Reborn in 2000: I just want to love a few people properly.

Normally, it's not possible for money to be automatically deducted from a customer's bank card as soon as they enter the room. The only possibility is that Wang Yan just told the receptionist at the front desk.

"This kid is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and he's got all these tricks up his sleeve."

He mentally grumbled, "Since he has a debit card, it means that Wang Yan at least eats at this restaurant often, or that his parents eat at this restaurant often."

"We still need to find out more about him."

Back at the dining table, watching Wang Yan shyly introduce the dishes and invite Yu Haoqi and Du Qinglong to eat, Xu Bo didn't say anything and sat down.

I picked up my chopsticks and started eating my lunch with rice.

I haven't eaten much since this morning, and I'm getting a bit hungry.

The authentic Hangzhou cuisine was delicious, and Xu Bo hadn't had it in a while. The two people opposite him were also starting to crave it.

With a local quietly explaining the history of Hangzhou cuisine nearby, the meal was a truly enjoyable experience.

During the meal, He Yimei sent me a text message.

"Come to my school at 6 PM, my dad will treat you to dinner."

"Okay, I'll be there on time."

Xu Bo replied briefly, "It seems that He Jun is going to meet with his local friends in Hangzhou. He brought Xu Bo along because his impression of He Jun has changed after spending the last few days together."

At the end of the meal, Xu Bo ordered a bowl of noodles.

Dumplings before boarding, noodles upon disembarking—it's all for good luck, and all that matters is a safe and peaceful journey.

Du Qinglong is from the north and shares this tradition, but a bowl of clear soup noodles costs more than 20 yuan, which makes him feel a bit of a pinch.

"Don't worry about eating, this meal is already on the house."

Xu Bo said to Du Qinglong across from him, and even though Wang Yanyi next to him said it was no problem, Du Qinglong still only ordered one bowl of noodles, and he and Xu Bo each ate half of it.

After a satisfying meal, it's time to head back to school. There are still some details in the dorm room that haven't been cleaned properly and need to be tidied up.

On the way back, Xu Bo suddenly thought of something and said to the three of them.

"You guys go back first, I'll go to the freshman reception area to see if there's anything I've forgotten."

Xu Bo gave a vague answer, partly because he wanted to see if his ex-wife Bai Feifei had arrived at the school, and partly because he wanted to quickly get closer to Xu Yuanping and see if he could use the university's excellent platform to help him develop quickly.

"Go on, we'll head back now."

The three parted ways at the school gate. Xu Bo went right to the small square, found a supermarket, bought a case of water and a few loaves of bread, and even bought a pack of Liqun cigarettes, a local specialty.

Xu Bo found Xu Yuanping still under the scorching sun in the greenhouse and said softly.

"Teacher Xu, I just got back from dinner. I saw you were still busy here, so I bought some food for you."

Xu Yuanping has been busy since morning and hasn't eaten anything yet. Several students behind him who are responsible for welcoming new students can't stand the scorching sun and have chosen to go back to their dormitories for a short rest, under the pretext of going to the cafeteria for a meal.

Xu Yuanping is a very responsible person who always wants to ensure that everything is within his control, which inevitably causes some damage to his body.

Seeing Xu Bo arrive with bread and a case of water, the expression in his eyes changed slightly.

"It's alright, you bought so much stuff, let me give you the money."

Xu Yuanping quickly took it for Xu Bo and even took out his wallet to give Xu Bo the money.

"Teacher Xu, I just ate at that restaurant. They had a discount, so it only cost a few yuan. I don't need to pay."

Xu Bo first told a small lie, which wasn't really a lie; a white lie doesn't count as a lie.

"My dad is also a teacher, and sometimes he inevitably gets stressed at work, which is bad for his health."

Xu Bo told another little lie, saying, "I just wish that if students could share my dad's burdens and do what they can to help him, I wouldn't worry so much about studying away from home."

As fellow sons and daughters, even though Xu Yuanping's love life was a complete mess, he was still somewhat moved by Xu Bo's words.

His shared profession as a teacher allowed him to lower his guard somewhat, and instead, he developed more empathy.

He quickly pulled Xu Bo to sit down. Perhaps it was the sincerity he had shown earlier that moved Xu Yuanping, and the two began to chat about everyday things.

"What kind of teacher is your father?"

"My dad is a primary school teacher, specializing in math."

"That's alright, it's elementary school, so it's not too busy."

"Teacher Xu, you don't know, elementary school children are the hardest to manage. If you go too deep, the parents will come looking for trouble; if you go too shallow, the children haven't laid a good foundation. My dad is always worried. Every time my dad comes home, I can't bear to look at his white hair."

"That's just how the teaching profession is—it's about burning yourself out to light up others. I can understand that."

The two people's feelings for each other began to slowly warm up on a leisurely afternoon, and their relationship, built on a lie, began to intertwine.

Little did they know that, thousands of miles away in Harbin, Xu Tianchao had just finalized a business deal.

"Damn it! Are you leaving or not? If not, get the hell out of here! I have plenty of cars around here!"

"Tell Lao Chen to hold onto this shipment! He can't unload it until he gives me an explanation!"

"What! You won't pay for the goods? All you idle guys out there, open the factory gate! Not even a fly can get out!"

......

"You should still study hard during your university years and strive for continuous improvement."

Most students arrive in the morning to register, and very few arrive in the afternoon. Xu Bo took a moment to glance at the registration form and finally found his ex-wife's name in the last column.

"Why aren't you here yet, wife?"

Xu Bo kept gazing into the distance, hoping that the figure he longed for would appear again.

"Xiao Xu, you go ahead and get busy," Xu Yuanping said softly after glancing at the time.

He had just finished eating the bread Xu Bo had brought, and his stomach was no longer hungry. Thinking back to what he had just said, he realized he really shouldn't have said it.

I started having a heart-to-heart talk with a freshman after he said just a few words to me. Looking back now, it was a huge mistake.

"It's alright, Ms. Xu. My dorm room is all tidied up. The senior students aren't here right now, so if a student comes to register, I can help you out."

Xu Yuanping thought about it and realized that it made sense, so he agreed to let Xu Bo sit there, but he spoke much less.

Xu Bo didn't care. Relationships are built up day by day. Expecting a single conversation to reach the point of entrusting one's life to another is something that only happens in novels.

Xu Bo sat in the chair, picked up his phone and sent a text message to Song Leisong out of boredom.

Song Leisong: How's university life?

Xu Bo: Not bad. How about you? Have you finished getting your documents?

Song Leisong: It's all set. The person Wang Jun found went very smoothly.

Xu Bo: Is all the equipment set up?

Song Leisong: I'll do whatever Wang Jun says.

Xu Yuanping watched Xu Bo operate the new mobile phone. He said he wouldn't say he was envious, but he was a little impressed. Nowadays, college students' families are really willing to spend money. This little mobile phone is worth three months of his salary.

"Back in my day..."

"Hello, senior, is this where Class 1 of the Computer Science Technology major reports for registration?"

Just as Xu Bo was sending the message, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice rang out. His fingers on the keyboard froze in mid-air, then began to tremble slightly.

Slowly raising his head, staring at the face before him, Xu Bo spoke softly, his voice trembling, as he faced the blinding sunlight.

"Wife...wife?"