Unexpectedly, after figuring things out, Evan Ford was not as angry as he had imagined. Forget it—at least this time, she came after him to say these words, and it seemed sincere. As for past grievances and old resentments, let them go.

After all, having been reborn for a lifetime, with a brand new start, Evan Ford didn’t plan to fuss over things anymore. He just wanted to say “thank you” and put an end to it.

“Why are you telling him this? Does he even have that ability?” Mr. Young and Mrs. Young caught up, perhaps worried that their daughter’s resolve would waver. Before Evan Ford could speak, Mr. Young rushed to criticize: “Why bother with him? Someone else says a word and you get to stay at school, but if he says a word, all he can do is take you to teach in some remote mountain area.”

It even rhymes!

Is this... adding drama? That part wasn’t in the previous life. Evan Ford gave a wry smile, thinking, it was clearly your daughter who signed me up.

He hadn’t intended to say anything more, but a thought suddenly occurred to him. Evan Ford thought of an interesting hypothesis and spoke up:

“By the way, Student Young, have you ever considered—if it were me staying at school now, and you were on the list to teach in the countryside... what do you think things would be like?”

He asked with a smile. Mr. Young and Mrs. Young heard it as sarcasm, and, even more afraid their daughter would be swayed, immediately became anxious, growing a bit hysterical:

“What’s the point of talking about such hypotheticals now? Grace, don’t you dare listen to him! That’s just impossible... Look, it’s not that I look down on you, but you just don’t have what it takes. If you don’t believe me, let’s see in the future how you turn out.”

“...That’s not necessary, is it? It’s better if we each go our own way.” Evan Ford smiled calmly.

“Actually, I don’t even need to think about it—I know that if things were reversed, you would definitely go teach in the countryside with me,” Grace Young was still stuck on the previous topic, her tone a bit off. “You’re great, really smart, I know all that. But you lack ambition, you don’t have the means... you get it? If you had connections, money, and a smooth life, you’d be fine as you are. But right now, isn’t it time to fight, to move forward and upward?”

“That makes sense.” Hearing this, Evan Ford said sincerely.

“Don’t be so relaxed!” Grace Young suddenly exploded. “You know what? I’d rather see you use your looks... to find a daughter from a rich and powerful family, and then find a way to go abroad. If you did that, I’d respect you more, and believe more that you’d succeed.”

Suddenly giving a compliment...

But isn’t that just taking the easy way out? Back then, there really was a female classmate like that. If I’d done that a bit earlier, would she have held a grudge and made a voodoo doll of me?

Let’s not worry about that for now... But what happened to the promised innocence of youth?

Maybe it still exists in others.

In his previous life, Evan Ford never heard Grace Young say such heartfelt things. Hearing them now, he realized his first love’s thinking was really ahead of her time, really progressive! Just obsessed with going abroad... that fixation!!! What a pity, going to a vocational school, it really held her back.

“Uh, you make a good point, but I think, maybe I won’t need to do that. Maybe I can make it on my own.”

Evan Ford didn’t come back to the early 1990s to find a girl with the mindset of 2017. He’d even chosen to let go of resentment, and didn’t plan to get entangled with this Student Young anymore.

“One last question,” Evan Ford said seriously, “After all, we still have half a year in the same place, so I want to ask—if you ever regret it, what will you do?”

“...I won’t.” Grace Young looked determined, as if to give herself confidence, speaking each word with force: “Absolutely not.”

“That’s good.”

Evan Ford left, appearing calm and at ease.

Grace Young just stood there, watching that departing figure, feeling something inexplicable in her heart. It was as if she’d never really known Evan Ford, her boyfriend—her “ex.”

Would she regret it? The thought suddenly crossed her mind.

No, she wouldn’t.

……

……

He hurried back to the cafeteria. Luckily, the food hadn’t gone cold yet, though the conditions really were a bit rough.

He had to find a way to eat well, Evan Ford thought.

There wasn’t much entertainment after lunch. Dragged into the dorm, he spent the whole afternoon playing “Great Wall” (mahjong). Because Evan Ford was used to the mahjong rules of southern Guan Province from later on, he called a false win twice.

After all, in his previous life, he’d spent seven years there.

Yes, in his previous life, after the list was finalized, due to the helplessness of reality, there was some discouragement, some escapism and sulking, and even a childish ignorance of “well, are you satisfied now?” In the end, Evan Ford really did go to teach in the countryside.

Southern Guan Province, Qulan City, Xiayuan County, Xiawan Township, Chaliao Village.

A remote mountain village that, after taking a train, a bus, a tractor, and even an ox cart, still required over an hour’s hike on foot. The year Evan Ford went, the village had just gotten electricity thanks to a poverty alleviation project.

His first thought was to run away, but in the end, he stayed, slowly adapted, slowly built relationships. Then, near the end of his first semester teaching there, on a night of torrential rain, the village was hit by a massive mudslide.

By the end of that disaster, nine children from five families had become orphans. There were other casualties as well.

Actually, that rainy night, Evan Ford’s legs were trapped too. It was more than a dozen villagers, risking further landslides, who turned back and, with their bare hands, dug him out and carried him to safety.