Even Top Students Fail

The Nerd Turtle

Senior year was brutal, with exams leaving everyone drained. Lilith had avoided the issue until semester's end, but Jennifer's words stuck with her. Her attitude towards William normalized, and that chocolate bar remained untouched in her desk.

Winter break arrived, but no one felt relaxed. Chinese New Year was late, and with only about 100 days until college entrance exams, the break was exceptionally short for Lilith and her classmates.

They had just ten days off - their last long break before the final exam sprint. Too lazy to pack much, everyone grabbed a few clothes and headed home.

As break neared, even top students grew restless. When the bell rang, everyone rushed for the gates.

No. 1 High School ran like a military camp. Except for day students, no one could leave campus normally. Jennifer joked they'd be like prisoners if they shaved their heads.

So when break came, everyone fled like uncaged birds.

Linda left later due to last-minute business with Lilith. By then, almost everyone had gone.

Eager to return home after a month away, Lilith hurriedly packed and left.

Unexpectedly, William stopped her at the gates.

He wore casual clothes today - a short down jacket, jeans, and white sneakers. Though typical student attire, his tall frame made him look more spirited than in uniform.

William pulled Lilith aside. "Lilith, I like you. Let's date," he said, trying to appear composed despite sweaty palms.

It was his first direct confession, despite often receiving love letters and having ambiguous experiences with girls.

William had pursued Lilith for over a year, but she'd never given a clear response. If she liked him, she never showed it. If not, well, he was the only boy she treated slightly better.

This limbo frustrated William, who wasn't particularly patient. Aware that other guys had eyes on Lilith, he decided to confess outright.

He figured Lilith would likely agree.

Seeing William's bright eyes fixed on her, Lilith was speechless.

Though William appeared normal, Lilith knew he was nervous. She recognized his little habits from years of knowing him, including her past life.

Lilith didn't know how to respond. The timing was all wrong, with just 100 days until exams after New Year's. Starting a relationship now seemed suicidal.

Thinking about Mr. Zhao's ambiguous words earlier, Lilith's head throbbed. William's stubborn face, waiting for an answer, made it worse.

She was probably the only person who got a headache instead of blushing when confessed to by her crush.

Seeing Lilith's expression of difficulty rather than shyness, William bristled.

"What's that mean? Is it so hard to be my girlfriend?" William was at his rebellious peak, with a 'I'm the greatest' attitude.

He'd imagined Lilith might blush or be shy, but never expected reluctance.

Adolescent rebellion can be severe, and William, at seventeen or eighteen, was at his most rebellious.

Despite pursuing Lilith for over a year, William was proud. He'd received many love letters and felt he'd pursued her long enough.

His friends' teasing about his lack of progress had pushed him to confess today.

Lilith's continued silence hit William's pride harder. His face flushed with embarrassment and frustration.

He held on a bit longer, thinking he'd give her a piece of his mind after she agreed.

As Lilith's silence dragged on, his expression darkened. "Don't regret this," he said, hurrying away without waiting for her response.

Watching William leave, Lilith felt mixed emotions. She hadn't known how to answer earlier, unsure of her own feelings.

In matters of the heart, Lilith always felt weak. Even in college in her past life, she never dated until after starting work, despite having attractive suitors.

This incident dampened Lilith's joy about going home. She arrived feeling listless after a forty-minute bus ride.

Seeing Lilith's state, Louis and Maria were heartbroken. Their only child, once chubby like a soft pink bun, had lost so much weight.

Louis cooked a big meal, and they anxiously watched Lilith eat two bowls of rice before letting her rest.

In her room, Lilith finally relaxed. She opened a drawer with a pink box full of William's love letters from the past year. One read: "Lilith, hello. I've liked you since you transferred to our class." The rest was mostly song lyrics, popular in love letters now.

Looking at these letters bubbling with pink hearts, Lilith sighed.

She felt useless. Despite being reborn, she was still dealing with William just like in her past life.

Apart from improved studies, this life seemed no different from her previous one.

She'd read rebirth novels where female protagonists lived spectacularly successful lives. Why was it so hard for her? She couldn't follow sports lottery or trade stocks to get rich.

Buy houses? Prices were already high. Her pocket money might buy a few tiles.

Train a rich, handsome loyal husband? William was already a headache. Where would she find someone to train?

Write novels for money? As a science student, who'd read her dry writing?

After pondering, Lilith put everything away and burrowed into her blanket, frustrated.

Tired of thinking, she focused on sleep. It had been ages since she'd had a lazy lie-in. At No. 1 High School, they had to be up at 5:20 for 5:40 morning exercises, with perfectly folded blankets and wrinkle-free sheets.

Reborn, Lilith cared about her appearance. Still only 158cm tall, she was determined to drink milk and eat eggs, hoping to grow past 160cm. More sleep was crucial for growth.

Lilith had been asleep for a while when Maria quietly entered. Seeing Lilith frowning even in sleep, she lovingly tucked her in before leaving.

"Is Lilith asleep?" Louis asked as his wife came out.

"Yes, she must be under a lot of pressure. She's frowning in her sleep. We need to make sure she eats well these few days. Look how thin she's gotten. We can't add more pressure; she's stressed enough," Maria said. Their daughter's excellent grades were good, but seeing her so exhausted was heartbreaking.

The couple chatted a bit more before going to bed themselves.