By Monday morning, the school halls were buzzing with their usual chaos—shouting boys, giggling girls, sneakers squeaking against the tile floors.
But Li Xinyue walked through it all like a ghost returned from the underworld.
Every step she took was calm. Every glance she gave was calculating.
She had one goal: to change her fate.
"First step," she whispered to herself. "Rebuild my image before they destroy it again."
In her past life, she had been invisible until it was too late. She had buried herself in books, avoided parties, and never competed for attention. And because she stayed quiet, they walked all over her.
Not this time.
During lunch, she walked into the cafeteria with deliberate poise. Her hair, freshly brushed and clipped in a soft half-up style, swayed as she moved. Her uniform was neat, and she'd added just the lightest hint of gloss and eyeliner.
People noticed.
"Is that Li Xinyue?"
"She actually looks… kind of pretty today."
"I thought she was just a nerd…"
Xinyue kept her expression neutral. She didn't smile, but she didn't flinch either.
She sat at her usual table with Tang Xiaomei and the rest of their "friend group." In her past life, these girls had smiled to her face and gossiped behind her back. She knew their games now.
"Let them play," she thought. "I'll play smarter."
"Xinyue!" Xiaomei chirped, handing her a boxed juice. "You look so cute today! Finally using makeup?"
Xinyue smiled sweetly. "I just felt like putting effort in. After all, college entrance season is coming. Gotta leave a good impression, right?"
Xiaomei blinked. She wasn't used to Xinyue answering back with such poise.
"Oh? Are you planning to apply to Qinghua or B.U.? I thought you were aiming for design school?" she asked, fake concern lining her voice.
Xinyue tilted her head. "Qinghua. Architecture."
There it was—a lie.
In her past life, she had gone to a mid-tier design institute, partly because Xiaomei convinced her she "wasn't good enough" for anything else. This time, she would aim high just to watch Xiaomei squirm.
"Wow… that's ambitious," Xiaomei said, biting her straw.
"It is," Xinyue agreed. "I'm not wasting time anymore."
That afternoon, a notice went up on the bulletin board:
"Academic Decathlon Tryouts – Open to all 3rd-year students. Winner represents the school at the National Level. Bonus points for University Applications."
Everyone crowded around it.
Xinyue's eyes lit up.
"In my last life, I didn't even try. I thought it was for people like Lin Zeyan…"
She looked across the courtyard.
And there he was.
Lin Zeyan.
Standing alone under the shade of the cherry blossom trees, reading a book, headphones on. The cool boy everyone secretly admired but never approached. Smart. Cold. Mysterious.
She remembered how he had dominated that competition in the past, earning the attention of the top universities.
"But what if this time… I challenge you?" she thought.
Just as she was staring, he looked up.
Their eyes met.
Again.
A flicker of something unreadable passed through his gaze, but he didn't break eye contact.
Then, slowly, he smiled.
Just slightly.
And returned to his book.
Xinyue's pulse jumped.
"He's watching me now too."
That evening, she stayed back after class and walked into the empty Student Council Room.
The teacher-in-charge glanced up.
"You're here for the Decathlon?"
"Yes," she said. "Sign me up."
He looked surprised. "You've never competed before."
"I'm competing this year," she said, voice calm but sharp. "And I plan to win."
Just then, the door creaked open.
Another student walked in.
Tall. Calm. Icy.
Lin Zeyan.
He paused when he saw her.
"You?" he said flatly
Xinyue turned to him.
"Why not?" she said. "Afraid of losing?"
For a moment, his face showed a flicker of amusement.
"Try not to embarrass yourself, then."
"Likewise," she said.
They stared at each other, the tension between them sharp enough to cut air.
That night, back at home, Xinyue sat at her desk, flipping through old notebooks and study guides.
She couldn't rely on just memories. She had to work harder, move smarter.
"Everything I lost… I'll get it back," she whispered.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed.
It was a message from an unknown number.
"You're different lately. What are you hiding?"
She stared at the screen.
No name. No profile picture.
Only one person she could imagine being this cryptic.
Lin Zeyan.
She smiled.
"Good," she typed back. "Let's see how much you're willing to find out."