Chapter 9

The next day, Dong Xue didn't come to school. Her family had called in sick, saying she had caught a cold from the rain the night before. In fact, Bian Xuedao had also had a slight fever after returning home yesterday, but he felt better after a good night's sleep.

It was already seven days before Bian Xuedao saw Dong Xue again.

During these days, looking at Dong Xue's empty seat, Bian Xuedao deeply regretted not insisting that Dong Xue take a taxi home that day. He knew Dong Xue wanted to spend more time with him, but why didn't he insist?

He decided not to think about it anymore, leaving all worries for after the college entrance exam.

Bian Xuedao's study state was getting better and better. He vaguely felt that after so many days of adjustment, his soul and body seemed to have truly merged. Moreover, the rebirth seemed to have enhanced his memory. Not only was he reading and memorizing questions more effectively, but he could also recall the events from his previous life with great clarity.

In recent days, Zhou Hang spent less and less time studying and often read the 2000 "Application Guide" borrowed from others. He would then go to the internet cafe with Bian Xuedao. Zhou Hang went to look up information about colleges, while Bian Xuedao checked if Xu Shangxiu had responded to his QQ messages. After several attempts, there was still no response.

It didn't matter; in three months, they would meet at Dongsen University.

In June 2001, none of the students in Bian Xuedao's class had mobile phones, though a few had pagers. One day at the internet cafe, a man next to Zhou Hang asked for a girl's phone number on QQ and immediately took out his mobile phone to call her. After a brief conversation, the man said to the girl, "This is my phone number. Call this number if you want to find me." As he said this, a sense of success and confidence radiated from him.

The man chatted for a while and then left.

Bian Xuedao noticed that Zhou Hang stared at the mobile phone for a long time.

On the way back to school, Zhou Hang talked to Bian Xuedao about what would happen after they entered college for the first time.

Zhou Hang asked Bian Xuedao, "Have you ever been to a university campus?"

"Which university?"

"Any university. Have you been to one?"

"Been there!"

"How was it? I haven't been!"

"What can I say? You can attend classes, sleep, take showers, and eat. It's just a bit more relaxed, with less intense classes, but otherwise, it's similar."

"Anything else?"

"The buildings are taller, and there are more people. If the university is good, you can meet girls from all over the country with different accents."

"Does the dorm have a phone?"

"There's a phone line. You can buy a phone and connect it, but you need a password card to use it."

"How do you know?"

"My brother told me."

When Dong Xue returned, it was clear she had been seriously ill. Her face was pale, and she looked listless, not as bright as before. During the break, Bian Xuedao walked over and sat next to her, asking if she was feeling better. Dong Xue pursed her lips, looked straight at him, and said something Bian Xuedao never expected: "Did you miss me these days?"

For dinner, Dong Xue's two good friends invited her to a nice meal. On the way, they met Zhou Hang and Bian Xuedao and invited Bian Xuedao to join them. After estimating the cost, Bian Xuedao agreed with a smile. They also met Guo Dong, who hadn't eaten yet, and Bian Xuedao invited him along. Thus, they had three boys and three girls, a perfect number.

Before the meal, the two girls insisted that Bian Xuedao and Dong Xue sit next to each other. Bian Xuedao initially refused, but Zhou Hang surprisingly chimed in, "They should sit together. If they don't, none of us will eat well."

So, at a square table, with one side against the wall, Bian Xuedao and Dong Xue sat on one side, the two girls on another, and Zhou Hang and Guo Dong on the third.

After the dishes were served, the two girls secretly asked the waiter for three bottles of beer. Dong Xue said they had to return to school later, but Guo Dong, while pouring the drinks, said, "It's fine. The college entrance exam is in just over ten days; who cares?"

By the end of the meal, they had consumed six bottles of beer. Bian Xuedao only let Dong Xue take a sip from the first cup, and then he drank the rest, citing her recent illness and the potential interaction with medication. Each time Bian Xuedao drank for Dong Xue, the two girls' eyes sparkled.

During the meal, Bian Xuedao observed his classmates and made several new discoveries.

The two girls were very considerate. Guo Dong was the most active at the table, setting the tone and controlling the atmosphere well. What surprised Bian Xuedao the most was Zhou Hang. Perhaps due to the alcohol, Zhou Hang was particularly relaxed that day. He didn't talk much, but he could always connect with whoever was speaking, making each person feel like he understood them deeply.

Near the end of the meal, Bian Xuedao excused himself to pay the bill, but Zhou Hang stopped him, pressing him back into his chair and saying, "Today, since Dong Xue is back, I'll treat everyone. You can treat us next time."

The two girls stood up, saying it was their treat for Dong Xue. Zhou Hang waved them off, "No arguments. This one's on me."

Bian Xuedao immediately realized he had underestimated Zhou Hang. This boy, not yet 20, was truly remarkable. However, he couldn't find any information about Zhou Hang's future in his past memories. It was normal, as they had no real connection in his previous life.

After this meal, the six of them naturally formed a small circle.

In the following days, they took turns treating each other to meals, drinking a little each time. On the sixth day, when it was Dong Xue's turn to treat, the homeroom teacher reminded the class, "Students who have had alcohol can go home and not come to the classroom to disturb others," and the meal gatherings stopped.

On the evening of July 1st, after returning home from evening study, Bian Xuedao's mother was waiting for him, knitting a sweater. She took his schoolbag, asked how his meals at school were, and then went to the kitchen to prepare his food.

When his mother brought him a fried egg and milk, Bian Xuedao formally said, "Mom, I have something I want to discuss with you."

"What is it? Go ahead and say it!" His mother sat on the bed, looking at him as he turned to face her.

"I need to borrow 1500 yuan." Bian Xuedao emphasized the word "borrow," but his mother automatically filtered it out.

"Why do you need so much money? You don't need that much for books or practice tests."

"I have a use for it, really. I promise I won't do anything bad. I'll pay you back by the end of this year or next year at the latest."

"No, I won't give you the money if you don't tell me what it's for. I need to discuss this with your father." His mother's tone was firm.

"Mom, I really need it!" Bian Xuedao pleaded.

"No! Finish your food and go to bed." His mother then went back to her room.

What to do? What to do? 1500 yuan was a big problem for Bian Xuedao. Borrowing from relatives? Impossible, as they would definitely inform his parents. Earning it? Even more impossible. Not only was time tight, but he had no idea what he could do to earn money.

This problem troubled Bian Xuedao until July 3rd.

On the morning of the 3rd, during the third class, the homeroom teacher distributed the admission tickets for the college entrance exam. The exam they had talked about so many times was finally here.

The teacher called out a name, and the student would come up to receive the admission ticket, along with the exam location and seat number.

The class was extremely quiet, everyone listening intently as the teacher called out names.

The homeroom teacher announced:

"Li Yunhai! Exam location: City No. 1 High School, Room 3, Seat 5."

"Du Botao! City No. 1 High School, Room 11, Seat 1."

"Ma Cheng! City No. 3 High School, Room 1, Seat 15."

...

When Du Botao heard he was Seat 1, his face immediately turned sour. After some discussion, Ma Cheng realized he might be in the front row and also looked disappointed.

Perhaps no one had any other thoughts or plans to cheat, but no one wanted to sit in the front row. After all, the front row faced the invigilator directly, and there were also patrolling invigilators in the corridor, which was quite stressful.

More than half the class had been called, and many students were taking notes of their classmates' exam locations and seat numbers, hoping to sit near good students to calm their nerves.

"Dong Xue! City No. 4 High School, Room 5, Seat 17."

At this moment, Bian Xuedao looked calm on the surface, but his heart was racing.

Although he knew his exam location from his previous life and had been confident during his review, he suddenly started to worry if anything had changed.

If the exam location changed and he wasn't next to Zhou Hang, he wouldn't be able to use his planned strategies. If that happened, he would likely score around 600 and struggle to pass the second-tier university line.

"Bian Xuedao! City No. 4 High School, Room 5, Seat 27."

"Zhou Hang! City No. 4 High School, Room 5, Seat 28." When the teacher called this, Bian Xuedao saw her glance at him.

...

The paths overlapped.

A huge weight was lifted from Bian Xuedao's heart.

However, he was surprised to find that Dong Xue was in the same exam room as him.

Was it the same in his previous life? He had no memory of it!