My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 104 [Cheng Shuangjiang]: I'm waiting for you.

As countless exam papers surged like a tide, the height of summer arrived gracefully.

June 6th.

Although some people who like to be different might remember this day as the anniversary of the Normandy landings, or the birthday of some unknown director.

But for most Chinese people, this day is usually defined as the day before the college entrance examination.

Two days ago, the senior students had already finished their final teaching work. The students went home to study on their own, while the teachers stayed in the office to answer questions.

Zhou Heming has been staying at Lu Bai's house for the past two days.

Even Ms. Lu Bai, who managed to get into exam room number twelve through her own merit, felt the tense atmosphere of the college entrance examination and began to seriously look at the test papers and questions.

While helping her organize her questions, Zhou Heming also reviewed the material himself.

He scored 616 points in the third mock exam, ranking exactly 50th in his grade.

Unfortunately, the third mock exam was the last in-school exam for senior high school students, and Zhou Heming ultimately lost the opportunity to take the exam in the same room as Cheng Shuangjiang.

"This rain will probably continue until tomorrow."

On the balcony, looking at the torrential rain outside the window, Zhou Heming checked the weather forecast.

Because the building was very tall, the howling wind caused the rain to lash against the windows in gusts, which, combined with the thunder and lightning, made it all the more terrifying.

Beside him, Lu Bai held Zhou Heming's arm silently, his hand trembling slightly.

Unexpectedly, she was afraid of thunder.

Or rather, Lu Bai was afraid of this kind of stormy weather, which was also an important reason why Zhou Heming stayed here these past few days.

"It's okay, I'll stay here with you tonight, and we'll go to the exam together tomorrow."

Zhou Heming gently placed his hand on the back of her hand, using his warmth to soothe the frightened girl.

"Ah."

Lu Bai's pale face made Zhou Heming feel that she was not simply afraid of the thunder or anything else, but rather that it was caused by something deeper, involving psychological shadows or past traumas, which was almost a pathological symptom.

"Tomorrow it won't be as big as today, at least there won't be thunder."

Zhou Heming offered another word of comfort.

I don’t know if it’s some kind of tacit agreement, but every year it rains heavily during the college entrance examination in Jiangcheng. Every year we see news about students being late because of traffic jams caused by the heavy rain.

Fortunately, there's a subway station right downstairs in the shopping mall in Lu Bai's area, so they can take the subway directly to the exam site.

Lu Bai held Zhou Heming tightly, burying his head in his chest.

Outside the window, a deep purple lightning bolt snaked through the rain, followed by a deafening clap of thunder, startling even Zhou Heming.

I just hope there won't be such thunder and lightning tomorrow, which would affect Lu Bai's performance.

In the end, unexpectedly, Lu Bai became the one Zhou Heming was most worried about.

After comforting Lu Bai for a while, the rain outside calmed down a bit, with only the faint rumble of thunder barely audible.

Lu Bai sat down at the table and started looking at the questions again.

Zhou Heming then picked up his phone and checked the traffic situation at the exam venue for tomorrow.

Then he saw the traffic notification.

It was sent by big data based on his previous location. Near his apartment building, there was flooding due to the old drainage system. The water was up to his knees, and all the related bus routes were suspended.

After looking at several photos from the scene and videos from the community's residents' group that he had previously joined, Zhou Heming hesitated for a moment.

Then, he sent a message to Cheng Shuangjiang.

[Zhou Heming]: I saw that the area around the community was flooded. Are you okay?

Almost the next second, the phone vibrated.

[Cheng Shuangjiang]: This area is flooded, and the power has been cut off for safety reasons. I don't know if the power will be restored tonight.

[Zhou Heming]: What did my uncle say?
[Cheng Shuangjiang]: My uncle is still on duty at school and said he would come to pick me up tonight.

[Cheng Shuangjiang]: But it seems the car can't get in anymore.

The words were very calm, but for some reason, Zhou Heming sensed a subtle unease.

Thinking about it carefully, Cheng Shuangjiang was taking the college entrance examination for the first time. She was unable to take the exam this year in the previous timeline, so she probably didn't realize that the heavy rain would cause such trouble.

"Lu Bai".

Zhou Heming came to the table and showed Lu Bai the photos and videos, as well as his conversation with Cheng Shuangjiang.

"I'm thinking"

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Bai interrupted.

"Go."

Lu Bai forced a smile onto her pale face; she was still trembling slightly, and it was clear that her fear had not disappeared.

"I might not be able to go out with you, but can you manage to bring her over?"

She spoke the words that were on Zhou Heming's mind.

"I'll be back soon."

Zhou Heming nodded and picked up his phone.

[Zhou Heming]: Pack your exam supplies and change of clothes, and make sure you don't forget anything.

[Cheng Shuangjiang]: ?

[Zhou Heming]: Wait for me to come pick you up.

This time, Cheng Shuangjiang did not reply immediately.

Zhou Heming had already picked up the umbrella.

He received a message on his phone as he took the elevator downstairs.

Cheng Shuangjiang: I'm waiting for you.

The rain was still heavy, but the wind had subsided a bit, so you wouldn't get soaked even with an umbrella.

The mall's drainage system was obviously better because it had been renovated in recent years, but the water on the roadside was still enough to submerge one's feet. Zhou Heming walked forward along the road, and thunder ripped through the sky, becoming the only melody in the torrential rain.

The afternoon sky was pitch black, like dusk, and passing cars sped by with their headlights on.

Zhou Heming glanced around and thankfully didn't spot the Maybach.

He passed by the public park, where the once neatly trimmed grass and trees were now scattered and messy in the wind.

Further on, the water got deeper and deeper. By the time he reached the bus stop where he usually took the bus, the water on the road was already up to his ankles.

Municipal drainage workers were busy, but with this torrential rain, it was hard to say whether the drainage was faster or the water was accumulating faster.

The entire area was without power to prevent accidents caused by water entering the equipment and short circuits, making it even darker now.

A bolt of lightning spread outwards from the clouds in all directions, followed by a thunderclap that sounded like the whip of an elderly man doing his morning exercise.

Zhou Heming picked up his phone and found that the signal had become a bit weak, so he sent a message to Lu Bai.

[Zhou Heming]: I've arrived at this residential area. If you're scared, hide under the covers.

[Lu Bai]: Okay, you should pick her up quickly.

Lu Bai sent a message a while later, by which time Zhou Heming had already waded into the community.

The open space where they set off fireworks is now a vast expanse of water, with branches and fallen leaves floating on the surface, and some clothes and shoes belonging to who-knows-who can be seen.

The water was almost up to Zhou Heming's knees, and he struggled to reach the tenement building.

The residents on the first floor had already run out; their homes were flooded, and their expressions were miserable.

Finally entering the stairwell, Zhou Heming put away his umbrella and found that he was already mostly soaked. His shoes were incredibly heavy because they had absorbed water, and every step left wet footprints on the stairs.

The sounds of children crying, cell phones ringing, and residents chatting could be heard intermittently in the hallway, creating a sense of apocalyptic disorientation against the backdrop of the torrential rain.

When they were almost on the sixth floor, Zhou Heming sent a message.

As soon as she arrived at her own door, Cheng Shuangjiang opened the door.

She was wearing a school uniform shirt on top and school uniform sports shorts on the bottom, along with Crocs.

"You're all soaked."

She glanced at Zhou Heming and gestured for him to come in first.

"I'm not going in. Have you finished packing? If we don't leave soon, the water will get even deeper."

Zhou Heming glanced at the house he had been to countless times, then looked at the rain outside.

"Well, it's packed."

Cheng Shuangjiang picked up her schoolbag and glanced at its contents.

Her ID card, exam admission ticket, and other documents were all sealed in plastic bags to ensure they wouldn't get wet.

"follow me."

The two walked down the stairs to the first floor, where the water seemed to have risen a little more, now reaching above Cheng Shuangjiang's knees.

The two opened their umbrellas.

Zhou Heming glanced at the girl beside him and reached out his hand.

"Hold my hand, or you might fall."

Cheng Shuangjiang stared at Zhou Heming's palm for five seconds before extending her left hand to shake his.

Almost subconsciously, the two habitually intertwined their fingers.

Zhou Heming and Cheng Shuangjiang were both stunned for a moment.

".Let's go."

Zhou Heming didn't hesitate. He took Cheng Shuangjiang's hand and, amidst the farewells of the neighbors watching the rising water, walked out of the community along the route they usually took to school together.

Because of the great resistance of the water and the heavy rain, the two walked very slowly and with great difficulty, especially Cheng Shuangjiang. Given her small stature, she estimated that she would be swept away by the water halfway there by herself.

The two held hands tightly, as if afraid that if they let go, the other would disappear.

Zhou Heming didn't have time to think much; he just focused on walking forward until he reached the intersection, where the water was a little shallower. Only then did he have time to glance at Cheng Shuangjiang beside him.

The girl's lips were pale, and a few strands of hair clung to her cheek, wet with sweat or rain, making her look extremely haggard. Only then did he remember that Cheng Shuangjiang's parents had both sacrificed their lives on the front lines of flood control.

The rising water level must have been somewhat difficult for her to cope with.

Just then, a gust of wind blew in, and the rain suddenly intensified. Cheng Shuangjiang's umbrella was almost blown away and turned completely upside down.

Zhou Heming instinctively pulled her into his arms and helped her hold the umbrella.

Cheng Shuangjiang raised her face and saw the boy so close to her, she could even feel his breath, which seemed somewhat warm in the cold rain.

"The rain got heavier."

Zhou Heming helped her fix the umbrella and took Cheng Shuangjiang's hand again.

Wounded and covered in wounds, cold and damp.

A bolt of lightning pierced through the dark clouds, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Startled, Cheng Shuangjiang squeezed Zhou Heming's palm.

"You can come a little closer."

Zhou Heming said that the wind was very strong and was blowing directly at them, so he had to tilt his umbrella to block the large raindrops from hitting his face.

Cheng Shuangjiang didn't have that much strength, and the umbrella became a burden to her, making it difficult for the girl to move.

"come over."

Zhou Heming simply told her to put away the umbrella and lean against him, so they could share it.

Cheng Shuangjiang helped the boy up, and the two of them struggled forward.

She belatedly realized that Zhou Heming's umbrella had tilted significantly towards her.

What would normally be a walk of ten minutes took the two of them more than half an hour.

When Zhou Heming entered the apartment lobby, he was completely soaked.

Cheng Shuangjiang was spared from harm, except for the cuffs of her shorts, her hair, her arms, and her body, thanks to Zhou Heming's good protection.

She watched as the boy skillfully entered the apartment's access code, led her into the elevator, and pressed the button for a floor without searching.

Are you two together?

The two stood at opposite corners of the elevator. Amidst the whirring sound of the elevator, Cheng Shuangjiang asked.

"Just like before, we're not boyfriend and girlfriend, but we're closer than ordinary friends."

Zhou Heming did not hide anything; he glanced at the girl who looked somewhat pitiful because of the cold.

"It's probably like, in the previous timeline, you and I at thirty years old."

"."

Cheng Shuangjiang turned her gaze to the elevator floor.

Thank you all for today.

Her voice rang out at the same time as the elevator arrival announcement.

Zhou Heming pressed the keypad lock to open the door and entered.

"Lu Bai, how are you?"

Because it was thundering and lightning outside again, he was a little worried about Lu Bai.

"Um"

At a glance, he saw Lu Bai curled up on the sofa, wrapped in a thick blanket, shivering. The TV was turned up to the maximum volume, but it still couldn't drown out the rumbling thunder outside.

Upon hearing Zhou Heming's voice, she immediately stood up.

"You're all soaked. Go take a shower, or you'll catch a cold like last time."

So, trembling with fear, he urged her on anxiously.

Then I saw Cheng Shuangjiang behind Zhou Heming.

"Cheng Shuangjiang, you're wet too. I'll get you towels so you can change your clothes and dry off first."

She awkwardly took out towels for the two of them. Just then, a clap of thunder sounded outside. Lu Bai immediately closed his eyes and threw himself into Zhou Heming's arms.

"It's alright, it's alright, I'm here."

Zhou Heming gently patted her back and softly comforted her.

Beside her, Cheng Shuangjiang dried her hair and watched the two of them.

"Go take a shower first, I didn't get very wet."

She spoke softly to the boy.

"That's fine. I'll get you a hairdryer so you can warm up first."

Zhou Heming responded, asked Lu Bai to sit on the sofa, rubbed her head, and took out a hair dryer for Cheng Shuangjiang from the drawer.

He quickly took his change of clothes and went into the bathroom.

Cheng Shuangjiang and Lu Bai sat at opposite ends of the sofa.

The sound of rain was deafening outside, with faint rumbles of thunder.

Inside the room, the sound of the hairdryer masked all other noises.

After drying her wet hair slightly, Cheng Shuangjiang put down the hairdryer and looked at Lu Bai, whose face was also pale.

She remained silent for a moment, then stood up and sat down next to Lu Bai.

Then she reached out and gently took Lu Bai's hand.

"You'll be alright, you'll be fine."

Comfort her in the gentlest tone possible.

Lu Bai seemed to collapse instantly, burying his head in Cheng Shuangjiang's chest.

The aloof, unapproachable beauty paused, then gently placed her hand on her back, just as she had done with Zhou Heming earlier, as if soothing a kindergarten child with a gentle caress.

*
By the time Cheng Shuangjiang finished washing up and came out, the thunder had subsided, and the rain outside seemed to have calmed down considerably.

After changing his clothes, Zhou Heming tested the temperature of the hair dryer.

"Come here, let me dry you."

He said so.

Cheng Shuangjiang hesitated for a moment before nodding, sitting down next to him with her back to the boy.

She was wearing the mismatched short-sleeved and short-sleeved pajama set that Zhou Heming was familiar with, which showed off her slender and long hands and feet.

Six months later.

Zhou Heming helped Cheng Shuangjiang blow-dry her hair again.

Unlike the reborn Cheng Shuangjiang, the eighteen-year-old Cheng Shuangjiang's body was much more tense. Almost any place where Zhou Heming's fingers touched her would cause a slight tremor. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Zhou Heming was about to do something bad.

Zhou Heming noticed that Cheng Shuangjiang's ears had turned even redder than before due to their contact.

The girl placed both hands on her knees, straight and clenched her fists, her toes curling up even though she was wearing slippers.

Half an hour had passed by the time Zhou Heming helped Cheng Shuangjiang dry her hair.

"It will indeed take you longer to blow on her."

With the thunder gone, Lu Bai recovered slightly and felt more inclined to make a joke.

"Cheng Shuangjiang, why are your ears so red?"

"."

Cheng Shuangjiang remained silent, quietly shifting her position away from Zhou Heming.

Her phone rang at that moment; it was Cheng Lingjun calling.

Cheng Shuangjiang glanced at the two of them, then got up, took her phone, and went to the side to answer the call.

Zhou Heming and Lu Bai exchanged a glance, not having eavesdropped.

"You were really into it just now."

Lu Bai's lips were still a little pale, but she seemed to be trying to ease her previous fear with a joke.

"Don't make fun of me."

Zhou Heming rolled up the cord of the hair dryer.

"By the way, what are you planning to do next?"

Lu Bai glanced at Cheng Shuangjiang, who was on the phone.

"Professor Cheng will probably drive over to pick her up, right?"

Although Zhou Heming did not know where Cheng Lingjun could take Cheng Shuangjiang, he must have a plan.

Cheng Shuangjiang finished the call quickly.

She turned around, looked at Zhou Heming and Lu Bai, and her voice was unusually apprehensive.

“My uncle said he can’t come to pick me up, so I’ll probably have to find a place to stay for the night and go to the exam venue by myself tomorrow morning.”

Zhou Heming's gaze fell on Cheng Shuangjiang's pale pink, pursed lips.

This is a lie.

"In that case."

Lu Bai got up and stretched his body, which had become stiff from curling up in a ball.

"You'll stay here tonight, with me and Zhou Heming. Tomorrow morning, the three of us will take the subway to the exam center, okay?"

She extended a generous invitation.

Zhou Heming glanced at Lu Bai, puzzled.

Cheng Shuangjiang remained silent for a long time.

"it is good."

She nodded.

*
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(End of this chapter)