Locking away my heart and love! Going back to 2000 to be a top student again.

After all, Chen Shulan always talked about how Xu Su's generation of children were so fortunate, while she herself had to walk twenty miles of mountain road to and from school.

The house I used to live in wasn't far from Xu Yang Elementary School, so I didn't need to ride my bike to pick him up and drop him off. Now that I do, naturally Xu Su doesn't need to use the bike.

Fortunately, she no longer needs a bicycle. Xu Su said, "Dad, Mom, I'll be a sophomore next year, and the studies will become more and more intense. I plan to live at school when the new semester starts next semester."

This was said suddenly.

Xu Weiping's face darkened: "Why do you always have to do things your own way? Why do you want to live at school all of a sudden? You could commute from so far away before, but now that you live closer to school, you still want to live at school. Are you upset that we made you walk to school?"

Chen Shulan also had a look on her face that said, "How can you be so inconsiderate of your parents?" She then said, "Our family spent too much on renovations this year, and we don't have much money left. Your parents promise to buy you a bicycle next year when things have calmed down, okay?"

Watching the couple working together, Xu Su remained silent for a while before saying, "I applied to the teacher for free accommodation. I come back too late at night and get up too early in the morning, so I'm not very focused when I'm studying. The school encourages students to live on campus."

Upon hearing that accommodation was free, Chen Shulan hesitated: "When we went to register last time, didn't your teacher Wu say that there would be a 400 yuan accommodation fee?"

Xu Su lied without batting an eye: "The teacher knows that my family is not well-off, and is willing to give me free accommodation."

Of course, she wouldn't honestly say that she could get a scholarship.

It's reasonable to suspect that if she said she could get a scholarship, the couple would just confiscate it; they would never be willing to spend 400 yuan to let her stay at school.

Knowing that boarding at school wouldn't cost extra money, the couple wasn't so opposed anymore and tacitly agreed.

After the meal, Xu Su conscientiously cleared away the dishes and took them to the kitchen to wash.

After confirming that her daughter really didn't know the so-called younger generation of the factory director, Chen Shulan stopped stopping Xu Su from washing the dishes. Instead, she kept telling her to do more housework so that she would be more liked by her husband's family after she got married.

Recalling the obsequious yet cautious faces of her biological parents in her past life, Xu Su preferred their current, authentic, and normal selves.

~~

There is no need for early morning self-study during the exam period. The exam starts at 7:30. You just need to arrive at school before that time.

Xu Su slept until nearly 6:30 a.m. It was the second day of her period, and the pain from the previous day was gone.

After dawdling and washing her hair, which had been cut short during the summer vacation and hadn't been trimmed since, it had grown to just below her shoulders after a semester, barely enough to tie into a ponytail.

She usually just tucks her hair behind her ears when she's in a hurry, but she always feels that it's extremely inconvenient to wear with a scarf. Today, she had some time, so she simply tied her hair into a high ponytail, which made her look more energetic.

By the time I finished getting ready and went out, it was almost 6:50.

Xu Yang has already started his winter vacation, but the textile factory where Chen Shulan and Xu Weiping work has not yet started its annual holiday. It is said that they will not close until the 29th of the lunar year.

When Xu Su left, Chen Shulan hadn't gotten up yet. The factory starts work at eight o'clock, and in winter they usually don't get up until after seven.

Even so, Xu Su asked Zhou Mochen to park his car as far away as possible, so as not to worry about being seen by them or acquaintances in their factory.

Fortunately, today is the last day of this semester. Next year when I live on campus, I won't need to spend every morning and evening with Zhou Mochen.

Thinking about this, Xu Su felt extremely good today.

I bought two tea eggs for breakfast, peeling them as I walked. By the time I got on the bus, I had almost finished eating them.

Zhou Mochen looked over and frowned: "You ate this for breakfast?"

His attitude was natural, as if yesterday's unpleasantness had been forgotten.

Xu Su glanced at him, ate the last piece of egg white, and mumbled, "Eat two eggs, and you'll get a perfect score."

Zhou Mochen chuckled, stepped on the gas to start the car, and said, "Yeah, our Susu will definitely get a perfect score, but it's been so long this morning, shall we eat something else?"

Xu Su took a tissue, wiped her fingers, threw it in the car's trash can, and shook her head: "I don't want it."

Okay, Zhou Mochen stopped worrying about breakfast and asked, "Does it still hurt today?"

Xu Su glanced at him, not wanting to pay him any attention.

I really don't know how a boy in his early twenties can care about this so naturally. He doesn't seem like someone who has never held a girl's hand before.

Zhou Mochen glanced at her occasionally while steering the wheel, and after confirming that the girl looked better today, he didn't ask any more questions.

He was being inconsiderate; after all, the young girl is easily embarrassed.

When they arrived near No. 1 Middle School, the car stopped. Zhou Mochen took out a small gift bag and handed it to her, a rare bright smile on his face. His voice was very gentle: "This is a New Year's gift for you, Xu Su. You will be 17 years old after the New Year."

Xu Su frowned, remembering her promise to him yesterday, but still reached out and took it.

"A cell phone?" Xu Su held up a currently popular swivel phone and looked at him. "Are you trying to tell me this thing costs less than five hundred yuan?"

Zhou Mochen said with certainty, "It definitely didn't exceed that. It cost a total of four hundred and ninety-nine. There's an invoice included; take a look."

Xu Su almost burst out laughing. They were treating her like a fool. This phone was something her classmates had all talked about; it must cost at least 1,700 or 1,800 yuan.

Looking at the man's serious expression, Xu Su was speechless for a moment.

If he really wanted to buy a phone at a low price, he probably wouldn't have to spend a single penny; plenty of people would be eager to give it to him.

Xu Su didn't want it, but since she had promised him, she couldn't refuse directly. After thinking for a while, she said, "I don't need a cell phone. I'm at school every day and there's no one I need to contact. Besides, phone calls are quite expensive, and it would be difficult to explain to my parents where I got it if I brought it home."

“How could I not have anyone I need to contact? You’re living at school now, I need to find a way to reach you.” Zhou Mochen said matter-of-factly, and seeing the girl’s apparent dissatisfaction, he quickly added, “Besides, don’t you want to be able to contact your grandma and uncles anytime?”

That makes some sense.

Xu Su was somewhat tempted... Her uncle's family would install a telephone when she was in her senior year of high school. Although it was still a long way off, if possible, she would ask her uncle to install it a year in advance so that she could contact her grandmother at any time.

"You don't need to worry about the phone bill. This is my secondary SIM card. My phone won't be disconnected, and yours won't be either."

Zhou Mochen continued, "As for your concern about not being able to explain where you came from to your parents, you should just turn off your phone or put it on silent before you go home. They won't search your pockets, will they?"

"..." Xu Su glanced at him and realized that this man could also use reverse psychology. He launched into a long speech, which was completely unlike his usual taciturn self.

Zhou Mochen smiled and said, "I would love for you to keep watching me like this, but you're going to be late. Go take your exam. I'll bring you lunch."