Chapter 7: Mr. Chu

Chapter 7: Mr. Chu

At Di Cheng No. 1 High School, exam seating was arranged by academic ranking. An Wen was seated in the first row of Exam Room 1, right at the front, with Wu Yufei and Tang Rui behind her.

As soon as An Wen received her test paper, she began answering swiftly. Her handwriting was fast, and she finished with 40 minutes to spare. After reviewing her answers once, she left the exam room.

Pulling out her phone and notebook from her backpack, she continued analyzing the character of Qing Sha. She seized every minute to study the original novel, imagining Qing Sha’s speech patterns, gestures, and demeanor.

In her past life, analyzing characters had been her greatest passion. Even though she could never land those roles, she would rehearse them over and over in front of the mirror in her rented apartment.

On the first day of exams, An Wen left every test 30 minutes early. The students in Exam Room 1 watched her retreating figure as they wrote, puzzled. Though they were top performers, none of them dared leave early—every extra second in the exam room could mean catching a mistake and gaining another point. In the fiercely competitive environment of Di Cheng No. 1 High School, a single point could determine a rank or even a change in exam room.

When others finished their exams and saw An Wen outside, a girl with slightly curly hair rolled her eyes and sneered, "What a show-off!"

For three consecutive days of exams, An Wen followed the same routine, filling half of a thick notebook with her notes.

At home, she practiced in front of the mirror. Her stunning face paired perfectly with her acting skills. Occasionally, she browsed entertainment news to stay updated on the current state of the industry.

Feeling sufficiently prepared, An Wen scrolled through her contacts, tapped on Chu Qichen’s name, and dialed.

The phone rang several times before a deep male voice answered, "An Wen, is there something you need?"

"Mr. Chu, I’d like to ask for your help," An Wen said.

"What kind of help?"

"As far as I know, you donated a library to Di Cheng No. 1 High School and hold considerable influence there. I’d like you to have the Volunteer Department organize a practical activity. I’ve already sent you the details via text."

A faint tapping sound came through the phone, and An Wen knew Chu Qichen was reading her message. She waited quietly for his response.

After a moment, he replied, "Alright, I’ll arrange it."

"Thank you, Mr. Chu," An Wen said.

"Mmm." Chu Qichen hung up and set his phone down, momentarily dazed. An Wen had always called him "Brother Chu"—why was she suddenly addressing him so formally as "Mr. Chu"?

On her third day in this world, An Wen had received the last remnants of the original owner’s memories. The girl had returned to China for Chu Qichen. At 15, she had fallen in love with him at first sight when he visited her home. Upon learning he had returned to the country, she had insisted on transferring schools.

Unable to refuse his daughter and unwilling to see her suffer, An Wen’s father had asked Chu Qichen to look after her. But Chu Qichen treated her like a younger sister—kind yet distant.

Once, An Wen had slipped a love letter into Chu Qichen’s pocket, but when he visited again, he acted as if nothing had happened, treating her the same as always. The girl took it as rejection, overwhelmed by shame and embarrassment, unsure how to face him again.

After enduring bullying at school, she took leave and stopped attending.

When Chu Qichen learned of her absence, he called several times to check on her. An Wen couldn’t bring herself to explain and only claimed she was unwell. Like this, she avoided him for half a month.

Until that day when Liu Ayi finished preparing lunch and said to her with concern, "Mr. An truly cares for you in his heart."

An Wen then realized how obvious her feelings had been, and she was instantly overwhelmed with both embarrassment and heartbreak. The depression that followed led to her distracted state, resulting in this unfortunate accident.

Chu Qichen couldn’t possibly have been unaware of the original owner's feelings, and his approach wasn’t wrong—if he had torn down that thin veil of pretense, the damage to someone as fragile as the original owner might have been far worse.

At this thought, An Wen let out a long sigh.