Second Rebirth
Liang An felt as if he were sinking into the deep sea, a wad of cotton soaked in ice water stuck in his throat, the seawater seeping in everywhere, the suffocating feeling gripping his lungs and tightening suddenly—he abruptly opened his eyes, everything in his vision spinning and shattering, the bright light stinging his eyeballs. His temples throbbed, as if countless fine needles were pricking and churning inside his skull.
He sat up abruptly, breathing heavily, clutching the thin blanket tightly. He looked around at the familiar furnishings—it was his bedroom. Outside the window, waves of heat rolled in, mingling with the incessant chirping of cicadas, creating a familiar summer scene.
Liang An gently rubbed his head, enduring the annoying throbbing pain, picked up his phone, and opened it to see that it was indeed August 15th.
Has he been reborn a second time?
Stumbling into the living room, I saw my parents' portraits placed on the altar, and a familiar scent lingered in the air.
Liang An's eyes reddened, and tears fell silently. After three lifetimes, she finally cried.
He found the little floral blanket he had used since childhood, wrapped himself in it, and quietly curled up in a corner of the living room, as if in his mother's womb, surrounded and enveloped by everything familiar, gradually regaining a true sense of existence.
He was thinking, thinking about Haicheng No.1 High School, thinking about Wen Zhi.
He thought he didn't seem to have the courage to be the young man carrying a bomb to blow up the school, nor did he want to become a murderer because of Wen Zhi.
He looked at his parents' portraits and silently asked, "Dad, did you want me to live well? Did you give me life again and again?"
But it's too difficult; sixteen is a bit too difficult.
Liang An suppressed the despair and violence that surged in his heart and forced himself to think calmly.
Enrolling in Haicheng No. 1 High School means encountering Wen Zhi, which is equivalent to endless trouble, and the result of trouble is an early death.
Although the processes of the first and second lives were different, they led to the same end. Her acquaintance and entanglement with Wen Zhi, followed by her unexpected early death, seemed like a predetermined script.
Wen Zhi is like a paranoid school bully, and what about me? That white moonlight who died young?
Liang An shook his head, finding it utterly absurd.
Wen Zhi's behavior made no sense whatsoever. Apart from avoiding encounters with Wen Zhi, Liang An couldn't find any other solution for the time being. He didn't know how many more times he would be reborn like this, and perhaps this was the last time.
Should he retaliate? Liang An couldn't figure out what constituted retaliation; he didn't want to risk his precious rebirth by getting entangled with Wen Zhi.
Wen Zhi was like an obstacle he was bound to encounter at sixteen; if he couldn't eliminate him, he could only bypass him.
That's what Liang An was telling himself, but he still couldn't resist going into the kitchen to start sharpening knives.
Looking at the sharp blade, Liang An smiled with satisfaction and decided to go out and buy some pig's trotters to practice his skills.
After chopping two buckets of pig's trotters, Liang An was finally satisfied. After washing up, he wrapped himself in the soft, fragrant quilt and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
-----------------
"Are you sure you want to take a year off from school? We need your parent's signature to confirm."
"Yes, my parents passed away unexpectedly, and I have no other immediate family members. I am sixteen years old and can be considered a person with full civil capacity, so my signature is valid."
"Okay, it's possible in terms of procedure. Then give me the materials."
"This is an application form issued by a professional psychological institution. After evaluation and assessment, it is recommended that you take a year off from school. Other materials are also in this file folder." Liang An breathed a sigh of relief. The process of applying for a leave of absence was not as difficult as he had imagined, and the teachers in the school's administrative office did not make things difficult for him.
Liang An ultimately decided to apply for a leave of absence and postpone his enrollment at Haicheng No. 1 Middle School for a year.
He looked up the application process for leave of absence and the required supporting documents at Haicheng No. 1 Middle School on the school forum, and then sought out a well-known local psychologist for psychological evaluation and treatment.
The unexpected deaths of his parents, the persistent entanglement with Wen Zhi, the early death followed by multiple rebirths, and the repeated brushes with death—all these events repeated themselves over several months. Liang An lived in a constant state of extreme emotional ups and downs, like a string that was stretched ever tighter, with the possibility of breaking at any moment.
He knew that his mental state was being strained by this intense emotional turmoil, and that it had not been repaired.
He sought out a reputable psychologist. Perhaps it was his appearance and current state that made him seem so broken, or perhaps it was because his psychological problems were already quite serious. After the first consultation, the psychologist readily provided him with a leave of absence application and a certificate.
During the consultation, the doctor was professional yet gentle, but Liang An disliked the insecurity of being probed and did not continue treatment after completing her leave of absence application.
Taking a year off from school will at least allow me to avoid encountering Wen Zhi on campus during that year.
Liang An needs more time to observe and think. The hand of fate is invisible, and he is always inexplicably pushed to the edge of a cliff. This time, he wants to try to see if he can press the pause button.
-----------------
After taking a break from school, Liang An spent a period of peace.
He boxed in the morning and read in the afternoon. The profuse sweating and muscle exertion from boxing washed away the chaos and distracting thoughts that had accumulated in his mind, and his tense nerves slowly relaxed with each deep breath.
After exercising, I curl up on the comfortable sofa, pick up a book at random, and my scattered attention is drawn to the book in front of me as if by a magnetic field. It's like a constant infusion of new life into my tired brain.
Occasionally, when Liang An went out and saw students in school uniforms passing by, he gradually stopped being alarmed and stressed. He was no longer satisfied with his cramped indoor life and eagerly extended his footprints outdoors.
He started hiking alone outdoors, gradually met many like-minded people, and then joined some hiking and mountaineering groups.
"Breaking news! Breaking news! This week's snow mountain summit challenge is here! Experienced climbers are on their side, even beginners can take on the challenge! Sign up now, or you'll miss out!!!"
"Ahhh, what equipment do I need? Newbie looking for someone to guide me~"
Liang An watched the lively discussion in the group and felt a little tempted.
Hiking gave him many refreshing and novel experiences. He loved the crisp mountain breeze carrying fallen leaves and damp earth into his nostrils, loved the tiny damp patches left by sweat on the stone steps, loved the whistling sound of the wind through the leaves, and loved gazing into the distance, where layer upon layer of mountains appeared and disappeared in the clouds...
But he had never climbed a snow-capped mountain, so he didn't know what it felt like to have icy winds whipping his cheeks, whether it was funny to see frost flowers condensing on his eyelashes, how magnificent the rolling snow-capped mountains were, or how many dangers were hidden in the steep snow slopes and bottomless valleys.
As a child from the south, Liang An had a natural longing for snow and was eager to try it out.
He quickly clicked on the registration link and completed the registration before the thought of backing out even crossed his mind.
The waiting time was both blissful and unbearable. Liang An bought all sorts of equipment with the group members and spent his days lurking in the group watching everyone share and boast. Occasionally, he would boldly pop up and attract countless jokes. He was immersed in this vitality and happily felt the passage of time.
Finally, the day of departure arrived. This was a five-day, four-night trip, and we agreed to meet in the town of Lalang at the foot of the snow-capped mountains with our group members.
This was Liang An's first time visiting this small town on the northwestern plateau, nestled on a plain at the foot of a mountain at an altitude of two thousand meters. The town was still shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning, but soon the rising sun broke through the clouds, dispelling the mist and bringing a touch of warmth.
When it was time to meet, team leader Lao Zhou, carrying a backpack full of ropes and crampons and holding a route map marked with red dots, was calling roll with a small megaphone.
"Liang An, has Liang An arrived yet?"
Liang An was taking pictures with his phone not far away when he heard his name called. He put his phone away and ran towards the team's assembly point.
He ran against the light from a distance, with snow-capped mountains stretching behind him, pure and holy. He became one with the snow-capped mountains, as if the son of the mountain god had awakened and was coming with the morning light.
Those around were stunned by this sacred scene, unable to recover from their shock. The once bustling assembly point fell silent instantly, as if a god had pressed the pause button.
"Wow, this is a snow lotus from Tianshan Mountain transformed into a spirit! Our team is so lucky!" Team leader Lao Zhou was the first to react and joked.
Liang An was stunned for a moment, unaware of the shock he had caused everyone, and smiled shyly.
After Lao Zhou's teasing, the group members snapped out of their daze and started chatting and laughing again, and the meeting point returned to its initial lively state.
"Alright, everyone's assembled. Now, everyone, get on the bus. We'll head to the mountaineering base camp at an altitude of 3200 meters. If you feel unwell on the way, please let us know in advance."
Liang An chose to sit alone in the back of the bus, nodding slightly to the others as they passed. The others all had familiar companions and fellow travelers, sitting in twos and threes.
Team leader Lao Zhou was the last to board the bus. Everyone thought they were about to set off, but Lao Zhou gestured for the driver to wait and explained, "There are quite a few beginners this time, so we've hired an extra mountaineering instructor to ensure everyone's safety. Please wait a moment."
As soon as Lao Zhou finished speaking, he saw a tall figure running from a distance, nimbly leaping onto the bus, and nodding to Lao Zhou in greeting.
"Let me introduce you all. This is our newest mountaineering instructor. He's young but very capable, and quite well-known in the mountaineering community," Old Zhou said with a smile.
"Hello everyone, my name is Lingxiao, which means soaring into the sky and reaching the clouds. I hope to break through limitations and climb to new heights together with you all this time."
He looked young, with a tall and straight posture, nearly 1.9 meters tall. His hair almost touched the top of the bus, but he didn't appear immature or hunched over. Instead, he exuded a mature composure that came with experience. His shoulders and back were broad and straight, his features were deep and defined, his eyebrows slanted upwards, and his eyes were deep and bright with dark pupils. When he was calm, his eyes seemed to reflect a cold pool, but when he looked up, they held the sharp glint of a young man.
Although his face still looked youthful, he exuded the dignified aura of a "young general" while standing still. He spoke steadily and firmly, without any of the impetuousness of youth. He seemed very convincing and reassuring.
"Reaching straight for the heavens, it gives off the feeling of a young general wielding a sword and soaring through the clouds. Not bad," said Lao Chen, a member of the group, in praise.
The other members clapped and laughed, jokingly calling Old Chen a cultured man.
Ling Xiao nodded and smiled at everyone, then nimbly walked to the back of the bus. He exchanged a glance with Liang An, paused for a moment, and finally sat down next to Liang An.
The bus doors slowly closed, the driver started the engine, and the group headed towards the base camp.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com