Chapter 14: Rumors and Gossip

Seeing Lin Yu and Qi Yue walking side by side into the campus, they greeted many classmates who were leaving after morning self-study to grab breakfast. Standing on the steps outside the security guard’s office at the school gate, the woman in uniform seemed hesitant, her fists clenched as she struggled with herself for a long time, but never summoned the courage to speak.

“She’s truly a shy young teacher,” thought Lin Yu, who witnessed everything but kept his gaze straight ahead as he passed her by. He saved people solely according to his own preferences, never expecting any reward.

As the two passed by the so-called “First Toilet of Bincheng”—the infamous four-star restroom said to have cost two million to build—they happened to encounter the school’s notorious playboy, Lin Yu’s sixth brother, Dai Peng.

Dai Peng was accompanied by a quiet girl named Ye Yijing, who was both talented and beautiful, came from a good family, and was well-liked—her reputation in school second only to that of Yang Zhilin.

Lin Yu exchanged a few words with Dai Peng, and the two headed into the men’s restroom to smoke.

Entering the smoky, choking restroom, they began discussing girls and women—a perennial topic among men, along with power, wealth, and football, but women always came first.

Lin Yu, who had returned from the future, knew that if nothing unexpected happened, Dai Peng’s code of conduct would one day lead him down an extreme path because of psychological issues. Eventually, he would find himself incapable of excitement unless with virgins.

To prevent this tragedy, Lin Yu felt it was his duty to pull Dai Peng out of this quagmire and alter his course.

After taking a few deep drags, Lin Yu patted Dai Peng on the shoulder and said seriously, “Ye Yijing is a good choice—not just her looks, but her family can be a great support for you in the future. Seize this opportunity. Don’t play with her feelings and body like you did before. It’s about accumulating virtue, and also for your own future.”

Dai Peng was momentarily stunned by these words, hesitated, then blew out a smoke ring with a devil-may-care attitude. “Third Brother, the reason your Sixth Brother is envied by all the boys at school is because I can be ruthless enough to abandon girls others can’t even pursue. If I settle down with Ye Yijing, wouldn’t I just become an ordinary guy?”

“Peng, honestly—have you suffered some trauma? Don’t you think your behavior is pathological?” Lin Yu exhaled smoke through his nose, speaking calmly.

“Pathological? If someone else said that, I’d turn hostile—Wang Yan included. But you’re one of the few I truly admire, so I won’t fall out with you. As for the rest, let’s not talk about it.” Dai Peng grew agitated, his left hand trembling as he held his cigarette, clearly shaken by Lin Yu’s calm words.

“If there’s something, just say it. If I can help, I will. And if I can’t, we still have our brothers,” Lin Yu looked into Dai Peng’s eyes, searching for clues.

“Third Brother, you can’t help with this. All you need to know is, in your Sixth Brother’s world, there’s no faith, no hope, no love, no happiness. Nothing else matters. I’ll finish my smoke and head out.” Dai Peng, emotionally unstable, threw his half-smoked cigarette away and strode out of the restroom. Just before leaving, he punched the white-tiled wall hard.

Lin Yu watched all this, sighed quietly, took a deep drag, flicked his cigarette butt into the paper bin, and walked out unhurriedly, heading toward the classroom building.

Not far ahead, he saw Ye Yijing following Dai Peng, flustered, speaking softly. Dai Peng, walking with his back straight, kept his eyes forward, ignoring her.

Many adults, after growing up, dream of waking up one day to find themselves sitting at an elementary school desk, with a teacher tossing a chalk piece that lands squarely on their forehead, reliving that simple, carefree life. Or waking to find themselves seated next to the class beauty in middle school, savoring the innocent ambiguity once again.

But at this moment, after truly being reborn, Lin Yu realized there were countless puzzles to solve. He couldn’t help but recall Spider-Man’s words: with great power comes great responsibility.

Then he remembered the search system in his mind, feeling a narcissistic surge of confidence about the future.

When Lin Yu finally arrived leisurely at the door of Class 7, Grade 3, it was 7:30, just in time for morning reading. The class monitor, Nie Xiaona, stood at the podium, leading the class in singing Emilia Rydberg’s “Big Big World.”

This English song is unique in its rhythm—each syllable in the lines corresponds, rhyming together, with repetition and matching endings, creating a pleasing cadence.

With sixty students humming together, it was indescribably melodious.

Lin Yu stood at the door, lost in the music. Out of respect for the song, he didn’t barge in, but waited until the chorus ended before quietly pushing open the door and entering.

Upon stepping inside, he immediately saw a thick stack of old exam papers and photocopied materials on his desk. He guessed these were borrowed from Yang Zhilin, so he nodded toward Yang Zhilin and Qi Yue, returned to his seat, placed the study materials under his desk, and began leafing through his brand-new Chinese textbook.

In fact, even before Lin Yu arrived, the entire Class 7 had been abuzz—Qi Yue had moved all the materials from her own desk to his, implying they were prepared by Yang Zhilin for him!

Many students whispered about Lin Yu and Yang Zhilin’s relationship, rumors swirling everywhere.

Some even speculated about a love triangle between Lin Yu, Qi Yue, and Yang Zhilin—gossip at its finest. This was typical of humanities classes: more girls, more chatter.

Few paid attention to Lin Yu’s sudden resolve to study hard.

Wang Keming, who had failed to borrow the materials, wore a gloomy expression, silent for a long time, clearly deeply frustrated. He nursed a grudge against Lin Yu and pondered ways to pursue Yang Zhilin.

For him, Yang Zhilin was not just a beautiful girl but a dream in his heart.

Every era has its own rich, handsome boys and its own goddesses.

In Bincheng’s No. 1 High School, Wang Keming was a genuine rich, handsome boy, so he still had confidence in himself.

But who can foresee the future? Even Lin Yu, who walked alone from the future, could not know for sure.