Genius Playground

Xiaoxue’s words, Xiaoxue’s voice, Xiaoxue’s way of speaking.

To Jiang Ran, it all sounded...

as if it were only yesterday.

Just like their playful banter in the East Sea University Film Club three months ago, the Cheng Mengxue before him now was no different from the Cheng Mengxue back then.

Exactly the same.

As if she had been copied and pasted.

It was as if she had crossed a long bridge of time and space built from blue butterflies, stepping directly from World Line 0 into World Line 1... as if from the days of old, from the past, as if she had never died in this world.

The classmates stared at each other, utterly baffled.

After some back and forth, Cheng Mengxue herself admitted she had startled everyone. This meant she was well aware that her sudden appearance was out of the ordinary.

This clear, logical explanation helped the crowd gradually calm down.

’Right, that’s right.’

’How could the dead come back to life?’

They believed that Zhou Xiong did indeed possess immense connections, wealth, and power... and could use these resources to easily grant everyone’s wishes.

But bringing a dead person back to life was absolutely impossible. The laws of physics wouldn’t allow it.

Even if Zhou Xiong had wealth rivaling a nation and connections that reached the heavens, he could never pull off something so absurd.

It was just that so much had happened tonight. Everyone’s nerves were frayed and they were on high alert, which was why Cheng Mengxue’s sudden appearance had made them jump out of their skins.

Now that they had calmed down and thought about it carefully...

’Could this be fake? Here is their old classmate, Cheng Mengxue, alive and well right before their eyes.’

Since that was the case...

...it must mean there was some hidden story behind her "death" all those years ago.

Considering Cheng Mengxue had just mentioned returning to the country...

’Could it be...’

’After the car accident back then, did the Cheng family leave their home and go abroad for some special reason, hiding their identities?’

Thinking it over and over...

...it seemed to be the only possibility.

"Xiaoxue, you..."

Their homeroom teacher, Teacher Gao, took a trembling step forward. He slowly extended his arms, walking toward Cheng Mengxue one step at a time.

If you had to ask who among them was the least terrified by Cheng Mengxue’s appearance...

...it would have to be Teacher Gao.

Teacher Gao and Cheng Mengxue’s father were from the same village. They had played together since they were little and were extremely close childhood friends.

Therefore, Teacher Gao had practically watched Cheng Mengxue grow up. They had been close even before high school.

This wasn’t a secret in their class; everyone knew about their connection.

At this moment, with the combined weight of his roles as an elder, an uncle, a teacher, and a fellow townsman, Teacher Gao had no other thoughts. His eyes were filled only with longing for his old friend and his old friend’s daughter.

He was the first to walk over and take Cheng Mengxue’s hands.

"Xiaoxue, you... since you’re still alive... then your father, your father... is he... is he okay?"

"Uncle."

This was how Cheng Mengxue addressed Teacher Gao in private.

"My dad’s doing great... When we were in the United States, he missed you a lot too. He mentioned you often."

"But because of our special circumstances these past two years, we weren’t able to contact any of you."

"Before I came back to the country this time, Dad knew I was coming to the class reunion. He specifically told me to say hello to you for him!"

Hearing that his dear friend was safe and sound, Teacher Gao breathed a sigh of relief.

"That’s good, that’s good."

"The last I heard about your dad was when he refused to be persuaded and insisted on going to the United States back then."

"Sigh... although I don’t know what on earth happened to your family, as long as you’re all okay, that’s all that matters. As long as you’re okay."

"What about your dad? Didn’t he come back with you? I want to see him."

Cheng Mengxue shook her head.

"My parents are coming back later. They have to take care of some things in the United States, but they’re planning to move back here for good."

"Oh, right, my dad is waiting to say hi. Uncle, wait a second."

As she spoke, Cheng Mengxue took out her phone, tapped on a social media app with a blue icon, opened a chat window, and started a video call.

After a ringing tone, the video call connected.

On the other side of the screen, the sun was blazing high in the sky—it was noon. A middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair looked at the screen and laughed heartily.

"Old Gao!"

"Ah Cheng!"

Unable to contain his excitement, Teacher Gao took the phone directly from Cheng Mengxue’s hand.

He pressed his eyes close to the screen, staring at the old friend he hadn’t seen in years.

"Ah Cheng! Where the hell have you been all these years! You... you... not a single word! Don’t you think that’s going too far?!"

"Sigh..."

On the other end of the video call, Cheng Mengxue’s father picked up the phone, found a chair in a garden, and sat down, a difficult expression on his face.

"It’s a long story what’s happened these past two years. I’ll be back in a couple of months after I wrap things up here. I’ll tell you everything in person then."

"By the way, Old Gao, my mom... how’s my mom doing? Is she okay?"

Faced with the guilt-ridden voice on the phone...

...Teacher Gao couldn’t bear it. He pressed his lips together and remained silent for several seconds.

But in the end...

...he told him the truth.

"Your mother... passed away last year. Your sister handled the funeral."

Teacher Gao didn’t dare tell Ah Cheng that during the funeral last year, the entire village had cursed him for being an unfilial son, not even returning—or even sending word—for his own mother’s passing.

’Forget it, forget it.’

Teacher Gao looked up at the youthful, beautiful Cheng Mengxue, whose smile could warm any heart...

’It wasn’t important anymore.’

’Xiaoxue was alive, and his old friend was about to return. A lot of things didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was living their future days well.’

Listening to the conversation between their homeroom teacher and Cheng Mengxue, the surrounding classmates began to roughly understand the situation. They let down their guard and rushed forward, crowding around Cheng Mengxue.

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