Chapter 7 6. Puppy Love Is No Match for Reading Good Books
Zhang Luo's aunt worked in administration at the Third Municipal Hospital.
Usually, whenever their family had any minor illnesses or ailments, they would go to the Third Hospital.
This was probably just the habit of ordinary people—wherever you went, having someone you knew at that place always inspired a bit more trust.
Zhang Luo also really liked his aunt.
Whether he was studying in Xuyang City or after he went to Yuming, his aunt had always kept him in her thoughts.
Back in college, pretty much every time he visited his aunt's place, she would insist on giving him some money, calling it pocket money in name, but actually she was worried about him being alone outside studying, which wasn't easy.
Although back in college, Zhang Luo hadn't found it difficult at all—he only felt happy. Before his father's incident, those had been blissfully happy days, like living as an immortal.
Later, he couldn't even remember which year it was anymore. Everyone in his social media circle was sharing a Children's Day post.
He'd felt an inexplicable wave of emotion and posted, "I also hope I can be happy on Children's Day." Then, his aunt sent him a red envelope with the message: "Wishing the little friend Zhang Luo a happy Children's Day."
Zhang Luo had been so embarrassed... embarrassed yet moved. He absolutely refused to accept that red envelope.
—
"I've already taken care of everything. Get this Package B." His aunt met them downstairs, young and beautiful—
That's right—at this point in time, his aunt wasn't even thirty yet. She was only twenty-eight.
"Where's Brother-in-law?" his aunt asked.
Liang Fengying said, "He was called into work for overtime early this morning."
Speaking of which, Zhang Luo felt depressed.
There was clearly nothing wrong with him, yet he'd been forced to come here for a physical exam.
And the person who needed the physical exam most hadn't come at all.
His aunt had to work, so naturally she couldn't accompany him through every item on the list.
Once she'd brought them there, Zhang Luo was left to carry the forms around to the various departments himself.
His mother accompanied him.
It took over three hours of going around (much of it spent waiting in line) before Zhang Luo finished.
His aunt had originally wanted to take them to the hospital cafeteria, but his mother insisted on eating at a restaurant outside.
"Every time we come to your hospital we eat at the cafeteria. Didn't you say last time there's a place next to the hospital that makes amazing stir-fried chicken? Let's try that." His mother wouldn't take no for an answer.
Then, with sharp eyes and quick hands, his mother went to pay.
His aunt saw this and got up to snatch the bill.
"Sis, what are you doing? You come to my place and you're treating? Put your wallet down!"
Zhang Luo swiftly grabbed his aunt's arm.
"Auntie, Auntie!"
He said, "I actually have something to tell you."
His aunt looked at him suspiciously.
Zhang Luo said, "Auntie, I'm really fine, but you have to help my dad schedule a stomach exam later. I've noticed his stomach has been uncomfortable, but he refuses to admit it. A couple days ago I heard a classmate say his dad passed away from stomach cancer, so I'm pretty worried."
Upon hearing this, his aunt's expression immediately turned grave.
"Your dad really... if you're uncomfortable, you get it checked! What's he trying to prove? Don't worry, I'll arrange it for him right away."
Zhang Luo nodded.
"Thanks, Auntie. You have to remember this for me."
"Got it." His aunt nodded. "Who would've thought, you little brat, that you actually know how to worry about your dad!"
"Why wouldn't I worry?" Zhang Luo lifted his chin. "What kind of person do you take me for?"
His aunt said, "Alright, I'll remember. Speaking of which, you're in high school now. So, are you the school heartthrob? Do a lot of girls like you?"
"..." Zhang Luo touched his nose, somewhat speechless. "Sorry, but not really."
Whether there were any now, he really didn't know. Later on, there were indeed some girls who liked him—he knew that.
But his whole heart had been devoted to Jiang Xiaoyu. Throughout his entire high school period, he had eyes for no one but her. He only loved her.
So, having many girls like him wasn't that important.
His aunt simply didn't believe it.
"Keep pretending." She sniffed lightly. "You'd better not let me catch you in an early romance, or I'll definitely tell your mom and have her break your legs."
"Heh." Zhang Luo was speechless.
"Still, at your age, it wouldn't be normal if you didn't like someone." His aunt's eyes narrowed. "You really won't admit it? Fine, I promise I won't tell your mom."
"Heh." Zhang Luo gave her a sidelong glance. "You guarantee you won't tell my mom, then you'll tell my dad."
Aunt: "..."
Her scheme had been seen through.
Liang Fengying came back after paying.
The dishes hadn't even arrived yet, but the bill was already paid.
"What are you two talking about?" his mother asked.
Zhang Luo: "She's trying to trick me into admitting whether I have a girlfriend."
"So what if you do? What's with the trickery?" His mother didn't care at all.
His aunt immediately raised her voice: "Sis, are you serious? You actually don't care if Zhang Luo has an early romance?"
Zhang Luo: "I'm not in an early romance. Don't spread rumors."
His mother: "I don't care. As long as his grades don't drop, I only have one requirement for him: get into a good university."
His aunt was furious: "You're so double-standard! When I was in school, you guarded against me like I was a thief. When I went out with classmates on weekends, you even followed me!"
Zhang Luo: "..."
So the way you're watching me like a thief is revenge?
Liang Fengying said: "If I hadn't guarded against you like a thief, would you have gotten into the nursing program at Xuyang University?"
Aunt: "Hmph."
Zhang Luo's face lit up with delight: "Auntie, did you have an early romance back then?"
His aunt shot him a glare sharp as flying knives.
"Eat your food!"
—
After lunch, Zhang Luo went home with his mother.
A full stomach made him drowsy.
Zhang Luo went straight to bed to sleep.
This nap lasted another two hours.
When he woke up, he stared blankly.
Sorting out his thoughts.
Hmm, the feeling of rebirth was a bit more solid now, no longer so dreamlike and illusory.
He turned his head to look out the window.
The shade of the trees swayed with the wind.
Cicadas droned like boiling water; insects sang in layered waves.
Only in old residential neighborhoods could one still hear such sounds.
He had really returned to the year he was fifteen.
—
Why was he reborn at the age of thirty?
His father had already been dead for six years, and Jiang Xiaoyu had been gone for four.
His life had already entered an unchanging track.
He had already accepted everything that had happened, accepted the so-called fate and life.
—
Zhang Luo sat up, still a bit groggy from just waking up.
But he could fully feel the energy contained within this body.
It wasn't the body from later on, where no amount of sleep could restore youthful energy. Rather, it was a body that felt like it could jump up and touch the ceiling at any moment.
Zhang Luo rubbed his face.
His gaze fell on the desk in the corner.
Wind blew in from the window.
Pages were turning with the wind.
It looked exactly like a scene from an anime.
Zhang Luo got out of bed and walked over to the desk.
It was an exercise workbook.
It was math.
It was filled with problems about equations and inequalities.
The content hadn't even been covered in class yet.
He was already working ahead on the problems?
What was going on?
In his memories, hadn't he never been particularly hardworking?
Why was he doing this whole advance preparation and problem-solving routine?
Sunlight enveloped the tree shade.
He sat down, picked up his pen, and read the problem.
Uh, he scratched his head.
What to do? He'd forgotten everything.
What the hell was all this?!
An old entertainment-genre book that went from single-digit initial subscriptions to over a thousand average subscriptions~