Xue Rui shared one embarrassing story after another from his past with Gu Muxue, making her shoulders shake with laughter.
Of course, he didn't forget to pin the blame on his old man.
"Uncle Xue is quite the character. I guess I can't blame you completely. I'll let it go this time, but you're absolutely forbidden from lying to me ever again! Or else... or else..."
Gu Muxue pouted, trying to come up with a harsh threat for Xue Rui.
Before she could decide on one, Xue Rui spoke up.
"I swear I'll never lie to Gu Muxue. If I do, may I die suddenly before I turn thirty." Xue Rui held up three fingers to the sky.
In reality, he hadn't even lived to be thirty in his past life. To be precise, this wasn't so much a dire oath as a statement of fact.
"What are you talking about? You can't just say things like that!"
Gu Muxue, looking cross, used her chopsticks to tap Xue Rui's raised hand down.
"I think it's a great oath," Mei Lili said with a nod. 'Now that's the kind of reverence a goddess deserves.'
"Xue Rui, I feel like you've changed. How should I put it... you're like you were in elementary school? But not quite the same, either."
Gu Muxue studied a cherry, casually fiddling with its stem. She couldn't quite put her finger on what felt different about the Xue Rui of today.
Xue Rui always had a carefree demeanor.
But ever since he started pursuing her, he had become polite and proper in her presence—not that he was a perfect gentleman, but he knew where the lines were.
But the Xue Rui of today was different. His eyes had changed. It was like they were missing a certain sense of anticipation? Of longing?
Moreover, his actions no longer showed any consideration for her feelings. This afternoon, he had even sat on her desk, and he no longer obeyed her every "command."
It was just like in elementary school, when he always loved to go against her, provoking her to the verge of tears at the slightest thing.
She stole a glance at Xue Rui. He had his legs propped up on a desk and was picking his teeth with a grimace.
The old Xue Rui would never have done that, at least not in front of her. He was acting just like a ruffian.
'Could it be because I've rejected him too many times, and he's finally giving up on me?'
'But he confesses to me once every day. Over four years, that's at least a thousand times. How could he give up after just one more rejection?'
'Could yesterday's rejection have been the last straw that broke the camel's back?'
She fell into deep thought, trying to recall which excuse she had used to reject him yesterday.
"I'm still the same boy I once was, but my soul has changed just a little. It has sublimated," Xue Rui said with a suave smile, not taking her words to heart at all.
'Of course he'd changed. This young shell now housed the soul of someone who was 28 by Western age, 29 by East Asian age—basically, a man with one foot in the grave.'
'Perhaps the sixteen or seventeen-year-old Xue Rui really did love Gu Muxue, seeing her as the one and only person in his life.'
'But when the older Xue Rui, who had experienced the great ups and downs of life, faced this feeling again, he held no expectations.'
'During his freshman year of college, when he couldn't get in touch with Gu Muxue, Xue Rui had been depressed for quite a while.'
'Now, he just saw it as casually planting a sapling. If it didn't bloom, it was no big deal. If he happened to pick some fruit, that would be a pleasant surprise.'
The willow catkins are blown ever thinner, but there's no shortage of fragrant grass in the world.
'Keep your expectations low, and life will be full of surprises!'
"I don't care what part of you has 'sublimated.' In any case, you have to come find me in Class 1. Otherwise, it'll just cause a lot of trouble again."
Gu Muxue said seriously.
Xue Rui was like a mosquito coil: get too close and she'd choke on the smoke, but without it, all the surrounding mosquitoes would instantly swarm her.
"Confess to you once a day?" Xue Rui looked skeptical. He didn't want to do something so pointless.
But on second thought, teasing Gu Muxue was actually pretty fun. Otherwise, how was he supposed to get through this long, drawn-out high school experience, where every day felt like half a century?
He hopped off his chair, dropped to one knee, and said with the utmost seriousness, "Muxue, marry me."
Gu Muxue's head swiveled stiffly. A blush rose on her cheeks as she gritted out, "I'm going home!"
She fled as if making an escape, terrified that Xue Rui would say something even more embarrassing.
"Muxue, wait for me!"
Mei Lili also jumped out the window, leaving Xue Rui alone in the empty classroom.
'I've never said that before?'
Xue Rui stroked his chin, lost in thought. 'At least, that's what Gu Muxue's reaction seems to suggest.'
'That can't be right,' he thought. 'Was I really that shy when I was sixteen or seventeen?'
...
After they cleaned up the mess, it was time for evening self-study.
However, Xue Rui was called to the office by his homeroom teacher.
"How is Lin Ruoxi doing?" Xue Xiaying asked.
"She's fine. She ate a lot this afternoon," Xue Rui answered truthfully.
"Mm, you can go back."
Xue Rui looked bewildered. 'So I'm just a tool? She called me over here just to ask about Lin Ruoxi?'
'Of course. Lin Ruoxi is second in the grade. What teacher wouldn't treasure a student like that?'
Xue Rui saw a middle-aged man walk into the office and immediately recognized him as the homeroom teacher for the second-year Class 1.
He said jokingly, "Teacher Guo, I'd like to formally report a student from your class, Gu Muxue. She's skipping evening self-study."
Teacher Guo, holding a thermos, was startled for a moment, then chuckled and said:
"If she skipped, she skipped. She's probably just tired. Some students are under so much pressure their mental state suffers. I think Gu Muxue is quite good at regulating herself."
Xue Rui: "..."
'As long as your name is on the leaderboard, there will always be a great scholar to argue your case.'
'If it had been anyone else, I bet this Teacher Guo wouldn't have had the same attitude.'
'But Gu Muxue was number one in the grade. Being good at school means you can do whatever you want.'
"Teacher Guo has a point. I heard about that student... from some school... another one jumped. Ai, it's so tragic."
Xue Rui mumbled a few vague sentences, then added, "From what I can see, while Lin Ruoxi is physically fine, her mental state is very poor."
'In truth, some things don't need to be said explicitly. People will draw their own conclusions.'
"Is what you're saying true?"
Xue Xiaying's expression turned serious. It was the first time she had encountered such a situation. It was too thorny, and for a moment, she didn't know what to do.
Things like this often happen without any warning, making them impossible to prevent.
Seeing that Xue Xiaying was being led by his words, a slight smile formed on Xue Rui's lips.
Lin Ruoxi's problem was truly difficult.
Even the reborn Xue Rui had no leads. He only knew the outcome—that Lin Ruoxi would commit suicide—but not the reason why.
He couldn't get anything out of Lin Ruoxi.
Or perhaps, Lin Ruoxi herself didn't know the reason yet, because the specific event that would directly lead to her suicide had not yet happened.
"Auntie, have you heard of the Self-Rating Depression Scale? It's a questionnaire for assessing mental health."
Xue Rui offered this suggestion at the opportune moment.
In 2012, the mobile internet wasn't yet widespread, so there were no "online surveys" for students, and few schools took the initiative to do such things.
He actually wanted to borrow the office printer, and also give Xue Xiaying a heads-up, so she would keep this matter in mind.
That way, if Lin Ruoxi really did have mental health issues, Xue Xiaying would be prepared.
"Oh? I looked it up. Teacher Xue's nephew knows his stuff. This could actually work."
"We could have all the students do it during the evening self-study session."
a female teacher who had been surfing the internet in the office chimed in.
This teacher was a woman of action. As she spoke, the printer was already starting to whir.