Chapter 1: So, the College Entrance Exams Are Finally Over

Xia An had a splitting headache. Leaning back in his chair in the most comfortable position he could manage, he stared blankly at his surroundings. A butterfly fluttered in from beneath the rustling curtains and alighted on the corner of his desk. There, a pomelo he had hand-drawn in his first year of high school was now faded and mottled. Beneath it were the words "Sooner or Later," which left a deep impression on Xia An. It was his obsession back then: sooner or later, he would marry Little Pomelo. Regrettably, even eighteen years later, it hadn't happened. He touched the carved lines; the texture felt real. Xia An raised his head, looking for the sixth time at the line of red chalk on the right side of the blackboard: "Sprint for the Gaokao, Countdown: 3 Days." The butterfly flew away. Just like Xia An's soul, it had once again wandered into the lemon-tinted midsummer of 2006. 2006... Two years before the explosion that would follow the Olympics. Thank goodness, that was a relief. Rubbing his temples, Xia An tried to digest this sudden and inexplicable rebirth. It wasn't until the school bell rang that he snapped back. Taking a deep breath, he felt a surge of nervous anticipation, the kind one feels when returning home, at the thought of soon seeing the real old friends of the South Building. Three minutes passed. Footsteps from the floors below were clearly audible, yet the corridor outside his classroom was dead silent. Why hadn't any classmates returned? As he wondered, Xia An suddenly noticed that all dozens of desks were completely clean. Ah, right. With the Gaokao just three days away, everyone was allowed to go home and review. Wait, no. Then why was he here? A flicker of fear suddenly gripped him. Hold on, three days left? How was he supposed to take the exam? In Xia An's current memory, yesterday he was speeding down the highway, not reviewing any knowledge points. According to the trajectory of his past life, he would perform exceptionally well in the Gaokao three days later. Driven by his lifelong obsession with Sister Pomelo, he would ultimately choose to study in the Art Department at Donghai University. There, he would achieve the feat of dating the campus beauty of the junior year while being relentlessly pursued by the top beauty among the freshmen, enjoying a brief moment of unparalleled glory. But in the adult world, there are no clear-cut multiple-choice questions. Now, with the soul of a man in his thirties, Xia An knew how to drive, how to make money, and had mastered the secrets of the boudoir, but the last time he faced a multiple-choice test before his death was the MBTI personality assessment. If he walked into the exam room now, the best he could do was keep the answer sheet clean. Repeat a year? Impossible. Too much of a waste of time. With the experience of a past life, he knew full well that most undergraduate diplomas were merely a brick to knock on the door of the workforce—hardly practical, yet indispensable. Then he would make money over the summer and pay his way through. It was June right now. Got it! The World Cup in a few days! Although he couldn't remember the exact scores, betting on the winners from the group stage all the way to Zidane headbutting Materazzi on July 10th would be enough to rake in a fortune. Gritting his teeth, he could easily make tens of millions. That would be more than enough seed money for whatever he wanted to do in this era. Yes! And he could prevent that restaurant explosion in advance, the one that had shattered his life to pieces! Dad, Mom... And Little Pomelo's parents... Giving both families a perfect life was the most crucial part of his rebirth plan! The long-lost faces surfaced in his mind. Xia An immediately stood up, eager to rush home. In just a few strides, he could feel the vibrant, surging strength within this young body.

It was a vitality completely incomparable to the sub-healthy state of his middle age. Just as he reached the classroom door, he bumped into a tall boy. Permed hair, bangs covering his face, narrow eyes, high cheekbones, and a sharp, mean look. "Xia An?" Looking at the newcomer, Xia An took a moment to recall that this was the rich and handsome guy in class, Chi Ao. Chi Ao was also an art student, a clarinetist who had been admitted to Renmin University, with a bright future ahead. He had once played in the ensemble at a concert Xia An organized for Le Ning, earning a whopping five hundred yuan for his appearance. Because of Le Ning, Chi Ao had given Xia An no end of trouble during their three years of high school. The middle-aged Xia An had no idea what small talk to make with this arrogant kid, so he stepped aside to let him pass. "Whoa, you reek of booze. Where did you go to watch the final last night? Why didn't you come to my place?" Chi Ao's words made Xia An freeze. The final? What final? Don't tell me the World Cup was already over? Xia An looked at the blackboard for the seventh time. Only when he got closer did he realize the chalk writing seemed somewhat faint. Chi Ao continued, "Quite a few classmates watched the game on the third floor of my villa last night. Le Ning was there too. She said your phone was out of service." His tone wasn't overly boastful, but his expression subtly highlighted the key points: Le Ning came to my house. My house is a villa, three stories high. Seeing Xia An frown, Chi Ao felt a sudden rush of satisfaction, like drinking an ice-cold cola on a sweltering summer day. This artsy-fartsy painter always acted all deep and brooding, relying on being just a tiny bit more handsome to flirt with his little Ning. I got into a top university. I'm going to be a performer, standing on stage with Ning. Only I am worthy of her! "Xia An, I never asked, which school accepted your application?" Xia An replied absently and faintly, "Donghai University." Silence. He got into the same school as Ning? A wave of suffocation washed over Chi Ao's chest. Xia An, completely oblivious to his changing expressions, asked to confirm, "Did Italy win?" Chi Ao thought to himself, forget it, being at the same school isn't a big deal. I can just fly to Binhai every weekend; Ning will definitely be touched. Swallowing his jealousy, he put on an air of sophistication. "You didn't watch it? Ugh, it pisses me off just thinking about it." He said he had bet five thousand on France to win, but it went to a penalty shootout, leaving him with no pocket money for next week. "By the way, is Mr. Liu in the office? I need to pick up my acceptance letter." Before leaving, he smugly invited Xia An to his college entrance banquet in a few days. "On the 16th, at the Royal Dynasty Hotel. Make sure you come." And added, "Le Ning will be there too." Xia An nodded in a daze. Only then did he notice the heavy weight in his jeans pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out a Nokia N70. Sure enough, the single-plank bridge was already behind him. This was the gift his parents gave him only after the Gaokao. He lit up the screen. July 11, 2006, Tuesday.

09:50. The Gaokao was over, and the World Cup was still four years away. Xia An scratched his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. But then he reconsidered. Whatever, there are plenty of ways to make money. But if he failed to get into college, his parents would be heartbroken. Xia An now knew why he had come to school. Just like Chi Ao, to pick up his acceptance letter. After leaving the teaching building, Xia An sat by the flowerbed and continued to rub his head. It turned out his headache wasn't from the temporal regression of rebirth, but a hangover from drinking too much. He roughly remembered what happened last night. Yesterday, Chi Ao had invited everyone in the class group chat to watch the final at his big house. Not wanting to join the crowd, Xia An had found a more hedonistic place to entertain himself. The reason it left a deep impression was that it was his first time going to a bar. He remembered being treated to a bottle of Chivas Regal by an incredibly gorgeous older girl. He also seemed to have promised her something, but he couldn't quite recall the details. Xia An found his mother's number and dialed it nervously. Oh, it really was out of credit. Sitting there to catch his breath, Xia An fiddled with the phone, reacquainting himself with the vintage Symbian OS, and casually set his ringtone to JJ Lin's "Cao Cao." Just then, an unfamiliar number suddenly called. Huh? Who paid his phone bill? Before the real-name registration system for mobile phones, scam and telemarketing calls were rare. A local number calling him was likely someone he knew. But when he answered, a strange woman with a lovely voice spoke, her tone laced with grievance and distress. "Where are you? You promised to go to the hospital with me last night. Did you forget?" Xia An was utterly bewildered. Who is this? Could it be that last night's fling went all the way? Damn, never drink fake liquor; he had forgotten all the details! But why the hospital? Puzzled, Xia An chose not to ask and just listened to what she would say next. He replied lightly, "At school." "Really? I'll be across the bridge soon. I feel so awful, I can barely stand. Can you come out?" At this point, her voice broke into a sob. "Alright." Xia An was far too curious. He strode out of the school gate, officially bidding farewell to high school. Turning his head, he saw a woman standing by the road, looking utterly wretched. As for her appearance, one could only say that at this moment, Cao Zhi's "My Sister-in-Law is Truly Beautiful" became vividly real. I'm a newbie, nice to meet you all. I heard you can make money by writing. Winter is coming, and I want to buy a cotton jacket that doesn't shed, or at the very least, a pair of thick socks.