Lin Cun'an started spending his free periods reading books like A General History of China, and discovered that China's history was almost exactly the same as in his previous life. There was Xia and Shang, Spring and Autumn; Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming. There was the Magic City, and there was Jiangnan.

He'd even borrowed an Atlas of China to check, only to find that even the roads and streets were almost identical to the ones he remembered.

That was strange.

For example, in his previous life, someone named Lin Cun'an lived on Laodong Road, in Lin'an District, Hangzhou, Jiangnan.

So who lived on Laodong Road, in Lin'an District, Hangzhou, Jiangnan, in this life?

Lin Cun'an had turned into a Liben, after all…

“Whoa, Xiao Lin, why are you reading a book like that? Can you even understand it?” a boy asked, leaning over.

As far as Lin Cun'an could remember, the boy was called Anshi Zhengzhi. His name had a certain flavor to it—it combined the two foulest things in human history. Shit and politics.

He was one of the few friends Xiao Lin had in class.

He dyed his hair blond and left his uniform unbuttoned. The very picture of a rebel.

He snatched the book and flipped through it.

“It's all Chinese characters! Xiao Lin, are your Chinese grades really that insane now? Or are you just… showing off?”

“Shut up.” Lin Cun'an snatched the book back without a hint of politeness.

Since coming to this world, he'd entered full-on “Kimi no Nihongo, hontō jōzu” mode—and his Chinese hadn't gotten rusty, either. Maybe one day he could even return to his homeland as a translator and take a look around?

Anshi Zhengzhi frowned, looking at Xiao Lin in utter confusion. Then he shrugged and didn't try to grab the book again. He probably felt that books and his “free-spirited, unruly” image didn't go together at all.

“Xiao Lin! I'm going to the convenience store to buy a drink. Want me to get you anything?”

Anshi Zhengzhi was just about to leave when Songyuan Bu, sitting in the row ahead, turned around and asked.

“No, I'm good,” Lin Cun'an replied coolly.

“Okay, then.” Songyuan Bu nodded and walked out of the classroom.

“You and Songyuan… close?” Anshi Zhengzhi asked.

Before today, he'd never seen Songyuan Bu talk to Lin Cun'an much.

“A little.”

“Songyuan's still as scrawny as ever… Looks like an easy target.” Anshi Zhengzhi grinned, then nudged Lin Cun'an with his elbow. “But his childhood friend, Siyuan Liangxiang, is amazing. She's gorgeous, and she's got a great figure—especially that pair of—” He choked. “Ugh, Xiao Lin, why are you looking at me like that?”

Anshi Zhengzhi saw Lin Cun'an sitting at his desk, eyeing him with a sharp, slightly menacing look.

But he showed no sign of stopping. After a moment, he kept rattling on: “You're not scared of Siyuan, are you? Relax, she's not in our class, so she can't hear us… Hahaha, imagine if we took Songyuan hostage and went to Siyuan like, ‘Classmate, you wouldn't want…’ Just thinking about it gets me going… Hehe~ Just kidding~”

He happily lost himself in the fantasy.

Anshi Zhengzhi was an ordinary high schooler, with a head full of dirty thoughts and no guts to act on them. In other words, all talk.

But the instant he'd finished running his mouth—bam!—Lin Cun'an stood up.

Lin Cun'an was slender, but taller and bigger than Anshi Zhengzhi. He grabbed the other boy by the collar in one swift move.

“You… shut up!”

Damn it! How did a NTR-minded creep like you end up among us pure-love warriors?!

“…Xiao Lin, what are you doing?” Anshi Zhengzhi cried in alarm, but quickly got ahold of himself and started wrestling with Xiao Lin.

With a thud, Anshi Zhengzhi's butt knocked over Lin Cun'an's desk.

The loud crash drew the attention of everyone else in the classroom.

“Huh? What's going on?”

“Xiao Lin and Anshi?”

“Weren't they always pretty close…?”

Anshi Zhengzhi had actually been overpowered by Lin Cun'an for a moment. With everyone staring, he became determined not to lose face.

“You little—!”

Anshi Zhengzhi tried to break free of Lin Cun'an's grip on his collar. He twisted his wrist hard, knocking Lin Cun'an's hand away—and smacking him across the side of the face.

The sound was as crisp as a slap.

“…Huh?” Anshi Zhengzhi froze too. “Sorry, Xiao Lin…”

They could mess around all they liked, but there was an unwritten rule: don't hit someone in the face.

Lin Cun'an's face had turned slightly to one side. Then he whipped around.

His gaze sharpened. With a bang, he punched Anshi Zhengzhi right on the bridge of the nose.

“Whoa!”

Anshi Zhengzhi lost his balance and landed hard on his butt. “…Ugh…”

Before he could react, Lin Cun'an pounced on him with a “crow sitting on a plane” move.

Another punch.

This one landed on the side of Anshi Zhengzhi's face.

“W-wait… hold on…” Anshi Zhengzhi started to panic.

Thud.

Personality-correcting punch! Lin Cun'an thought.

Lin Cun'an raised his fist again.

“I was wrong, I was wrong…” Anshi Zhengzhi hurriedly held both hands up in front of his chest, waving them around in a panic. “I shouldn't have said bad things about Siyuan. I shouldn't have said… Xiao Lin, sir, please be the bigger man and let me go!”

“…Hmph.”

At that, Lin Cun'an curled his lip into a smile.

Correction complete. Horns chopped off. Pure love restored!

He got up off Anshi Zhengzhi, straightened his rumpled uniform, then glanced at the boy trembling on the floor and held out a hand.

“Don't say stuff like that again.”

“…Ah… okay…” Anshi Zhengzhi swallowed and nodded.

Lin Cun'an took Anshi Zhengzhi's hand and pulled him to his feet.

Anshi Zhengzhi looked at Lin Cun'an with some fear, but the other boy seemed to have truly moved on after the beating and made no further comment about what had happened.

“Xiao Lin?” he tried.

“Yeah?” Lin Cun'an answered as casually as ever.

“No, it's nothing…” Anshi Zhengzhi said, still shaken.

He thought it over carefully.

Xiao Lin had suddenly gotten close to Songyuan. Then Anshi had said something bad about Siyuan Liangxiang and gotten beaten up… Put those things together, and the only conclusion was…

“Xiao Lin likes Siyuan Liangxiang?!”

Holy crap! But a girl on Siyuan Liangxiang's level was obviously way out of reach for guys like them…

“Hey, Xiao Lin, don't tell me you like Siyuan…” Anshi Zhengzhi asked quietly.

“Huh?!” Lin Cun'an's fierce look returned. He raised a fist. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Y-yes! Definitely! That look on his face—like he'd just been found out! Anshi Zhengzhi was sure of it now… He liked Siyuan! And who wouldn't like a beautiful girl like her?

But now that he thought about it, he'd really gone too far. He'd practically desecrated the goddess in his buddy's heart with his words!

“Xiao Lin, I was out of line this time. I'm sorry. Just tell me how to make it up to you, and I'll do it.” Anshi Zhengzhi draped an arm over Lin Cun'an's shoulder.

“Cut that blond hair. It annoys me,” Lin Cun'an said.

“??” Anshi Zhengzhi blinked, then reluctantly nodded. “...Fine! I promise!”

The two of them had just been fighting, but now they were all friendly again. The girls in class who'd been watching couldn't help thinking: high school boys really were a curious species!

—And then Lin Cun'an and Anshi Zhengzhi were called to the dean's office to write apology letters.