Early the next morning, an unusual scene unfolded outside the experimental class of No. 1 Middle School.
The so-called top students of the school were lined up in front of the classroom door, forming a spectacular sight. But the real eye-catcher was the presence of two unexpected figures—Xi Siyan, who had already secured early admission and was technically no longer a student, and Chen Mo, the former school bully whose past had been splashed all over the news just days ago.
Chen Mo leaned against the wall and smirked. “Happy now? I called everyone at 5:30 this morning, and no one got up. Now you’re standing here being gawked at like monkeys. How does it feel?”
“Brother Mo, don’t be like that,” someone pleaded.
“Yeah,” Jiang Xu added, grinning. “We’re fine, but Qi Lin, what’s with that massive bump on your forehead? Did you fall out of bed while drunk and dreaming about your ‘wife’?”
“Get lost!” Qi Lin kicked him in frustration.
Speaking of which, Qi Lin was still puzzled.
He couldn’t figure out how he had offended Xi Siyan to deserve such ruthless treatment.
Turning his gaze, he caught sight of Xi Siyan speaking to Chen Mo.
The two of them stood close—nothing unusual given their good relationship over the past year—but for some reason, Qi Lin suddenly recalled what he had glimpsed the previous night.
When he had groggily opened the door, he had seen two figures on the sofa. The distance between them had been… a little unusual.
It was the dead of night.
Why had they been so alert?
Then, remembering that Chen Mo had openly stated his sexual orientation before, Qi Lin’s mind cracked.
Was Chen Mo interested in Xi Siyan?
Based on Chen Mo’s personality, if he had made up his mind, he wouldn’t delay.
Qi Lin glanced between the two of them.
Lao Xi’s face was as unreadable as ever. So… had Chen Mo made a move on him, or was it the other way around?
Before he could think further, their homeroom teacher, Xiang Shenglong, arrived with a lesson plan in hand.
“Qi Lin!” he barked. “Why are you craning your neck like that? Are you about to sacrifice yourself for justice? Do you think you’re in the right?!”
Qi Lin felt deeply wronged but dared not speak back under Lao Xiang’s glare.
Lao Xiang was fuming today.
Not only had these model students snuck out in the middle of the night, but they had also gotten drunk and arrived late to school—only to be caught by Director Lai at the school gate!
It was absolute lawlessness.
Lao Xiang slammed the lesson plan onto his palm. “Tell me, where were you all last night?!”
Chen Mo raised his hand. “My place.”
Lao Xiang had been about to start scolding, but upon hearing this, he paused.
The words of reprimand were stuck in his throat.
After all, he was the one who had personally signed off on Chen Mo’s request to move out of the dormitory.
The recent uproar over Chen Mo’s family situation had made waves throughout the school. Not only students but even many teachers were aware that this student had both adoptive parents who were now in prison and biological parents who favored another boy over him.
It was a mess.
Many teachers had privately asked about Chen Mo’s well-being, fearing that the emotional turmoil would affect his studies.
Seeing him return to school as usual, Lao Xiang felt a huge sense of relief.
Thus, he softened his stance.
Instead of scolding, he merely gave a token lecture: “What you did was wrong. Drinking is dangerous. What if something happened?”
His tone was so gentle that it sounded more like parental concern than a reprimand.
The other students watching could barely contain their laughter.
But their luck didn’t hold—Lao Xiang proceeded to scold each of them one by one, leaving no room for escape.
By the end of it, everyone was left feeling deeply repentant… except for Chen Mo.
At last, Lao Xiang called Xi Siyan to the office.
The rest of the group was left anxiously speculating.
“Shit, Lao Xi is going to get it.”
“Yeah, even though Brother Yan technically isn’t a student anymore, the new class monitor hasn’t been appointed yet. Since he was still leading us, he’ll definitely get the worst of it.”
“You think this will affect his university recommendation?”
“Wait… is it that serious?”
Ten minutes later, the first class ended.
Chen Mo headed to the office under the pretense of delivering test papers to the math teacher.
He wasn’t worried about Xi Siyan’s recommendation—he just felt responsible for what had happened the night before and planned to speak with Lao Xiang about it.
But as he approached the door, he hesitated.
Through the slightly open door, he overheard Lao Xiang speaking—not about last night’s incident, but about Xi Siyan’s future.
“My suggestion is to go abroad,” Lao Xiang was saying. “Given your situation, I don’t doubt you’ll excel in the college entrance exams, but the amount of time and energy you’ve spent on competitions is a factor. Domestic universities are excellent, but if you’re considering further studies or broader career options, overseas universities would be the best fit.”
Inside, Xi Siyan was leaning against the desk, facing Lao Xiang. The conversation didn’t have the usual student-teacher tone.
It was more like an exchange between equals.
Xi Siyan shook his head. “In the past, I would have made that choice.”
“So why not now?” Lao Xiang asked, raising an eyebrow.
Xi Siyan simply smiled without answering.
For some reason, Lao Xiang’s mind drifted to the school forums.
He knew that the student standing before him had long dominated the top rankings in academic discussions.
But this year, another name had risen to equal prominence.
It was normal for intelligent, good-looking students to draw attention.
That was just how youth worked.
But Lao Xiang was perceptive.
Just because he never mentioned it didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of the rumors swirling around Xi Siyan, Yang Shule, and Chen Mo.
As a responsible class teacher, he kept track of every subtle change in his students.
And now, it seemed one of those rumors had become reality.
Xiang Shenglong’s expression stiffened.
“Don’t tell me…” he said slowly, “you’re staying because of Chen Mo?”
The moment he saw a flicker of surprise in Xi Siyan’s expression, he knew he had hit the mark.
His face immediately darkened.
“Goddammit!” Lao Xiang grabbed a folder from the desk and hurled it at Xi Siyan.
Pointing at him, he roared, “I thought you were mature! Do you even know what you’re doing?! Listen, Xi Siyan, I don’t care whether you stay in the country or go abroad. You’re my student, and as long as I’m your homeroom teacher, I won’t let you act recklessly!”
Unfazed, Xi Siyan caught the folder mid-air and raised an eyebrow.
“You’re discriminating based on sexual orientation now?” he asked coolly.
“Discrimination against your sister!” Lao Xiang completely abandoned his dignified image as a teacher. “What the hell does this have to do with sexual orientation? If I were homophobic, I’d have kicked your ass first!
“You think Chen Mo is like you? Born into a good family, free to do whatever you want, with someone always there to clean up your mess? It wasn’t easy for him to get where he is today. Half the teachers in this school are watching him like hawks, scared he might not be able to keep it together. And here you are, stirring up trouble for me at such a critical moment! Let me tell you, if Chen Mo screws up before the college entrance exams, I’m coming straight for you!”
Xi Siyan chuckled.
Lao Xiang’s temper flared again. “You still have the nerve to laugh?! When did this start between you two?”
“I can’t explain it to you.”
Despite being exposed, Xi Siyan was utterly relaxed, as if he had expected this reaction. He knew exactly what had triggered Lao Xiang’s anger, so he got straight to the point, his voice uncharacteristically serious:
“I know better than anyone how hard things have been for him. The whole school treats him like he’s made of glass. How could I possibly harm him? Not a chance.”
Lao Xiang’s expression softened slightly, though he still didn’t fully believe it. “So you two really aren’t together?”
“Nope.” Xi Siyan reassured him with a straight face. As soon as Lao Xiang looked relieved, he added, “But even if we were, do you think I’d tell you?”
“Xi Siyan!”
At that moment, Chen Mo walked in.
He was worried Lao Xiang might actually explode.
Knocking twice on the door, he stepped in naturally. “I’m here to deliver the math test papers.”
“Chen Mo, she’s not here. Just leave them on the desk,” Lao Xiang instructed, his gaze shifting suspiciously between the two of them before pointing to Fu Ling’s desk.
As Chen Mo passed by Xi Siyan, their eyes met.
Xi Siyan mouthed: Did you hear all that?
*Chen Mo nodded.
Xi Siyan: It’s okay.
*Chen Mo nodded again, indicating he didn’t take it to heart.
There was no real difference between his homeroom teacher knowing his sexual orientation and anyone else knowing.
What truly caught his attention wasn’t the part about himself but rather Xi Siyan’s decision—his choice to stay in the country.
Because of him, would Xi Siyan take a different path than in his previous life?
Chen Mo asked himself whether he could bear the weight of such a significant turning point in someone else’s future.
It might be fine in the end.
But he hesitated, and that hesitation came from his own experiences.
He knew himself too well—selfish, authoritarian, prone to making decisions based on emotion.
Especially now that he had a second chance at life, he was even more driven by personal desires. Deep down, he had an urge to treat his relationship with Xi Siyan like a reckless, no-holds-barred ride—throw caution to the wind and just live for the moment. He was willing.
But the reality was that they weren’t on equal footing.
It wasn’t fair to Xi Siyan, who only had one life.
So when they stepped out of the office, Chen Mo said, “You really don’t plan to go abroad?”
“It’s all the same to me,” Xi Siyan replied, glancing at him. “For me, it doesn’t matter where I go to college. So, of course, I choose what I want.”
Chen Mo knew exactly what he meant.
After a pause, he suddenly said, “Why don’t you move out first?”
Xi Siyan turned to him, eyebrows raised.
Chen Mo continued, “Let’s put some distance between us. Clear our heads. You know, let’s both take a step back.”
Xi Siyan was silent for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.
“Alright,” he agreed lazily, without the slightest resistance.
Chen Mo, who had impulsively tried to kick him out, ruffled his own hair in frustration.
I’m really turning into a scumbag, he thought.
Xi Siyan moved back home.
Chen Mo’s life remained unchanged, following the same daily routine.
For the next while, Xi Siyan barely showed up at school. But he didn’t disappear entirely—there were still various forms and documents he needed to sign.
One Wednesday afternoon, during the second self-study period, someone spotted him in the office building.
For the students in the experimental class, this was a golden opportunity. They dragged him onto the podium, eager to pick his brain.
Chen Mo, who had been dragged up there by Lao Gou to watch, got called out by Xi Siyan.
“Pay attention. Stop zoning out,” Xi Siyan knocked on the table.
Chen Mo, caught off guard, rolled his eyes. “I already know the answer to this question.”
“Then explain it to the class,” Xi Siyan challenged.
The students could sense something was off.
A lot of things.
“Xi Shen, help me with this question!”
“When will you be back next time?”
“Brother Mo, since Xi Shen is busy, can you explain this one?”
Chen Mo shrugged. To him, this was just another normal day.
Xi Siyan had come to school for an hour and left quickly.
But during break, when Chen Mo went to refill his water bottle, he overheard a hushed conversation near the water dispenser.
“Did Chen Mo have a falling out with that guy?”
“I thought so too! Something feels off between them.”
“Something definitely happened.”
“Wait… don’t tell me they broke up?”
Chen Mo calmly filled his bottle as the surrounding students gawked at him.
Turning back, he said, “Seriously? Have you ever even seen two men argue before?”
Chen Mo is bold to think he can make Siyan do anything he doesn’t want to do. This may be Mo’s second life, but Siyan won’t allow himself or Chen Mo to suffer any more losses.