Chapter 003: Reflections on the Future and That Girl

This girl, he wants to help her

It seems that she does not take it to heart, but whenever Jiang Nan recalls the scene where Yang Yi captured the intense gaze of over a thousand students in the entire grade, her feelings become somewhat unusual

Moreover, some well-meaning girls, due to Su Wan's usual disheveled and inappropriate appearance, as well as her extremely unlikable personality, privately refer to her as "Ice Shard," which sarcastically implies that Su Wan, despite lacking the conditions, still pretends to be an ice-cold beauty.

However, it did not take long for Yang Yi to realize something that left him utterly frustrated: learning is not simply a matter of wanting to improve; just because one wishes to improve does not mean that improvement will occur. The subjects of mathematics, physics, and chemistry, which had always been a headache for him in his previous life, continued to pose insurmountable challenges even after his rebirth, and he was unable to make any significant breakthroughs.

Yet unexpectedly, he returned once more, descending in the guise of a judge, orchestrating a scene that sent electric shivers down the spines of all present, causing their blood to surge to their heads. That seemingly ordinary boy, beneath his relatively handsome and well-behaved exterior, concealed such wild and unrestrained elements. This speech, which stirred the hearts of over a thousand people to an uncontrollable degree, could almost be regarded as the '...' of Yuezhou No. 3 Middle School, a magnificent performance reminiscent of Martin Luther King Jr.

Yang Yi's question caused Su Wan to furrow her brows, appearing at a loss for words. After standing there expressionlessly for a while, she seemed to have made up her mind: "It's nothing, just thank you for helping me remove the penalty."

Yang was taken aback as he looked from a distance, the dim life from his previous existence that he had not yet forgotten resurfacing in his mind. A multitude of unspeakable emotions surged within him, as the image of his former self, who had struggled painfully, began to gradually merge with the slender figure that had once endured the disdain of the crowd while hiding from the flow of people in the market.

The first book he prepared to take the knife to is "Those Things About the Ming Dynasty," which is reputed to be among the top fifteen in terms of circulation over the past thirty years of reform and opening up, sparking a nationwide enthusiasm for reading history

Indeed, this is the plan of the reborn Yang Yi. In the sudden reversal of time, he cannot remember the fluctuations of stocks, the trends in IT, or the business opportunities. However, having mingled in the field of commentators and writers for many years, Yang Yi, who has an immense love for words, naturally has his own unwavering confidence.

A fleeting look of embarrassment crossed the face of the middle-aged woman, as if she wanted to explode in anger, but she held it back. Finally, she let out a deep sigh and walked out, while Su Wan remained indifferent, silently following behind. Upon seeing this, Yang Yi quickly stepped aside, but he felt a growing curiosity about the mother and daughter.

In 1997, terms like "moody and reserved," "submissive," and "sharp guy" had not yet emerged. Of course, this was not the main focus of the conversation between the two women. After hearing her companion's somewhat over-the-top remarks, Jiang Nan could only smile helplessly and turned to give her a roll of the eyes, saying, "What do you expect him to do?"

After this turmoil temporarily subsided, Yang Yi completely focused his thoughts on the upcoming high school entrance examination. He still remembered his abysmal scores from the previous exam. As a reborn individual, failing to pass even this crucial test would indeed signify a rather dismal failure in life

"Please have a meal? Are you inviting someone to eat the vegetable leaves picked from the market?" Su Wan was taciturn at school, and her voice rarely fluctuated when she spoke, which often led people to overlook her clear and melodious voice.

There are also those leftover vegetable leaves

Since this path is blocked, let us take a step back and consider other methods. At the very least, I must earn back the substantial sponsorship fees that caused my mother to secretly shed tears and worry for several days in my previous life! Therefore, during the review classes over the past two days, Yang simply abandoned those formulaic symbols that induce headaches at first glance, and instead secretly engaged in the planned endeavor—writing a book

If Yang Yi were still the same middle school student as before, he would naturally believe Su Wan's words. However, as someone who has been reborn, he could see that the young girl's words were insincere, yet he had no intention of exposing her. He simply smiled and replied, "It's nothing," waved his hand, and turned to leave

Those vivid words, those captivating strokes, those bestsellers that consistently set the trend in reading, Yang Yi has not forgotten a single one—whether domestic or international

However, just as he had finished packing his things and was preparing to go home, the other protagonist of the slander incident, Su Wan, a girl who had, in a sense, been saved by Yang Yi, appeared in front of him at some unknown time.

However, Jia Liping, who decisively cut off the tail to survive, was not affected by this matter. He merely presented a reason for his negligence in employing others and his gullibility towards rumors, resulting in nothing more than a superficial self-criticism.

Just like in this math class, all the students in the class were desperately tackling a set of internal reference questions, but Yang Yi was diligently recalling the details of the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty until the school bell rang

Moreover, Jiang Nan was well aware that even without this relationship, her scholarly father would never hold a grudge against a mere middle school principal

From a distance, the slightly oversized polyester shirt worn by Su Wan appeared quite ridiculous, and the straight-cut gray trousers had some barely noticeable stains. The plastic sandals, which were sold for 8 yuan a pair in the small department store in the suburbs, had long since faded in color

I really didn't see it coming. Yang Yi, this guy, usually keeps to himself, but when he loses his temper, he looks so cool! On the way home from school, my female companion clasped her hands together with a lovesick expression: "Hey, what if he went crazy because of me? Tsk! I would let him..."

Then the young man floated away like an immortal riding a sword through the azure mist, undoubtedly elegant and unrestrained, yet it inevitably evokes a sense of regret as if he were giving up on everything.

Just as Jiang Nan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry while preparing to swat away her companion's "An Lushan's claw," she discovered that this "claw" was not making the anticipated move towards her waist, but was instead frozen in mid-air in a bizarre posture

Descending from another staircase, Yang followed closely behind Su Wan and her mother. Due to their residence in the old city, the way home was generally in the same direction. Therefore, Yang simply trailed behind the two, wanting to understand why Su Wan's mother was treating them. However, Su Wan's reaction was one of indifference—after all, she felt she had helped her in some way!

When she first heard this sentence, even though she was the daughter of the newly appointed municipal party secretary, there was a moment of daze.

In about a month, graduation will arrive. This annoying fly, just bear with it. Jiang Nan's lips curled into a helpless arc. Even though she was sweating profusely, the gentle and dignified demeanor reflected in the corners of her eyes and brows made her best friend feel dissatisfied yet unable to resist the urge to get close and entangle with her.

In the end, he could only admit that some things truly require talent

As for retaliating against Yang Yi, under the scrutiny of the entire education system in Yuezhou and countless parents of students, the top student from the third middle school has not yet become so crazed and ignorant as to believe that revenge cannot wait until the next day

Then, the phrase "to turn black into white, the height of shamelessness" that Jiang Nan could never forget many years later finally echoed in her ears

Did I not tell you to invite them? Your classmate has helped us so much, we should at least treat them to a meal! Yang Yi curiously glanced in through the window and saw a woman whose eyebrows and eyes bore some resemblance to Su Wan.

Retaliation? Yang Yi has never taken this issue to heart. For someone who has lived two lives, he may not be able to bring down this academically superior individual with connections in a short time, but he is certainly not afraid of the other party's underhanded tactics

Although the contours of Su Wan's features should appear exquisite and refined, the current image is enough to make people retreat in fear, leaving no room to take a second glance

The young girl's face flushed; at their age, some blunt words are difficult to express even to close friends and can only be kept hidden in their hearts. So she quickly changed the subject: "Hey, you mentioned that he embarrassed Jia Mazi in front of so many people, how come we haven't seen this top student retaliate?"

Two days have passed since the incident of exoneration, and under irrefutable evidence, the slanderous actions of Tian Zhengwu, the academic director of San Zhong, against innocent students have caused quite a stir throughout Yuezhou. Under social pressure, this lackey of Jia Liping has not only been expelled from the education system but also faces the possibility of being prosecuted.

Although his own father is the Secretary of the Yuezhou Municipal Committee, he has only recently returned to his hometown from a neighboring province a few months ago, and naturally cannot compare to the mayor who has held real power in Yuezhou for many years

When her close friend urged Jiang Nan to seek her father for comfort, the class leader of Class 3 could only smile helplessly. Her family background made her more aware of certain matters than her peers, such as the relationship between Jia Liping and Xu Hongjun, the director of the Education Bureau of Yuezhou City, and how Xu Hongjun was a trusted confidant of Cao Jianhua, the mayor of Yuezhou City

However, unexpectedly, when I returned to the classroom to retrieve a manuscript that I had forgotten in the physics class, I heard a somewhat oppressive argument in the now empty classroom

along with the disheveled hair dampened by sweat, the short neck hair, and the rustic glasses

This undoubtedly brings a sense of joy akin to encountering a kindred spirit for Jiang Nan, who has hidden her own wild and rebellious side very deeply and effectively.

"Hmm? May I ask if there is something?" Regarding this introverted girl, Yang Yi did not know much about her, only that due to family and personal reasons, she hardly spoke to anyone at school, her perpetually unchanged expression resembling a mask

It is only under the heavy pressures of life that a girl may forget her true nature and disregard her image in such a manner

After the mother and daughter turned a corner on Meiwan Street and arrived at the vegetable market, Yang Yi finally understood why Su Wan reacted this way—children of this age, no matter how cold and frosty they may appear on the surface, would probably never take the initiative to invite others to observe themselves and their mothers scavenging for scraps to make a living at the market

However, out of his fondness for the bright moon and a self-esteem that was so minuscule it could almost be disregarded, Yang did not fully plagiarize "The Ming Dynasty"; instead, he intended to adopt the writing style of "The Ming Dynasty" to depict another highly controversial dynasty, the Song Dynasty