the same time?" Gu Pan asked, having seen Zheng Wen and Liu Meng whispering when she came out of the restroom and deliberately waited a bit before joining them.

"No way, you're talking nonsense. We're just classmates. Liu Meng wouldn't like me; he already has someone he likes!" Zheng Wen's eyes flashed with a mischievous look as she sighed.

"Oh? Who is it? I haven't seen him with any girls." Gu Pan was suddenly startled, not even noticing the urgency in her tone. She didn't know why she was so concerned about this news.

She felt that she only admired Liu Meng, with no other feelings. It wasn't until this moment that she began to wonder if she might actually like this rough guy.

Though her facial expressions changed quickly, Zheng Wen caught them, feeling secretly pleased and even more certain that these two would end up together. She planned to arrange more activities to promote their relationship.

Zheng Wen sighed, thinking to herself, "Being a matchmaker is not easy."

......

In the following three weeks, besides continuing to tutor the little girl in the evenings, Liu Meng stayed on campus, spending his days in an empty classroom writing his novel. Based on the original work, he had added and re-created, and by the time he reached four million words, the novel was completely different from the original.

After twenty days of continuous typing, he finally finished, with a total of nearly two million words, bringing the total to six million words. This was absolutely groundbreaking in the 2004 online literature scene, both in length and quality, surpassing contemporary novels.

It was now mid-December, and the city was officially in winter, with temperatures around minus twenty degrees, sometimes even minus thirty degrees, creating a bleak and cold atmosphere.

Due to the rapid temperature changes, the autumn in the city was very short, and the leaves didn't even have time to turn yellow and fall before being replaced by snow.

The winter break for northeastern universities was usually quite long, sometimes even two months, similar to the summer break. The winter break also started earlier than in the south.

The first-year courses were entering their final stage, with about a week left before the end of the semester, followed by a period for answering questions and reviewing.

The last two weeks of the semester were when the top students went into overdrive, preparing for the final exams. They would relax for a few days before diving into intense self-study, much like storing food for the winter.

"The Return to Ming" continued to be a hit, with all data reaching unprecedented heights. It was number one on both the recommendation and click-through charts, and the book review section was well-managed by the deputy moderator, Sakura Stream. This fifteen-year-old girl was surprisingly mature, piquing Liu Meng's curiosity.

According to his understanding, fifteen-year-olds were still under their parents' protection, with little understanding of society and life, and shouldn't have such insights.

The two rarely communicated, but during one conversation, Liu Meng asked to see a photo, which was immediately refused. The girl's reasoning was that the internet was convenient and fast, but also dangerous, and she wouldn't put her photo online. Liu Meng had to give up.

The loyal readers, Emperor Zhengde and Wanku Wangzi, quickly set up a personal fan forum for "The Return to Ming" after it went online. They could discuss the plot of "The Return to Ming" or other topics.

After Emperor Zhengde notified Liu Meng, he was surprised to see that the forum had already registered 80,000 members, with about 2,000 people online at any given time, and up to 5,000 during peak hours.

This was comparable to a medium-sized original Chinese website!

If the fan forum were to be redesigned with a paid membership feature, it would be a full-fledged Chinese novel reading website.

The quality of the website was impressive, with smooth browsing, a strict layout, and a beautiful design, not inferior to the popular Chinese websites.

Liu Meng also asked Emperor Zhengde who designed the page, and learned that it was Wanku Wangzi, who was also a skilled hacker, piquing Liu Meng's interest.

Finally finishing "The Return to Ming," though the main plot was inspired by another book, Liu Meng had added a lot of original elements during the writing process. The last two million words were entirely his own creation, with no relation to the original.

After finishing, he felt a faint sense of melancholy, wandering alone in the small forest, which was now covered in a thick layer of snow.

Just two days ago, the city had a heavy snowfall, exciting the students from the south who had never seen such a heavy snowfall.

They built snowmen and had snowball fights, enjoying themselves immensely.

The campus, except for the main roads, was now a vast white expanse. He wandered aimlessly, letting the faint melancholy dissipate.

Passing the small forest, he turned right, passing the basketball court and the sports field, and saw the ice rink on his right. The biggest change was here. When Liu Meng first arrived, this area was just a barren field, with dust flying in the wind.

Now, a thick layer of ice covered the ground, with many students playing on it. The rink was divided into an outer running track for experienced skaters, separated by snow piles. The center was for beginners, who, if they ventured onto the outer track, would likely be knocked down and slide several meters.

Of course, some experienced skaters would deliberately go to the center to show off around a particular girl.

Liu Meng watched for a while and felt a bit restless. Since his undergraduate graduation, he hadn't returned to the city or gone skating. Thinking of this, he excitedly ran back to his dorm to get his skates.

Ice skating and roller skating were completely different. Ice skates had a long blade and came in beginner and advanced models.

Beginner skates had a deeper and harder boot to protect the ankles, but it was difficult to perform certain maneuvers.

Advanced skates had a shallower and softer boot, requiring more skill to protect oneself.

Both types of skates had a long metal blade.

Most students wearing skates for the first time couldn't even stand, let alone walk or skate on the ice. Most had to crawl onto the ice.

......

Tomorrow, with the scorching weather, the three fat guys will have to go to the construction site for testing, and they will definitely be exhausted, panting heavily on the ground. The update time may be delayed, but the three fat guys will try to update on time.

Additionally, the true identities of Emperor Zhengde and Wanku Wangzi are a mystery. Does anyone know? There were hints in the previous text.

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