Chapter 1 Life Is So Bloody
A disorienting whirlwind spun through his head. Feeling intensely dizzy, Liu Shang staggered and collapsed onto the grassy roadside. Just moments ago, there had been gunshots, thick, acrid smoke, and raging fire. How had that scene of utter carnage suddenly transformed into this picture of peace and tranquility?
It wasn't until several minutes had passed that he could finally confirm his situation, pulling a Motorola L7 phone from his jeans pocket and staring at the information displayed on its screen. He had been reborn. He had returned from a desperate, death-filled battlefield to the year 2006, the year he first entered university.
At this very moment, he was sitting on a patch of grass just outside the side gate of his school, Fengcheng Oil University. Beside him rested his sturdy, oversized black suitcase, which held all the necessary documents for his registration.
Could… could any of this truly be real?
Liu Shang, unsure if he was caught in reality or a vivid dream, simply lay back on the grass in a state of utter exhaustion. He stared numbly up at the clouds drifting lazily across the vast, blue sky.
Whenever he thought of 2006, his freshman year, a singularly beautiful and radiant figure would invariably appear in his mind. It was an image that would haunt him for countless days and nights for the rest of his life.
In his freshman year, he had experienced a sweet, sorrowful, and tragically short first love.
The girl had been incredibly popular on campus, known for being as kind and compassionate as she was excellent in her studies.
However, perhaps because the gap between them felt far too wide, or perhaps due to his own crippling low self-esteem, he had voluntarily, and foolishly, given up on the relationship.
It was a beautiful chapter of his youth that he would forever annoy himself over, regret profoundly, and miss with a deep, aching longing in all the years that followed.
Just as Liu Shang's mind felt like a tangled mess of thread, his chaotic thoughts spiraling out of his control, the figure of a girl with crystal-clear eyes and an exceptionally pure and lovely face slowly entered his field of vision, appearing from above his head.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice gentle. "Are you lying here because you're not feeling well?"
Likely because she was leaning over to speak to him, the girl—dressed in white sneakers, cropped jeans, and a stylishly simple casual top—subconsciously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her delicate ear.
Meanwhile, Liu Shang felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
The sudden, impossible appearance of this beautiful girl was, in its own way, infinitely more shocking to Liu Shang than the prior discovery of his own rebirth.
Jiang Ruolin! Is that really you?
Could fate truly play such a cruel trick? Is life always so bloody dramatic?!
The next moment, his heart overwhelmed with a tidal wave of sorrow and joy, Liu Shang squeezed his eyes tightly shut.
His state of mind was just as the song lyrics described: *If this is a dream, I wish to stay lost in it forever, never to wake.*
"Student? Classmate, are you okay?"
"Do you need me to call a doctor for you?"
Finally, spurred by the girl's slightly nervous inquiries, the still-recumbent Liu Shang took two deep, steadying breaths. Then, he abruptly opened his eyes and, looking up at the girl who had haunted his dreams for a lifetime, let a heartfelt smile spread across his face.
This instantaneous transformation left Jiang Ruolin slightly taken aback.
A moment ago, the boy lying on the grass had a hesitant, lost look about him. The profound sadness that had shadowed his face when he closed his eyes was enough to evoke sympathy in anyone.
But in the next instant, the boy had suddenly become handsome and youthful, radiating a sunny vigor and an infectious vitality.
The immense contrast between his demeanor before and after left Jiang Ruolin feeling genuinely surprised.
"Excuse me, are you all right? Do you need any help?"
Facing Jiang Ruolin's concerned question once more, Liu Shang suppressed a heartbeat that felt like it might explode out of his chest at any moment. He scratched his head and offered an awkward smile.
"I'm so sorry, classmate. I didn't mean to make you worry."
"I'm fine, really. I just felt a little sleepy after spending all night on a hard-seat train."
"Speaking of which, I still have to rush to get registered. This campus seems pretty big, though. I guess I'll have to find a guide map first."
There was no doubt that this was a complete lie, crafted to deceive the kind and warm-hearted girl standing before him.
Having lived at this school for four years, Liu Shang knew exactly which path was the quickest to the main academic building, which window in the cafeteria served the best food, and even which roadside grove concealed a family of field mice. How could he possibly be unable to find the registration office?
Sure enough, upon hearing his explanation, Jiang Ruolin smiled with genuine enthusiasm. "Oh, what a coincidence! I can take you there, it's on my way."
"Although I'm also a freshman, I actually came to register a few days ago. A few of the upperclassmen even invited me to join the student union early."
"And you," she added brightly, "you must be the very first classmate I've officially helped since joining."
To this, Liu Shang simply smiled and nodded, and together they walked onto the campus, allowing him to become "re-acquainted" with the girl who had been his first love.
"By the way, Student Jiang, before I arrived, I saw some people discussing it on the student forum."
"They were saying that the hot and sour noodles from the most famous window on the second floor of our school cafeteria aren't as delicious as the legends claim. I wonder if that's actually true?"
The hot and sour noodles on the second floor of the Fengcheng Oil University canteen were famous among several of the nearby colleges and universities.
And in Liu Shang's memory, they were Jiang Ruolin's absolute favorite.
Hearing Liu Shang's words now, Jiang Ruolin couldn't help but frown slightly as she came to the dish's defense.
"How is that possible? The hot and sour noodles made at that window are absolutely delicious."
"Before I even started university here, I came to eat them several times!"
"Oh, right. Liu Shang, you were on the train all night, so you probably haven't eaten yet, have you?"
"It's on the way. I'll treat you to a bowl. Consider it my personal welcome to Fengcheng Oil University."
As she spoke, Jiang Ruolin produced a cafeteria meal card from her pocket and waved it in front of Liu Shang with a cheerful smile.
Much to Jiang Ruolin's surprise, this guy didn't show the slightest hint of gratitude for the beautiful girl's treat and concern. Instead, he just nodded with an infuriatingly calm expression.
"Well, that's good. By the way, you really should treat me to a meal."
"Just think about it. If you were to find a stray cat or a stray dog at the school gate, you'd still have to give them some food and water, wouldn't you?"
Hearing his ridiculous comparison, Jiang Ruolin was rendered speechless, unable to think of a single thing to say in rebuttal.
Just then, she saw Liu Shang's expression suddenly become anxious and nervous. He began frantically patting down his clothes and searching his pockets, as if he had lost something critically important.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Ruolin subconsciously grew nervous as well. "Liu Shang, what's wrong? Did you lose something?"
"Your phone? Or something else?"
"Could it have fallen out back on the grass?"
At that moment, Liu Shang finally stopped his frantic search. He frowned deeply and said with the utmost seriousness:
"Student Jiang, my heart—the one that traveled through time and space, full of loneliness and sorrow—I seem to have accidentally lost it just now."
"I don't suppose you've seen it, have you?"
This sudden, playful turn, so completely unexpected, was enough to make even Jiang Ruolin, who had been on the receiving end of countless clever lines since she was a child, crack a smile. She covered her mouth, turning her head away from Liu Shang as a laugh escaped her.
At that moment, in Liu Shang's eyes, it seemed as if every flower on campus had bloomed at once.
Then, with a lingering smile and a trace of mock reproach in her voice, Jiang Ruolin said slowly, "I'm really starting to regret it now. It seems I shouldn't have picked you up at all."