The two of them walked along, chatting about Armand and Marguerite, discussing how the two first met in the novel, and finally how tragically Marguerite died. Sarah Bennett was no longer as shy and quiet as she had been at the beginning; instead, the more they talked, the more excited she became, her cheeks flushed. William Clark's knowledge of literature truly opened Sarah Bennett's eyes. Among her classmates, she had never found anyone with the same interests. After reading "Camille," she had many feelings in her heart, but never had the chance to confide in anyone. At this moment, William Clark had completely become her confidant, and he could even bring up many questions she had never thought of before. That sense of release from repression made Sarah Bennett's shyness fade more and more, and she spoke more and more.

William Clark had originally just wanted to use this topic to attract Sarah Bennett's attention, but as he chatted with her, he too felt a rare sense of kindred spirit. Although he had read many books over the years, such a discussion was truly unique. Many of Sarah Bennett's thoughts were inevitably naive, but she always had some unique insights, which completely captivated William Clark.

A gentle breeze brushed by, lifting the hem of Sarah Bennett's skirt and making the tip of her ponytail sway slightly. Her delicate face was flushed, and her bright eyes glanced at William Clark from time to time, clear as can be. That gaze was pure, without worldliness or wariness. William Clark's soul seemed to be purified by Sarah Bennett's gaze. Years of worldliness and accumulated negative emotions all crumbled in her eyes. At this moment, he was just a youth—a pure seventeen-year-old boy.

The leaves of the cornfield swayed, making a rustling sound. Wildflowers on both sides of the path bloomed in competition, their faint fragrance drifting gently. A small path, two teenagers pushing their bikes—this was just like a relaxed and pleasant ink-wash landscape painting: relaxed, pleasant. Wasn't this exactly the kind of tranquil countryside scene William Clark had occasionally longed for in the past?

Sarah Bennett was just a simple, guileless girl, and at this moment, she was attracted by William Clark's literary talent. As for William Clark, after all, he was already in his thirties and had been through many years in society. With subtlety in his words, he managed to ask Sarah Bennett many things he wanted to know. Of course, these things were just ordinary matters to Sarah Bennett, so she had no wariness, but to William Clark, they were quite extraordinary.

Today was May 7, 1994. He was in his second year of high school. It was Sunday, and they had to return to school to board. They wouldn't be able to go home again until after school next Saturday.

Suddenly, William Clark thought of a rather serious problem and immediately asked, "How... did you do on this midterm exam?" The way William Clark asked was rather vague; it could be understood as asking how Sarah Bennett had already done, or how she was preparing.

Sure enough, when it came to studies, Sarah Bennett spoke more naturally. "I'm a bit nervous too. The exam is tomorrow, but I feel like there are still some things I'm not ready for. I'm really afraid I'll do badly."

"Heh... One exam doesn't mean much. Everyone has times when they don't perform well. Don't put too much weight on the score, and you'll do better." William Clark said this, but in his heart, he was secretly smiling bitterly. The midterm was tomorrow, and he didn't have any time left to prepare. This was clearly the biggest tragedy he'd encountered since being reborn.

If you encounter enough tragedies, they can no longer be called tragedies—they just become a part of life. William Clark had already experienced too many tragedies in his previous life. A small tragedy like the midterm exam was really not worth mentioning, and it wouldn't affect his development after being reborn.

But being reborn had already given his fate a golden finger. He couldn't say he could get whatever he wanted in the future, but at the very least, it should be a broad and smooth road. Yet before any good things happened, a tragedy came first, which inevitably made him feel a bit frustrated.

But maybe this wasn't a bad thing. By lowering his starting point, he wouldn't attract so much attention, and could start over in a low-key way.

"You really think so lightly of it?" Sarah Bennett asked William Clark in surprise. For students, grades are everything—unless they're the kind who don't care about studying at all.

"What else can I do if I don't? I'm definitely going to do badly this time." William Clark smiled, his gaze sweeping over the cornfields beside him. The lush green was truly refreshing.

Talking about studies, Sarah Bennett was no longer as shy as before and asked, "What was your rank at the end of last semester?"

"Last semester's final..." William Clark really couldn't remember what his rank was back then.

"I forgot too." William Clark chuckled.

"How can you forget your own grades?" Sarah Bennett clearly didn't believe him.

"Then you tell me your rank first," William Clark countered.

Sarah Bennett's face turned red as she said, "I was only tenth in the class, and not even in the top fifty in the grade."

"That's pretty good." Although No. 4 High School wasn't a key high school, the top hundred in the grade could all get into a second-tier university. Clearly, Sarah Bennett was a good student. William Clark offered a sincere compliment.