Rebirth: Saving the Lovely Girl from the Start

「Three days until the Gaokao.」

By now, most students were growing restless. The break before the Gaokao usually started two days early, which meant today was their last day of school.

After class, Qiu Mengze ripped up a huge pile of test papers and workbooks, scattering the pieces everywhere. "So satisfying!"

"Satisfying my ass. Our classroom is on the first floor," Xue Rui said with a laugh.

"Still satisfying," Qiu Mengze said.

He could finally be free of these endless problem sets. Once the exams were over, the world would be his oyster.

He’d be able to coolly whip out his ID at the internet cafe, no longer having to beg the manager for a temporary pass...

"What if you have to repeat the year? Maybe you should pick those up," Yi Bing suggested.

"Are you fucking cursing me? Even if I get a zero on the exam, even if I drop dead, I will never pick this crap up again! Never!" Qiu Mengze declared, looking completely unconcerned.

Even if he bombed the Gaokao, he would never repeat the year. Life as a high school senior had just been too brutal. Qiu Mengze felt that in the moment the paper hit the floor, he had been reborn.

"Is that so? I seem to recall you tucking fifty yuan into one of your books a few days ago," Xue Rui said thoughtfully.

This childhood friend of his knew perfectly well he had a terrible memory, yet he insisted on tucking money into his books. He claimed that forgetting about it and then stumbling upon it later felt even better than finding money on the ground.

In reality, it was just that Qiu Mengze was incapable of saving money, and this was his roundabout way of putting aside pocket money for internet cafes.

Of course, Qiu Mengze hadn’t actually stuffed any money in his books recently. Xue Rui was just saying that to mess with him.

"Holy shit, why didn’t you say so earlier?"

A look of regret washed over Qiu Mengze’s face. Unsure if he’d already taken the money out, he ducked his head and began rummaging through the pile of paper for the Schrödinger’s fifty yuan.

"Weren’t you acting all cool just a moment ago?" Yi Bing mocked.

"Cut the crap. If we find it, I’ll treat you to a session at the internet cafe after the exams. Now help me look." Having said that, he yelled up at the floors above, "Stop fucking throwing your trash down here!"

It was like it was snowing in front of the senior year building as countless pieces of paper fluttered down from the sky.

Lin Ruoxi heard Qiu Mengze’s plea and also started searching through the papers on the ground.

The classroom was a chaotic mess. Even the students who wanted to use this last bit of time to study couldn’t settle down. One of them let out a wry laugh, figured it was just one more night, and joined the others in the ruckus.

However, at that moment, Director Wang walked over.

The students’ hearts skipped a beat when they saw Director Wang approaching. But then they remembered they were about to graduate. They didn’t have to be afraid of any teacher anymore. They quickly went back to their boisterous selves.

"Lin Ruoxi, don’t get involved in their nonsense. I’ll take you home," Director Wang said gently.

Lin Ruoxi glanced at Xue Rui, her eyes seeming to speak. They asked, ’Should I go?’

Xue Rui smiled. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don’t want to go," Lin Ruoxi said in a small voice.

Director Wang watched Lin Ruoxi like a hawk, as if she were a small child, terrified that something might happen to her before the exams.

She was this year’s top science student in the province. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to warn these rowdy students. In years past, some had injured their hands or feet right before the exams, which ended up affecting their performance.

But this group of students was like a herd of wild horses that had broken free. How could anyone possibly control them now?

Many of them were already adults, and adults had to take responsibility for their own actions. It’s just that their parents were prone to showing up at the school’s gates...

Since Lin Ruoxi didn’t want to leave, he didn’t force her. To be on the safe side, Director Wang called the homeroom teacher from each class to come and stand watch for the final shift.

"Settle down. Don’t go out to play for the next few days, and don’t eat out either..." Xue Xiaying gathered the students back into the classroom and reminded them once again.

"You’ve already told us that, Teacher," a student said.

"Then I’ll say it again. Does anyone have a problem with that?" Xue Xiaying’s expression darkened, instantly stirring the fear buried deep in everyone’s heart.

Xue Rui nodded. ’The homeroom teacher still has some real authority.’

"No chasing each other or roughhousing. Sit quietly until your parents arrive. You can chat or whatever," Xue Xiaying said, then stood guard at the classroom door.

Once the homeroom teacher was gone, the students’ minds began to wander again. Someone suggested, "Hey, why don’t we sign each other’s uniforms? That’s what we did at my middle school graduation."

"Sure, why not? There are no rules about what we have to wear for the Gaokao anyway. This is our last chance," someone said excitedly.

Students began signing their names on each other’s school uniforms.

Everything was fine at first, but the moment the ink touched the fabric, it felt as though something had been lost.

"There are still so many problems I don’t know how to solve... How are we graduating already?" someone lamented, and the atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.

Lin Ruoxi moved a stool and sat down next to Xue Rui’s desk.

Sensing the change in mood, she lowered her head as a wave of sadness about the impending separation washed over her.

Xue Rui wouldn’t let her intentionally lower her exam score for him. But he had said that the Gaokao and college were two different things; they could still go to the same university.

’But... Xue Rui never said where he wanted to go, did he?’

"Sister Xi, will you sign my uniform?" A student walked up to Lin Ruoxi and handed her a marker.

After Lin Ruoxi dazedly signed her name, another student came up to ask for her signature.

The students had a unique impression of Lin Ruoxi. She wasn’t just a study prodigy; she was also a caring big sister. During their senior year, she had often brought them free breakfast, or even given them hot water and medicine...

Suddenly, someone shouted in surprise, "Your name is Zhang Facai?"

Yi Bing looked at him in disbelief. "Holy shit, we’ve been classmates for three years, and you actually forgot my real name?"

It was only then that Xue Rui realized it too. ’I almost forgot what Yi Bing’s real name was...’

Yi Bing was usually just a slacker. During their senior year, he mostly just handed out test papers to everyone, but he never actually did them himself...

The teachers had given up on him, too. They never called on him in class or even used his real name, simply calling him "Yi Bing" just like the students did.

Over time, many people had forgotten what Yi Bing’s original name was.

"It’s a good name. Sounds like you’re destined to get rich," Xue Rui praised.

’So both his nickname and his real name were tied to mahjong,’ Xue Rui thought.

When he thought about how Yi Bing’s dad was going to become wealthy in the future, Xue Rui started to believe there might be something to superstition after all...

Suddenly, Xue Rui felt a tickle on his back. A small hand was resting there, drawing something with a pen.

Xue Rui turned his head and saw Gu Muxue. The little minx had snuck over to the back door of their classroom.

"Don’t move." Gu Muxue’s lovely eyes narrowed. She was only halfway through drawing her little sun, and when Xue Rui twisted, she’d nearly turned it into an oval.

Inside the classroom, everyone saw Gu Muxue signing the back of Xue Rui’s uniform, and they couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

Gu Muxue was the high school goddess for countless boys. To have her sign your uniform at graduation would leave one’s youth with no regrets.

One boy mustered his courage and walked over. "Gu Muxue, could you sign my back, too?"

Gu Muxue smiled sweetly and graciously signed her name, "Gu Muxue."

Xue Rui tugged at the back of his shirt and saw that Gu Muxue had drawn a little sun on it, complete with a smiley face.

After making a round of signing, Gu Muxue noticed that Lin Ruoxi seemed to be the only one whose uniform she hadn’t signed.

She also realized the girl’s uniform was completely clean. ’Is it because she’s so introverted that she’s been ostracized?’

In reality, it was just Lin Ruoxi’s aura. Though her classmates liked her, she always gave off a sense of distance. No one dared to claim they were close enough to her, which was why her uniform was still pristine.

Gu Muxue shot Xue Rui a glare, her eyes saying, ’How can you be so clueless? Couldn’t you have been the first to sign her uniform to get the ball rolling for everyone else?’

She gave Lin Ruoxi a polite smile and waved the pen in her hand. "Lin Ruoxi."

Xue Rui swallowed hard. Whenever these two were together, he felt nervous and guilt-ridden...

Now Gu Muxue was going to sign Lin Ruoxi’s uniform, and he couldn’t quite describe the feeling.

However, Lin Ruoxi completely misunderstood Gu Muxue’s intention, thinking that Gu Muxue had also come to ask for her signature.

She reached out, took the pen from Gu Muxue’s hand, and, to Gu Muxue’s astonishment, signed her own name—"Lin Ruoxi"—on Gu Muxue’s uniform.

Gu Muxue was stunned for a moment. But then again, Lin Ruoxi was always like this, completely unpredictable.

Since the other girl had signed her uniform, she took the pen and signed "Gu Muxue" on Lin Ruoxi’s uniform in return.

Xue Rui watched this unfold, his brow deeply furrowed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

’These two barely interact, and today they’re signing each other’s uniforms?’

He looked at Lin Ruoxi and saw "Gu Muxue" written on the young woman’s shoulder.

Then he glanced at Gu Muxue and saw "Lin Ruoxi" written on the hem of her shirt.

’It’s like they’re a constant reminder,’ he thought. ’You’re a two-timing scumbag.’

Gu Muxue tossed the pen onto Xue Rui’s desk and turned to look out the window, but her small hands had already positioned the hem of her shirt right in front of his eyes.

Xue Rui’s eye twitched. He resignedly wrote his name.

"Your handwriting is so ugly. I’m going home now," Gu Muxue whispered. She gave Xue Rui’s arm a gentle pinch and fled from the classroom as if escaping.

Looking at Xue Rui’s name on her uniform, a smile touched the corners of Gu Muxue’s eyes. She didn’t feel the sadness of parting, because she and Xue Rui had made a promise during the New Year to go to university in the same city.

It was only when her gaze fell on Lin Ruoxi’s name that she felt something indescribable, a complex mix of emotions.

This was the name that had once been right below hers in the rankings, a constant source of anxiety. Then, it had shot far past her, which had actually been a great relief.

More importantly, she had once misunderstood Lin Ruoxi.

And in the end, this girl had even helped Xue Rui so much...

"The name of this year’s provincial champion," Gu Muxue said with a smiling sigh.

Back in the classroom.

Lin Ruoxi touched Xue Rui’s arm, carefully checking to see if the spot Gu Muxue had pinched was red.

When Gu Muxue had reached out and pinched him just now, she had felt a sudden, inexplicable anger.

The young woman rubbed his arm and, after confirming he wasn’t hurt, couldn’t help but smile.

Then, she presented the other, still-clean side of her uniform to Xue Rui, looking at him with an expectant expression.

Many of their classmates noticed this. ’Lin Ruoxi is actually offering her uniform for Xue Rui to sign?’

’And that look in her eyes... why does it seem so pitifully pleading?’

’It’s like she’s begging him to take the pen and write his name.’

None of the boys had dared to ask to sign Gu Muxue’s uniform. Though it was covered in names, not a single one was from a boy.

’But now, the two prettiest girls in the whole school were both proactively asking for Xue Rui’s signature?’

Many of the guys had just been gloating to themselves. Being in the right place at the right time, they had managed to collect signatures from both of the school’s reigning beauties in a single evening—major bragging rights.

However, Xue Rui was on a completely different level. He had left his name on both of the goddesses’ uniforms...

And he was the only male student to do so...

Qiu Mengze cursed inwardly, ’The name of a scumbag.’