“I really don’t remember.”
Jiang Ran was somewhat surprised.
He truly hadn’t expected Qin Feng to be so interested in this matter.
If he remembered correctly…
It seemed that since that day of playing along, this was already the second time it had been brought up.
“It was really too long ago. Would you remember a diary you wrote in middle school?”
Jiang Ran asked with a smile:
“Besides, it wasn’t written all that brilliantly. It was nothing but the groundless delusions of an edgy teen.”
“If you really like this subject matter, how about I recommend a similar novel to you?”
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
A black wall came tumbling and crashing toward them:
“F*ck, finally here! What are you guys talking about?”
The two turned their heads.
The one who’d arrived was Wang Hao.
The little fatty hadn’t been seen for two months, and had grown noticeably wider.
“I’ll punish myself with three bottles first!”
The heavyweight sat right down on a small stool, glug-glugged down a bottle, and burped:
“This beer’s a bit gassy. I’ll catch up slowly. Waiter!!!”
He roared at the top of his lungs:
“Add two more dishes!”
“Alright, alright, take a break…”
Jiang Ran waved his hand:
“You come in here like a conductor. This isn’t a last meal, so what are you panicking for? Like we’d actually let you starve?”
“Hehe, it’s just been so long since I had any meat.”
Wang Hao nimbly snapped apart a pair of disposable chopsticks:
“My living expenses are almost gone. I eat vegetarian in the cafeteria every day. Finally caught you guys treating—don’t I have to properly feast?”
He made quick work of the food in a whirlwind:
“Right, right.”
Cheeks puffed, he looked at the two:
“What were you two just saying? I heard something about edgy teen stuff, novels, fantasies…”
“Oh, we were talking about that thing.”
Jiang Ran popped open a bottle of beer:
“Just a random novel setting collection I wrote in middle school—a chaotic mess of edgy teenage fantasies.”
“Oh oh oh, I remember.”
Wang Hao nodded like a chick:
“*Genius Playground*, right?”
? ?
Jiang Ran and Qin Feng stared at Wang Hao in disbelief:
“You know about it?”
“Of course I know! I’ve even read it!”
The two widened their eyes:
“You’ve read it?”
“I—I of course read it! Hey hey hey, how did you two turn into parrots?”
Wang Hao couldn’t understand their expressions:
“Isn’t this, like, no big deal?”
He couldn’t figure out why the two opposite him were reacting like this:
“Qin Feng probably didn’t know, but how could you forget, Jiang Ran?”
“That thing you wrote in middle school—didn’t a lot of people in your class read it?”
Jiang Ran nodded:
“Indeed, a lot of people read it, but most just skimmed a few lines… What surprises me isn’t that you read it, but that you actually remember the name so clearly.”
*Genius Playground*.
This was indeed the name Jiang Ran had given that setting collection back in middle school.
He himself had forgotten every last detail inside.
But he hadn’t expected…
That Wang Hao, who was always so careless and easygoing, would remember it so clearly.
Jiang Ran chuckled softly and looked at Qin Feng:
“Perfect. Now your curiosity can be satisfied. Maybe Wang Hao still remembers the details in that setting collection.”
Qin Feng was interested in this story, but Jiang Ran had indeed forgotten it completely.
Although he had promised the other to go back to his hometown basement and look for it during vacation… in truth, he had just been brushing him off.
A draft notebook from middle school was no different from fishing a needle out of the ocean—the odds of finding it were slim.
He had thought the story in that setting collection would be lost to fate like the last forty chapters of *Dream of the Red Chamber*. He never imagined that a loyal reader would inexplicably pop up out of nowhere.
Qin Feng filled his glass and clinked with Wang Hao:
“Wang Hao, do you still remember… what kind of game *Genius Playground* was exactly?”
“Don’t remember.” Wang Hao picked up a few aged vinegar peanuts.
Qin Feng’s brows furrowed slightly:
“Then… do you still remember, from what was written in the setting collection, how to join this game?”
Wang Hao downed a glass of beer and wiped the foam from his mouth:
“Forgot that too.”
“…”“…”
Qin Feng resisted the urge to slam the beer glass over his head:
“Then what the hell do you still remember?”
“Bah!”
Wang Hao spat out a fish bone:
“It was almost ten years ago. It’s pretty good I can even remember the title! Besides, the original author is right here. Why are you hounding me with questions?”
Well.
He had thought Wang Hao might offer a sudden turn for the better. As it turned out, he was as dependable as ever—never disappointing when it came to disappointing people.
Qin Feng sighed helplessly and looked at the two:
“Your brains really make a person wonder if they’re secondhand. How can you forget so completely something you wrote and read?”
“Who can be like you!”“You think we’re you?”
Jiang Ran and Wang Hao were very indignant.
Qin Feng could indeed achieve photographic memory, but how many people in the entire world could be like him?
“Alright, alright. If you’re really that interested, come home with me during summer vacation.”
Jiang Ran patted Qin Feng’s shoulder:
“When the time comes, stay at my place for a few days. We’ll properly dig through the basement and see if we can find those middle school draft notebooks.”
“My parents don’t like throwing things away. All sorts of old books and old textbooks are stuffed down there. The setting collection is most likely among them.”
Afterward, the three continued drinking and chatting.
Wang Hao told them that many people had responded to the summer class reunion, and told them they absolutely had to bring Cheng Mengxue along to show support.
Jiang Ran and Qin Feng both said no problem. Anyway, they didn’t have much going on after heading home for the summer.
Reminiscing, complaining, looking ahead, bragging…
A small gathering that left them wanting more ended just like that.
As expected, Wang Hao drank too much. Jiang Ran called a ride-hailing car for him and stuffed him inside.
“Off I go! Next time!” Wang Hao slurred as the car drove off.
Jiang Ran and Qin Feng also got in the back seat of a taxi:
“Driver, to Donghai University.”
…
The vehicle started.
Driving into the night.
The slight buzz of alcohol had gone somewhat to their heads.
Jiang Ran and Qin Feng watched the scenery outside the window receding, silent, neither speaking.
“Qin Feng, what have you decided?”
Finally, it was Jiang Ran who spoke first.
Qin Feng turned his head:
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about using the space-time text message.”
This matter had always hung over Jiang Ran’s heart. Unsolved for one day, uncomfortable for one day:
“Have you thought of a better wish? Or is there any regret you want to use the space-time text message to make up for?”
“As long as the send time is controlled within one month, anything goes. Xue and I both unconditionally support it.”
However.
Qin Feng shook his head:
“I really can’t think of anything. If not, just skip over me. Or just fulfill that previous wish—let me buy that better-looking knob control panel first.”
“That’s certainly no problem.”
Jiang Ran agreed.
No matter what, since he had rejected Qin Feng before, there was absolutely no way they could skip him in this round-robin of wish fulfillment.
Since Qin Feng couldn’t think of a better wish, then they’d make do with the circuit board. The important thing was participation.
Although using a space-time text message for this was completely like using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken.
But…
Ending this matter sooner and fulfilling the wish owed to Qin Feng sooner could also count as a stone finally falling from his heart.
“Then there’s no time to waste. Tomorrow night.”
Jiang Ran looked at the full moon outside the car window:
“Tomorrow night, call Xue along too.”
“We’re going to continue… sending space-time text messages!”