My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 37 Old Times, Roche Limit
The recovery of my right hand is better than expected.

Originally, the cast would have to be on for at least three months, but after reviewing the X-ray, Dr. Tang said that it could be removed in November.

"A relaxed and happy mood helps the body recover because eating, drinking and sleeping are much better, so it makes sense that love nourishes the body."

Dr. Tang, with her neat ponytail, seemed genuinely happy for her.

The two went home at noon to put away the X-ray films and cook lunch.

Stir-fried shredded potatoes and sliced ​​pork with green peppers, made with beef bought on sale, cooked by Zhou Heming, tasted quite good.

At 1 p.m., the two took a bus to Jiangcheng Holiday Plaza in another district.

"I came here when I was a child."

Zhou Heming looked at the somewhat familiar scenery around him and tried to recall it carefully.

"I heard that this place used to be quite prosperous. It had the first KFC and the first movie theater in Jiangcheng. Back then, people would choose this place to go shopping."

After getting off the bus, the girl led the way familiarly towards the square.

Zhou Heming quickly remembered that about eleven or twelve years ago, when he had just started elementary school, his parents would occasionally bring him here to eat or watch movies.

Since his parents were civil engineers, they were often away from home as far back as he can remember. Either his father was away on a business trip, or his mother was away on a business trip, or both of them were away on business trips together. So the time the three of them spent together was quite rare.

It is precisely because of this that Zhou Heming is now able to recall those few but special memories from back then.

“It’s changed a lot.”

He looked at the dilapidated square, a stark contrast to the glamorous and bustling shopping mall he remembered.

The restaurants I frequented as a child have long since closed down, and even the movie theaters, after becoming what seemed like dance halls with questionable elements, have completely shut down. I wonder if anyone will ever dance alone on that abandoned stage again.

He also saw a lot of anime-related shops. He remembers that when he was in the first and second years of junior high school, he would come here to browse around and buy some trendy little gadgets.

These shops have all closed down now, with only some anime characters that were popular five or six years ago pasted on the glass doors as proof that they once existed.

It seems that even the business of anime and manga couldn't save this place.

Like many shopping malls that were once bustling in the 1990s, Holiday Plaza will eventually be swept into the dustbin of history, either demolished or completely abandoned, and forgotten by everyone.

"The rent here is actually quite cheap, I think."

Cheng Shuangjiang quickly led Zhou Heming to the shop located in a corner on the first floor.

"Old Times" Bookstore.

"I feel like I've been here before."

Zhou Heming looked at the yellowed sign and walked into the bookstore filled with books of various styles.

There are educational supplements, inspirational literature, popular novels, world classics, and even some anime and manga magazines that have been out of print for who knows how many years.

In one corner of the bookstore, they even sell cassette tapes, CDs, and movie DVDs. You can see the poster for "Octave" covering the left side of "Infernal Affairs," which is then obscured by a poster of four young people walking forward on the street.

There was also an old television in the corner, the kind that was suitable for playing videotapes.

There wasn't a single customer in the store, and it seemed like the owner only kept the bookstore out of habit.

"Hey, it's been so long since I've seen you."

Just then, an elderly woman sitting behind the cashier, scrolling through short videos, caught sight of them.

"Good day, boss."

Cheng Shuangjiang immediately greeted him and exchanged a few pleasantries with the boss.

It seems she does come here often.

“I stayed here for a month during my summer vacation after junior high school when I first came to Jiangcheng, and that’s when I discovered this bookstore.”

The girl introduced herself to Zhou Heming.

"The owner is very nice. She lets me look at some of the books even after they've been opened, so I often come here on weekends to read and listen to music."

Zhou Heming looked at the old lady, but found that the way she was looking at him was a little strange.

"Have you been here before?"

"They must have been here before."

Zhou Heming was surprised that the boss still remembered him. He guessed that when he was browsing anime merchandise stores, he stopped by to see if there were any new comics or anything.

"I knew it looked familiar. It's from No. 2 Middle School, right? I remember often coming here to ask about comics."

The boss's memory was somewhat beyond Zhou Heming's imagination.

"Oh?"

The girl beside him, however, looked over with great interest, as if she had discovered a new continent.

"Boss, was he with any girls at that time?"

"?"

Are you lying in ambush for me here?
Zhou Heming's spider sense immediately took effect, and he looked at his boss with considerable tension.

"let me see."

Upon seeing the two of them, the boss even put down his phone, focusing on keeping them in suspense.

"It seems not. He always came alone, occasionally buying a comic book. I still remember him because he often asked me if I had any in stock."

Zhou Heming couldn't help but thank his junior high school self for being a shut-in obsessed with anime and manga.

"Hmm~"

Cheng Shuangjiang gave a soft hum, seemingly quite satisfied with the answer.

"It seems that thirty-five-year-old Ahe did not lie to me."

"What?"

"They said I was their first love."

She smiled softly, pursing her lips.

"That's true."

Zhou Heming's biggest flaw in life is his honesty.

Even if you include unrequited love, you are still my first love.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shuangjiang gently punched his arm with her left hand, which had just been unbandaged.

What are you saying in public?!

A beautiful blush rose to her face, revealing the most charming shyness of a girl her age.

Zhou Heming glanced at the boss, who seemed to have already sat back down and was scrolling through short videos, but she was still secretly observing this side, revealing an old auntie smile.

"how about you?"

"what?"

Cheng Shuangjiang deliberately tilted her head and pretended to be stupid.

"So, am I the one for you?"

Zhou Heming fidgeted with the hem of his shirt and asked somewhat vaguely.

"Which one?"

When did this woman turn bad?

The boy scratched his head a little embarrassedly, picked up a book from the mountain of books, which seemed to be about astronomical phenomena, and started flipping through it to hide his emotions.

"First love".

He paused, shifting his gaze from describing the celestial phenomena to the girl beside him, meeting her bright, smiling eyes.

Am I your first love?

"Of course, all my first times in love were with you, Ahe~" The clear response, like the "Voices of Spring Waltz," struck the boy's innocent heart, making him flutter with excitement.

"Okay, okay."

In the battle of wits in love, Zhou Heming has lost today.

Cheng Shuangjiang leaned closer with great interest, her left hand resting on his arm as she looked at the open book.

"The Roche limit, you mentioned it when you watched the movie."

"The Wandering Earth, right?"

Zhou Heming read the text above and then read it aloud softly.

"When the distance between two celestial bodies is less than the Roche limit, the smaller body will break apart due to tidal forces and become the rings of the larger body."

"But they will become one from then on, isn't that a very romantic thing?"

Cheng Shuangjiang's voice came, causing Zhou Heming to glance at her subconsciously and find that the girl was focused on the contents of the book.

He imagined two celestial bodies attracting each other, orbiting, approaching, and finally destroying each other, turning into fragments that would remain intertwined for billions of years, never to be separated.

Indeed, it is quite a romantic thing.

"Cough cough."

At this moment, Zhou Heming heard a slightly familiar sound of someone deliberately clearing their throat.

He raised his eyes.

They spotted an acquaintance standing three piles of books away from them, looking at them with a slightly awkward expression.

Good afternoon, you two.

"When did you come?"

Zhou Heming was immediately flustered.

"Probably when you were talking about whether you were each other's first love."

Lu Bai, another school beauty from Jiangcheng Middle School, spread her hands with a slightly helpless expression.

She was wearing loose jeans, sneakers, a light-colored short vest, a light green knitted cardigan, a black beret, and a handbag slung over her shoulder, looking quite casual.

"."

Cheng Shuangjiang and Zhou Heming were speechless for a moment. They looked at each other and couldn't find any reason to let the topic pass by peacefully.

"Ugh, what bad luck I have. It's one thing to eat dog food when I practice piano, but today I finally get to go out for a stroll and I still have to eat dog food."

Lu Bai himself found a way to jump down.

"What are you here for?"

Zhou Heming immediately responded.

"I'm looking for an old CD."

Lu Bai answered casually.

"Do you want to hear about love from that time?"

Because the way he said that was so good, Zhou Heming couldn't help but join in the joke.

"."

Lu Bai was speechless.

"Because there's a scene where the character breaks down while listening to his own old recordings, I wanted to find something similar to gather some inspiration."

This reason sounds a bit far-fetched, but it makes sense when you consider that it's Lu Bai.

"Aren't all the CDs here celebrities'?"

Zhou Heming turned his head curiously and glanced at the shelf displaying the records.

“There are also performance recordings that are published on a small scale. I saw someone online mention that there are second-hand copies here, so I thought I'd come and look for them. The more amateur ones might be more relatable.”

Lu Bai went straight to the cashier and described his needs to the owner.

"Ah, yes, yes."

The shopkeeper quickly went to the shelf with the DVDs and pulled out a box of DVDs with slightly shabby and worn-out packaging.

"This is a DVD of last year's New Year's Eve charity concert. An elderly person gave it to me before. If you need it, I can give it to you."

Perhaps because Lu Bai had made a special trip just to find this disc, the shop owner was quite generous.

"How can I do that? How much is it? I'll transfer it to you."

Lu Bai declined for a moment, then took out his phone.

"No need, nobody usually comes here. I'll close down in a while, and these things will have to be disposed of anyway."

The boss answered casually, as if it were a casual conversation.

"This area is going to be demolished and rebuilt, and business is bad anyway, so I might as well close down and go home to enjoy my retirement."

No wonder that when he reunited with Cheng Shuangjiang at the age of thirty, this place was no longer there.

Zhou Heming seemed to realize something.

"That's a shame."

Lu Bai took the DVD.

"It's okay. Actually, I've just gotten used to running this shop. It's been over 20 years. I feel empty if I don't come here every day."

The boss was very calm; perhaps people become more detached as they get older.

Unlike seventeen or eighteen-year-old boys and girls, who always demand an answer, even if it means getting hurt.

"Young lady, do you have the equipment? This thing can't be displayed on modern computers, right?"

She also enthusiastically provided after-sales service for Lu Bai.

"Ah, no, there really isn't."

Lu Bai stuck out his tongue, realizing he had forgotten about this.

"Then you can take a look here. Do you know how to use it?"

The shop owner kindly pointed to the TV in the corner, and there was a DVD player in the TV cabinet below.

"Let me try."

After fiddling around for a while under the boss's guidance, Lu Bai finally seemed to have succeeded.

The TV flashed, displaying a uniquely textured image.

What is a New Year's Eve charity concert?

Zhou Heming was curious.

"You didn't know? It happens every year, at the Jiangcheng Grand Theater. It's a charity performance, and the ticket sales go to welfare homes."

The owner explained, and thoughtfully brought plastic stools for the three of them.

It seems that the arrival of someone made her very happy.

Lu Bai sat on the left, while Zhou Heming and Cheng Shuangjiang sat on the right.

"I don't know what kind of music it is."

Lu Bai muttered to himself, then saw that the huge theater stage was completely dark, with the dazzling light of the spotlight focused on a corner of the stage, on a pure white piano.

A young girl stood to the side.

It is Cheng Shuangjiang.

　Thank you to [Sleepy Sheep Life] for the 100-coin donation!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)