Chapter 163: Extra - Chen Ou's Past

S City Qiming High School.

This was a municipal key high school, and also a legendary holy land for the college entrance examination among the parents of this city.

Basically, anyone who managed to get into this high school had already stepped half their foot into the door of a prestigious university.

And today, this school was about to welcome its newest batch of students.

Chen Ou sat in the car, yawning. He had been playing video games until the early hours of last morning, only to be yanked straight out of bed by his mother at the crack of dawn today. After being washed, groomed, and dressed, he was promptly stuffed into the car. His dad enthusiastically started the engine, and the family of three drove toward the school.

"Comrade Chen Ou, can't you perk up a little! Today is your first day of school, after all! Can't you leave a good impression on your classmates and teachers?"

In the front passenger seat, a woman who looked to be only in her early twenties, with shoulder-length flowing hair and a sweet, gentle appearance, looked at her listless son through the rearview mirror and said with helpless exasperation.

Chen Ou didn't care about his mother's words in the slightest and waved his hand offhandedly: "Comrade Fang Ning, it's just a small occasion... Isn't it just starting school? As if a good impression matters..."

Fang Ning said with a feigned angry glare, "Who are you calling a comrade!" Then she turned around and complained to the man driving: "Chen Heng! Your son is treating me like an old lady!"

Chen Heng, who looked handsome, possessed a refined temperament, and also appeared to be only in his twenties, smiled and said, "What's wrong with that? You're almost forty. You still don't expect people to call you old?"

With that, his thigh was pinched hard.

"Oh! Chen Heng, you think I'm old too! Are you going to go look for new love next, then chase me and our son out of the house so you can go wild and make merry with your new flame!"

Fang Ning put on a tearful expression, then said to Chen Ou in the back seat: "Son, from now on you are Mom's reliance. You must protect Mom well, don't be like your dad—a heartless scoundrel!"

Although Fang Ning was not particularly young, she looked youthful and maintained a young mindset. Her whole person exuded a strong youthful girl-next-door vibe, so making such gestures felt completely natural and even possessed a hint of aesthetic grace.

Chen Ou helplessly supported his forehead with his hand and said, "Comrade Chen Heng, why did you have to provoke her? Isn't this just giving her a chance to put on a show..."

Chen Heng rolled his eyes at Chen Ou through the rearview mirror and said, "Wasn't this started by you?"

Chen Ou stuck out his tongue playfully, then said to his mother, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'll study hard, won't fight, and won't bully the teachers. If there's a chance, I'll definitely go out of my way to show off. Mom, you worry way too much, I'm going to high school!"

Fang Ning suddenly raised her head, looking proud: "Hmph, even if you go to high school, you're still my son. What's wrong with me worrying about you?"

"Yes, yes, no problem, Her Majesty the Queen Mother makes complete sense!" Chen Ou helplessly raised his hands in surrender.

"Ahem, your mom has said so much, now let me add a few words." Chen Heng gave a light cough, looking at his son's face in the rearview mirror.

Chen Ou wore a look of helplessness and then put on an expression of respectful attention.

There was no help for it; given his parents' nagging, if you didn't want to argue with them, you just had to quietly listen through it. Listening through it at most meant being annoyed for a little while, but if you started an argument, it wouldn't just be a matter of being annoyed for a little while.

An argument wasn't communication... An argument was venting... And what came out of venting was forever the things you loathed. Naturally, others wouldn't like it either.

"If you truly find a girl you like, Dad supports you in dating."

Chen Heng's words startled Chen Ou. Through the rearview mirror, he saw his dad's expression remaining as calm as ever.

Clearly, Comrade Chen Heng was not joking.

"My son is a genius, and you matured quite early, even though you still look like a mischievous kid. I believe you can make the right judgment. As long as you are certain you can handle it, then do as you please. However, there is only one rule..."

Chen Heng locked eyes with Chen Ou through the rearview mirror.

"Don't ruin a girl's youth and her studies. Both of those are extremely precious things. One is a memory for the future, and the other, in a sense, is the future itself."

While Chen Heng was speaking, Fang Ning did not interrupt. Instead, she also looked at her son with a smile, conveying a gaze of encouragement.

Chen Ou helplessly scratched his head: "Destiny is hard to figure out... If I meet her, I will definitely cherish her properly."

Seeing that Chen Ou had agreed, Chen Heng withdrew his gaze and said, "As long as you understand. You must have your own bottom line. Moreover, this bottom line must be slightly higher than the worldly bottom line."

Chen Ou rolled his eyes: "The mundane world has no bottom line. Only people have bottom lines. And people are constantly breaking their bottom lines anyway."

Chen Heng nodded noncommittally and didn't pick up his son's thread.

Fang Ning stretched out her hand toward Chen Ou. Chen Ou rolled his eyes, looked at Fang Ning's triumphant smile, and helplessly rested his head against her hand.

Fang Ning ruffled his hair hard and smiled, saying, "Another day, I'll have Aunt Tang Yu chat with you about this topic. She has researched similar subjects."

Chen Ou nodded noncommittally as well.

Just like that, Chen Ou began his first day of school.

——————————————————————

On the basketball court, a three-on-three match was in full swing.

On the sideline, Chen Ou and a bespectacled boy were drinking cola, watching the athletic youths on the court sweating profusely.

This boy was named Qin Han, a friend Chen Ou had just made over the past two days since school started.

"Chen Ou, do you want to time travel?"

Qin Han asked out of nowhere.

Chen Ou shook his head decisively. Because he still had cola in his mouth, his head-shaking produced a gurgling sound.

Qin Han asked in confusion, "Why?"

Chen Ou swallowed the cola in his mouth, smiled, and waved in greeting to two pretty little girls passing by who were staring at him without blinking.

The two pretty little girls blushed, waved back at him, and hurried away.

"Time traveling is for wanting things you don't possess. I'm very satisfied with my life."

Right as he said this, on the court, a basketball bounced off the rim and flew toward Chen Ou's direction, and an upperclassman playing basketball shouted, "Watch out!"

Chen Ou didn't heed his warning. Instead, he took a step back, steadily caught the ball, leaned back slightly, and sent the basketball tracing a graceful parabola through the air before it swished clean through the net.

"My grades are great, my athletic ability is great, my family is great, and my looks are even better. I don't have any dreams of saving the world, conquering the world, or becoming super wealthy. My current life is wonderful, and in the foreseeable future, my life will continue to be wonderful. So why on earth would I want to time travel?"

Chen Ou spoke to Qin Han without looking back, while casually waving at the pretty girls watching the basketball game across the court.

"But the future is unpredictable, isn't it?"

Qin Han pushed up his glasses, tilting his head back to look at Chen Ou, who was standing against the light.

"Then I'll definitely find a way to bend the future into the shape I originally envisioned."

In Chen Ou's words, there finally emerged a trace of sharp edge.

*(Author's Note: This is sort of explaining why Chen Ou doesn't want to time travel. Anyway, if I were in his shoes, I really wouldn't want to.)*

*(Author's Note: Thanks to Watermelon Gua for the 100 Qidian coins tip!!!! Thank you for the boss's support and help!!!)*

*(Author's Note: Thanks to Deep Blue Arrow Great Wall, and Different Black Charcoal for the monthly tickets!!!! Thank you for the boss's support and help!!!!)*

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