Saturday afternoon.

After Jiang Ning dropped Geng Lu off at home, he rode his bike over to Snowflake Lake. Pedaling along the road by the shore, he saw the vast expanse of water, like a gigantic sapphire.

This was the second cultivation spot he was planning to remodel.

Snowflake Lake was huge, nestled among three surrounding mountains. It ranked in the top ten city lakes in the country by area, even bigger than Lin’an West Lake.

In his previous life, various lakeside residential complexes were built along the shore, and up until right before Jiang Ning was reborn, this was still the most upscale residential district in Yuzhou.

To seal off the entire surrounding area would take a massive amount of money.

However, Evergreen Liquid was extremely powerful. It would gradually devour the surrounding land. Whatever land could be acquired had already been bought, and whatever couldn’t be bought would be handled by Jiang Ning’s Flying Sword.

The entire future urban development plan of Yuzhou was even forced to bend around this, starting its southward expansion ahead of schedule.

He inspected his territory, temporarily fixed the positions of the array cores along the lake, then rode away.

When he got to the busy downtown area, he passed by a Sichuan restaurant just as seven or eight teenagers were walking out. A few of the boys’ faces were flushed; looked like they’d had a bit to drink.

One of them was someone Jiang Ning knew: Shen Qing’e.

The students from Wamiao Middle School had been picked by Fourth Middle School for a targeted support program, and they’d just arrived in Yu Zhou City today.

And as the local host, Shen Qing’e had naturally become everyone’s point of contact.

Shen Qing’e was nothing like the invisible Jiang Ning. Back in junior high, she’d been a real social butterfly. She’d even been secretly crushed on by some overbearing upperclassmen from higher-ranking schools, so her reputation was quite something.

So they’d had a little get-together.

Shen Qing’e had just walked out of the restaurant when she spotted Jiang Ning.

Her mind jolted. ’Wasn’t he still grocery shopping with Geng Lu this morning? Why am I running into him here?’

’Could it be... he waited here on purpose?’

Shen Qing’e hurriedly called out, "Jiang Ning!"

Hearing this, Jiang Ning looked over, and at the same time all the teens turned to look as well.

’Jiang Ning?’ They were puzzled at first, then from his faintly familiar face, they gradually pulled up old memories.

The girls were stunned. The sunny, clean-cut boy in front of them and the scrawny Jiang Ning from back then were practically two different people.

"Yo, so it’s Jiang Ning." A boy who’d had a bit to drink, neither fat nor thin, with a bit of a hooligan air, clicked his tongue in surprise.

Seeing this, Shen Qing’e immediately felt a bad premonition.

That slightly thuggish boy was named Xiao Shaoxiong. In junior high he’d been in the class next to hers. Once in PE class, one of Xiao Shaoxiong’s friends had deliberately kicked a football at her. Jiang Ning had angrily stepped in, only to lose the fight.

Xiao Shaoxiong had "broken it up" on the surface, but in reality he was helping his friend hold Jiang Ning down.

Jiang Ning had actually been fighting one versus two. If it hadn’t been for Xiao Shaoxiong, the outcome might have been very different.

Shen Qing’e knew that afterwards, Jiang Ning had come to hate Xiao Shaoxiong as well.

But today she’d just had dinner with Xiao Shaoxiong and the others. Shen Qing’e figured that, in Jiang Ning’s eyes, this definitely counted as a kind of betrayal!

"You’re Jiang Ning? Guess living in the city really does fatten people up." Xiao Shaoxiong smiled squint-eyed.

"It’s okay." Jiang Ning gave him a glance. He’d long since stopped caring about what happened back then.

Mm, he’d just let Class 8 deal with him.

Some familiar junior high classmates greeted Jiang Ning.

One girl was outgoing by nature. She walked up a couple of steps. "So you’re Jiang Ning, huh? I’ve heard Wang Xue and the others talk about you. You really are handsome. Can I add your QQ?"

"Sure." Jiang Ning took out his phone.

The girl happily added him as a friend.

Among them was also a pretty girl who just stood with the others, quietly eyeing Jiang Ning without saying anything.

Jiang Ning didn’t know her. He figured she was a student from some other township who’d gotten into Wa Miao High School.

Right now Shen Qing’e’s mind was in chaos. Afraid of being misunderstood by Jiang Ning, she rushed to say, "Jiang Ning, I’ve got something to talk to you about. Can you give me a lift on your bike later?"

Jiang Ning thought for a moment, his tone flat. "Okay."

An old classmate teased, "Back when you two went to the city for high school, we even bet that Jiang Ning would never catch up to you. Didn’t think you guys would still be this close!"

Xiao Shaoxiong chimed in from the side, "Ha, Qing E, I was just about to call a cab and drop you off."

As he spoke, there was a faint touch of pride in his attitude, as if he were somehow more distinguished!

Jiang Ning almost laughed.

But he also found it a bit pitiful.

Townships in Hui Province were really underdeveloped, far inferior to coastal towns. There weren’t even any taxis on the streets of Wamiao Town... only private cars heading to Guyang County, basically unlicensed cabs.

So, suddenly coming to the urban area and being able to take a taxi around did feel very cutting-edge, very badass...

Shen Qing’e politely declined, "Sorry, I get carsick."

Xiao Shaoxiong lit a cigarette and didn’t seem disappointed at being turned down. He made a one-handed gesture. "OK, OK."

Shen Qing’e sat sideways on the back seat of the e-bike, very ladylike and elegant. Full of energy, she waved goodbye. "Then I’ll see you guys tomorrow!"

Then the e-bike pulled away.

The girl who’d just asked Jiang Ning for his contact info wondered aloud, "Do you think those two are dating or not?"

Xiao Shaoxiong snorted. "No way."

A male classmate said, a bit wistful, "Shen Qing’e’s really pretty. Feels like she grew up in the city. When we were eating just now, she even helped me scald my chopsticks."

Puffing on his cigarette, Xiao Shaoxiong put on a show. "This restaurant’s average. When I go to those high-end places with my relatives, the waiters open the plastic wrap on the tableware for me and help scald my chopsticks."

The boy who’d just spoken immediately felt inferior. Even the way he looked at Xiao Shaoxiong now carried a bit more admiration.

Only that prettiest girl’s eyes flashed with faint disdain, though she didn’t call him out.

Seeing that the prettiest girl wasn’t looking at him with any awe, Xiao Shaoxiong felt something was off:

"Zhang Zhaodi, before you came today, your boyfriend asked me to take good care of you. He and I are bros—we’ve been in fights together. You wanna ride with me?"

Zhang Zhaodi said, "No need, I’m planning to stroll around the city."

...

Shen Qing’e sat on the e-bike, her thoughts a tangled mess.

How long had it been since she’d been this close to Jiang Ning?

Time and time again, she could only watch other girls ride on the back of Jiang Ning’s e-bike—what was she feeling in those moments?

Out of everyone, she alone had no right.

All the way, Jiang Ning didn’t speak.

Shen Qing’e thought he was angry, so she explained, "Jiang Ning, today is the first time our old classmates from back home came to Yuzhou City, of course we had to get together, so I went. Besides, Xiao Shaoxiong has changed."

Jiang Ning found it a bit funny. What kind of logic was that—"He once acted bravely for justice, and in the end the victim and the assailant became friends."

Words like that were probably even more nauseating than the charity lunch Chai Wei ate.

Shen Qing’e went on, "And it’s been so long already. What’s past should just stay in the past, shouldn’t it?"

Jiang Ning: "Mm."

His voice was as clear and bright as ever; when it reached Shen Qing’e’s heart, it even tasted a bit sweet.

It had been far too long since she’d really talked with Jiang Ning. She thought he’d taken it to heart, and her mood turned radiant.

Shen Qing’e softly murmured, "The past cannot be chased, but what is to come can still be remembered."

She was saying it to Jiang Ning, and also to herself.

"Jiang Ning, do you still remember? Back in junior high, you used to love riding your bike with me on the back. Later, when I got a bike, you would still follow behind me. Every night after evening self-study, you’d always see me to the entrance of the village before riding home yourself. I’ve never forgotten that." Her expression brightened a lot.

Jiang Ning’s tone was flat. "Oh? So you didn’t forget?"

Shen Qing’e’s pretty face blossomed into a smile. "Of course I didn’t forget. I’ll never forget it as long as I live!"

The wind lifted the strands of hair on the girl’s forehead. At first she was still a little stiff, but she gradually relaxed, growing more fluent as she began recounting the past: "I remember one weekend afternoon after dismissal, my bike chain fell off, and I just couldn’t fix it. Then I called you, and you came to find me right away—you showed up so fast!"

Afterwards, Jiang Ning had flipped her bike over and put the chain back on, like some divine soldier descending from the heavens.

Jiang Ning let out a short laugh. "So you remember that too. I thought you’d forgotten."

"And that day during the big break when I was starving..."

"And the problems you helped me with..."

"There was that oden stall at the school gate that was especially good, but it was always packed..."

She kept talking about the tiny fragments of their past, trying to stir up his emotions.

Listening to these words, Jiang Ning felt something entirely different. In his previous life, Shen Qing’e had left so decisively that he’d thought she must have long forgotten. Who would have guessed she’d never forgotten at all—and yet afterwards, she still chose to lash out at him with those vicious words.

Ungrateful and disloyal—nothing more than that.

All the way, it was always Shen Qing’e talking, with Jiang Ning occasionally responding with a line or two.

Shen Qing’e felt so happy. It was the first time she’d experienced the joy of "losing and then getting it back."

She knew Jiang Ning was someone who valued old feelings. As long as she made him see how much she cared, she was sure she could get Jiang Ning back into the palm of her hand.

By then, that Geng Lu, that Chen Siyu, that Bai Yuxia would all only be able to keep their distance from Jiang Ning.

Right, and Xue Yuantong too!

Now Jiang Ning was highly valued by her uncle and aunt. Once she brought Jiang Ning back into that big flat, with no more advantage of being the "local," Xue Yuantong wouldn’t be worth worrying about!

She would be together with Jiang Ning again. After that, the newly rich Yu Wen, the petty, money-minded Lu Qiqi...would all look at her with new eyes...

Everything would change completely!

The e-bike drove up onto the overpass and continued forward, just like back when Shen Qing’e sat on the back seat of Jiang Ning’s bicycle.

Back then, she saw the wheat fields of the countryside.

Now, what she saw were high-rise buildings.

A gust of wind blew through the girl’s body, fresh and pleasant. Shen Qing’e couldn’t help sighing, "If only it could always be like this."

Hearing this, Jiang Ning curled his lips and repeated, "If only it could always be like this."

Shen Qing’e was so excited she almost thought she was hallucinating.

But this was no hallucination—it was really happening.

Shen Qing’e eagerly pressed him, "Do you want to go back to the past too? To how it was before?"

Jiang Ning said, "No."

Shen Qing’e thought he was just too embarrassed to say it. Fine, this time, she would be the one to take the initiative!

Shen Qing’e’s voice no longer had its usual melancholy, but was full of delight. "Jiang Ning, don’t you try to weasel out of it. I heard you just now!"

Her face was wreathed in smiles. It had been a year and a half since Shen Qing’e had smiled like this.

Now, she was smiling.

She smiled as she said, "Since you don’t want to go back to the past, then why did you say that?"

Jiang Ning’s tone stayed bland as he replied, "Oh, we were going downhill just now, I didn’t need to squeeze the handle."

Shen Qing’e’s smile froze in an instant, like a portrait on a memorial tablet.

Her mind went completely blank with a buzzing sound.

Jiang Ning quickly passed two traffic lights, then braked at the entrance of the compound.

He coldly dismissed her. "We’re here. Get off."

Shen Qing’e numbly slid down from the seat. Just as Jiang Ning was about to leave, she couldn’t help calling out, "Jiang Ning, can we talk?"

Jiang Ning refused. "No. Someone’s bringing me fish this afternoon; I need to hurry back to receive it."

Shen Qing’e felt as if she’d been struck by lightning.