hin and weak as when he was sixteen. The clock by his side with its ringing bell and small calendar clearly showed June 17th.It was June 17th, 1998.The fact of穿越still remains true, and today is the da...Chapter 38 Moving Forward, The Handholding Incident

Walking down the street after school with Tang Wu, Du Ting waved at Tang Wu and gave Su Cen a meaningful look before smiling and saying, "You two are on the same route, but I’m not. See you tomorrow, Tang Wu! I’ll return your notes to you then!"

Du Ting was an intelligent girl in their class who got along well with others. She would have been very noticeable in any other class, probably because she was overshadowed by Chen Ling珊 (Note: The original text has "陳靈珊" which is a name and should remain as such unless specified otherwise) and Tang Wu.

Du Ting was also the first friend that Tang Wu made. Compared to other girls who tended to form tight-knit groups even sharing similar likes and dislikes, Du Ting was someone who got along well with others but wasn’t easily influenced by them. She knew intuitively whom she could be lifelong friends with and whom she should just maintain a friendly distance from.

So for Tang Wu, while other girls might view her with suspicion, Du Ting saw the potential in her and appreciated the delicate nature within her cold exterior.

Du Ting was quite mature and rational. Su Cen noticed this and realized that someone like Du Ting could possibly become one of the few true friends Tang Wu would have in the future.

When Du Ting was around, the three of them had a pleasant time chatting together.

But after she left, it became noticeably quieter.

Wasn’t there always going to be a difference in life trajectories between people Even just within high school and with his reborn perspective, Su Cen could feel the unguessable nature of Tang Wu’s inner world. He couldn’t imagine what kind of gap would exist between them ten years later.

In the future, he originally had no chance to walk on the same life stage as Tang Wu. Even among many at this No.1 High School who went off to become high-level elites in various fields due to their excellent performance after graduation, his own future involved struggling with daily survival and livelihoods. Now, reborn, these彌補的遺憾和全新的希望 (Note: "填補的遺憾和全新的希望" means "the filled gap of regret and a brand new hope") were unparalleled compared to before.

Although Su Cen couldn’t accomplish much at the moment, this somewhat simple city had already brought him enough hope.

"I heard you’ve been practicing ball games recently" Walking up an incline under crisscrossing power lines as they waited for a bus that was trembling its way over, Tang Wu, with her face flushed by the sunset, smiled and said.

Recently, Mao Xiaoshi and others would invite Su Cen to the court for practice whenever they had free time. During these sessions, they wouldn't stop bragging about Lin Luoran's performance either. As a result, many people were aware of this matter. However, no one expected Tang Wu, who seemed indifferent toward such trivial matters, to actually notice his "mundane affairs."

"Yes, I've never practiced before. If people found out that after high school graduation, I still couldn't even play basketball properly, they might think I wasted my time in high school," Su Cen said with a smile as he thought that this was one of the regrets from his high school days. He hoped to make up for it regardless of any results.

"It's not such a big deal if you don't know how to play basketball. At least I don't like watching others play basketball," Tang Wu paused, then continued, "But I think the real regret would be being unable to achieve my ideals due to poor grades after graduation."

Su Cen was taken aback. Did Tang Wu not enjoy watching people play basketball Yet when Ye Zijiang and Mao Xiaoshi were competing fiercely on the court, she had been among those who stopped to watch, clearly showing that she wasn't averse to basketball.

Perhaps because of the rumors in their class that he was competing with Ye Zijiang, people believed he had to learn basketball just to be no worse than him. Basketball games were probably the most team-spirited and exhilarating sports during high school times, so even if Tang Wu usually liked a quiet life, she might have enjoyed watching boys sweat on the court, which was quite natural for girls.

Tang Wu probably understood that focusing solely on basketball would greatly affect her studies; hence, she made this statement to clarify.

This girl's thoughts touched Su Cen. He nodded with relief and said, "Don't worry, I'll just play occasionally for leisure and exercise... I'll make sure not to overstep."

When the two walked home together after school, it was usually past rush hour, so there weren't many people around then. Suddenly, an ear-piercing buzz disrupted the tranquility of the street – Ye Zijiang's blue and white Yamaha motorcycle sped towards them from down the road, stopping in front of the duo. He smiled at them and said, "Oh, you're waiting for a bus together Well, I'll head off then." His demeanor was quite casual.

Tang Wu nodded to him, but Ye Zijiang didn't seem perturbed by Su Cen's closeness with Tang Wu. Instead, he started the engine and sped away into the distance, causing another round of gossip inside passing buses.

Hearing the buzzing as Ye Zijiang revved up his motorcycle to leave, it was evident that he had twisted the throttle hard, almost like a release or assertion – whether it stemmed from frustration or confidence wasn't clear. As Su Cen wasn’t a psychologist and could only judge based on past experiences, he couldn’t delve deep into Ye Zijiang's true thoughts. Yet one thing was certain: Ye Zijiang’s composure didn't match what his exterior conveyed.

Looking at Tang Wu beside him, it seemed Ye Zijiang had invited her many times but without any success. Wondering if he had done the right thing by coming between them; hadn’t he disrupted the natural course of things If not for his intervention, wouldn't the person standing next to Tang Wu be Ye Zijiang now

Faced with the uncertainties of fate, Su Cen felt a tinge of hesitation. He realized that every move he made now would affect many people's future destinies and their happiness or sorrow, which made him feel somewhat overwhelmed.

A writer’s mother once said that in life one might miss many things, but never the last bus home, nor a love that leaves no room for regret.

In quiet anticipation of the arrival of Route 3, he and Tang Wu shared a faint silence. Looking at the city from ten years ago, with many districts looking worn out, yet under the twilight revealing profound hope.

The scene was reflected in Su Cen's pupils as his hand reached out subconsciously to grasp Tang Wu’s soft hand beside him.

Tang Wu’s hand was cool and delicate like no bone could be felt beneath it.

At the touch, she pulled back slightly but did not withdraw her hand.

Her face seemed even redder. Tang Wu didn’t turn to look at Su Cen; this moment was brief yet long, with an electrifying sensation numbing his brain in this familiar city district.

The Route 3 bus arrived, swaying and shuddering before opening its door with a creaking sound right in front of them.

She said, "The bus is here," then turned to smile at Su Cen. She reciprocated his handhold, gently squeezing it before letting go and getting on the bus.

Af ter the bus carrying Tang Wu had turned around the corner out of sight, Su Cen placed his hand by his nose and sniffed slightly; this action looked a bit weird but couldn’t mask the faint fragrance of orchids lingering from her hand.

Su Cen shook his head with a smile, considering it quite an achievement. If anyone had witnessed what just happened, there would likely be a stir in all of Year 1 and perhaps even Year 2 tomorrow morning.

However, Su Cen was unaware that not far away, someone at the entrance to an alleyway had already been shaken by this sight.

Xiao Rihua blankly stared at the man in the distance. If rumors always left one with some doubts, then what he had just witnessed—was it a mere illusion

Tang Wu was expected to become a top student of her grade who would either attend Tsinghua University or Peking University, or join other prestigious domestic institutions. Each such student represented invaluable resources for their school and added luster to his teaching credentials.

Such students were meant to be nurtured with care so they could soar in their growth.

At this moment, however, Xiao Rihua felt that the year-end performance review he was hoping for, along with all the glory and aspirations associated with it, seemed to be on the brink of collapse.

This made him almost certain that Education Department’s Tian Feng had set up a despicable trap by enrolling someone like Su Cen in his class.

It directly led to Xiao Rihua lashing out at Tian Feng during the first meeting of Grade One teachers convened by the Academic Affairs Office early the next morning. Although they did not reach the point of shouting insults at each other, those present could feel the tension and hostility in the air.

Even Tian Feng, in a bad mood after hastily concluding the meeting, vented his anger as he left: "What is Xiao Rihua up to Is he trying to undermine me!"

During second period break, Xiao Rihua appeared at the classroom door with an expressionless face. The whole class was already familiar enough with his temperament that a somber and oppressive atmosphere prevailed.

"Su Cen, you don't need to attend the morning exercise session today. Come with me; everyone else should quickly assemble."

The entire class left with an inexplicable sense of dread, glancing at Su Cen in bewilderment throughout the process. Tang Wu frowned, and Zhang Xi and others clearly showed a drastic change in attitude toward Su Cen. As they passed him by, they couldn't help but ask out of concern: "What's going on"

Su Cen exchanged a glance with Xiao Rihua who had his hands behind his back. Seeing the cold gaze from the other side, he got an inkling of what was coming.e.In late March, as Yugoslavia was embroiled in continuous civil wars between the Serbian government and Kosovo regime, a piercing sound of wings slicing through the air suddenly lit up the evening sk...