Chapter 1

“The school has repeatedly emphasized the importance of studying hard and progressing every day. Any activity unrelated to academics is strictly prohibited. However, some people let these warnings go in one ear and out the other, continuously challenging the school’s rules and regulations. Such behavior is shameful to our institution!

The students on stage have disregarded school discipline. The school has decided to publicly reprimand them in front of all students and faculty as a warning to others.”

Lin Nanzhi was completely dumbfounded. She looked around, still not fully grasping the situation.

Was she dreaming?

And if this was a dream, of all things, why this scene?

This was the greatest humiliation of her life!

That year, she was barely twelve, a second-year middle school student. Her grades had always been mediocre, ranking around 200th in her grade. It wasn’t that she didn’t try—she did—but no matter how hard she worked, it never seemed to make a difference, as if she just couldn’t grasp things.

That day, she and a few classmates had been dragged onto the school’s flag-raising platform because of an anonymous report. In front of the entire school, they were publicly denounced and forced to read letters of repentance.

But she hadn’t done anything wrong. Unwilling to endure such humiliation, she threw down the microphone, stormed off, packed her things, and left school for good, ending her brief student life.

Without even a middle school diploma, she struggled to find a decent job, working as a cashier in supermarkets and restaurants. Fortunately, she managed to write some stories, which helped her get by, but she always regretted how impulsive she had been.

She had thought that leaving school would put an end to the rumors. Instead, they only got worse—some even claimed she had dropped out because she got pregnant.

As she was lost in thought, someone beside her handed her a microphone.

Lin Nanzhi looked at the girl next to her—Luo Manman, a top student. Yet, because of that same report, Luo Manman had changed completely in just one week. The once-confident girl now looked timid, her head hanging low.

If this really was just a dream, then this time, she was going to make a different choice!

She took the microphone, stood tall, and faced the thousands of students and teachers below. With a firm gaze and steady voice, she declared, “Good morning, everyone. My name is Lin Nanzhi from Class 1, Year 2. I’m standing here not to admit guilt, but to tell you that I have done nothing wrong!”

The crowd erupted in murmurs and gasps.

She was still this bold even after getting caught? Impressive!

This was just a small-town school, where teachers weren’t particularly responsible and campus discipline was a mess. Despite this, students still feared teachers enough to stay in line. When caught breaking rules, most students would quietly accept their punishment.

Yet, she dared to challenge the school!

Even the other girls on stage looked at her in shock.

Some of them were innocent, too, but after being wrongfully accused, they had come to accept the blame as if they had really committed the crime. Hearing Lin Nanzhi’s words, they suddenly snapped out of it.

She was right—what had they done wrong?

They hadn’t been in relationships. These accusations were completely baseless!

—-

The teachers, too, were caught off guard. The head teacher, in particular, turned red with anger and stormed toward her, shouting, “Lin Nanzhi, what do you think you’re doing?!”

Lin Nanzhi eyed the balding teacher with an unchanged expression. She stepped back slightly, keeping the microphone out of his reach.

“What am I doing? I’m refusing to accept this punishment. You and the school made a decision based on nothing but a single anonymous report. You never bothered to investigate, never asked us for our side of the story, never even tried to find out who we were supposedly dating! And yet, you labeled us guilty.

A week ago, you and the other teachers punished us harshly without explanation. You dragged us to your office, yelled at us, accused us of being indecent and disgraceful. Did we not try to defend ourselves? For the past week, we’ve endured the judgmental stares of everyone around us, hoping that you would eventually clear our names.

But is this what you call justice?

You falsely accused us and publicly humiliated us in front of the entire school. Do you realize that this stigma will follow us for the rest of our lives?

Does your conscience not weigh on you?

Because I know mine does!

Why should I bear the consequences for something I didn’t do? Just so you can make an example out of me?”

—-

The head teacher stood frozen, unable to respond. It wasn’t until she finished speaking that he snapped out of it and rushed toward her again, trying to snatch the microphone.

Lin Nanzhi swiftly stepped back, her eyes mocking, her tone dripping with disdain. “What’s wrong? Getting desperate?”

“Lin Nanzhi, do you intend to rebel?!”

“Rebel? The Qing Dynasty fell long ago! Do you still think you’re the emperor and we have to bow to you?”

She was furious.

Honestly, she wanted to jump up and punch the teacher in the face. After all, this was just a dream, right? But seeing how much bigger he was, she chickened out and settled for a sharp tongue instead.

Her words sent the students into fits of laughter.

“I, Lin Nanzhi, am stating this once again: I was not in a relationship, I was not pregnant, and I was not acting inappropriately with any male classmates. Unless this matter is properly investigated, I refuse to stay at this school!”

With that, she slammed the microphone onto the ground in front of the head teacher.

A piercing screech echoed through the speakers. Everyone covered their ears, but the teachers, standing closest to the speakers, were hit the hardest—it felt like their brains had exploded.

Lin Nanzhi didn’t care. She turned and ran straight out of the school. The security guard at the gate didn’t even have time to stop her before she disappeared from sight.

She wasn’t really planning to quit school—she headed straight for the bus station and hopped on a city-bound bus.

Lin Nanzhi had grown up in a poor rural village. Her father was a simple farmer, her mother had divorced him years ago, and her family was struggling. Her older sister had dropped out of school early to work with their mother, while her younger brother was still in elementary school.

Because of how remote her village was, the only bus route available went directly from town to the city, skipping all the smaller villages in between.

As the bus sped along the highway, she gazed at the distant countryside—the place she called home.

If only life could start over, she thought.

If she had another chance, she would rewrite her fate.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, a car suddenly cut in front of the bus. The driver slammed on the brakes, sending everyone lurching forward.

Lin Nanzhi grabbed onto the handrail, but the force pulled at her arm painfully. Losing her grip, she fell hard onto the bus floor.

She felt a sharp pain in her arm—so vivid, so real.

Stunned, she stared at her hand.

Slowly, she raised it and pinched her cheek. A wave of pain shot through her.

And then, a smile spread across her face.

Could it be…

Had she really…

Reincarnated?