He glanced at the alarm clock by his bed. The hour hand rested on 5, the minute hand on 7, and the second hand kept cheerfully ticking along.

Lin Ran sat up and stretched. After getting dressed in his workout clothes, he went to the bathroom to wash up. When he was done, he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the dining table, took a bite, and headed out.

It was part of his daily routine now: get up at 5:35 and go for a run.

Lin Ran lived in an ordinary neighborhood near the White River in Ark City, so going for a morning run was easy. Every day, he got up and ran two laps around Zhongjing Bridge and Dawn Bridge by the river. Then he went home, took a shower, and started enjoying his summer vacation.

He jogged with his headphones on, breathing in the crisp morning air. It was only after he started living a more disciplined life that he realized how fresh the air was in the early morning, and how warm and beautiful the sunlight was at six.

As Lin Ran stepped onto Dawn Bridge, someone caught up with him. Her long black hair fluttered in the breeze, and her fitted workout clothes clung to her slender figure, damp with sweat. Passersby couldn't help glancing at the girl, but Lin Ran only paid attention to her at first. After that, he ignored her completely.

He knew who she was—well, it was more like he knew of her. Of course, there was probably no one at Ark City No. 5 High School who didn't know the girl named Shen Qingyuan. But that didn't interest Lin Ran in the slightest.

After running two laps around the bridges, he went home, took a shower, changed clothes, then picked up his phone and headed out.

On his way to see Su Shijie, Lin Ran found himself thinking about the past again. Well, what kind of past could a sixteen-year-old boy about to enter his second year of high school have? But Lin Ran wasn't from this era!

Yes, Lin Ran might look sixteen and be about to start his second year of high school, but he was actually twenty-three. He'd graduated from college a year ago. He was a man reborn in another world!

Thinking about the past only filled Lin Ran with self-mockery and hatred for those two people.

In his previous life, he'd been a useless boy with serious psychological problems, all because of two things. Lin Ran would never forget either of them. The first happened when he was eight: his biological mother abandoned her husband and child and ran off with another man. His childhood became a nightmare, and he and his father faced endless ridicule every day. “Look at him. His wife ran off with someone else, and he doesn't even dare say a word. He can't do anything right, and now he's stuck raising a burden, too.” “That's him. Someone cuckolded his dad. I bet he's a bastard, too.” All kinds of taunts rang in the ears of father and son every day.

The second thing happened just as he was about to finish college: his girlfriend of less than three months cheated on him. How ironic.

After that, Lin Ran developed a serious psychological illness and grew to hate women. He kept failing job interviews, then his ex-girlfriend cruelly mocked him. At last, he snapped. One night, Lin Ran took a knife and killed her. The police arrested him, and the court sentenced him to death. In his final moments, seeing his father's weathered face filled him with anguish. His father was almost fifty. His wife's betrayal, the ridicule of strangers, and the contempt of relatives hadn't broken him—but the news of his son's death shattered the last defense around his heart.

Before he died, Lin Ran swore that if he got another life, he would make it up to his father.

But Lin Ran never imagined he would actually come back to life—and in the year he was a high school freshman, no less. He was unusually levelheaded, so he accepted reality quickly. Heaven had given him another chance, and he would treasure it. He wouldn't ruin his own life, or his father's, for people who weren't worth it.

At that thought, Lin Ran returned to the present. He had arrived outside an upscale residential community.

Forest Creek Valley was one of the three most luxurious communities in Ark City. Su Shijie, Lin Ran's best friend in this life, lived there. Su Shijie was a typical rich kid, with more money at home than he could ever spend. Who knew how a rich kid like him had ended up becoming Lin Ran's best friend?

He greeted the guard and walked in. Then he stopped outside Unit 1, Apartment 101, in Building 1, took out his key, and let himself in.

He had a key to Su Shijie's place because Su Shijie had “pitied him.” The first time Su Shijie visited Lin Ran's home, he complained about everything from top to bottom. Then he tossed Lin Ran his own house key and told him he could stay over anytime.

Though Su Shijie had given him permission, Lin Ran had never stayed there. Su Shijie, on the other hand, brought all kinds of girlfriends over to fool around every day.

He opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it behind him. When he reached the living room, Lin Ran was met with a chaotic mess.

A woman's bra and a stocking lay on the floor, along with a jacket... There were even two used condoms. Lin Ran shook his head, then sat down on the only sofa that was more or less tidy and waited.

About two minutes later, the master bedroom door opened, and a boy came out wearing nothing but boxer shorts, scratching at his messy bedhead. It was Su Shijie. His outfit left a lot to be desired, but it couldn't hide his charm. He had well-built biceps and pecs, along with an enviable six-pack.

“A-Ran, doesn't getting up this early make you tired?” Su Shijie asked with a yawn, rubbing his eyes. He sat beside Lin Ran, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it.

“If I'm in the way, I can head back first and come by again when you're done,” Lin Ran said flatly.

“You're not in the way, you're not in the way. Just give me a second.” Su Shijie grinned and went back into the bedroom. When he came out again, he was dressed in a neat casual outfit, and his hair was fixed.

Then the two of them headed out together.

“I never thought you'd have this much willpower. You lost twenty-four pounds of fat in a single month! Come on, tell me the truth—got your eye on some girl? If you do, just say the word. Your big bro will help you out!” Su Shijie said with a sly grin.

Lin Ran shook his head helplessly. “I just want to change myself. Why'd you ask me out today?”

“Nothing major. There's a concert in Ark City today, you know? I got a friend to find me two tickets. Let's check it out.” Su Shijie smiled casually.

“I'm not going. You know I'm not interested in music,” Lin Ran said coolly.

“Not interested in music, huh? What about beautiful girls? From what I hear, Shen Qingyuan's going to the concert today, too.” Su Shijie leaned in and said in a hushed, mysterious voice.

Lin Ran was completely speechless. Su Shijie was the sort who'd keep going until he hit a wall. He never lacked girlfriends, but the girl he liked most was the mysterious Shen Qingyuan from Class S, Grade 11, at Ark City No. 5 High School. Of course, who knew if he really liked her or just wanted to switch things up? In the past year, Lin Ran hadn't seen Shen Qingyuan give Su Shijie the time of day. Actually, they'd only met twice that whole year—once by chance, and once when Su Shijie had arranged a “chance” encounter.

“Hey, what's wrong with you? We're in the prime of our youth. Everyone else is chasing girls and can barely keep their hormones in check, but you're like a monk. Every day, you get up and run, then read, then eat lunch, then work out in the afternoon, play games at night, and go to bed right at ten. Buddy, you're still young! You're sixteen, so why are you living like you're sixty-six?” Su Shijie scratched his head. He really couldn't understand Lin Ran. Ever since they'd met, this monk of a guy hadn't shown the slightest interest in any girl. If anything, he seemed a little disgusted by them. At first, Su Shijie thought he was putting on an act, but after all this time, he understood that Lin Ran really wasn't interested in girls at all. It made him wonder if there was something wrong with Lin Ran.

Of course, if there really was something wrong, Su Shijie wouldn't mind paying to get Lin Ran treated.

“I'm telling you, we're young, so we should enjoy life while we can. You spend all day flipping through books, but you still fail your exams. What's the point? Come have some fun with your big bro. I'll make sure you've got a different pretty girl by your side every day!” Su Shijie said with a lecherous grin.

Lin Ran shook his head.

Before they knew it, the two of them had reached Jiahe Garden Community. Lin Ran sighed. Su Shijie still wasn't going to give up.

Su Shijie eagerly dragged Lin Ran over to Building 4, then looked around furtively like a thief. But the person he was looking for wasn't there.

“Hey, how about this? Starting tomorrow—no, starting tonight, I'm moving in with you. From now on, you can wake me up every morning so we can run together. Okay, it's settled!” Su Shijie clapped his hands.

Lin Ran almost felt bad about calling Su Shijie out. If he remembered right, this was the eighth time Su Shijie had said something like that in the past month. And if nothing unexpected happened, Su Shijie would be up to his usual tricks again tonight, hitting on girls at some bar.

Just then, a white Maserati Quattroporte came into view. The luxury car eventually pulled up outside Unit 1 of Building 4.

The car door opened. A long leg clad in black stockings stepped out, followed by a beautiful girl in a white dress.

“She's gorgeous. And rich!” Su Shijie exclaimed.

Lin Ran had a headache. He'd discovered a serious problem: whenever he was with Su Shijie, he couldn't stop making fun of him. Every single thing Su Shijie said gave Lin Ran a thousand reasons to roast him.

Rich? Come on, man. You've got a luxury car worth tens of millions collecting dust in your underground garage, and now you're jealous of this Quattroporte? Seriously? And gorgeous? Have you ever been short on beautiful girls? You average one new girl every three days, and even that doesn't seem like enough for you!

Of course, they knew the girl who'd just stepped out of the car. She went to the same school and was a year above them. She'd be starting her senior year when school began. She was the Student Council president at No. 5 High School, its school beauty, and its most powerful heiress: Ye Qingqian, their upperclassman.

“A-Ran, do you think Shen Qingyuan and Ye Qingqian might...” Su Shijie stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Lin Ran rubbed his temples and turned to head home. Su Shijie eagerly hurried after him.

But in the little square beside Building 10, they spotted Shen Qingyuan.

Shen Qingyuan sat in a little flower garden in the square, holding a book. There were four cats around her: one to her left, one to her right, one in her arms, and one by her feet. She was sharing the sausage in her hand among them.

Su Shijie had already dashed over with a grin. Lin Ran hesitated, then followed.

“Hi! Fancy seeing you again!” Su Shijie said with a bright smile as he walked up to Shen Qingyuan.

“...” Shen Qingyuan.

But Shen Qingyuan seemed not to have heard Su Shijie's greeting at all. The only things in her eyes were the four kittens.

“Ahem, Qingyuan, could you at least acknowledge me? Don't ignore me so mercilessly!” Su Shijie said plaintively.

“Who are you?” Shen Qingyuan looked up at Su Shijie in confusion.

When she looked up, Su Shijie froze. What a beautiful girl—slender, arched brows, eyes like stars, a petite nose, and soft red lips. He wanted nothing more than to lean in and taste them. But Shen Qingyuan's icy expression and merciless question doused Su Shijie like a bucket of cold water, jolting him out of his own little fantasy.

Who are you? Who?

Even Su Shijie, with all his smooth talk, didn't know what to say. Was he supposed to tell her, “I'm the guy who likes you”?

Meanwhile, Lin Ran crouched down and petted the chubby orange cat that had come over to him. Seeing how round it had gotten brought a small smile to his face. He remembered the first time he'd seen the little guy—it had been terribly skinny, and he'd fed it some sausage. Now Shen Qingyuan had fattened it right up.

What Lin Ran didn't know was that while he played with the orange cat, Shen Qingyuan was looking at him—and ignoring Su Shijie to do it.

And so Lin Ran was kicked by Su Shijie for “no reason at all.”

“So you really are here!” A pleasant female voice rang out, and a girl in a white dress appeared in front of Shen Qingyuan.

It was Ye Qingqian, the girl they'd just seen. Her gaze moved from Shen Qingyuan to Su Shijie, then to Lin Ran—and she paused.

“Hi, senpai!” Su Shijie greeted Ye Qingqian with a smile.

But...

“Um, who are you?” Ye Qingqian asked with a smile.

Another knife straight through Su Shijie's heart.

“Is something wrong?” Luckily, Shen Qingyuan's question broke the awkward silence.

Ye Qingqian turned her attention back to Shen Qingyuan. She handed her the folder in her hand and smiled. “This has your grades from last semester, along with the work you need to finish over the next month.”

“Got it.” Ye Qingqian took the folder and said flatly. She didn’t even look at it before setting it down beside her.

“Heh, then I won’t keep you. See you!” Ye Qingqian didn’t seem upset by Shen Qingyuan’s attitude. She shrugged and smiled, then glanced at Lin Ran before turning away. Their eyes happened to meet, and she gave him a warm smile too. “See you!”

Lin Ran calmly looked away. Su Shijie kicked him again.