Oh, I apologize, starting from Chapter 213, the numbering has been incorrect. I won't change it; I'll leave it as is. That is Chapter 213.

Chi Wu walked with an air about him now, feeling that his career and love life were both thriving.

Of course, the unlucky kid couldn't bring himself to openly discuss romance. In this era, if a boy and a girl liked each other, they dared not express it loudly; it was usually conveyed through glances, an understanding rather than spoken words.

At most, a small, non-ambiguous note might be written.

So Chi Wu felt he had expressed his feelings quite well. Cheng Ying, genuinely, had received none of it. She had never truly grasped this concept of unspoken understanding.

Cheng Ying’s late-blooming adolescent stirrings in the first semester of high school hadn't even fully ignited before the first round of exams arrived.

Cheng Ying stared at the certificate in her hand, listening to the male teacher’s voice, which sounded like a cello, and felt sad for a long time.

Youth is like flowing water, and prime years slip away easily. She had wasted half a semester like this.

Was it easy to find an unmarried man of suitable age? How could she have let such an important matter slip by?

For a student who didn't attend evening study sessions, for a high school student solely focused on making money, it wasn't strange at all to have failed to make a single friend in class over six months.

It was difficult even for Cheng Ying to inquire about the teacher's background.

With the winter break fast approaching, she couldn't let this opportunity slip away again.

Cheng Ying turned to look at her deskmate—what was her name again? She genuinely couldn't remember. "Um, our Chinese teacher, his voice is really nice, isn't it?"

Her deskmate was meticulously packing her textbooks. "Cheng Ying, you didn't go to the New Year's Eve party, did you? Our Chinese teacher played the melodica; it was even better than his recitation."

Cheng Ying could visualize the scene in her mind, picturing her dream man holding a melodica.

So talented! Truly worthy of being the idol in her heart. "What a shame," she murmured unintentionally.

The deskmate, with her straight, simple hair, swept it back with her hand. "Absolutely. When our Chinese teacher recited Gorky's The Song of the Stormy Petrel, even the seniors were crowding at the doorway to listen. It was full of passion, full of fervor!"

Cheng Ying almost choked. Why was this girl so indiscreet? Why did she speak as proudly as if the Chinese teacher were her father?

She glanced over at the perceived rival. Probably not a rival.

She didn't know much about Gorky, but later she would have her own driver, which suggested she and this teacher shared some common ground after all.

Cheng Ying squinted, her mood soaring. Fate! A man with money has opportunities everywhere; she had money and leisure—fate couldn't be stopped!

Cheng Ying said, "One more question, what is our Chinese teacher's surname?"

The deskmate stared at Cheng Ying as if she were a class enemy. "You—you have too little respect for the teacher! You forgot even that? And Teacher Qi just praised your essay composition in class. You've gone too far!"

Cheng Ying took a deep breath. No wonder her essays were good; even with all this extraneous chatter, she could still grasp the main point. Her dream man’s surname was Qi.

Cheng Ying looked toward the podium. "Teacher Qi. How… flavorful. Even his surname has such depth."

This was a genuine outburst from Cheng Ying. However, the female student next to her felt her neck flush crimson upon hearing this. This was too bold! It turned out that while her deskmate was academically strong, her character was rather questionable—a bit wild, even. She certainly didn't want to get entangled with someone like that.

Forgive the young woman’s conservatism; in this era, people didn't speak this way. It was tantamount to a public declaration of affection.

She looked up at Teacher Qi; he did indeed have a certain 'flavor.' That word choice was perfect. She quickly averted her gaze and refused to look at Cheng Ying again.

Cheng Ying rubbed her hands together, feeling slightly wicked. Her dream man was handsome, and most importantly, he didn't seem to have a family—what a perfect first love prospect!

He seemed tailor-made for her.

Cheng Ying looked at the male teacher's hair. Ah, if only it weren't parted in a three-seven style, it would be even better.

She remembered that Chi Wu’s hairstyle was actually handsomer. Too bad her dream man certainly wouldn't let her touch his hair anytime soon. What a regret.

Her fiery gaze remained fixed on the podium. To be honest, the way Cheng Ying looked was truly captivating.

It was simply because the girl had developed well; she looked curvaceous. Any man, or even any boy, would turn their head for a second glance.

In this era, Cheng Ying was considered good-looking, but not breathtakingly beautiful enough to topple cities.

Her skin was quite nice, but no one had had the chance to examine it closely or admire it from up close. She possessed an inner beauty.

What remained was her hair. This wasn't something Cheng Ying chose; her grandmother watched over her like a hawk, absolutely forbidding her granddaughter from messing with it.

Come to think of it, permanent straightening wasn't available then.

Even though girls all had long hair, it didn't look truly flowing.

Hair that had been braided, once let down, would be wavy at the back, getting messy in the wind, resembling Mei Chaofeng.

When she first woke up, with her hair down, she looked like a female ghost.

No wonder people in this era tended to favor the sight of women with long, thick braids; at least they looked neat.

But Cheng Ying's hair was different. The water from her private spatial dimension, even if it had no other powers, made her hair and skin special.

Cheng Ying’s hair, even when tied up, would droop slightly at the ends; when left down, it wouldn't even curl. When the wind blew, it cascaded softly, achieving an effect comparable to a Head & Shoulders commercial.

Frankly, it was attention-grabbing. If Cheng Ying hadn't skipped evening study sessions and always rushed in and out quickly, dedicating herself entirely to the furniture shop, she probably would have received small notes already.

Forget her appearance; just her hair made her stand out.

Of course, people nowadays didn't pay close attention to hair. As for being a top student—before her rebirth—Cheng Ying was an object of student jealousy and teacher attention.

Now, she commanded the intense focus of both students and teachers.

Therefore, Cheng Ying held a special place in the minds of her classmates and teachers.

Having such an excellent student look at him with wolf-like intensity put a lot of pressure on the teacher.

When class ended, Cheng Ying stood by the classroom door, wearing the layered cloth-soled shoes her grandmother had made her, army-green trousers, and a floral padded jacket. Her hair was tied up by her grandmother. Truthfully, this attire stood out in school precisely because it was so unsophisticated, prioritizing warmth.

Cheng Ying never dared to object, given that her grandmother had personally dressed her.

She wasn't trying to attract the attention of young boys; being a bit unfashionable was fine—it was safe.

But today, looking at her dream man, Cheng Ying regretted not dressing up a little.

Chi Wu appeared behind Cheng Ying without her noticing. "Not going home? What are you still doing at school?"

Cheng Ying glanced at Chi Wu, feeling displeased. Wasn't he just causing trouble? "You go on ahead. I have a few things I need to take care of here for a while longer."

Chi Wu said, "I can give you a ride home on my bike. I don't have anything else to do."

Cheng Ying thought, This unlucky kid. I have plans. "You go first," she insisted.

Chi Wu was unwilling. Before Cheng Ying could say more, her dream man approached from the podium.

Cheng Ying stepped forward to meet the teacher, presenting what she considered her most charming expression. "Hello, Teacher Qi."

Chi Wu, standing beside her, felt a chill run down his spine. He turned to look at Cheng Ying's expression, then back at the Chinese teacher, and his good mood vanished completely. After all, Chi Wu considered himself to have been exchanging meaningful glances with Cheng Ying for half a year; how could he not understand what that expression meant?

Coupled with the deliberately stifled, syrupy tone of her voice, it was sickeningly sweet.

The Chinese teacher looked at the diligent, excellent student; his attitude toward her was certainly gracious.

She was dressed plainly, clearly from the countryside. But she had a good bearing and excellent grades—a model student. "Cheng Ying, your exam scores were very good."

Cheng Ying smiled radiantly. What a perfect start! The teacher had a good impression of her. "Hello, Teacher Qi. I feel I still have many areas where I fall short. I wonder if I might have an opportunity to seek your guidance?"

Teacher Qi was always supportive of students who were serious, eager to learn, and constantly urged themselves toward improvement. "Of course. You are always welcome here, Cheng Ying. We will learn and progress together."

Cheng Ying felt she had just grasped the tail end of the era's youth aspirations. Listen to that: 'progress together.'

Cheng Ying asked, "Teacher Qi, since the holiday is coming, I wonder if it would be convenient for me to visit you?"

For Cheng Ying, this was a rather subtle way of pursuing a man. She hadn't outright asked him for a date, showing she was paying attention to the rhythm of the times.

But for a young person in the 1980s, such a bold action might create confusion between a student and a teacher.

So, he didn't think in any other direction. This was a serious, good student. "Certainly. I live in the city as well. If you have any questions you don't understand, Cheng Ying, you are welcome to come over and discuss them anytime."

Cheng Ying felt this was truly her dream man. Look at his demeanor, his bearing, his depth—how captivating they were! "Thank you, Teacher."

If Chi Wu hadn't pulled her sleeve from behind, Cheng Ying would have followed the teacher into his office.

Watching Teacher Qi's receding back, Cheng Ying patted her cheeks. "Oh, this feeling!" Her heart was pounding so hard. "Well? My taste isn't bad, is it?"

With Chi Wu, Cheng Ying didn't need to adapt to the rhythm of the era; she said what was on her mind, now boasting about her judgment.

Chi Wu’s face turned almost green with suppressed emotion. "You, you, you..."

After a long moment, Chi Wu barely managed to contain his fury. He wanted to call Cheng Ying promiscuous, but he realized this was also his fault for not making things clear to her. "That's your teacher! If you and him... that’s called adultery!"

Cheng Ying’s eyes had never been wider. Even if society was conservative, a teacher-student romance wasn't exactly adultery. What a ridiculous kid, using words incorrectly! "You little brat, don't spout nonsense if you don't understand. Go and study properly with Teacher Qi, see how steady and composed he is."

Chi Wu let out a cold snort from his lungs. "Why are you so superficial? You're completely infatuated just by looking at his surface! Have you ever seen him pick his nose? Have you seen him scratch his toes? Have you seen him squatting to defecate? How do you know what he's like behind closed doors?"

He was using the most disgusting imagery he could conjure.

Cheng Ying felt the unlucky kid was deliberately trying to ruin her. Was it easy to find someone you truly felt for? Why did he have to bring up such disgusting topics? He was her dream man! "Get lost! Go stay somewhere else!"

However, on second thought, even a dream man had to eat, drink, and go to the bathroom. Maybe she was being a bit too superficial.

She shuddered at how disgusting the thought became.

She shot Chi Wu a fierce glare, then turned and walked away.

Chi Wu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had always considered Cheng Ying to be exclusively his. He never imagined this girl had such fickle intentions.

What terrible taste! She couldn't see a man as masculine as himself, but instead fixated on some pretty-boy teacher. What kind of moral character was that?