Chapter Summaries

Qin An found himself reliving a vivid memory from nearly twenty years earlier, when he was a teenager newly transferred into Class 69 and reunited with Ye Zhulan. He confessed that he liked her, leaving Ye Zhulan stunned as the memory continued.

• Qin An saw thirteen-year-old Ye Zhulan sitting on a brick wall and remembered her greeting him after he transferred to Class 69.
• Ye Zhulan worried that Qin An had been hurt by changing classes, while Qin An was overwhelmed by seeing the girl he had loved for years.
• Qin An recalled that his father, Qin Huai, had transferred him from Class 68, where Liao Yu had been his head teacher, and that his efforts to make Ye Zhulan laugh had dragged down his grades.
• Qin An called Ye Zhulan by name and told her he liked her, leaving her standing in shock.
• Qin An shot a three-pointer, then turned to Ye Zhulan and told her again that he really liked her.

Qin An returned to his junior-high days and reunited with his father, Qin Huai, and his deskmate, Sun Sun, whose tragic future he remembered. The chapter left Qin An back in Class 69, smiling at Sun Sun while Qin Huai tried to keep him in line.

• Qin An entered Class 69 and sat in the place Qin Huai assigned him, remembering his father's struggles and later life.
• Qin An recognized Sun Sun as his deskmate and recalled her future success, exploitation, and suicide.
• Sun Sun ignored Qin An's stare until she blushed and glared at him, while Qin An smiled at her.
• Qin Huai threw chalk at Qin An for staring at Sun Sun, and Qin An respectfully returned the chalk to the teacher's desk.
• Qin Huai began the lesson and privately resolved to deal with his troublesome son later.

Qin An tried to reconnect with Sun Sun during class by teasing her and offering to be her friend. He gave her a handwritten poem about friendship, determined to support her in the future and prevent the tragedy that would claim her life.

• Qin Huai noticed Qin An grinning at Sun Sun during class and warned him before leaving the classroom.
• Sun Sun angrily threatened to tell Qin Huai if Qin An kept looking at her, but Qin An stayed quiet and watched Ye Zhulan pass by.
• Qin An asked Sun Sun to be friends, and she rejected him, saying she disliked him and his overused approach.
• Qin An wrote a poem about friendship on his English textbook cover and handed it to Sun Sun.
• Qin An told Sun Sun he wanted to be a lasting friend who would support her through hardship.

Qin An adjusted to being back in junior high and tried to connect with Sun Sun while reflecting on the people and routines around him. After he explained yoga in a note, Sun Sun grew curious about it and his unusual knowledge.

• Sun Sun examined the ornate English poem Qin An had given her and wondered how he had learned to write so beautifully.
• During Chinese class, Qin An asked Teacher Deng whether he would leave teaching for a job that paid ten times more, and Teacher Deng said he was used to staying at the school.
• Qin An realized he had not yet grown accustomed to his new life and felt happiness watching Ye Zhulan and Sun Sun in their younger days.
• Qin An was caught not doing the eye exercises, hurriedly copied the other students, and then told Sun Sun he could teach her yoga.
• Sun Sun called Qin An a pervert when he mentioned staying slim, but asked what yoga was and secretly read his explanation in a note.
• Sun Sun connected Qin An's description of yoga to her exam nerves and her worries about eating and gaining weight.

Qin An confessed to Ye Zhulan during the school exercises and received a shy, uncertain response. Afterward, he clashed with his former teacher Liao Yu, who doubted his academic prospects, while he recalled his past rise in the rankings and remained confident he could excel again.

• During the radio calisthenics, Qin An repeatedly told Ye Zhulan that he liked her, and she told him to stop saying it.
• Qin An reflected that Ye Zhulan's answer had resolved a question he had carried for years, though his confession had changed their former closeness.
• Liao Yu called Qin An over after the exercises and scolded him for looking at her and speaking disrespectfully.
• Qin An advised Liao Yu about exercise and caring for her baby, then dismissed her concerns about his future.
• Liao Yu warned Qin An to stop distracting Ye Zhulan and predicted he would only get into vocational or specialized secondary school.
• Qin An recalled his past improvement in school rankings and felt confident he could do even better this time.

Qin An reunited with his mother, Li Qin, after returning to his younger life, and clung to her as he relived the pain of losing her. After napping beside her and waking to find she was still there, he returned to school and spent the afternoon playing marbles with younger children.

• Qin An remembered how Li Qin had cared for him and how she had died of pancreatic cancer soon after they reunited.
• Qin An left his lunch at Town Junior High School and rushed to the town's central elementary school to find Li Qin.
• Qin An hugged Li Qin, told her he wanted to nap there, and fell asleep beside her as she comforted him.
• Qin An woke in a panic, confirmed Li Qin was still sleeping beside him, and quietly prepared water for her before leaving the school.
• Qin An traded snacks for five marbles, lost them all, and returned to Town Junior High School pleased to have enjoyed playing.

After returning from playing marbles, Qin An persuaded Sun Sun to lend him her lyrics notebook and wrote her original, classical-style lyrics called “Lightly Painted Eyebrows.” The afternoon class began with the students singing together, while Sun Sun eagerly awaited Qin An’s promised singing lesson.

• Sun Sun scolded Qin An for skipping nap period and said she had reported him to Teacher Qin.
• Qin An tempted Sun Sun with unfamiliar songs, but she insisted she would not betray her duty as class monitor.
• Sun Sun lent Qin An her lyrics notebook after giving him a handkerchief to clean his hands.
• Qin An returned the notebook with his lyrics for “Lightly Painted Eyebrows,” and Sun Sun wondered how the poem would sound as a song.
• The bell rang, and Qin An joined his classmates in singing the afternoon song.

Sun Sun reprimanded Qin An and assigned the class officers’ blackboard bulletin tasks, including the English corner. When Li Hao challenged Qin An’s ability to handle it, Qin An stayed to watch Li Hao write instead of following Ye Zhulan out.

• Qin Huai finished speaking and left, and Sun Sun reprimanded Qin An for his behavior and unfinished summer homework.
• Sun Sun assigned class duties, including the blackboard bulletin and English corner, while Liu Cai fetched colored chalk.
• Li Hao objected to Qin An handling the English corner and insisted that he should write it himself.
• Ye Zhulan appeared at the doorway and ran downstairs, prompting Qin An to grab his schoolbag and head for the door.
• After hearing Li Hao mock him and seeing Sun Sun’s disappointment, Qin An returned, tossed Li Hao some chalk, and said he would watch him write.

Qin An humiliated Li Hao by erasing his English writing and replacing it with elegant, cutting proverbs, convincing Sun Sun that his English skill was beyond her reach. After school, Qin An met Ye Zhulan, and they discussed joining the Saturday art class together as she worried that people would gossip about them.

• Li Hao wrote an English translation of a poem on the class bulletin board to show off his handwriting and impress Sun Sun.
• Qin An erased Li Hao's writing and replaced it line by line with English proverbs mocking his boastfulness, leaving Li Hao furious and the others astonished.
• Ye Xiaohua praised Qin An's English ability, while Sun Sun accepted that she could not match him.
• Qin An went to meet Ye Zhulan beneath the tea trees and asked whether they should both join the Saturday art class.
• Ye Zhulan worried that people would gossip if they spent too much time together, and Qin An gently took her hand as they talked.

Qin An told Ye Zhulan a story about alternate versions of themselves who liked each other but never became a couple, prompting Ye Zhulan to promise she would marry him when they grew up. After they played together and returned home, Qin An found Sun Pao brooding in the courtyard.

• Qin An held Ye Zhulan's hand and told her about two people with their names whose lives ended with them apart.
• Ye Zhulan realized Qin An feared they might share the story's unhappy ending, and she promised to marry him when they grew up if they remained good friends.
• Qin An excitedly performed cartwheels, fell into a pile of wheat straw, and made Ye Zhulan laugh.
• Qin An and Ye Zhulan played together until evening, then headed to their respective homes.
• Qin An found Sun Pao hiding by a hedge and heard him worry that hair had started growing on his penis.
• Qin An advised Sun Pao to pull the hair out.

Qin An returned to his childhood home, where caring for Li Qin and sharing a meal with his parents brought back memories of family life. After learning his older cousin had come home, he visited his eldest uncle’s house and realized he needed to find a way to warn him about the mine collapse that would kill him.

• Qin An tricked Sun Pao into pulling out his pubic hair, then wiped the sweat from Li Qin’s face and urged her to get a health checkup.
• Li Qin assured Qin An that her recent examination showed she was healthy, and Qin An went inside to face Qin Huai about skipping class.
• Qin An admitted his mistake so obediently that Qin Huai’s prepared lecture lost its force, and Li Qin served the family dinner.
• Li Qin sent Qin An to visit his eldest uncle because his older cousin had returned home.
• Qin An saw his cousin’s family gathered at the meal and played with Qin Qin and Qin Yuan while worrying about how to warn his cousin of the coming mine collapse.

Qin An’s cousin invited him to visit the city, but Qin An declined because he had promised his father he would attend class. At home, Qin An impressed Qin Huai with a fluent English essay and then wrote a story about his father’s happiness and the better days ahead.

• Qin An’s older male cousin said he planned to take Qin An and his family to the city the following weekend in his new Santana.
• Qin An worried about the mining disaster he remembered, then felt reassured that his cousin would be away from the mine.
• Qin An declined the trip because he had promised Qin Huai he would not skip classes.
• Qin Huai told Qin An to write an English essay, and Qin An wrote a story about Harry Potter that astonished his father.
• Qin An began writing a second story about Qin Huai discovering his son’s talent and looking forward to happier days.

Qin An woke up as a middle school student again and adjusted to his return to the past, where his family and neighbors were as he remembered them. He reunited with Li Xinlan, who mocked him for being transferred out of his class, while he remained cheerful despite the humiliation.

• Sun Pao charged through the dormitory building, shouting lines from Dinosaur Special Koseidon and showing that Qin An's earlier scheme had failed.
• Qin An woke in his old bedroom and realized he was a middle school student again rather than a successful school owner with a wife and daughter.
• Qin An hid the exercise book containing his story before his father could display it, then greeted his mother, Li Qin, affectionately.
• Qin An found Li Xinlan studying English and remembered how his prank with her undergarment had once made her despise him.
• Li Xinlan mocked Qin An for changing classes and repeated Liao Yu's remark about being unable to handle him, while Qin An showed no sign of dejection.

Qin An apologized to Li Xinlan and began treating her with more consideration, then stepped in when Tu Gang stopped her on the way to school. He left Tu Gang stunned with a cigarette trick and escorted Li Xinlan onward.

• Qin An sincerely apologized to Li Xinlan for bullying her, and she hurried home with his earnest gaze on her mind.
• Qin An made himself milk, said goodbye to his parents, and walked to school with Li Xinlan and Sun Pao.
• Qin An told Sun Pao to call Li Xinlan by her name and treat her respectfully.
• Qin An noticed Tu Gang stopping Li Xinlan and knocked his hand away from her bicycle and books.
• Qin An called Li Xinlan his big sister, took Tu Gang's cigarettes, and performed a smoke-ring trick he called Rainbow Piercing the Sun.
• Qin An nudged Li Xinlan onward and offered to walk with her, leaving Tu Gang stunned.

Qin An walked to school with Li Xinlan and Sun Pao, then learned that Sun Sun wanted him to teach her his song, “Lightly Painted Eyebrows.” After a seven-subject diagnostic test was announced for the following Monday, Sun Sun offered to help him study, but Qin An declined, leaving her frustrated.

• Qin An and Sun Pao urinated from Gao Bridge, splashed someone below, and hurried away.
• Sun Sun announced the enrichment classes and said she would sign up for music with Liao Yu.
• Qin An realized Sun Sun wanted to learn “Lightly Painted Eyebrows” from him and arranged to teach her while walking her home after school.
• Qin Huai announced a diagnostic test in all seven subjects for next Monday, and Qin An worried about preparing for history and politics.
• Sun Sun invited Qin An to study with her at school on Sunday, but he said he planned to go out, and she angrily turned back to her textbook.

After Li Hao mocked Qin An’s academic ability, Qin An challenged him to a bet over who would place in the class’s top three in more subjects on the upcoming placement test. Li Hao accepted and wagered that Qin An would have to stop sitting beside Sun Sun if he lost.

• Li Hao criticized Qin An’s English skills and predicted that he would rank near the bottom because of his other subjects.
• Qin An listed his childhood games and challenged Li Hao to compare their top-three placements across seven subjects.
• Li Hao accepted the bet, offering Qin An the academic monitor position if Qin An won and demanding he stop sitting beside Sun Sun if he lost.
• Sun Sun objected to Li Hao involving her, and Qin An reassured her that he was happy to sit beside her.
• Li Hao resolved to study hard before the placement test so he could widen the gap between himself and Qin An.

Qin An reviewed mechanics in physics class while secretly designing a powerful slingshot for protection from Tu Gang. He abandoned the complicated compound design, got permission from Liu the Old Man to cut a forked branch from his huanghuali tree, and began shaping it into a slingshot.

• Qin An sketched a compound slingshot during Kuang Haihan's physics lesson, and Sun Sun realized he was not reviewing mechanics.
• Qin An decided to make a slingshot because he feared he could not rely on his bluff against Tu Gang or use adult resources as a thirteen-year-old.
• Qin An concluded that a compound slingshot was beyond his current abilities and chose to make an ordinary one instead.
• Qin An went to Liu the Old Man's house and asked permission to take a forked branch for his slingshot.
• Liu the Old Man allowed Qin An to use his tree, and Qin An sawed off a suitable huanghuali branch and began smoothing it.

Qin An made a slingshot from a Huanghuali branch, joked with Sun Pao about a condom, and then walked home with Ye Zhulan and Sun Sun. As he taught Sun Sun a song, he remembered her anxious concern about impressing Qin Huai after her first concert.

• Qin An stripped the bark from Old Liu's branch, recognized it as valuable Huanghuali, and sanded it into a slingshot frame during the afternoon nap.
• Sun Pao showed Qin An a water-filled condom he had mistaken for a balloon, and Qin An gave him a false explanation of its purpose.
• Qin An greeted Kuang Yongmei and Ye Zhulan after school, then caught up with Sun Sun as she walked slowly toward the school gate.
• Qin An sang "Lightly Painted Eyebrows" for Sun Sun while she followed along in her lyrics notebook.
• Qin An recalled Sun Sun's panic at her first concert celebration when Qin Huai was coming over and she worried about his opinion of her appearance.

Qin An tested his homemade slingshot by breaking a watermelon and Liao Yu’s cactus, then shifted his attention to reviewing for the assessment exam and attending a drawing class. The chapter left him at the class, where Ye Zhulan objected to him staring at a nude painting.

• Qin An finished an eight-strand slingshot and tested it on a watermelon stall, startling the customers and angering the seller.
• Qin An broke the cactus on Liao Yu’s balcony, teased her while she watched him, then regretted his behavior and went home.
• Qin An realized he needed to prepare for his bet with Li Hao, made a study plan, and began reviewing for the assessment exam.
• Qin An attended a Saturday drawing class taught by Liao Yu’s husband, Luo Bofu, and studied a nude painting that reminded him of Liao Yu.
• Ye Zhulan threw a stone at Qin An’s backside after catching him staring at the painting.

Qin An spent an art class drawing manga and teasing Ye Zhulan, while their closeness became more apparent when he noticed her jealousy over Sun Sun. The chapter left Ye Zhulan blushing as she denied being jealous.

• Qin An and Ye Zhulan discussed spending the afternoon at Daqing Mountain, and Qin An promised to protect her.
• Luo Bofu taught the students basic sketching while Qin An drew a Bleach character and told nearby boys about the manga.
• Qin An went to the music classroom and looked in at Sun Sun, who was practicing "Lightly Painted Eyebrows."
• Ye Zhulan caught Qin An peering into the classroom and remarked that Sun Sun was pretty and smart.
• Qin An asked Ye Zhulan if she was jealous, and she blushed and denied it.