Chapter 1: A School-Wide Self-Criticism Right After Rebirth!?
Blue Star Dragon Country.
Mountain City,
Mountain City First Middle School.
Today was a special annual occasion at Mountain City First Middle School.
A long, red banner was stretched across the large stage next to the school’s athletic field: Mountain City First Middle School, Class of 2010, 100-Day Countdown Rally for the College Entrance Exams!
A school administrator, sporting a hairstyle where the sides were combed over to support the center, stood at the front of the stage, leading the third-year high school students in a loud oath:
"From this day forward, I swear to be a person of ambition, to aim for my goals, and to resolve to achieve them."
"From this day forward, I swear to be a person of diligence, to focus my mind, and to strive for excellence."
"From this day forward, I swear to be a person of character, to be filled with passion, and to have an open heart."
"From this day forward, I swear to be a person of strength, to perfect my character, and to be forged into steel."
"From this day forward, I swear to be a person of perseverance, to persist to the end, and to never give up!"
......
The synchronized sound of the oath echoed across the athletic field.
Just as the oath concluded and everyone thought the ceremony was over...
"SCREEECH—"
A piercing sound erupted from the microphone.
"Testing, testing~"
"Next, I have a very serious matter to announce!"
"This morning, during the morning reading session, Gu Yifan of Class One, Year Three, forced his way into the school’s broadcasting room. Disregarding the pleas of the student on duty, he commandeered the school’s broadcast system to publicly confess his feelings to a female classmate!"
"Trespassing in the school’s broadcasting room, engaging in puppy love, and harassing a female student—Gu Yifan’s series of actions constitutes a serious violation of school discipline!"
"However, considering that the college entrance exams are imminent, that everyone is under immense academic pressure, and that this incident has not yet caused any severe repercussions, Gu Yifan has come to deeply recognize the error of his ways after being reprimanded and educated by the school leadership!"
"Therefore, on this special day, we will have Gu Yifan conduct a thorough self-criticism before the entire school, so that everyone may take this as a cautionary tale!"
......
The afternoon sun was still a bit blinding. Gu Yifan squinted, his head spinning.
He shook his head to clear it, staring blankly at the scene before him.
’The 100-day countdown rally?’
’Getting caught confessing to my childhood sweetheart, the school beauty?’
’A public apology to the whole school?’
Staring at the sea of heads below the stage, fragmented memories flashed ceaselessly through Gu Yifan’s mind.
This day was etched so deeply into his memory that it remained crystal clear even decades later.
After all, confessing in front of the entire student body and faculty was something you remember for a lifetime!
That’s right!
In his past life, it was on this very day that Gu Yifan had confessed to Han Ning, the school beauty and his childhood sweetheart, in front of everyone.
And of course, he’d been rejected!
The failed confession was followed by failure in the college entrance exams. From there, his life had nosedived into its darkest hour...
He had thought that confession would be the start of his ascent to greatness. Instead, it turned out to be the brightest moment of his entire life!
’But has this damned god lost its mind?’
’I was just reborn and I already have to make a public apology to the whole school?!’
The thought that, even after being reborn, he had to go through this massive, socially suicidal scene of a public apology all over again!
A bitter smile touched the corners of Gu Yifan’s lips.
"Han Ning..."
Gu Yifan murmured, raising his head to look at the dark sea of people below.
He spotted her in an instant—the girl in the school uniform with a red bow in her hair.
She was stunningly beautiful, both pure and coquettish. With her chin held slightly high, she stood tall and graceful. Her sharp, elegant shoulders led to a swan-like neck, making her look like a proud little princess from an ancient castle.
Beneath the somewhat loose-fitting uniform, the budding curves of her youthful body were faintly visible, a beauty so striking it was destined to leave a vivid impression in the memories of many.
No matter when or where, she was always the main character in any crowd. Everyone else paled in comparison, becoming mere background foils in her radiant light.
They met at five, his crush began at fifteen, and his confession came at eighteen.
This was the figure that had dominated his entire thirty-five-year-long past life, right up to the moment he died in a car crash!
Gu Yifan suddenly recalled the dozens of years after high school graduation, all the times he had pestered Han Ning, and his heart filled with a sigh of regret.
From eighteen to thirty-five!
’In all those years, I did so much for Han Ning. In the end, I was probably the only one who was moved by it all!’
’A one-sided love is not enough; it has to be mutual.’
’Han Ning... she was never the right one for me, was she?’
It took Gu Yifan an entire lifetime, lying on his deathbed, to finally understand this simple truth!
If you were to ask him back then if he regretted it?
The answer would naturally be no!
After all, simps never have regrets!
But now, he had actually been reborn because of a car crash, returning to the very scene that had changed his life!
’Confess again?’
’Get rejected again?’
’Repeat the same mistakes?’
No!
Gu Yifan shook his head!
’I’ve had enough of my past life!’
’No matter how much I gave, no matter what I did for her, if she didn’t love me, she didn’t love me. In the end, it was just a simp’s self-pitying delusion!’
Now, heaven has given me a second chance!
’This life, I will absolutely not repeat the same mistakes!’
’This life, I’m going to live for myself!!’
’This life, I’m done being a simp!!!’
Gu Yifan’s gaze gradually grew resolute.
"Gu Yifan, what are you spacing out for? Speak!"
Just then, the dean of discipline beside him noticed him daydreaming and quickly prompted him.
"Huh?"
Hearing the dean’s voice, Gu Yifan finally snapped back to reality.
"Huuu..."
He took a deep breath, then stepped forward to the microphone.
"BZZZT—"
He tapped the microphone lightly first, and after confirming it was working, he brought it to his lips.
"Ahem~"
He cleared his throat, looked out at the dark mass of students, and began to speak calmly, "Respected teachers, beloved classmates, hello everyone. I am Gu Yifan from Class One, Year Three. I imagine you all probably know who I am by now! That’s right, I’m that Gu Yifan the principal was talking about—the one who trespassed in the school’s broadcasting room and harassed a female student!"
"WHOOSH~"
"Hahaha..."
As Gu Yifan’s words fell, a wave of boisterous laughter erupted from the audience.
Hearing the crowd’s laughter, Gu Yifan’s expression remained unchanged.
There was a simple reason for it!
He had already experienced this exact scene once in his past life.
"After being criticized and educated by the school’s leadership, I have come to deeply recognize the error of my ways!"
"I think the school leaders are right. I shouldn’t have trespassed in the broadcasting room and used the school’s equipment to confess to my classmate Han Ning for my own selfish desires. At the very least, I should have bought my own megaphone. After all, the broadcasting equipment is public property!"
Gu Yifan rubbed the tip of his nose, speaking with a hint of embarrassment.
"ROAR~"
"Hahahaha..."
After he finished speaking, another explosive roar of laughter burst from the crowd.
Meanwhile, at the front of the stage, the faces of the school administrators had already begun to darken...