Xiao Yu brought bad news—not a direct crisis, but a gnawing worry and fear for the future.

As a reincarnator, my greatest edge over ordinary people was knowing the future’s rough path, making me nearly unstoppable.

But now, that future had suddenly blurred.

So…

I sighed almost imperceptibly.

Would I really have to live like a normal person from now on, stumbling step by step and leaving fate to chance?

"Su Su, your grades are always so good—you shouldn’t stress over this," Xiao Yu’s voice cut through my thoughts. "No matter how high they raise the bar, you’ll get in anyway."

I forced a smile in every way possible, acting overly casual. "Don’t say that… Xiao Yu, you’re just as brilliant. Yet you keep praising my grades all day—it’s cheating."

The truth was simple.

The preteen girl beside me, Yu Qingyu—nicknamed Xiao Yu—was a genius nearly matching Su Su’s level. A middle schooler who’d self-studied piles of high school material.

Everyone remembers that childhood certainty: almost all class committee roles, except PE rep, went to top students.

A universal truth that fit Xiao Yu perfectly.

As class monitor, her grades were undeniably stellar.

"I don’t think current grades prove anything," Xiao Yu suddenly lifted her head. Her large, lovely eyes sparkled behind her glasses with something I couldn’t decipher.

I barely caught traces of ambition, confidence, and regret.

"Or rather," she lowered her gaze, stroking the desk, "school ‘grades’ don’t measure true ability, Su Su."

I heard her stress "school" and "grades" deliberately.

I stared blankly at her declaration, feeling absurd.

School grades couldn’t define everything—they represented something painfully narrow.

Later generations all knew this, but in this era… a fifteen-year-old grasping it so clearly?

It felt unreal.

Xiao Yu released the desk, shook her head, and gently patted my head. "The world isn’t just about grades, success, or failure. Better things exist—maybe right beside us, slipping away when we’re not looking."

Her small, soft hand was warm and comforting.

Yet my heart twisted uncomfortably.

Sitting beside Xiao Yu daily, I knew her silence, her polished, worldly manners. Her background made this version feel natural.

She wore clunky glasses and the school’s faded blue-and-white tracksuit, looking like a plain village girl—but her aura never lied.

She rarely spoke to peers; when she did, it was polite but distant, seeming approachable yet keeping everyone at arm’s length.

Only Bai Su and I, as childhood friends, got limited warmth—reserved for our private moments.

Her desk always held thick tomes, many English originals.

A fascinating, contradictory girl.

So why had she treated the former Su Su so differently?

No dramatic outbursts or clingy chatter, but Su Su’s memories showed special care: quiet protection, even shielding her from rowdy middle school bullies once.

Compared to her coldness toward others, this crossed a line.

My unease deepened. Chilling thoughts made my gaze turn strange—Xiao Yu… could she like girls?!

Xiao Yu noticed. She dropped her hand, frowning slightly. "Su Su, your stare—is there something on my face?"

I took a deep breath, gripped her shoulders, and locked eyes. "Xiao Yu, be honest now—do you… like girls?!"

…

A deathly silence.

Xiao Yu’s eyes narrowed slowly. She cupped my cheeks and called my name:

"Su Su."

"Huh?"

"Remember this: I, Yu Qingyu, am straight. And—"

She smiled, then pinched my cheeks hard and twisted.

"Ouch! Ouch!"

"Mmmph! Mmmph! (I get it!)" I begged.

She finally let go.

Teary-eyed, I shuffled to the corner and drew circles on the floor.

Why? You acted so suspiciously—I spoke up, and you bully me!

Xiao Yu sighed, eyeing me like a useless dried fish. "I really shouldn’t have told you this, dummy."

I pouted, rubbing my aching cheeks.

Kids are kids. I sacrificed myself to ease the mood—you think I wanted to hear all that embarrassing stuff? Someone had to save you from awkwardness!

The doorknob turned. Bai Su—the idiot—entered carrying a plate of peeled, sliced apples and toothpicks. He shut the door, set it down, and flashed an overly bright smile. "Xiao Yu, Su Su, have some apples." He handed us each two toothpicks.

I glanced at Xiao Yu. The moment Bai Su appeared, her expression lit up like an ordinary girl’s. Blushing slightly, she took the toothpicks, speared an apple slice, and a small, genuine smile bloomed.

I felt utterly absurd.

No fakeness—just pure, radiant joy.

"Thank you, Brother Bai Su," she whispered, eyes curving into crescents.

My shock deepened.

Was this really Yu Qingyu—the cold, aloof girl who ignored everyone?

Surely… she wasn’t possessed?

The idiot scratched his head, grinning awkwardly. (I knew him best: he was terrible with girls and scrambling for words.)

Luckily, his eyes lit up. "Xiao Yu, did you come to give Su Su books?"

(He’d spotted the books on the desk.)

"Mm," she nodded, smiling. "But that’s not why I really came."

"Huh?" Bai Su and I echoed together.

What else could she want besides returning books?

Xiao Yu picked up her shoulder bag and slowly pulled out a pink letter.

This…

A bad feeling prickled my skin.

Smiling, she stood, removed her glasses, and offered the letter to Bai Su with both hands.

I’d never believed glasses could hide true beauty—but now I had to.

Without them, Xiao Yu transformed from dust to a star blazing in the night sky. A breathtaking radiance made me feel inexplicably small.

She stared intently at Bai Su’s flustered eyes, glowing with dizzying brilliance.

"I like you. Go out with me, Brother Bai Su."

The girl whispered softly.

A gentle sentence—yet it shattered the world like thunder.