After being reborn, the school beauty's entire family knelt down to repent.

Chen Ming reacted quickly, grabbing Zhao Rou's wrist with a force that seemed to crush her bones.

Zhao Rou hissed in pain, and the already ferocious expression on her face instantly twisted into a grimace.

Chen Ming showed no mercy and flung Zhao Rou aside with a flick of his wrist.

She stumbled a few steps, her high heels twisted, and she almost fell flat on her face, looking utterly disheveled.

"Chen Ming! You bastard! How dare you treat me like this!"

Enraged, Zhao Rou pointed at Chen Ming and began to curse him, her sharp voice sounding just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Chen Ming didn't even lift his eyelids, as if he hadn't heard her harsh curses.

He turned to look at Zhang Lingqian, whose face was pale with fright, and spoke gently:

"Are you alright? Did I scare you?"

Zhang Lingqian gently shook her head, her small hands still tightly gripping Chen Ming's sleeve.

More and more people gathered around, pointing and whispering about Zhao Rou.

Someone recognized her and was even more surprised, and the discussion grew louder.

"Isn't this the girl from the Zhao family? I heard that Chen Ming was willing to die for her before, how come she's like this now?" a fashionable young woman said.

"Exactly! How did she treat Chen Ming when he was down on his luck? Now that he's successful, she wants to latch onto him. What a snob!" an older woman chimed in.

"Serves her right! A woman like her who snobs and loves the rich deserves to be treated like this!" a passerby said indignantly.

The surrounding chatter grew louder and louder, and Zhao Rou felt a burning sensation on her face, as if she had been slapped hard several times.

Those mocking glances felt like needles pricking her.

She couldn't stand it any longer. She glared fiercely at Chen Ming and Zhang Lingqian, then covered her face and ran away.

Chen Ming took Zhang Lingqian to a newly opened coffee shop and ordered two coffees.

Under the dim light, Zhang Lingqian was still somewhat shaken, holding her coffee cup in both hands and sipping it slowly.

"Thank you, Brother Chen Ming."

A faint blush rose to Zhang Lingqian's cheeks.

Her eyes held a hint of shyness and gratitude.

"Thank you for saving me, and thank you... for accepting my flowers."

She kept her head down, her fingers nervously stirring her coffee cup, avoiding Chen Ming's eyes.

Looking at her shy appearance, Chen Ming couldn't help but smile gently.

"I should be thanking you,"

He paused, his gaze falling on the bouquet of flowers on the table, and exclaimed in sincere admiration,

"The flowers are beautiful, I like them very much."

Hearing Chen Ming's praise, Zhang Lingqian's heart fluttered like a deer, and a warm current flowed through her entire body.

She looked up and met Chen Ming's gentle gaze, her heart pounding as if it would burst out of her chest.

The coffee shop's soft, warm lighting illuminated Chen Ming's face, making him appear even more handsome and charming.

Zhang Lingqian mustered her courage, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her excited emotions.

She wanted to tell Chen Ming that her feelings for him were not just gratitude, but a long-buried love.

"Brother Chen Ming," Zhang Lingqian's voice trembled slightly, tinged with nervousness.

Actually... I've always liked you.

These words were finally spoken, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my heart.

She waited anxiously for Chen Ming's response, her eyes filled with trepidation and anticipation.

Chen Ming was slightly taken aback, then smiled somewhat awkwardly.

He knew Zhang Lingqian's feelings; in his previous life, this innocent girl had also confessed her love to him.

At that time, he was so infatuated with Zhao Rou that he didn't pay any attention to Zhang Lingqian.

Looking back now, I was really blind.

"Lingqian," Chen Ming said sincerely, with a hint of apology.

"Thank you for liking me, really. But right now I just want to focus on my career, and I really don't want to think about relationships for the time being."

He paused, then added, "You know, I'm just getting started, and I want to focus all my energy on my work."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhang Lingqian's eyes, but she quickly composed herself.

He gave a slightly bitter smile and said, "I understand, Brother Chen Ming. You've always been so hardworking and ambitious, I support you."

She paused for a moment, then mustered her courage and said, "It's okay, I will always wait for you, until you are ready to accept a relationship."

Chen Ming felt a pang of pity looking at her forced smile, but he didn't know what to say.

He gently patted Zhang Lingqian's shoulder to comfort her.

The two remained silent for a while, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"By the way," Chen Ming asked, breaking the silence, "how have you been lately?"

"It's fine," Zhang Lingqian said, a relaxed smile finally appearing on her face as she brought up work.

"Everyone is highly motivated because the college entrance examination is approaching."

She briefly chatted with Chen Ming about her studies, trying to hide her disappointment.

A little while later, Zhang Lingqian's phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID, then smiled apologetically at Chen Ming:

"My friend called to urge me, I have to go now."

“Okay,” Chen Ming stood up, picked up his coat from the side, “I’ll see you out.”

The two walked side by side to the entrance of the coffee shop, a gentle night breeze carrying a hint of coolness.

"Be careful on the road," Chen Ming said softly.

"Yes, you too." Zhang Lingqian nodded and turned to leave.

Chen Ming walked her to the coffee shop entrance, watching her slender figure disappear into the night...

Back home, Chen Ming opened the door with practiced ease and casually tossed the keys onto the shelf in the entryway.

He went into the bathroom, turned on the tap, and splashed a handful of water on his face, trying to wash away the day's fatigue.

After a quick wash, Chen Ming changed into comfortable loungewear, walked to his desk, and pulled out a chair to sit down.

He took the senior year textbooks down from the bookshelf, the thick books feeling particularly heavy in his hands.

Turning the pages, familiar knowledge points come into view, as if I have returned to my challenging senior year of high school in a previous life.

As night deepened outside the window, the light from the streetlights shone through the curtains into the room, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

The chirping of crickets rose and fell, like a lullaby, making Chen Ming feel a little sleepy.

But he still mustered his spirits and tried his best to concentrate on his textbook.

Before he knew it, time slipped away like a gentle stream through his fingers. Chen Ming was so engrossed in his studies that he completely forgot about time.

Suddenly, a slight noise broke the silence of the room.

A soft "click" sounded, like something colliding, though faint, it clearly reached Chen Ming's ears.

He looked up alertly, his gaze quickly sweeping towards the window.

A gentle breeze lifted the curtains, causing them to flutter softly in the air.

Under the cover of darkness, a dark figure silently slipped in.

By the dim moonlight, Chen Ming could see who it was—Zhao Rou.

She was wearing a white dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, and a charming smile on her face.