The next day, Ruan Bei went to school.
He took sick leave because he had a high fever. Ruan Licheng didn't tell the teacher how many days he would take. He could go back to school as soon as he recovered. There was no need for him to cancel his leave.
The night before, Ran Yusheng hesitated for a long time and ultimately couldn't decide what to write.
Later, when Ruan's mother knocked on the door to urge Ruan Bei to go to sleep, Ran Yusheng tactfully took his leave. He made an appointment with Ruan Bei that he would come to find Ruan Bei when he had made up his mind, and then ask him for help.
Ruan Bei was unwilling to let him come to her home, even though Ran Yusheng was very nice from beginning to end and did not show any aggression.
However, Ruan Bei thought that humans and ghosts are different, and his unexpected ability to see ghosts might not be a good thing. It would be best to stop this from happening to him and not involve his family.
The young boy's desire to protect his family was obvious, so when Ruan Bei tentatively suggested changing the meeting place, Ran Yusheng, who had sensed his intentions, was not angry at all, but rather quite appreciative.
This child is so afraid of him!
She had been focused on running away, but when he came to her door, she was so afraid of him that she stood in front of him, even though she was trembling, to prevent him from getting close to his parents.
Despite appearing to be a timid and gentle child, his speech and actions reveal a composure and thoughtfulness that seems out of place with his personality.
Ran Yusheng truly had no ill intentions, so he didn't deliberately fuss over these trivial matters to make things difficult for Ruan Bei.
"If you've made up your mind, you can wait for me at the intersection to the west of my apartment complex, is that alright?" Ruan Bei suggested to him.
That was the only way he could take home from school. If he got off there and didn't go home, he could walk in the opposite direction for ten minutes and see an old little park.
That little park is quite old. When he was a child, it was very popular with people. Every evening or on weekends and holidays, adults and children from the neighborhood would love to stroll around there.
That was also his and Qin Gu's former paradise. He knew which tree was the tallest and which tree was the oldest. Deep in the garden, there was an old loquat tree, and in the southeast corner, there was a cluster of very fragrant gardenias.
Later, many tutoring and cram schools sprang up nearby, taking up children's holidays. Parents also had other more interesting places to go. In addition, the park's facilities were old and dilapidated, with nothing particularly attractive except for some monotonous and ordinary flowers, plants, and trees. It gradually fell into disrepair.
In his previous life, he waited in vain for Qin Gu, and on a whim, he traveled across most of the city to return here.
The small park has been demolished, and it seems they were planning to build something new, but for some reason, construction stopped halfway through, and the construction site is now just a sparse mess.
Ruan Bei glanced at it from afar and left, feeling a mix of emotions, perhaps sadness.
However, he had too much on his mind at that time and didn't have much room to hold onto negative emotions, so he just watched it and moved on.
But the little park is still there, it's just not very crowded now.
Ruan Bei didn't want Ran Yusheng to get close to his parents, and he also considered whether to meet him in a crowded place, since communicating with a ghost makes a big difference whether there are people around.
In the end, he gave up the idea. To this day, he still doesn't know if contact with ghosts would harm a person.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, he didn't want to take the chance and try it. He didn't want his parents to be hurt. If he invited Ran Yusheng to a crowded place, he might end up hurting the parents and relatives of other children.
So after careful consideration, Ruan Bei decided on the small park.
He was familiar with the place, which made him feel a little more at ease; there were fewer people there, so he didn't have to worry about bothering others.
After agreeing with Ran Yusheng, he temporarily put the matter aside and went to school.
It wasn't that Ruan Bei was carefree or unafraid; rather, his experiences in his previous life had taught him that constant anxiety and worry wouldn't solve any problems.
When you encounter a difficult problem, try to solve it if you can, and don't get stuck on it if you can't. Life won't give you just one problem at a time.
The decision regarding the current issue with Ran Yusheng is not in his hands, so he decided to shift his focus to his studies first.
To be honest, after all these years, Ruan Bei's memories of his former school and class have become somewhat hazy.
Fortunately, he remembered that one of his classmates lived not far from his home. They used to run into each other at the bus stop when they were in school. They weren't particularly close, but they could still talk to each other.
In order not to miss this classmate, Ruan Bei got up early and, sure enough, waited for the boy at the bus stop. His hair was sticking up in all sorts of tangles and his school uniform was wide open.
"Good morning, Dong Yangyang!" Ruan Bei greeted his old classmate with a smile.
Dong Yangyang is a boy of average height, average appearance, and mediocre academic performance.
Ruan Bei was able to recognize him at a glance because they met again many years later. The unremarkable classmate from back then had unexpectedly gone to study nursing and become a rare male nurse, working at the hospital where his mother was being treated.
"Ruan Bei?!" Dong Yangyang was surprised for a moment, then immediately walked to Ruan Bei's side and said casually, "You're better now."
Ruan Bei nodded: "Yes, I've missed so many classes, I don't dare stay at home anymore."
"If it were me, I would definitely stay a few more days."
Dong Yangyang frowned and complained, "You have no idea how crazy our teacher is. He put some kind of college entrance exam countdown on the blackboard, and I watch the numbers drop down every day. It's making my heart ache. We're only in our second year of high school!"
Such simple discussions about school and complaining about teachers' daily lives were too far removed from Ruan Bei's own experiences. Suddenly being pulled into this again evokes a complex and memorable feeling.
"It's not far off. The college entrance exam will be here soon, and then we'll be seniors."
Ruan Bei casually replied, taking out the two steamed buns he had specially brought: "I got these from home, do you want some?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Dong Yangyang happily accepted it. He had overslept that morning and hadn't had time for breakfast. He had originally planned to just buy something at the school gate.
The steamed buns were still warm, but no longer scalding. Dong Yangyang finished one in a few bites, and while wolfing it down, she gave him a thumbs up and praised, "Your dad's cooking is really good. My dad makes it, really. Even the pigs won't eat it, but he still gives it to me. It's such a waste."
Ruan Bei burst out laughing. How come he never realized that his old classmate was quite witty?
"He who eats another's bread sings his praises." After eating Ruan Bei's steamed buns, Dong Yangyang went out of her way to tell Ruan Bei about what had been happening at school recently.
He couldn't explain his studies clearly with just his words, so he simply mentioned what had happened in the class. As he spoke, his expression changed, and he looked at Ruan Bei with sympathy: "I just remembered that there was an English quiz this morning."
Ruan Bei was taken aback for a moment, and Dong Yangyang quickly said, "Why don't you just skip school today and go tomorrow? Otherwise, Lao Hu will definitely pick a fight with you again."
Ruan Bei suddenly laughed. Look, even his classmates could tell that the English teacher was picking on him.
Is it something to be proud of for a teacher to have a falling out with their students?
He suffered for a long time as a child because of his teacher's dislike and rejection. Even as an adult, though time has passed, he still remembers some of the bad experiences that teacher had given him.
Looking back now with an older perspective, no one is a fool. This Teacher Hu simply had a higher position, which is why he was able to suppress the young Ruan Bei so thoroughly.
In reality, her methods were not very sophisticated.
"No need. I studied English well during my vacation and found some learning tips. I shouldn't do too badly on the test this time."
Dong Yangyang was skeptical of Ruan Bei's statement, but Ruan Bei's grades were excellent; in his eyes, he was already considered a top student.
He studies very hard and said he found the trick, so he probably really did find the trick.
For Baozi's sake, Dong Yangyang finally gave him a suggestion: "Don't be afraid if you don't do well on the test. If Lao Hu scolds you, just faint and say you're still sick, and ask your mom to come to school and scold her. To be honest, you should have told your parents a long time ago. She's been bullying you because she sees you're holding back."
Ruan Bei couldn't help but laugh: "Okay, if she bullies me again, I'll tell her parents."
Ruan Bei used to be very proud and felt that it was his fault if he didn't do well in school. He would hide his bad grades from his parents if he was criticized by his teachers, let alone tell them.
Little did they know that the English teacher's actions had gone beyond the scope of criticism and education.
But after so many things, he thought that being able to sue his parents was a very happy thing. He was still a child with his parents' support!
The two chatted and laughed as they arrived at school. Following Dong Yangyang, Ruan Bei talked to him while subtly observing and recalling his former school and class. The distant memories seemed to have been wiped away, becoming clear and vivid.
Upon reaching the classroom door, Ruan Bei shoved her schoolbag into Dong Yangyang's hand, clutching her stomach and saying urgently, "I suddenly need to use the restroom. Could you please put my schoolbag on my seat? Thank you!"
After saying that, he ran off in a flash. He remembered that in high school, the seating arrangement was rotated every week. His deskmate remained the same, but he moved to the back of the row. The last row of the last group moved to the first row of the first group, so he really couldn't remember where he was sitting now.
Following his memory, he found the restroom at the end of the floor and took care of his business. When Ruan Bei returned to the classroom, his backpack had been placed in the first row by the window, near the innermost side, where a bespectacled boy was writing something.
Ruan Bei rubbed his forehead. Their class would change seats every semester, and he couldn't quite remember his current deskmate's name. He only remembered that he was a very hardworking boy who had come from a county town and lived in the dormitory. He heard from a classmate in the dormitory that he studied with a flashlight every night.
Ruan Bei has a gentle personality, good looks, and decent grades. He is quite popular in class. When his classmates see him, they greet him and ask about his health. Some classmates even lend him their notes from this period.
When Ruan Bei walked to his seat, he was already carrying a thick stack of notebooks.
His deskmate stood up, took the notebook from his hand, placed it on his own desk, and went out to let Ruan Bei go in first.
Ruan Bei smiled and thanked him. As she passed by his desk, she glanced at it and saw a notebook with a name written on the cover. The subject and class were written neatly and formally.
Yes.
His deskmate was named Lin Dengke, a name that perfectly reflected his parents' expectations.
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