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"It's been a little hot lately. Did you get heatstroke? Should I have one of the other students take you to the infirmary?"

"No need." Lu Chi shook his head and handed his English exam paper to the proctor. "I'm really fine."

"All right, then!" Seeing Lu Chi insist, the proctor could not say much else. He nodded and gently reminded him, "Just keep an eye on yourself. If you start feeling really unwell, don't force yourself to endure it. Go to the infirmary right away. Your health comes first, after all."

As he spoke, the proctor patted Lu Chi on the shoulder before leaving his desk to collect the other students' papers.

To train students for exams, Yanda Affiliated High School followed the same format as the college entrance exam: two days, with two exams each day. After finishing their English exam, the second- and third-year students went straight to their lunch break. The first-years, however, were still having regular classes. So the second- and third-years did not dare make any noise and disturb the others, quietly filing out of the teaching building.

Lu Chi had spent some time spacing out in the exam room. By the time he left, there was hardly anyone left on the entire floor. He walked out of the teaching building in a daze, only to be called out by Yue Bin, who had been waiting downstairs.

"Why did you take so long? I've been waiting for ages!" Yue Bin stuffed a can of walnut milk into Lu Chi's hand and said with a grin, "Here, drink this. It's good for your brain."

As he spoke, Yue Bin noticed Lu Chi's overly pale face. "What's wrong with you? Don't tell me the aftereffects of your concussion are acting up?"

"It's nothing. I just feel like..." I can't quite tell what's real and what's a dream anymore.

Am I alive or dead? Is everything happening now real, or is it all just my imagination? Why do I keep dreaming about things that haven't happened yet? Or rather, why does my life keep repeating itself?

Lu Chi's gaze passed over Yue Bin, Zhang Yang, and the faces of his other friends one by one.

Yue Bin and the others all noticed that something was wrong with Lu Chi. Holding their breath, they waited for what he would say next.

After a long silence, Lu Chi finally forced a smile and said lightly, "...I just think I knew how to do every question on that paper!"

"Oh, I thought it was something serious!" Zhang Yang had been startled by Lu Chi's dramatic pause and slapped his thigh. "Are you messing with us? You memorized all nine of those notebooks. What on that test could you possibly not know how to do?"

"Old Lu, that's not very nice of you. We were all worried about you, and you pull something like this!" Zhang Yang complained, then threw an arm around Lu Chi's shoulders and dragged him toward the cafeteria. "If you hadn't just recovered from a serious illness, I'd have made you treat us to a meal!"

The other students gathered around them, laughing and joking as they joined in complaining that Lu Chi had gone bad. Lu Chi merely smiled without saying anything. The matter passed just like that.

Only Yue Bin frowned—he could not shake the feeling that what Lu Chi had wanted to say just now was not that.

There was another math exam in the afternoon. After lunch, everyone wanted to find somewhere to rest. Since Lu Chi lived on campus, he planned to return to the dormitory for a nap. Zhang Yang wanted no part of that, saying with a cheeky grin, "Come on, just sleeping is so boring. How about we go to an internet café? I'll teach you how to play games."

How could Lu Chi possibly be in the mood to play games? He shook his head at Zhang Yang and said apologetically, "My head hurts a little. I won't be going."

"You probably overworked your brain and need some rest." With his hands in his pockets, Yue Bin discreetly studied Lu Chi, whose face had remained pale—his complexion was even worse than when he had been in the hospital. He said to Zhang Yang and the others, "How about this? I'll take Lu Chi back to the dormitory. You guys go have fun."

"No need, I can go back by myself—"

Before Lu Chi could finish, Zhang Yang said with a grin, "You really can't go back by yourself."

Zhang Yang pointed at himself, then at Yue Bin. "You changed dorms. You're sharing a room with Yue Bin and me now. Oh, and Pan Tianbo from your class."

Lu Chi froze. When had he changed dorms? How did he not know about it?

"We changed it for you." Noticing Lu Chi's expression, Yue Bin smiled and explained, "Anyway, you weren't that familiar with your old roommates. If you live with us, we can look out for each other."

Zhang Yang chimed in with a grin, "Exactly. Yue Bin even went out of his way to ask Teacher Sun to arrange it. Otherwise, the school wouldn't have approved it."

Lu Chi keenly noticed that Yue Bin had said, "You weren't that familiar with your old roommates," rather than, "Your old roommates weren't that familiar with you." He did not know what the issue was, so he could only smile and say, "All right, then. Sorry to trouble you with taking me back to the dormitory."

"It's no trouble. I was planning to go back for a nap too." As Yue Bin spoke, he casually took Lu Chi's backpack and slung it over one shoulder. Then he turned back to remind Zhang Yang, "The exam starts at three this afternoon. Don't play so long that you lose track of time."

"Don't worry!" Zhang Yang waved at Yue Bin, then left in a bustling group with the others.

Once the large group had gone, only Yue Bin and Lu Chi remained. Yue Bin looked Lu Chi over and cautiously said, "If there's something you want to say or ask, just ask."

Lu Chi had not intended to bring it up anymore. He had not expected Yue Bin to see through him. He stared steadily at Yue Bin without speaking for a long time. So long that Yue Bin thought Lu Chi would not say anything, until Lu Chi slowly asked, "Do you think the aftereffects of a concussion can turn someone into a lunatic?"

Yue Bin was taken aback. He asked instinctively, "What do you mean?"

"I mean... maybe it can cause hallucinations or something." Lu Chi thought for a moment, not knowing how to describe his current condition—besides, there were some things he was still unsure whether he should say at all.

Yue Bin scratched his cheek in confusion, the gesture making him seem a little boyish.

Seeing this, Lu Chi smiled faintly. "Forget it. Let's not talk about this. Let's go back to the dormitory. I'm a little tired and want to sleep for a while."

Yue Bin had wanted to say something, but hearing Lu Chi's words, he could only nod and lead him back to the dormitory.

When Lu Chi had first transferred in, the school assigned him to Room 202 in the boys' dormitory. After he had spent half a month in the hospital, Yue Bin and the others had "moved" him to Room 233 without permission. When Lu Chi returned to the dormitory, he happened to run into Pan Tianbo, who was coming back from the cafeteria.