Late at night.
Chen Nuo sat on a chair, gazing calmly ahead. On the table in front of him was a patterned glass cup filled halfway with clear cold water. He stared at the cup, lost in thought. After a moment, he let out a sigh.
Sun Keke, the school beauty, was in a foul mood. After being lectured for half an hour in her father's office yesterday, when she got home, her mother, upon learning about her fall during the day, had a huge argument with her father that lasted all night. Sun Keke locked herself in her room.
Entertainment options for students in this era were extremely limited. There were no smartphones to play with... Even for kids from wealthy families, their mobile phones were Nokia models. Having a color screen and 24 - chord ringtones was enough to show off. Home computers hadn't become popular yet—at this time, the number of QQ users had just exceeded 100,000, and the main contributors were office workers in companies and people in internet cafes across the country.
So, Sun Keke could only put on her headphones, listen to the new songs of that Taiwanese singer Jay Chou on her MP3, and she fell asleep while listening. She didn't even hear her mother knocking on the door to call her for dinner.
In the middle of the night, Sun Keke woke up from hunger. She tiptoed out of her room, found a bag of cakes from the kitchen—the kind sold by weight at the wet market.
Sun Keke's bad mood was all because of that boy named Chen Nuo. Sun Keke knew she was good - looking; she had known it since she was a child. Since middle school, boys in her class had always secretly stared at her. The number of admirers increased in high school, especially when she dressed coolly in summer. But with a father who was the dean, Sun Keke had always been well - protected.
After all, it was only 2000. Although boys were a bit rebellious, very few dared to pursue the dean's daughter—it was a high - risk and difficult thing to do.
However, a few days ago, someone did just that. That person was Chen Nuo.
Sun Keke took out the love letter she had secretly hidden from a copy of Selected Physics Exercises from 1996 - 2000 on her bookshelf. The handwriting was clumsy, and the words were rather melodramatic. It was the first love letter she had ever received in her seventeen - year - old life.
At that time, the boy named Chen Nuo walked into her classroom boldly and placed the letter right in front of her, in front of many people.
After that, Sun Keke became the focus of the whole class for the next few days! Her feelings were actually quite mixed. She was a bit annoyed, but at the same time, there was a faint sense of joy that came from being the center of attention and discussion. It was understandable; she was just a seventeen - year - old girl.
In the past two days, the hype had gradually died down. But yesterday afternoon's "falling from the building" incident...
In fact, she was wrongly accused. Sun Keke happened to be walking on the corridor outside the second - floor classroom. She saw the boy who had given her the love letter lingering on the first floor. Blame it on the glaring sunlight. At that moment, the boy standing in the sunlight seemed to be glowing, and he actually looked a bit handsome.
Sun Keke leaned on the railing to peek at him. She leaned too far forward, and her glasses slipped off. She leaned out even further to catch them... And that's how the "falling from the building" incident happened.
The school beauty fell from the building and landed on the boy who had written her a love letter. One could imagine that this incident would surely become the talk of the school again tomorrow. Was it a distortion of human nature or a decline in morality?
Sun Keke turned over restlessly, feeling like tearing up the love letter. But when it came down to it, she somehow couldn't bear to. Of course, it wasn't because of the boy. It was just that... this was the first love letter she had ever received in her life.
It can only be said that a young girl's thoughts are always... sentimental.
During the break, Chen Nuo sat at his desk, carefully writing something on an exercise book with a ballpoint pen. The classmates around him were chatting and playing as usual. The girls in the front row were discussing the plot of Autumn in My Heart, arguing over who was more handsome, Song Seung - heon or Won Bin. The boys in the back row were debating whether Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant was better in the Lakers.
When Chen Nuo heard a boy loudly say that Kobe's shots were as beautiful as a painting, his pen paused for a moment. Just then, a figure appeared in front of him, and the noisy chatter around him suddenly stopped.
Chen Nuo looked up and saw Sun Keke standing there. The students in Class 6, Grade 11 immediately went into gossip mode, their young faces filled with excitement.
"Is there something?" Chen Nuo sighed.
"Yes."
Chen Nuo frowned and glanced at the classmates watching them, "Do you want me to talk to you outside?"
Sun Keke thought for a moment, "No, it's better to make things clear here."
"Okay, go ahead." Chen Nuo's tone remained calm.
The boy's calm tone made Sun Keke feel a little flustered, but she mustered up the courage to say what she had been thinking about all night.
"I read the love letter you gave me a few days ago. I'm sorry, but I can't accept it."
Chen Nuo raised his eyebrows slightly. So, the previous "him" had quite the guts, chasing the dean's daughter? What a daredevil!
"I'm talking to you. I said I can't accept it."
"Okay, I get it."
"Please don't do anything like this again in the future."
"Sure, no problem."
"We're still students, and our main task should be studying."
"You're right."
Sun Keke's tone became more and more urgent, while Chen Nuo's remained lazy and unhurried. Sun Keke was confused. This wasn't how it was supposed to go!
But it didn't matter. She had come today to clear things up.
"It's better if we keep our distance in the future."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same." Chen Nuo finally looked up at her and said politely, "Is there anything else?"
Sun Keke blushed, "I just want to focus all my energy on studying now."
"... What was your ranking in the mid - term exam?" Chen Nuo smiled, suddenly understanding the girl's intentions.
"... 196th." A flash of shame and anger crossed Sun Keke's eyes.
Well... Chen Nuo remembered that there were less than 300 students in the grade. So, he nodded seriously in agreement, looking very amiable, "You really do need to study harder."
With that, the boy stood up and held out his hand to Sun Keke, "I wish you good luck with your studies."
"..."
Suddenly, she felt like cursing. What should she do?
Sun Keke walked out of the classroom in a daze. Only then did she realize: I rejected him, right? So why does it feel like I'm the one who got rejected?
Chen Nuo sat back down, ignoring the curious looks around him, and picked up his ballpoint pen again to write on the exercise book. On the book, over and over again, he wrote the same name: Li Yingwan.
The class bell rang, and the students rushed back to their seats. Moments later, the math teacher entered the classroom. "Class begins. Stand up. Good morning, teacher." Chen Nuo followed the others mechanically.
"I have something to announce. On the 6th of next month, our school will hold an exchange competition with Yanbian Yucai Middle School. Now you can sign up. You can check the notice issued by the school. Selected students need their parents' signatures and have to pay a fee of 150 yuan..."
Chen Nuo immediately looked up! "Teacher, can anyone sign up?" he suddenly asked. The math teacher was taken aback and stared at him, "You want to sign up?" "Is it a math competition?"
"You want to participate in the math competition?" The math teacher's tone was laced with disbelief.
Chen Nuo thought about the math problem on the blackboard yesterday and quickly lost his nerve. He sighed, "Are there any other competitions?"
"Go and check the school notice yourself. Now, let's start the class! Open your textbooks to page 46..."
It was indeed a bit strange for the school to organize an activity with a school in northern Yanbian. But after class, Chen Nuo quickly figured it out. No. 8 Middle School was undergoing educational reform and would soon become The investor a private school. was an education company with a national presence, which had acquired several reformed schools in various cities, including Yanbian Yucai Middle School. Organizing this activity was to build momentum for future industrial restructuring and corporate grouping.
In 2000, the reform of educational industrialization was in full swing. Of course, these things had nothing to do with Chen Nuo. What he cared about was...
The 6th of next month, that is, fifteen days from now. And Yanbian...
Well... Yanbian—North Korea—South Korea—Seoul. This could be a way!
In 2000, Jack Ma and Pony Ma were still in the early stages of development. Internet cafes were on the fast track to growth, while game arcades were in their final heyday.
After school at noon, Chen Nuo was dragged by two of his classmates to a game arcade not far from the school. The most popular game at that time was The King of Fighters. As expected, Chen Nuo was thoroughly defeated by his two classmates. It was normal; he hadn't played this game much in his previous life.
He came here at noon simply because he had slept enough during the morning classes and wanted to take a stroll and see the world of this era. Watching his Mai Shiranui being knocked out by his classmate's Iori Yagami, Chen Nuo let out a sigh and was about to stand up when a hand landed on his shoulder.
He turned around and saw a person with messy hair, a strange face, somewhere between a teenager and a young adult, wearing a smile full of arrogance and malice. A cigarette was tucked behind his ear. He was wearing an artificial leather jacket with his sleeves rolled up high on purpose, revealing a tattoo on his arm: a crooked knife.
In this era, this kind of attire generally represented a certain group: bottom - rung gangsters.
"Are you Chen Nuo? Come out! I need to talk to you!"
The two classmates who had dragged him to the arcade exchanged a covert glance with the gangster and quickly walked away. Chen Nuo sighed. He didn't know why, but it was clear that he had been set up.
A few minutes later, in the alley behind the game arcade.
"I'm Xiao Dao! You can call me Brother Dao!" The gangster deliberately waved his tattooed arm.
Chen Nuo looked at the entrance of the alley; there was no one around. Then he glanced at the two companions beside the gangster: one tall and thin, the other short and chubby.
Chen Nuo smiled, "What do you want with me?"
"I heard you're quite cocky in No. 8 Middle School!" Brother Dao laughed arrogantly. Then, in an exaggerated manner, he took the cigarette from behind his ear, lit it, and took a deep drag, looking down at Chen Nuo condescendingly.
—This was the result of watching too many Hong Kong and Taiwan gangster movies.
"I heard you wrote a love letter to Sun Keke a few days ago? You're quite something, kid! Writing a love letter to my woman? Did you ask for my permission?"
Chen Nuo couldn't help but laugh. He understood where this was coming from. Clearly, the dean's title could intimidate the boys in school, but it had no effect on these校外 gangsters. Moreover, Sun Keke's beauty was undeniable. And let's not forget her... additional charm.
"She's your woman?" Chen Nuo frowned.
"Not yet, but she will be soon." Brother Dao took out a dagger and waved it in front of Chen Nuo's face, "Now, you know what to do, right?"
"Hey, kid! I'm asking you a question!" The short and chubby guy beside him played his part as the sidekick, shouting menacingly, "You know what to do, right?!"
Chen Nuo nodded, "Got it." He carefully glanced at the entrance of the alley again.
"Look, look! Quick!" Sun Keke, who was leaning on the railing on the second floor in a daze, was tapped on the shoulder by her female classmate. Then she looked in the direction her classmate pointed.
At the school gate, Chen Nuo walked into the campus leisurely with his hands in his pockets. His baggy, ugly but clean blue - and - white school uniform, the warm afternoon sun, and his handsome face...
"Actually, he's kind of cute," the classmate beside her giggled.
Sun Keke gave her a sideways look and turned to walk into the classroom.
A little after 8 p.m., Sun Keke walked towards the school gate carrying a food container. Her father, Dean Sun, was working overtime, and she was bringing him dinner... Anyway, their family lived in the staff dormitory next to the school, so she wasn't worried about safety.
When she reached the school gate, she suddenly saw a familiar figure. The boy named Chen Nuo was by a bicycle on the side of the road, trying to unlock it with a key.
He tried a few times but couldn't open it, so he moved on to another bike. Still no luck. Then another one.
Chen Nuo tried four or five bicycles in a row. What else could he do? There had been too many bicycles at the school gate during the day, and there were much fewer in the evening.
Chen Nuo stood up and was about to try another bike when he met Sun Keke's surprised gaze.