Who Would Fall in Love After Being Reborn?

TL: Etude Translations

“Quick, quick, quick, Old Zhou, go around the back, there’s someone hiding behind the door!”

“Nicely done! Playing in this favorable match is really exhilarating!”

“Old Ren, why the hell are you always standing still? Did you bring your textbook to secretly study?”

“Only a minute left, we’ve got this match in the bag. Watch me make a bold move across the door; today is just too damn smooth!”

“Hey, network manager, where are you? I’m feeling great today, so please treat everyone in the internet café to…”

His words were cut short, as everyone in the internet café simultaneously took off their headphones, looking expectantly towards the Unremarkable Young Master Cao.

The internet cafés of 2009 had an atmosphere that was unique to that time. You might not know my name or how old I am, but as long as we can play games together, we’re friends.

This often led to wealthy players, exhilarated by their gaming or lucky draws, casually offering to pay for an extra hour of internet access for everyone or treating everyone to a bottle of iced tea. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.

Given their experiences, these internet-addicted youths suspected that they were about to be treated by another generous player.

“Please treat everyone in the internet café to my accomplishments and get me four bottles of Happy Water, Pepsi, the sweet one!”

The youths immediately started cursing under their breath, “Damn it, thought some rich guy was treating us to internet time. Turns out it’s just an idiot!”

Cao Guangyu didn’t care and took a sip of his Happy Water, “Guys, I’m feeling pumped. Shall we pull an all-nighter today?”

“Am I supposed to stay up all night here watching ‘Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf’? Fuck that, it’s already 9:30, I’m going back to the dorm to sleep!” Jiang Qin pushed away his keyboard and stood up.

“Old Jiang, someone like you who doesn’t play games is really missing out on a lot of joy in life.”

Jiang Qin stood up, patting his shoulder, “But, Dad, you’ll never understand the joy I find in real life.”

Cao Guangyu’s face darkened, “If it weren’t for the upcoming final exams, I would have stayed up all night no matter what.”

“Let’s call it a night; we’re exhausted. Shall we come back tomorrow?” Zhou Chao couldn’t help but ask.

Cao Guangyu pondered while smacking his lips, “Let’s see tomorrow. I’ve relaxed enough today, I think I can immerse myself in studying tomorrow.”

Ren Ziqiang, who had been standing aside listening, suddenly said, “I’m going to buy a pack of cigarettes.”

“Old Ren, you should smoke less; it’s bad for your health,” Cao Guangyu said with a brotherly tone, “Right, Old Jiang?”

“That’s as effective as the ‘smoking is harmful to your health’ warning on cigarette packages.”

While talking, Jiang Qin couldn’t help but look in the direction Ren Ziqiang had left. It was strange; the internet café sold cigarettes, so why would he go to the supermarket next door? ℝãNȱᛒΕs

Back at the dorm, the night outside the window was deep. Jiang Qin did several sets of abdominal exercises, took a shower, and then went to bed.

The others in F3 also got into their beds, deciding to study hard tomorrow and aim for the second rank in their major in the finals!

However, in the middle of the night, Jiang Qin got up to use the bathroom and noticed a faint light under Ren Ziqiang’s blanket.

Ren Ziqiang’s bed faced the balcony, and his feet pointed towards everyone in the dorm. Jiang Qin hadn’t noticed the light when he walked past, but saw it on his way back.

He quietly reached out, gently lifting Ren Ziqiang’s blanket to sneak a peek inside.

This was mainly to avoid an awkward situation, but in the next second, their eyes met.

“…”

“…”

Ren Ziqiang was lying in bed, a printed set of review materials underneath him, with two finger lights wrapped around his fingers, looking somewhat embarrassed.

These lights, which had become popular in recent years, were small, with elastic bands that could be attached directly to the fingers and came in various colors.

Jiang Qin raised an eyebrow, “Went to the supermarket to buy two finger lights?”

“Brother Jiang, I swear I’m not targeting you!” Ren Ziqiang swore with his fingers curled.

Jiang Qin laughed, “You play games in the internet café by day and study by night with these lights, aren’t you afraid of getting caught?”

“Grind for three or four days, boast for a whole semester!” Ren Ziqiang declared like a ruthless assassin.

“Damn, I can’t even comment. Weren’t you pretty honest when you first enrolled? Who corrupted you into this… this dog?”

“Close to the vermilion, one gets stained; close to Jiang, one gets caught.”

“…”

“Better be talking about the ‘diligent’ kind of Jiang.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jiang Qin cursed and walked away, getting back into bed, then slept soundly through the night.

The next morning, Cao Guangyu got up from bed, full of energy, ready to hit the books hard.

Indeed, with only three days left until the exams, just managing to review everything once would be an achievement. There was no time to waste.

But for some reason, Ren Ziqiang kept bringing up their visit to the internet café last night, eloquently recounting Cao Guangyu’s impressive moves in the game, making Cao Guangyu’s chest swell with pride.

“Brother Cao’s sneak attack, tsk tsk tsk…”

“Brother Cao’s leap, tsk tsk tsk…”

“Brother Cao’s sniper shot, tsk tsk tsk…”

Cao Guangyu, tickled and agitated by the praise, finally slammed the table, “Let’s go to Feilong (the internet cafe), I’ll show you my moves again today!”

Hearing this, Jiang Qin looked up, “Old Cao, maybe we shouldn’t go. The exams are just around the corner. Do you want to fail?”

“It’s fine, Old Jiang. There’s not much difference between studying for three days or two. I’ll just pull an all-nighter tonight!”

Truth be told, Ren Ziqiang had indeed hit a nerve with Cao Guangyu early that morning. Cao was a certified show-off enthusiast; he loved being praised and was always ready to reenact his skills.

How could you possibly stop someone who considered showing off as vital as life itself?

“Old Zhou, let’s go, join me!”

“Wait for me, Brother Cao, I just need to hang up my bitter tea leaves!”

Jiang Qin coughed, “Zhou Chao, you didn’t really shine last night. It doesn’t matter if you go or not. Better stay and study.”

Zhou Chao pursed his lips, “Brother Jiang, just thinking about them playing games at the internet café makes it impossible for me to focus on studying.”

Jiang Qin clicked his tongue, feeling a bit sad, thinking to himself that the old saying was right: it’s hard to persuade a willful ghost. But he couldn’t say it outright, or else Ren Ziqiang would definitely get a beating.

This dilemma of secret studying was initially stirred up by them, yet they ended up fiercely arguing with each other. It was baffling. Didn’t they realize who was really at fault here?

Jiang Qin left for Room 207 and spent a fruitful morning studying with Feng Nanshu.

And it’s true, the new materials were different, making studying more enjoyable.

By late June, the scorching sun was unbearable. Fortunately, Jiang Qin managed his time well, finishing his promotional work early to avoid the intense heat.

Meanwhile, the promotion outline prepared by the Pintuan×Wanzhong branch was submitted to Jiang Qin through Wei Lanlan.

But Jiang Qin didn’t look at it. The exams were looming, and there was too much to study; it was overwhelming.

On Friday, after the last exam, Cao Guangyu emerged with a gloomy face, feeling mentally drained, his mind filled with images of headshots.

“Old Jiang, I think I’m going to fail. I might even be asked to leave the school. Can you treat me to a farewell meal?”

“No,” replied Jiang Qin coldly.

Cao Guangyu was distressed, “I was ready to treat you last time. How can you not return the favor?”

Jiang Qin glanced at him, “Because I have thicker skin.”

“?????”

“Besides, didn’t I tell you not to go to the internet café? You were so proud of your moves, ready to show off again. Whose fault is it if you fail?”

Cao Guangyu pursed his lips and turned to Zhou Chao, “Let’s retake the exams next semester together.”

“No, Brother Cao, I think I can just scrape through.”

“On what basis?”

Zhou Chao took a deep breath, “Thanks to my regular hard work. You were busy dating, but I’ve been attending classes diligently. I might not score high, but passing should be no problem.”

Cao Guangyu was green with envy, gritting his teeth, “Then it’s only Old Ren who’ll accompany me.”

At that moment, Ren Ziqiang also walked out of the classroom, looking as tired as a panda, like a zombie, thinking only of rushing back to the dorm to catch up on sleep.

“Why does he look like he’s about to drop dead? I bet even the anatomy professors at the Medical Department aren’t as pale as him.”

Jiang Qin was startled, “You’ve seen anatomy professors?”

Cao Guangyu smirked, “Haven’t you thought about which college Ding Xue belongs to? How could I miss such thrilling experiences?”

“Damn, Old Cao, that’s pretty twisted. In a morgue?”

“No, wait!”

Suddenly, Zhou Chao put on a serious face, as if he had realized something, “Old Ren has been like this for the past three or four days, and he’s getting worse. Something’s not right. He must have been secretly studying at night.”

Jiang Qin’s eyes widened in surprise, “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“I noticed it this morning. There were two finger lights on his desk. I thought they were interesting and played with them, but they were both out of battery.”

“Damn, I need to confront this bastard about it!”

Cao Guangyu dashed out, followed by Zhou Chao, who ran like a ninja from an anime, leaning forward with arms flailing behind him.

Jiang Qin stood on the steps of the teaching building, laughing at the sight, but his eyes couldn’t help getting a bit moist.

This was normal university life – carefree meals three times a day, filled with fun and laughter. Unlike himself, focused solely on business, with nothing but a pocket full of money and a life that was utterly bland.

…

Attendance check!! You guys are really funny haha