Chapter Summaries

After dying from overwork, Chi Ning woke up as his sixteen-year-old self and decided to abandon academic competitions and live more leisurely. He left school to eat, while his teacher Wang Quan tried to persuade him to reconsider.

• Chi Ning remembered his exhausting past life, his older brother’s death, and his resolve to avoid another life of overwork.
• Wang Quan urged Chi Ning to attend the infirmary and prepare for the physics competition, but Chi Ning said he would not compete.
• Chi Ning threw his competition notes and worksheets into the classroom scrap pile and left school.
• Chi Ning went to Night Market Street and ordered food, then told Wang Quan by phone that he had discarded the notes because they were no longer useful to him.

After deciding to skip the competition, Chi Ning went to the night market, where he found an injured Qin Heng and called an ambulance. He returned home to face his father, but seeing him alive and young overwhelmed Chi Ning, who hugged him and called him Dad.

• Chi Ning told Wang Quan he was skipping the competition because he was tired, then went to the night market for dinner.
• Chi Ning found Qin Heng bleeding in an alley, called an ambulance, and tied a strap around his thigh to slow the bleeding.
• Chi Ning recognized Qin Heng’s temple scar from his previous life and left after the medical workers arrived.
• Chi Baichuan called Chi Ning home after Wang Quan visited, and Chi Ning hurried back by taxi.
• Chi Ning saw his young father at the door, abandoned his plan to act defiant, and hugged him while choking out, “Dad.”

Chi Ning struggled to understand his father’s sudden gentleness and his brother Chi Yang’s kindness, then found his missing Golden Needle Hoops and bayberry juice left at the mailbox. Suspicious of the anonymous drink, he asked the security guard to check the surveillance footage.

• Chi Baichuan agreed to let Chi Ning rest for ten days, and Wang Quan told him his classmates wanted to copy his notes.
• Chi Yang gave Chi Ning a warm shrimp cake, then left after Chi Baichuan angrily ordered him out of the house.
• Chi Ning noticed a newspaper blaming Chi Yang for a truck crash and found his Golden Needle Hoops, a new red cord, and bayberry juice in the mailbox.
• Chi Ning tied the hoops back around his ankle but refused to drink the juice until he knew who had left it.
• Chi Ning asked the security guard to check the mailbox footage around nine thirty.

Chi Ning went to the South Harbor Grand Hotel with Chi Yang, hoping to bond with his older brother and steer him away from dangerous friends. After Jiang Shijie insulted Chi Ning, Chi Ning challenged him to take the Chi surname, and Chi Yang stepped in to confront him.

• Chi Ning watched footage of the injured boy leaving bayberry juice and an envelope, then wondered if he was Qin Heng after the juice reminded him of Qin Heng’s.
• Bored at home, Chi Ning called Chi Yang and persuaded him to meet at the South Harbor Grand Hotel rather than let him go alone to an internet café.
• Chi Yang brought Chi Ning to the activity center, where Chi Ning noticed his older brother steering him away from a woman leaving the hotel.
• Jiang Shijie mocked Chi Ning for not knowing how to have fun, and Chi Yang struck him with a billiards cue to defend his younger brother.
• Chi Ning challenged Jiang Shijie to take the Chi surname, and Chi Yang stepped between them as Jiang Shijie advanced.

Chi Ning went to a billiards game with Chi Yang and Jiang Shijie, where his unexpected skill let him win their wager and embarrass Jiang Shijie. Chi Yang took him home on his motorcycle, and Chi Ning enjoyed the ride despite worrying about safety.

• Chi Yang stepped in when Jiang Shijie insulted Chi Ning, then agreed to teach his brother billiards.
• Chi Ning learned the rules quickly, sank a ball on his first successful shot, and explained the physics behind stopping the cue ball.
• Jiang Shijie challenged Chi Ning to a wager, but Chi Ning cleared the table and told him to call him Daddy.
• Chi Yang draped his coat over Chi Ning and took him away from the activity area after Jiang Shijie angrily threw down his cue.
• Chi Yang rode his motorcycle home with Chi Ning, who clung to him during the fast ride and reconsidered stopping his brother from riding.

Chi Ning was spared a scolding when a tabloid published a suggestive story about him and Chi Yang, and Chi Baichuan drove Chi Yang away while deciding to sue the publisher. Later, Chi Ning found the injured boy at the night market and realized he was Qin Heng, then negotiated to buy bayberry juice from him.

• Chi Ning learned that Chi Baichuan was home and braced for a scolding, but Chi Baichuan told him to eat breakfast.
• Chi Ning read a tabloid story linking him and Chi Yang, grew tearful while thinking about his previous life, and prompted Chi Baichuan to throw Chi Yang out and threaten to beat him.
• Chi Ning stopped Chi Baichuan from striking Chi Yang, sent his brother away, and heard his father say he would sue the publisher.
• Chi Ning went to the night market and found the injured boy selling bayberry juice, then recognized him as Qin Heng by his scar and similarities to the adult Qin Heng he remembered.
• Chi Ning bought bayberry juice from Qin Heng and offered him three hundred yuan to deliver a bottle with five bayberries each day for a month.

Chi Ning paid Qin Heng for bayberry juice and discovered that a newspaper had published a detailed account of his clash with Jiang Shijie, prompting him to suspect someone had leaked the story. He learned about Qin Heng’s work and billiards plans, then asked where Qin Heng practiced, leaving the two discussing Gangnan Entertainment.

• Chi Ning gave Qin Heng three hundred yuan for the bayberry juice, while Qin Heng mistook his kindness for an attempt to invest in him.
• Zhang Qiuwen showed Chi Ning a newspaper story about his confrontation with Jiang Shijie and praised his billiards posture.
• Chi Ning noticed the article included details a distant paparazzo could not have heard and suspected someone had leaked the incident to harm the Chi family.
• Qin Heng agreed to help watch Boss Xu’s billiards hall on weekends, and Zhang Qiuwen explained how the upcoming tournament could bring prize money and university admission.
• Chi Ning decided to register patents from his previous life and asked where Boss Xu’s billiards hall was; Qin Heng recommended Gangnan Entertainment instead.

Chi Ning learned that Chi Baichuan and his brother had staged their public feud as part of a business plan, and he worried his actions in his previous life had disrupted it. He decided to avoid the Biology Olympiad, become more independent, and take steps to protect his brother from danger.

• Chi Ning discovered Qin Heng attended No. 1 High School rather than Gangnan International High School, then arranged for Uncle Chen to buy all the chilled bayberry juice from Qin Heng's stall.
• Chi Ning suspected his father and brother had feigned discord to manipulate public opinion and the Chi family's stock price, and Chi Baichuan confirmed they had kept up the act for more than three years.
• Chi Ning refused to participate in the National Biology Olympiad and told his father he would stop attending evening self-study and spend time elsewhere after school.
• Chi Ning urged Chi Baichuan to push for a motorcycle ban in Yangcheng to keep his brother from dangerous street racing, and his father agreed to make calls about it.
• Chi Ning asked Chi Baichuan to find him a kickboxing coach so he would be less easy to fool, then went upstairs before planning to use his savings for future patent applications.

Chi Ning visited Xu Jiahao’s billiards hall to investigate Qin Heng’s past and learned that Qin Heng was an adult with a fighting background, not the upstanding student he had claimed to be. After spotting the potential tournament prizes as a way to fund his laboratory, Chi Ning chose to focus on billiards, while Qin Heng recalled seeing him in a business van.

• Chi Ning took a cab to Xu Jiahao’s billiards hall, bought a membership card, and read a booklet about billiards and tournaments.
• Zhang Qiuwen and Qin Heng arrived in new suits to begin working at the hall, and Xu Jiahao instructed them on the rules and their duties.
• Chi Ning overheard Xu Jiahao say he had hired Qin Heng and Zhang Qiuwen for their fighting ability and that they had to behave themselves.
• Chi Ning realized Qin Heng had lied about his age and past, then decided that dating was an obstacle to funding his laboratory.
• Chi Ning ordered a snooker table, told Xu Jiahao that he and Qin Heng had only met once, and Qin Heng recalled seeing Chi Ning inside a business van.

Chi Ning played snooker at Boss Xu’s billiards hall and caught the attention of champion Mo Yuanzhou, who offered to teach him. Chi Ning remained wary of the offer, while Qin Heng watched from the sidelines.

• Qin Heng offered to find someone to play with Chi Ning, but Chi Ning refused and urged Zhang Qiuwen to open the table.
• Qin Heng escorted Chi Ning to a snooker table, where Chi Ning studied the rules and began playing.
• Chi Ning steadily sank balls and impressed nearby guests, then used the thick end of his cue to pot a difficult black ball.
• Mo Yuanzhou introduced himself, showed Chi Ning his credentials, and asked him to become his student.
• Chi Ning declined, citing his lack of ambition and money, but Mo Yuanzhou said he wanted to teach for fun and offered lessons without charge.

Chi Ning agreed to model for Mo Yuanzhou’s new brand in exchange for billiards lessons, then helped his family devise a plan to lower the Chi Group’s stock price so they could reclaim shares. After a week of photo shoots, he returned to school and told Teacher Wang he wanted to pursue admission to HKU rather than compete in more Olympiads.

• Chi Ning accepted Mo Yuanzhou’s offer to model for a season for free in exchange for billiards lessons, and Mo taught him the basics.
• Chi Ning suggested publicizing the Jiu Pharmaceutical heir’s Olympiad prospects to draw attention away from the Chi family and help lower its stock price; Chi Baichuan and Chi Yang agreed.
• Chi Ning spent seven days modeling for Mo Yuanzhou’s brand, posing in several outfits for its summer photo shoot.
• When Wang Quan asked Chi Ning to enter S University’s high school representative competition, Chi Ning refused and said he wanted to consider HKU instead.
• Chi Ning urged Wang Quan to discuss his plans with his parents before they filled out a guaranteed admission form.

Chi Ning returned to school, helped his classmates with difficult physics problems, and met Qin Heng, who collected his bottle and invited him to see Mo Yuanzhou. At the billiards hall, Mo Yuanzhou proposed that Chi Ning and Qin Heng model together for a photo shoot.

• Chi Ning learned from Li Qiuhe that Qin Heng and Yue had fought, then agreed to explain challenging problems to his classmates.
• Chi Ning noticed his name written on the bottle Qin Heng had delivered, and Qin Heng came to collect it and invited him to meet Mo Yuanzhou that evening.
• Chi Ning taught his classmates several physics problems at the blackboard, impressing them and surprising Wang Quan.
• Chi Ning met Mo Yuanzhou and Qin Heng at the billiards hall, where Mo Yuanzhou proposed that the two of them pose together for a photo shoot.

Chi Ning agreed to a paid photo shoot with Qin Heng, learned more about his family and finances, and struggled to find a fair way to pass his scholarship to the next student. A week later, he arrived at Mo Yuanzhou's studio still troubled by the problem.

• Mo Yuanzhou offered Chi Ning 1,600 yuan for a two-person shoot with Qin Heng, and Chi Ning agreed despite anticipating physical contact.
• Chi Ning and Qin Heng played pool and discussed Qin Heng's recent fight, but their awkward conversation frustrated Mo Yuanzhou.
• Chi Ning discovered his bank account held 1,230,000 yuan, then chose a retired serviceman from a list of combat coaches.
• Chi Ning asked to use the company laboratory, but Chi Yang refused until the company had recovered its shares and been reorganized, and Chi Ning felt grateful for his brother's protection.
• Chi Ning worried that accepting the school scholarship would be unfair and spent a week trying to find a way to give the money to the student who ranked second.
• Chi Ning arrived at Mo Yuanzhou's brand studio looking listless and preoccupied with the scholarship.

Chi Ning and Qin Heng took part in a revealing fashion shoot, while Qin Heng mistook Chi Ning’s concern about money for romantic interest. After the shoot, Qin Heng tried to discourage Chi Ning from getting close to him, but Chi Ning did not understand what he meant.

• Chi Ning told the makeup artists he wanted to help someone financially without hurting their pride, and Qin Heng mistakenly thought the money was meant for him.
• Qin Heng pulled Chi Ning into a changing room and clarified that he had fought Yue Yaozong over an attempted robbery, then failed to finish telling Chi Ning he would not return his feelings.
• Mo Yuanzhou dressed Chi Ning in a backless shirt and directed him and Qin Heng through an awkward, suggestive photoshoot.
• Qin Heng negotiated an extra payment from Mo Yuanzhou, and Chi Ning praised him for it.
• Chi Ning offered Qin Heng taro-red bean oolong milk tea, and Qin Heng told him not to waste time on him because they were not the same kind of people.

Chi Ning used his scholarship money to help Ye Xinran escape his family’s debt crisis, arranging for Ye to work for the Chi family after his studies. Qin Heng saw the exchange and grew irritated at the possibility that Chi Ning treated everyone as kindly as he had treated him, while Chi Ning persuaded his father to support Ye and expand the family business.

• After earning the 9,000-yuan scholarship, Chi Ning found Ye Xinran and offered him a loan in exchange for working for the Chi family after graduation.
• Qin Heng and Zhang Qiuwen watched from behind a wall as Chi Ning urged Ye Xinran to accept the money and meet his father the next morning.
• Qin Heng remembered Chi Ning’s earlier question about helping someone without making them feel inferior and wondered whether Chi Ning was kind to everyone.
• Chi Ning told Chi Baichuan and his eldest brother about Ye Xinran’s potential and urged his father to pursue opportunities in technology and real estate.
• Chi Baichuan agreed to consider helping Ye Xinran after checking his character, and Ye was expected at the Chi home at ten the next morning.

Chi Ning watched Qin Heng drive off Jiang Shijie after he disrupted the billiards hall and invoked the Shen Family. The incident revealed Xu Jiahao’s confidence and left Qin Heng trying to make Jiang Shijie or President Shen pay for the damage.

• Chi Ning failed to find a property willing to rent him space for a laboratory, then encountered Jiang Shijie at the billiards hall.
• Jiang Shijie mocked the hall, smoked indoors, and threatened Chi Ning while claiming President Shen would meet him there.
• Qin Heng beat Jiang Shijie and threw him out, relaying Xu Jiahao’s message that the hall did not welcome President Shen.
• After Jiang Shijie was removed, Qin Heng called President Shen’s secretary and asked whether President Shen or Jiang Shijie would compensate for the damage.

Qin Heng helped the Chi family disrupt the Shen and Jiang Families’ plans, and Chi Ning thanked him before persuading Xu Jiahao to consider cooperating with the Chi family. The chapter ended with Qin Heng realizing Chi Ning had been lying and teasing him about exposing it.

• Qin Heng bought Chi Ning snacks and orange juice as compensation, while Zhang Qiuwen recognized it as customer retention.
• Xu Jiahao arrived, heard what had happened, and praised Qin Heng’s handling of the conflict with Jiang Shijie.
• Xu Jiahao offered Qin Heng a chance to become his godson and learn to run his businesses, then discussed his business interests with Chi Ning.
• Chi Ning pretended to be worried about his family and persuaded Xu Jiahao to discuss a possible real estate partnership with Chi Baichuan.
• Chi Ning asked Qin Heng to help him rent a larger place, and Qin Heng pointed out that Chi Ning had lied to Xu Jiahao and asked whether he feared being exposed.

Chi Ning clashed with Qin Heng over his willingness to help Zhang Qiuwen, then agreed to discuss renting a place with him after work. At the billiards hall, Shen Zongze arrived to settle Jiang Shijie's damage to Chi Ning's pool table, and Xu Jiahao prepared to respond to his million-yuan apology.

• Qin Heng tried to persuade Chi Ning to let him teach him how to act, but Chi Ning refused and challenged him about meddling in whom he helped.
• Chi Ning asked Zhang Qiuwen his age, and Zhang Qiuwen said he was seventeen; Qin Heng had secretly texted him to give that answer.
• Chi Ning agreed to discuss renting a place with Qin Heng after his shift, while Qin Heng hid his relief that Zhang Qiuwen's lie had worked.
• Shen Zongze arrived at Xu Jiahao's billiards hall with bodyguards, and Chi Ning recognized him as the man who had seized control of the Chi family's business in his previous life.
• Xu Jiahao demanded compensation for Jiang Shijie breaking Chi Ning's rented pool table, and Shen Zongze offered a million-yuan check as an apology.
• Xu Jiahao accepted Shen Zongze's check, set it aside, and took five one-million chips from the counter drawer.

Chi Ning and Xu Jiahao outmaneuvered Shen Zongze, then Chi Ning went with Qin Heng to inspect a rental house. After Qin Heng protected Chi Ning and negotiated repairs, Chi Ning mistook his guardedness for the result of past hardship and comforted him.

• Xu Jiahao gave Shen Zongze five million in casino chips while secretly planning to win his business for the Chi family, and he promised Chi Ning a new pool table.
• Chi Ning and Qin Heng went late at night to inspect a townhouse, where Qin Heng caught Chi Ning when he nearly fell into a ceramic ornament.
• Chi Ning answered his father Chi Baichuan's call and claimed he had been playing pool before deciding to rent the house.
• Qin Heng found problems with the townhouse and insisted the realtor fix them before they signed a lease.
• In the taxi, Chi Ning told Qin Heng that he must have suffered and been taken advantage of when he was younger, and reassured him that being cautious was good.

Chi Ning returned home late after Qin Heng escorted him, while Qin Heng confronted a paparazzo and took the film containing photos of them. The next day, Chi Ning faced questions from his father and brother and revealed that he might like boys, leaving them to consider what his confession meant.

• Qin Heng walked Chi Ning home, then found a paparazzo hiding outside the Chi Residence and took the film with photos of Chi Ning.
• Chi Ning returned home to find Chi Baichuan staying up late, and he went to bed without explaining his late arrival.
• The next day, Chi Baichuan confronted Chi Ning about a newspaper photo of him with Qin Heng, and Chi Ning explained that Qin Heng had protected and escorted him home.
• Chi Yang questioned why Chi Ning had stayed out so late, but Chi Baichuan postponed the conversation when he saw Chi Ning become flustered.
• Chi Ning asked Chi Baichuan and Chi Yang what they would think if he liked boys, and they realized he might already have someone he liked.