Chen Mo took off his jacket and slumped into a large chair in the corner, silently lighting a cigarette.

The smoke entered his lungs, waking up his somewhat dulled thoughts. It took him a while to fully grasp the reality that he had truly returned to his high school days.

Around him, the sounds of teenage boys cursing filled the air. The smell of summer sweat mixed with cheap cigarettes, instant noodles, and snacks created a stifling atmosphere in the room.

His phone buzzed with a new message.

The contact labeled as “Big Brother” asked: Where are you?

Chen Mo ignored it.

Another two minutes passed.

Big Brother: Uncle Li, the driver, said you weren’t picked up after school. Just because Mom and Dad dropped the lawsuit, you think you can push Shule out of the Yang family? That’s never going to happen. I advise you not to cause trouble.

Two minutes later.

Big Brother: Answer me. Do you not even know how to use a phone?

His patience was clearly wearing thin.

Yang Zhi, at twenty-five years old, was already the acknowledged heir to the Yang family.

Their father, Yang Qi’an, had taken control of the Yang Corporation from four siblings due to his marriage to Zhou Yaoying, the second daughter of the equally influential Zhou family. However, their marriage had been a facade for years, held together only by mutual interest.

Chen Mo and Yang Shule were born during the most fragile point in their parents' relationship.

Because of this, both sides of the family showered Yang Shule with love and affection.

Yang Zhi, eight years older than Shule, was raised to be serious and strict, but when it came to his younger brother, he had always been genuinely protective.

Chen Mo, on the other hand, had a very different experience.

He had shown up halfway through their lives and had no emotional connection with the Yang family.

All that connected them was a sense of guilt, a sense of debt.

They sent him to the best high school, placed him in the top classes.

They gave him endless pocket money.

So they didn’t understand. They were puzzled. What more could he possibly be dissatisfied with?

Chen Mo still remembered the incident Yang Zhi had mentioned in the messages.

It had all started when the Yang family accidentally leaked the news of their search for their lost son, which caused fluctuations in the company’s stock price. On top of that, Yang Shule fell ill and was bedridden for over two weeks, which worried their parents greatly. In the end, they dropped the lawsuit against Li Yunru and publicly clarified: It had been the hospital nurse’s mistake, not a baby swap.

In fact, in that public clarification, the Yang family painted Chen Mo as a model of rural inspiration.

Ambitious, thoughtful—despite his poverty, he came from a loving family.

His parents worked hard to provide him with an education, and he was grateful. His new identity as the Yang family’s lost son only gave him another home.

In his past life, Chen Mo had caused a huge scene at the Yang family over this.

He demanded that if the Yang family wanted to drop the lawsuit, then Yang Shule had to leave the family.

It was his childish way of exacting revenge on Li Yunru.

Because from the day the Yang family found him, Chen Mo had come to realize that Li Yunru never truly loved him. That small, cheap remnant of motherly love wasn’t even something he was worthy of.

But somehow, the news that he wanted to kick Yang Shule out of the family had leaked to the school.

That’s how Li Rui and his gang had cornered him in the internet cafe.

His parents thought he was acting out of jealousy and resentment, and Yang Zhi had sent messages to warn him.

Ironic, wasn’t it?

Two lives later, thinking about it still felt bitterly ironic.

At the time, he’d had a fever even before being cornered in the cafe. In the end, it was the owner of the cafe who had found him unconscious and sent him to the hospital for an IV drip.

Not a single person from the Yang family had asked where he was that night.

It was only the next day, when he returned home, that he bumped into Yang Shule, who was also sick, standing at the door with a suitcase, ready to leave the Yang family.

His parents held him back, hearts aching, pleading: You’re so ill. Where do you think you’re going? You can’t leave.

Yang Zhi took the suitcase from his brother’s hand, casting a meaningful glance at Chen Mo: Shule, this is your home. No one has the right to make you leave.

The driver and the servants all gathered around, whispering.

Why should little Shule be forced to leave? He’s always been my favorite.

Exactly. So what if he’s the biological son? He came back only to make life difficult for everyone.

He even wants to send his adoptive mother to prison. What an ungrateful little wretch.

He grew up in the countryside. It’s no wonder he’s so mean.

Surrounded by the adoration of others, Yang Shule was nothing more than the victim of Chen Mo’s disdain. "I will leave, Chen Mo. But please stop upsetting Mom and Dad, and stop fighting with Big Brother."

All of Chen Mo's pent-up emotions exploded in that moment.

“Leave? Fine.” Chen Mo sneered, “Just make sure to love your real parents just as much.”

Did Yang Shule end up leaving?

Of course not.

Instead, from that day on, Chen Mo saw his situation clearly.

Unable to keep up with the pace of the city’s elite high schools, he studied relentlessly.

What he wanted—what had originally been his—he fought desperately for.

The burning fire of rage in his chest had no outlet, and it became an obsession to succeed. It grew, consuming him over the years, until it burned so hot that it utterly destroyed him.

By the time Chen Mo turned twenty-eight, many people hated him, but they also feared him. He had gained enough power, wealth, and status, but the cost was his broken body.

His stomach was so damaged that he was on the verge of stomach cancer.

He constantly had respiratory infections, frequently running high fevers.

The damage to his knees from being forced to kneel in the snow as a child left him with chronic pain, even after surgery. Rainy days often brought unbearable pain.

A doctor he had known for years angrily slapped his medical records and scolded him: If you don’t quit smoking and drinking, don’t bother finding someone to collect your body!

Chen Mo had been busy with work. No need, I’ll make sure there’s no body left to collect.

Are you insane?

This is news to you?

Not long after that conversation, the retribution he had been waiting for finally arrived.

The middle-aged businessman who had been an enemy of the Yang family for years showed up with over ten men, eyes dark and cold. "Yang Zhi may have used underhanded tactics to bring me down, but what does it matter? This is the outcome you deserve, what all of you from the Yang family deserve!"

Leaning against the edge of the fourth floor of an unfinished building, Chen Mo remained eerily calm. His impending fate neither surprised nor disturbed him.

In a detached tone, he replied, “I won’t deny teaming up with Yang Zhi. Who in this world doesn’t love money?”

“But you made one mistake.”

“My last name is Chen.”

“If you’re trying to get back at the Yang family through me, you’re in for a disappointment.”

Chen Mo never found out if anyone had come to collect his body in the end.

He figured someone probably did.

After ten days or so, someone would find his corpse and report it. The Yang family, for the sake of their reputation, wouldn’t have hesitated to foot the bill for his funeral.

•  

Yang Zhi didn’t send any more messages. Instead, his phone started ringing.

Chen Mo let the phone ring until the sound stopped. He flicked the ash off the end of his cigarette with a casual movement.

The symptoms of his fever were becoming more pronounced.

His limbs felt weak, and his head was spinning.

A group of boys, who had come in later to play games, were cursing and passionately discussing strategies as they played.

“Flank them! Flank them!”

“Damn! I died again. Restart.”

While they waited to respawn, someone said, “Did you check the group chat? Li Rui and his gang cornered someone today. I think it was in this internet cafe.”

“Who did they corner?”

“That kid from the advanced class, Chen Mo.”

“Oh, isn’t he in the same class as you, Lao Gou? Isn’t he some model student?”

The boy called Lao Gou happened to be sitting right next to Chen Mo. He cursed, “Shut up.”

“Come on, tell us. What’s he like? There’s been so much gossip lately about him and that Yang Shule from your class. I’m dying to know.”

“I don’t know him well. Can’t remember. If you’re so curious, go buy some gossip outside. Three yuan will get you two pounds of it. Eat as much as you want.”

The others burst out laughing.

Another guy chimed in, “I heard his family paid for him to get in. But who knows? In those backward counties, all the ‘good students’ are the same. They’re all bookworms who can memorize stuff but nothing else.”

Bored of eavesdropping, Chen Mo casually asked, “And what’s a bookworm like?”

Lao Gou nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard the voice beside him.

Turning his head, his first reaction was: Who the hell is this guy? He seems pretty familiar.

Two seconds later, the awkwardness set in. More awkward. Even more awkward...

Is there anything worse than bad-mouthing someone behind their back and getting caught red-handed?

Another guy dumbly asked, “Lao Gou, who is this?”

Lao Gou cleared his throat, leaning back to let the others get a better look. “Chen Mo, my classmate.”

Everyone: “...”

Could the guy sitting there with his long legs crossed, his eyes dark with exhaustion like he’d pulled an all-nighter, smoking like a chimney—could that really be the Chen Mo they’d heard about?

Lao Gou’s mouth twitched.

When he said he didn’t know Chen Mo well, he was telling the truth. It had been more than a month since this guy had transferred into the advanced class, and Lao Gou’s only impression of him was from his introduction on the first day.

Standing at the podium, Chen Mo had shown neither the confidence nor the pride that one might expect from someone “leaping over the dragon’s gate.”

Those eyes, always cold when looking at people, had made him seem like someone hard to get close to.

So when Chen Mo suddenly spoke to him, Lao Gou’s first thought was that he was picking a fight.

Lao Gou didn’t want any trouble and figured Chen Mo was in a bad mood after being hassled earlier. Trying to smooth things over, he said, “Don’t take it to heart, man. They didn’t mean anything by it.”

“What if I want to take it to heart?” Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.

Lao Gou froze, letting go of his mouse. “Then take it out on me.”

Chen Mo averted his gaze, suddenly chuckling. “Forget it.”

This classmate, whose name sounded suspiciously like “dog,” would later become the doctor Chen Mo grew very familiar with. However, in his previous life, they hadn’t become close until after university, not during high school.

Chen Mo had no memories of what Lao Gou had been like during their high school days.

He hadn’t paid much attention back then.

At that moment, someone at the entrance shouted, “Bald Lai is here!”

“Crap!”

“Run, run, run!”

Chaos broke out in the internet cafe.

Chen Mo glanced toward the entrance.

The next second, someone grabbed him forcefully.

He heard Lao Gou say, “Bro, let’s put our grudges aside for now. Survival comes first.”

Chen Mo lazily reached for his jacket, casually asking, “You guys are really that scared of him?”

“Scared? You’re not? That’s Lai Xianfu, the director for the second-year students!” Lao Gou gave him a look that said, I’d love to see how long you can keep up that act, before taking another step forward to grab Chen Mo’s jacket for him. “Come on, let’s go. The advanced classes are always his main target. If he catches us here, neither of us will live to see tomorrow’s sunrise.”

And just like that, Chen Mo was dragged out of the back door of the cafe along with a group of other boys.

By now, the sky outside was dark.

The back alley was nearly empty, with only a few dimly lit shops casting yellow light, and a stray cat, startled by the commotion, darted out of a trash heap.

After running a short distance, Chen Mo noticed that his heart was racing abnormally fast.

He clutched his jacket and leaned naturally against the wall.

One of the boys, hands on his knees, asked between breaths, “Lai Baldy didn’t follow us, did he?”

“Doesn’t look like it.”

“Man, that was a terrible game session. What bad luck!”

“Let’s just go.”

“How about we all go for some barbecue?”

“Together?”

They turned to Chen Mo.

Boys were simple creatures sometimes. Unlike Li Rui’s gang, who were genuine delinquents, these guys had only heard bits and pieces about Chen Mo and had no real grievances with him.

Chen Mo shook his head. The fever had soaked his back in cold sweat by now.

The wind in the back alley felt bone-chilling.

“You guys go ahead,” Chen Mo said, his voice hoarse.

Lao Gou, perhaps destined to become a doctor, had an uncanny instinct. He looked at Chen Mo and said, “You okay? I noticed you didn’t look too well back in the cafe.”

Hearing this, the others also turned to look at Chen Mo.

Having spent years being familiar with the adult version of Lao Gou, Chen Mo instinctively replied, “I won’t die.”

Just then, his phone buzzed again.

It was another message from Yang Zhi.

Yang Zhi: Do you even know what time it is? Chen Mo, you can be angry, but there’s a limit.

What the hell? Had Yang Zhi ever sent him this many messages in his previous life?

Chen Mo replied: Concerned about me?

He figured his brother was disgusted by the message because, after that, there was nothing but silence.

Satisfied, Chen Mo closed the chat and, after a two-second pause, typed another message in a blank note.

—In retirement. Do not disturb.

Then he shut off his phone.

His fingers unconsciously brushed against the cigarette pack in his pocket, and he suddenly had the urge to light up another one.

But then he remembered he’d left his lighter in the internet cafe, so he gave up on the idea.

When he looked up, he realized the group hadn’t left.

“Aren’t you guys going for barbecue?” Chen Mo, on second thought, changed his mind and said, “I’ll treat you all.”

“No need for you to treat us.”

“Yeah.”

“Lao Gou’s paying.”

“Screw you. Why don’t you pay?”

“Let’s just split the bill.”

The atmosphere among the boys was lively. For a brief moment, Chen Mo thought that maybe life wasn’t so unbearable after all, and maybe it wasn’t necessary to live so rigidly.

Chen Mo pushed himself off the wall. “Alright, I’ll treat. I’ve got too much money and nowhere to spend it.”

“Damn, you’re really asking for it with that comment.”

“Who knew Chen Mo was like this?”

“You’re too generous, Mo-shao!”

Amidst the harmless teasing, Chen Mo stood up, but a wave of dizziness hit him hard.

Lao Gou, standing next to him, instinctively reached out to grab his wrist and shouted in surprise, “Damn! You’ve got a fever this high and didn’t notice?”

Chen Mo steadied himself with Lao Gou’s help and glanced at his classmate’s face, still full of youthful collagen. “If you keep freaking out like this, you’ll scare your patients to death.”

“Yeah, right. You try dying, and I’ll see.”

“Sorry, I’m not dying anytime soon.”

“Idiot.”

Chen Mo’s shoulders shook with laughter.

Lao Gou’s face darkened. “Shut up. What’s so funny?”

This area was hard to catch a taxi in.

Plus, the year-level director was still blocking the front entrance.

So, Lao Gou, despite his typically nonchalant attitude, showed a rare bit of care for his classmate, asking the others to help Chen Mo while he called for someone to come pick them up.

Ten minutes later.

A car slid quietly to the entrance of the alley. The back door opened, and a long leg stepped out.

The group immediately shouted.

“Yan-ge, over here!”

“Class rep, you got here fast!”

“Awesome, bro. Cruising in a Maybach like this, aren’t you afraid Bald Lai will catch us?”

The newcomer wore a baseball cap, his dark eyes scanning the group. His voice was deep and pleasant as he asked, “Where’s the sick one who can’t walk?”

Standing in the shadows at the back, Chen Mo cursed under his breath.

That unreliable Lao Gou had managed to screw him over the moment they reconnected.

He had called their class rep—the top student of their grade—and the childhood sweetheart Yang Shule had been in love with for years.