13,013.

Chapter 1 (Page 1/3)

Zhang Yunyi had only mentioned it casually, never expecting such an unexpected delight! She looked eagerly at Chen Kuo, her eyes full of joy, as if afraid he might change his mind. She didn’t even notice Wang Xuran opening his mouth to say something before she quickly agreed, “That’s wonderful! Thank you, class monitor~”

Who said the class monitor of Class Three wasn’t warm-hearted? That was utter nonsense—she was even tempted to send the boss a lawyer’s letter to warn him!

Chen Kuo opened his backpack. He had indeed bought several sets of exam papers today but didn’t know which subject she wanted, so he simply took them all out for her to choose from.

Wang Xuran: “……”

A vague, hard-to-describe feeling swept through him; he thought Chen Kuo was acting strangely today. Not just annoying, but downright neurotic.

Suddenly, Zhang Yunyi was handed a pile of books. Looking down, she felt like calling Jian Qiu to complain about a headache. She forced a smile, weighed the pile, and without a second thought, picked out the thinnest book. “Perfect, I just need this one.”

She immediately returned the other overwhelming exam papers to Chen Kuo.

This was the unbearable weight of life.

Wang Xuran, who had been quite talkative just moments ago, fell silent, but his gaze scanned Chen Kuo like an X-ray. The situation had drastically changed; Wang Xuran had become a mere background figure while Zhang Yunyi chatted casually with Chen Kuo.

“By the way, class monitor, you guys eat and watch movies at this mall—how did you get off the bus early before?” she asked.

Chen Kuo’s brows twitched awkwardly. “I went to buy something.”

Wang Xuran pricked up his ears, suspicious. Getting off early? To buy something??

Zhang Yunyi didn’t mind much; she wasn’t sure what else to talk about, so she brought up this small matter as a topic. “No wonder. Do you come to this mall often?”

“Not really,” Chen Kuo replied. Usually, they just ate and then went to the internet café to play games.

“But you live near Line 4, and so do I—we’ve never bumped into each other on the subway.”

Chen Kuo glanced at her. “The subway station’s a bit far; I usually take the bus.”

“Which bus do you take?”

Chen Kuo heard Wang Xuran cough exaggeratedly, snapping himself back to reality. What was wrong with him, talking so much to her? Despite this, he answered, “I mostly take the 583.”

Zhang Yunyi thought for a moment but couldn’t recall which buses stopped near her place. The three of them soon reached the subway station. While preparing for security checks, Wang Xuran, who had been watching coldly for a while, seized the moment when Zhang Yunyi was distracted. He grabbed Chen Kuo and pulled him aside a few steps behind the line, asking menacingly, “What’s going on? Is that a clenched fist I see?”

Chen Kuo said nothing.

“What do you mean by that?” Wang Xuran pressed.

If this guy didn’t give him a reasonable explanation, he, as the ‘grandfather,’ would have no choice but to enforce old-school discipline.

“Put your thoughts away,” Chen Kuo said, still refusing to reveal what he had noticed. After all, this was Zhang Yunyi’s private matter, and since she wasn’t yet an adult, it was something to be kept from parents and teachers. Sharing what he saw and gossiping about it would be a serious breach of privacy.

Chen Kuo glanced at Wang Xuran. “The college entrance exam is next year. Don’t act weird.”

Wang Xuran rolled his eyes. “What nonsense! I just think we get along pretty well.”

Chen Kuo smirked mockingly. “Really? I couldn’t tell.”

They get along my foot.

Chapter 1 (Page 2/3)

Besides saying “Really? Is that true? Amazing,” Zhang Yunyi hadn’t said much else; it was mostly this guy talking.

The security check was quick.

After Zhang Yunyi passed through the gates and waited for them, Chen Kuo gave Wang Xuran a warning look. Both tacitly agreed not to mention that incident again. Wang Xuran had even thought about adding her as a friend, but Chen Kuo’s cold response put an end to that.

This station had two subway lines.

Wang Xuran took the other line, separating from them. Zhang Yunyi and Chen Kuo went down the escalator one after the other.

At this hour, the train wasn’t too crowded, but there were no seats. The two stood by the handrails. Before this afternoon, Chen Kuo would have put on his headphones, but now he felt it unnecessary. Even as Zhang Yunyi racked her brain to find topics to talk about, he answered her questions.

As Wang Xuran said, this wasn’t Chen Kuo’s first time in such a situation. Usually, he would “keep his distance” when others showed interest, directly rejecting them. He didn’t bother with “being friends” routines. After rejecting, he distanced himself and avoided interaction as much as possible.

But this time, he had misunderstood—he was overthinking.

So now, Zhang Yunyi was just like any other classmate to him; he no longer deliberately avoided her.

“Class monitor, you bought so many exam papers and reference books. Can you finish them all?” Zhang Yunyi asked.

“If I’m in the right state, no problem.”

“Really? That’s impressive!” Zhang Yunyi didn’t hide her admiration at all. “I’m pretty useless. I always have to rush through the papers the teacher gives…”

She quietly added in her mind that she barely managed by cheating.

“Not bad,” Chen Kuo said, “The questions aren’t that different. You just need to get familiar with them.”

They’re far from similar, she thought with a sigh. She looked at Chen Kuo and unconsciously let her gaze linger on his forehead, wishing she could steal all his intelligence. “It’s not as simple as you say. We’re all jealous. If we could swap brains, the line of people waiting to exchange with you would stretch all the way to France.”

The highest form of flattering is telling the truth.

Chen Kuo wasn’t unused to blunt praise but still paused before smiling faintly.

“By the way, class monitor, can I ask you a few more questions?”

“...Sure.”

Zhang Yunyi discovered the secret to chatting happily with the boss: talk about studies and sneak in compliments. After several stops, the result was promising; she felt their relationship had improved just a tiny bit, at least he was no longer so taciturn.

What was frustrating was that although the boss was generous in sharing, even a top student’s study methods usually only applied to themselves.

At least, she couldn’t understand them now…

“I’m getting off.”

Zhang Yunyi felt her previous experience as an extra in a drama set had paid off. Even though she was dizzy from all the information, her face showed a look of “listening to you is worth more than ten years of study,” reluctant to part, waving her hand slightly. “See you~”

“Goodbye.”

“See you tomorrow!” Zhang Yunyi smiled sweetly. Today’s mission to flatter the boss was successfully accomplished.

Chen Kuo hesitated, then corrected himself, “See you tomorrow.”

Watching her leave the carriage, he suddenly felt thirsty—probably had talked too much today. Unfortunately, he had finished his water.

—

When Zhang Yunyi returned home, she still felt a bit unaccustomed; in her memory, it had been years since she lived in this apartment.

In her previous life, she hadn’t been completely unsuccessful.

Chapter 1 (Page 3/3)

At least she had bought her parents a newer, larger apartment. It wasn’t surprising that many people wanted to get into the entertainment industry—the money came much faster than other fields. Even an actor like her with barely any fans could earn six figures for a single role, plus some small income from commercial events and endorsements. Over a few years, she saved some money but didn’t know the best way to invest it. Hearing her mother complain about insufficient sunlight at home, she generously handed all her savings to her parents as a down payment on a house in Jiangzhou.

Thinking back now, she thought she was pretty impressive!

“Daughter’s back,” her father, Zhang Zhikuan, called out from the sofa, where he and her mother sat occupying opposite ends. Hearing the door and shoes being changed, he glanced up before returning to the novel on his phone.

Yin Wendan was flipping channels with the remote, casually glancing at her daughter and then at the clock on the wall with a smile. Quite punctual—fifteen minutes to ten.

“What did you eat out?” Yin Wendan asked routinely.

Without blinking, Zhang Yunyi replied, “Vegetable noodles, with an egg.”

Very healthy and light on the stomach.

Rest assured, Mother.

There was no helping it—Ms. Yin always thought her daughter ate junk food outside. Before her rebirth, nearly every other day, the family chat group would be flooded with links from her mother:

“Shocking! Massive amounts of xx on the market, don’t eat too much! Can be fatal!”

“Deadly habits like drinking coffee on an empty stomach or ice water first thing in the morning must change!”

And

“Be sure to tell your kids to marry into one of these three types of families!”

“Do you think your mother’s a three-year-old?” Yin Wendan didn’t argue. She set the remote aside and asked with a touch of annoyance, “Are you hungry now?”

“No!”

Her parents each had a manual on how to pamper their daughter. Whenever she praised a dish, it would appear on the family dining table for at least a month. Her father was the same—though she was in her twenties and claimed to have matured and liked fewer snacks, every time she went out, he’d bring back a bag. When she casually mentioned wanting strawberries, her father would drive out to a suburban strawberry farm and bring back a whole box.

So later, when colleagues asked why she returned to Jiangzhou, the answer was simple:

Her parents came first, the only reason.

“Wife, I’m hungry,” Zhang Zhikuan rubbed his belly and said with a sheepish grin.

Yin Wendan ignored him and told her daughter, “Go take a shower, sleep early. What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?”

Zhang Yunyi’s senior year was a turning point because she started living in the dorm. That meant she could only come home one night a week, where she could be a little princess for a day! Not to mention that after entering university, she would be her parents’ cherished treasure during winter and summer breaks—at least she could rule the household then.

Though such days rarely lasted long before reality set in again!

But she would never refuse the treatment due a little princess. She immediately smiled brightly and counted off dishes on her fingers: “Steamed dumplings, beef stuffed flatbread, sticky rice, and oily fried noodles with eggs, plus shredded beef!”

So much! She could eat it all.

Yin Wendan scolded with a laugh, “You hungry ghost, reincarnated!”

Though scolding, she would definitely satisfy her daughter. After all, this annoying girl only came home once a week—if she wanted a feast, she had to be served.