Chapter Forty-Six: Signs Before the Soul Returns to the Body

Inside the private room of the Transmigration Consultation Agency, Wei Xiaoping’s eyes were fixed intently on the magic mirror mounted on the wall, while his right hand constantly caressed the magical orb.

As he watched the images in the mirror without missing a single detail, he simultaneously accelerated the rotation of the orb.

When Wei Xiaoping heard Yang Zhijin remark that in a previous life, Wei Xiaofan had been a person of considerable talent, and went on to mention how all the Chinese teachers at Liangzhi Middle School used five of Wei Xiaofan’s essays as model texts for their students, his thoughts immediately turned to his present-life twin brother, Wei Xiaofan. In this life, as in the last, Wei Xiaofan was a clever child.

While he listened to Yang Zhijin comment on the scenes unfolding in the magic mirror, he couldn’t help but recall all the evidence of intelligence that Wei Xiaofan had displayed since their childhood together.

Beside him, Yang Zhijin noticed that in his previous life, Wei Xiaoping—while still in middle school—had already become close to two beautiful girls alongside Wei Xiaofan.

What intrigued Yang Zhijin even more was that the student named Zhang Liying seemed eager to care for Wei Xiaofan, to assist him financially, and was constantly seeking opportunities to help him with various matters.

Yang Zhijin mused: if things continued this way, once they reached high school or university, they would inevitably become lovers.

Furthermore, clues from Zhang Liying’s attire and remarks from Li Chaoqian and Zhang Xiaoyan seemed to suggest that her father was a high-ranking official in the City Government of the Republic of Junmin Gongjian, and her mother was a formidable businesswoman. If Zhang Liying and Wei Xiaofan were to develop a romantic relationship, considering her aristocratic family background and Wei Xiaofan’s humble origins, would her parents ever allow them to be together?

Yang Zhijin chuckled to himself, thinking that if the story continued down this path, there would certainly be plenty of drama in Wei Xiaofan and Zhang Liying’s future romance.

With these thoughts, Yang Zhijin said, “General Wei, your old classmate Wei Xiaofan is quite fortunate!”

“Why do you say that? In his previous life, my old classmate Wei Xiaofan was born in a poor rural village, so destitute that even going to school was a struggle! How can you call him lucky?”

“Yes, he was born into poverty, but it’s precisely because he’s poor and clever that he won Zhang Liying’s sympathy and affection!”

“You mean to say Zhang Liying fell for Wei Xiaofan?”

“Didn’t she?”

“Well, even if Zhang Liying does like Wei Xiaofan, isn’t that normal? Boys and girls being attracted to one another is nothing unusual. Are you implying that Wei Xiaofan isn’t worthy of Zhang Liying?”

“It’s normal for boys and girls to like each other, especially since, in terms of talent and appearance, Zhang Liying and Wei Xiaofan are well matched! The real issue is, do you know anything about Zhang Liying’s family?”

“Isn’t she just from the city? Sure, her family’s richer than Wei Xiaofan’s, but is that a reason to say Wei Xiaofan isn’t a good match?”

“It’s not just that—her father is a high official, and her mother a powerful businesswoman. For an ordinary poor boy to be liked by someone from such a wealthy and politically connected family—one could say he’s climbed a tall tree! Isn’t that luck for Wei Xiaofan?” Yang Zhijin replied.

“If that’s the case, perhaps so. The problem is, all we’ve seen so far is Zhang Liying wanting to help Wei Xiaofan with certain things. There’s no clear evidence she truly loves him. Isn’t it a bit premature to say so?” Wei Xiaoping retorted.

“Maybe,” Yang Zhijin conceded. “But judging by my experience in this former life, it’s only a matter of time before Wei Xiaofan and Zhang Liying fall for each other! Let’s keep watching—the best is yet to come!”

Wei Xiaoping began to accelerate the orb’s rotation once more.

At that moment, Wei Xiaoping suddenly felt his right hand growing heavier as he operated the magical orb.

Could it be that my soul-hand is exhausted from overuse? he wondered, glancing down at his right hand.

To his surprise, he noticed a faint red glow encircling his right soul-hand, growing more intense and slowly creeping from his fingertips inward.

He tried using his left hand—the fatigue was there as well, but there was no sign of the red glow.

“Brother Yang, what’s happening? My hands are suddenly tired, and my right hand is glowing red.”

Yang Zhijin, seeing the red aura gradually advancing up Wei Xiaoping’s right hand, understood that Wei Xiaoping’s body in the world of the living was about to awaken. Once that happened, his soul would immediately return to his corporeal form.

A hint of satisfaction flickered across Yang Zhijin’s face. At last, he thought, I won’t have to keep company with this neither-man-nor-ghost General Wei.

“Congratulations, General Wei! Your body is beginning to wake up. Once you’re fully conscious, your soul will automatically leave this place and return to your body in the living world. Then you’ll be able to live among the living again, instead of brooding here in the gloomy underworld!” Yang Zhijin said, patting his shoulder.

Wei Xiaoping was startled. So the red glow meant my body in the living world is reviving!

“Sigh! If my body awakens and my soul returns, I won’t get to finish watching my former life’s records, will I?” he asked anxiously.

“Of course not. Once your soul departs, your consciousness goes with it, so you won’t be able to see anything here anymore,” Yang Zhijin explained.

“Then let’s speed things up and focus on the key events from my previous life, skipping the trivial parts!” Wei Xiaoping exclaimed, quickly pressing several times on the orb. Instantly, the images in the magic mirror accelerated.

After lunch, in his previous life, Wei Xiaofan realized he’d run out of scrap paper.

He decided to buy a few sheets of plain paper from the small convenience store outside the school gate, cut them into sixteen smaller sheets with a knife, and bind them into a notebook.

The store sold ready-made notebooks, but at a higher price—several dimes each, and only about twenty pages per book.

Plain paper, on the other hand, cost just a few cents for a large sheet.

To save money, Wei Xiaofan would spend two or three dimes on several large sheets, bind them himself, and sketch some figures and landscapes on the cover, turning them into beautifully crafted notebooks.

He’d been making his own notebooks this way ever since the first semester of junior high.

The first time Wei Xiaoping saw this, he was utterly convinced by Wei Xiaofan’s skill at cutting, binding, and drawing.

From then on, he followed Wei Xiaofan’s lead.

Initially, Wei Xiaoping didn’t know how and always asked Wei Xiaofan for help or advice. Eventually, he learned to do it himself.

“Xiaoping, have you run out of scrap paper? I’m going to buy some, I’ll get you some as well,” Wei Xiaofan offered.

Wei Xiaoping was still eating, reading a book as he chewed.

“Oh, I’d forgotten if you hadn’t asked. I only have two or three sheets left. Buy me a few, will you? Do you still have money?”

“The money Aunt gave me last time—I haven’t spent much of it yet,” Wei Xiaofan said, heading out.

Wei Xiaofan walked toward the school gate.

Along the way, he realized he’d forgotten to bring money, patting his pocket and finding it empty.

He turned to head back to the dormitory.

As he did so, he spotted a vaguely familiar figure also walking toward the gate.

Is that Li Bufan? He recognized the newcomer and immediately recalled how Li Bufan had slandered him last time. He had no desire to encounter such a troublemaker. But since evasion might arouse suspicion, he remembered Wu Wenbin’s advice: “Sometimes, people with bad character soften if you are consistently kind to them—they might even feel embarrassed to cause you trouble later.”

With this in mind, Wei Xiaofan braced himself and greeted Li Bufan.

“Li Bufan, have you had lunch yet? Where are you off to?”

“Well, fancy meeting you, Wei Xiaofan. Where are you coming from?” Li Bufan replied.

“I was heading to buy a notebook, but realized at the shop that I’d forgotten my money!” Wei Xiaofan said, hurrying back to the dormitory.