"Young man, you can't just lie on the ground because it's cool..."
That's enough, Vice Principal Wang, do you think you're funny?
I was almost beaten to a pulp by a bunch of delinquent students, yet I didn't see you coming to help me.
Speaking of which, can't I just report that smoking corner right now and work with Vice Principal Wang for a perfect takedown, trying to destroy that den of iniquity?
No, no, even if those guys are caught, they'll just get a slap on the wrist.
They'll still take revenge on me afterward!
And since Luo Yao gave them money to make trouble for me, I must deal with it on the spot.
Otherwise, once my time is up, the old me will wake up from heatstroke completely clueless, only to face a vicious beating from a bunch of bad guys, which I'm afraid would be hard to fend off!
Ji Yun has realized now.
The past I can actually control is extremely limited.
It's really just after class when I passed out from heatstroke.
When my mature, wise, and cool consciousness peels away from Xiao Ji Yun (Little Ji Yun), the Ji Yun of ten years ago remains a clueless young fool, even still considering Jiang Hua a good buddy from Craftsman Street!
So, things have to be resolved "in the moment," instead of leaving any loose ends or trouble for the Ji Yun from ten years ago when he wakes up.
However, it was wise of me to run away when I was lured to the smoking corner.
I could probably overpower Brother Xin's brown-haired gang if I put in a little effort, but with the green-haired, love-burying Prince Chin Feng coming after me, I'd likely be defeated, ending up with a bruised face.
As a king returning, losing even a drop of blood fighting noobs is a disgrace.
I'm determined to take them down without a scratch!
Even against two or three ruffians, an amateur practitioner of freefighting can handle himself with ease.
Ji Yun's current combat level is just about there.
But to stay unharmed, or to deal with more, I'd have to aim for the level of a semi-professional or even a professional fighter.
As for time, I reckon I have plenty of it.
Why not max out this skill first? With some martial arts under my belt, I'll have nothing to fear no matter where I go in the school, right?
...
"10:20 PM."
"The patient shows no signs of life."
...
When Ji Yun opened his eyes, he had already started to become a master of time management.
Sigh, there are too many girls in school.
Can't keep up, I just can't keep up.
"What are you doing, that's formatting!!" Luo Yao said furiously.
Ji Yun pushed Luo Yao away, and looking at his ****-eating expression, Ji Yun inwardly sneered; so Luo Yao had been plotting against him since then.
Ji Yun didn't expose him, letting him conspire with Jiang Hua.
After all, if I don't go to the smoking corner this time, what can they do to me?
I still have to go and learn combat techniques after kissing Qiu Mo.
Once I master it, I will fight from the smoking corner all the way to the teaching building! Suzuran High School will have only one God of War!
"Mwah~"
Ji Yun skillfully moved closer to Qiu Mo's cheek.
However, the unexpected happened; Qiu Mo tilted her head and dodged Ji Yun's sudden kiss.
Ji Yun was shocked!
What's happening!
Student Qiu Mu, why aren't you following the script?
"Ji... Ji Yun, aren't you going a bit too far? After all, we are just classmates," Qiu Mo said, saddened for Ji Yun, but her eyes were still clear, maintaining the distance that should exist between classmates.
"Ah?? Sorry, I got carried away, I... I have something else to do, I must go." Ji Yun was somewhat distracted and started to panic.
Turning quickly to leave, a huge question mark bubbled up in Ji Yun's mind.
He couldn't help but look back at Qiu Mo a few times.
The girl standing quietly under the banyan tree was just like before, but why was she so calm this time?
Was it because I wasn't sincere enough?
Or did I not follow the previous process when I spoke??
What exactly went wrong?
"Last time, Qiu Mo was supposed to have agreed to be with me."
"But this time, she's aware, she believed my nonsense, but she didn't agree to be with me."
"Why is this, even though I'm doing the same things, saying the same words..."
As Ji Yun talked to himself, he had already arrived at the comprehensive teaching building.
Heading upstairs, looking towards the back hill from here, one could see those delinquent youngsters in the school, their hair revealing brilliant colors under the sun.
Clearly, they were waiting for me.
But Ji Yun wasn't going there at all this time!
As he entered through the door, sure enough, the entire martial arts classroom was silent.
Then, a figure as swift as a cat leapt up, with long, straight legs kicking magnificently outwards and aiming for my chest!
Ji Yun wanted to laugh.
The same move couldn't possibly take me down.
Prepared, Ji Yun sidestepped gracefully, easily avoiding Xiao Tifa's leg strike to the chest.
"Who let you in here!" Shen Cangcang said fiercely, glaring at Ji Yun.
"That Teacher Han sent me over, said I should accompany someone for training," Ji Yun said.
"What Teacher Han? You mean Teacher Qin, don't you?" Shen Cangcang said.
"Ah, right, right, right, classmate, help me with the protective gear, and then please call out that competitor," Ji Yun told Shen Cangcang.
"I am the competitor; my name is Shen Cangcang." Shen Cangcang proudly straightened her wrapped chest and black horseback riding vest.
"You?? A girl???" Ji Yun feigned surprise.
"What's wrong with a girl!!"
"Sorry, I don't fight girls, especially pretty ones like you," Ji Yun said.
"Hmph, if you can last 1 minute, consider it my loss!" Shen Cangcang's temper flared.
"Fine, I'll play along."
Ji Yun put on the protective gear and had simulated Shen Cangcang's moves in his mind.
Shen Cangcang's body was extremely flexible, allowing her to strike unexpected poses and catch her opponents off guard.
"I'm moving now." Shen Cangcang's eyes were already narrowed into beautiful fox-like slits.
I thought I was going to practice with the air today.
I didn't expect a punching bag with a little skill to show up!
Too bad that skill is nothing in front of a professional like me!
The boy is full of openings.
From his stance, hand gestures, the degree of body leaning, to the control of distance, all have significant issues. I have no less than twenty ways to knock him out within a minute!
Freestyle fighting means any school of thought is permissible, and Shen Cangcang apparently has learned them all!
Her speed was incredibly fast, and Ji Yun couldn't tell which footwork she used. He felt as if she closed the gap on him in the blink of an eye.
After a few feints, Ji Yun just then realized that though Shen Cangcang was using Taekwondo movements, she didn't raise her legs high. This indicated that even if he attacked her lower body, she could respond in time.
Very flashy!
He had to admit this move had a strong visual impact; it even seemed as if she never touched the ground, as graceful and light as a ballet dancer!
"Hu!!"
A sweeping leg kick came at him.
Ji Yun's eyes saw only how straight, how long it was.
But as he watched, Ji Yun had already shifted his body, bending to the side to dodge.
If it had been before, Ji Yun would have certainly counterattacked by now since his opponent's movements were so grand, and she would need time to find her balance—this would have been an opportune moment to exert force and easily knock the opponent down.
But Ji Yun knew that a champion girl like her was different; she had a trump card in store!
It was a front flip followed by a thrust kick!
Ji Yun seriously suspected that Shen Cangcang had also learned gymnastics, as landing from such high difficulty movements and then connecting it with a small hop were all advanced gymnastics techniques.
As expected!
After landing, Shen Cangcang's body was quite stable, and next, she would follow up with a little leap and a kick.
Ji Yun reacted beforehand, his body sliding out a large step sideways and backward.
Just as Ji Yun waited for his opponent's look of surprise, he suddenly realized that after landing, Shen Cangcang had smoothly crouched down, adopting a scorpion pose, and precisely struck his ankle!!
Ji Yun, who had taken a wide slide step, found his ankle hooked by the other party's sweep, and consequently, he face-planted straight into the ground!!
"Bang!"
Ji Yun took a solid fall and was full of "?????"
What's going on!!
Why change the move!!
Wasn't it supposed to be a little crane's talon leap? Why switch to a squatting scorpion position???
"Are you alright, male classmate, giggle giggle giggle." Shen Cangcang laughed like a cunning and adorable silver fox.
"No… no problem, I underestimated you," Ji Yun stubbornly insisted.
Taking a deep breath and steadying himself, Ji Yun had to ponder seriously.
First of all, he might have misunderstood this time loop.
Every time he opened his eyes, the surrounding world seemed the same, but there were always subtle changes.
And all the events and all the people were not unchanging.
Take this time's Qiu Mo, for example.
This means that Qiu Mo, who agreed to my proposal under the tree in the original timeline, was likely to reject me.
But if I explain my plight and sincerely touch her, there is a glimmer of hope of winning her over.
Ji Yun remembered that on the third loop, like the previous loop, Qiu Mo had accepted to be with him by default.
During the third loop, however, Lou Yu returned to Lan City after ten years and became a doctor at Lanyang Hospital.
The essential condition for Lou Yu to return to Lan City was to skip that disgusting rehearsal.
"I get it now!"
"During the third loop, Qiu Mo said yes to me, and everyone in the school building saw it, including Lou Yu. Sister Lou Yu must have been too sad, hiding away to cry by herself and skipping the rehearsal, that's why she returned to Lan City after ten years..."
"But even if she didn't participate in the rehearsal, whether she would return to Lan City or not is still a matter of chance; it means even if I follow the script to the letter, her return to Lan City isn't guaranteed to happen."
"Similarly, Qiu Mo didn't agree this time."
Just like with Shen Cangcang's moves.
Although she still started her attack with Taekwondo, her second move was never fixed.
Moreover, she would observe my subsequent moves, then decide on her following strikes!
Nothing is unchangeable!
Even in a time loop, all things can change due to minor differences, and although destinies may converge like rivers to the sea, the process needn't be the same!
Even if everything was exactly as it had been, with not the slightest deviation, sometimes the outcome can be as unpredictable as the heart of a girl like Qiu Mo—Schrödinger-like in her relationships!