I was the top scholar, a straight-A student with a bright future. Because of my innocent, girl-next-door looks, I was dubbed the "Beauty and Brains Valedictorian." At the start of my senior year, my homeroom teacher assigned me to peer-tutor the school's notorious bad boy. I tutored him with everything I had, but he went around bragging that I was obsessed with him. Later, he faked an apology, lured me to a cheap motel, filmed an intimate video of us, and posted it online. "Her? She looks pure on the outside, but behind closed doors... damn." Worse, I got pregnant. My father sought justice for me, only to be thrown off a construction site to his death. With nowhere left to turn and no one willing to help, my mother took me in her arms and we jumped into the freezing ocean. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day my teacher assigned me to tutor the bad boy. 1 "327 days until College Admissions." Staring at the countdown written on the whiteboard, I realized with a violent jolt that I had been reborn. Sitting in my familiar high school classroom, my body couldn't stop trembling. "Chloe, what's wrong?" My desk mate, Sierra Sterling, gently patted my thigh, her voice low and full of concern. Sierra was gorgeous. She was the undisputed queen bee of the school. With her glossy, waist-length black hair, she effortlessly captured the hearts of half the boys in our grade. Right now, her brows were slightly furrowed, her pale fingers resting on my leg. She looked like the picture of a caring best friend. But I felt like I was being strangled by seaweed—dark, damp, suffocating, and freezing cold. "I'm fine." I casually shifted my body, dodging her touch. Through the reflection in the classroom window, I caught a fleeting, imperceptible gleam of calculation in Sierra's eyes. In my past life, I treated Sierra as my absolute best friend. Yet, she was the one who spiked my water bottle and allowed Ryder Kingston to drag me into that cheap motel. If Ryder was the weapon that destroyed my life, Sierra and her father—our homeroom teacher, Mr. Sterling—were the masterminds pulling the strings. Just to steal my full-ride Ivy League recommendation, they used Ryder to ruin me! At the podium, Mr. Sterling's mouth was moving. I didn't hear a single word of his bullshit. Because before the bell rang, he was going to announce the new "Peer Tutoring Program." Ring— The bell rang right on time, and the students began to stir. Mr. Sterling, his large, greasy belly protruding, scanned the room with a stern face and slammed a plastic folder onto the podium. "Listen up, I have an announcement! To improve our class's overall GPA, I've decided to establish a peer-tutoring system. The pairing list is right here. Check it and change your seats accordingly." Without another word, he turned and left. The classroom exploded. Everyone rushed to the front to check the list. I calmly pulled out a prep book and started reviewing SAT practice questions. Unable to contain her fake excitement, Sierra asked me, "Chloe, aren't you going to see who your partner is?" I didn't even lift my eyes. "It's the same either way." Knowing full well I was paired with Ryder, she squeezed into the crowd anyway, then gasped with exaggerated shock: "Oh my god, Chloe! You're paired with Ryder!" 2 Who was Ryder Kingston? He was dead last in every subject. Skipping class, smoking, fighting... if it was something a delinquent would do, he did it. But he happened to have a handsome, sharp face. He was tall and lean. Plus, he was more willing to throw cash around than the other guys his age. With his messy, textured fringe, he was insanely popular in school. At an age where everyone was expected to listen to their parents and teachers and be perfect students, Ryder's existence was like a rebellious shooting star. Dazzling, intoxicating, and tempting people to fall. We were seniors. Pairing the number one student with the absolute worst student for "tutoring" was obviously messed up. Any idiot could see something was wrong. But because Mr. Sterling was the homeroom teacher, everyone was too afraid to speak up. This was when Sierra stepped up to speak for me, making the situation incredibly subtle. She was always used to this tactic—maintaining her flawless, angelic image in the eyes of our classmates. Last year, there was a nomination for the State's National Merit Scholar. By all metrics, it should have been mine. But Mr. Sterling submitted her name instead. She was the first one to feign outrage on my behalf. She stormed into the faculty office, had a huge "fight" with her dad, and came back crying. I even spent the entire afternoon comforting her. Looking back, she must have been calling me a naive idiot in her head the whole time. In the eyes of our classmates, her relationship with her dad was terrible; he was a greedy, corrupt teacher, and she was a lotus flower blooming unstained from the mud. She just had "limited power" and couldn't fight the system. But if you really want to understand someone, you should never listen to what they say. You must look at what they eventually get. The father and daughter played good cop, bad cop perfectly. In the end, Sierra got both the pristine reputation and the tangible benefits. "College admissions are right around the corner! How can he do this?" Sierra rushed down from the podium and grabbed my arm. "Come on, let's go talk to my dad!" I finished the last calculation on my scratch paper and flipped to the answer key. It matched. I let out a breath and put down my pen. I looked up straight into Sierra's eyes: "Sierra, are you discriminating against Ryder? Or are you just looking down on all struggling students who don't get good grades?" 3 Sierra's grades were very stable. She was the eternal third place. In the classroom, almost everyone had worse grades than her. The moment I asked that question, the gazes of all the surrounding students turned slightly hostile toward her. Even Ryder, who was sleeping with his head on his desk, twitched his ears. Sierra's pupils shrank. Her hand slid limply off my arm. "I... I didn't mean it like that." I smiled. In my past life, I foolishly trusted her and went to confront the teacher. Her dad had thrown those exact words in my face in front of the whole class. Because of that, my popularity plummeted, and the girls who had a crush on Ryder even cornered me in the bathroom and beat me up. Now, I was simply returning his words, verbatim, to his precious daughter. "Excuse me, honor student." The class representative walked by, intentionally and harshly bumping into Sierra's shoulder. Sierra stumbled, her face pale, completely at a loss. "Oh? If you didn't mean it like that, then why don't you tutor Ryder?" "How can I do that?!" Sierra's voice pitched high, shrill and panicked. Only after she rebutted did she realize how bad it sounded. Her lips trembled, but she didn't know what to say to fix it. I stood up and patted her shoulder. "I know you have the kindest heart. You definitely didn't mean to sound like that just now." Sierra looked at me with immense gratitude. But I had already swiftly packed her backpack and handed it to her. "Since you're so willing to help Ryder, let's hurry up and give him this seat so he can move over." Not expecting me to say that, Sierra's eyes went wide. She stood frozen in place. Her hands were still gripping the backpack I had shoved into them. Our current seats were in the middle of the third row—the absolute best seats in the classroom. To show off his rebellious, main-character aura, Ryder sat in the second-to-last row by the window. Sierra's nails dug into her palms. Her eyes slowly turned red. She looked like she was about to cry. I cut her off before she could cast her spell: "Sierra, why are you crying? I'm just asking you to give up your seat for a struggling student like Ryder. Does that really make you feel that wronged?" 4 Hearing my words, the piercing gazes of our classmates stabbed into Sierra once again. Having lost her composure consecutively, Sierra knew she was in the wrong. She lowered her head and wiped away her tears. "How could that be? Of course not." Sierra took the initiative to swap seats with Ryder, and Ryder obediently agreed. In my past life, Ryder refused to move. I was forced to move next to him. Not only was his seat in the far back, but it was also in a blind spot for the classroom's security camera. During study halls, he constantly messed with me, interrupting my studying. I reported it to the teachers, but without video evidence, nothing happened. This time, Ryder's new seat was right under the camera. He just slept during class, not daring to pull any stunts. Mr. Sterling didn't notice his daughter was sitting in the back corner until the next day. But since he had created this mess himself, he couldn't say anything. I also didn't painstakingly tutor Ryder like I did in my past life. I will never forget the smug look on his face when he took the study guides and notes I stayed up late making for him, and told everyone I was secretly in love with him and desperate to date him. His mocking, sleazy laughter. It turned me into the absolute laughingstock of the school. Now, Ryder and I were like strangers. He slept, and I studied. When the monthly exam results came out, the name "Chloe Adams" sat firmly at the number one spot. "Chloe, you're amazing! You've been number one ever since freshman year!" "Yeah, at this rate, you're definitely going to be the valedictorian for the state!" I smiled and accepted my classmates' praises. It was a stark contrast to my past life. During the first month of being Ryder's desk mate, my rank dropped to sixth. Because during the listening comprehension section of our exams, he would play music right in my ear, making it impossible to hear the broadcast. Now that I was back at number one, Sierra was the one who couldn't sit still. After school, I followed Sierra to the back of the gym building. "Ryder, think of something! If this keeps up, I definitely won't get the Ivy League recommendation..." Saying that, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ryder on the forehead. And I, perfectly positioned, snapped a photo of that exact moment. 5 The next day, Ryder launched a furious, aggressive pursuit of me. In the morning, he brought me milk and pastries. During breaks, he skipped gym to buy me iced lattes. He even pulled out a massive bouquet of roses in front of everyone, getting down on one knee: "Chloe, I fell in love with you at first sight! Be my girlfriend!" I feigned shock, covered my mouth, and pointed silently at the security camera. Due to his terrible behavior, the Dean of Students caught him and forced him to read a public apology at the podium during morning announcements. "Test, test!" Ryder grabbed the microphone, and with a booming voice, yelled: "Chloe! I just fucking love you! You can punish me, but I still love you!" "Quick! Cut the mic! Cut the power!" The Dean tackled Ryder, his face purple with rage. The eyes of the entire school turned to me. "Oooooh~" The crowd cheered and jeered with malicious excitement. I lowered my head, sneering internally. In my past life, Ryder went around telling everyone I was his desperate simp. This time, I’d let him play the simp until he choked on it. After class, Sierra came over to comfort me. "Chloe, don't be too upset." On the surface, she was comforting me, but in reality, every word she said was designed to push me toward Ryder. "I think Ryder really likes you. Plus, he's ranked number one in the school's hottest guys poll!" As she spoke, Sierra blinked at me coyly: "Chloe, your youth is so exciting." Exciting? All I wanted was to quietly take my SATs, get into a top university, find a good job, and give my parents a happy life. Ryder was suspended for a week to reflect on his actions. When he came back, he continued relentlessly harassing me. During a basketball game against another class, whenever he scored a three-pointer, he would yell at me: "Chloe, am I handsome or what?!" If I hadn't lived through the tragic experiences of my past life, I might have actually fallen into their trap. But now, I didn't even lift my head, sharply filling in bubble 'A' on my English practice test. The whole school knew Ryder was my ultimate simp. When the results for the second month's exams came out, my scores didn't drop; they soared. I beat the second place by a massive 30-point margin. Sierra, on the other hand, was too busy worrying about me and Ryder. She dropped to fourth place. Realizing the soft approach wasn't working, Ryder and his crew switched tactics. That night after school, I was cornered by a group of mean girls. "What kind of plastic bag are you, acting so fake?" "Our boy Ryder taking a liking to you is a blessing. Why are you acting so high and mighty?" Just as a girl raised her hand to slap me. Ryder strolled over, hands in his pockets, looking effortlessly cool. "Chloe, my patience is limited. I'll ask you one more time: are you going to be my girl or not?" "Sure, but I have one condition." The eyes under Ryder's messy fringe lit up. "What is it?" 6 I shoved the mean girl who had been barking at me a second ago. I ran past them, turning back to flash a radiant smile. "Ryder! Win first place in the 1000-meter race at the track meet next week, and I'll think about it!" During the scuffle with the mean girl, my thick, black-rimmed glasses had been knocked off. As I ran down the stairs and disappeared from Ryder's line of sight, I pulled the hair tie from my head. My long hair cascaded in the wind as I ran toward the school gates without looking back. Before I could get far, I heard Ryder standing by the window, shouting to me: "Chloe! "I'll win that first place for you, I swear!" The setting sun cast a warm golden glow. A gentle breeze swept by, and I turned my head, smiling and waving at him. Ryder was visibly stunned. I turned back around and instantly dropped the smile. During an interview for the college entrance exams in my past life, because of my pure, innocent looks, I was dubbed the "Beauty and Brains Valedictorian." Beauty combined with any other strong trait is a royal flush, but beauty on its own is a pure disaster. Although my grades were excellent, my impoverished background attracted a lot of unwanted flies. In order to focus entirely on my studies, I deliberately kept thick, heavy bangs and wore massive, ugly black-rimmed glasses. Even though I had perfect 20/20 vision. Just like how there were two Ivy League recommendation spots. Sierra and her dad would never target the second-place student, Ethan Pierce. Because Ethan's father was a renowned research institute director. I was the only one with no money and no power. I tried so hard to hide my light, yet before I even had the chance to bloom, I was trampled into the mud. This time, I didn't mind using my advantages a little early. If I had to coat myself in poison, I might as well be breathtakingly toxic. When I got home and washed my hands, I looked up in the mirror and smiled again. The smile was brimming with the unique innocence and brightness of a young girl. Every frame that Ryder saw was something I had meticulously practiced hundreds of times, prepared specifically for him. Sierra, are you really that confident about your place in Ryder's heart? Let's test it out and see if human hearts are as fickle as they say. That day, a classmate captured my smiling glance backward and posted it on the campus forum, mentioning the bet Ryder made to run the 1000-meter race for me. A gorgeous female top scholar and a handsome bad boy—the gossip potential was off the charts. It added a blazing fire to the dull, stressful life of high school seniors. The post's popularity skyrocketed, and someone even added my photo to the school's Beauty Poll. Soon, I had more votes than the reigning school queen, Sierra. "Holy crap, when did Chloe get so pretty?" "Chloe has always been pretty! Didn't you guys see her without those ugly glasses?" "No wonder Ryder is chasing her. I want to write love letters to her too!" ... Amidst the overwhelming praise, one malicious comment stood out glaringly. "You call this pretty? You guys need to raise your standards." The hate comment was quickly bumped to the top by replies. "Life is so boring without you internet trolls." "Post a selfie so we can see whose breath is so big." When I refreshed the page, the hate comment was deleted. I tapped my screen lightly, knowing exactly who the author was. Because only Sierra had the habit of using spaces instead of punctuation, but always ending with a period. The glow of the phone screen reflected on my face. I tapped on Sierra's contact photo. Heh. It's only just begun, and you already can't sit still? 7 Sierra was left in the dust in both grades and the beauty poll. No matter how good she was at hiding it, she couldn't keep up the act these past few days and stopped hovering around me. Ryder, on the other hand, was practicing running on the track every single day. Outside the window, dark clouds gathered, but there wasn't a breath of wind. A storm was coming. Bang! The referee fired the starting gun, and the boys' 1000-meter race officially began. The 1000-meter isn't as fierce as sprints; the results become obvious quickly. By the final lap, only Ryder and a track-and-field student were leading the pack. Ryder was trailing by one body length. Sierra's eyes darted around, and she approached me with malicious intent. "Chloe, aren't you going to the finish line to cheer for Ryder?" The other girls heard and excitedly joined in: "Yeah, yeah! With your encouragement, Ryder might actually take first place!" "He could win another gold medal for our class!" I blushed, lowered my head, and grabbed Sierra's sleeve. "Will you go with me? I'm too embarrassed to go alone..." I acted incredibly shy. The corners of Sierra's mouth curled into a mocking sneer. "Sure, I'll go with you." With 200 meters left, I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled: "Ryder! You got this!" I don't know if my cheering actually worked. Hearing my voice, Ryder smiled wildly and sprinted with everything he had, actually passing the track athlete. The boy had a tall, athletic build, his lean muscles visible under his thin sportswear. He crossed the finish line amidst the cheers of the crowd, but he didn't stop. Instead, he ran straight toward me and crashed heavily into my embrace. Time stood still. The cheering and shouting of the surrounding students seemed so far away. The only thing ringing in my ears was Ryder's wildly beating heart. Thump-thump, thump-thump! Deafening. People are masochists. Things obtained too easily are never cherished. In my past life, out of the goodness of my heart, I tutored Ryder for free. Not only was he ungrateful, but he ruined my family and my life. Now, I just set up a tiny, insignificant hurdle, and his attitude toward me took a 180-degree turn. Listening to his racing heartbeat. I wondered, Ryder, did your heart ever beat this wildly for Sierra? But right now, this palpitation was entirely because of me. Ryder's voice carried the heavy panting of post-exercise exhaustion: "Chloe... I fucking did it!" He declared it to me with a massive grin, the joy in his eyes shining like stars. I rested my chin on his shoulder. "Yeah. Congratulations." The students around us were cheering and gossiping. Sierra stood off to the side, looking utterly lonely, unable to force even a fake smile. Watching her nails dig deeply into her palms, I smiled even brighter. That night, Ryder walked Sierra home. On the way back, they walked one in front of the other, seemingly in a cold war. Suddenly, Sierra turned around and hugged Ryder tightly. They embraced for a very long time. She probably wanted to overwrite the traces of my existence. Truly laughable. 8 The next day after class, Ryder cornered me in the equipment room. He had a natural, bad-boy charm to him. Leaning casually against the wall with one arm, his silhouette alone was enough to make the school girls scream. "I guess I can be your boyfriend now, right?" He was in a great mood, using his index finger to lightly tilt my chin up. His handsome features leaned in close. His gaze landed aggressively on my lips. His outer shell was undeniably seductive. At the critical moment, I blinked, raising my hand to place it between us. His warm breath hit my fingertips, the tension rising. Confusion flashed through Ryder's eyes as he forcefully wrapped an arm around my waist. "I know the person you actually like isn't me." Ryder's pupils quaked, and the hand gripping my waist froze. I slowly broke free from his hold. "What are you talking about? I don't get it," Ryder deflected, looking down. I opened my phone and pulled up the photo I took of him and Sierra being intimate. Leaning close to his ear, I whispered seductively: "You like Sierra. I can help you." Seeing the photo, Ryder gave up fighting. He let out a self-deprecating laugh: "How are you going to help me?" I raised my hand, dodging his attempt to snatch my phone. "I can fake date you and teach you how to win Sierra's heart." Ryder leaned against the wall, half of his face hidden in shadows. After a long time, the left corner of his mouth twitched upward. "Why should I trust you?" I sneered: "Because on your own, you'll never get Sierra in this lifetime." "Anyway, you have nothing to lose. I suggest you think about it." I turned to leave. Before I could walk out the door, Ryder grabbed my wrist. "What do I have to do?" "Did you bring the medal?" Ryder nodded, pulling the boys' 1000m gold medal from his bag. "Put it on me," I commanded. Ryder froze for a second, then obediently complied. Click. I found the perfect angle and took a picture of him placing the medal around my neck. I took his phone, transferred the photo, and posted it on his social media. Ryder angrily snatched his phone back, his tone hostile: "What the hell are you doing?" "The first step to being with a girl: formally and openly bringing her into your life." Ryder stopped his thumb from hitting the delete button. I patted his shoulder: "You see, the reason you haven't been able to take things to the next level with Sierra is because you're always so hesitant and cowardly." "I know you're already used to your dynamic with Sierra, and you can't change it overnight. So I'll practice with you, how about that?" Time slipped by, second by second. After a long silence, Ryder finally muttered heavily, "Fine."
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