As soon as Chu Qing finished speaking, the usually composed Qi Weichen's fingertips trembled slightly before he regained his composure. "That's not me," he said.
"Hm?"
"I'm 18 years old now, 185 cm tall, and if my growth plates haven't closed, I might still grow taller. But that man looks to be less than 180 cm, which is significantly shorter than me, so he can't possibly be me at 41," Qi Weichen explained calmly.
Chu Qing looked at him and said, "Not necessarily. Don't they say people shrink as they get older? Maybe that's you after shrinking."
"41 is still in one's prime," Qi Weichen replied, meeting her gaze steadily.
As the two silently stared at each other, the middle-aged man ran over, wiping sweat from his eyes. He frowned and asked them, "Chu Qing, Qi Weichen?"
"That's us," Chu Qing responded immediately.
"I'm the dorm supervisor from Chengde High School, here to pick you up. I was supposed to arrive around 3 PM, but I got held up. Let's get in the car quickly, and I'll arrange your accommodation," the middle-aged man said. Then, noticing their attire, he paused, "Why are you dressed so warmly on such a hot day?"
"Who sent you to pick us up?" Chu Qing quickly changed the subject.
The man's attention was indeed diverted. "Your parents, of course. But the principal didn't give me specific information. I only know the surname Qi. Didn't your family tell you that Teacher Wang would come to pick you up?"
Chu Qing hesitantly looked at Qi Weichen. Under the sun, the young man's eyes gleamed coolly. After staring at the man for a long while, he lowered his gaze and said to Chu Qing, "Let's go with him."
"Okay." With the big boss Qi giving the order, Chu Qing quickly agreed.
The man immediately beckoned them to follow him across the street to board the school van. Though called a school van, it was actually an expensive-looking seven-seater business vehicle with no one else inside, clearly sent specifically to pick up the two of them.
As soon as they entered the air-conditioned car, Chu Qing let out a long sigh of relief, her spirits visibly recovering. Qi Weichen, on the other hand, looked pale and hadn't said a word since getting in the car, so quiet that he barely had any presence.
"Do you want some water?" Chu Qing asked, looking at him with concern.
He shook his head slightly, then nodded once, pursing his lips without saying a word. Chu Qing unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to him. After he took a few sips, she instinctively took it back, but just as she was about to drink, she suddenly remembered that they had broken up, and it might not be appropriate to drink from the same bottle he had used.
"Why aren't you drinking?" Qi Weichen said his first words since getting in the car.
Chu Qing gave an awkward smile, tightened the cap, and placed the bottle next to him. Qi Weichen silently looked at her for a moment but ultimately said nothing.
"You two, aren't you hot dressed like that?" the dorm supervisor asked again while driving.
Chu Qing coughed and vaguely replied, "We've been away for so long, we forgot to check the weather forecast..."
"You must be coming back from the Southern Hemisphere, right? It's winter there now," the dorm supervisor, now in the comfort of air conditioning, became more talkative and his tone friendlier.
Chu Qing laughed dryly a couple of times, afraid of saying too much and making mistakes, so she fell silent. Finding the ride boring, she leaned against the window to look outside, but couldn't find a single familiar road. The only thing that seemed slightly familiar was what used to be City A's largest shopping mall, which now had a big 'DEMOLISH' sign on its outer wall.
The 18-year-old Chu Qing rarely felt melancholic about how things had changed, but now she did. She retracted her gaze a bit dejectedly, simultaneously feeling grateful that they were heading to Chengde High School, her and Qi Weichen's alma mater. No matter what, being able to go to a place she was very familiar with was a comfort to her at this moment.
Half an hour later, Chu Qing stood at the gate of Chengde High School, looking at the luxurious iron fence gate and the Western-style buildings visible through it with a loss for words. She struggled to ask the dorm supervisor beside her, "This is Chengde?"
"Yes, it's your first time here, right? I'll arrange your accommodation first, then you can explore on your own," the dorm supervisor said as he walked into the school.
Chu Qing hurried to catch up, trying different ways to inquire, "I remember Chengde High School used to be quite run-down. When did it become so nice?"
"I've been working here for over a decade, and it's always been City A's best private high school. Who told you it was run-down?" The dorm supervisor gave her a strange look.
Chu Qing laughed awkwardly and instinctively looked to the side, but finding no one there, she quickly turned her head to see Qi Weichen walking at a leisurely pace. She urged him to hurry up. Qi Weichen silently looked at her and quietly quickened his steps.
The two followed the dorm supervisor, passing through the teaching building and the playground to reach the dormitory area. The entire dormitory area was enclosed by walls, forming its own space within the vast school grounds, much like a small residential community.
At this moment, there were only a few people in the dormitory area, each looking as leisurely as if they were out for a stroll. Noticing the curiosity in Chu Qing's eyes, the dorm supervisor explained, "Registration starts tomorrow and the day after, with classes officially beginning the day after that. Not many people have arrived today. Oh, and your suitcases are with the security guard. Follow me."
Chu Qing quickly nodded and followed. As she did, she noticed that Qi Weichen had fallen behind again. She hesitated for a moment but still slowed her pace. Qi Weichen glanced at her and quietly followed behind her.
By the time the two reached the security office, the dorm supervisor had already brought out two large suitcases. He handed the pink one to Chu Qing and the black one to Qi Weichen, then took out an envelope and gave it to Qi Weichen. "Your daily necessities are in the suitcases. This letter is for you."
Qi Weichen took it but didn't open it immediately, instead folding it and putting it in his pocket. The dorm supervisor didn't mind and directly gave each of them a key. "You're both in Class 2, Grade 12. Qi Weichen, you're in a double room, and Chu Qing, you're in a single room. The room numbers are on the keys. You can go directly there."
"Why are our rooms different?" Chu Qing asked curiously.
The dorm supervisor paused for a moment. "How would I know? The rooms are chosen individually. There are single, double, and quad rooms. It must have been requested by your parents for the school to arrange it this way."
"Okay, thank you, teacher," Chu Qing said. Although she was even more confused, seeing that he didn't know either, she didn't pursue the matter further.
The dorm supervisor distributed the keys to the two of them. "Alright, there's nothing else. Just remember to report to your class before 7:30 AM the day after tomorrow. Do you have any other questions?"
"Yes!" Chu Qing quickly raised her hand. "Where's the infirmary?"
Qi Weichen looked at her. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, no," Chu Qing laughed awkwardly.
Qi Weichen observed her for a moment, and seeing that she seemed fine, didn't pursue the matter. The dorm supervisor gave them the specific location of the infirmary, and after confirming they had no more questions, he turned and left.
As soon as he left, Chu Qing urged Qi Weichen, "The letter, take it out and let's have a look."
Qi Weichen glanced at her and silently took out the letter to read. It contained only a few short lines:
"She and I will be participating in a national research project from June 2042. We won't be able to contact anyone for a year and a half. There are temporary IDs and necessary living expenses in the suitcase. Stay at school with peace of mind. Before returning to 2019, countless surprises await you."
In total, there were less than a hundred characters. Chu Qing read it over and over more than a dozen times, and finally asked him uncertainly, "The 'she' mentioned here... is it me?"
Qi Weichen spoke rigorously, "There's no evidence to suggest it's you."
That's true... Chu Qing furrowed her brow and carefully read it once more. "Does this mean that as long as we stay here, we can travel back to our original time?"
"Mm." This time, Qi Weichen gave an affirmative answer.
Chu Qing smiled, no longer dwelling on whether the Qing Qing mentioned was herself or not. "That's fine then. Let's just stay here and wait to go home... It's just a shame about my vacation. I barely had two days to enjoy it, and now I have to go back to school."
The thought of school starting the day after tomorrow made her melancholic again.
Qi Weichen glanced at her sweat-dampened hair and her cheeks that were as red as apples. His eyelashes lowered. "Let's go back to the dorms and change clothes first."
"Right, I'll go check out my room first. A single room, wow! Your character must be really good to be so generous to an ex-girlfriend from over 20 years ago," Chu Qing praised him, knowing that her current stability was thanks to him.
However, Qi Weichen merely took back the letter from her hand coldly and went to find his dormitory building, pulling his suitcase along. Chu Qing was already accustomed to his temperament. Noticing his pace was much slower than usual, she also headed off to find her dorm, dragging her suitcase.
The dormitory buildings were neatly arranged, so Qi Weichen easily found his building. Following the room number on his key, he located his dorm and went straight in.
The living conditions were good. Both beds had desks underneath, with wardrobes next to the desks. The room had air conditioning, and a partitioned balcony housed a washbasin. Opposite the washbasin was a bathroom. Essentially, the dorm had everything one would need.
Qi Weichen quietly walked around the room before opening his suitcase. Apart from daily necessities and clothes, he saw a mobile phone on top. He silently took out the phone and turned it on. Opening the contacts, there was only one number saved, with the contact name "Qing Qing".
Qi Weichen lowered his gaze to the phone, his eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes. After an indeterminate amount of time, he heard a knock at the door. He got up to open it, but there was no one outside. On the ground lay a box of Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid and a box of talcum powder.
Qi Weichen picked up the items and brought them back into the room. After drinking a bottle of the Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid, he took a shower. When he came out, he changed into the short-sleeved shirt and shorts from his suitcase. As soon as he put on the summer clothes, the red rash that had developed under his thick clothes was exposed. He applied the talcum powder to his body, which significantly reduced the itching sensation.
While Qi Weichen was settling in, Chu Qing wasn't idle either. After taking a refreshing cold shower, she lay down on the spacious 1.8-meter bed in her dorm, enjoying the air conditioning and marveling at Qi Weichen's generosity towards his ex-girlfriend.
She had just used her new phone to look up information about the present-day Chengde High School. She discovered that fifteen years ago, the school had changed its principal and board of directors, transforming it into City A's largest private elite school. It was no longer the ordinary high school she remembered. The fact that the 41-year-old Qi Weichen could casually arrange for them to attend this school suggested he must be doing quite well for himself.
...Well, of course. He was a genius, a being who crushed everything with his intellect during his student years. How could he possibly fare poorly in society? As for herself, she didn't even know which restaurant she might be washing dishes in now. The underachiever Chu Qing felt sorry for herself for three seconds before connecting to the Wi-Fi and downloading mobile games from 2042.
Since moving into the dorm, Chu Qing hadn't gone to find Qi Weichen again. She spent two days playing games alone in her room before the first day of school finally arrived on the third day.
Based on Chu Qing's past experience, students would be assigned to new classes each year, and the initial seating arrangements were on a first-come, first-served basis. Although she wasn't sure about the rules in 2042, she still set her alarm for 6:30 AM and headed to class at 7 AM, all packed and ready.
Unfortunately, when she arrived at the classroom door, it was still locked. However, there were already a few people waiting outside, one of whom was Qi Weichen. With his fair and handsome looks, he was an eye-catching presence wherever he went. Just standing there, he had already caught the attention of many girls.
Chu Qing originally didn't want to talk to him, but from the moment she appeared, Qi Weichen had been quietly watching her. Although his gaze wasn't intimidating, being stared at like that made Chu Qing feel quite pressured.
Left with no choice, she walked over to greet him: "You're here so early."
"Mm."
...Great, this response left her with nothing else to say. Chu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and was about to move elsewhere when she felt his gaze following her.
Her mouth twitched, and she tried to make conversation again: "How's your roommate? Is he easy to get along with?"
"Don't know," Qi Weichen replied.
Chu Qing paused for a moment: "What do you mean, you don't know?"
"Haven't seen him."
Chu Qing suddenly understood: "Oh, he hasn't arrived yet. I thought something had happened."
As the two were engaged in this awkward conversation, a bespectacled woman in her thirties approached. She unlocked the door, wrote "Choose your own seats" on the blackboard, and then left. This suited Chu Qing perfectly. While others were choosing seats in the middle front, she quickly ran to the last row by the wall and sat down.
Qi Weichen had just claimed two seats in the front rows when he realized he couldn't find her. After looking around, he finally spotted her in the corner. Chu Qing sensed something and looked up, meeting his cool gaze. She immediately lowered her head, pretending she hadn't seen anything.
Qi Weichen lowered his eyes and, after a while, quietly took back the books he had placed on the adjacent seat.
Seeing that Qi Weichen didn't come to find her, Chu Qing couldn't help but feel relieved. This spot was the classroom's blind spot. Whether it was the teacher during class or leaders inspecting the room, it was difficult to see small movements here. She had always considered this spot a feng shui treasure, which was why she came so early every new semester to grab this seat. Later, when she started dating Qi Weichen, she was forced to sit in the front row with him. Now that she finally had the chance to return to this spot, she definitely wasn't going to give it up.
It was almost 7:30 AM, and there were still few people in the classroom. With the keen sense of an underachiever, Chu Qing immediately detected the lax atmosphere of the school. She promptly lay her head on the desk and started catching up on sleep.
Having played on her phone all night and woken up early in the morning, she quickly fell into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, this pleasant slumber didn't last long before she felt someone tapping her shoulder.
"Hey, wake up. You're sitting in our boss's seat," a boy's arrogant voice came from above.
Chu Qing let out a displeased grunt, not intending to respond. However, the person became more aggressive and started shaking her desk. This thoroughly annoyed Chu Qing. She sat up impatiently and squinted at the boy in front of her.
The boy, who had been putting on a fierce act, was taken aback when he saw her face. He instantly regretted intimidating such a pretty female classmate. Just as he was regretting his actions and thinking of how to make amends, this pretty classmate, with a face that was both pure and cute, spoke calmly: "I claimed this seat first. Are you fucking blind?"
The boy was stunned.
While he was in shock, the two boys behind him burst out laughing. The boy's face immediately turned red with anger, no longer caring about her prettiness: "Move your ass now! Everyone in Chengde knows this seat is our boss's feng shui treasure. Only our boss can sit here!"
Chu Qing glanced at the front rows, and seeing that Qi Weichen wasn't in his seat, she completely let loose. Leaning lazily against the back wall, she sneered and said, "Fuck off."
In confrontations like this, what's most infuriating is when one side is giving their all, while the other remains cool and indifferent. The boy was completely set off by her disdainful attitude. He was about to rush over and teach her a lesson when he heard a small commotion behind him. Then, the boys following him tugged at him, and he immediately smirked: "Our boss is here. Let's see if you can still act so tough."
Chu Qing raised an eyebrow and looked towards the classroom door. She saw a tall young man wearing a black mask. With his oversized T-shirt, ripped jeans, and sneakers, he exuded an aura of arrogance. Everywhere he passed fell silent, as if intimidated by his presence.
However, Chu Qing didn't care about any of that. Her attention was entirely focused on his hair, which was dyed in a rainbow of colors, resembling a turkey. Her mind was filled with just one question—
Doesn't his mom beat him for dyeing his hair like that?
