Although it was already late September and technically early autumn in Rong City, the weather was still dry and hot. Only the early mornings had a slight chill. The air conditioner in the room hummed dutifully, and the girl in bed was sleeping soundly, a sweet smile on her face like she was having a great dream. 

Suddenly, a rhythmic knock on the door could be heard. A moment later, a gentle female voice rang out, “Ruan Ruan, Ruan Ruan, it’s time to get up.” 

The girl’s eyelids fluttered slightly. Her long, dark lashes slowly lifted, revealing dazed and sleepy eyes  

The voice from outside the door came again, “Ruan Ruan, are you awake?” 

“Mom, just five more minutes!” Xia Ruan whined from under the covers. 

The voice outside, Zhou Jingyi, responded with the same gentle tone, “Remember to get up after those five minutes.” 

Once the footsteps outside disappeared, Xia Ruan comfortably rubbed her face on the pillow and couldn’t help but think how nice it was to be pampered by her mother. She felt so blessed. Even though she had been here for almost three days, she still felt like it wasn’t real. 

Xia Ruan had originally been a sophomore in college when she was hit by a truck driving in the wrong direction on her way to school. She had thought her life had ended, but when she woke up, she found herself reincarnated as the sixteen-year-old Xia Ruan, the same name, same face. The original Xia Ruan had gotten into a conflict at school and was sent to the hospital, and when she woke up, she had turned into her. 

The ticking of the wall clock reminded Xia Ruan, and she quickly pulled her thoughts back to the present, threw off the blanket, and got out of bed. 

❖❖❖ 

Downstairs, Xia Longchuan noticed Zhou Jingyi had come down alone. He frowned slightly. “Is Ruan Ruan still upset about what happened last week? Is that why she doesn’t want to go to school?” 

Before Zhou Jingyi could answer, Xia Fei spoke first, “Dad, don’t worry. Today, I will make things right for Ruan Ruan.” 

Zhou Jingyi shot Xia Fei a glare, and he quickly corrected himself, “I mean, I’ll go talk things out with them for her.” 

“Let Ruan Ruan handle her own business. You’re not allowed to interfere. The reason I put you and Ruan Ruan in the same class was to take care of her, not to lead her astray,” Zhou Jingyi said. 

Xia Fei looked at her with some dissatisfaction. “I’m not leading Ruan Ruan astray. With me looking out for her, she can walk around Ming’an without a problem.” 

Zhou Jingyi gave him a weary glance. “Ruan Ruan isn’t a crab, she doesn’t need to walk sideways. If you spent more of your energy on your studies, I’d be at ease.” She then turned and glared at Xia Longchuan. “It’s all your fault for indulging him. Otherwise, how would Xia Fei be like this?” 

Before she could finish, Xia Longchuan quickly nodded in acknowledgment, “Yes, yes, it’s all my fault. Xia Fei, you haven’t promised your mom yet that you’ll study hard?” 

Xia Fei glanced at Zhou Jingyi with a look of defeat and was about to reply when footsteps came from the stairs. Grateful for the distraction, he said, “Ruan Ruan’s coming down!” 

Xia Ruan came downstairs and awkwardly said, “I’ll get up earlier tomorrow.” 

Xia Longchuan shook his head. “It’s fine. Come have breakfast.” 

After breakfast, Xia Ruan felt completely surrounded by love. In her previous life, she had been raised by her grandma after being left behind by her parents. She barely even knew what her parents looked like. Her grandma always acted like she was a burden. Even after she got into college, her grandma refused to pay her tuition. She worked part-time and took out loans just to make it to her second year. Then, out of nowhere, she ended up here. 

“Ruan Ruan, are you even listening to me?” Xia Fei frowned at her distracted expression. 

Xia Ruan blinked innocently and said, “Brother, I didn’t hear clearly. Could you say that again?” 

“I said Li Tingting and the others must be out of their minds to push you like that. They actually dared to push you. Once we get to school, I’ll make them pay,” Xia Fei said. Though he didn’t hit girls, he knew how to make them uncomfortable. 

Xia Ruan didn’t remember the original body’s past, so she only nodded vaguely. After all, the original Xia Ruan was no longer around, and her brother seeking justice from the instigators didn’t seem unreasonable. 

Seeing her hang her head, Xia Fei assumed she was still upset and gently ruffled her hair. “Ruan Ruan, don’t worry. Your brother will help you.” 

Xia Ruan looked at him in confusion. Help her with what? 

The driver, hearing Xia Fei’s words and recalling Zhou Jingyi’s instructions, quickly spoke up, “Young Master, Madam said you’re not allowed to stir up trouble anymore. If you do, your allowance for this semester is gone.” 

Xia Fei casually replied, “Uncle Jiang, I’m not causing trouble. I’m just going to make things right for Ruan Ruan.” 

The driver fell silent for a moment. It seemed the kind of trouble the young master was referring to was different from what he had imagined. Since this was for the young lady’s sake, Madam wouldn’t blame him too much. With that in mind, Jiang Cheng remained silent. 

The ride to school took about thirty minutes. Xia Ruan stayed quiet most of the way, only responding when necessary. The rest of the time, she just listened to Xia Fei talk. Strangely, some of the things he mentioned felt oddly familiar to her, even though she couldn’t explain why. She figured it must be traces of the original girl’s feelings lingering in the body. 

Arriving at school, Xia Ruan followed behind Xia Fei. She already knew they were in the same class, and she secretly wondered if they might be twins. 

When Xia Ruan noticed the students walking around in their school uniforms, she tugged at the corner of Xia Fei’s clothes and softly asked, “Brother, did we forget to wear our school uniforms?” 

Xia Fei glanced at her, somewhat confused, and spoke, “Didn’t you say the school uniform is too ugly and wanted me to accompany you in casual clothes?” 

Xia Ruan awkwardly scratched her hair. “Did I?” She then remembered her previous, messy hairstyle and the non-mainstream fashion in her wardrobe when she first arrived, and couldn’t help but cover her face. How could she forget that her previous self looked like a rebellious girl? Seeing Xia Fei’s strange look, she tried to force a smile and explained, “I just think we stand out too much like this, and didn’t Mom also say we should focus on our studies?” 

Although Xia Fei didn’t understand why studying well was related to wearing school uniforms, he had already assumed that Xia Ruan’s change was due to Lu Yan. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but clench his fists. 

As Xia Ruan had expected, when they arrived at the classroom, everyone saw her and Xia Fei in casual clothes and didn’t think much of it. They only whispered to each other, complaining that the siblings would probably get points deducted again because of this. 

Xia Fei carried Xia Ruan’s schoolbag to her seat, put it down for her, and said, “We’ll go find Li Tingting and the others after class.” 

Xia Ruan nodded lightly, responding with a soft “Okay.” 

After Xia Fei left, Xia Ruan finally had time to observe her surroundings. Her deskmate appeared to be a rather aloof girl. When she pulled out her chair, she glanced at Xia Ruan. Xia Ruan guessed their relationship was probably average; otherwise, after what happened last Friday at school when Xia Ruan got into a conflict and ended up in the hospital, her deskmate would have at least shown some concern. But this girl clearly had no such intention, so Xia Ruan assumed they weren’t particularly close. 

If Xia Ruan knew that Song Mingfang only glanced at her because she finally had a normal hairstyle today, she would probably be even more shocked. 

Sitting in her seat, Xia Ruan listened to the quiet chatter around her, trying to pick up useful information, but the conversations changed too quickly for her to keep up. 

“Xia Fei, Xia Ruan, why aren’t you wearing your school uniform today?” A strong female voice suddenly came from behind while Xia Ruan was lost in thought. 

Xia Ruan instinctively stood up and said, “Sorry, we won’t do it again.” 

Xia Ruan’s apology surprised Fan Shujuan. Xia Ruan actually apologized and promised not to do it again? Although she knew it would be pointless to say much to them, as class monitor, it was her responsibility. But she didn’t expect to get such an unexpected response. She looked up and studied the person in front of her. It was still the same Xia Ruan, but she seemed a little different somehow. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but when the incident from last Friday came to mind, she immediately understood the change. No matter the reason for the change, as long as Xia Ruan was willing, it was a good thing. So, her tone softened: “You and Xia Fei should skip the flag-raising ceremony later, so you don’t get marked for improper attire.” 

Xia Ruan obediently nodded. “Okay, I understand.” 

Hearing her answer, Fan Shujuan breathed a sigh of relief. She had been thinking about how to convince Xia Ruan if she disagreed, especially since Lu Yan would be on stage today. But she hadn’t expected Xia Ruan to agree so quickly. 

Once class ended, Xia Fei disappeared. He only appeared again just before the next class. “I don’t know where Li Tingting and the others went. I’ll catch them after school.” 

Xia Ruan looked at him helplessly. “Brother, Mom said we can’t skip class. Even if we’re looking for them, there’s no rush.” 

Xia Fei waved it off carelessly. “Ruan Ruan, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” 

In the end, Xia Ruan couldn’t stop Xia Fei. During the last two classes of the afternoon, he disappeared, and she only received a message saying she should go home first. After school, Xia Ruan called him, but his phone was off. Helpless, she had to go home by herself. 

When she got home, she found Xia Fei lounging on the couch, watching TV. “Brother, where did you go this afternoon?” she asked. 

“Ruan Ruan, you’re back!” Xia Fei smiled widely and walked toward her. “Come on, follow me upstairs. I’ve got a surprise for you.” 

Before Xia Ruan could say anything, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her upstairs. Xia Ruan’s wrist was gripped tightly, so she had no choice but to follow him upstairs. 

When they entered the room, Xia Ruan immediately saw the figure of a tall boy lying on her bed. He was wearing the uniform of Ming’an Middle School and looked like he was sleeping peacefully. Before she could exclaim, she heard Xia Fei’s mischievous voice: “Ruan Ruan, didn’t you like this guy? I brought him here. Now you can do whatever you want.” 

In that moment, Xia Ruan suddenly realized why everything felt familiar. She had somehow ended up in a novel she had read before. Before she could process it further, Xia Fei’s voice sounded again. “Ruan Ruan, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you too happy to speak?”