Why did you make me reincarnate?

July 8th, the last day of the college entrance examination.

The morning's exam was for humanities subjects, which was Xu Chaoyang's strong suit. He glanced at the exam paper briefly and felt confident about his performance.

After quickly finishing the short answer questions, the last one was about the changes in the economic system after the reforms. Xu Chaoyang's lips curled up slightly. He had written a paper on this question in his previous life in business school, and he could pass it by extracting some of the essence.

After finishing the test, I glanced at my watch and realized only half an hour had passed.

"Teacher, I want to hand in my paper."

The proctor glanced at him, walked over and collected his exam paper and answer sheet. Xu Chaoyang packed up his things and walked out of the exam room under the watchful eyes of the other examinees.

After coming out, he went straight to the roadside and hailed a taxi. "Driver, to the No. 1 Middle School exam site."

The driver, a man in his forties, glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Young man, are you also a test-taker? You handed in your paper so early. How did it go?"

"It's alright, driver. Hurry up, I'm in a rush to intercept them."

Xu Chaoyang casually agreed, his eyes fixed on the view outside the window.

The middle-aged man glanced at his anxious expression and imagined a dramatic love story unfolding on campus. Although he didn't dare to honk, he floored the accelerator.

Ten minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of the No. 1 Middle School.

At this time, there were many parents outside the school gate. Many of them were holding sunflowers and wearing red cheongsams. Everyone was willing to believe in some metaphysics. Some people were even holding banners that wished them success in the college entrance examination. Their expressions were more nervous than those of the candidates inside.

Xu Chaoyang pushed through the crowd and walked to the front, next to a parent. "Uncle, how many test takers came out?"

The parent glanced at him and said, "Not many. The exam has only just started."

Xu Chaoyang nodded and retreated to the shade of a tree to wait.

He asked many classmates from No. 1 High School in advance to find out Shen Ju's exam room assignment. He had to see her today, as it was better to clarify some things face to face.

Time passed second by second, and the sun rose higher and higher, making people's scalps burn.

After a while, people finally began to emerge from the examination hall.

Xu Chaoyang's eyes quickly searched through the crowd, his gaze sweeping over many people without lingering, until he spotted a familiar figure.

Shen Ju walked out from the direction of the teaching building, her hair draped over her shoulders, holding a transparent file bag in her hand. Her face was a little pale, probably from the fatigue of the exams these past two days.

She walked slowly, her head bowed, as if she were lost in thought.

Xu Chaoyang walked through the crowd toward her, past the candidates who were crying or laughing, until he stood before her.

Shen Ju's path was blocked by a tall figure. A pair of familiar black Converse sneakers came into view, and she stopped in her tracks instantly. Before she even saw the person's face, she knew it was Xu Chaoyang who had come looking for her.

Heads raised, their gazes met under the blue sky.

Xu Chaoyang stood in front of her, his face no longer as rational and composed as before, but with a complex expression, mixed with a hint of resentment, yet also as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.

Why are you avoiding me?

Shen Ju looked at him and suddenly laughed. It was the kind of laugh that comes from finally seeing the person you've been longing for, so you can't hide it.

"Well, we've seen it now."

When Xu Chaoyang saw her smile, he said irritably, "That's because I came looking for you. Otherwise, I don't know how long you would have been hiding from me."

Shen Ju's smile faded slightly. She knew what Xu Chaoyang was talking about; she had indeed deliberately avoided him during the period leading up to the college entrance examination.

It's not that I don't want to see them, it's that I'm afraid to see them.

She feared that if she saw Xu Chaoyang, she would never have the courage to face the path her mother had laid out for her.

Xu Chaoyang noticed a hint of forced smile in her eyes and a thin layer of moisture in them.

"Weren't you taking the exam at the Binjiang exam center? If you come all the way here now, will you make it in time for the last foreign language exam this afternoon?"

Xu Chaoyang raised an eyebrow. "You know which exam room I was in? Did you investigate me?"

Shen Ju didn't reply, but her eyes never left his face.

The two of them stood there, seemingly shut out from the surrounding noise.

When a shout came from the school gate, Shen Ju's body stiffened slightly, and the smile on her face faded a little.

"tangerine!"

Xu Chaoyang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a black minivan parked on the side of the road. The window was rolled down, revealing a woman's face.

Lin Shuqiu was wearing sunglasses today, with her hair tied up at the back of her head, giving off a strong sense of alienation from her surroundings.

She glanced at Xu Chaoyang as if examining a less-than-satisfactory product, scrutinizing every detail from his hair to his shoes.

Then, looking at the undisguised expression on her daughter's face, she understood why Shen Ju had been sulking with her all this time.

Lin Shuqiu mentally sentenced Xu Chaoyang to death.

She didn't get a good first impression of this young man. His eyes were full of ambition, just like Shen Zhiyi back then. They even had good looks, as if they were made specifically to deceive young girls. Even their annoying traits were exactly the same.

She waved to Shen Ju, the movement was very light, but it carried an undeniable meaning.

Shen Ju bit her lip. "Sorry, I have to go."

Xu Chaoyang was also observing Lin Shuqiu, not quite understanding where the other party's extremely hostile gaze came from.

I don't think I've ever offended her, have I?

"Is that your mother?"

Shen Ju nodded without saying anything more. She didn't want to tell Xu Chaoyang's mother what she thought of him; saying those words would only make him feel bad.

Xu Chaoyang smiled and said, "Okay, you can go back now, but remember to reply to my message this time."

Shen Ju looked at him, hesitant to speak.

She wanted to explain, to say that she had been thinking about him every day during this time, but in the end she turned around and walked towards the car without even saying goodbye.

Xu Chaoyang didn't care, because he had already gotten the information he wanted by coming here today.

He read scrutiny and wariness in Lin Shuqiu's eyes, as well as a barely perceptible hint of disgust.

So that's where the problem lies.

Xu Chaoyang suddenly felt like laughing. In his previous life, he was a big shot in the Jiangnan business circle, and many women were eager to climb the social ladder by marrying him. But after being reborn, he was disliked.

But thinking about it carefully, we can't really blame them.

In Lin Shuqiu's eyes, he is just an insignificant high school student whose parents are ordinary civil servants. Compared to Shen Zhiyi's family, he is indeed not good enough.

Xu Chaoyang unscrewed the bottle of water in his hand, tilted his head back and took a big gulp, then hailed another taxi back to his examination room.

He was not affected by Lin Shuqiu at all and calmly finished his last foreign language exam.

By the time he got home, it was already evening.

The sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen. Dad, Xu Zhiyuan, was standing in front of the stove. Hearing the noise, he poked his head out and asked, "You're back? How did the exam go?"

He couldn't go to the exam venue to support Xu Chaoyang today, so he made a big meal for him after his early shift to make up for it.

Xu Chaoyang leaned against the door frame, not even noticing his father's words, his brows furrowed tightly.

Qin Xuemei, who was in the living room, glanced at him and noticed that her son seemed off, which made her heart skip a beat.

Could this child have failed their exam?