In the afternoon, Song Bin and Guo Sheng, who had been missing for most of the day, finally showed up. Because the first class in the afternoon was Huang Dewei's, they were brought directly by him.
Judging by their expressions, it was clear both had a rough morning. Especially Guo Sheng—his anger and embarrassment were written all over his face, though he kept it to himself. Petty as always, he shot a glare at Zhou Rui as he walked back to his seat, only to be met with an equally sharp glare in return.
"Switch seats. Song Bin, you and Lu Xubo are swapping," instructed Huang Dewei.
Lu Xubo, who had been seated behind Zhou Rui, gritted his teeth, visibly displeased. But as one of the weaker students in the class, he had no authority to argue with the teacher. The seat change was imposed without prior notice, leaving him simmering with frustration.
It wasn't hard to guess why Huang Dewei made the switch—he was clearly worried about another altercation between Song Bin and Guo Sheng. Unfortunately for Lu Xubo, this made him the collateral damage.
Lu Xubo cast an angry look at Guo Sheng.
Now Guo Sheng's new desk mate was the person he feared most—Lu Xubo—while Song Bin ended up diagonally behind Zhou Rui.
Satisfied with the new seating arrangement, Huang Dewei nodded. There were still a few minutes left before class started, and he had one more announcement to make.
"I mentioned yesterday that we'd be welcoming a transfer student. She was supposed to report this morning but got delayed. There isn't much time left in the third year of high school, but I hope everyone will get along well. Even short-term friendships between classmates are valuable."
He turned to the doorway. "Student Han Ziyin, come in and introduce yourself."
A girl entered the classroom.
Many of the boys stopped talking mid-sentence, their attention magnetically drawn to her as she walked in.
Her eyes were bright and clear, and a ponytail fell neatly down her back like a ribbon of silk. Even the unflattering school uniform couldn't hide her tall, elegant figure. Standing there, she evoked one word: graceful.
Her straight nose gave her a slightly commanding air, but her soft forehead and porcelain complexion balanced it with a gentle charm. Altogether, she radiated a heroic, captivating presence.
Tong Xin, sitting a few rows away, felt a wave of unease—a fierce sense of crisis. Her coveted title as the "school beauty" felt like it was slipping away.
Still, something about Han Ziyin's red, watery eyes suggested she had been crying not long ago.
Zhou Rui's mouth dropped open in surprise. It's her! He immediately recognized her as the girl from this morning. So she's the transfer student?
No wonder she wasn't in uniform earlier—she must not have received one yet. And no wonder she looked so disoriented, like a newcomer to the area.
Suddenly, Zhou Rui had an epiphany. In my previous life, why didn't I remember her at all?
The truth hit him. She never made it to this classroom in my previous life.
She was meant to astonish everyone with her arrival, yet in his past life, she had disappeared silently in that desolate alleyway. She'd been a flower destined to wither before blooming.
But this time, because of Zhou Rui, she was here. Every day from now on would be a new chapter for Han Ziyin.
The small butterfly's wings had already begun to ripple through time.
Aware of the morning's events, Huang Dewei didn't press her to introduce herself further. He had pre-assigned her a seat the day before, choosing one at the back to accommodate her tall frame.
"Han Ziyin, your seat is over there. Zhou Rui, she's new to Qinghe County—help her settle in."
Every boy in the room turned to glare enviously at Zhou Rui.
When Han Ziyin looked up and saw Zhou Rui, she froze.
---
In the classroom next door—Class 6, Senior Year.
A mushroom-haired girl, oblivious to the drama unfolding in Class 7, nibbled on a fruit leather Zhou Rui had given her earlier.
"Sweet," Lin Wenqian murmured to herself.
Beside her, another student fiddled with their phone, trying to load a video. Due to slow internet speed, a ten-minute clip of a game called "CF" was taking an entire class period to download.
"My base was stolen! My base was stolen!" the student muttered dramatically.
Lin Wenqian thought to herself, What kind of game has bases? Is it like farming vegetables?
She took another bite of the fruit leather. So sweet... whose base got stolen, though?
---
Back in Class 7.
Zhou Rui sat at his desk, sweating slightly as he focused intently on the board. His heart raced.
Huang Dewei stood at the podium, animatedly emphasizing a key point. "This will definitely be on the exam! This is an easy question—make sure you understand it!"
Zhou Rui nodded vigorously, completely immersed in the lesson.
Meanwhile, Han Ziyin slipped him a note. When he didn't respond, she placed it directly in front of him with her slender fingers.
Zhou Rui saw it but remained unmoved. He knew she had plenty to say to him—after all, he'd saved her life—but experience points came first. Right now, no one was more attractive to him than Huang Dewei.
Han Ziyin, however, couldn't focus on the lesson. What she'd gone through that morning was far more important to her than a physics class.
Zhou Rui remained engrossed in the lecture, while Han Ziyin occasionally glanced at him.
His features were unremarkable—his slightly overgrown short hair and regular facial structure didn't stand out. But his clear, bright eyes exuded an unusual vitality, making people want to take a second look.
It was hard for her to reconcile this ordinary boy with the hero who had knocked out a thief with a brick earlier.
---
Later during the break.
Zhou Rui stretched and casually unwrapped a Snickers bar. As he enjoyed the sticky sweetness, he glanced at Han Ziyin.
"Where did you go to school before this?" he asked.
"Shanghai," she replied quickly.
"Shanghai? Isn't the pressure of the college entrance exam lighter there? Why transfer here now?"
Han Ziyin hesitated, seemingly unsure how to answer. Sensing her discomfort, Zhou Rui let the topic drop.
Before he could ask anything else, a group of girls surrounded Han Ziyin, eager to pepper her with questions. Zhou Rui, seeing the swarm coming, quickly leaped out of his seat and left her with a playful expression that seemed to say, Good luck.
He walked away, his mind already returning to his goals. His deskmate might be a beauty, but for now, his focus was on one thing: gaining experience.
Zhou Rui knew that, in the long run, when he reached the pinnacle of life, he'd be qualified to have everything he desired.
Right now, taking the initiative in matters of romance was out of the question.