Chapter 4: The Appointment by the River

“Ring, ring, ring…” The bell rang for the end of class, breaking the strange atmosphere of this physics lesson in Grade 12 Class 5.

Mu Guohua hurriedly packed up his lesson plans and rushed out of the classroom as if he were escaping; he even forgot to say the class was dismissed. If he didn’t leave now, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself and would do something crazy like confessing his love to a student.

His job and his family would surely be shaken violently or even destroyed by such a scandal. He couldn’t let that go, nor did he have the courage to break the chains of his life.

With a complicated expression, he took one last glance at the girl who seemed to be shrouded in a dream, and sighed wearily. Then, clutching the lesson plans under his arm, he shrank his neck and walked away silently.

Whoosh! Three or four boys who usually hung out with Lin Lei rushed to his desk at once, all looking excited yet in pain.

“Leizi, did you take the wrong medicine today? How were you so fierce! You even…” Speaking of this, he quickly glanced at Yan Siyu, who was sitting quietly nearby, and stopped short. He just kept patting Lin Lei on the back, though it was unclear if he was venting anger on behalf of all the male students.

This good friend’s name was Li Yi. He had a very smart head and was super good at science subjects, especially mathematics. In the whole school, aside from Yan Siyu, only he got full marks every time.

However, his performance in liberal arts was a tragedy. His Chinese and English grades struggled at the passing line all year round, and if he wasn’t careful, they would fail. So his average score was on the same level as Lin Lei, who was in the middle. Their personalities also clicked, making them a pair of best buddies.

Right now, Li Yi had no worries at all and smiled without a care in the world. But this innocent smile made Lin Lei’s heart ache. Back then in the Ecological Sphere, the lifeless smile of Li Yi, who had survived by luck, kept flashing before his eyes.

At that time, his face was pale, and his eyes were swollen. When he wasn’t silent, he would stare blankly into the Void. In fact, there was nothing to do in the Ecological Sphere, so Li Yi was basically no different from a walking zombie.

“Our Earth is destroyed, our roots are gone.” Lin Lei clearly remembered Li Yi’s expression when he said this. He was merely stating a fact, yet it made people feel utter despair!

……

Lin Lei shook his head and threw the memories out of his mind. Then he laughed loudly, pretending to be happy: “‘One must enjoy life to the fullest; drink today for today we have wine.’ Little Yi, I am drunk, haha, drunk.”

Lin Lei fought back against Li Yi’s groping hands while acting crazy. Heh heh, I’m playing the fool; let’s see what you can do to me!

“…” The group of boys who originally wanted to tease him were speechless. Lin Lei probably really took the wrong medicine. His behavior made people feel creepy.

They heard that mentally ill people weren’t punished by law for hurting or killing people. If this honest kid really used the strength he showed earlier, no one could handle it. Danger! Run!

The crowd scattered in a hush, leaving only Lin Lei’s best friend Li Yi there, clasping his hands and begging for mercy. Damn, this kid must have taken a strength pill; his combat power had risen to a terrifying level, beyond what humans could stop.

“Heh heh, now you know how powerful I am, Little Yi. Even if you were the Monkey King, I could suppress you for five hundred years.”

“…” Li Yi was not good with words. He thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with a retort, so he surrendered: “Great hero, please spare my life! Let me go.” The momentum was wrong; the east wind was overpowering the west wind. A wise man submits to circumstances; it was important to give in first. Hiss! This kid is really strong.

The ten-minute break passed quickly in the commotion. The boys were mostly easygoing. Since Lin Lei acted like he wouldn’t admit to anything, and the English teacher, Zhao the Vicious Tongue—oh no, he should be called the Guangdong Accent now—didn’t seem to pursue it, Lin Lei’s shocking act in English class was trending to fade into a campus legend for future students to “worship.”

This period was math class, also taught by their Homeroom Teacher, Fang Rubi. So everyone held their breath and waited, afraid of showing any flaws to Old Fang, who looked kind but was actually dangerous.

Old Fang had led Grade 12 Class 5 all the way to their senior year, so everyone knew his temper quite well. Old Fang usually didn’t lose his temper, but when he did, the whole class would wither.

In the first year of high school, even Yan Siyu had been scolded by him. From then on, Old Fang earned the nickname “Smiling King of Hell,” famous throughout the school.

So math was the subject Grade 12 Class 5 studied best. They didn’t dare not to study it well. No matter how much homework there was, math had to be prioritized, leaving their clearest minds for the Homeroom Teacher.

However, there was a small exception today. Just as math class was about to end, Yan Siyu gently touched Lin Lei’s arm. Lin Lei looked over and saw a line written on the scratch paper on Yan Siyu’s desk: “Meet by the small river outside school at one o’clock this afternoon!!!”

Damn! Three exclamation marks! Lin Lei was shocked. Was this Aostarian beauty planning to kill someone to vent her anger? Heavens! His martial arts and wisdom were only a fraction of hers. Wouldn’t going there be pure suicide?

Lin Lei wrote back on his scratch paper: “Can’t whatever it is be said face to face, like right now?”

The answer came immediately: “Up to you, but I think you know the consequences.”

She was even threatening him. Lin Lei wanted to face death bravely, but he had a heavy burden to carry, so he helplessly surrendered: “I’ll be there on time at one.”

Both of them sat upright, pretending to listen carefully. But when Lin Lei looked up at Old Fang, he felt that his eyes seemed to be emitting a cold light. Had he been discovered?

Lin Lei wasn’t sure, so he asked the certain Alien beauty with a level 11 intelligence next to him, but he didn’t get a response.

Lin Lei moved his eyes slightly and found that the scratch paper on Yan Siyu’s desk had disappeared at some point. This… wasn’t it just there a moment ago?

Then Lin Lei noticed that it suddenly became much quieter around him. The classroom was already quiet, but now even the sound of breathing was gone. Then the light seemed to dim a little. Done for, he was discovered. How were Old Fang’s eyes so sharp? How was Yan Siyu so cunning? Why was he the only one so unlucky!

“Lin Lei, what are you writing on your desk?” The voice was kind to the point of being affectionate.

Lin Lei’s scalp went numb. He felt the slight vibration of the gentle sound waves on his head, and said one word at a time: “Teacher Fang, I was calculating an equation. This question is a bit difficult. Yeah, a bit difficult.”

After a long while, just when Lin Lei thought the storm was still brewing, he heard Teacher Fang say “Mhm” and continue teaching.

“Alert! High Energy Level reaction in the surrounding air. Alert!” What was happening? What high Energy Level? Was there danger even in class?

Lin Lei felt confused. Was Old Fang also reborn? Why was he so weird today? In his daze, he didn’t notice that Yan Siyu’s hair next to him was fluctuating slightly as if charged with static electricity, nor did he notice that the chalk in Fang Rubi’s hand had turned into powder.

Old Fang’s math class was the last class of the morning. If it were another teacher’s class, a group of hungry little wolf cubs would have been restless long ago, ready to sprint to the cafeteria the moment the bell rang.

But the tragedy today was that Old Fang was keeping watch. No one dared to move. No matter how hungry they were, it wasn’t as terrifying as Old Fang. Although Fang Rubi didn’t have the vicious tongue of the Guangdong Accent teacher, nor would he call people’s parents, a tiger was still a tiger. One couldn’t ignore his majesty just because he put on a smiling face.

Old Fang had an inexplicable aura, which was recognized by the students. Everyone privately thought it was a waste of talent for him to be a Homeroom Teacher. If he became a diplomat, he would surely make others feel inferior in negotiations. Heh heh.

The bell rang as scheduled. Old Fang flicked his finger, and the half-piece of chalk drew a perfect arc in the air, landing accurately in the chalk box.

“Class dismissed.” Old Fang said with a smile.

Sounds of nature! The students immediately stood up and left the classroom in an orderly manner, out of Old Fang’s sight. Then, using all their strength, they sprinted towards the school cafeteria. The animals from other classes, why are they running so fast? All the good dishes were going to be taken.

In the past, Lin Lei was also a member of this running army, but today he wasn’t in the mood at all. Yan Siyu’s afternoon appointment by the river was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, keeping his head cool in this early summer weather without a drop of sweat.

He was too impulsive! Why didn’t he see things clearly back then? Why did he think it was a dream? How could he steal a kiss from an Alien beauty in public (he didn’t know if it was her first kiss, heh heh)? If he were to do such things in the future, he absolutely had to do research beforehand.

But regret was regret; he had a date with a beauty, how could he not go? Not going was not an option.

Lin Lei got his food slowly and started to eat slowly to kill time. Going to meet the beauty was risky; he had to find a good timing so he wouldn’t be discovered. If he was followed, photographed, or exposed, he would become famous in the school. Being invited to tea by Old Fang, or even the principal, was possible.

However, there was never a shortage of people causing trouble. Here came Li Yi.

“Leizi, why did you just get tomatoes? Usually you’re at the front of the line, getting stir-fried pork slices, chicken legs, duck legs, those good things. Hey, I say, why are you eating so politely today? Is it because you kissed the school beauty, you want to keep the lingering fragrance on your lips?” Li Yi gave a mischievous smile. He really admired Lin Lei to death now; this guy was fierce today!

Lin Lei didn’t have the mood to make things up: “Go, go, go. You’re bluffing. Where would the school cafeteria get pig legs to sell? My throat hurts today. Can’t I eat vegetables to reduce the heat?”

“Heh heh, I won’t tease you. Come, I got a good dish. Let’s eat together. It’s your favorite, stir-fried river snails.” Li Yi put his plate down.

Lin Lei was a bit touched, but his mouth was stubborn: “Go on, I think you just don’t have the technique to eat snails. Your lung capacity isn’t enough. Look at you, still using a toothpick to pick the meat out. When will you finish? Watch me.”

Saying that, Lin Lei picked a large one, exhaled, and sucked hard at the snail’s opening. Then he froze. He turned his head woodenly to look at Li Yi.

Li Yi was confused by the look: “What’s wrong with you? You just sucked it. You sucked the whole thing in… Hahahaha!” Li Yi pointed at Lin Lei, laughing until his stomach hurt.

“The snails in the school cafeteria weren’t cleaned properly… I sucked too hard, and it all went in. It tastes like mud. It’s disgusting.” This cafeteria was really wicked. Last time Lin Lei got stir-fried chicken with green peppers. There were chicken pieces, but they were all chicken butts.

The two chatted and joked, and the meal took nearly an hour to finish. Mainly, the river snails took a lot of work, and neither of them was very skilled.

“Sigh, time flies. It’s almost twelve-thirty. Leizi, I’m going back to the dorm for a nap. Shall we go together?”

“No, you go ahead. I’ll wash your plate for you. I have something to do too. You saw it today, I jumped from the third floor. It was fine at the time, but now my heels hurt a bit. I need to go to the school hospital.”

“Oh, then go quickly. That can’t be delayed. Don’t wash the plate, I’ll do it.” Saying that, Li Yi reached for the porcelain plate in Lin Lei’s hand.

“No, it doesn’t hurt much, just a little dull pain. You go take your nap.” His friend’s concern made Lin Lei feel guilty. Although he was thick-skinned, his face turned slightly red from lying.

Li Yi didn’t doubt him. He saw Lin Lei jump down with his own eyes. It would be weird if his feet didn’t hurt. You had to wonder why this guy was so stupid back then. But looking at the way Lin Lei walked, it shouldn’t be serious. If it were a fracture or a sprain, how could he walk freely? So he wasn’t particularly worried.

“Oh, then I’m going back.”

Seeing Li Yi leave, Lin Lei immediately washed the plate in his hand. Then he went to the restroom to mislead anyone watching, and afterwards walked towards the school hospital.

Don’t think Lin Lei was really going to the school hospital. Going there would reveal his lie. He was planning to climb the wall. Who said the school hospital was far? Not far after climbing out was the small river. There was a shortcut, who would take the long way?

Lin Lei rubbed his hands, shook his legs twice, ran for a dozen meters, took three steps on the wall, and then used both hands and feet. He climbed over the four-meter-high wall in a few moves. Before, it was a bit difficult and he had to climb using the cracks in the wall. Today, his physical fitness was great, it was very easy. Heh heh.

Jumping off the wall and walking a hundred meters straight, he arrived at the small river outside the school. The river water was clear to the bottom, no more than a meter deep at its deepest. The bottom was mostly round pebbles. The riverbank was full of willow and poplar trees. One look and you knew it was a holy place for lovers’ trysts. Anyway, the school’s guidance director used to come here for night patrols in the summer and caught quite a few miserable couples.

Upon reaching the riverbank, Lin Lei’s expression went blank. He saw Yan Siyu standing gracefully under a weeping willow, not wearing her loose school uniform.

Early summer in May was a season of unpredictable clothing. Yan Siyu was wearing a slender white dress that showed off her perfect figure. Under the skirt, a section of her dazzling white calves was revealed. She wore a white wide-brimmed sun hat on her head. Seeing Lin Lei walk over, she waved at him with a smile, none of the coldness she had at school.

How can an Aostarian be so beautiful? How am I supposed to find love among humans in the future? How can I shoulder the responsibility of reproducing for humanity? Lin Lei lamented in his heart.

“Lin Lei, you have become different today.” Yan Siyu cut straight to the point.

Lin Lei’s heart trembled. With a level 11 intelligence, he couldn’t guess which aspects she meant by different, so he just gave a silly chuckle.

“Is that so? I also feel I’ve changed a lot, but I don’t know the reason. I just woke up like this.” Yeah, keep it short and quiet. Better not to say too much, or I might leak information to this Alien without even knowing it.

Yan Siyu narrowed her eyes and smiled like a lazy, charming cat, making Lin Lei’s heart wobble. She was truly a stunner, a troublemaker.

“You know, someone who jumps from the third floor without a scratch can’t be the Lin Lei I know. Speak, who exactly are you? Or where do you come from?”

Lin Lei fell silent.

“Your disguise technique is excellent, even your DNA is exactly the same as Lin Lei’s, but that’s not the key. You seem to have stolen the past Lin Lei’s memories and taken his body. This makes things intolerable. A stranger I’m not familiar with at all actually dared to kiss me!”

Lin Lei straightened his back and narrowed his eyes, looking at the Alien girl who was getting angry in front of him, filled with dread. His rebirth was his greatest secret. Even he didn’t understand the reason clearly, so how could he explain it to others?

At this moment, Yan Siyu, no matter how beautiful she was, posed no attraction in Lin Lei’s eyes. Beauty was for admiring, not for deciding fate!

Now being mistaken for someone else by Yan Siyu, from a certain perspective, wasn’t entirely wrong. The future him and the high school him indeed had too many differences. If it weren’t for a timeline connecting them, what was wrong with being considered two people?

Yan Siyu quickly masked her emotions. Her eyes turned indifferent again, and her tone became flat: “You have courage, but I haven’t found the power supporting this courage. Speak, what method of departure do you choose? Should I drive you out of Lin Lei’s body, or will you leave yourself?”