Chapter Summaries

Su Can rode to First Middle School and chose which class to join after Dean Tian Feng let him select from the roster. He chose Xiao Rihua’s Class Five, leaving Tian Feng privately amused by the choice.

• Su Can rode Route 8 to school and heard students gossip about Yue Zijiang, a wealthy second-year student who arrived on a motorcycle.
• Su Can went to the academic affairs office, where Tian Feng let him choose his class while parents wondered about his background.
• Su Can selected Class Five after recalling that Xue Yiyang was in it.
• Tian Feng gave Su Can an introduction note for homeroom teacher Xiao Rihua and told the nearby parents that the mayor had personally selected Su Can.
• After Su Can left, Tian Feng privately thought Xiao Rihua had landed a bargain and anticipated that the choice might cause friction.

Su Can arrived at No. 1 High School and reunited with Tang Wu and Xue Yiyang in their new class. He chose to sit beside Xue Yiyang, while Chen Lingshan took the seat beside Tang Wu, setting up a rivalry between the two girls.

• Tang Wu sat in Class Five and felt uneasy about the attention and gossip surrounding her.
• Xiao Rihua recognized Su Can from the entrance exams and let him enter the classroom despite resenting the note from Tian Feng.
• Su Can entered the classroom, surprising Tang Wu, Xue Yiyang, and several students who remembered him from the beach barbecue.
• Su Can passed the empty seat beside Tang Wu and chose to sit next to Xue Yiyang, who pinched his arm to make sure he was real.
• Chen Lingshan arrived and sat beside Tang Wu, and the two girls exchanged smiles with sparks of hostility.

During military training, Su Can became the subject of gossip after Xiao Yunyun brought him cola, while Chen Lingshan and Tang Wu each reacted in their own way. After training, Su Can reminded Xue Yiyang of their agreement, but instead of attacking him, he put an arm around his shoulders and walked home with him.

• Chen Lingshan treated Su Can coldly during military training, while Tang Wu greeted him calmly when they met.
• Su Can drank the school’s mineral water, prompting classmates to assume he could not afford cola and mock him behind his back.
• Xiao Yunyun brought Su Can a bottle of cola during a grueling training session, making him a subject of gossip among students.
• Chen Lingshan watched Xiao Yunyun’s gesture with surprise and dissatisfaction, while Tang Wu turned away with a fleeting shadow in her eyes.
• Su Can reminded Xue Yiyang of their agreement as they left school, but reassured him by putting an arm around his shoulders and walking home together.

After military training, Su Can visited his family’s thriving stationery store and reviewed its sales. At dinner, he supported Mei Lan and Jia Zheng opening a nearby store, then persuaded his parents that keeping them close would be safer than letting them become stronger competitors elsewhere.

• Homeroom teacher Xiao Rihua announced three days of exams to rank the class after military training.
• Su Can visited Xiahai Cultural Supplies, where Zeng Ke and Su Licheng’s business had grown after Zeng Qu anming lent them money for more stock and renovations.
• Su Can calculated that the store earned around one to two thousand yuan in monthly profit from roughly fifteen thousand yuan in sales.
• At dinner, Mei Lan and Jia Zheng revealed they planned to open a cultural supplies store, and Su Can surprised the family by supporting their plan.
• On the way home, Yin Shuying, Zeng Ke, and Su Licheng criticized Su Can for backing Mei Lan and Jia Zheng despite their underhanded behavior.
• Su Can explained that a nearby competitor could draw customers while his family’s larger, better-funded store kept Mei Lan and Jia Zheng in check.

Su Can placed around the middle of Class Five in the latest rankings, while Tang Wu took first place. When Xiao Rihua tried to embarrass Su Can for whispering in class, Su Can answered questions from Xunzi’s “Encouraging Learning” with such fluency that the classroom fell silent.

• Tang Wu ranked first in Class Five, Wang Xuebing fell behind her, and Su Can scored just over five hundred points after deliberately leaving easy questions unanswered.
• Xiao Rihua watched Su Can closely, while Su Can began studying ahead to keep pace with high school lessons.
• During Xiao Rihua’s Chinese lesson, Li Ai called Su Can and Xue Yiyang idiots, and Xiao Rihua ordered Su Can to stand and interpret a line from Xunzi.
• Su Can smoothly interpreted the passage, then correctly answered Xiao Rihua’s increasingly difficult questions from later sections of “Encouraging Learning.”
• Xiao Rihua ended the exchange and told Su Can to sit down, leaving the class astonished.

Su Can accepted Xiao Yunyun’s invitation to her birthday party, recognizing a chance to ease tensions between their families. Soon, gossip spread through school that Su Can had a secret crush on Chen Lingshan, and the crucial word “once” disappeared as the story was repeated.

• Xiao Yunyun came to Class Five and invited Su Can to her birthday party, saying her parents were eager to see him.
• Su Can agreed to attend and considered how the visit might help resolve the conflict between his uncle and Xiao Fei.
• Xiao Yunyun teased Su Can about bringing him cola every PE class, then asked him to bring a thoughtful birthday present.
• A rumor spread that Su Can had a secret crush on Chen Lingshan, after Xue Yiyang’s summer confession became widely known.
• Students repeated the rumor without the word “once,” making Su Can’s past crush sound current.

Rumors that Su Can planned to confess to Chen Lingshan spread around school, though Su Can himself was unsure what he felt. On his way to Xiao Yunyun’s birthday party, he saw Chen Lingshan leave with a handsome boy, and the chapter ended with him watching them drive away.

• Xue Yiyang asked Su Can when he planned to pursue Chen Lingshan, and Su Can denied taking the rumors seriously.
• Su Can and Chen Lingshan were repeatedly left alone by classmates teasing them about their supposed romance.
• Su Can bought a Disney stuffed toy for Xiao Yunyun’s birthday and set out for the restaurant.
• Su Can spotted Chen Lingshan shopping with a handsome boy, then watched them get into a taxi and leave.

Su Can attended Xiao Yunyun’s birthday party, where Gao Fan showed off an expensive gift and revealed his interest in Chen Lingshan. At Xiao Yunyun’s home, Su Can reassured Xiao Fei about his relationship with Zeng Qu anming, leaving Xiao Fei considering making amends, while Xiao Yunyun thanked Su Can for easing her family’s worries.

• Su Can arrived at Xiao Yunyun’s birthday party and learned that Chen Lingshan was her longtime friend and Gao Fan was another childhood acquaintance.
• Gao Fan presented Xiao Yunyun with a silver bracelet from Romantic House and used the meal to charm the guests, while Su Can observed his interest in Chen Lingshan.
• Gao Fan asked about Xiao Fei’s position at the Construction Bureau and suggested that their families meet for dinner.
• At Xiao Yunyun’s home, Su Can spoke privately with Xiao Fei and falsely implied that Zeng Qu anming trusted Xiao Fei but worried he might hold a grudge.
• Xiao Fei took Su Can’s words to heart and considered apologizing to Zeng Qu anming, while Xiao Yunyun thanked Su Can for helping ease her father’s worries.

At Xiao Yunyun’s birthday party, Su Can’s expensive gift impresses the guests and stirs Gao Fan’s jealousy. On the balcony, Chen Lingshan asks whether Su Can has a crush on her; he admits it, but she apologizes and leaves him behind.

• Chen Lingshan opened Su Can’s gift and revealed an expensive Disney Winnie the Pooh plush, surprising Xiao Yunyun and the other guests.
• Gao Fan tried to boast that he would buy Chen Lingshan several plush toys, but the girls’ comments about their price embarrassed him, and he went out to the balcony.
• Chen Lingshan joined Su Can on the balcony and teased him about standing near Xiao Yunyun’s drying underwear.
• Su Can caught Chen Lingshan’s hand as she moved to leave, and they overheard guests inside discussing rumors that he had a crush on her.
• Chen Lingshan asked whether the rumor was true, and Su Can admitted it before she withdrew her hand, apologized, and returned inside.

After confessing to Chen Lingshan at Xiao Yunyun’s birthday party and finally laying his old regrets to rest, Su Can found the story spreading through No. 1 High School. The chapter left him and Chen Lingshan on friendlier terms, with her quietly watching him during breaks.

• Su Can felt relieved after making the confession he had regretted never making in his previous life.
• Rumors about Su Can’s confession spread through the school, and students stared at him when he arrived.
• Xue Yiyang teased Su Can about confessing to Chen Lingshan during class, drawing laughter from their classmates.
• Su Can smiled at Chen Lingshan to reassure her, and she blushed before turning back around.
• Chen Lingshan grew friendlier toward Su Can and Xue Yiyang, sometimes waiting for them during breaks and bringing them drinks.

Su Can pursued his “Sponge Plan,” systematically reviewing high school subjects and broadening his knowledge through books and reading at his eldest uncle’s house. He learned that the municipal government would select approved procurement suppliers, giving his family’s shop an opportunity to grow.

• Su Can rose early each day to review his high school subjects and planned to master his first-year material over three months.
• Su Can bought textbooks, reference materials, novels, and books on subjects ranging from finance to world affairs to expand his knowledge.
• Su Can borrowed classics from Zeng Qu anming’s bookcases and began reading authors including Keats, Dante, and Nietzsche.
• Su Can heard from his older cousin that the municipal government would choose its first approved procurement suppliers and form inspection teams to review them.
• Su Can recognized that the new municipal procurement system could give his family’s shop a chance to grow.

Su Can urged his hesitant parents to enter the municipal tender for office and cultural supplies, arguing that relying on his uncle’s referrals left their new shop vulnerable. He persuaded them that bidding could open a path beyond their small business, and hinted that the event would bring a memorable result.

• Zeng Ke and Su Licheng worried that their shop could not compete with established suppliers at the tender meeting, despite Zeng Qu anming securing them a place.
• Su Can recalled how much their family’s circumstances had changed in five months and warned that their business depended too heavily on his uncle’s connections.
• Su Can argued that the family needed to attend the tender rather than remain confined to their small shop, which might eventually be demolished.
• Su Can cited Mayor Hong Xiaotian’s plans to support private businesses and suggested using some of the shop’s earnings for the bid.
• Su Can told his parents that the tender day would make former colleagues and neighbors look up to their family’s achievement.

Mayor Hong Xiaotian used the municipal bidding event to challenge Xiahai City’s entrenched local networks, but influential cadres and businessmen treated it as another chance to trade connections. The arrival of Su Can and his parents drew everyone’s attention, and Zeng Qu anming dropped his glasses when he recognized a resemblance in the woman.

• Hong Xiaotian watched the bidding preparations and hoped the event would curb local protectionism despite his weak influence in the city.
• Businessmen and state-owned enterprise cadres pressed their connections and favored outcomes, while Jiang Chaoyang gathered admirers and Zeng Qu anming searched for Su Licheng and Zeng Ke.
• A well-dressed man, his elegant wife, and their son entered the hotel, prompting guests to speculate that the man was connected to the provincial Party committee.
• Su Can walked in holding his parents’ hands and reminded them to keep their smiles natural.
• Zeng Qu anming looked closely at the woman, thought she resembled his younger sister, and dropped his glasses.

Su Can dressed Zeng Ke and Su Licheng to make a strong impression at Xiahai’s municipal bidding meeting, where their polished appearance drew speculation about their identity. The family entered the bidding hall without greeting Zeng Qu anming, while Mayor Hong Xiaotian reviewed their office-supply bid and found its documents clear and complete.

• Su Can chose a Goldlion suit for Su Licheng and a dark dress with accessories for Zeng Ke, persuading his parents to spend 3,500 yuan on their clothes.
• Su Can walked into the Kailai Hotel bidding hall with his parents, and their composed appearance made the crowd wonder who they were.
• Zeng Qu anming was stunned when Su Can’s family passed him without greeting him, while Mayor Hong Xiaotian felt relieved that they had no visible connection to Jiang Chaoming.
• Chen Jun recognized Zeng Ke’s family but kept their identity to himself.
• Hong Xiaotian identified their bid as an office-supply proposal, reviewed its detailed and complete documents, and recognized that the family ran a local office-supply shop.

Su Can’s family competed for a municipal office-supplies contract, and Hong Xiaotian announced that Xiahai City's Cultural Supplies Specialty Store had won one of four supplier positions. The decision triggered a confrontation between Hong Xiaotian and Jiang Chaoming, while Chen Lingshan recognized Zeng Ke’s family as they left.

• Su Licheng defended the family’s higher bid by describing its detailed service plan and willingness to accept financial oversight.
• Hong Xiaotian announced Tenglong Sports, Office Office Chain, and Xinhua Bookstore as the first three successful bidders, leaving Su Can’s family and Jiang Chaoming’s Xiahai Department Store awaiting the final result.
• Hong Xiaotian named Xiahai City's Cultural Supplies Specialty Store as the fourth successful bidder, and Su Licheng rose to thank the committee as his family celebrated.
• Jiang Chaoming questioned the store’s eligibility, but Hong Xiaotian defended the evaluation and warned that the store had met the requirements.
• Chen Jun watched Zeng Ke’s family leave in a taxi, and Chen Lingshan quietly asked her father whether they had seen Auntie Zeng.

Su Can helped his family prepare their shop after they became a municipal procurement supplier, while his relatives teased him about romance and Zeng Na dismissed his chances at school. Struggling with City First Middle School’s demanding coursework, he refocused on exam preparation, and the chapter ended with news that Tang Wu had a prominent suitor.

• Su Can helped clean and organize his family’s shop, which became a regular stop for Zeng Qu anming and Yin Shuying.
• Zeng Ke asked Zeng Na whether Su Can was popular or had a girlfriend, and Zeng Na said she knew of no one who liked him.
• Su Can struggled with advanced problems and fell outside the top dozen in his class, so he reduced his extracurricular reading and focused on exam-oriented books.
• A new school rumor stirred up the year: Tang Wu had an openly declared suitor who was well known at City First Middle School.

Su Can learned that Tang Wu had agreed to be friends with Yue Zijiang, a popular and well-connected senior, and realized Yue might be the boyfriend who would kill her in the future. Though he feared he was powerless to alter the tragedy, he resolved to stop it.

• Students at City First Middle School spread rumors about Tang Wu and watched as Yue Zijiang began pursuing her.
• Yue Zijiang confessed to Tang Wu, then persuaded her to agree to get to know him as an ordinary friend.
• Su Can remembered reports that Tang Wu’s future boyfriend would kill her after their relationship ended, and feared Yue Zijiang was that person.
• Su Can saw Tang Wu warming to Yue Zijiang while other students praised him, and resolved to prevent her future death despite his doubts about his ability.

Yue Zijiang remained undeterred after Tang Wu turned down his offer, while Chen Lingshan exchanged phone numbers with Su Can and tried to encourage their friendship. Su Can used a note to invite Tang Wu to walk with him after school, and their unexpected appearance together left Yue Zijiang, Chen Lingshan, and Xue Yiyang stunned.

• Yue Zijiang accepted Tang Wu's refusal to let him take her home and told Zhang Xi he would keep trying.
• Chen Lingshan got Su Can's phone number through Xue Yiyang and suggested that they meet up with their friends during the holidays.
• Tang Wu received Su Can's note asking to borrow her science materials and wait for him after school.
• Su Can and Tang Wu walked around City First Middle School together, talking about their current school and City No. 3 Middle School.
• Yue Zijiang, Chen Lingshan, and Xue Yiyang separately saw Su Can walking beside Tang Wu after school and were shocked.

Su Can walked home with Tang Wu and calmly faced Yue Zijiang and his friends, drawing the attention of Chen Lingshan’s circle. The confrontation ended without violence, but Xue Yiyang worried that Su Can had made enemies in the second-year crowd.

• Su Can and Tang Wu passed Yue Zijiang’s group, prompting Li Lumei and the others with Chen Lingshan to react in disbelief.
• Gao Tian stopped one of Yue Zijiang’s hotheaded friends from advancing toward Su Can.
• Yue Zijiang greeted Tang Wu, introduced himself to Su Can, and shook his hand while trying to maintain a composed front.
• Yue Zijiang ended the encounter and returned to his group, while Xue Yiyang worried that Su Can would face trouble for crossing them.
• A girl from Su Can’s class called out to remind him about homework, and Chen Lingshan exchanged a superficial smile with Tang Wu.
• After Su Can and Tang Wu walked away, Chen Lingshan’s friends speculated about Su Can’s interest in Tang Wu and questioned whether his composure had been an illusion.

Su Can feared Tang Wu would resent his interference with Yue Zijiang, but she calmly promised not to get closer to him, leaving Su Can unexpectedly happy. Back at the family shop, he saw how much business had grown and suggested hiring help.

• Su Can admitted to himself that Tang Wu might have guessed why he invited her out, then stumbled when she pointed out that the biology practice questions had no page five.
• Tang Wu asked whether he wanted her to avoid getting closer to Yue Zijiang, and promised she would after he admitted it.
• Tang Wu patted Su Can's shoulder and boarded the bus, leaving him feeling unexpectedly happy.
• Su Can considered how Yue Zijiang's circle gained influence and concluded that Liu Rui might help him handle the group, though involving him could worsen matters.
• Su Can's family received a municipal designated-procurement banner, and their shop's daily sales had risen to 3,597 yuan.
• After seeing his parents struggle to serve the growing stream of customers, Su Can suggested hiring people to help run the shop.