"Dad, oh no, Teacher Lin."

Lin Simiao smiled gently: "Did you see the note I put under your plate?"

"A note?" After waking up, Lin Zhenzhen was so preoccupied with Gong Yao's whereabouts that she didn't have time to pay attention to anything else.

Lin Simiao sighed: "You rushed out again? Haven't you had breakfast yet?"

"I haven't eaten them, but I have them in my pocket, and they're still warm." Lin Zhenzhen opened her pocket a little, revealing two big, round eggs inside.

Lin Simiao chuckled: "Hurry up and eat, class is about to start."

"We'll eat when we go out later." Lin Zhenzhen patted her pocket. "Dad, what did that note say?"

Lin Simiao put down her water glass and moved closer.

"I originally wanted you to think carefully about how you plan to celebrate tonight. After all, you're in your final year of high school, and if you skip evening self-study, you'll still have to go through certain procedures."

"celebrate?"

"My daughter is already eighteen years old."

Lin Simiao patted her back, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes contracting and then expanding, revealing circles of tender love within them.

"Dad, we don't need any special celebration. Just having a simple dinner with me is enough."

"That's a good idea." Lin Simiao thought for a moment. "I'll order a cake later and have it delivered to the school tonight. How about you invite a few close friends over to eat cake and blow out the candles together?"

"OK."

The school bell rang, and Lin Zhenzhen returned to the classroom with her homework.

The morning's classes passed quickly.

Kangzhong's canteen is known for its delicious food at reasonable prices. In addition, the school leaders attach great importance to the diet of senior high school students and have specially opened a nutrition window for them.

Students can get a full plate of two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes for just five yuan.

These include stir-fried green beans with shrimp, stewed beef with potatoes, tomato and egg, and stir-fried loofah.

These are all foods that Lin Zhenzhen loves to eat.

"Xiao Zhen, I've wanted to ask you this for a long time. Don't you ever get tired of eating the same dishes every day?"

Lin Zhenzhen paused, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Have I always eaten these dishes?"

"Yes. Although I also have my favorite dishes, I need to change my taste every now and then. I've never seen anyone like you who always eats the same few dishes and never changes."

Li Huiran winked and teased, "I think you'll definitely be very devoted in relationships in the future."

If the name clash is just a coincidence, what about the taste of the food?

Lin Zhenzhen's doubts grew stronger, and she lost most of her appetite. She poked around in her bowl with her chopsticks, and in the end, she left most of the food uneaten.

After lunch, Li Huiran went back to her dormitory for a nap, while Lin Zhenzhen went straight to the classroom.

She had hoped to use this break to sort out her thoughts, but then she heard a sudden uproar downstairs in the teaching building, the cacophony of voices completely shattering the afternoon's tranquility.

Lin Zhenzhen walked out of the classroom with some curiosity, stood in the corridor and looked down, her gaze suddenly freezing.

Under the towering ginkgo trees.

Gong Yao was wearing a spring/autumn school uniform, carrying a pure black backpack, and wearing a pair of pure white sneakers.

The morning gloom vanished, a gap opened in the thick clouds, letting in slivers of sunlight that fell on Gong Yao's profile, turning the ends of his hair a soft gold.

Simple and neat, yet more captivating than any male lead in a campus idol drama that Lin Zhenzhen had ever seen.

Gong Yao was chatting with the person next to him when, as if sensing something, he suddenly looked up.

His gaze met Lin Zhenzhen's head-on.

She smiled at Gong Yao from the third-floor corridor, her lips curving into a smile and her eyes crinkling into crescent moons.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, carrying the fragrance of grass and osmanthus blossoms, along with the refreshing coolness of autumn, and gently passed through Lin Zhenzhen's hair.

The scene is so beautiful, it looks like a movie poster.

Time seemed to have been slowed down.

Gong Yao suddenly heard his own heartbeat, one after another, rapid and intense, like a drumbeat, ready to be unleashed.

It was a strange and wonderful experience. My adrenaline surged, and my limbs, back, mouth, and even my eye sockets felt warm as if they were being bathed in sunshine.

My heart felt as if it were being soaked in a pool of emerald green water, becoming soft and limp.

[Yao! What's wrong with your stats?! You've fallen for her? Have you regained your memories?!]

Rex's voice suddenly appeared in his mind, dispelling the lingering unease.

Gong Yao lowered his eyes and did not answer for a moment.

[No! This dream-making can't continue! If finding the key restores your memories, even dying a hundred times won't atone for my sins!]

Rex chattered on and on, trying to abruptly end the dream-making process.

[I'm not tempted, you don't need to worry.] Gong Yao stepped forward, a flash of coldness in his eyes.

[I have no control over this body; all my emotional reactions stem from my former self, "Gong Yao."]

[Besides, I can sense the key's presence.]

[A major turning point will soon follow.]