“I already told you, so how did you actually score?” Sarah Bennett asked again.

“I... I didn’t even make the top hundred, so I’d rather not say. It’s embarrassing.” William Clark smiled.

“Oh.” Sarah Bennett didn’t press further. Not making the top hundred meant you weren’t an outstanding student, so it was normal for William Clark to feel awkward about it. Asking more would just be rubbing salt in the wound, so Sarah Bennett wisely dropped the subject.

“Yifei!” A loud shout came from behind, startling both William Clark and Sarah Bennett. They turned their heads at the same time.

Brian Cooper, William Clark’s classmate and best friend, nicknamed “Old Grant,” had a dark, chubby face, tiny eyes, a head of wild, explosive hair, a checkered gauze shirt on top, and light gray trousers below. He was big and burly, looking just like a Japanese sumo wrestler. But he was easygoing, never got mad at jokes, and really did resemble a gentle-natured, not-so-handsome Old Grant.

After graduating from college, this guy went back home to help his parents wholesale fruit. Rumor had it he made quite a bit of money, even bought his own car, so he’d achieved a little something. But since they weren’t in the same place, the two rarely kept in touch.

Seeing Brian Cooper now, William Clark felt a surge of warmth. He blurted out “Old Grant” and really wanted to give the guy a hug.

But Brian Cooper didn’t even get off his bike. He glanced at Sarah Bennett, then grinned at William Clark and said, “Nice going, man, I’m impressed. I’ll head off first.” Then he pushed off and brushed right past William Clark, glancing back as he rode away, with a smile on his face that was... well, hard to describe, but definitely suggestive.

Chapter 004: School

Brian Cooper’s interruption made Sarah Bennett instantly lower her head in embarrassment. When William Clark tried to talk to her again, she only nodded or replied softly with a quiet “mm.”

William Clark knew they couldn’t chat as easily as before, but now he’d learned some important things: the era he was in, his current identity, and what he needed to do next. At the very least, he had to make sure he didn’t make any big mistakes or seem too out of place.

His mind was a mess. Suddenly being thrown from 2010 back to 1994, the confusion of time and space left him at a loss. Even with a pure, lily-like girl by his side, he wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it.

He really wanted to get his bearings, but 1994 was both familiar and strange to him. Things from sixteen years ago were already distant memories—he could only recall a few vague fragments, and it was impossible to connect them to his current self.

“You... you didn’t get hurt in that crash, did you?” After walking a while without running into anyone else, Sarah Bennett’s embarrassment faded a bit. She snuck a glance at William Clark, noticing his shifting expressions, as if he was deep in thought. She opened her mouth a few times, then finally mustered the courage to ask.

“Oh...” William Clark smiled and said, “No, I just remembered something on my mind.”

“Oh.” Sarah Bennett fell silent again. If she and William Clark didn’t share a common interest, she would never have taken the initiative to talk to any boy.

William Clark took a deep breath, clearing his chaotic thoughts. Since he’d been reborn, he had plenty of time and didn’t need to rush to figure everything out. He’d understand things eventually. Smiling at Sarah Bennett, he said, “Sorry, walking with such a pretty girl and I spaced out. That was really rude of me.”

Sarah Bennett blushed even more and whispered, “It’s nothing.”

“So, what other books have you read?” William Clark continued the previous topic.

“This is the first one I’ve read.” As soon as the subject came up, Sarah Bennett relaxed a lot.

“Okay, when you finish this one, I’ll recommend a couple more similar ones.”

The two of them slipped back into a light, cheerful conversation. Before they knew it, they’d walked out of the small path and found a bike repair stall.

“I don’t have any change, I can’t break this.” When Sarah Bennett handed a ten-yuan bill to the old repairman, he looked troubled.

William Clark casually pulled out two yuan in change from his pocket and handed it over.

“Thank you. I’ll pay you back once I get some change.” Sarah Bennett immediately expressed her gratitude.

William Clark smiled and said, “It’s nothing, I was the one who hit your bike in the first place.”

They didn’t enter the school together. Back then, if a boy and girl walked in together, everyone would assume they were dating early. The hormones of adolescence were running high, but not everyone had the courage to pursue someone. So gossiping about who was dating whom was just another way for teenagers to vent.

Sarah Bennett was a lovely girl, and William Clark didn’t want her caught up in that kind of rumor. So after they reached the main road, he quickly found an excuse to leave first.