How come you're also my ex-girlfriend?

Leftovers can be reheated; Xu Yan isn't that fussy about not eating leftovers or anything like that.

On the contrary, Xu Yan felt that many authentic home-style dishes in Liangcheng tasted better when heated up, so that the oily and smoky flavors could be fully absorbed.

Making fried rice with eggs isn't difficult either; you can just watch a short video for a quick one-minute tutorial.

Moreover, with the added advantage of being a skilled cook, it becomes even easier.

When an undeniable aroma wafted from the kitchen, the couple outside also became puzzled.

This kid is really good at it!

Xu Yan didn't spend much time serving the food. The elderly couple examined it repeatedly and finally confirmed that there was nothing strange in the food.

Taking a bite brought an unexpected and delightful taste sensation.

"This fried rice is pretty good... When did you learn my recipe?"

Old Xu can speak fluently without hesitation.

"At your age, have some shame! When have you ever cooked a meal in this house?"

Empress Dowager Wang immediately shut Old Xu up, then looked at Xu Yan with satisfaction, "Not bad, you have this skill, now we can go to bed and rest earlier."

"There was no need for you to wait for me so late. I could have bought something to eat on the way if I got hungry. It's not like I don't have the money."

Xu Yan said this.

"Where did you get the money?"

"I saved some of my New Year's money."

"Didn't you use all that money to buy keyboards and mice?"

"Then I use my new keyboard and mouse to boost people's ranks, and occasionally I play games with them."

Do you understand what "superb teenage voice" means, Lao Deng?

Old Xu thought for a moment, then looked at Xu Yan seriously, "Now that you're a senior in high school, we haven't put too much pressure on you academically..."

"I know the most important thing is to focus on your studies and avoid regrets in the college entrance exam, right?"

Xu Yan interrupted Old Xu.

Old Xu didn't nod. After pondering for a moment, he said, "What I mean is that you basically control your own New Year's money, while other parents require their children to hand it over. Since you're using our money to make money, doesn't that mean we also get a share of the profits? How about I take 50%?"

"Are you running a paid gaming service here?!"

[Task complete. Reward: Perfect Sleep.]

[Perfect sleep: Let all those sleepless nights from your past life become beautiful dreams you never want to wake up from.]

[Effect: Prevents insomnia when trying to fall asleep, provides a high-quality sleep, and significantly restores lost energy, like a fully charged phone. Cooldown: 24 hours.]

After returning to the room following the late-night snack, the reward arrived.

Young Xu Yan didn't understand the importance of sleep. She just wondered if normal sleep would really be a luxury in the future. This could be considered a reward... but it came easily, and since there were no negative effects and it restored her energy, it was like getting something for free. She might as well take advantage of it first.

Xu Yan couldn't remember when she fell asleep, only that when she woke up in the morning, her vital signs were all normal, and she was even more awake than ever before. She felt as refreshed as if her whole body had been rebooted, without any discomfort or the urge to stay in bed.

I had a strange feeling that I had really been reborn. Could it be that I had actually lost some memories, like that everything was just a fantasy on the bus and that I had actually been in a car accident?

That's still too melodramatic; this kind of plot is getting a lot of flak.

With only one day left before the diagnostic test, my studies are progressing well. At least I've almost memorized all the vocabulary words in Jiang Yiyao's notebook. With some review tonight, I should be able to improve my English score significantly. As for Chinese, it depends on luck, like what kind of questions will appear on the essay and reading comprehension sections.

I wouldn't say I was completely confident, since I've wasted too much time. But I've definitely made progress; it's just a matter of how you define it.

Xu Yan didn't feel much pressure anyway.

The first period in the afternoon was physical education class, so after lunch, Xu Yan simply found a place on the playground to cool off.

Although it's already September, the weather in Liangcheng is like this; it won't cool down until mid-to-late October.

I was leaning against the shade of a tree looking at my phone when I suddenly felt a shadow cover the screen. When I looked up, I saw bright light.

The girl had her hands behind her back and was looking at him with a big, smiling eye.

"A cod burger?"

Xu Yan blurted out, and at the same time, instantly locked the screen.

"I already said it's not a cod burger!"

Wen Xueyu glared at the boy.

The golden afternoon sun shone on the girl's long hair, each strand reflecting the light, making her seem like a saint descended to earth. Xu Yan even wanted to pay her respects.

"Okay, cod burger. What's up?"

Wen Xueyu couldn't help but roll her eyes, too lazy to correct her, "Class is about to start, why are you still here?"

"Go to PE class."

"Then why are you all alone here?" the girl asked curiously.

This question almost silenced Xu Yan. He could only awkwardly reply, "That's what it's like to have no friends. Haven't you seen me eating alone?"

Wen Xueyu looked puzzled. "You seem like a pretty... nice person, how come you don't have any friends?"

Xu Yan, who had unknowingly been given a "nice guy" card, didn't react much and just sighed.

"There's no way around it, geniuses are always lonely, you know? Because being too outstanding arouses the jealousy of others, naturally you have no friends."

"Pfft... You're really joking."

Wen Xueyu couldn't help but laugh out loud. Her innocent and genuine laughter slightly dampened Xu Yan's spirits.

Sure enough, she doesn't understand her own abstract concepts and just thinks she's stupid.

"Then why are you alone?"

Xu Yan countered with a question.

Wen Xueyu blinked. "Our class was gathering over there, and we saw you alone. We thought you were skipping class."

"So you're here to arrest me?"

Huh? So, my buddy got arrested too?

"Just came over to say hello, okay, I'm going now~"

The girl smiled at Xu Yan, then turned and quickly walked away towards the other side of the playground after a short while.

Looking at that pretty and lively figure from behind, Xu Yan couldn't help but think of the clues in the mission prompt.

What kind of scumbag will I be in the future? To actually find a girlfriend like that, and then become her ex... unbelievable.

I lazily got up, put away my phone, and walked towards the direction where my class was gradually gathering. However, halfway there, I ran into two faces that I didn't really want to see.

Xiao Yujie and Lin Jia happened to be walking from the side, and their paths crossed the moment they entered each other's line of sight.

Actually, the two girls hadn't just arrived at the playground; they had just happened to walk over. However, they had witnessed Xu Yan's conversation with an incredibly beautiful girl in that corner.

This kind of thing has happened before. It's normal for girls who don't know Xu Yan well to approach and strike up a conversation because of his appearance. But in the past, with him in his world, the impressions those girls left on him would be overshadowed by his presence.

Now, it seems that this influence is fading. The girl... left happily, even skipping and jumping.

I don't know what they talked about, or whether they exchanged contact information.

She would never have worried like this before, but now... he still hasn't added her back as a friend. She even couldn't help but look back at screenshots of her chats with Xu Yan last night to recall certain things. Why screenshots? Simply put, some screenshots are perfect for showing off to your friends.

She didn't think there was anything immoral about it, since no one else knew who they were chatting with.

Now that their eyes met, she should have maintained her haughty demeanor and let him continue to suffer the torment of losing his close friend.

But as if by some strange twist of fate, she met the other person's gaze, which instinctively shifted away, as if deliberately trying to make the other person aware of her presence.

He should see himself, should be able to recall their past conversations, the moments of mutual understanding, and should feel regret... even if it's just a perfunctory greeting.

A summer breeze blew in from outside the playground, gently blowing away the loose strands of the girl's hair and some of the boy's bangs, revealing his fair and handsome face.

In that instant, I unconsciously held my breath, as if I could hear the clear sound of my heartbeat vibrating, and I started to beat a strange drumbeat.

The gust of wind blew into the distance, taking his view with it. Calmly turning his body as if deliberately avoiding it, he strode towards the assembled line without any intention of lingering.

Xiao Yujie muttered from the side, "What are you pretending for..."

Lin Jia lowered her eyes slightly, her fists clenching unconsciously. Where exactly did the tangled threads wrapped around her chest get knotted like a mess?

The assembly and queuing were quickly completed, and then we did the usual warm-up exercises, followed by a two-lap jog.

While running, I thought about my earlier encounter with Lin Jia, but to be honest, I didn't feel much. My good mindset surprised even myself; normally, losing a close friend, especially a beautiful girl from the same class, so suddenly should cause some emotional turmoil.

But these past two days I've found that there haven't been any particularly difficult problems. On the contrary, I feel much more relaxed now that I'm less anxious and worried. Perhaps that's a blessing in disguise?

Without realizing it, I ran to the front of the line.

Sunlight fell in front of him, each step leaving a trail of shimmering gold.

A calm gaze and distinct facial features came into Wen Xueyu's view. There were also the slightly swaying muscle lines of his arms and the prominent Adam's apple on his neck.

"How can I not have any friends..."

The girl in the queue muttered to herself.

"Huh? Olaf, what did you just say?"

The girl next to her asked curiously, and Wen Xueyu shook her head, her pretty face slightly flushed, "It's nothing..."

The wind blew through her disheveled hair, and she quickly reached up to tuck a strand behind her ear. The wind then drifted further away, blowing through the open window and ruffling the blank papers on the table.

Jiang Yiyao rested her chin on her hand, skillfully twirling the water-based pen in her right hand.

A gentle breeze startled her gaze, and she glanced out the window. The bustling noise of the playground contrasted sharply with the quiet classroom where only the teacher spoke, making the outside seem like a more attractive world of freedom.

She didn't see anything; the afternoon sun wasn't so glaring anymore, it was much gentler. Something came to her mind, so she started scribbling on the blank sheet of paper.

"Yaoyao, what are you drawing?" Xiao Lili, who sat next to her, lowered her head and used the pile of books in front of her to hide herself, and asked in a low voice.

Before Jiang Yiyao could answer, she couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips into a smile, which she then generously showed to Xiao Lili.

A cartoon pig riding a bicycle.

"It's so cute, who drew it?"

"You idiot."

"Pigs can ride bicycles?"

"Yeah, hahaha."

The image made her laugh out loud, and she suddenly wanted to draw something on the back of the bicycle. After thinking for a long time, she put down her pen and didn't add anything.

That would be good enough.

……

P.S.: Tonight, please raise your shrimp claws high and lend all your energy to my dad, Niko!