Chapter 3: Since I've Been Reborn, Who Would Let You Have Your Way?

Walking into the familiar yet strange campus once again, it was only under the stimulation and guidance of those iconic buildings that Yang Tianxing's memories slowly awakened.

He ran into many classmates along the way; sometimes Yang Tianxing was very willing to greet them, but he would open his mouth only to realize he had forgotten their names.

"Let's walk around the school first," Yang Tianxing said to Shao Ziyang.

Shao Ziyang nodded and accompanied his childhood friend as he wandered around the campus.

"What was wrong with you just now? You didn't even greet Tan Zhizhi. I saw she was a bit angry, and also..." Shao Ziyang asked, sounding a little scared.

Shao Ziyang likely thought his brother was heartbroken and was just putting on a hooligan act to pretend he didn't care.

"How should I put this? If she's angry, let her be angry. Looking at her now, I just don't feel anything; it's no different from looking at a stranger, you understand?" Yang Tianxing glanced at his idiot brother beside him and said.

"Damn it, I've already been reborn, can I still put up with this crap? Aren't the girls at the Finance Institute sweet enough?" Yang Tianxing cursed to himself.

Shao Ziyang was a bit skeptical: "As long as you're fine, then."

Yang Tianxing shook his head helplessly: "This brother still has a long way to go before he gets a clue," he sighed inwardly.

"Senior!"

A familiar shout pulled Yang Tianxing into his memories. In his past life, Yang Tianxing's only official girlfriend—Zheng Xuan—had chased after him throughout their university years, and eventually, he was moved and they got together; it was just that Zheng Xuan had an extremely strong desire for control, and the two broke up and got back together repeatedly before finally splitting up.

Yang Tianxing sighed: "Trouble has arrived."

Zheng Xuan ran over with a "tap-tap-tap": "Senior, congratulations on getting into university!"

"Why are you here instead of staying home and studying?"

Yang Tianxing really didn't want to engage; in this life, he didn't want to have any entanglements with Zheng Xuan, so there was some impatience in his tone.

Zheng Xuan stared at Yang Tianxing with stubborn eyes, as if she hadn't heard that impatient tone at all.

"I just wanted to know what university you got into, Senior; I want to take the exam for the same school too."

Yang Tianxing waved his hand: "Your grades are so good, don't pull this kind of stunt."

After saying this, he turned and left without a hint of reluctance; Shao Ziyang was stunned for a moment on the sidelines before hurriedly catching up.

Zheng Xuan followed persistently, and the three of them walked through the school in this strange manner.

"Little Yang, what should we do about this?"

Shao Ziyang leaned in close to Yang Tianxing, his eyes darting toward Zheng Xuan as he spoke.

"None of my business, let her follow if she wants."

After walking for a stretch, Zheng Xuan suddenly stopped and wouldn't move. Yang Tianxing thought she was feeling wronged or angry, but when he looked up, he found the girl in the floral long dress standing under the teaching building, staring straight at him.

Yang Tianxing acted as if he hadn't seen her and strode right past, with Shao Ziyang following behind, silent as a cicada in winter.

"Did you smoke?"

The voice was somewhat sharp; one could tell that the person speaking was very angry right now.

However, Yang Tianxing didn't react at all and continued to stride upstairs.

"Yang Tianxing!!!"

"Huh?"

Yang Tianxing turned his head back: "Are you talking to me?"

Tan Zhizhi bit down on her neat, white teeth, staring at Yang Tianxing, feeling both wronged and angry.

"Yeah, I smoked, so what?"

Yang Tianxing shrugged with an indifferent expression.

There was already a thin layer of mist in Tan Zhizhi's long, charming eyes.

Yang Tianxing sighed slightly: "I've just been in a bad mood lately; I even got beaten up by Empress Dowager Gao when I woke up this morning, that's why I smoked."

Hearing this explanation, Tan Zhizhi's expression softened a little.

"I'm going to go get my admission letter first."

Seeing Tan Zhizhi about to say something, Yang Tianxing immediately interrupted and turned to leave, making her stomp her feet in anger right where she stood.

"Yo, Old Jia, I'm here to pick up my admission letter," Yang Tianxing walked into the office and greeted his high school homeroom teacher.

"You brat, you're about to be in university and you still have no manners," Old Jia laughed and scolded before flipping through the files to find Yang Tianxing's admission letter.

"And Shao Ziyang's too, Old Jia."

"Got it."

Yang Tianxing had seen the constipated look on Shao Ziyang's face earlier and knew he must have been too embarrassed to speak up.

Shao Ziyang cast a grateful look at Yang Tianxing.

"What an idiot," Yang Tianxing gave Shao Ziyang an international gesture.

"You, Yang Tianxing, only got into a second-tier university; I always thought you could get into a first-tier one. It's still Ziyang who is impressive—he can get into a first-tier school even while hanging out with you," Old Jia handed the admission letters to the two of them respectively.

"Thank you, Teacher Jia," Shao Ziyang said embarrassedly.

Yang Tianxing waved his hand indifferently: "It's not bad to be a university student these days. There's nothing wrong with my second-tier school; I won't be working in the government system later anyway, so the degree won't be of much help to me."

"Oh? Then what do you want to do in the future?" Old Jia looked at Yang Tianxing and asked.

"Live off a woman! That is the ultimate dream of a man!" Yang Tianxing said with a proud face.

The teachers and students in the entire office instantly erupted into laughter.

Yang Tianxing didn't care, his skin was thick enough; Shao Ziyang, on the other hand, couldn't take it anymore and urged Yang Tianxing to leave quickly.

Yang Tianxing lifted his shirt, pulled a pack of Hibiscus King cigarettes from behind his back, and quietly placed it on Old Jia's lap while everyone was laughing.

Old Jia was just about to decline, but Yang Tianxing signaled for him not to make a scene since there were so many people, and turned to leave the office.

"This kid, he's destined for great things," Old Jia shook his head and smiled.

Shao Ziyang was bewildered watching Yang Tianxing's operation: "Where did you get the cigarettes?"

"Took them from home, I've been keeping them tucked in the back," Yang Tianxing spread his hands, indicating it was just a basic move, nothing to brag about.

After the two reached the downstairs, Zheng Xuan was still standing at the entrance, stubbornly refusing to leave.

Yang Tianxing sighed and handed over the admission letter: "Chang'an University of Finance and Economics."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

After Zheng Xuan examined the admission letter carefully, she finally let it be.

"Alright, you should hurry home too."

After saying this, Yang Tianxing called for Shao Ziyang and left.

It was exactly five-thirty, and the school loudspeakers began to play music; perhaps considering that today was the day for receiving admission letters, the broadcasting station had specially played "Blue Lotus" by Xu Wei.

Nothing can stop

Your yearning for freedom

A life of unconstrained imagination

Your heart is free of all worries

Blooming, never to wither

Blue Lotus

There were still second-year high school students in the school taking supplementary classes; walking through the bustling crowd, looking at the young faces along the way, listening to the melodious folk song, and breathing the refreshing air, Yang Tianxing felt very cheerful.

"High school is still the most comfortable, it's a pity I've already graduated."