When Chen Shu returned to the school in the morning, the dormitory was quiet and empty. His roommates had all stayed out all night, and even Duan Chengcai hadn't returned. There were only some messy clothes and sneakers piled in the corner, filled with the stench of stale sweat.

Chen Shu was a bit unaccustomed to such an odor. He walked over and slid the balcony's glass door halfway open to air the room out, then briefly cleaned up the trash scattered on the floor. Only then did he return to his own bunk. There was still an hour and a half before his morning class started, so he could take a short nap.

However, he was so exhausted that even his sleep was restless. Memories of his past life came flooding back, always reminding him of the scene of drowning in the river. In the depths of the dark water, a mysterious Black Snake seemed to be coiled, its scarlet pupils staring at him motionlessly.

Are you resigned to this?

Resigned? What is there to be resigned about?

Chen Shu's eyes were tightly shut, his breathing rapid. He vaguely knew what the other was asking, but what could he do even if he wasn't resigned? In his last life, he had fought and vied for things, but fate had never favored him for it. What could change by starting over?

The Black Snake's cold gaze followed him like a shadow, its tone bewitching: How will you know if you don't try?

No... He didn't want to repeat the same mistakes... Not at all...

The water silently submerged him, bringing an overwhelming sense of suffocation. Chen Shu desperately tried to break free from the whirlpool, but he couldn't muster any strength. He could only watch helplessly as the Black Snake approached, coiling around him circle by circle, its tone low and intimate:

My dear Host, perhaps you've forgotten our deal. If you can't find me enough suffering, you can only return to the cold bottom of the river and become a rotting corpse again.

The story has just begun. Don't be in such a hurry to refuse. If you're willing to wait patiently, you'll discover that fate is not set in stone...

As the Black Snake's voice faded, the gloomy dream receded like the tide. Chen Shu felt as if a huge boulder pressing on his chest was suddenly moved, and countless streams of fresh air rushed in, choking him uncomfortably.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough—!"

He abruptly sat up and leaned over the edge of the bed, bursting into a violent fit of coughing, as if trying to expel all the water he had choked on at the bottom of the river. It took a long while for him to finally calm down.

Chen Shu gasped for breath, feeling completely drained. He forced himself out of bed, for a moment unable to distinguish between his past and present lives. It wasn't until he saw the desk piled with textbooks in the dim morning light that he realized he was still in the dormitory—

But no one knew better than him that what the Black Snake in the dream had said was all true.

Chen Shu slowly placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart pound violently. 'Feelings aren't like solving a math problem, where memorizing the answer gets you points,' he thought. 'I couldn't even make Zhuang Yihan fall in love with me in my last life, so what makes me think I can in this one?'

"Bang—!"

Just as Chen Shu was lost in thought, a loud crash suddenly echoed through the dormitory. It sounded like something had fallen from a height, even knocking over a desk and chair. He looked over subconsciously and found his roommate, Yu Hui, groaning in pain on the floor. The situation looked dire.

It turned out Yu Hui had been sleeping on the top bunk all along, but he was hidden by the bed curtain. He had accidentally gotten caught in the rain yesterday and developed a high fever after returning at night. Unfortunately, no one was in the dorm yesterday. When he finally heard Chen Shu come back, he wanted to ask for help to get to the hospital, but he was so weak he had no strength. His vision went black, and he fell from the bunk.

Chen Shu immediately went over to check on him, patting his face. "Yu Hui?!"

In his previous life, he was with Zhuang Yihan at a hotel at this time and hadn't returned to the dorm, so this incident never happened. Now that it was unfolding right before his eyes, he remembered that his roommate Yu Hui had indeed suffered a high fever. Because no one found him and he was sent to the hospital too late, he nearly suffered brain damage. His parents even came to the school to cause a scene, which was why Chen Shu had such a vivid memory of it.

Yu Hui was already delirious from the fever. He instinctively clutched the corner of Chen Shu's shirt as if it were a lifeline, his pale, chapped lips stammering out a sentence: "Hospital... take me... to the hospital..."

Most people would be more or less flustered in this situation, but Chen Shu was surprisingly calm. He quickly checked Yu Hui for any life-threatening injuries and to see if he could be moved. After realizing he was just delirious from the high fever, he immediately hoisted him onto his back, left the dormitory, and rushed towards the Medical Building.

It was the morning class rush hour, and many students were waiting for the elevator. When they saw Chen Shu rush out with a flushed, feverish Yu Hui on his back, they were all startled.

"Hey! Isn't that Yu Hui from the School of Computer Science? What happened to him?!"

"What happened, you guys? Do you need help?"

Their dormitory had thirteen floors but only two elevators, which was clearly not enough for the swarm of students rushing to morning classes. The constant stopping and starting was agonizingly slow.

"He has a high fever. I'm taking him to the Medical Building first. Can you guys help call for an ambulance?"

Yu Hui had started to convulse from the fever. Chen Shu lost patience with the elevator and headed straight for the stairwell. Two upperclassmen, afraid he couldn't carry the weight, quickly followed to help, supporting Yu Hui and clearing a path:

"Make way! Everyone, make way!"

"Someone's unconscious and needs to get to the infirmary! Please clear a path!"

The dormitory was about a ten-minute walk from the Medical Building. It didn't seem far normally, but carrying a heavy adult man was exhausting. Even though it had just rained and the temperature wasn't scorching, Chen Shu was still drenched in sweat.

Fortunately, when they reached the entrance of the Medical Building, a doctor immediately helped carry Yu Hui inside. Another teacher stayed behind to get the details. The two upperclassmen who had helped explained what happened, and at the end, pointed behind them and said:

"That student just now was from the School of Computer Science. His roommate found him and carried him to the Medical Building... Hey, where did he go?!"

The upperclassman had meant to say that he only helped out partway and that they should ask Chen Shu for the specifics, but when he turned around, he found the person had long since disappeared without a trace.

After dropping the person off at the Medical Building, Chen Shu immediately rushed to his classroom. This class happened to be Calculus, and the teacher was on the podium using a PowerPoint to teach Taylor Expansion. Although he had memories from his past life, many concepts had faded after nine years, so he had to review them again.

In the large classroom, besides the teacher's lecture, there was only the faint sound of keyboard tapping. Chen Shu was sitting in the back row, diligently taking notes on his computer, when a short-haired girl in front of him suddenly turned to look beside him and asked hesitantly in a low voice, "Chen Shu, didn't Duan Chengcai come to class with you?"

Chen Shu's fingers paused. He really couldn't remember what relationship this delicate-looking girl had with Duan Chengcai, so he could only hum in acknowledgment.

The girl frowned, worried. "He's skipped several classes this semester and hasn't submitted his online assignments. If this continues, he's going to fail the course. I know you usually hang out with him. Could you try talking to him?"

The affection in her eyes was subtly revealed, impossible to hide. Chen Shu belatedly realized that even a prodigal son like Duan Chengcai could be loved, and that there was someone who would urge him to change his ways.

Chen Shu had also gone through a period of self-destruction back then, but at that time, no one cared about him, and no one would gently persuade him to return to class. Zhuang Yihan was the only person who pulled him ashore, but he failed to find his footing and fell into an even deeper abyss of despair.

Chen Shu normally didn't like to meddle in other people's business, but for some reason, he inexplicably agreed at this moment. Although his voice was faint, making it hard to tell if he was just being polite, he said, "I'll talk to him later."

"Really?!"

Upon hearing this, the girl immediately broke into a delighted smile. The light in her eyes was as dazzling as fireworks, and her delicate face gained an indescribable radiance. "Chen Shu, thank you. I'll treat you to milk tea next time I get the chance."

Chen Shu nodded, then returned his gaze to his computer to continue taking notes. After the girl turned around, he took out his phone from the drawer and sent a message to Duan Chengcai, asking when he would be back for class. A moment later, he received a reply:

Drank too much last night. My head hurts today, so I probably can't make it to class. We'll talk later.

Chen Shu typed out a line of text, paused, then deleted it character by character. He really wasn't suited for persuading prodigal sons to change their ways. First, he didn't have the time for it, and second, for some people, even if they turned back, there was no path left for them to walk.

Just then, his phone vibrated silently again: How did it go with Young Master Zhuang yesterday? The manager asked me to find you. Said he'd give you a bonus and wanted to know when you're coming in to work.

Chen Shu's wallet had never been full. He had managed to save up some money from his part-time job last month, but renting the hotel room yesterday had used up more than half of it in the blink of an eye. The remainder was barely enough for this month's living expenses, but by next month, he would truly be broke.

He couldn't count on his family at all; it was a blessing they didn't ask him to send money home.

Chen Shu was still pondering how to reply when Duan Chengcai sent another message the next second: I heard it was Young Master Zhuang who specifically asked for you. The manager couldn't handle the pressure, so he had me ask you.

Zhuang Yihan?

Chen Shu unconsciously furrowed his brows when he saw the message. After all, in his memory, their relationship had come to a definitive end starting today. There was nothing that could be called a lingering entanglement. Why would Zhuang Yihan specifically ask for him?

Chen Shu was overlooking one thing at this moment. In his last life, Zhuang Yihan had gotten drunk and lost his virginity, waking up in the morning sore all over in a dirty, two-hundred-yuan-a-night motel. The first thing he saw was a timid country bumpkin standing before him. This was a completely different concept from getting drunk, being meticulously cared for all night, and waking up in a luxury hotel suite to see an incredibly handsome man with a face and body that perfectly matched his aesthetic preferences.

The former was enough to make one grit their teeth in hatred, while the latter would inevitably leave a lingering, unforgettable impression.

But regardless of the reason, Chen Shu wasn't going to go: Please apologize to the manager for me. I won't be coming to work anymore.

Surprisingly, Duan Chengcai didn't try to persuade Chen Shu to go back, perhaps because he also knew the club wasn't a good place: Is your money enough then?

Enough.

If it's not enough, borrow from me. We're bros, nothing to be embarrassed about.

Duan Chengcai was a carefree person, but very loyal. Unsure if it was because he got a big tip yesterday, he sent Chen Shu a red envelope with a thousand yuan right after the message, a rather generous sum.

Chen Shu didn't accept it. He only reminded him to come back to class soon, then turned off his phone. Little did he know that on the other side, the club manager was sweating profusely in a private room, apologizing to Zhuang Yifan.

"Second Young Master Zhuang, I really had someone call him. That male student doesn't plan on coming to work anymore. Yesterday was only his first day part-time, he didn't even have time to sign a contract. I can't exactly hold a knife to his throat and force him to come, can I?"

Zhuang Yifan was originally smoking. Hearing this, he lifted his eyelids. "Doesn't plan on coming to work?"

He tossed the cigarette butt onto the table and asked with a humorless smile, "Then how about you don't come to work tomorrow either, huh?"

Zhuang Yifan gritted his teeth in anger. He had finally found a man his brother found pleasing to the eye, seeing a chance for him to stop hanging himself on that one crooked tree named Jiang Xi, and now the manager was telling him he couldn't find the person?!

The manager cursed internally. Their establishment was a one-night-stand entertainment club, not a matchmaking agency that guaranteed a lifetime partnership. This little tyrant from the Zhuang Family was insisting on having yesterday's male model. Wasn't this deliberately making things difficult for him? In a society ruled by law, could he really kidnap Chen Shu and bring him back?!

But the manager didn't have the guts to confront him directly. His eyes darted around, and he secretly glanced at another man in a suit sitting on the leather sofa. The man's face was about fifty to sixty percent similar to Zhuang Yifan's, but his temperament was completely different. He was like a vast glacier, or an unfathomable, cold pool. He sat there quietly on the sofa, not having said a word from beginning to end, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Normally, if this President Zhuang saw his younger brother throwing a tantrum, he would definitely leash him like a master catching a wild dog. But today was like seeing a ghost; he just sat there like a Buddha statue, not making a single peep.

The manager spoke in a pitiful, stammering tone, "President Zhuang, you see..."

Zhuang Yifan suddenly kicked the table. "What are you calling my brother for?! Trying to call for backup?!"

If his brother wanted to stop him, he would have done it already. His silence meant tacit approval. And he calls himself a manager? He doesn't even have this little bit of perceptiveness!

The manager flinched at the sound, looking like a poor, frightened quail. He forced an expression that was somewhere between a cry and a smile, regretting only why he had come to work today. "Second Young Master, I told him President Zhuang specifically asked for him, but he absolutely refuses to come. I'm really at my wit's end. He wouldn't even take the bonus. Maybe he just doesn't want to be in this line of work anymore. How about I find a few other people for you to choose from? Maybe you'll find someone else you like?"

Zhuang Yifan had a fiery temper and was about to stand up and explode upon hearing this. After all, in City A, no one had ever dared to disrespect them like this. But a voice devoid of emotion suddenly sounded beside him, pinning him to his seat: "Sit down!"

Zhuang Yifan had no choice but to sit back down reluctantly. "Brother!"

Zhuang Yihan sat on the sofa with his legs crossed. His black leather shoes were spotless, their edges shining. Seeing the manager's trembling appearance, he finally spoke, his tone much more refined than the Second Young Master's. "Did he really say he isn't willing to come?"

The manager nodded with a bitter expression. "I've tried everything, persuasion and threats, but he just won't come."

Zhuang Yihan lowered his gaze slightly. "I thought he took good care of me that night. I was originally planning to give him a tip. I didn't expect him to quit. It's a shame."

The manager couldn't guess Zhuang Yihan's meaning. He only felt that the other's understated attitude was more terrifying than Zhuang Yifan's anger, so he could only agree repeatedly, "Yes, yes, it's such a shame. It's his loss!"

Zhuang Yihan: "You can't really say that. To each his own."

The manager was suddenly at a loss for words, feeling extremely uneasy, as if on pins and needles. "Uh..."

Zhuang Yihan casually averted his gaze and didn't make things difficult for him. "You may leave."

Hearing this, the manager felt as if he'd been granted amnesty and scrambled out, faster than a rabbit. Seeing this, Zhuang Yifan was still not resigned. "Brother, why did you let him go? I don't believe we can't find him!"

Zhuang Yihan pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lit it. His face was somewhat obscured in the swirling smoke. He casually flicked the lighter, seeming to be in a bad mood, though it was unclear whether it was because of his brother's decade-long recklessness or something else. "If we can't find him, then so be it. It's not a big deal. How many times have I told you not to be so arrogant when you're out? It's easy to stir up trouble."

Zhuang Yifan was still a bit unwilling. "Brother, are we really not going to look for him?"

Zhuang Yihan lifted his eyelids to look at him and retorted coldly, "What else? He's just a male model. What do you want to do?"

The guy was good-looking, but he wasn't about to lower himself to chase after a male model.

Zhuang Yihan flicked his cigarette ash. Although his tone was calm, every word carried a warning. "Zhuang Yifan, if I ever find you pulling tricks behind my back when I'm drunk again, I will break your legs. Understood?"

When Zhuang Yifan heard him use his full name, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly came to his senses and nodded repeatedly, "Understood, understood. If you don't like it, I just won't order male models next time."

If Zhuang Yihan said he would break his legs, he would really break them. It was absolutely not a joke.

Back when Old Master Zhuang passed away, the situation was chaotic. Zhuang Yihan had warned his younger brother not to run around, lest he fall into someone's trap. But Zhuang Yifan was in his rebellious phase and wouldn't listen. In a bad mood, he went out drag racing late at night. Unexpectedly, someone had tampered with his car's brakes, and he nearly died on the road. After he got home, Zhuang Yihan was so furious his face turned grim. He had his bodyguards hold Zhuang Yifan down and broke his left leg. He had to spend three months in the hospital to recover.

Even now, Zhuang Yifan felt a lingering fear when he recalled that day's scene, a phantom ache throbbing in his leg. His brother was truly ruthless. "Brother, I was just doing it for your own good. Jiang Xi is straight; you'll never be able to bend him in this lifetime. There are tons of high-quality men out there. Why can't you look at someone else? I think that guy from yesterday was a hundred times better than him."

Zhuang Yihan had already stood up to leave, but he paused upon hearing this and turned back to look at Zhuang Yifan. He flicked his cigarette ash with his finger, his cold, handsome features holding a hint of playful amusement under the lights. He finally lost his imperturbable expression. It was unclear if he was talking to himself or to Zhuang Yifan:

"Not just anyone can compare to Jiang Xi."

...That male model from yesterday couldn't either.

"I have things to do, so I'm leaving first. Remember to go home early."

As Zhuang Yihan left, the private room fell completely silent. Zhuang Yifan slumped into the sofa and scoffed, "What things could you have to do? Isn't it just rushing to pick a birthday gift for Jiang Xi next month? You're too eager for your own good."