Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Vocational College
Unbelievable.
Jiang Ran was too shocked to speak.
He’d had a feeling just a moment ago that in this brand-new worldline, created by a change in history, he might not have ended up at East Sea University.
After all, a big reason he’d applied to East Sea University in the first place was because Cheng Mengxue wanted to come here, so he had followed her.
Since Cheng Mengxue had died in an accident two years ago in this worldline, he most likely wouldn’t have had any reason to apply to East Sea University either.
But he never would have imagined!
That he hadn’t even gotten into a four-year university, instead ending up at a vocational school—a junior college!
He’d scored a 680 on the college entrance exams in his original worldline... no matter how far he fell, he couldn’t have possibly fallen all the way to a junior college, could he?
For a moment, his mouth and throat went dry.
He recalled what Qin Feng had once said about Wang Hao:
"No matter how dumb you are, you can’t possibly score less than 500, can you?"
Sorry, but apparently, you can.
But...
Thinking about it this way, he could sort of understand why he was hanging out with Nan Xiuxiu and her group of colorful-haired friends.
"Um, I want to ask a question."
Jiang Ran hesitated, but he had to ask.
Looking at Nan Xiuxiu’s fair face, Jiang Ran asked softly:
"Um, we haven’t... we haven’t... you know... have we?"
He made a gesture with his hands.
Nan Xiuxiu immediately pinched him.
"What are you thinking!"
"Ow." His arm throbbed with pain.
"We’ve only been dating for four days! We haven’t even held hands, and you’re already thinking about *that*!"
Nan Xiuxiu turned away from him.
"I’m very traditional about that stuff! Unless you marry me, there’s no way I’m doing any of that with you! Absolutely not!"
"Okay, okay, I get it, I get it."
Jiang Ran gestured for her to be quiet.
"I was just asking."
"You can’t even just ask!"
"I know, I know, just keep it down."
’Good.’
Jiang Ran celebrated internally.
This was probably the only piece of good news amidst all the bad news since the worldline had changed.
He didn’t like Nan Xiuxiu at all, and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with this girl.
Nothing was more comforting than knowing things were completely innocent between them.
’I’ve only been dating Nan Xiuxiu for four days. We haven’t had any kind of intimate contact, I haven’t taken advantage of her in any way, we haven’t even held hands.’
This way, he wouldn’t have any burden on his conscience.
He’d find a chance to break up with her.
He thought to himself:
’I don’t have time to play games with you.’
Right now...
This junior college,
this Magician Girl girlfriend,
He couldn’t care less about any of it.
Once he used the Time SMS to change the worldline... all of this would become history that never happened.
He would jump back to his original worldline, save Cheng Mengxue, find Qin Feng, and return to his old life at East Sea University.
Jiang Ran felt no attachment, no reluctance to leave anything happening right now.
Because he didn’t belong here.
His past wasn’t here;
And his future wasn’t here, either.
...
On the taxi ride back, listening to Nan Xiuxiu’s constant chatter, Jiang Ran finally understood what had happened last night.
Yesterday was Nan Xiuxiu’s best friend’s birthday party, and she had invited both of them.
He was the only guy at the party.
Nan Xiuxiu was a very traditional girl, so when it came time to sleep, Jiang Ran got his own room, Nan Xiuxiu shared a room with her best friend, and the other girls stayed in guest rooms on the third floor.
In his WeChat chat history with Wang Hao, he saw that Wang Hao had sent a barrage of angry messages, repeatedly demanding to know why he hadn’t been invited to such a "juicy" party! His desperation made him sound like a baboon in heat.
But it was Nan Xiuxiu’s best friend’s party, not his. It was her call who to invite, and Jiang Ran understood the rule that a guest doesn’t bring another guest.
Finally.
The reason for that terrifying scene by the window was that Nan Xiuxiu’s best friend was showering in the bathroom, and Nan Xiuxiu needed to use the toilet... Left with no choice, she could only come to Jiang Ran’s room next door to borrow his bathroom.
Seeing that Jiang Ran was sound asleep, Nan Xiuxiu tiptoed in, trying not to disturb him.
She had intended to gently push the door open and leave quietly, but who would have thought that was the exact moment Jiang Ran’s Worldline Jump occurred, and he started shouting on the phone with Wang Hao.
And so.
The whole cause and effect was now clear.
But it wasn’t enough.
There were still things Jiang Ran wanted to find out.
The taxi stopped outside the gates of the East Sea College of International Trade and Economics, and the two of them got out.
Jiang Ran looked up at the shabby, dilapidated school gates and couldn’t help but recite a poem:
"You might’ve been last in your high school class, but here, that’s just the entry-level. As for those ’one-in-a-million’ students the teachers mentioned... over here, we have a whole field of them."
Nan Xiuxiu looked back.
"What are you mumbling about?"
"Nothing."
Jiang Ran yawned.
"You head back first. I’m meeting Wang Hao for a meal."
In this worldline, he and Wang Hao had applied to the same junior college. After they were both accepted, they became classmates.
After saying goodbye to Nan Xiuxiu, he met Wang Hao in the cafeteria.
The other guy was wolfing down his food. Jiang Ran spun his chopsticks and started trying to get information out of him.
"Wang Hao, my grades in high school weren’t bad, were they?"
"They were great," Wang Hao said, his mouth full of a steamed bun.
"Then why am I at a junior college?" Jiang Ran stopped spinning his chopsticks.
Wang Hao looked up.
"Did you get amnesia?"
"A little bit, I think..."
"You missed two of your exams."
Wang Hao swallowed the bun.
"The day Xiaoxue had her accident was the second day of the college entrance exams... It happened right in front of you. You followed her all the way to the hospital and just didn’t go to the exams."
Jiang Ran let out a sigh of relief.
No wonder.
He could accept this reason.
"But it seems like Nan Xiuxiu doesn’t know about this."
Jiang Ran asked again.
"She seems to assume my academic level is just... this."
"Of course she doesn’t know."
Wang Hao cradled his bowl.
"Why would you tell her about that stuff? If you hadn’t freaked out yesterday, she wouldn’t even know about Xiaoxue."
"All that is in the past, and it’s a trauma for you. If you don’t bring it up, I won’t either."
"That’s the problem."
Jiang Ran pushed his own basket of buns over to him.
"How did I end up dating Nan Xiuxiu? How did she become my girlfriend?"
"Xiuxiu is great!"
Wang Hao gladly accepted the soup dumplings.
"After Xiaoxue’s accidental death, you were a complete wreck, practically dead inside. Your parents were afraid you’d do something drastic, so they didn’t dare let you repeat the year. You just moped around and came to this junior college with me."
"You were really down during that time. Your parents called me often, asking me to keep an eye on you, worried something might happen."
"Xiuxiu, ever since she met you in our freshman year, has been by your side, always hovering around you, trying to cheer you up. I’ve watched you get better bit by bit over the past two years... To be blunt, that’s all thanks to Xiuxiu."
"So when Xiuxiu confessed to you a few days ago, you accepted. I was happy to see you two finally get together. What, are you not satisfied with Xiuxiu?"
Jiang Ran didn’t say anything.
It was more than just being "not satisfied" with Nan Xiuxiu.
Of course... he wouldn’t try to interfere with Nan Xiuxiu’s life, nor would he offer any opinions.
Because he didn’t like her.
So, he didn’t care what she was like.
"What’s past is past. You shouldn’t always blame yourself."
"Xiuxiu is a really good person. Sometimes, I’m honestly jealous of you."
Wang Hao continued to gush:
"Look, not only is she beautiful, she’s also really considerate, and her personality is—"
"That’s enough."
Jiang Ran stood up, cutting him off.
"You finish eating. I’m going to East Sea University."
"Huh?"
Wang Hao was taken aback.
"What are you going there for? Didn’t you just get back from there this morning?"
"I’ll explain later."
Jiang Ran took out his phone, deleted the dating app, and instructed Wang Hao:
"Don’t tell Nan Xiuxiu where I’m going."
He repeated himself.
"Absolutely do not tell her!"
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