Just Goodbye

th. If Su Cun indeed comes from a wealthy family, Li Ai would have to be more cautious, which explains why he remains passive after suffering a setback and observes silently.There are many uncertainti...Chapter 2 Just a Farewell

Su Can found himself unable to recount his recent experience to the people around him. Could it be that due to his eleven-year-old self nostalgically walking down this street and feeling nostalgic about how things have changed, the timeline of his nine-eight self coincided with his present self, causing his mind—or what could be described as a soul-like essence—to instantly travel back to his current body Or was he reborn in such an unusual way into his own body!

Just moments ago, he had been in the winter of 2009. Xiahai City, located in the western inland basin, has a temperate continental climate with distinct seasons and significant daily temperature fluctuations. Now it seemed to be around six o'clock in the evening at the end of school, during which cold fronts often pass through, making evenings early and dark; the moon was bright but few stars were visible, matching his gloomy mood perfectly.

But now, it was summer 1998. For middle schoolers like them who had just finished classes at six o'clock, this time signified the beginning of a new day. Inland western summers usually see dusk around eight in the evening; however, right now, it was more like late afternoon with a golden glow. The sun hung obliquely at thirty-five degrees, casting a warm hue over everything, including familiar buildings that were no longer there but looked extraordinarily real and close to him.

Looking at the group of girls in front of the grocery store mocking him made them seem very familiar.

The memories from his younger days gradually surfaced, revealing these as his classmates from when he was a freshman in 2009 and among the most prominent females in their class back then.

When others were laughing lightly because someone had called him a "top student," two girls glanced at him indifferently before shifting their gaze to some stationery items nearby. These two girls were named Cheng Yun and Cheng Lan, twin sisters who were once the most talked-about figures in their grade. Besides being beautiful, they looked so similar that it was difficult to tell them apart, with admirers even including male students from high school.

Eleven years later, he hardly kept in touch with his middle school classmates. He only heard that these two girls who once captivated everyone were now living ordinary lives—one working at a telecom store and the other married to an IT office worker.

The girl who didn't mock him like others was named Tang Wu. She was then, and still is, the class monitor with top academic performance and a clear beauty, although she usually treated people coldly. As the person responsible for checking group assignments daily, many in the class feared her; however, secretly, she was the dream of pubescent boys.

Of course, he should have mentioned that Su Can's grades were in the middle to lower range in both his class and school. In Xihai Third Middle School, such academic performance wouldn't even rank among the best in the city.

Looking at Tang Wu, who was already graceful and elegant at only sixteen, causing people to hesitate before her, Su Can seemed to recall something important. However, with too much information and shock to process right now, his heart still racing, he couldn't immediately remember what it was.

Tang Wu didn't laugh or mock him like others had reasons for this: first, she held a high position in the class and found such mockery beneath her. Second, despite being relatively low-key, Su Can behaved properly in all aspects. His slightly messy yet soft hair and appearance were exactly what many girls liked, so Tang Wu was not immune to it either; over the three years of middle school, she had some admiration for him and didn't hate him.

In addition, she thought about the upcoming high school entrance exam, where all students in the city would face a watershed moment. With her grades, she was sure to be admitted to the top-tier No. 1 High School in the city, which was also a provincial key middle school—far superior compared to Xiahaishi No. 3 High School, which was considered second-rate.

For Su Can, whose performance in class barely met the minimum requirements, his life had already been directed downstream by this first major turning point.

Tang Wu, at sixteen years old, rarely felt that life was unpredictable and thus found it pointless to mock others.

Of course, Tang Wu did not know that in a future world with explosive information development, the job market would be so demanding that學曆 (academic credentials) would gradually become secondary, and work experience would take center stage for employers.

The thing that surprised her most was that Su Can actually looked at her intently. Given Tang Wu's status and attractive appearance in class, no teenage boy dared to make direct eye contact with her without reservation; instead, they usually averted their gaze or blushed with shame. As someone used to seeing others avoid eye contact when faced with her piercing stare, Tang Wu felt somewhat disconcerted by the calm and steady look Su Can was giving her.

Especially since this gaze came from Su Can, who was typically lacking in confidence among his classmates.

Looking back, Su Cen couldn't help but admit that he had harbored a certain infatuation for Tang Wu in the past.

However, this was all irrelevant. Back then, who among the boys in their class could claim they didn’t have improper thoughts about Tang Wu Everyone knew how unattainable she was, like birds and fish in different worlds. Especially after the high school entrance exam, Tang Wu undoubtedly entered the city's top-ranked first high school with excellent grades; it was said that even her homeroom teacher regretted losing such an outstanding student to another class and school. Moreover, due to their class being filled with top-performing students who all flocked to the city’s number one high school, No. 3 High School became a breeding ground for talent from other schools. Many veteran teachers felt disheartened, leading to No. 3 High School declining in status over time and becoming a third-rate middle school.

Returning from zero nine to the present day, Su Cen may look sixteen but his mindset has matured by eleven years. Furthermore, these eleven years were an era of information explosion where global news and knowledge were just a search engine query away, even including long-dormant military secrets.

Su Cen, who had this level of experience and was psychologically an adult, wouldn't feel awkward in front of the younger Tang Wu at all.

However, Tang Wu felt differently. Su Cen's gaze was steady and calm, like a deep and clear pond without any signs of immaturity or naivety. The arc light faintly brushed across his brown eyes, unexpectedly making them quite handsome. This unusual sight stirred up an odd feeling in Tang Wu’s heart, with a slight hint of sourness. Her heart began to beat faster involuntarily, causing her face to flush red as she turned away from him for the first time.

Cheng Yun and Cheng Lan, the two snobbish twin sisters who were skilled at reading people's reactions, noticed Tang Wu’s change and couldn't help but look at Su Cen with a greater sense of surprise when they glanced his way.nce at the樟樹 outside the hospital door one more time. Last year, he had come to console an old secretary-general at the First People's Hospital, and that old secretary-general also passed away not lon...