Night’s Nomenclature

Chapter 976: See You at the Next Intersection

7:05 AM.

Qing Chen stood at Xingfuli Station in District 5 of City 5, waiting for the Light Rail to arrive on schedule.

He looked at everything in front of him, always feeling as if he had forgotten something, or as if he had never remembered anything.

7:10 AM, the Light Rail arrived.

Qing Chen boarded the train and quickly walked towards Carriage 2.

He held onto the handrail in the carriage, his body swaying slightly with the Light Rail. The train shuttled through the buildings in the city's early morning, like a white flying horse.

It made a rumbling sound.

7:35 AM, the Light Rail arrived at Ginkgo Station. Below the window was a huge ginkgo tree. In autumn, the ginkgo leaves were golden yellow, scattered all over the ground.

Within a radius of tens of meters around the ginkgo tree, it was as if a layer of golden sunlight was plated, solid and brilliant.

Qing Chen looked sideways at the door. A girl with twintails wearing headphones walked up and stopped not far from him. There were two meters between them. His gaze had to pass through the gaps between passengers to see the girl's profile.

At this time, someone patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Morning!"

Qing Chen looked up, but it was Zard who had also boarded the train at this station. He was standing behind him, arm in arm with Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu laughed happily, "What are you looking at? Why are you spacing out?"

Xiao Liu leaned over, following Qing Chen's gaze, through the gap, looking at the not-so-distant Yang Yang, immediately whispering and chuckling; "How many years has it been?"

Zard said, "Qing Chen, have you done your homework?"

Qing Chen said, "Yes, you guys raid it. But if you don't study hard, you won't be able to get into Qinghe University next year."

Xiao Liu said indifferently, "Someone like me is destined not to go to university. I don't have any big ambitions. When you get into Qinghe (Yang Yang wants to go to Qinghe University, so he wants to go too, hehehe.

Qing Chen was silent for a moment: "Why do I feel that you're not very likable after you've become normal?"

Zard scratched his head: "What do you mean? What do you mean by "after you've become normal'?"

"Raid your homework."

Zard and Xiao Liu took out their LCD screens on the Light Rail and frantically copied Qing Chen's answers to make up for their homework. During this time, they would deliberately change a few options, otherwise the teacher would suspect.

Qing Chen, Zard, and Xiao Liu wore exactly the same school uniforms. Like all teenagers, some had their schoolbags slumped on their backs, some didn't do their homework the day before, some were boastful, some had a crush on a girl, hiding their feelings deep in their hearts.

Qing Chen watched these two raid their homework and somehow felt relieved.

It wasn't because they were raiding their homework, but because seeing them still around made the world feel exceptionally beautiful.

Strange, why would he feel this way?

At the school stop, the girl got off first, and the three of them followed behind, chattering and discussing playing football after school.

The classroom was bustling with noise. Yang Yang stuffed his schoolbag into his desk and sat in the first row, while Qing Chen sat in the last row by the window with his close friends.

Sunlight fell on his face, his gaze fell on the girl's back.

During the break time, the students stood on the playground in formation. Qing Chen stood at the front, silently counting the beats. When it came to the sixth turning exercise, he could only look back at the girl slightly behind the team. The girl was wearing a white school uniform, youthful and attractive.

Even putting the homework together with the person they liked would bring a surge of joy to their heart.

Youth is like a bottle of cheap ice-cold soda from the canteen. It was so beautiful at the time, but when looking back, you can't find that taste anymore.

At noon, the three close friends went to the canteen to eat. Wang Yuchao, Zhao Mingke, and others who grew up in the same neighborhood came over. When Wang Yuchao saw the meat in Qing Chen's plate, his eyes lit up immediately: "Your brother and sister-in-law are really good to you. They work hard at the construction site and still give you such a high allowance, afraid that you'll go hungry."

Qing Chen smiled without responding. He ate all the food in his plate clean. After finishing his meal, the plate was so clean it was reflective.

At this time, an old man with a stooped back walked past the canteen, smiling kindly as he supervised the students not to waste food: "Who knows the food on the plate, every grain is hard-earned. You should all learn from Qing Chen not to waste food!"

When the students saw him, they immediately stood up nervously to greet him: "Principal!"

Principal Li Xiurui said with a smile, "Sit down, sit down, hurry up and eat."

Qing Chen looked at the principal's stooped back. The principal stayed in the canteen day after day, watching the students, just like watching his own children.

If the principal found out that a student was particularly poor and could only eat protein bars, he would offer them work-study opportunities.

It is said that last year the principal even went to the education department to stage a hunger strike, and finally got a lunch subsidy for the students, making the food in the canteen half the price of outside.

The biology teacher Wrench and the geography teacher Shan Zha chatted casually, saying that this year the education department was going to stop this subsidy, and the old principal was already planning to go to the education department for another sit-in, and they were going to go with him this time.

The teachers in this school were notoriously thorny in City 5. If the education department didn't approve it, they would go directly to block the gate of Ginkgo Manor and force the Qing Family to approve this subsidy.

But the old principal instructed that everyone should carry some protein bars in their pockets, secretly eat them when no one was paying attention, and not really starve themselves...

The old principal was famously cunning, causing headaches for both the ministry and the Conglomerate.

It is said that the old principal and the Head of the Qingshi Clan were classmates at Qinghe University, and no one dared to really do anything to him.

The afternoon school bell rang, and physics teacher He Jinqiu walked in with an LCD screen. He was wearing a well-tailored gray suit: "Your PE teacher Dianfu is sick today, I'll take this class."

The classroom was filled with groans from the students. There were no female students in short-sleeved shorts playing volleyball, no running around on the playground, no sneaking off to the canteen to buy ice cream and snacks. The boys could only do some shooting movements in the corridor during the break to get their kicks, which seemed to be the biggest regret of this age.

He Jinqiu pushed his gold-rimmed glasses and smiled at Qing Chen: "Class monitor, remember to collect the homework."

Qing Chen nodded: "Yes, teacher."

When other students complained about He Jinqiu taking up their PE class, Qing Chen found him particularly amiable. This Boss He... why did he call him Boss He?

This Boss He was usually very strict, but he never called a Leader when students made mistakes.

He Jinqiu said in class that if a teacher had to rely on calling a Leader to solve students' problems, it meant that the teacher wasn't skilled enough. Now Federation classrooms are all holographic multimedia, but this Boss He didn't know where he bought the chalk, specifically cutting it into small pieces, and when he saw someone spacing out, he would throw it. The small chalk pieces were like flying swords with eyes, hitting the mark every time.

The students secretly called him He Sword Immortal.

At 3 PM, when school was dismissed, the students swarmed out of the school. Qing Chen carried his schoolbag and walked towards the library.

He had a fixed seat, and the girl seemed never to change her seat either, so the two of them sat facing each other across a wide table.

There were quiet sounds of turning pages in the library, and the rustling sound of pens.

The girl was wearing headphones, concentrating on correcting the problems.

Until 9 PM, the two of them packed their bags one after the other and walked towards the Light Rail station. There were few people on the Light Rail at this time. The two sat in carriages separated by an aisle, and neither of them spoke to the other.

But in the rumbling sound of the white horse Light Rail passing through the buildings, it seemed that everything had life. Life was also like this Light Rail, rumbling towards the distance.

Qing Chen was very happy every day, as if the things he had lost and missed had not been lost, had not been missed.

The days passed one by one, autumn passed into winter, winter passed into spring.

The atmosphere in the school gradually became lively. The annual Qinghe University spring recruitment was about to begin.

Every class's blackboard had a countdown written on it: 100...9...8...7...

"See you at Qinghe University!" said the girl.

Then, the girl turned and got off the train.

Someone opened the window of the Light Rail, and a refreshing wind blew into the carriage, and the boy's uniform fluttered in the wind, as if wrapping the whole youth.

Qing Chen was stunned for a long time before he reacted. He excitedly clenched his fist, but didn't know what to say.

But in this restarted life, something seemed to be missing. He couldn't remember what it was.

Qing Chen got off the train and walked through the bustling streets. From a distance, he saw his brother had finished work early, carrying a slaughtered chicken and a slaughtered fish in his hands.

"Xiaochun!" Qing Zhun happily raised his hands: "I'm improving the food for you today, and you'll definitely get good results tomorrow."

At this time, a familiar neighbor passed by and teased, "Oh, the Old Qing Family is going to have a Qinghe University student. You have to set up a few tables on the street then, and let the neighbors share the joy."

Qing Zhun laughed until his eyes narrowed: "No problem, that's a must. You don't know, Xiaochun's mock exam results were the best in the city. Getting into Qinghe University is a sure thing!"

"How could we not know? You've almost said this to death..."

"Hurry home and cook for Xiaochun!" the neighbor complained: "It's as if you were the one who got the best score in the city."

"Hahaha, Old Liu, you're just envious and jealous!"

Qing Zhun led Qing Chen home, and his sister-in-law had already put on her apron and started washing vegetables. In this day and age, being able to eat a good meal would require a significant investment. When it came time to eat, Qing Zhun put both chicken legs and both chicken wings into Qing Chen's bowl.

Qing Chen felt a little embarrassed: "You guys should eat some too."

Qing Zhun suddenly became serious: "You're still growing, eat all of it!"

...Father Qing Xun looked at all this happily, but as he watched, he sighed.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Qing Chen asked.

Qing Xun was silent for a moment: "You're really making Dad proud, but Dad can't give you a good background like other fathers. It's Dad's fault."

Qing Chen lowered his head: "What are you saying? I think our family is the best, much better than that Conglomerate. There's no humanity in those mansions."

Qing Xun scolded him with a smile: "Have you seen what a Conglomerate's house looks like? Don't talk nonsense if you haven't seen it."

However, at this moment, Qing Zhun suddenly looked at Qing Chen: "How long have you been here?"

Qing Chen was stunned: "Ten years."

Qing Zhun asked again: "When are you going back?"

This world was so warm, everything was so beautiful. If possible, Qing Chen really wanted to live like this forever, until the end of the world, until the sunset fell behind the mountains, and would always rise again.

Qing Chen lowered his head, his expression hidden in the shadows cast by the lights. He remembered, he remembered everything.

He said softly, "But... you guys are all still here."

The world froze, time was locked.

Qing Xun and his sister-in-law's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

Only Qing Zhun and Qing Chen were still alive.

Qing Zhun looked at Qing Chen seriously and said, "It's time to go back, someone is waiting for you. This world is beautiful, but it only exists in your heart. Kid, look ahead, flowers will bloom again, different summers have different beauty, gone and come."

Qing Chen knew where this was, this was the process of being assimilated by the world's will. If possible, maybe he would really want to stay here, repeating those youthful and warm memories over and over again.

No wonder Ren Xiaosu said that assimilation with the world and the Trial of Heart are different.

The Trial of Heart gives you pain, making you unable to face those hardships.

The process of assimilation with the world, however, gives you everything you want, like being in heaven, never wanting to leave.

However, this time it wasn't Qing Chen's past self, but Qing Zhun who helped him through.

This brother, who was assimilated by the world, awakened him at this crucial moment.

With such a brother, even the world's will could not assimilate him. Qing Zhun smiled and looked at Qing Chen: "You know what to choose, the dead are dead, the living must live, go."

Qing Chen suddenly said, "I want to wait a little longer."

Qing Zhun was surprised.

A new day arrived, and Qing Chen carried his schoolbag again and rushed to the examination room.

He systematically finished each subject, checking all the papers over and over again until he was sure that he had done his best.

The two-day exam was over, and all the students returned to school to estimate their scores.

The school was bustling with laughter, and both the poor students and the top students were frolicking.

Qing Chen walked into the campus, but saw He Jinqiu, Wang Yuchao, Wrench, Shan Zha, Xiao Liu, Dianfu, Zard, and Li Xiurui waiting there, smiling at him.

He Jinqiu smiled and said, "Go back, the place we're going doesn't require courage, the place you're going to requires courage."

Li Xiurui smiled: "Kid, go back."

Dianfu: "Go back!"

Wrench: "Go back!"

Everyone smiled radiantly and said, "It's time to go back!"

Qing Chen took a deep breath: "Thank you, I'm happy to have met you, see you at the next intersection."

Then, he went up and hugged them one by one.

This was the reason he wanted to wait two more days. He wanted to bid farewell to these once brightest stars in his life.

The next moment, Qing Chen softly recited the wizard's spell: ".adverse journey."

Life is like a journey, and I am also a traveler.

In an instant, in the dark safe house under the Royal Capital, the black True Sight Eye in Qing Chen's hand shone brightly. He was going to seal his spiritual will and separate himself from this world.

From now on, he would create his own world.