A reborn mother longs for her daughter's happiness.

Chapter 199 Liu Qicheng's Youth

High school was like a colorful yet slightly bewildering adventure. Liu Qicheng, an ordinary second-year high school boy, spent his days shuttling between mountains of homework and textbooks. His life was like a pre-programmed routine: going to class, leaving class, eating, and sleeping, until that sunny afternoon when everything changed.

That day, Liu Qicheng went to the school library as usual. He wanted to find a math competition study guide to prepare for the upcoming competition. The library was quiet, with only the occasional sound of turning pages and the scratching of pens on paper. Liu Qicheng wandered among the bookshelves, his eyes quickly scanning the rows of books.

Suddenly, a soft "eh" came from not far away, catching his attention. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a girl standing in front of a bookshelf, trying to reach a book on the top shelf by standing on tiptoe and reaching out in vain with her fingers. The book seemed to be deliberately playing tricks on her, hanging high up there, out of reach.

Seeing the girl's cute yet anxious expression, Liu Qicheng couldn't help but laugh out loud. Hearing the laughter, the girl turned around, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. Realizing his lapse in composure, Liu Qicheng quickly suppressed his laughter and hurried over.

"Hey classmate, let me help you," Liu Qicheng said, easily reaching out and taking the book down.

The girl took the book and smiled brightly: "Thank you so much, I was so anxious!"

Liu Qicheng scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "It's no big deal. Why didn't you ask the librarian for help?"

The girl pouted and said, "I just looked, but I couldn't find him. Besides, I thought I could handle it myself, so I didn't want to bother others. I didn't expect I'd have to rely on you, my 'savior'."

Liu Qicheng found the girl's lively demeanor quite amusing. He glanced at the book in her hand and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, you like science fiction too? I thought only boys liked it!"

The girl's eyes lit up: "How could that be? Science fiction novels are amazing, full of all sorts of fantastic ideas. Have you read this one?"

Liu Qicheng nodded: "Yes, I've seen it. I especially like the time travel concept in it. It's really mind-blowing."

The two chatted about science fiction, from Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics to Liu Cixin's *The Three-Body Problem*, completely losing track of time. They only snapped back to reality when the library's loudspeaker announced that lunch break was approaching.

"Oh dear, it's almost noon, I didn't even notice," the girl exclaimed, glancing at her watch.

Liu Qicheng was also a little surprised: "Yes, we were chatting so intently. Are you going to the cafeteria for lunch later?"

The girl smiled and said, "Sure, thanks for helping me with the book, let's grab a bite to eat together."

Liu Qicheng was secretly delighted and quickly agreed, "Okay, okay."

The two walked out of the library and headed towards the cafeteria side by side. Along the way, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting golden dappled patterns on them.

"By the way, I still don't know your name," Liu Qicheng suddenly asked.

The girl slapped her forehead: "Look at my memory! My surname is Yang, and my name is Yang Xuexue. What about you?"

"My name is Liu Qicheng. It's nice to meet you, Yang Xuexue," Liu Qicheng said with a smile.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, it was the busiest time of day. Long queues had formed in front of the food windows, and the air was filled with the aroma of food. Liu Qicheng and Yang Yue finally reached the window, each got their food, and found an empty seat.

"The braised pork looks delicious today." Liu Qicheng looked at the braised pork on his plate and swallowed hard.

Yang Xuexue glanced at it and said with disdain, "I think it's too greasy. I still prefer to eat vegetables." As she spoke, she picked up a piece of vegetables with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, chewing it with relish.

Liu Qicheng laughed and said, "You're being too health-conscious. High school life is so tiring, how can you have the energy to study if you don't eat more meat?"

Yang Xuexue rolled her eyes at him: "What do you know? Maintaining a balanced diet is the most important thing. Besides, I don't want to gain weight."

The two chatted over their meal, discussing everything from studies to life, from hobbies to future dreams. Liu Qicheng discovered that Yang Xuexue was not only cheerful but also had particularly interesting ideas. She had unique insights into many things, and talking to her was like opening a door to a new world.

"You know what? I've always dreamed of becoming an astronaut someday and exploring the mysteries of the universe," Yang Xuexue said suddenly with a serious expression.

Liu Qicheng looked at her in surprise: "Really? Being an astronaut is not easy; you have to go through a lot of rigorous training."

Yang Xuexue nodded firmly: "I know, so I'm working hard to study, especially physics and math. I believe that as long as I persevere, I will one day realize my dream."

Liu Qicheng was touched by Yang Xuexue's enthusiasm and persistence. He smiled and said, "Then I'll wait to see the day you become an astronaut. You'll have to bring me back some souvenirs from space then."

Yang Xuexue smiled and said, "No problem. Maybe I'll even find aliens in the universe and bring you back a picture of one."

As they talked, they couldn't help but burst into laughter. The surrounding classmates cast strange glances at them, but they didn't care, immersed in their own world of joy.

After lunch, Liu Qicheng and Yang Xuexue walked out of the cafeteria together. Since their lunch break wasn't over yet, they decided to take a walk on campus. The campus was beautiful; the flowers in the flowerbeds were in full bloom, and butterflies fluttered among them.

"I think high school life is busy, but it's also quite interesting," Liu Qicheng said with emotion.

Yang Xuexue nodded: "Yes, although there is endless homework and tests every day, I have also met a lot of interesting people and experienced a lot of interesting things. Like today, if I hadn't met you in the library, I probably wouldn't have been able to get that book."

Looking at Yang Yue, Liu Qicheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He suddenly felt that this chance encounter might be a precious gift from fate.

"Yang Xuexue, can we still chat and eat together in the future?" Liu Qicheng asked, mustering his courage.

Yang Xuexue looked at him with a sweet smile on her face: "Of course! I'm very happy to have met such an interesting friend like you."

From then on, Liu Qicheng and Yang Xuexue became good friends. They often studied together in the library, ate together in the cafeteria, and took walks together on campus. Their friendship, like a flower on campus, flourished under the nourishment of sunshine and rain.