After finishing the two morning exams, Qi Lei went straight home.
No.1 High School was located in the east of Shangbei city, right next to the Korean Ethnic Middle School, which locals called Chaogao.
Qi Lei’s home was just south of Chaogao’s wall, in the residential compound of the grain depot. It was one of those long rows of single-story houses, partitioned into separate households, an old-fashioned style.
Qi Lei was born there and spent his early childhood, childhood, and teenage years there.
In his later years, after Qi Lei went to university, left for graduate school and work elsewhere, coupled with Qi’s Father and Qi’s Mother being laid off or retired, the family moved away from the old house and hadn’t returned for ten years.
Following his memories, Qi Lei once again found himself in that familiar alley, standing before that worn iron gate, his heart filled with complex emotions.
In his previous life, he had looked down on this old, cramped home, eager only to escape, dreaming of a spacious, bright new home in a city of towering buildings.
Yet, years later, after the family had struggled desperately, bruised and battered, and finally acquired that dream new house, they realized that the small courtyard with its grapevine-covered walls and just two rooms was actually the most peaceful and tranquil harbor.
It’s just… they could never go back.
Unlocking the door, Qi Lei pushed it open.
The lush green grapevine indeed came into view, casting dappled shadows under the sunlight.
There were also the red brick paved ground and the self-built small kitchen.
Stepping onto it, Qi Lei felt a genuine leap of joy in his heart.
In rebirth novels, the protagonists often think first about how to get rich and amass a fortune.
For Qi Lei, of course he also wanted a better life and more wealth, and he would take action.
But he felt that wasn’t everything.
Returning to a past era, seeing those people and those things again, reliving the good times, reclaiming old dreams – shouldn’t that be something to look forward to even more?
Youth! Those blooming years! That’s something no amount of wealth or status can buy back.
He didn’t want to live a second life only to reach his thirties or forties and still be reminiscing about youth and licking his wounds.
Savoring everything around him, he pushed the door open and entered the house. Everything suddenly felt less unfamiliar.
Habitually, he slipped into his own narrow bedroom and flopped sideways onto the single bed.
In front of him was that desk, the stack of Slam Dunk and YuYu Hakusho manga on it.
The posters of Vivian Chow and Ekin Cheng on the wall.
The row of wooden guitars.
The dazzling noon sunlight.
“Awesome!!”
With a roar, Qi Lei sprang up from the bed, humming a tune, straddled the chair in front of the desk, pulled out the ninety-percent-new chemistry textbook, and began his crash study session.
The afternoon exam started at 1:30 PM. It was only 11:00 AM now, giving him another two and a half hours.
As for Qi’s Father and Qi’s Mother, they were at work. Even on the important day of their son’s high school entrance exams, they wouldn’t come home at noon.
At this point, they were already deeply disappointed in Qi Lei and held little hope for him achieving good grades.
Furthermore, even though Chemistry had two fewer volumes than Physics, there was still a lot of material to copy down.
Formulas, theorems, reaction equations, the periodic table, atomic weights – Qi Lei copied down every single one of them.
A poor memory is better than a pen that writes. Copying everything once helped reinforce his memory.
After an hour, he had only finished copying two volumes of the textbook, much slower than with Physics, using up sheet after sheet of draft paper.
Yet, Qi Lei didn’t feel tired at all.
Compared to the nine-to-nine grind and exhausting hustle of adulthood, the so-called hardships of student life were practically child’s play.
Just as Qi Lei was immersed in the ocean of knowledge, the courtyard gate crashed open with a loud bang, kicked violently. Two teenagers around Qi Lei’s age swaggered in.
“Son! Your dad’s here to see you!”
Qi Lei stiffened but didn’t dare look up, instead picturing the two in his mind.
One wore gold-rimmed glasses, thin as a lamppost.
The other had a shiny Elite Third Generation conspicuously clipped to his waist, looking like a complete bumpkin.
When the two youths reached Qi Lei’s window and peered inside through the half-open window, Qi Lei finally spoke.
“Leave the stuff and get lost!”
The two were startled, genuinely frightened.
It wasn’t because Qi Lei’s words were rude, but damn! This guy was actually studying?
Tang Yi gave Wu Ning a horrified look, and Wu Ning returned an equally horrified glance.
Tang Yi: “Is… is he reading?”
Wu Ning: “Looks… looks like chemistry?”
Tang Yi: “What brought this on?”
Wu Ning: “Must’ve been provoked by some girl?”
Tang Yi: “Isn’t it a bit late for that?”
Wu Ning: “Late?”
Tang Yi: “Late!”
Qi Lei exploded, “I’ll say it again – leave the stuff and get the hell out immediately!”
“Got it!”
Tang Yi and Wu Ning obediently responded, respectfully passing a bag of steamed buns through the window before hanging their heads and shuffling out.
Tang Yi didn’t forget to remind, “Eat them while they’re hot, don’t overwork yourself.Wu Ning added, “Brother Lei, wait for me after the exam!” I rushed to your place right after the test, but they said you’d left early.”
Before closing the door completely, Wu Ning asked another question, “Oh, and that short-haired girl in your exam room? Not bad looking, I’ve got my eye on her.”
“Get back here!!”
Qi Lei slammed the table and leaped up, though in the window’s shadow where they couldn’t see, tears were already streaming down his face.
Wu Ning immediately came trotting back, “What’s up? Did Lei already get the info? What’s her name? Which school?”
Suppressing his emotions, Qi Lei said, “I predicted an essay topic ‘My Something Something.’ Believe it or not, now get lost!”
Wu Ning: “…”
“Shit! I’m talking about girls with you, and you bring up essay topics? Besides, with your last-place ranking, you have the nerve to predict questions?”
He left swinging his arms in disappointment, “Fine, don’t help then. I’ll make my move myself.”
Watching their retreating figures, Qi Lei’s tears fell once more.
Tang Yi and Wu Ning – his two closest brothers since childhood.
Telling them to get lost wasn’t because they would eventually part ways and become enemies someday in the future, but because Qi Lei wasn’t ready to reunite with them yet.
In the future, ten years later, all three brothers would achieve academic success and planned to venture into the damned real world together.
However, an accident would simultaneously claim both brothers’ lives.
Ten years later, it was Qi Lei who personally buried them, crying like a child at their funerals.
And now, Qi Lei didn’t know what to say to them.
Should he warn Tang Yi, “Whatever you do, don’t let our dad get into the firecracker business?”
Or yell at Wu Ning, “Why the hell did you have to go abroad? Didn’t see you for years!”
Or tell them, “Without you guys, I didn’t do well. I embarrassed myself.”
He plopped back down and continued copying his textbook. Between tears, he grabbed the steamed buns and wolfed them down.
This time, not only would they live, but they would live better than in their previous life.
This life, I absolutely must not lose face!
Alright, no use overthinking things—the top priority is still the high school entrance exam.
At 1:10 PM, Qi Lei left home on time and headed straight to No. 1 Middle School.
By 1:20 PM, carrying two Big Foot popsicles, he entered the exam room right on schedule.
Xu Qian from the next seat had already arrived. Her Chinese textbook lay open on the desk, her arms hanging down below the table as she rested her chin on the edge of the desk to read.
Noticing Qi Lei come in, her big eyes followed his path all the way, looking quite playful.
Before sitting down, Qi Lei slapped a Big Foot popsicle onto Xu Qian’s desk. “I’ve never owed anyone a favor in my life, especially not a beauty.”
Xu Qian raised an eyebrow, surprisingly finding no reason to refuse.
She deftly freed her arm and started unwrapping the popsicle.
“So this is how you repay a favor? A single popsicle to brush off your auntie?”
Could Qi Lei really lose to a young girl like her?
He grinned. “Sure, if one isn’t enough, I wouldn’t mind treating you for a lifetime.”
“Get lost!” Xu Qian rolled her eyes again. “You wish.”
Qi Lei just chuckled and didn’t reply further.
Such slightly flirtatious banter needed to be kept in check—any more would be crossing the line.
Meanwhile, Xu Qian’s heart was pounding wildly. No boy had ever joked with her like that before. Are you asking for death!?
After all, back in 1998, young girls were still quite innocent!
A short while later, the invigilator still hadn’t arrived. Qi Lei leaned closer to Xu Qian, who was nibbling on her popsicle stick, and whispered, “Help me out, I’m really not doing well.”
“Heh.” Xu Qian sneered. “Not doing well? You’re doing terribly!”
She instinctively patted Qi Lei’s shoulder, putting on a mature tone. “Buddy, just give up!”
Then, as if electrocuted, she quickly pulled her hand back. She was surprised at her own action—she had never behaved like this before.
Besides, they were enemies this morning. After just two exams, they were already acting like buddies?
This boy is toxic! Xu Qian told herself.
Waving her hand dismissively, she said, “Go on, get away from your auntie.”
But Qi Lei didn’t move. “So it’s settled then, help me out!”
“Fine, fine, go back to your seat, be good!”
Qi Lei smiled knowingly. Mission accomplished!
…