The black luxury car rolled to a halt in front of the imposing gates of the Imperial Academy.
Yang Qinru, who had been napping in the backseat, stirred awake at the sound of the driver's voice.
"Young Miss, we've arrived at the school," he said politely, a practiced smile on his face.
Yang Qinru opened her eyes groggily, her mind still catching up to the reality before her.
For a moment, she stared at the driver in confusion, shrinking back instinctively
A second ago, I was dead, she thought, her heart pounding.
Her fingers tightened on the seatbelt before she forced herself to let go.
She remembered the "god" and the surreal deal she'd made. Was she really back, ten years in the past?
The familiar view of the prestigious Imperial Academy answered her unspoken question.
She composed herself, stepping out of the car with the practiced grace of someone used to being watched.
Inside, though, her mind was in chaos.
It worked. She was back. And her blank spots in memory only added to the surreal nature of the situation.
As promised, some moments—years even—were missing. Still, the god's words echoed in her mind: Your memories will return when triggered by the right events.
Suppressing the manic laugh bubbling in her chest, Yang Qinru adjusted her uniform and strode toward the academy gates.
Imperial Academy wasn't just any school; it was the school. Young masters and misses from wealthy families, as well as children of high-ranking officials, roamed its pristine grounds. Its rigorous academics and elite reputation made it one of the most respected institutions in the country.
The campus stretched over acres of land, with stately buildings that looked more like mansions and meticulously maintained gardens.
A greenhouse gleamed in the sunlight near the east wing, and grand dormitories stood at opposite ends of the grounds.
Yang Qinru's lips twitched into a faint smile. It had been ten years since she last set foot here, but everything still felt so familiar. She leisurely strolled past students, taking in the sights and memories.
Yang Qinru wasn't in a hurry after all, she still have 40 minutes till class starts.
Compared to Yang Qinru's joyful mood, the students didn't feel the same.
As she passed groups of students heading toward their classrooms, the chatter around her began to shift.
"Did you hear? She's back!"
"The tyrant? Already?"
"I thought she'd stay abroad forever!"
How could they not talk about Yang Qinru?
Yang Qinru first appeared in the academy three years ago. The first day of her 1st year middle school, she beat up three infamous bully with a bat!
Three years ago, on her first day at Imperial Academy, Yang Qinru had cemented her reputation by beating up three notorious bullies with a baseball bat. Since then, her unrelenting confidence, coupled with her untouchable background, had earned her the nickname "Tyrant."
She nicknamed as "Tyrant" by the students because of her unruly behavior and arrogance, it was also because none of them can criticize her behavior because of her background.
Now, her return after a three-month absence—due to securing overseas deals for her family's business—was all anyone could talk about.
After a while, Yang Qinru made her way to the main building. She paused at a bulletin board where students crowded around to check the monthly exam rankings.
1/400: Yang Qinru, 750
2/400: Xie Xinglin, 749
3/400: Jiang Mian, 723
4/400: Jian Ai, 721
5/400: Yang Xinye, 721
...
400/400: Yang Yichen, 213
Whispers filled the air.
"Gosh, look at my score."
"Didn't the school raise this month's monthly exam difficulty? How come the tyrant got perfect score?"
"How did she manage to get a perfect score?"
"Xie Xinglin was only one point behind! It's like the two of them are in a league of their own."
Entering classroom 1-A, the lively chatter instantly died down.
Students avoided eye contact and no one even dared to breath loudly as if she would explode.
Yang Qinru scanned the room, her sharp gaze landing on an empty seat in the middle.
Ignoring the stares, she walked over, grabbed the chair, and dragged it noisily to the back of the room, beside a boy who was sleeping soundly.
The boldness of her actions left everyone speechless.
She looked elegant while walking earlier, but now that she was dragging a chair she looked a bit rebellious.
Wow. Just wow. Look at her! How arrogant. They all thought, but no one dared to out any complain.
Her seatmate, oblivious to the chaos she caused, snored lightly. In front of her, a blond-haired troublemaker shifted in his chair, his posture casual until she abruptly kicked the leg of his chair.
As she sat down, she saw a boy in front of her also taking a nap. The boy in front of her have a dyed blond hair. She kicked the chair leg of the boy in the front row.
With a soft 'pa', the boy's chair sitting in front of her scraped forward against the floor as he shifted, before quickly turning his head back.
People who didn't know Yang Qinru sucked in a cold breath.
The scraping sound made the boy whip his head around, his expression annoyed.
This pretty girl is dead. The owner of the chair she just kicked was a troublemaker from a wealthy family.
"Who dares—" His words caught in his throat when he saw her. "Eh? Boss?"
"Is there a test today?" Yang Qinru asked nonchalantly.
The boy scratched his head. "Not that I know of. Oh, but there's homework due."
"Hand it over," she demanded.
He looked at her incredulously. "Shouldn't I be the one copying your homework? You're the genius here!"
"Good point," she admitted, leaning back in her chair.
"Boss," he said with a smirk, "why don't you copy his homework instead?" He gestured toward the sleeping boy beside her. "He's the one who came in second on this month's exams. Beat everyone else when you weren't here."
Yang Qinru glanced at her seatmate, his long hair obscuring most of his face.
"No," she said firmly. "We're not even close. I have a conscience, you know."
The class collectively froze, suppressing their disbelief.
What conscience? She didn't have that!
"Oh, right Boss. Lin Yu's going to treat us a dinner later, are you free?"
Lin Yu? Yang Qinru searched her memory. Ah, he was Xiao Yu's troublemaker cousin.
"Isn't he studying overseas? It's only been 2 years yet he's already back."
"He said it was boring there."
The sound of the teacher arriving finally woke her seatmate. His hair shifted, revealing sharp features and pale skin.
Yang Qinru blinked, her gaze lingering on him for a moment.
"What are you staring at?" he hissed under his breath, his tone sharp but quiet.
His hair was longer than most boys, covered half of his face. Yang Qinru could only see the tip of his nose. His skin was pale and fair, perhaps just as fair as her. He also appeared thinner compared to other boys.
Yang Qinru tilted her head. He reminded her of a small dog, barking furiously despite his unassuming appearance.
Yang Qinru then looked at his name tag.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
Xie Xinglin.
She didn't know why, but the name felt familiar, like a piece of a puzzle she had yet to solve.