Chapter 11: Passing Through the Wall of Time

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As the relatively prominent school in the county, Maofang High School maintained a somewhat strict atmosphere. The security guard at the gate also doubled as a supervisor, scanning students to ensure their demeanor met the standards, and occasionally the head of discipline would drop by for a quick inspection.

Zhai Da, a reborn former skinhead, had no issues with his appearance—his simple short hair and lack of any pretentious accessories allowed him to pass unnoticed.

Stepping further inside, Zhai Da couldn’t help but take another look at his alma mater.

Maofang High consisted of three buildings: a U-shaped teaching building, a square-shaped lab building, and a six-story dormitory.

Due to limited dorm space, staying on campus required special application, prioritized for students from rural or village areas who passed the entrance exams. Local students like Zhai Da rarely stayed in the dorms, and frankly, they didn’t want to.

Another unique aspect was that the restrooms were not inside the teaching buildings but located in a single-story structure beside the playground. The boys’ restroom alone had more than twenty squat toilets arranged in a long row and a urinal stretching over ten meters.

To be precise, those twenty squat toilets shared one continuous water trough without any side partitions—using it required considerable courage.

Zhai Da remembered being disgusted for a whole week after Wu Yue casually remarked, “Bro, did you eat enoki mushrooms last night too?”

The entire restroom was perennially permeated with a stench, and the urine scale had almost turned into stalactites.

The harsh conditions left a vivid impression on Zhai Da; he had forgotten what his classroom looked like but could never forget the boys’ restroom.

As for the girls’ restroom, he wasn’t familiar enough to remember.

Out on the playground, everything familiar caused Zhai Da to slow his pace.

Sometimes memories are vivid images; sometimes they are just feelings.

With classes about to start, many students quickened their steps, passing behind and in front of him.

The shadow of the lab building divided the campus into light and dark halves. The boys ran past as if they were crossing a barrier of time, freshly painted with bright, clear hues.

A smile played at the corners of Zhai Da’s lips as he joined the throng of youth.

He didn’t even know why he was smiling.

But the smile soon faded.

“Is that the boy who fainted after confessing?”

“From Class 38.”

“I thought Lin Shuyao was a bit harsh, but seeing the guy in person today, I guess it’s not surprising she said no...”

“Lin Shuyao could never like someone like that; she didn’t even accept Wang Feng from the basketball team’s confession...”

Zhai Da wasn’t ugly, just an average-looking boy, standing 177 cm tall, which was decent for this part of Beisan, slightly pudgy.

The main issue was their PE teacher had been bedridden since the second semester of sophomore year, so Zhai Da had little interest in sports and carried a bit of belly fat, though it wasn’t visible in the school uniform.

Simply put, this ordinary boy was forcibly categorized as “not impressive” compared to the flashy and prominent Lin Shuyao.

A group of girls gathered around the corridor corner, whispering while occasionally glancing openly at Zhai Da.

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Ordinarily, young girls wouldn’t be so bold.

But when there’s a group of girls... they dare to do just about anything.

However, Zhai Da was no silent victim, not until the rumors twisted into grotesque forms, eventually evolving into “real students” at the bottom of the school’s social hierarchy—he was the “fake uncle.”

So he walked straight over.

The girls were clearly intimidated; after so many years, no one had ever approached them directly... their voices grew faint.

Zhai Da smiled kindly: “Are you talking about me? Why not chat together?”

The girls froze for a moment, then immediately lowered their heads and slipped away. One girl, her face covered in acne, blushed deeply.

Only after the girls had completely disappeared did Zhai Da head toward his classroom.

Class 38 of senior year—an unremarkable ordinary class, but for some trivial reasons, it had earned the nickname “Class 38.”

Truly boring.

Entering the classroom, many eyes covertly studied him, mostly girls. Zhai Da scanned the room and quickly found his seat—next to Wu Yue, across the aisle.

He had inferred this from a QQ conversation with Wu Yue last night.

A closer look confirmed a book with his name written on the desk.

The rear row by the window—Wu’s hometown.

Legend had it many big shots came from this auspicious spot.

At that moment, classmates busied themselves with copying homework, solving problems, catching up on sleep, or eating breakfast. No one paid attention to the “celebrity” Zhai Da.

He sat down quietly, observing.

He had thought he wouldn’t recognize anyone here.

But when certain people, events, and things appeared in their familiar forms, even the most distant memories stirred like waves.

Ultimately, forgetting happens because reunions cease.

Pretending to tidy his desk, Zhai Da silently reviewed his high school social map, recognizing faces.

For example, Lin Shuyao sat in the third row ahead; her grades were always solid—at least good enough for this county’s high school, and she had scored well enough to get into a second-tier university.

Surrounded by admirers, she enjoyed it and still maintained above-average grades...

In fact, she was a sharp girl.

Zhai Da’s deskmate was Yang Fan, a transparent presence in class—poor academically, unattractive, friendless, and lacking charm. He was near the bottom of the class’s social ladder.

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To the right sat Wu Yue, who in a past life had worked washing dishes to buy a restaurant. They even video-called once, showing California’s beautiful beaches and generous white girls. Yet a few months later, rumors in the class group said Wu Yue had lost so much weight he looked under 100 pounds.

Zhai Da guessed Wu Yue must be running a vegetarian restaurant.

He also remembered several other notable students, like a huge figure in the back row—about 1.95 meters tall, very fat and strong, named Fan Junwei. If Wu Yue was conventionally fat, this guy could only be called a “little giant.” He spent his days not studying but sleeping on his desk, a bit slovenly and carrying a strange odor.

Not well-liked, but no one dared mess with his size. Behind his back, he was nicknamed “Meat Mountain,” which Zhai Da later learned was the name of a boss monster in a game, akin to a dragon.

After recalling the class’s makeup and carefully listening to their conversations, Zhai Da gradually pieced together the social dynamics.

For now, he only needed to play the role of a “high school student.” Any odd behavior would be blamed on Lin Shuyao.

He suddenly felt this girl was somewhat useful...

He also noticed that whenever he glanced around, Lin Shuyao watched him subtly.

Whenever Zhai Da’s eyes met hers, she instinctively adjusted her posture and movements, appearing both demure and playful.

She was the quintessential “white moonlight” type—wearing the uniform made her even more attuned to teenage aesthetics than usual.

The past couple of days, her hairstyle leaned toward the “alternative” style, but today she obediently tied her hair in a ponytail, making her seem much more well-behaved—a definite plus.

Yet to Zhai Da, every movement seemed contrived—eight poses per second, worthy of modeling gigs on Taobao.

What her motives were, he couldn’t say, but clearly, she hadn’t kept her intentions secret.

Throughout the day, Zhai Da did his best to fit in as a “high schooler,” re-integrating himself into this “new” environment.

During breaks, some classmates tried to chat, often probing about the “confession” incident. But Zhai Da’s attitude was “explain but don’t dwell,” his expression too calm, which disappointed them.

They just wanted to see him embarrassed, waiting for the moment he’d lower his head and fall silent so they could shout “Oh~~.”

But the protagonist remained composed, leading some to doubt the widespread rumors’ authenticity.

This didn’t look like a rejected confession at all... if anything, Lin Shuyao seemed a bit fake and unnatural today.

What was going on between those two?

Meanwhile, a few well-informed girls overheard some boys this morning saying Zhai Da was “insanely cool.”

What was that about? Wasn’t he just fainting? How was he so badly hurt?