China, Spring River City.
Classroom of Class Five, Senior Year Three, Spring River No. 1 High School.
The last class of the afternoon had just ended, and many students had already packed up and left. Only about a dozen students remained in the classroom.
Zhou Yang, sitting in the last row, suddenly shouted, "H-how did I get here?"
He looked around and recognized everything—this was his high school classroom from senior year. But he clearly remembered being in North America, sitting in a helicopter with the beautiful Lin Qinglu.
His outburst startled the remaining students, who all turned to look at him. Except for Lin Qinglu, who was seated in the second row, everyone else wore expressions of disdain, muttering insults and calling him an idiot.
Zhou Yang was a poor student who had grown up with just his father. His father ran a martial arts studio with modest earnings, so their family wasn't well-off. Zhou Yang only knew some basic martial arts, which made him an easy target for ridicule among his classmates. But he was used to it.
At that moment, Lin Qinglu was also bewildered. She had no idea how she'd suddenly returned to her senior year of high school. She distinctly remembered being on that helicopter with Zhou Yang.
After confirming it wasn't a dream, she finally understood—both she and Zhou Yang had been reborn, sent back ten years to their high school days.
Lin Qinglu was 170 cm tall, with long legs, a slender figure, delicate features, and a ponytail. Even her loose school uniform couldn't hide her charm, giving her a pure yet playful appeal that was utterly captivating.
She walked up to Zhou Yang, her eyes filled with affection, and said, "Zhou Yang, we're back."
Zhou Yang nodded. "Yeah, we're back. What you said on the plane before we were reborn—does it still count?"
Lin Qinglu nodded, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, smiling. "Of course it does. From now on, I'm your girlfriend."
This was her first kiss. If not for the overwhelming emotions, she would never have dared to kiss Zhou Yang in front of so many classmates. After the kiss, her cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head, looking shy.
She was deeply grateful to Zhou Yang. If not for his rescue, she might have died at the hands of those brutal mercenaries in North America. During their time together, she had gradually fallen for him. She had even planned to marry him once they returned to China. But she never expected they'd be reborn ten years into the past.
Zhou Yang had always liked Lin Qinglu too, but he'd only ever admired her from afar, never daring to confess. He felt inferior, believing they lived in completely different worlds.
He never dreamed Lin Qinglu would kiss him first. Overjoyed, he impulsively pulled her into a tight embrace.
The dozen or so students in the classroom were stunned by the intimate display between Zhou Yang and Lin Qinglu. They couldn't believe their eyes.
Everyone knew Lin Qinglu was the school beauty of Spring River No. 1 High School—a top student from a family worth hundreds of millions. Before this, she and Zhou Yang had barely interacted, hardly even speaking to each other.
To them, a goddess like Lin Qinglu would never stoop to a loser like Zhou Yang. He simply wasn't worthy of her.
They stared at Zhou Yang with envy and resentment, muttering among themselves.
"What the hell? Did Lin Qinglu just kiss Zhou Yang? No way—Zhou Yang's a nobody. Lin Qinglu's rejected so many guys; she's known as the hardest girl in school to chase!"
"This is the biggest news ever. The school beauty kissed Zhou Yang, that loser? And they're hugging? Damn, has Lin Qinglu lost her mind?"
"Big news, seriously huge. Lin Qinglu's the one Li Qiang, the leader of the Martial Arts Club and the school bully, has been after. If Li Qiang finds out about this, how do you think he'll deal with Zhou Yang?"
"If Li Qiang finds out, he'll tear Zhou Yang apart!"
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. At that moment, Li Qiang stormed into the classroom, followed by four or five burly students—all members of the Martial Arts Club.
Li Qiang glared at Zhou Yang and roared, "Zhou Yang, you've got some nerve! How dare you lay a finger on Lin Qinglu? Don't you know she's my woman?"
Li Qiang stood over 185 cm tall, with a muscular build. His voice was domineering, his fists clenched tight, and his eyes radiated killing intent.
He had always looked down on Zhou Yang. Today, he'd come to teach him a lesson because Zhou Yang had beaten up one of his Martial Arts Club members.
The students behind Li Qiang also widened their eyes, looking even angrier than him, as if Zhou Yang had stolen their own girlfriends.
Eager to please Li Qiang, they started cursing and cracking their knuckles, ready to attack.
The other students watched with schadenfreude, certain Zhou Yang was about to face disaster. They felt no sympathy for the "loser."
Zhou Yang was 180 cm tall, not as physically imposing as Li Qiang. At first glance, he seemed much weaker in presence.
But he wasn't afraid. Seeing Li Qiang only fueled his anger.
He had been bullied by Li Qiang and his gang throughout school. And in his past life, on this very afternoon, Li Qiang had dragged him to the Martial Arts Club under the pretense of avenging a member, then broke his leg. Later, Li Qiang sent people to smash his father's martial arts studio, injuring his father, and harassed them relentlessly.
Forced into a corner, Zhou Yang and his father had no choice but to leave Spring River City.
So, he hated Li Qiang—this scum of a human being. He genuinely wanted to kill him.
But he was well aware that Li Qiang was the second son of the Li family, one of the four major families in Spring River City. Not only did he have power and influence, but he was also a second-level Qi Practitioner. No one in Spring River No. 1 High School dared to cross him—students and teachers alike feared him.
But Zhou Yang had one defining trait: he didn't know the meaning of fear. No matter how formidable Li Qiang was, he had never bowed to him.
Lin Qinglu also knew Li Qiang well. Though her family was worth hundreds of millions, they were no match for the Li family. Still, she wasn't afraid of him. She held Zhou Yang's hand and declared loudly, "Li Qiang, I am not your woman. Listen carefully—from now on, Zhou Yang is my boyfriend. You are not to bully him."
She knew Zhou Yang was no match for Li Qiang. She wanted to protect him.
Li Qiang studied Lin Qinglu for a moment, then sneered. "Lin Qinglu, if you wanted to reject me, you could've at least picked someone better than Zhou Yang. Choosing a loser like him—are you trying to provoke me?"
His lackeys also scoffed in disbelief. One of them muttered, "This is the funniest joke I've ever heard."
Lin Qinglu said seriously, "Li Qiang, I'm notjoking. Believe what you want."