Chapter Nineteen: That Bygone Youth

Shen Ye and Teacher Bi walked into the Boer Villa together. Beyond a vast stretch of lawn lay the main building. Guided by a hostess, they made their way to a large private room on the second floor.

Dozens of people were already seated inside. Upon seeing Teacher Bi, they all stood up in succession.

"Hello, Teacher Bi."
"Teacher Bi, you're here."
"Teacher Bi, you look a bit older than when you taught us; you must take care of your health."

"Yezi, how come you're here with Teacher Bi?" Wan Peng greeted the teacher, then gestured for Shen Ye to come over.

"We just happened to bump into each other, so we walked in together," Shen Ye replied with a smile.

While speaking, he took the opportunity to observe his classmates in the room. There was no need to mention Wan Peng, his best friend.

Then there was Zhao Kai, a slightly short but handsome guy who used to play World of Warcraft RPG maps with him—specifically the Three Kingdoms mod. He would constantly pick Guan Yu and charge back and forth through the enemy ranks, bragging to everyone at school about his superior Guan Yu techniques. He used to call himself the "Number One Guan Yu of Class Five, Senior Year." His appearance hadn't changed much in four and a half years, though his attire and demeanor had matured significantly.

Nearby sat the short, chubby Fu Pingsheng, wearing black-rimmed glasses. Despite his somewhat sleazy appearance, he was actually a "second-generation" kid in N County—rumored to be the son of a deputy bureau chief. However, he was a remarkably unsuccessful one; he never once succeeded in wooing a girl. This was hardly surprising, as in high school, the boys who got the girls were usually either top students or star basketball players. Fu Pingsheng was neither. He used to sit in front of Shen Ye, frequently telling dirty jokes. One time, while sneaking a smoke in the restroom, he had sighed, "Sigh, Shen Ye, I really wish I were as tall as you. If I were that tall, I’d change girlfriends six times a year, one every two months." Now, Fu Pingsheng looked quite different; though still short, he had gained a significant belly, transitioning from short and thin to short and chubby.

Then there was Wang Hai, a handsome guy of average height from a rural background. He was a tough character with a gambling addiction. Back in high school, he would follow others to gamble, often losing his entire month's living expenses in one go, then surviving on pickled vegetables and handouts from classmates. Once, Shen Ye went to the dormitory and found him lying motionless on his bed. When asked what was wrong, Wang Hai said he hadn't eaten for a day and a half and was lying still to conserve energy. Shen Ye had been shocked and immediately bought him a boxed meal, saving him.

There was also Wang Long, a sturdy, powerful guy about 1.8 meters tall. The two of them had once had a falling out over a trivial matter and even got into a fight, not speaking to each other until after the college entrance exams. Looking back now, it seemed like such a petty disagreement, hardly worth mentioning. Shen Ye and Wang Long caught each other's eyes and smiled, both understanding the sentiment—let bygones be bygones; they were classmates after all.

Wait, was that delicate-looking girl Cao Yunyun, his high school deskmate? She hadn't been very noticeable back then—a bit dark and thin. Now, her skin was much fairer, and she wasn't so thin anymore. Shen Ye had been a poor student, while Cao Yunyun ranked in the top ten. He used to copy her homework constantly and, whenever he forgot his books, would share hers during class. Once, when someone bullied her, Shen Ye—who was tall and sturdy at 1.8 meters—had helped her out in a fight. Their relationship had been decent. Shen Ye flashed a V-sign at her, and she returned the gesture with a smile.

And there was Le Ya, one of the two class beauties, wearing a pink cape, shorts, and flesh-colored stockings. Back then, only Wan Peng and Shen Ye knew she had been hanging out with some local hoodlums. Neither of them were gossips, so they never spread the word. Now, many of the male students, seeing how much more charming she had become compared to their senior year, couldn't help but sit around her, chatting and laughing.

Shen Ye looked at all of this in a daze. Yes, these were his high school classmates. This was the youth of his high school years—that bygone youth.

"Yezi, it's been a long time since we had a drink, hasn't it?" Wan Peng picked up a bottle of beer. "Bottoms up?"

"Sure," Shen Ye replied. With his current physique, eight times that of a normal human, he was essentially immune to drunkenness; he had nothing to fear.

Seeing Shen Ye so confident, Wan Peng panicked slightly. "Forget it, let's just take it easy. No need to compete, brother."

"Pengzi, show some spirit! You're a cadre tested by alcohol!" Zhao Kai chimed in from the side.

Wan Peng chuckled. "Yezi and I drink together all the time; we're past the phase of competing. How about this, Kaizi, you and I go head-to-head first?"

Cheers erupted from around them: "Drink! Drink! Drink! Don't back down, Zhao Kai!" Zhao Kai found himself in a tight spot.

Just then, the door opened. A girl walked in wearing a Mori-style, preppy wool coat embroidered with a cute white character, paired with slender legs in flesh-colored stockings. It was Song Ya, the other of the two class beauties.

While Le Ya was still pretty, she had developed a somewhat worldly air and hadn't changed much in terms of temperament. Song Ya, however, was far more beautiful than four years ago. Her long legs were especially striking—many guessed she was nearly 1.7 meters tall. Furthermore, she knew how to dress; at twenty-two or twenty-three, she looked no older than eighteen in her preppy outfit. In this comparison, Le Ya was clearly outmatched. Even the boys sitting near Le Ya stared at Song Ya in surprise.

Song Ya swept her gaze across the room and walked over to Shen Ye. "Shen Ye, there's an empty seat here. You don't mind if I sit, do you?"

"I don't mind," Shen Ye nodded.

To the surprise of many classmates, Song Ya sat down next to him. A faint, pleasant fragrance drifted toward him. Wan Peng leaned in, whispering, "When did you get so close to the class beauty? How come I didn't know?"

"Nothing like that," Shen Ye shook his head immediately. "I just saw her yesterday for a moment."

Soon, several girls came over to talk to Song Ya—friends from their school days. As more people arrived, the atmosphere of the reunion grew increasingly lively.

Li Jun, the class monitor, stepped up and picked up the microphone. "Everyone's mostly here now. Let's sing a song together. How about 'The Brother in the Bunk Above'?"

"Sure!"
"Good!"

"The brother in the bunk above,
Silent and still, you are.
The questions you once asked me,
No one asks anymore.
The brother who shared his cigarettes with me,
Shared the happy past with me,
You could never guess the coin in my hand,
Just shaking your head, saying it was too mysterious.
Your letters are becoming more and more polite,
Not a word about love.
You say you have many friends now,
But you no longer worry about those things.
The brother in the bunk above,
Sleeping in my lonely memories,
The girl you always talked about in those days,
Did she ever give you her ribbon?
You say that whenever you look back at the sunset,
Whenever you hear the evening bell..."

The familiar melody seemed to transport everyone back to their vibrant, youthful high school days.