Time Traveling to 23 Years Later with My Ex-Boyfriend

2

Chapter 2
As soon as Chu Qing finished speaking, the usually composed Qi Weichen's fingertips trembled slightly before he regained his composure. "That's not me," he said.

"Hm?"

"I'm 18 years old now, 185 cm tall, and if my growth plates haven't closed, I might still grow taller. But that man looks to be less than 180 cm, which is significantly shorter than me, so he can't possibly be me at 41," Qi Weichen explained calmly.

Chu Qing looked at him and said, "Not necessarily. Don't they say people shrink as they get older? Maybe that's you after shrinking."

"41 is still in one's prime," Qi Weichen replied, meeting her gaze steadily.

As the two silently stared at each other, the middle-aged man ran over, wiping sweat from his eyes. He frowned and asked them, "Chu Qing, Qi Weichen?"

"That's us," Chu Qing responded immediately.

"I'm the dorm supervisor from Chengde High School, here to pick you up. I was supposed to arrive around 3 PM, but I got held up. Let's get in the car quickly, and I'll arrange your accommodation," the middle-aged man said. Then, noticing their attire, he paused, "Why are you dressed so warmly on such a hot day?"

"Who sent you to pick us up?" Chu Qing quickly changed the subject.

The man's attention was indeed diverted. "Your parents, of course. But the principal didn't give me specific information. I only know the surname Qi. Didn't your family tell you that Teacher Wang would come to pick you up?"

Chu Qing hesitantly looked at Qi Weichen. Under the sun, the young man's eyes gleamed coolly. After staring at the man for a long while, he lowered his gaze and said to Chu Qing, "Let's go with him."

"Okay." With the big boss Qi giving the order, Chu Qing quickly agreed.

The man immediately beckoned them to follow him across the street to board the school van. Though called a school van, it was actually an expensive-looking seven-seater business vehicle with no one else inside, clearly sent specifically to pick up the two of them.

As soon as they entered the air-conditioned car, Chu Qing let out a long sigh of relief, her spirits visibly recovering. Qi Weichen, on the other hand, looked pale and hadn't said a word since getting in the car, so quiet that he barely had any presence.

"Do you want some water?" Chu Qing asked, looking at him with concern.

He shook his head slightly, then nodded once, pursing his lips without saying a word. Chu Qing unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to him. After he took a few sips, she instinctively took it back, but just as she was about to drink, she suddenly remembered that they had broken up, and it might not be appropriate to drink from the same bottle he had used.

"Why aren't you drinking?" Qi Weichen said his first words since getting in the car.

Chu Qing gave an awkward smile, tightened the cap, and placed the bottle next to him. Qi Weichen silently looked at her for a moment but ultimately said nothing.

"You two, aren't you hot dressed like that?" the dorm supervisor asked again while driving.

Chu Qing coughed and vaguely replied, "We've been away for so long, we forgot to check the weather forecast..."

"You must be coming back from the Southern Hemisphere, right? It's winter there now," the dorm supervisor, now in the comfort of air conditioning, became more talkative and his tone friendlier.

Chu Qing laughed dryly a couple of times, afraid of saying too much and making mistakes, so she fell silent. Finding the ride boring, she leaned against the window to look outside, but couldn't find a single familiar road. The only thing that seemed slightly familiar was what used to be City A's largest shopping mall, which now had a big 'DEMOLISH' sign on its outer wall.

The 18-year-old Chu Qing rarely felt melancholic about how things had changed, but now she did. She retracted her gaze a bit dejectedly, simultaneously feeling grateful that they were heading to Chengde High School, her and Qi Weichen's alma mater. No matter what, being able to go to a place she was very familiar with was a comfort to her at this moment.

Half an hour later, Chu Qing stood at the gate of Chengde High School, looking at the luxurious iron fence gate and the Western-style buildings visible through it with a loss for words. She struggled to ask the dorm supervisor beside her, "This is Chengde?"

"Yes, it's your first time here, right? I'll arrange your accommodation first, then you can explore on your own," the dorm supervisor said as he walked into the school.

Chu Qing hurried to catch up, trying different ways to inquire, "I remember Chengde High School used to be quite run-down. When did it become so nice?"

"I've been working here for over a decade, and it's always been City A's best private high school. Who told you it was run-down?" The dorm supervisor gave her a strange look.

Chu Qing laughed awkwardly and instinctively looked to the side, but finding no one there, she quickly turned her head to see Qi Weichen walking at a leisurely pace. She urged him to hurry up. Qi Weichen silently looked at her and quietly quickened his steps.

The two followed the dorm supervisor, passing through the teaching building and the playground to reach the dormitory area. The entire dormitory area was enclosed by walls, forming its own space within the vast school grounds, much like a small residential community.

At this moment, there were only a few people in the dormitory area, each looking as leisurely as if they were out for a stroll. Noticing the curiosity in Chu Qing's eyes, the dorm supervisor explained, "Registration starts tomorrow and the day after, with classes officially beginning the day after that. Not many people have arrived today. Oh, and your suitcases are with the security guard. Follow me."

Chu Qing quickly nodded and followed. As she did, she noticed that Qi Weichen had fallen behind again. She hesitated for a moment but still slowed her pace. Qi Weichen glanced at her and quietly followed behind her.

By the time the two reached the security office, the dorm supervisor had already brought out two large suitcases. He handed the pink one to Chu Qing and the black one to Qi Weichen, then took out an envelope and gave it to Qi Weichen. "Your daily necessities are in the suitcases. This letter is for you."

Qi Weichen took it but didn't open it immediately, instead folding it and putting it in his pocket. The dorm supervisor didn't mind and directly gave each of them a key. "You're both in Class 2, Grade 12. Qi Weichen, you're in a double room, and Chu Qing, you're in a single room. The room numbers are on the keys. You can go directly there."

"Why are our rooms different?" Chu Qing asked curiously.

The dorm supervisor paused for a moment. "How would I know? The rooms are chosen individually. There are single, double, and quad rooms. It must have been requested by your parents for the school to arrange it this way."

"Okay, thank you, teacher," Chu Qing said. Although she was even more confused, seeing that he didn't know either, she didn't pursue the matter further.

The dorm supervisor distributed the keys to the two of them. "Alright, there's nothing else. Just remember to report to your class before 7:30 AM the day after tomorrow. Do you have any other questions?"

"Yes!" Chu Qing quickly raised her hand. "Where's the infirmary?"

Qi Weichen looked at her. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, no," Chu Qing laughed awkwardly.

Qi Weichen observed her for a moment, and seeing that she seemed fine, didn't pursue the matter. The dorm supervisor gave them the specific location of the infirmary, and after confirming they had no more questions, he turned and left.