Memory Has Deteriorated

The next day.

Today was the day to return to their hometown.

Xia Yanchun's mother, Wen Zhining, was driving over to pick them up, so Shen Nian packed up his computer early in the morning.

The cardboard box for the computer case was still around, making it easy to pack. There was no need to dismantle everything completely; as long as the road wasn't too bumpy, it would be perfectly fine.

As expected, Xia Yanchun slept until eleven. Shen Nian had gone downstairs at ten to buy rice noodle rolls, but they ended up half cold. By the time he woke her up, they were only slightly warm.

Xia Yanchun didn't mind. The texture was just a bit worse, but it was fine to make do for breakfast. There would be a feast waiting for them at home anyway.

After breakfast, feeling comfortable and relaxed, Xia Yanchun sipped her iced soy milk, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

"Aren't you packing any clothes or anything? You're just bringing a computer?"

"I have clothes over there."

"Alright then."

Tossing the plastic bottle, Xia Yanchun patted her bottom and stood up. She stepped in front of Shen Nian, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a light kiss on his lips with a soft smile. "I'll go back and pack my clothes first. I'll come get you when my mom is almost downstairs. You better be ready, understand? Don't suddenly say you need to take a dump and make us wait."

"Usually, it's lazy people who have a lot of crap to deal with. How could a hardworking guy like me possibly need to take a dump right when we're about to leave?"

"That's for the best."

Xia Yanchun cheerfully skipped out the door.

With some time left, Shen Nian cleaned up the apartment.

He had already told Shen Yue this morning about going back to their hometown. Once he put on his shoes and socks, he would be ready to head out immediately.

Sitting on the sofa, Shen Nian clicked open his profile page.

His follower count had already reached over three thousand, a result of the hype cashing in from last night until now.

To be honest, it exceeded his expectations a bit.

It wasn't that there were too many followers, but rather a lot of people had RSVP'd for the livestream—up to fifteen hundred, almost half the number of his followers.

As for the comments, Shen Nian just glanced over them briefly without paying much attention. His direct messages were similarly lacking in substance, and there were even some harassing ones, clearly just people venting their frustrations.

The like count on the comment "Kids, it's really me (facepalm laugh)" had surpassed ten thousand, and the video's views had hit over a million. As far as this specific video was concerned, the hype was starting to die down.

However, the overall buzz surrounding the college entrance exam interview remained undiminished.

On the short video platform, the video Ma Mingfan had shared had already reached a million likes. Various verified online news media outlets were like cats smelling fish, eager to produce related content.

Shen Nian had also left a comment there, but it had completely sunk into oblivion.

Rather than posting comments to prove his identity, Shen Nian thought about it and decided to post a short video here instead.

He thought of the idea and shot it on the spot.

"You've all seen this video, right? That's right, I'm the guy in the video. I saw in the comments that a lot of people don't believe it, saying how hard and tricky the exam was, calling me a braggart, a show-off, and all sorts of things. I just want to say one thing: it's really not that hard to admit someone else is awesome. On the 25th, I'll host a livestream to check my scores live. Everyone is welcome to come and see me prove you wrong."

Shen Nian watched the twenty-second face-reveal video and found it a bit funny himself.

He still couldn't act as naturally as those professional video bloggers.

After selecting some trending tags, Shen Nian posted it directly.

Thanks to the platform's algorithm pushing the traffic, comments started rolling in within two minutes.

[Holy crap, is it really him? (Shocked)]

[The king of show-offs is trying to build an account. I declare the account building a failure.]

[Anyone following this streamer is set for life. Marking this down; he'll be selling health supplements when he's old.]

...

People loving the drama was exactly what Shen Nian wanted. Hehe.

The traffic on this short video platform was even more terrifying. In half an hour, his followers had already reached over three hundred.

Am I really a genius at building accounts?

Shen Nian was convinced.

A little past twelve, Xia Yanchun called him from outside the door to leave. Shen Nian happily carried his computer and scurried downstairs.

Xia Yanchun hadn't been back to their hometown since the New Year. She was quite excited while riding the elevator down, bouncing lightly on her feet.

Her hair looked so fluffy; who could resist touching it?

Shen Nian couldn't hold back and reached out to smooth her hair.

"Going home! Hey, help me look for a computer too, a laptop. Seven or eight thousand, a bit more or less is fine. Send me the link when you find a good one, and I'll order it directly."

"Looking for a computer is a hassle. You just love troubling me," Shen Nian grumbled.

"What do you mean? When you confessed to me, you said you'd like me for a lifetime, be my little brother for a lifetime, and listen to my orders for a lifetime."

"How come I don't remember saying those things?"

This damn Haji Chun was just making things up out of thin air. How ridiculous.

Xia Yanchun was unreasonably confident. She huffed twice, thought for a moment to organize her words, then raised a finger and said seriously, "You've been jerking off too much lately, so your memory has declined."

"Six, six, six."

Shen Nian died inside with a sense of relief. He couldn't think of a comeback to that even if he tried his hardest.

"Whatever you say," he compromised.

Just as they stepped out of the elevator, Shen Nian nudged Xia Yanchun gently with his elbow. "Wait a minute, I didn't jerk off at all. It wasn't my hand."

"!"

Xia Yanchun immediately lost her composure and glared at Shen Nian fiercely. "Hooligan, get lost, get lost, get lost!"

"Now I feel better."

The weather was perfect, with a clear blue sky, and the scent of gardenias drifted through the residential complex.

Wen Zhining was running a bit late, so Xia Yanchun and Shen Nian stood at the complex's main gate to wait for her.

The stylish Jiba Cat was nestled on the security booth, tucking its little paws in while watching Shen Nian. Whenever Shen Nian turned to look at it, it would open its mouth.

It didn't look like it was hissing, but rather purring.

Keep it up, Jiba Cat. Live a little longer, and a certain little girl might get her family's permission to adopt you.

Just remember to say a proper goodbye to your bells; you won't be seeing them once you're adopted.

A black car pulled up in front of the complex. Xia Yanchun recognized it instantly and bounded over. "Mom!"

"I'm here. You guys didn't wait too long, did you?"

"Just for a little while."

Seeing the large cardboard box in Shen Nian's hands, Wen Zhining popped the trunk first.

Shen Nian quickly placed the item inside, being very careful, afraid it might shift and break during the drive.

"Is that a computer?"

"Yeah," Shen Nian clapped his hands. "Newly bought. Auntie, please avoid the potholes when you drive."

"Even if you didn't say so, I'd definitely avoid them as much as possible."

"Then I'm relieved."

"Mom, let's go get lunch first. You've been driving for so long; you should take a break."

"Alright, my treat. What do you want to eat?"

...

After having lunch, buying some sweet soup to drink, and chatting for a bit, Wen Zhining started driving again.

Xia Yanchun sat in the passenger seat, happily listening to music with her earphones on. Shen Nian sat alone in the back, checking his account one moment and scrolling through videos the next, enjoying his leisure time.

"Shen Nian, did you know you were posted online recently?" Wen Zhining suddenly asked.

"I know. Did you guys see it too?"

"Hehehe, I only found out today. Your mom showed it to us. Very impressive, getting on an interview show and getting so many likes."

Shen Nian chuckled lightly. "I saw a lot of people cursing at me."

"Really? Auntie hasn't read those comments... Let me tell you, it is best to just ignore what people say online. A lot of folks have no idea what is going on and just jump on the bandwagon to spout nonsense..."

"I know. A few comments are no big deal. Honestly, if they were not hating on me, I would actually be disappointed."

"..."

Wasn't this kid's mindset a little too good?

Wen Zhining glanced at Shen Nian through the rearview mirror.

Heh, they really have grown up.

Makes sense. Without a strong mentality, how could anyone boost their grades so drastically in such a short amount of time?

After all, whether it was Xia Yanchun or Shen Nian, neither of them were the little troublemakers they used to be.