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Thinking of the "heroic" way he had kicked someone off the bed, Lu Heng felt so awkward that he did not know how to respond.

Fortunately, everyone in the Wei family was used to Lu Heng's quiet, reticent nature and did not think much of it. Grandpa Wei casually said, "You're too quiet. We should have Zhan Jie assign you a sharper agent, someone who can look out for you better."

Hearing this, Lu Heng fell into a brief daze. He thought of the two agents he had had in his previous life.

One was Sun Shuliang, whom Star Entertainment had assigned to him. Back then, he had still been a newcomer and had been mired in negative publicity because of his contract. If Star Entertainment had not assigned him such a capable agent, he would never have gained a foothold in the industry so quickly. Unfortunately, when Star Entertainment was acquired by Huaxia Imperial Entertainment, Brother Sun was persuaded by friends in the industry and, instead of staying with Huaxia Imperial Entertainment, joined Yingdun. He clashed with his new boss over their differing principles, and when he wanted to resign, one of the artists under him accused him of being greedy, lecherous, and fond of pimping, claiming that he often forced artists to accompany people drinking... Since the artist had exposed it personally, the matter became huge. Brother Sun was even mockingly dubbed "Pimp Sun" by the media. Every actress who had once worked under Brother Sun was dragged into it. Even Lu Heng and several male artists were "exposed" by tabloid papers as being kept by wealthy women. No matter how much they tried to explain, no one believed them. For a time, the entertainment industry itself came down with a case of "Sun panic."

In the end, Wei Linxuan sued every gossip newspaper in the name of Huaxia Imperial Entertainment. Using an unconventional method, he forced all the media outlets that had spread the rumors to bow their heads and admit their mistakes, publishing apologies on their front pages. Only then was the matter cleared up.

After that incident, Brother Sun became completely disheartened. He left the industry and opened a hotpot restaurant in Beijing. Later, for some reason, he developed a drug addiction. Such a good man had actually ended up...

Lu Heng held back a small breath, unwilling to think about what came after.

But in Grandpa and Grandma Wei's eyes, it seemed that Lu Heng did not understand what an agent was. They exchanged amused smiles.

Grandma Wei said with a smile, "If you're bored, why not come with your grandfather and me for our morning exercise?"

Lu Heng came back to himself and nodded with a smile.

Beijing in 2000 had not yet become a city of smog. Looking up, one could still see the color of the sky. The newly risen sun stained the surrounding clouds a magnificent gold and crimson. The villa district where the Wei family lived was lush with greenery, and the summer breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees, instantly lifting one's spirits.

Lu Heng accompanied the elderly Wei couple all the way to a small park fitted with exercise equipment. He found many energetic, white-haired seniors practicing tai chi there. Some counted the beat as they danced waltzes, while others walked their cats and dogs on the lawn. The down-to-earth scene left Lu Heng at a loss for words. He instantly thought of the aunties who would dance in public squares in later years.

The elderly people in the small park also noticed Lu Heng, who seemed utterly out of place amid his surroundings. They looked over at him with warm, friendly smiles.

Someone asked with a smile, "...Is this the little hero who helped the police catch those human traffickers? He's much more handsome in person than on television."

"What an outstanding young man!"

"How old are you this year? What do your parents do?"

"You're so skilled at kung fu—you must have been signed by Huaxia Imperial Entertainment as an artist, right? When you make a film or television drama, be sure to tell Grandpa and Grandma. We'll all go support you..."

In no time, all the grandpas and grandmas in the small park gathered around, looking at Lu Heng, touching him, and patting him. Even several cats and dogs crowded over to sniff around him without stopping.

Lu Heng truly could not handle it, and in the end, he hurriedly escaped on the excuse that he was going for a morning run.

It was not yet six o'clock, and there was almost no one in the vast villa district. Lu Heng jogged around the neighborhood. On the silent roads, he could hear only his own footsteps and heartbeat, as well as...

Lu Heng slowed down and looked at the thickly wooded greenbelt beside the road. He had the distinct feeling that someone was—

"Lu Heng, we need to head back. You have to eat breakfast, and then you need to go to school." The cameraman, carrying a camera on his shoulder, came running over, panting heavily.

"So early?" Lu Heng asked in surprise. "Isn't it not even six yet?"

"Beijing traffic is pretty bad. And the school is quite far away—it'll probably take about an hour." The junior director patiently explained, then urged, "Hurry back."

Lu Heng nodded. He took another glance at the lush greenbelt before turning around and heading back.

After the two of them left, a man dressed like a sanitation worker, wearing a mask over his face, emerged from the greenbelt. His gaze lingered darkly in the direction Lu Heng had gone.

Yanjing University Affiliated Middle School was the best middle school in the country and one of the finest in the world. Lu Heng had spent seven days there in his previous life, and his strongest impression was that it did not feel like a middle school at all. From its facilities to its teaching methods, it surpassed even universities in many respects. Every student there was so exceptional that they made others feel inadequate.

Its relaxed yet rigorous approach to education, its dazzling variety of elective courses and club activities, its beautiful classroom buildings, dark-red rubber running track, football field covered in artificial turf, and cafeteria offering snacks from all over the world became the most unforgettable part of Lu Heng's school years for a long time. Even though he later had to drop out midway to film dramas, he had never forgotten his days studying there. That was why he had insisted on sending his eldest brother and younger sister to Beijing to study. In a sense, it had also been his way of making up for the regret in his heart.

Yet he had never imagined that one day, he would sail against the river of time, return to the age of fourteen, and stand here once more as a guest of the program crew.

In Class Seven, Grade Nine of Yanjing University Affiliated Middle School, homeroom teacher Song Huaiyan smiled as she studied the boy beside her. She had also been following the recent sensation surrounding "the little hero who helped the police crack a major human trafficking case." The promotional clips repeatedly aired by Huaxia TV had made people itch with anticipation. Now that she had seen the person involved with her own eyes, Song Huaiyan could not help but sigh in wonder amid her curiosity. She truly could not imagine how such a gentle-looking boy could possess such tremendous strength, enough to face seven or eight human traffickers alone without falling behind.