Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 81

Chapter 81: What Does “Ten Years Later” Even Mean?

“How noble of you to say.”

Liang Tingxuan lifted his hand to catch a falling snowflake.

We’re all petty people, so what’s this talk of honorable methods? It’s just a matter of who’s dirtier. He admitted he couldn’t compare to He Zhou—after all, this was the current head of the He Family.

Jealous?

More like resentment.

He pulled out a lollipop, tore open the wrapper, and popped it into his mouth. The cloying sweetness spread through his mouth.

So sweet, yet not sweet enough.

The heavy snow continued to fall, as if to bury all sorrow beneath its relentless blanket.

A bone-chilling wind lashed his face, making it ache. Qi Yuan buried his face deeper into his scarf. Though he wore gloves, his hands were still freezing, his finger joints stiff and uncontrollable. The suitcase he dragged felt like a leaden burden. He struggled to pull it home.

As soon as he entered his apartment, he grabbed the air conditioner remote and switched it on. He quickly realized the indoor temperature was barely warmer than the freezing air outside.

Years ago, he would never have dared turn on the air conditioner. Instead, he would have taken a hot bath and curled up in bed.

But now things were different. With a stable job, he could finally afford to do what he wanted without constantly worrying about expenses.

This was a good thing. Money, after all, was meant to be used. Qi Yuan had finally come to terms with this, abandoning his relentless frugality and embracing strategic investments—spending on himself to make his life more comfortable. It was never a bad thing.

As the apartment gradually warmed up, Qi Yuan rested briefly before starting to clean.

The place wasn’t very dusty, a clear sign that Qi Meng and Xia Jiqing had cleaned during their last visit.

He finished tidying up quickly and changed his clothes.

The apartment had a small electric foot warmer, perfect for warming his cold feet. Qi Yuan carried it to the living room, wiped it down, waited for it to dry, and then plugged it in.

He sank comfortably into the sofa, tucked his feet into the foot warmer, and draped a blanket over himself.

Perhaps it was the exhaustion from the train journey and the cleaning, but his eyelids soon began to droop. Drowsiness washed over him, and he drifted off to sleep.

Qi Yuan had barely fallen asleep at home when he was plunged into a Dreamscape.

The surroundings resembled a snow-covered park, identical to the real world outside.

He was bundled up warmly, with heat packs radiating through his layers, keeping him comfortably warm despite the cold.

This Dreamscape was unmistakably modern. Qi Yuan patted his pockets but found no phone.

Confusion welled up, compounded by his sense of disorientation.

Completely clueless, he followed park signs toward the exit, feeling utterly stumped.

The park was deserted and eerily quiet, likely due to the snow. After walking for a long time, Qi Yuan finally spotted a few scattered figures.

Unlike other Dreamscapes he’d experienced, this one offered no initial clues—no phone, no familiar faces. Not even a hint of anything, he sighed inwardly. If not a phone, at least let me recognize someone.

But there was nothing. The Dreamscape was utterly unforgiving.

So, how am I supposed to play this game?

Qi Yuan had no idea. All he knew was that he needed to find shelter from the snow, space out, and wait for someone to cross his path.

After leaving the park, he found a convenience store. He rummaged through every pocket and, thankfully, found 20 yuan in his pants pocket.

This was his only possession in the world, a truly desperate situation that made his head spin.

Qi Yuan bought some food at the convenience store. There were tables and chairs inside, so he sat down and nibbled slowly at the reheated bread, which still tasted stale.

As he stared blankly at the street outside, a slender figure rushed into the convenience store.

The glass door swung open, and the person who entered rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

“Big Brother!”

“Qi Yuan!”

“Where have you been all these years?!”

Qi Meng, who hadn’t seen her big brother in nearly a decade, recognized him with a quick glance from the car.

There’s always a kind of intuition between family members. She instantly knew the man in the convenience store was Qi Yuan and immediately turned the car around.

Sure enough, her instincts were right, and tears welled up in her eyes.

The future Qi Meng had changed considerably. The youthful plumpness of her face had faded, revealing sharper angles. She wore subtle makeup that enhanced her mature features.

Beneath her long down coat, she wore professional attire, projecting the image of a powerful businesswoman.

“Qi Meng?” Qi Yuan asked uncertainly, his mind reeling at this unfamiliar version of his sister.

Qi Meng pursed her lips, struggling to contain her emotions.

“Big Brother, it’s me.”

“I’ve been searching for you for so long, but I just couldn’t find you. I refused to believe you were dead.”

“I held on for ten years. Thank goodness I never gave up.”

As she spoke, she drew closer until her tears finally fell when she touched Qi Yuan’s warm face.

Ten years?

Holy shit!

What the hell is going on?!

Hearing this, Qi Yuan lost his composure.

“Qi Meng, what do you mean I vanished for ten years?”

She took his hand, choosing not to explain right then, intending to get him home first.

“Big Brother, I’ll explain everything at home, okay?”

Qi Yuan met her pleading gaze and nodded in agreement.

They got into the car.

Qi Meng spoke first. “Big Brother, can you tell me where you’ve been all these years?”

“And why haven’t you aged at all? You’re even wearing the same clothes you were wearing when you disappeared!”

Qi Yuan blinked.

He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t know why I vanished for these ten years you’re talking about. I don’t even know why I haven’t aged.”

Having experienced countless surreal Dreamscapes, he had a vague suspicion about his role in this one.

“Qi Meng, I think I’ve transmigrated.”

“You remember those transmigration novels you used to love reading?”

“Your Big Brother didn’t just disappear—I time-traveled. One minute, I was ten years ago; the next, I was here, in the present.”

“How else could I look exactly the same, right down to the clothes I’m wearing?”

Qi Yuan believed this was the truth, but he wasn’t sure if Qi Meng would accept it.

Qi Meng took the news remarkably well. Though she’d outgrown her days of obsessively reading fantasy novels, she still had a knack for accepting the extraordinary.

“If you say it’s true, Big Brother, I believe you.”

She released the anxiety she had carried for nearly a decade. At least her brother was safe, whether he’d truly time-traveled or not. To her, his safety would always come first.

Qi Yuan fell silent. He didn’t know how to react to this Dreamscape Qi Meng, especially since she appeared older than him, the Big Brother in this scenario. It almost sounded like a joke.

But this was reality.

He struggled to find the right words. He could effortlessly charm others, but he couldn’t bring himself to use his usual tactics on Qi Meng, the way he would with You Qinghe and the others.

“How have you been all these years?” Qi Yuan asked.

The simple question spoke volumes about his concern for his only family.

“Don’t worry about me,” Qi Meng replied. “I’ve been doing quite well.”

“All my dreams from back then have come true. I have my own company, a house, and a car.”

“Big Brother, your friends have been incredibly attentive to me. They’ve sent people everywhere to look for you, even more relentlessly than I have.”

“And what’s really strange is that they all claim to be your boyfriend.”

Qi Yuan nearly choked on his own spit.

“What?!”

Now that Qi Meng had relaxed, she had a lot to say, but right now she was even more eager to know which of these people was actually Big Brother’s boyfriend.

“So, Big Brother, did you date anyone before you transmigrated? If so, was it just one person? Or were you playing the field?”

Qi Yuan: “………”

It was a good question, but unfortunately, he didn’t know the answer himself.

To save face in front of his little sister, he denied ever having dated anyone.

Qi Meng nodded, looking like she understood.

“So they were all just pining after you.”

“Tsk, Big Brother, you really are irresistible. Even now, they’re still celibate for you.”

“Are you planning to meet them?”

“Or maybe not. But I think I should at least tell them I’ve found you. Otherwise, they’ll definitely keep searching.”

Qi Yuan thought for a moment and decided, “Let’s not tell them yet.”

He planned to approach them one by one to figure out which one held the key to escaping the Dreamscape. If he told them all at once, they’d all swarm him, making it difficult to act discreetly.

Just then, Qi Meng’s phone rang.

She glanced at the number, then whispered to Qi Yuan to stay quiet. Naturally, she agreed with whatever her big brother decided.