Chapter 1

The thunder roared and the spring rain poured down heavily. In no time, puddles formed on the road.

Listening to the sound of the rain outside, many students grew restless, which provoked a stern rebuke from the teacher on the platform.

Xu Zhilu listened to the teacher’s scolding, turned her head to look at the rain dripping outside the window, and drifted off in thought.

“Zhilu.”

“… Zhilu.”

Her clothes were lightly tugged, bringing Xu Zhilu back to reality. She glanced sideways and said, “Huh?”

Xin An’an frowned at her and whispered, “What are you thinking about?”

Mumbling, “I feel like something’s been off with you since this morning. Did something happen?”

Xu Zhilu paused for a moment, then shook her head. “Nothing.”

She said, “I didn’t sleep well last night, feeling a bit tired.”

Xin An’an nodded lightly and whispered, “I thought you were upset about Shen Siyan rejecting you.”

Xu Zhilu: “…”

Shen Siyan.

She paused with the pen in her hand and made a heavy stroke on her draft paper.

She pursed her lips and, under Xin An’an’s curious gaze, calmly said, “No, it’s not that.”

Xin An’an nodded, “Hmm,” and softly added, “Don’t be sad. If it doesn’t work out this time, there’s always next time. We have plenty of time. One day, you’ll figure him out.”

Xu Zhilu twitched her lips but remained silent.

She lowered her head and took out a small mirror from her desk drawer, staring straight at herself in the mirror.

It was her face, but not her twenty-two-year-old appearance; this was how she looked at seventeen.

A face full of collagen, rosy and delicate. A pair of beautiful almond eyes, clear and round, completely embody the innocence of a yet-to-blossom teenage girl.

Xu Zhilu stared at herself for a while, touching her still-black straight hair, her thoughts wandering.

She couldn’t imagine that she would travel, fall while sightseeing, and be reborn back to when she was seventeen.

Back to the year before she fully stepped into the quagmire of Shen Siyan.

–

Xu Zhilu and Shen Siyan were recognized by everyone as childhood sweethearts.

But their relationship was not the envy-inducing kind of childhood sweethearts.

She had been secretly in love with Shen Siyan for many years, always following behind him, from high school to college, yet she never managed to win his heart.

Upon graduating from college, Xu Zhilu was persuaded by a friend to have her fortune told.

The fortune teller told her, “What is meant to be will happen in its own time, don’t force it if it’s not meant to be.”

In that moment, she suddenly wondered if she should let go.

After all these years, she had changed herself so much just for Shen Siyan. But why?

After much thought, Xu Zhilu decided to give herself one last chance to put a perfect end to her years-long unrequited love.

Regardless of the outcome, she resolved to accept it calmly.

On the eve of graduation, Xu Zhilu made travel plans to a place she had wanted to visit since high school.

The day before departure, she sent Shen Siyan the flight and hotel information, saying it was a graduation trip. If he had time, he could join; if not, then so be it.

To her surprise, Shen Siyan replied, saying, Okay, he would go.

Xu Zhilu was overjoyed, her heart hanging heavily on his single word.

The next day, she packed up and headed to the airport.

Shen Siyan was not at school, so they couldn’t leave together.

Upon arriving at the airport, Xu Zhilu messaged him to say she had arrived.

But her message disappeared into thin air.

As the airport announcements repeatedly called out both their names, he didn’t show up, nor did he reply to her message.

Xu Zhilu boarded the plane alone.

She slept all the way to their destination. Upon landing, she turned on her phone.

As soon as it powered on, she received several messages from friends.

She opened them and saw photos her friends had sent—she saw Shen Siyan in the school cafeteria, eating with his roommates.

Xu Zhilu clicked on the photo. His youthful features were exquisite, his eyes deep, his nose high, and his lips beautiful. Every detail was so attractive, it made one’s heart flutter.

He was surrounded by friends, with a small pout and a happy expression.

Xu Zhilu stared at the photo for a long time. Her heart, which had been suspended, fell heavily, completely chilled.

On the plane, she comforted herself, saying Shen Siyan must have had something come up at the last minute.

–

Of course, he really did have ‘something’ going on.

Xu Zhilu stood at a strange airport with her luggage, leaning against the wall for a moment before heading to the camping site she had planned.

That night, she gazed at the starry sky for a long time, finally letting go of everything.

At four in the morning, Xu Zhilu got up to watch the sunrise, gazing at the dawn of a new day. Unable to contain herself, she shouted out her suppressed emotions.

“I’m Xu Zhilu, and I will never like Shen Siyan again!”

If she could start over, she would definitely have blocked Shen Siyan, that idiot, much earlier.

After shouting, Xu Zhilu immediately blocked and deleted everything related to Shen Siyan.

After doing all this, she felt relieved all over.

Letting go wasn’t as sad and reluctant as she had imagined.

But Xu Zhilu didn’t expect that two hours after shouting, she would slip and fall when coming down the mountain and return to her high school days.

Thinking of this, Xu Zhilu was puzzled.

What’s going on?

Could it be to make her realize her mistakes earlier?!

–

The bell for the end of class rang, bringing Xu Zhilu’s thoughts back. She calmly accepted the fact of her reincarnation.

Suddenly, Xin An’an’s voice came from beside her: “Zhilu, I need to go to the bathroom, are you coming?”

Xu Zhilu shook her head. “No.”

Xin An’an was puzzled for a moment, looking at her in surprise. “You’re really not coming?” She said, “It’s raining heavily outside now, Shen Siyan must be in the classroom. Aren’t you going either?”

The restroom was at the end of the corridor, passing by Shen Siyan’s class.

In the past, Xu Zhilu would always use the excuse of going to the bathroom to pass by his class and then stay there to talk to him.

Thinking about her past foolish behavior, Xu Zhilu felt speechless.

Were her eyes covered with a mist back then?!

Thinking of this, Xu Zhilu looked at the surprised Xin An’an and said softly, “I’m not going.”

She said, “An’an, I don’t intend to go see Shen Siyan.”

Xin An’an said, “Ah,” in surprise, confusedly looking at her. “Why?”

Xu Zhilu turned her pen in her hand, smiling faintly. “I just realized that I’ve been losing out too much because of my liking for him.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Xu Zhilu spread out her textbook in front of her, indifferently saying, “I was first in my grade. Why would I like a poor student?”

She asked, “Am I supposed to help him with his poor grades or because of his poor grades?”

Xin An’an: “…”

For some reason, she understood each word, but putting them together to understand was a bit difficult.

She scratched her head, about to speak, when a surprised voice came from behind: “Brother Yan! How did you come over?”

Everyone turned their heads.

Xu Zhilu also inevitably glanced over. After seeing the teenager in a blue and white school uniform, her eyelashes trembled slightly, quickly retracting her gaze.

Ignoring everyone’s gaze, Shen Siyan walked straight in Xu Zhilu’s direction.

The classmates looked at each other in surprise.

Didn’t Shen Siyan dislike Xu Zhilu? Why did he come over on his own initiative today?

A shadow fell in front of her, and Xu Zhilu frowned.

Shen Siyan stood beside her, looking down at her. “Did you bring an umbrella?”

“?”

Xu Zhilu looked at him coldly. “What’s up?”

Shen Siyan “Hmm” and put his hands in his pockets. “Let’s go back together after class.”

Xu Zhilu didn’t hesitate to refuse. “No need, I have an umbrella.”

Shen Siyan lazily responded as usual, looking like he owed a beating: “I don’t have one.”

“…”

Xu Zhilu looked up at him, expressionless. “What does your lack of an umbrella have to do with me?”

If it were her from before, she would have imagined happily walking in the rain with Shen Siyan under an umbrella, thinking it would be very romantic.

But now, all she wanted to do was smack herself and Shen Siyan’s dog heads together.

What was she thinking before?

Shen Siyan choked, apparently not expecting her to respond like this.

He frowned slightly, about to say something, when the school bell rang first.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, “It’s raining heavily. It’s not safe for you to go back alone.”

–

After Shen Siyan left, classmates in the class stared at Xu Zhilu, sizing her up.

In everyone’s memory, Xu Zhilu would always respond enthusiastically to anything related to Shen Siyan. She would go out of her way for him.

But today… did she hit her head or something?

Xu Zhilu didn’t pay attention to the classmates’ gazes. She started planning her study schedule instead.

Her academic performance was still good. Although her previous unrequited love didn’t affect her studies, she did give up many things she liked because of Shen Siyan.

Shen Siyan had casually mentioned liking girls with long black hair. So she got long black hair. He said he preferred quiet, gentle girls, so she tried to be quiet in front of him. Later, when he mentioned not liking girls who danced much, she gave up dancing and learned to play the piano.

Thinking about this, Xu Zhilu wanted to smack her head for the second time.

After making her plan, most of the class time had passed.

Xu Zhilu messaged the family driver and then focused on listening to the lesson.

The last class in the afternoon ended, and everyone packed up and left.

The rain outside hadn’t stopped; in fact, it seemed to be getting heavier.

Xu Zhilu sat in the classroom, waiting for the driver’s call, before finally pulling her backpack and leaving.

At the bottom of the teaching building, many classmates were still sheltering from the rain in the first-floor hallway.

Shen Siyan was among them.

While surrounded by several classmates, he stares at his phone lazily.

Suddenly, one of his classmates next to him shouted, “Brother Yan! Is Xu Zhilu coming to find you to go back together?”

Shen Siyan looked up and glanced in Xu Zhilu’s direction.

Xu Zhilu glanced over and quickly averted her gaze.

The classmate next to Shen Siyan raised an eyebrow and enthusiastically greeted her, “Xu Zhilu! How did you know Brother Yan didn’t bring an umbrella?”

Xu Zhilu: “……”

She pulled at the corners of her mouth, looking at them as if they were idiots. She opened her umbrella, and Shen Siyan naturally walked over.

“Why so…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Xu Zhilu was already walking into the rain and mist with her umbrella.

Under the umbrella, there was only her.

Shen Siyan stared at her departing figure, not recovering his senses for quite a while.

As for the few classmates beside him, they were stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Damn!! Brother Yan, why didn’t Xu Zhilu let you walk back with her?”

“Was that really Xu Zhilu just now?”

“Hahahahaha, Brother Yan, I didn’t expect there to be a day when Xu Zhilu would ignore you!”

Shen Siyan frowned, coldly glancing at the few people around him, “Shut up.”

As soon as he finished speaking, without thinking, he stepped into the rain.

Everyone: ?

–

Xu Zhilu walked quickly and saw the family car just as she reached the school gate.

She ran over and got into the car.

“Uncle Liu, let’s go.”

Uncle Liu nodded, about to start the engine, when he saw a boy walking out in the rain.

He was stunned for a moment, instinctively saying, “Miss, Ah Yan is coming over.”

Xu Zhilu glanced sideways, sneering: “Great.”

She raised her chin and pointed, saying, “Uncle Liu, drive forward and go over that deep puddle.”

Uncle Liu: “…Huh?”

Xu Zhilu smiled innocently: “Let’s go.”

“Aren’t we waiting for Ah Yan?”

Xu Zhilu nodded, putting away the umbrella, “When I just came out, he said his head was hot, wanted to get some rain to clear his mind.”

“?”

Uncle Liu looked at her in disbelief.

Xu Zhilu smiled sweetly and adorably, and said, “He said he doesn’t want to go home with this car.”

Upon hearing this, Uncle Liu felt something was off but didn’t argue with Xu Zhilu.

He nodded, “Alright then.”

“Mm.”

Just as Shen Siyan was about to reach the familiar car, he saw it start to move forward.

He instinctively raised his hand to signal.

As soon as his hand went up, the car drove past him, splashing water from the puddle all around. The water splattered all over him, jolting him wide awake.