Jiang Che glanced at the math textbook before him, a sense of nostalgia washing over him. In his previous life, he had always found high school studies to be a drag—tedious, repetitive, and uninspiring.
But now, with the clarity of hindsight and a renewed sense of purpose, the material felt... manageable.
"It's not that the subjects are hard," he muttered to himself, "it's just about consistent effort and focus. That's where I went wrong before."
He turned the page, scanning a problem that had once stumped him. It didn't feel as daunting now.
Instead, he methodically broke it down, his pen gliding across the paper as he worked out the solution.
The biggest advantage of being a time traveler was his knowledge of the future.
While he couldn't remember every detail of the exam papers, some questions and topics had been burned into his memory from repeated discussions among classmates and teachers.
"Sequences and series... probability... oh, and that tricky geometry question everyone complained about," Jiang Che muttered, jotting them down in a separate notebook.
"Even if I can't remember everything, I should be able to guess at least 70% of what will show up. That's more than enough to give me an edge."
Every time he encountered a problem that felt familiar, he circled it in red and jotted a note in the margin: 'Possible exam topic.'
After a couple of hours, Jiang Che leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms and letting out a contented sigh.
His notebook was now filled with predictions and important topics, neatly organized by subject.
If he continued like this for one month, he was confident that he would significantly do better than his previous life.
In his previous life, he was still in depression because of his failed confession and didn't do well.
Now that he was no longer that same person, in addition to his future knowledge, he didn't think it would be difficult to get into a first tier university.
"This time, I'm going to ace that exam," he said softly, his tone resolute.
***
The next morning, Jiang Che walked into the school grounds, the crisp air carrying faint chatter from groups of students clustered near the gates.
He adjusted his backpack, trying to push aside the fatigue from staying up late revising.
However, as he stepped further into the courtyard, he couldn't help but notice the strange atmosphere.
Whispers and muffled giggles seemed to follow him everywhere. Heads turned in his direction, and the unmistakable sound of his name floated through the air.
"Jiang Che confessed his love to School Beauty Xiao Yuxia but was rejected!"
"I thought he wouldn't come to the school after the rejection due to embarrassment."
Jiang Che's steps faltered slightly, his brows knitting together.
( Of course, it's this… )
With Xiao Yuxia being the goddess of every highschool male, it was no wonder that everyone knew about his failed confession.
"Damn it! Jiang Che really dares!" someone muttered loudly enough for him to hear as he passed by.
"What was he thinking, confessing to Xiao Yuxia? He's just a nobody in front of the school beauty!" another voice chimed in, dripping with mockery.
"It's like a toad wanting to eat swan flesh. So funny…"
Jiang Che stopped and turned his head slightly, locking eyes with a pair of students who immediately looked away, their faces turning red from embarrassment.
( Pathetic gossipers! )
He thought, exhaling slowly. He had expected this.
After all, in his previous life, this incident had haunted him for weeks, making him the laughingstock of the entire school.
But now, it is different. So, what if he was rejected? Doesn't that happen to many people?
It is only because he dared but they didn't do that, they felt superior. In other words, they were just cowards who couldn't confess but felt they were better than the one who failed the confession.
In reality, even if they had confessed, their fate would be the same. However, of course, they lacked the guts to do so.
They were even worse than me.
He straightened his posture and kept walking, his expression calm and composed.
As he approached the entrance to his classroom, the chatter grew louder.
Groups of students loitered near the door, their faces lighting up as they saw him approach.
"Hey, Jiang Che!"
Someone called out mockingly, a smirk on their face.
"How's it feel to aim for the moon and crash to the ground?"
A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd, but Jiang Che didn't take the bait. Instead, he fixed the boy with an icy stare, his voice steady.
"I didn't realize my personal life was so entertaining to you all. Don't you have anything better to do?"
The boy flinched slightly at the unexpected response, and the laughter died down.
Jiang Che pushed past them into the classroom, where the air was thick with the same awkward energy.
His classmates tried to act nonchalant, but he could feel their eyes on him, the whispers barely concealed.
He ignored it all and walked to his seat near the window, pulling out his notebook and flipping it open to a fresh page.
The teacher hadn't arrived yet, and the class was buzzing with conversation.
Jiang Che could hear snippets of his name mixed with Xiao Yuxia's as people recounted exaggerated versions of the confession.
In the corner of the classroom, Zhang Wei waved him over as he walked over to him.
Zhang Wei grinned awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
"Uh, bro… you okay? People are talking a lot about, you know, what happened."
Jiang Che shrugged, his tone casual.
"Let them talk. It doesn't change anything."
Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Wow, that's… mature of you. Last time, you—"
"Last time doesn't matter," Jiang Che cut him off, his gaze steady.
"I've got more important things to focus on."
Zhang Wei stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Alright, man. If you're good, then I'm good. Let me know if you need anything."
Jiang Che returned to his seat, his mind already drifting away from the petty gossip and back to his goals.
( Let them laugh now. )
He thought, his pen moving across the page as he jotted down the day's tasks.
( By the time they realize what I'm capable of, it'll be too late for them to catch up. )
Anyway, in his previous life, these very people laughing at him now would, at future reunions, hold their cups five centimeters lower than his and shower him with endless flattery.
They were nothing but a group of clowns who couldn't focus on their own lives.