Zhou Ji declined the school's invitation to give a speech to the students.
Zhou Ji himself had almost forgotten what he was like during his student days. He seemed to be a good student with excellent character and academic performance in the eyes of his teachers, classmates, and parents.
They are neither rebellious nor troublesome.
It's so calm it's almost rigid.
Zhou Ji's rebellious phase seemed to have never come, even though his drawer was constantly filled with love letters and his friends were dating one after another.
And even though their relationships were so passionate and widely known throughout the school, he didn't seem to care.
Many girls like him, and quite a few even shamelessly pursue him, but he doesn't feel anything for any of them.
He had never been in a romantic relationship, which was something his teachers were very satisfied with.
He was a role model in the eyes of his teachers, who praised him without reservation: "Look at Zhou Ji, his grades are so good because he doesn't date! If you all put your mind to studying, you wouldn't all be at the bottom of the class."
"The top student in the grade doesn't date, but you guys who are last or second to last have the nerve to do that."
When Zhou Ji heard this, he didn't really agree with what the teacher said. He thought that his good grades had nothing to do with whether or not he was in a relationship.
Even if he falls in love early, he won't fall from the top of his grade.
The drawer was piled high with love letters, most of which ended up in the trash can.
Zhou Ji deliberately tore off his name to prevent someone from finding it and using it to make a fuss, which would cause unnecessary trouble.
Although he didn't have a good impression of those girls and didn't want them to be judged because of a love letter.
The affiliated high school looks much the same as it did many years ago. The first-year teaching building faces the playground, and the basketball court is right next to the football field.
There were students having physical education class on the basketball court, their youthful energy shining brightly under the perfect sunshine.
As the boy jumped, his thin clothes fluttered gently in the wind, revealing the slender lines of his waist and abdomen, and a touch of youthful innocence.
The basketball slammed into the hoop, the thuds seeming to strike their hearts, as passionate as their heartbeats.
In early summer, the branches are already lush and green.
Occasionally, you can hear the noisy chirping of cicadas, and the air is filled with the vibrant energy of youth.
The sunlight shone gently on the clear veins of the leaves, and a gentle breeze brought a rustling sound. Occasionally, the chirping of cicadas could be heard.
Zhou Ji didn't have any special feelings for high school. Jiang Yue was led by his hand as they walked along a familiar yet unfamiliar road, but many complicated thoughts welled up in her heart.
The hazy memories seemed to become clearer as each scene unfolded.
Like a black and white ink painting being slowly colored, she thought she was an outsider, but it turns out she was already an insider.
When Jiang Yue was in high school, life wasn't as difficult or impoverished as before; at least she wasn't in such dire straits that she couldn't afford to eat.
Sun Chengfeng has made a wealthy boyfriend who is willing to spend money on her, hoping to sell her for a good price in the future.
But she had grown tired of living in poverty, sometimes hungry and sometimes full.
Her personality did indeed become distorted during the days of hunger and poverty. She made friends based on social class and fawned over those classmates who seemed to be richer, while secretly being extremely jealous.
She began to become a person who told lies.
They take advantage of others' goodwill to solicit gifts, and then immediately sell the gifts on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace) to make money.
Her classmates enjoyed a carefree campus life.
Youthful and innocent, she seemed like a little insect living in the shadows, unable to bear the light, and gradually, not many people liked her.
I'd like to be friends with her.
Jiang Yue gently covered her chest with her hand. At that time, she didn't seem to be very sad. All she could think about was how to cheat people out of a lot of money, how to make friends with rich people, and how to become a rich person herself.
The bell rang suddenly, signaling the end of get out of class.
Jiang Yue saw students in school uniforms walking out of the classroom, chatting and laughing. The sixteen or seventeen-year-old students were spirited and youthful.
They chatted and laughed, their spirits as bright as the sun.
Jiang Yue stared blankly, seemingly a little sad, but unable to express it. It wasn't until Zhou Ji squeezed her hand that she heard him speak. The man stood beside her, tall and elegant, bathed in the bright sunlight, making him appear like a radiant pearl. His skin was very white, clear as snow in the sunlight, and his black pearl-like eyes were fixed on her. "What are you thinking about?"
Jiang Yue snapped out of her daze, looked down at her reflection on the ground, and said somewhat dejectedly, "I used to be the complete opposite of you at school. I wasn't popular at all."
She thought for a moment, then slowly raised her head and spoke more clearly and bluntly: 'Nobody likes me, except for those boys who are attracted to my looks. Actually, they don't really like me; they just want to trick me into sleeping with them.'
She continued, "I'm not sad, I'm just a little envious of you guys having a normal campus life, but it's nothing, after all, I wasn't exactly a normal person either."
Her previous choices were not wrong.
I'm terrified of being poor.
The instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm becomes instinctive.
Jiang Yue quickly let go of the feeling, putting aside the inexplicable melancholy in her heart. She looked at Zhou Ji and asked him, "You really haven't heard of my name before? You really don't know who I am? I feel like I was quite famous back then."
Although it's not a very good reputation.
Zhou Ji thought carefully for a long time and was sure that he did not have it. If it wasn't the investigation before the marriage, it wasn't the personal information handed to his desk.
Zhou Ji didn't even know that she was also a student at the affiliated high school.
This is not surprising.
A first-year high school student.
A senior in high school.
He was about to graduate the year she enrolled.
The teaching buildings for the first and third years of high school are two buildings apart, and they don't usually have any interaction. The only occasion is when the monthly honor roll is posted on the same wall.
However, Jiang Yue's grades were not good.
Zhou Ji consistently ranked first in monthly exams throughout his three years of high school, while Jiang Yue was at the very bottom, her precarious ranking only preventing her from being expelled.
Jiang Yue gently kicked away the small stone in front of her: "Oh."
The two held hands, and they were quite a sight on campus.
Many prominent alumni attended today's school anniversary celebration, including some of Zhou Ji's former classmates.
It's impossible for someone like him not to have a crush on him in high school.
However, after so many years, when they meet again, they can talk about the past with a sense of relief, and even when they see the woman he is holding tightly to his waist, they can laugh and joke.
"Long time no see, senior."
Inside the banquet hall, men and women came forward to greet them.
Zhou Ji shook hands politely and smiled faintly.
The man looked at the person next to him and smiled: "We used to say you were like asexual, and even thought you would never get married and have children in your life. I never expected that you would be the first among us to get married."
Zhou Ji was a true unattainable beauty in high school.
People flocked to him like moths to a flame.
They didn't succeed with any of them.
Zhou Ji's cold and aloof rejections have broken the hearts of countless young girls. He seems detached from love and affection, showing no interest in anyone.
There was no mention of him being close to any female classmate.
Jiang Yue listened silently from the side, feeling that Zhou Ji's old classmates really didn't understand him. He didn't seem like someone who was sexually frigid at all.
"The chairman of the school board just showed me some old photos. It seems our class was very united back then. I even saw several of the girls who wrote you love letters back then. You should go and see them later; it's quite nostalgic."
The man was a bit talkative, so Zhou Ji smiled politely and said, "I will when I have time."
This is naturally a polite remark.
Nobody will take it seriously.
After everyone left, Jiang Yue suddenly blurted out, "I want to see."
Zhou Ji feigned ignorance: "What are you looking at?"
Jiang Yue stared into his eyes, not giving him a chance to escape: "I want to see your high school photos."
For Zhou Ji, whose memories of his youth are hazy, he doesn't remember the photos he took at graduation, but he can imagine them.
He would definitely have that cold, sour face, staring blankly at the camera.
That is indeed the case.
When Jiang Yue saw the photo, she immediately spotted the boy standing on the far side, who still looked outstanding.
He faced the sunlight directly, his skin fair, his features cold and aloof, his dark eyes coldly staring at the camera, showing no lingering affection or emotion.
He's a cool young man.
Jiang Yue said, "You look so fierce."
Zhou Ji didn't flip through the photo album; he slowly closed it for her, saying, "I just didn't show any expression."
As if to defy him, Jiang Yue opened the photo album again, casually flipping through a page. She glanced down at it and suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
Zhou Ji raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong?"
Jiang Yue said, "I think I see myself."
She wasn't mistaken.
In the photo, she is so barely noticeable that she is pitifully squeezed into a corner.
This photo was taken by chance.
As a young girl, still unaware of her surroundings, she was squeezed into a place where she would hardly be noticed, while he stood in the center, surrounded by admirers.
This group photo also appears to have been taken hastily.
It's a coincidence.
It was also a serendipitous encounter of fate in the shadows.
However, this reunion was already a missed opportunity.
Zhou Ji looked at her in the photo, her smile still a little shy, and gently touched it with his fingertip. She was young, cute, and her smile was a little heartbreaking.
They reunited so soon.
We met so late.
Zhou Ji's throat tightened, and he said in a slightly hoarse voice, "It looks good."
He pulled the photo out of the album and kept it for himself.
The entanglement between past and present lives seems to be just like this photo, always missing each other.
The school leaders arrived late, and their brief greetings consisted mainly of flattering and polite words.
Before parting, the school leaders suggested with smiles, "Would you two like to take a group photo downstairs in front of the teaching building?"
Just as Jiang Yue was about to refuse, Zhou Ji put his arm around her shoulder tightly, saying, "Thank you for your help."
The sun was high in the sky, and the branches outside the window were lush and verdant.
The leaves cast dappled shadows, each one seemingly a tangible representation of spring and summer.
Jiang Yue and Zhou Ji stood in front of the school gate. She leaned slightly closer to him. The moment the camera focused, it was as if they had returned to the moment many years ago when they were supposed to reunite.
…
After the school anniversary celebration, Jiang Yue was visibly in a good mood, and she even became more talkative on the way back.
They chattered on and on, without end.
One moment she says that although she wasn't very popular in school, her beauty is undeniable. The next moment she says she wants to return to school and become a prestigious graduate student.
Zhou Ji listened silently, appearing very patient.
He neither interrupted her nor said a word, but simply looked at her with doting eyes, as if he could listen to her talk about trivial things for a lifetime.
After talking until her throat was dry, she finally decided to stop and rest for a while.
Zhou Ji said calmly, "I have something to give you."
Jiang Yue asked curiously, "What is it? Gold, silver, jewelry, or money?"
Zhou Ji shook his head: "Neither."
Jiang Yue told him quite frankly, "Don't give me things that aren't worth much."
What's the use of sending something worthless!
It is said that a small gift carries great meaning.
It's clearly true that you shouldn't give a small gift.
After a moment's thought, Zhou Ji said, "Perhaps you might like it."
Zhou Ji didn't keep her in suspense for long. The driver stopped at the foot of Qingyun Mountain on the outskirts of Beijing, and he extended his hand to her, "Come here."
Jiang Yue hesitated for a few seconds before finally placing her hand in his palm. There was a hidden Taoist temple halfway up the mountain.
Zhou Ji led her inside, saying, "Wait for me a moment."
Not long after, Zhou Ji returned, clutching a dagger in his hand.
Jiang Yue's eyes widened: "Are you going to give me this? Or are you going to use it to kill me?"
Zhou Ji opened her palm and gently placed the dagger in it, saying, "This is a return gift."
Jiang Yue was somewhat bewildered. She hadn't given Zhou Ji any gifts lately. The man in front of her smiled and said, "Do you remember the sword you gave me in Yanzhou that year?"
Jiang Yue seemed to remember that there was indeed such a thing. At that time, the North was not peaceful, and he seemed to be powerless and had no ability to protect himself in the chaos.
She gave him her sword.
He was still reluctant to admit it, only saying that it was a worthless sword he had picked up.
Zhou Ji forced her to grip the dagger tightly in her hand. The man's eyes were dark, and he stared at her intently and steadily: "This is my return gift."
Jiang Yue gripped the dagger, slowly lowering her eyelashes, her eyes feeling a little sore for some reason.
Zhou Ji held her hand, his voice as steady as he was: "I know you like me to some extent, but you haven't completely let go of your inner turmoil."
"This life is one I forced to have."
"This knife, once given to you, is yours."
"If you are still unhappy in the future, just use this knife to kill me."
Jiang Yue's fingers trembled as she gripped the dagger. She sniffed, her voice trembling slightly, "Zhou Ji, are you sure you won't regret saying all this?"
The man looked at her and said firmly, "No."
Jiang Yue looked up, and the tears that had been hanging on her eyelashes fell hastily. She stood on tiptoe and gently placed a light kiss on his lips.
Zhou Ji was stunned for a moment, then took the initiative, grabbed her chin, lowered his head and kissed her moist, red lips without hesitation.
He has always been her devoted follower.
She has always lived only for Princess Mingyi.
This life.
Although it was a bumpy ride.
Fortunately, the same mistake was not repeated.
He had sought it countless times without success, but finally it came to a happy ending.
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