chapter 4

When I opened my eyes again, I was holding a book, dressed in my school uniform, standing in front of the storage room door.

Inside the storage room, the young Shen Qingqie was leaning against the wall, his messy black hair falling over his forehead, a hint of confusion in his gaze as he looked at me.

The school bully, Xiao Nian, sat lazily opposite him, looking relaxed and indifferent.

When he saw me, he raised his eyebrows and the corners of his lips curled into a careless smile:

“Top student, worried about him?

“I’m just here to… have a little chat with him.”

The feel of the book in my hand didn’t seem like a dream.

My hands and feet instantly turned cold, hatred surging up inside me.

The book fell to the floor with a thud.

Expressionless, I closed the door for him.

Then I turned and walked away.

But behind me came the sound of the door being suddenly pushed open.

Shen Qingqie ran past me like a gust of wind, leaving only a hurried silhouette.

“Why’s he running? I just wanted to ask him why he didn’t sign up for any events at the sports meet…” Xiao Nian muttered as he picked up the book I dropped and handed it to me casually, “You’re welcome.”

A bad feeling crept over me, and I hurried my steps to catch up.

At the classroom door.

Shen Qingqie stood there in a daze, looking at Xu Anran, who was playing around with her deskmate inside the classroom.

The slanting sunset cast a gentle halo over his figure.

His gaze was tender, yet filled with disbelief, as if he were caught in a beautiful dream he couldn’t bear to wake from.

My heart slowly sank.

His demeanor was no longer that of the gloomy boy from before, but rather like the refined professor he would become ten years later.

Shen Qingqie… had been reborn too.

“What’s wrong with you?” Xiao Nian, clueless, patted his shoulder and squeezed past him into the classroom.

“Class is about to start, don’t block the way.”