Chapter 6: Knowing Everything (Part 1)
Morning. Trees lined both sides of the road, casting dappled shadows on the asphalt. The sound of cars was still sparse, and there seemed to be a thin film between people, making even their voices sound distant and indistinct.
The first hour after sunrise was a treasure bestowed upon mankind by the world. It was quiet and peaceful, allowing Lu Li to experience a leisurely tranquility like that of a hermit returning from the mountains. Carrying his backpack, Lu Li inexplicably thought of a children’s song:
“The sun shines bright, the flowers smile at me~ The little bird says, early, early, early, why are you carrying a bomb?~”
School was like a besieged city. Those inside wanted to get out, and those outside wanted to get back in. It was hard to say what Lu Li’s mood was now. He just felt that putting aside the distant future and enjoying the present wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. What pulled Lu Li out of this carefree state of mind was a black luxury car.
This black car wasn’t considered expensive in Chuanhai, but its advantage was that it was both modest and classy, the favorite model of local government officials.
The car stopped by the roadside, the window rolled down, and he saw the class monitor, Chu Jingyi, waving excitedly, “Lu Li, get in, we’re going the same way.” It was actually Chu Jingyi’s family car. The girl was obviously not as reserved as usual, her face flushed, urging Lu Li to get in as if she was afraid he wouldn’t.
If he was alone with Chu Jingyi, Lu Li wouldn’t feel awkward. But when he saw a refined middle-aged man in the driver’s seat smiling at him, he subconsciously felt his stomach churn, as if the alcohol from last night was about to come out of his ears. He shook his head, reminding himself that he was still a student, not a businessman going to a social event.
The middle-aged man had a very gentle smile. His eyes narrowed into slits when he smiled, giving the impression that he was easy to talk to.
“This is my dad.” Chu Jingyi introduced shyly. She rarely told her classmates about her family. “He’s giving us a ride to school.”
“Hello, Uncle Chu.” Lu Li looked very well-behaved. At Chu Jingyi’s father’s gesture, he sat down in the back seat, but only perched on the edge, indicating that he was not at ease.
The car slowly started. Lu Li rested his chin on his hand, looking out the window, lost in thought. Chu Jingyi looked like she wanted to say something to him, but she was hesitant because of her father’s presence. Her anxious look was obvious.
Uncle Chu smiled playfully, “Lu Li, is it? Can I just call you Xiao Lu?” His tone was friendly, his attitude approachable, there was nothing to fault.
“Xiao Lu, are you and Jingyi in the same class this year? Haha, Jingyi kept praising you yesterday. I specifically took this route to meet you, Xiao Lu.”
His frankness surprised Lu Li slightly. He looked at Chu Jingyi, who had turned her face away. Yesterday, he had shown the class monitor the plot and script of his game, and she had immediately praised it profusely. Only then did Lu Li realize that she was an avid fan of horror literature – quite different from her quiet and dignified appearance.
Lu Li appropriately showed the shyness of a teenager, “I only got to know the class monitor recently.”
“Work hard and try to get into a good university.”
What did he mean by that? Encouragement? It sounded like the encouragement of an elder to a junior, but Lu Li keenly sensed something unusual. However, the man’s impeccable smile didn’t give him any answers. They chatted about some everyday things, with Chu Jingyi’s father asking the questions and Lu Li answering honestly.
When the car stopped in front of the school, Uncle Chu said with some reluctance, “Bring Xiao Lu to our house to play during the holidays. Don’t always stay cooped up in your room.” This was directed at Chu Jingyi, who had been acting like an ostrich.
“Oh.” Chu Jingyi squeezed out a long “oh,” making Lu Li chuckle secretly. She blushed and glanced at Lu Li.
“Let’s go, let’s go, we’re going to be late.”
There was still half an hour before morning reading, it was still early, how could they be late? Lu Li didn’t say anything more, obediently got out of the car, thanked Uncle Chu, and saw Chu Jingyi trotting towards the school. The girl obviously had more to say, why was she running so fast?
He quickly caught up to her and said with a smile, “Your dad’s car has already left.”
“I’m so embarrassed.” She looked like steam was coming out of her head, her mouth mumbling non-stop.
“Really?” Lu Li chuckled. “I’m very happy. It’s a very lucky thing for me that someone likes what I wrote. Why would you be embarrassed?”
Hearing Lu Li’s words, Chu Jingyi finally turned her flushed face towards him, “Because he, he kept bringing up yesterday, making it sound like, making it sound like…” Making it sound like she and Lu Li were very close, but they had only gotten to know each other recently. Chu Jingyi usually seemed serious and aloof, but she was actually quite thin-skinned.
“Making it sound like what?” Lu Li deliberately teased her.
Chu Jingyi angrily stomped on his foot with her small leather shoe, “You did that on purpose too!”
Lu Li pretended to be in pain. The blush on Chu Jingyi’s face finally faded, and she snorted twice, showing more of a lively side than the class monitor in his memory. He thought for a moment and finally asked, “What does your dad do?”
“He works for the government.” She answered cautiously. Her beautiful eyes darted around, and she pouted slightly, “Why are you asking?”
“I’m just preparing in advance.”
“You, what are you preparing for?” She was a little annoyed, but quickly realized that Lu Li was teasing her again.
“I’m afraid your dad might misunderstand something, thinking that a toad like me wants to eat swan meat.” He said half-jokingly, but he didn’t mean it as a joke. Chu Jingyi’s father was definitely in a high position, how could he personally drive to work? Taking his daughter to school was just an excuse, his main purpose was to see him, right?
Chu Jingyi became anxious, “My dad is not that kind of person! Ah! No! What nonsense are you talking about!” She was about to stomp on Lu Li’s foot again, but he dodged it this time. Chu Jingyi said angrily, “I’m not talking to you anymore!”
Are you a primary school student? Lu Li enjoyed teasing such innocent children. He just followed behind Chu Jingyi with a smile, waiting to see when she couldn’t hold back and wanted to talk. He had already noticed it in the car just now. Chu Jingyi probably wanted to talk about yesterday’s plot. Lu Li was still somewhat confident. The plot and script he wrote now were imbued with the experience of his decades-long life in his previous life. The depth of his writing far surpassed that of his peers.
It was only natural that he would win the favor of a horror enthusiast like Chu Jingyi.
The script he showed Chu Jingyi yesterday was a revised and recreated version of the original script after his rebirth. He had almost completely overturned and rewritten the original script. Every scene and every detail was the result of his meticulous crafting.
He was confident that it would be a hit – as long as he found the right musician and artist.
Just as Lu Li was walking on the school road with the class monitor, admiring her delicate and lovely ears, someone he least wanted to see appeared.
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