Chapter 36: Letters and the Doorway
“Oh… I passed.”
July 10th. I received my report card.
And my scores were quite high, mostly above eighty. The first half was thanks to Zi’ai, and the latter half was thanks to Qin Jiu and Lian. Wow, my total score even ranked in the top ten. That’s incredible.
But even with such high scores, I only ranked eighth. The ones ahead of me are monsters… As expected, this world is never short of geniuses.
However, in the end, I only passed the exam with the help of others, which makes me feel a bit guilty.
I had already started the process for my passport. It should be ready before the trip. I opened the invitation and looked at the flight ticket and related information inside. The departure date is next Monday… and then the whole month will be a vacation.
Just as Teacher Xiaozhen had informed me, it’s a two-week trip.
How many days has it been since Yuhui’s confession? It feels like it happened not too long ago, but I can’t remember it very clearly.
This is terrible. Could my memory be deteriorating? Zombie brains are really troublesome.
But there’s one thing I will never forget. That day, Yuhui told me something very important: that Lianbing and the others were people I had a past life connection with. Even Xinran… I feel a slight sense of relief. No wonder she liked me even though we’re siblings; it’s because of this connection… And is it also because of this that I developed feelings for Xinran…?
No, the residual memories of my past life should have been completely removed by Ba. So I shouldn’t have those feelings anymore.
Memories etched into the soul…
Nine reincarnations, meaning nine people.
And Yuhui mentioned six of them.
Lianbing, Xue, Li Nai, Xuan’er, Lanhua, Xinran. Besides these three…
Of course, they might not be people I don’t know. Yuhui also said that she only remembers six. So it’s possible.
This means that my meeting with Lianbing and the others was inevitable, and the Yata no Kagami was just a catalyst.
As we talked that day, Yuhui and I both felt the same thing. It was as if these were all “arranged things.”
Could it be from that Bodhisattva…? But what would be the point of doing that…?
The actions of those mighty beings are truly incomprehensible.
Whatever, I’m just a nobody. Why think so much? Since they’ve come back into my life, I will cherish them. The fact that I knew them in a past life doesn’t change anything. I’ve decided to make everyone happy. It sounds arrogant, but who knows the outcome if I don’t try?
Even if I’m met with a kitchen knife in the end, I’ll accept it! Perfect, I don’t want this brain anyway!
“Juncheng? What are you standing there like an idiot for? Is there any mail?”
My mom’s voice came from behind. When I turned around, I saw my mom with dark circles under her eyes. I waved the envelope in my hand and said,
“It’s a letter from school, the one I told you about a few days ago. If you pass the exam, you can participate in the summer camp for vacation. Today, they sent the report card.”
“Oh my, how were the results?”
I shrugged and handed her the letter. After my mom read it, some of the exhaustion disappeared from her face, and she exclaimed excitedly,
“That’s great! You won’t have to be cooped up at home every day anymore!”
“It’s been so many years. Every vacation you just stay at home; it’s been driving me crazy. I should have thought of letting you participate in such activities sooner! Young people need to go out and play! Sitting in front of the computer all day, it’s a miracle you haven’t gotten nearsighted!”
“Because you nagged me so much, I took good care of my eyes…”
I had mild myopia before, but not to the point of needing glasses. And after becoming a zombie, my eyesight returned to normal.
“That’s no excuse for you to play games! It’s already the greatest leniency that Mom hasn’t deleted your save files!”
Tch, you didn’t even hack into your own save file… Anyway, you were stuck on one part for so long, and in the end, I was the one who helped you beat it.
The PS4 at home isn’t just used by me and my sisters. Surprisingly, my parents occasionally play games too. They are quite quick to accept new things. My dad likes simulation and strategy games like Cities: Skylines and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, while my mom prefers high-difficulty action games like Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Sekiro… However, when playing games, she couldn’t fully utilize her dexterous hands for stitching corpses, always dying repeatedly, and then needing me or Dad to help her beat it.
“Really! It’s because Juncheng, you don’t participate in many activities, so I don’t have many photos of you! This time, be sure to take lots of photos!”
“Photos of what…”
I rolled my eyes. Just as I was about to say that there might not be many people participating in this trip, I heard someone calling from a distance.
“Juncheng! We agreed to go pick out swimsuits today, remember? Let’s go.”
The person who walked over waving cheerfully was Lanhua. It’s quite a rare event for this guy to show up at my doorstep.
Lanhua walked over. Upon seeing my mom, she quickly stopped and saluted, saying,
“Ah, Auntie… you are…”
“Oh my, you are…”
“Yes, my name is Lanhua. Lan, as in blue, Hua, as in China. I am Juncheng’s… um, good friend! A very close friend!”
After introducing herself, she flashed a big smile.
She was wearing a very elegant and decent outfit today, deliberately to impress ‘someone.’
“Oh… is that so…”
My mom looked at Lanhua with a bit of surprise, then turned back to me, asking with her eyes, ‘A new one?’
A new one, my ass!
While my mom was looking at me, Lanhua made a victory sign behind her back. This girl had it all planned out! She deliberately appeared now! Lanhua might have wanted to make an impression on my mom, or she wanted me to go pick out swimsuits with her, which was completely…
Things unfolded exactly as Lanhua had predicted. My mom looked back at Lanhua’s expectant gaze and said,
“Well, since a friend is here to see you…”
Before my mom could finish, I heard the voice of another zombie girl from a distance.
Li Nai, wearing shorts and a casual tank top, ran over waving a letter.
“Juncheng~ How were your exam results? Aha! I passed!”
After braking in front of my house, she ran directly to me, speaking excitedly. If I hadn’t quickly leaned back, my face would have been flushed red.
“I know a store that specializes in swimsuits! Let’s go take a look together!”
“…You, slow down first…”
At this moment, Li Nai also noticed that I wasn’t alone. Seeing my mom, Li Nai suddenly became shy and shrunk back. Perhaps she felt her outfit was too revealing. She clasped her legs together, covered her chest, and said coyly,
“We-well, hello, Auntie. I am, that is, Li… Juncheng’s… subordinate! This humble servant is incompetent! Please guide me well.”
What the hell… What kind of nonsense is this? Are you still the Li Nai who was brimming with confidence? Why have you suddenly become so timid?
Li Nai’s face grew redder, her eyes more confused, and sweat beaded on her forehead. It was rare to see Li Nai so flustered.
Seeing her so nervous, my mom didn’t know how to respond. She quickly rummaged through her bag, perhaps looking for a tissue to wipe her sweat. But after searching for a while, she couldn’t find one and smiled helplessly, saying,
“Ah, relax, there’s no need to be so nervous…”
“Yes, yes, I’m really sorry to have troubled you… I…”
“Please use this, Senior Li Nai.”
“Ah, thank– Eh? Junior Bai!?”
Huh? Yuhui? When did she get here?
At this moment, everyone noticed Yuhui’s presence. Only Lanhua showed no surprise, but the appearance of the others made her puff out her cheeks with an unhappy expression.
“I was following Senior Lanhua… Um, Senior An, Auntie An, hello. I am Bai Yuhui, one year junior to Senior An. You can just call me Xiao Bai for now.”
This unfamiliar address sent a shiver down my spine. Yuhui calling me “Senior”… Ugh, what a novel feeling.
She probably didn’t call me “Lord Juncheng” because Mom was here, also to avoid causing me trouble.
But seeing Yuhui acting like a junior now is truly magical, and it gives me a strange flutter… Huh? Am I a lolicon?
“Mhm, Xiao… Ah… Ah, Juncheng, did you make plans with so many people today? How about I lend you the car? You know how to drive, right?”
“Hehehehe~ You don’t need to worry about it. Besides, driving without a license as a minor will cause a lot of trouble. So, I’ll be responsible for transportation.”
The one who arrived last, of course, was my dear girlfriend.
The gorgeous young lady who stepped out of the stretched Lincoln sedan walked up to my mom and warmly shook her hand, saying,
“Long time no see, Auntie. I haven’t officially visited because I was afraid I wouldn’t want to leave after coming. I wish I could live with you directly, hehe.”
“Oh my, Lianbing, you can come live with us anytime! We’d love to have you at our home. Don’t you agree, Juncheng? Hey! Juncheng! What are you-”
“…Yes…”
…A cohabitation declaration right off the bat… And it seems to be heading straight for marriage…
I saw Lanhua next to me freeze. It was always her who disrupted things, preventing me and Lianbing from progressing further. This time, she took the initiative,
But Lianbing swooped in at the last moment.
You guys are really… offense and defense swapped, back and forth. Are you two actually a couple?
My mom and Lianbing hit it off the last time they met and became great friends. This time, with just a few words, she captured my mom’s attention. The two of them were chatting happily, leaving me on the sidelines, like a well-matched mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
After chatting for a while, Lianbing turned her head and met Lanhua’s gaze. Their eyes met, flashing like lightning, and they began a silent battle.
“Oh, haven’t you finished picking out swimsuits yet? Little Bingbing?”
“Hehehehe, I finished picking out my own swimsuit, but today I still need to pick out a swimsuit for Chengjun, right? This, of course, is something I, as his girlfriend, should help with.”
“Hmph, is it appropriate for a young lady to go shopping at a commoner’s store? Juncheng is someone I can handle better.”
“No, this is also a kind of life experience~ I’ll just ‘bring’ you along today~”
“How dare you…”
I’m completely speechless.
What are you all trying to do…
I… I’d rather stay home.
“Mom, my stomach… I don’t think I’ll go out today after all…”
Everyone shouted at me in unison. First and foremost was my mom.
She grabbed my shoulders with her rarely used “Iron Claw Technique,” glared at me with her panda eyes, and pulled me forward, saying,
“Juncheng, as a man… you shouldn’t run away, should you? And this is a rare opportunity! It turns out my child is so popular… Ahh, I was overjoyed when I saw Lianbing before, and I never expected there to be so many prospective daughters-in-law… Cock-a-doodle-doo, Mom is too relieved! Before, I thought my child wasn’t interested in that area, and if it really didn’t work out, our only option would be for me and your dad to divorce and have Keling marry Juncheng… It seems my foolish son is quite capable… Should I say, this child suddenly becoming so popular makes it seem too much like he’s not my own biological son… Ah, though he really isn’t my biological son…”
“Mom, you should go to sleep. Your eyes are bloodshot, and your hair is messy.”
“So, the current relationship diagram is like this—a pentagon!”
“I think it’s not quite like that, okay. A… 9:3… out.”
A pentagon… Speaking of which, the Pentagon was bombed, wasn’t it? In that sense, it fits the current network of relationships… It could explode at any moment.
But seeing so many girls seemingly close to me, my mom was practically beaming with joy.
“Ohohoh~ The An family will not be without descendants!”
Hey, hey, was I that worrisome before? You were even thinking about being left without descendants!
Everything was chaotic around me. Li Nai was still in a state of confusion, Lanhua and Lianbing were glaring at each other, and Yuhui was silently by my side as if nothing concerned her. I held my head, completely unsure of how to handle the situation. “Juncheng-”
Just then, someone tugged at my sleeve. It was Xue.
“Hm? Xue… When did you get here?”
“Swimsuit, don’t have.”
Oh, right. Xue doesn’t have a swimsuit. Is that why she came to find me?
But why didn’t she look for Xuan… Zi’ai said that the atmosphere between Xue and Xuan’er has been strange lately. Something must have happened.
So Xuan’er hasn’t come to find me either… feeling awkward not just seeing me, but seeing Xue too. What’s wrong with you, Xuan’er…
“I understand. I’ll go with you to pick out a swimsuit.”
As for these idiots—I don’t care anymore!
“Oh my, who is this…”
Xue saw my mom and nodded. She actively stated her name and greeted her, which was quite an accomplishment for her usually taciturn nature.
“Well then, that’s it. I’m taking Xue to buy a swimsuit. I’ve already prepared the ingredients for lunch, and Xinran will cook. Mom, you…”
I took Xue’s hand and prepared to leave directly. I had my keys and wallet with me. I was originally planning to go to school, but now I had to change my plans.
My mom stared at Xue for a moment, frowned, and placed her hand on my shoulder, looking at me like she was educating a child, and warned me:
“…Juncheng, no matter how much you like young girls… committing a crime is not allowed, okay?”
“Who’s committing a crime!”
“Juncheng, you really are a loli…”
“Who’s a lolicon!”
I’ve had enough! Why are you all looking at me like that!
