Reborn not to be a beast of burden, I set the rules.

The phone hangs up.

Ye Ming turned off his phone screen and put it in his pocket.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

When I said "I can hear you breathing," I didn't think much of it, but my heart started racing after I said it.

"That damn mouth, how could he say something without thinking?"

He took out his phone and glanced at the call log.

Xu Wei's name is still at the very top.

He stared at it for two seconds, then put the phone back.

I can't watch anymore. If I keep watching, I won't be able to stop.

Open your laptop, go to the photo album, and find the screenshot of the hidden achievement.

Today has already gone too far.

Xu Wei is probably feeling quite pleased with herself.

He deleted the pictures, closed the photo album, and opened the forum code file.

The CSS float wasn't cleared, the JS scope wasn't understood, and the PHP array traversal was missing one level.

He wrote the questions down in his notebook, marking them with red question marks.

My stomach is empty and I have a slight fever.

He hasn't eaten anything since this afternoon, but now he's really into studying. He rubbed his stomach but didn't move.

Study the code again; you won't die from skipping a meal.

The door was pushed open.

Ruan Xing stood at the door.

She went back and changed into a loose-fitting off-white sweatshirt with a slightly large neckline that revealed a small section of her collarbone.

Light blue skinny jeans hugged her two slender, straight legs, with the cuffs rolled up to reveal her fair ankles.

The light shone on her face, making her small face appear clear and her eyebrows and eyes clean.

Her eyes were still red, and the marks under her eyes hadn't completely faded.

She stood there, quiet and still.

Ye Ming looked up at her.

"Why are you back?"

Are you hungry?

She placed the plastic bag on his desk.

"I went downstairs to buy food, and since you hadn't eaten, I bought an extra portion."

Two boxed meals were served. One was pushed in front of him, and he took the other and sat down opposite him.

She opened the lunchbox, and a waft of hot steam rose up. She picked up a piece of pork rib and stuffed it into her mouth, hissing from the heat.

"Slow down," Ye Ming said.

She chewed twice, her cheeks puffed out: "I'm hungry."

She had actually been there for a while.

I just bought the food and ran back home.

I heard him on the phone, his hand on the door, but he didn't push it open.

She stood in the hallway for a while, waited, and then pushed open the door after the phone call ended.

She picked up a piece of rice with her chopsticks and looked up at Ye Ming.

He was eating with his head down, not looking at her.

Are you still studying the forum's code?

"I'm still looking at it; there are still some points I don't understand."

"Oh." She nodded.

"When I went back just now, I asked my counselor about the Challenge Cup. She said she would be free tomorrow afternoon and told me to go to her to get the materials."

"OK."

"What time should I go see the scammer tomorrow?"

"Leave before 1 p.m., I'll call you then."

"it is good."

She smiled and lowered her head to eat.

I was going to ask something, but then I realized there wasn't much to ask.

She sat there, seemingly with nothing to do.

She lowered her head, her stray hairs falling down to cover half of her face.

The light shone from the side, casting a small shadow on her cheek with her eyelashes.

The food was hot, and as she ate it bite by bite, her stomach warmed up, but she didn't feel warm.

She suddenly remembered the time she had spent waiting in the corridor.

Before, you could just push the door open and go in.

But just now she stood there, her hand on the door, but she didn't push it open.

She couldn't explain why.

After finishing their meal, she waited a while, then put both of their lunchboxes into a plastic bag and tied a knot.

"See you tomorrow, deskmate."

"See you tomorrow."

Ye Ming studied the code intently and replied casually.

As she reached the door, Ruan Xing stopped, turned back to look at him, and smiled.

The door closed.

The sound of footsteps in the corridor faded into the distance, one after another.

The computer room quieted down again.

Ye Ming flipped back to the page in his notebook where he had just left off.

I haven't figured out the parts marked with a red question mark yet: the scope of JS, array traversal in PHP, and the API for the forum post list haven't been working properly.

He stared at the screen, scrolling down line by line.

At 7 p.m., Li Guoqiang set the venue at Wenxiang Pavilion in Xiaohuowa Lane on Hongwu Road.

This is a newly opened private restaurant serving modern Huaiyang cuisine. The private rooms are quiet and make it easy to talk.

When he arrived, Lao Fang was already waiting at the door.

Professor Chen from the School of Economics and Management and Director Wang from the School of Computer Science arrived later, and the group chatted over tea in the private room.

The private room was small, with a round table and a line drawing of a Jiangnan water town hanging on the wall.

The warm yellow light shone on the white porcelain tableware, giving it a gentle glow.

After waiting for about ten minutes, Liu Zhiyuan pushed the door open and came in.

He was in his early forties, with neatly combed hair, wearing a dark blue jacket over a white shirt.

Li Guoqiang stood up to greet him: "Director Liu, I've heard so much about you, welcome!"

Liu Zhiyuan shook hands with him: "Dean Li, you're too kind. As soon as Lao Fang said you were treating, I turned down other appointments."

The group sat down, and the waiter began serving the dishes.

Garlic-flavored shrimp, stir-fried pork kidneys, and a rich broth of three kinds of shredded vegetables were served, and finally, a braised soft-shelled turtle was served.

The liquor was brought by Li Guoqiang; it was original liquor from his hometown of Linchuan, wrapped in kraft paper and sealed with red cloth at the bottle opening, clearly indicating that it was his own.

Liu Zhiyuan glanced at it and asked, "Is this Dean Li's hometown?"

"It's from Linchuan." Li Guoqiang handed over the wine. "It's brewed in our hometown, it's not expensive, but it's clean. Director Liu, have a taste."

Liu Zhiyuan took it, smelled it, and nodded: "Good wine."

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became lively.

Li Guoqiang didn't rush to bring up the matter of filing a record; instead, he talked about the school, the academic circle, and Liu Zhiyuan's time studying at Jinling University.

Old Fang offered his support from the sidelines, while Professor Chen and Director Wang also chimed in occasionally.

Liu Zhiyuan doesn't talk much, but he can respond to every single one of his sentences.

By the time he finished his third drink, he brought it up himself: "Dean Li, this meal today is probably more than just a reunion, isn't it?"

Li Guoqiang smiled and raised his glass: "Director Liu is a sensible man, so I'll just speak frankly."

"I have a student from our School of Humanities who created a personal website and put a free web game on it called 'Rebirth Simulator'."

The project is good. I plan to recommend him for this year's Challenge Cup. The deadline for the school-level supplementary selection is mid-October, which is a bit tight. The registration process is stalled, the website is not online, and the materials are incomplete.

He paused, then added, "This student collaborated with several senior students from the Computer Science Association on this project. They worked on it for over a month, and the technical solutions were all reviewed by Professor Zhang Bingwen from the School of Computer Science. It seems quite solid, and I'd like to give it a push."

Liu Zhiyuan listened and nodded: "Personal ICP registration?"

"Yes. I submitted the materials over ten days ago, and I'm still waiting."

Liu Zhiyuan didn't reply, but picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

Li Guoqiang didn't urge him and toasted everyone.

Halfway through the meal, Liu Zhiyuan's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, gestured to the others, and then answered the call.

"Director Xu?"

A few words were spoken on the other end of the phone.

Liu Zhiyuan listened, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

"Yes, there is such a record... Okay, I understand."

He hung up the phone and put it on the table.

Old Fang casually asked, "Who is it?"

"Xu Weidong from the Culture and Tourism Bureau," Liu Zhiyuan raised his glass and smiled, "is also asking about that registration. You've all been urging me to expedite the same registration today."

Professor Chen smiled and added, "Then it seems this project really has something special. If you can win a prize in the Challenge Cup, it will be a good thing for your college."

Li Guoqiang's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show it on his face. He just smiled and said, "The project is well done, otherwise I wouldn't have dared to ask for it."

Liu Zhiyuan didn't reply and took a sip of his drink.

After a while, he looked at Li Guoqiang and said in a calm and unhurried tone:

"Dean Li, the Challenge Cup is a big deal. I'll review the materials carefully when I get back, and I'll expedite the process as much as possible. We still need to follow the proper procedures. If you have any feedback, I'll give you it as soon as possible. I'll try my best not to delay your application."

Li Guoqiang raised his glass: "Director Liu, thank you for your trouble."

Liu Zhiyuan waved his hand: "No trouble at all, it's my job."

The group drank a few more glasses.

It was almost nine o'clock when the dinner party ended.

Li Guoqiang took two bottles of Linchuan original liquor from the trunk, wrapped in kraft paper, and handed them to Liu Zhiyuan: "Director Liu, take them back and have a taste."

Liu Zhiyuan pushed the glass away, saying, "Dean Li, you're too kind. We've already had enough to drink."

"It's brewed in my hometown, it's not worth much. Take it, take it." Li Guoqiang stuffed it into his hand.

Liu Zhiyuan smiled, took it, and put it in the car.

Li Guoqiang stood at the restaurant entrance, watching Liu Zhiyuan's car disappear at the end of Hongwu Road.

The streetlights were on, and most of the sycamore leaves had turned yellow, falling softly in the wind.

He took out his phone and dialed Ye Ming's number.

It rang twice, then I answered.

"Teacher Li."

"Ye Ming, Director Liu has agreed to the filing. He will review the materials carefully when he gets back, and try to expedite the process as much as possible so as not to delay your launch."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone: "Thank you, Teacher Li."

"Don't thank me yet." Li Guoqiang's voice turned serious. "Let me tell you, you have to take the Challenge Cup seriously. The deadline for the school competition's supplementary selection is in mid-October. Time is tight, so you need to hurry up and prepare the materials. No matter how good your project is, if you can't submit the materials, it's all for nothing."

"I know."

"You don't understand," Li Guoqiang said, his tone becoming a little harsher. "I'm helping you with this project, not just so you can apply casually. You're a humanities student; it's not easy to compete with science and engineering students on this project. Either don't apply, or do it properly. Bring honor to our humanities department and to Dongda University."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Teacher Li, I understand. I'll have the materials ready by tomorrow, and I won't let you down."

Li Guoqiang hummed in agreement, his tone softening: "Okay, then you take care of it. Call me anytime if anything happens."

After hanging up the phone, he put it in his pocket and hailed a taxi.

The streetlights outside the car window receded one by one.

The car drove past Hongwu Road, turned onto Zhongshan Road, and then onto BJ West Road.

The shadows of the sycamore trees swept in through the car window, one after another, alternating between light and shadow.

As the taxi passed the entrance of Longjiang Residential Area, it slowed down and turned, its taillights leaving a red arc in the night.

Inside a three-bedroom apartment in a building in the residential complex.

Xu Wei sat up in bed, stepped barefoot on the floor, and pushed open the study door.

Xu Weidong sat at his desk, the desk lamp was on, and several documents were spread out in front of him.

He took off his glasses and turned to look at her: "Still not asleep?"

"Dad, about that registration thing...did you ask about it?"

Xu Weidong leaned back in his chair and glanced at her.

"I asked. Director Liu said that someone else brought up this filing today, and he will look into it as soon as possible."

Xu Wei was taken aback: "Someone else brought that up too?"

"Hmm. Seems to be a leader from their college." Xu Weidong picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a flat tone, "Your classmate seems to be quite popular."

Xu Wei did not respond.

She stood at the doorway, her fingers resting on the doorframe, a feeling she couldn't quite put into words.

It was happiness, but it was more than just happiness.

"Alright, go to sleep early." Xu Weidong put his glasses back on. "I'll let you know if there's any news."

"Um."

Xu Wei turned around and took two steps, then turned back.

"Dad, thank you."

Xu Weidong didn't look up, but turned to a page of the document: "Why are you being so polite with your dad?"

Xu Wei returned to her room, closed the door, and lay back down on the bed.

She rolled over, then rolled back over, and picked up her phone.

I typed a few words, then deleted them.

I typed a few more words, then deleted them.

Finally, he sent a message saying, "My dad said he's inquired about the filing, it should be done soon."

After sending the message, she placed her phone next to her pillow.

Room 204, Dormitory 7, Taoyuan.

Ye Ming hung up the phone and placed it next to his pillow.

The screen hadn't even gone dark when it vibrated again.

Xu Wei's QQ message.

He replied with a single word: "Mm".

This girl, she was actually looking for her dad's help today, not throwing a tantrum.

So I missed out on the big attack today?

Ye Ming added, "Thank you for making the trip home today."

I exited and saw a red dot lit up in the upper right corner of Ruan Xing's profile picture.

"Hey deskmate, I'll be waiting for you downstairs at 1 p.m. tomorrow."

He replied, "Okay."

Scrolling down further, Shen Zhiyi's message was sent twenty minutes ago.

"The cropping system encountered a problem today, but I found a solution and am trying it out. Is your injury getting better?"

He replied, "Yeah, I applied it. Thanks for your concern. I'm really looking forward to your phone."

After a moment, Shen Zhiyi replied with a single word: "Okay."

Hey girl, why are you trying to be as concise as I am?