Names: Uncle Zhao Mengsheng, Father-in-law Pei Yihong

[This is a crossover between film and television universes; please do not apply it to reality. I'm just a humble author, please excuse my innocence.]

[The place where Director Qi's relatives and friends check in.]

[Secretary Yu Liang's friends' check-in spot.]

[The moment when Marquis Changxin was slapped in the face.]

Handong Province.

Lone Eagle Ridge.

Qi Tongwei leaned against a pillar in the cabin, clutching the pistol that had been with him for many years.

Hou Liangping was directing the special police.

There were also helicopters circling overhead.

"Qi Tongwei, senior, put down your weapon and surrender! You have nowhere to run!" Hou Liangping shouted through a megaphone, "Quickly put down your sniper rifle."

Qi Tongwei slowly raised his head. "Monkey, you've won, but you're not necessarily cleaner than me."

"Clean?" Hou Liangping scoffed and jumped off the helicopter. "I, Hou Liangping, am upright and honest, unlike you, who would sell your dignity for power, crying at a grave and kneeling before Liang Lu."

Qi Tongwei's eyes darkened as past events flashed through his mind.

His impoverished background, his youthful exuberance in college, the humiliation of bowing to Liang Lu for the sake of his future, Gao Yuliang's support, the glory of approaching the pinnacle of power, and finally, his gradual descent into the abyss.

"Sell your dignity? I, Qi Tongwei, am the son of a farmer. I had no choice."

"No choice?" Hou Liangping raised an eyebrow. "It's your own greed that's the problem! Put down your gun and come back with me for questioning."

Looking at his former junior, Qi Tongwei knew he could never go back.

Whether it was the pinnacle of power or the original aspirations, they have all vanished like bubbles.

"Monkey, I'll pay for Chen Hai's life. To hell with God. Nobody can judge me." He gripped the pistol tightly and shoved it into his mouth.

boom!

A gunshot echoed across Lone Eagle Ridge.

Qi Tongwei's body jolted violently, and then he slowly collapsed.

In his final moments before losing consciousness, Qi Tongwei had only one thought in his mind: If I could do it all over again, I would want to be Li Bai.

Unrestrained and free-spirited, unbound by constraints.

No, I still want to be Qi Tongwei!

……

"Well……"

A sharp headache struck, and Qi Tongwei slowly opened his eyes.

What came into view was not Lone Eagle Ridge, nor the white ceiling of the hospital, but the familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling of the dormitory.

I moved my fingers and felt sore all over, as if I had been staying up all night for several days.

I sat up, looked around, and my heart skipped a beat.

This is a four-person dormitory room, with blue sheets on each bed.

The desk was neatly arranged with books, and there were several posters on the wall, as well as a sticker with the logo of Handong University.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the desk. Dust motes danced in the beams of light, making everything seem so vibrant and real.

This is not Lone Eagle Ridge.

This is... a dormitory at Handong University?

Qi Tongwei frowned and pinched his thigh.

A sharp pain shot through me; it wasn't a hallucination!

Looking down at his hands—clean, slender, without the calluses from years of holding a gun.

Looking in the mirror, I saw no wrinkles etched by time on my face.

He clenched his fist, full of power.

It's so good to be young!

I, Qi Tongwei, am back.

I... was reborn?

Shock.

ecstasy.

He strode to the desk, picked up a book on it, and the cover had the words "Jurisprudence" written on it.

The handwriting on the title page is of himself when he was young.

My graduate school days!

I have truly been reborn, returning to the time when I was still a graduate student at Handong University, before all the tragedies occurred!

Everything is too late.

Qi Tongwei took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Sitting on the bed, memories of his past life flooded back like a tide: the regret of corruption, the pain of betrayal, the despair of losing everything, and those warm and regretful moments all intertwined in his mind.

This time, he will never repeat the same mistakes. He will firmly grasp his own destiny, protect the people he wants to protect, and stay away from those temptations and traps.

Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open with a "bang," and two young figures walked in noisily, their faces full of youthful vigor.

"Monkey, stop bragging. Zhong Xiaoai is so aloof, you think you can win her over in two days?"

Chen Hai patted Hou Liangping on the shoulder, his tone full of teasing, with a simple and honest smile on his face.

Hou Liangping raised his chin, a smug look on his face. "Hai Zi, what do you know? I'm the student council president. Getting Zhong Xiao Ai is a piece of cake for me."

That's really bragging without thinking.

Hou Liangping's statement is akin to directly asserting sovereignty, a preconceived notion.

Hou Liangping also heard that Chen Hai liked Zhong Xiaoai.

We must seize the initiative.

"Give me a break!" Chen Hai rolled his eyes. "Monkey, don't forget, Fangfang has feelings for you. If you dare to cheat on her, you'll be in big trouble! I bet if our teacher Gao finds out, she might break your legs."

Hou Liangping's smugness faded slightly. He scratched his head, his eyes flickering, "Oh dear, it's not done yet, is it? Let's test the waters first, what if it works?"

Qi Tongwei listened quietly.

Hou Liangping, Chen Hai, and Zhong Xiaoai, whom they mentioned, were all people he knew from his previous life.

Hou Liangping was the student council president at the time. He came from a well-off family and had always been arrogant.

Chen Hai is Chen Yanshi's son and Chen Yang's younger brother.

He remembered that this dormitory was originally a graduate student dormitory. Hou Liangping and Chen Hai were both undergraduates. They were able to move in because Hou Liangping was the student union president, while Chen Hai was able to do so because of his relationship with Chen Yanshi.

To put it bluntly, it's just a little bit of capriciousness in the use of power.

"Ahem!" Qi Tongwei coughed lightly twice.

Hou Liangping and Chen Hai immediately stopped arguing, turned around, and saw Qi Tongwei on the upper bunk.

Both of them were stunned for a moment.

Chen Hai was the first to react, "Senior, what are you doing in the dorm? My sister is looking everywhere for you!"

Qi Tongwei looked at Chen Hai, his gaze softening slightly.

Chen Hai's older sister, Chen Yang, was his white moonlight in his past life, and also his biggest regret.

In his past life, because of his inferiority complex, his desire for power, and because of Liang Lu and Chen Yanshi, he ultimately missed Chen Yang, married Liang Lu whom he did not love, and gradually headed towards destruction.

In this life, he absolutely cannot do that.

Hou Liangping also realized what was happening, a hint of unease flashing across his face. "Senior, you heard what Hai Zi and I were saying, right?"

The monkey was afraid that Qi Tongwei would spread the word and ruin his plan.

Qi Tongwei nodded slightly without saying anything.

Hou Liangping said with a bitter face, "Senior, you must keep this a secret for me!"

I need to do it secretly. If Fangfang makes a scene and Zhong Xiaoai ignores me, I'll end up with neither of them!

It turns out monkeys are so cunning; they even leave themselves a backup plan when they're in love.

Looking at Hou Liangping's opportunistic manner, Qi Tongwei felt a surge of disgust from his past life.

He frowned, his tone cold and disdainful: "Monkey, I despise people like you, two-timing."

Hou Liangping's smile froze, and then his face darkened. "Senior, everyone looks out for themselves! People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill."

"I'm the student council president. Is it unreasonable for me to want to advance further and find a good wife?"

"Monkey, everyone loves beauty, but monkey, I think what you're doing is not kind," Qi Tongwei said bluntly.

Hou Liangping raised his chin. "Senior, isn't it normal for me to want to be assigned to a good unit?"

We are the Three Heroes of Han University, how can we possibly submit to others?

Qi Tongwei was too lazy to argue with Hou Liangping anymore; such a person was inherently selfish and arrogant.

Further discussion is pointless.

He turned and walked to the bedside, picked up the washbasin and toothbrush cup, too lazy to pay attention to the monkey.

He held the washbasin, not glancing at Hou Liangping again.

Watching Qi Tongwei's departing figure, Hou Liangping's expression grew even more unpleasant.

He curled his lip, his tone full of sarcasm: "Hmph, what's with the pretense of high and mighty? Qi Tongwei wanting to be with Senior Chen Yang is like a toad lusting after a swan!"

Chen Hai frowned, his face showing some displeasure, and retorted, "Monkey, don't talk nonsense!"

My sister likes Qi Tongwei, and Qi Tongwei likes my sister too.

They truly love each other!

"Truly in love?" Hou Liangping scoffed, his tone full of disdain. "Impossible! Your parents don't approve of them being together at all. You're too naive!"

"My parents didn't object!" Chen Hai exclaimed anxiously, raising his voice. "My parents have never opposed my sister being with Qi Tongwei!"

Hou Liangping shook his head, a "you don't understand" look on his face, and lowered his voice: "Haizi, are you really stupid or just pretending? Once I went to your house to look for you and overheard your dad and mom talking."

Chen Hai was stunned, his eyes full of confusion: "Monkey, what did my parents say?"

"They said," Hou Liangping paused, deliberately drawing out his words, "that when your sister was in school, they arranged for her to date Qi Tongwei, just so she could practice how to date. They also said that Qi Tongwei could never become a son-in-law of the Chen family, and that they would break up after graduation because your sister was going to work in Beijing, and Qi Tongwei was just a farmer's son, completely unworthy of her!"

Chen Hai's expression changed instantly; his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He refused to believe Hou Liangping's words.

But Hou Liangping spoke with such conviction that he had no choice but to believe him.

He felt a pang of sadness, feeling wronged for his sister and indignant for Qi Tongwei.

After washing up, Qi Tongwei changed his clothes and walked out of the dormitory building.

The air on the campus of Han University is fresh and carries a faint fragrance of grass and trees.

Occasionally, college students carrying books would hurry by, their faces brimming with youthful energy.

He looked down at the road beneath his feet. The cement road was clean and tidy, without the hustle and bustle of later generations, or the shuttle of electric bicycles. Occasionally, a few bicycles would pass by, their bells ringing crisply and melodiously.

Qi Tongwei felt a surge of emotion; youth is truly wonderful.

In this era, there are fewer temptations and less deceit; everything is still full of hope.

He was fortunate enough to be reborn at this time, with the opportunity to rewrite his destiny, and this time, he must cherish it.

He walked straight toward the office building of the Department of Political Science and Law.

He wanted to see his mentor, Gao Yuliang.