REBIRTH

Are you Bai Yang?

When we step into society and look back on our youth, what we remember is always the bright summer sunshine, the faintly visible straps behind a girl's white T-shirt, the sweat freely shed by boys, and the childish yet profound foolish things we once did.

But when you really go back to the classroom, the main theme of high school is always the same.

Studying!

The day is divided into forty-five-minute segments, the world confined to a desk less than one square meter. High school students are like neatly arranged potted plants, unable to move, soaking up the knowledge sprinkled down from the podium.

If you're sitting closer to the front, this knowledge might even come with some saliva.

Luckily, Ye Guodong's range of attack didn't reach the third row. Bai Yang turned his head to look out at the dark schoolyard and felt bored.

The three evening self-study periods were occupied by three different teachers who reviewed the baseline test papers without wasting a minute.

Beside him, Zhong Xilu sat upright with a serious expression, but as her desk mate, Bai Yang could clearly see her hands quickly fiddling with her phone under the desk, playing a game where a little character jumped and ran endlessly through ruins.

Temple Run.

In the early days of smartphones, this was a wildly popular game.

Zhong Xilu had an iPhone 4. In this small county town, very few could afford such a device. It wouldn't be until the release of the iPhone 4S that Apple products would become commonplace, leading to absurd stories of people selling kidneys or themselves to buy one.

Zhong Xilu, of course, didn't have to worry about such things. Her family was well-off—just how well-off, Bai Yang never knew in his previous life. Zhong Xilu never flaunted her wealth, nor did she compare herself to others. In fact, she was more low-key than most girls.

Her little character crashed into a tree trunk, and the monster behind gleefully pounced, pinning it down.

Zhong Xilu hummed softly, turned her head, and her bright eyes met Bai Yang's gaze.

"Want to play a round?"

"No, thanks." Bai Yang refused in a low voice.

Having experienced the chaotic mobile game market in his previous life, such simple games no longer excited him.

"Okay." Zhong Xilu put away her phone and pulled out a novel.

Having been desk mates for most of the day, Bai Yang had gained a new understanding of her—she barely paid attention in class, spending her time playing.

And yet, she could still consistently rank first in her grade. The difference between people was truly staggering.

Bai Yang glanced at a paragraph and was stunned. The content was quite explicit.

Zhong Xilu noticed his gaze and openly showed him the page.

Bai Yang read the title aloud: "Beast Blood... Boiling?"

"Rented it from the bookstore near the school gate," Zhong Xilu whispered mysteriously, "It's good. I love it."

Bai Yang: "..."

He remembered this as an early online novel, filled with racy content that even boys had to sneakily read under their covers.

"I'll lend it to you when I'm done," Zhong Xilu added.

"...Thanks?"

Great, in less than a day, Bai Yang's previous impression of Zhong Xilu had completely shattered.

"No need to thank me. As desk mates, we should share," Zhong Xilu said generously. "Just don't let the teacher catch you, or you'll have to pay for it."

A typical troublemaker's attitude.

No wonder she hadn't chosen one of the highly coveted seats in the first two rows but instead opted for the inconspicuous third row by the window.

By the time evening self-study ended, Ye Guodong reluctantly kept them for two extra minutes before wrapping up the first day of school.

"See you tomorrow, Zhong Xilu."

"See you tomorrow."

Zhong Xilu was a day student, while Bai Yang's hometown was in a nearby town, and his grandmother's house in the county was a bit far from the school, so he boarded at school.

Many students liked to take a walk around the track before bed, using night runs as an excuse to spend time with their significant others.

Xiangdong No. 1 High School was an old school. The track field was not paved, and one side had a beloved grove. Students wandered the dark track, and when Bai Yang reached the entrance, he saw a girl standing there.

She wore a knee-length skirt and a white blouse, the buttons straining, making one worry they might pop off with a deep breath.

Above that was a face contrasting sharply with her figure, chubby-cheeked and big-eyed, more like a middle schooler than a high school student.

"Bai Yang~"

The girl smiled and greeted him with a bounce.

A sight that drew attention.

Bai Yang sighed inwardly. He had once been swayed by this, leading to a disastrous failure. Now, he felt indifferent.

He wasn't sure if it was because his mindset had changed or if he had been too desensitized by short videos.

"Xiao Zhenzhen," Bai Yang responded, walking up to her, "Let's go."

Xiao Zhenzhen tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face. "Bai Yang, you seem different."

"Just your imagination."

They walked out of the streetlight's range and onto the dark track.

"Bai Yang, about the message you sent me this morning, I've thought it over," Xiao Zhenzhen said shyly. "I didn't know you had a crush on me. Actually... I kind of..."

Bai Yang stopped, his tone casual. "Oh, that was a misunderstanding."

Xiao Zhenzhen froze, turning to face him.

Without pausing, Bai Yang continued, "That message was a prank by Li Yang. I came here to explain."

In the dim light, Bai Yang could still see Xiao Zhenzhen's astonished expression.

"But..." she bit her lip. "You could have just sent a message to explain."

"I thought it would be rude," Bai Yang said seriously. "Since it involves feelings, I needed to apologize in person."

He looked her in the eye, speaking sincerely. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."

Xiao Zhenzhen lowered her head, her voice barely audible. "I had already decided to say yes."

"What?" Bai Yang tilted his head, pretending not to hear.

"Nothing..." Xiao Zhenzhen quickly stepped back. "Since it's a misunderstanding, that's good. I was wondering how to reject you without hurting our friendship."

"Glad we cleared it up," Bai Yang smiled.

Looking at the girl before him, his heart remained calm. His first love had been a farce, and standing before her again after all these years, Bai Yang analyzed her mindset with the detachment of an observer.

She didn't genuinely like him. She was just filling an empty space in her life and happened to receive his confession at the right time.

Bai Yang was tall and good-looking, fitting her standards, so she thought she'd give it a try. To put it bluntly, it was no big deal for her to accept, and it gave her something to brag about to her friends.

Bai Yang didn't blame her. This was normal for girls her age, but his younger self had been too naive to see through it.

"So... I'll go back to the dorm?"

Xiao Zhenzhen couldn't hide her embarrassed and angry expression and wanted to leave immediately.

"Rest early."

Just as Bai Yang said this, someone approached aggressively.

Before they arrived, a voice shouted:

"Are you Bai Yang?"