In order to win over Bai Weixi, he had always maintained the image of having a "well-off" family. On top of that, with his good grades, tall stature, handsome looks, and generosity, his classmates were completely kept in the dark. Due to his parents' guilt and indulgence, they were almost always willing to meet any request he made.
In his past life, as a doting admirer, he'd spent a lot of money trying to court her during his three years of high school and four years of college. It was all for naught; he hadn't even managed a single kiss. His parents thought he was dating someone, and although their family was financially average, they weren't stingy with him.
This year, because of the college entrance examination, his parents had traveled thousands of miles back to their old family home in the countryside. Meanwhile, he stayed in the city, living in a rented room that cost 1,200 yuan a year—a very simple space without even a private washroom. It was a classic case of living beyond his means to keep up appearances during his high school days.
He took out his Nokia 3110C, a mid-to-low-end model worth about one to two thousand yuan. Operating the rudimentary phone still felt unfamiliar to Li Yuan as he searched through his contacts for people he could borrow money from.
Upon seeing the name "Wang Shuai," Li Yuan paused. This was a high school classmate and also a close buddy—the kind you'd have as a best man at your wedding. In his previous life, they had always kept in touch, often drinking and dining together...
After the call connected, a familiar voice came through, "Hello, Li Yuan, what's up?"
"Shuai, do you have any cash on you? Lend me some." Li Yuan got straight to the point. Their relationship was solid, and he had lent Wang Shuai money a few times before, so he didn't feel embarrassed asking for a loan this time.
"Borrowing money? You're a rich kid, how could you be short on cash?" Wang Shuai joked. Because of Li Yuan's act, all his classmates and friends thought he came from a well-off family.
This damned pride.
In his previous life, when everything was finally exposed, Li Yuan realized just how ridiculous he had been—a living clown. He had used the hard-earned money his parents scrimped and saved, braving the elements year after year, just to prop up his pathetic pride...
Despite the memory, Li Yuan was in a good mood and said cheerfully, "Buddy, I'm in a jam. A real bro emergency."
"Cut the crap, we're brothers. How much do you need? I don't have a lot on me," Wang Shuai replied.
"Two thousand yuan. I'll definitely pay you back in two weeks."
Wang Shuai was startled. In 2008, the average monthly salary was less than 2,000 yuan. Even though his family was fairly well-off, this amount was still most of his personal savings. He asked, puzzled, "Two thousand? Li Yuan, why do you need so much money? Don't tell me you're buying gifts for your girl again?"
"It has nothing to do with her. I need it for something else urgently. Are you in or out? Just give me a yes or no."
"I'm in, of course I'll lend it to you! This is the first time you've ever asked, so I have to help out. Wait for me, I'll go get the money and find you."
"Alright, I'll wait for you at the entrance of No. 1 High School in an hour."
After calling Wang Shuai, Li Yuan flipped through his phone contacts, continuing to search for others to borrow money from.
Since I've been reborn, I'm bound to succeed in the future. Borrowing some money is also a good way to test our brotherhood. I never borrowed from them in my past life, either.
Li Yuan wasn't sure if they would actually lend him the money.
Besides, I've lent them money before. It's supposed to be a two-way street. If they won't help me out now, then we can hardly be considered brothers. It'll just be a good excuse to cut ties later...
"Zhongding, lend me 3,000 yuan. I'll pay you back in two weeks."
"Holy crap, three thousand? So much? What are you up to? You didn't get some girl pregnant, did you?"
"Get lost. Am I that kind of person? I really need it for an emergency, and it's not convenient to tell you why."
"Alright, let me figure something out. Wait for me at the school entrance in two hours."
Ten minutes later, Li Yuan had made five phone calls, all to good buddies from high school who had also borrowed money from him before. The results weren't bad. Although they all grilled him for details, with some even suspecting he'd been scammed or gotten into trouble, they ultimately agreed to lend him the money. This gave him a slight sense of relief.
Since the college entrance exams had just ended, their parents were around. These city-dwelling classmates from well-off families had a little extra cash on hand. Friendships in high school were still relatively pure, not like after entering society where everything revolved around blatant self-interest and personal value.
If I get this 12,000 yuan, plus my own 4,000, that's a decent amount of capital. I should be able to make a small profit after a few matches. Right, I can also ask my parents for money under the pretext of taking driving lessons. I was planning to learn over the summer break anyway, so they won't say no.
His rented room was at the Sanyi Intersection next to the school. Looking at the rows of small restaurants and "hair salons" by the roadside, Li Yuan felt a strange sense of nostalgia. In this era, crackdowns on prostitution weren't very strict, and the quality of the girls was still good. It wasn't like the future, where they all flocked to the live-streaming industry, drastically lowering the standards of the profession.
It's a pity I never had the courage to step into those places in my past life. 100 yuan... that's really not expensive.
Back in his simple rented room, there was only a 1.5-meter bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and some cooking utensils. He usually cooked for himself. Looking at the stacks of books and study materials, he remembered his past life. He had sold them all—the sum total of his three years of high school effort—to a junk collector for 80 yuan. He had regretted that decision terribly.
As he flipped through his various textbooks, Li Yuan made up his mind.
This time, I will preserve these memories of the past, no matter what.
At the entrance of No. 1 High School, Li Yuan saw Wang Shuai again. Unlike their future selves who were both pot-bellied, their figures were now in good shape.
"Yuanzi, here, take it. It's 2,000 yuan, my entire secret stash," Wang Shuai said, handing an envelope to Li Yuan.
Li Yuan took it, stuffed it into his pocket without a glance, and smiled. "Thanks, buddy. Don't worry, I promise I'll pay you back in a few days."
Wang Shuai gave Li Yuan a friendly punch on the chest and asked with a laugh, "Yuanzi, how are things with your lady? Made any progress?"
Li Yuan winced, his head throbbing with shame. Just the mention of being a lovesick fool for her made him feel incredibly embarrassed. The entire class knew about his three-year pursuit of Bai Weixi.
In the future, that number would stretch to four years, five, six, seven... until I became a pitiful clown.
"Don't talk about it. I was rejected. I'm ready to move on to other beautiful girls," Li Yuan said nonchalantly.
Her college best friend isn't bad at all.
In his past life, he had seen Bai Weixi's college best friend once. She was a true Goddess with divine beauty, the very image of his ideal woman.
Wang Shuai was shocked. "Yuanzi, are you joking? After chasing her for three years, you're just giving up? Isn't that a total waste of effort?"
Suddenly, something clicked for him. "Wait—'rejected'? You confessed to Bai Weixi again? And she really turned you down?"
"Yeah, just this morning," Li Yuan replied calmly.
Upon hearing Li Yuan's confirmation, Wang Shuai grew furious. "Damn it, that Bai Weixi is blind! You were so good to her, and you're tall, handsome, and smart. How are you not good enough for her?"
"Listen to your brother: forget her. The next one will be better. She's the one who's going to regret losing you."