Chapter 1: Hello, we meet again

　“How much longer will you be apathetic! Aren’t third tier colleges just slightly higher-level vocational schools, how will you find a job after graduating there? Even if you don’t think about yourself, you still need to think about your future family!”

　　“Repeat the year1! Otherwise, I won’t ever care about you again!” Su Qianqian’s face flushed red with anger as she spoke with a tone full of resentful disappointment.

　　The biggest mistake of Zhou Yuwen’s whole life was to believe those words of the girl in front of him.

　　According to the course of his previous life, Zhou Yuwen obeyed the proposal of the woman in front of him, turned over a new leaf and repeated his studies for a year, and was finally admitted to the same polytechnic2 university as this girl.

　　He really thought that from then on, they would be inseparable lover, and live in the school like an immortal couple3.

　　However, on the first day of school, Zhou Yuwen saw this girl help another boy wipe sweat off his forehead while they talked and laughed together.

　　Then the boy grabbed the girl’s hand.

　　“Greetings, this is my boyfriend, this, my high school classmate!” Holding the boy’s hand, Su Qianqian thus introduced each other.

　　Never believe what a woman says.

　　The more beautiful the woman, the more deceptive.

　　After Su Qianqian, Zhou Yuwen no longer believed in love.

　　“It’s okay to have a relationship, but I was brought up in a single-parent family, so I have no interest in marriage.”

　　“I was just playing with her, but I am serious about you.”

　　“Damn! I’ve told you, I’m not getting married, why are you taking this so seriously?”

　　“Sorry, I was drunk last night.”

　　In the four years of college, Zhou Yuwen played the game of life. Relying on his pretty good appearance and slightly better-off family background, he dated quite a few girlfriends. In his senior year, he bragged to his juniors:

　　What is university for?

　　University is for falling in love!

　　In my first year, I dated all over the province!

　　In my second year, I dated throughout the country!

　　In my third year, I dated around the world!

　　Under the worship of the group of juniors4, Zhou Yuwen was actually quite numb. He most regretted being in the same school as Su Qianqian, because no matter what he did, this girl would feel that he was an eyesore.

　　She would frequently come over and say a few words to him.

　　She obviously already had a boyfriend, but still wanted to train himself as a backup.

　　In short, Zhou Yuwen had had enough.

　　Until when Su Qianqian went abroad in his senior year and he lost this source of distress, Zhou Yuwen suddenly became lost again, and even found dating to be dull and tasteless.

　　After graduation, Zhou Yuwen joined an internet company. Two years later, he left to work alone. Luckily, Zhou Yuwen contracted a project that became widely popular, and he received several million in dividends.

　　Having bought a car and a house in the Pukou district of ​​Nanking City5, when bored at night he would drive his little BMW to the bar and talk about life with eighteen- and nineteen-year-old sisters.

　　Then, those little sisters would ask, ah, uncle, you’ve had so many girls in this passenger seat, which one did you like the most?

　　At this time, Zhou Yuwen would profoundly reveal that his favorite person had never sat there.

　　He was reaching thirty, the fit body was beginning to gain weight.

 His old mother would remind him every day:

　　Son, you should get married now.

　　While I’m still alive, let me hug my grandson!

　　In fact, Zhou Yuwen wanted to get married, but to be honest, Zhou Yuwen really didn’t know who to marry. Wasn’t it alright to be single? Work when you’re supposed to work; after work, watch One Piece and play video games.

　　At worst, he could watch a movie, then go to the clubhouse for a round of 5896. The young ladies inside are nice and gentle: one helps massage his legs while the other helps feed him fruit.

　　Why should he bring a tigress home?

　　Now that he was almost thirty years old, his surrounding friends all started families and had children, Zhou Yuwen no longer could make appointments with the few brothers who used to go clubbing together.

　　“My child had a fever all night, so my wife had to stay up all night. I really can’t go out today.”

　　“My wife is pregnant, forget it, Old Zhou7, you’re not young anymore, you should find a partner soon.”

　　“Right now, I just want to be together with my daughter every day. Every time she laughs at me, my heart just melts. When I later go to the bar to see those girls, I just think, ah, I hope my daughter doesn’t become like them.  Old Zhou, I can’t play anymore now. I advise you to find a wife to marry. Don’t look for a beautiful goddess, those women aren’t for spending a lifetime together. Rather, an ordinary woman who is considerate and can truly leave you with peace of mind…”

　　All the friends who once wildly played together had now become responsible family men.

　　Only Zhou Yuwen continued to live in a drunken phantasmagoria8.

　　To be honest, Zhou Yuwen was also weary of such a life.

　　Today, after drinking one last glass of wine, Zhou Yuwen fell deeply asleep in the arms of a 19-year-old little sister.

　　When he tried opening his eyes again, while his head was a little dizzy, he heard a girl’s voice tinkling by his side.

　　He opened his eyes.

　　Wearing a yellow skirt, Su Qianqian somewhat dissatisfiedly stared at Zhou Yuwen with her big eyes.

　　“Su Qianqian? Aren’t you living as a widow overseas? Why did you return home?” Zhou Yuwen just asked.

　　The nearby group of students burst into laughter. 

　　Su Qianqian’s eyes widened, and she was very indignant.

　　“Zhou Yuwen! You are being outrageous!” said Su Qianqian, as she blushed and stamped her foot.

　　“Huh?” Zhou Yuwen was taken aback.

　　Su Qianqian angrily stormed out of the room.

　　The nearby classmates were rolling with laughter.

　　“Uh, Old Zhou, if someone refuses you, it isn’t necessary to curse them to be a widow, right?” A suntanned boy in front of Zhou Yuwen patted him on the shoulder, while still shaking in laughter.

　　“Fuck! Wait, Old Wang, your wife has cheated on you, how can you still laugh?” Zhou Yuwen asked.

　　“???”

　　The boy immediately grimaced in anger.

　　……

　　It took a long while for Zhou Yuwen to realize that he had dreamt of that graduation party in high school, when he couldn’t bear his loneliness and courageously confessed to Su Qianqian.

　　As a result, Su Qianqian had given Zhou Yuwen a tirade and asked him to repeat the year.

　　She also solemnly vowed: look for me after repeating the year! Then I will promise you!

　　The result, one year later.

　　Ugh.

　　He had long since come to terms with that matter. Now, on the rare occasion of coming back to meet this group of eighteen and nineteen-year-old classmates, words were unnecessary, just drink.

　　Tell Wang Baoming, in the future, don’t look for a girlfriend with the surname Ma, not to mention just being cheated on, his wife would even spend the money he earnt on her lover.

　　And that Xiaoliu, don’t just stick onto every man you see, at least you need to know if he’s single or not.

　　“Oh, it’s rare to meet you guys. I’ll tell you a little bit about your futures, you ought to have some understanding. Don’t just stupidly stand there, pour the wine, pour the wine! Waiter, bring up your most expensive wine, Maotai? Just the Maotai, if you don’t it drink now, can you afford to drink it later? Hurry up, and also get me a pack of Sequoia9.”

TLNs:

Repeating the final high school exams is a fairly common practice in China if one’s score is unable to meet the cutoff standards of a satisfactory university. Very broadly (I am probably wrong, but it doesn’t really matter), in ascending order, the prestige of tertiary education is: vocational (approx. = group apprenticeship/community college), 3rd tier, 2nd tier, 1st tier, 211, 985.An institute of technology (also referred to as […] polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of tertiary education (such as a university or college) that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science, and natural sciences.Dunno proper translation, but xianxia readers will get this analogy: a dao couple that have ascended to immortality together.Chinese unis=3 years for “specializations”, and 4 years for ordinary undergraduate course. Was going to use US freshman-senior terms, but decided against it, considering the frequency in which ‘junior’ is used in the sense of ‘younger’.Nanjing is ‘Jinling’ in the raws; CN authors have to use fictionalized/archaic names to insure against censorship but IDC.Presumably referring to a ‘service cost’ of $589, censored for ambiguity.‘Old’ in a sense of seniority/respect in status.Literal translation “drunk when awake, and dreaming of death”, expressing that he has a unhealthy, confused attitude towards life.Maotai: most expensive distilled liquor in China; Sequoia: high-end brand of cigarettes.

Actually, I had translated half of this chapter at the start of this year, when this novel only had 60 or so chapters. Then I was really uninterested in translation, and felt that releasing a half-chapter would be doing a great disservice to potential readers.